Speechless | Spencer Reid FanFiction ✔️

Chapter 3: Discharged

After a few more days of the same routine of only solid foods at lunch time, I finally decided Spencer had healed enough from being intubated that he could now eat solid foods. His aphasia was also obviously no longer present. I discharged him from my care and updated his diet plan to all food consistencies for the rest of his stay while he was asleep in his room. I'm not going to make it that easy for him and just give him my number when I discharged him, so I intentionally did it while he was asleep. I have to make him work for it, play hard to get. I've learned that men really do like the chase. Seeing how they chase and how long they chase says a lot about them. I have a feeling Spencer will impress me.

•••••

I heard from my friends who are nurses in the CCU that I made quite an impression on Spencer. They also told me that he's been talking about me to his friends that visit nonstop. I internally laugh maniacally thinking about how well my evil plan seems to be working. He's been asking them to page me, and they tell him I'm not available every time. It pays off to be friends with the nurses and everyone else in the hospital, believe me.
After I learn that Spencer has been fully discharged from the hospital, I expect to hear from him fairly soon after the fact. I don't hear from him at all. Which is pretty disappointing because I had hoped that he was different. After a week and a half I get a text on my phone from my friend in administration, telling me some really tall guy in the FBI is asking for me. I bite my bottom lip to keep from squealing in triumph and internally do a victory dance. I'm about to head down to admin when I hear somebody clear their throat behind me. I turn around to see Spencer behind me, standing next to the second floor nurses station in front of me. He looks so good when he's not infected with anthrax! I gasp and say "Spencer...how did you get up here?" He smiles and says "having my FBI credentials often helps me get out of tough spots" and winks at me.
I roll my eyes and ask him why he lied to the hospital administration just to see me. He laughs incredulously, saying "you're the one who fell off the grid all of a sudden without a final word. I wouldn't have had to use my credentials if you would've made this easier." I hum in response and tilt my head to the side, saying "but where's the fun in that? Also why did it take you almost two weeks after you were discharged from the hospital to track me down?" He shakes his head and says "I'm sorry as soon as I got back to work we had a case in Canada that lasted pretty long." I squinted at him saying "I don't know, that sounds pretty fake to me." He responds saying, "I can get you some kind of proof of that if you need it." I laugh and say "no, I'm just kidding, I just wanted to see how you'd react."
He grabs my hands, saying "Would you like to go on a date with me?" I pretend to contemplate his offer, putting my finger on my chin and looking at the ceiling. After a beat, I say "okay, yes, I will go on a date with you." The entire nurses station cheered and started exchanging $20 bills with each other. I found out later they had placed bets on how long it would take for him to finally ask me out after getting discharged. What started as just CCU staff spread like wild fire through the hospital. He says "I could get called away on a case any minute, are you free tonight?" I smile and nod, saying "yes I get off at 7 tonight, so maybe just drinks tonight?" I quickly write my number on a pink sticky note and tell him to text me the details. He holds the sticky note like he just found the holy grail. He smiles and gives me a thumbs up while clumsily speed walking away.
I continue working for the rest of the day and check in on my patients. It's slow compared to the influx of anthrax patients when Spencer was admitted. Suddenly my friend, Killian, who is a nurse, appears by my side and scares the crap out of me. After she knows she has my attention, she grabs my shoulders and lightly shakes me. She says "when were you going to tell me the hero FBI agent from the CCU asked you out on a date?!" I chuckle and tell her I just haven't had the time. She raises an eyebrow at me, obviously not believing me. She continues "and what is this nonsense about going out for drinks for your first date like this is some tinder hookup?"
I tell her "1. I really do get off late and will be ravenous by the time I get off, so waiting on a date isn't going to work out. 2. Even though he's in the FBI, he could be crazy and just good at hiding it. I want an easy and quick escape if I need it. 3. He could be called away on a case any minute, so it's probably going to be either tonight or 2 weeks from now. I already waited on him patiently for a week and a half while he was in Canada on a case." Killian nods in approval and says "okay when you put it like that I guess I understand. Keep me updated, girlie! And use protection!" I tell her she knows I'm not that kind of girl to have sex on the first date. She still winks and then runs off in the direction she came from.
I actually end up getting to leave work about 30 minutes early and come home to my dog I've had for almost 10 years now. He's a white miniature poodle named Ryder. I come home and take him out of his crate. I usually spend my lunch breaks at home with him or I have a neighbor come take him out instead if I can't make it home for whatever reason. He wags his tail and spins in circles before jumping and trying to get me to pick him up. I pick him up and he immediately tries to lick my face. I put him in his harness and go to take him on a walk. As I'm about to call my mom and see how her day went, I see a text from Spencer.

