Pitch Black

Chapter 3

Quietly, Morgan knocks on the door before slowly pushing inside. Spencer glances up to see who it is and quickly looks down. He's holding tightly but gently to Thea's hand. The other one is covered in a cast.

When he's not kicked out, Morgan takes the chair on the other side of the bed silently. Thea hasn't woken up. The doctor said they were keeping her sedated until the worst of the withdrawal has passed. That on top of her other injuries and the stress of being kidnapped, they feared it would be too much for her right now.

"She sprained it," Spencer's voice is quiet. It surprises Morgan and he looks up in question. The younger man nods toward Thea's injured wrist. "Fighting back."

"She's tough," Morgan nods with a glance up at Thea. She's still running a fever, her chest rising and falling faster than normal. The nasal cannula under her nose provides her with extra oxygen. The cut on her forehead is held shut with three steri-strips. "The others are outside. We're here for you. Both of you." Spencer nods in response, his eyes glued to Thea and Morgan sighs. "I'm sorry, Spencer." Finally looking up, Reid furrows his brows. "For saying...what I said."

Shaking his head, Spencer squeezes Thea's hand. "You had to consider all possibilities. I know that."

"Doesn't mean you can't be upset." Lifting one of his hands, Spencer rubs both his eyes before bowing his head. "She's going to be fine. I know, because she has you." Nodding a little shakily, Spencer takes Thea's hand into both his own and returns his red eyes to studying her face.

***

Thea's head hurts when she comes to. It's one of the worst headaches she's ever had but not the most pain she's ever been in. She blinks open her eyes and lets out an involuntary groan. Her body is stiff and cold, the ground below her even more so.

When she feels a tugging on her leg, Thea suddenly comes to. She sits up and kicks out at the figure towering over her. There's a chain around her leg, holding her back, but she hits him once before he backs out of her reach.

"Who are you?" She demands of the masked man, her voice coming across as much stronger than she feels. "Who are you!?" She shouts but the man doesn't answer. He reaches behind him and pulls forward a bag. Without a word, he throws it onto the ground by her feet before leaving.

The room grows darker when the door shuts but the lantern provides just enough light. With a shuddering breath and a shaky hand, Thea reaches for the bag. It's brown and paper. She can't see through it. When she peels the top back, she dumps the contents onto the concrete in front of her.

A gasp escapes Thea. She shoves the pieces of her past away from her and pushes herself back into the wall. She tries to even her breathing but her chest continues to rise and fall at a rapid pace. Eventually, air stops coming until black spots dance in the corner of her vision.

***

"Have you eaten?" JJ knows he hasn't, she asks anyway. "Well, I brought you some stuff. A little care package, mostly from Garcia." She sets the bag down on the couch Reid's been sleeping on before pulling up a chair beside him. "How's she doing?"

"She should be awake soon," Spencer responds after clearing his throat. She's past the worst of it, they stopped giving her sedatives that morning. All of her other injuries are superficial. Her wrist is the worst of it. But it's not her physical wounds he's worried about.

"Do you want to go home for a bit? I can stay with her," They've all offered before but he's never accepted. Unsurprisingly, Spencer shakes his head softly and JJ rests a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Okay. Do you need anything else?"