2025290736:

Hey, Anneliese, this is Spencer. Since you said you wanted to get drinks how does Pink Lotus sound at 8:30? I can pick you up or meet you there. Whatever makes you more comfortable.

I save his contact information and giggle with excitement at the fact that he actually took the initiative and made plans at a bar that's actually nice. I text him back, telling him that sounds good and that I'll meet him there. Ryder doesn't understand why I'm so excited, but he's excited, too, nonetheless. It's now 7 pm and I don't have long to get ready. I'll have to give him a quick walk and hope he does his business by then. I decide to call my mom and fill her in on my life that is suddenly very exciting out of nowhere.
My mom picks up on the fourth ring, she probably couldn't find her phone, and says "hey sweetie everything okay?" I smile and say "it's great, I actually have a date tonight!" I hear my mom gasp on the other end of the phone and she says "with the cute FBI agent?!" I giggle and tell her "yes, that's the one." She doesn't know he was my patient, just that I met him at work. She tells me to wear makeup and dress nice. I roll my eyes because she's told me that every day of my life. As a southern girl you are supposed to always have a full face of makeup, nice clothes, and a mani pedi everywhere you go lest you be talked about at every church in the county the following Sunday for not following the unspoken rules of class in the south. It's one reason I left.
I ask her about how things are going with her and her job and my dad and my two older brothers. There's not anything much too interesting going on with any of them at the moment. My oldest brother is a CEO of an accounting and finance company that he runs remotely by himself and travels the world at the same time. My other brother, who is the middle child, is a musician and playwright currently living in New York City trying to make it big. I really think he could do it one day. Here I am, a speech language pathologist living in DC. I know my mom misses having us, but she has my dad and her dog and the two cats we got when I was in 7th grade. Those cats just refuse to die at this point, and I'm convinced they continue living out of sheer spite. I promise my mother I will come home and visit soon and we exchange "I love you"s as I head back into my apartment complex with Ryder.
Now that Ryder has gotten his energy out and has some food and water to satiate himself with, it's now time for me to work some magic. The Pink Lotus is nice but not overly fancy. I've been there before with some girl friends. I put on my usual foundation and concealer and everything else and decide on a neutral toned somewhat smoky eye and winged eyeliner. I opt not to do false lashes because I just don't feel like fighting with them on short notice and just use basic mascara. I paint on a nude lip and spray my setting spray. Then I see it's only 7:25. I have time to curl my hair. I quickly curl my hair and brush through it with my fingers to make it look natural. I decide on dark jeans, a black satin tank that shows just the right amount of cleavage and some snakeskin wedge booties. I grab a light jacket and put in some earrings and put on a long necklace. Then I crate Ryder and leave the tv on for him so he's not too lonely.
It's now 8:15 and I'm leaving for the bar. I suddenly get nervous as I start to drive. I've been pretty cocky up until this point and now I'm nervous he won't like me outside of the hospital. Then I get nervous I won't like him outside of the hospital. I decide to turn on my "Glowy and Hoey" playlist, trying to amp up my energy and be excited and just feel like a bad bitch. It works until I get to the bar, as I park my car I see him standing outside. I breathe in a big shaky breath and quickly let it out and tell myself "okay. It's now or never. You got this. You are strong, intelligent, hilarious, beautiful, and he would be lucky to have you." I give myself my pep talk, take another deep breath, and then get out of the car and fake a confident walk over to Spencer.