Lockdown

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

26/06/2019. 01:03 hours. St Mary's Hospital, California.

David had insisted on taking over from Emily when he found her curled up in a ball in the chair, her arm stretched out awkwardly to hold Spencer's hand. She had spent the better part of the previous twenty-four hours with Spencer, desperate for him to wake up, but she had been unable to prevent herself from succumbing to exhaustion. David had practically frog-marched Emily and her bulletproof vest out of the room and ordered her to get some actual sleep in a bed. He slumped in the chair that Emily had recently vacated, stretching his legs out in front of him. He thought longingly of his Scotch and Cuban cigar waiting for him back at home. Spencer's heart rate had returned to a normal level. David glanced up from his twiddling thumbs to see Spencer's fingers grasping the blanket, his face scrunched up in pain. David sat forward and reached for Spencer's hand.

"Hey, bambino. It's okay, you're safe. Open those eyes for me," soothed David as he rubbed circles into the back of Spencer's hand with his coarse thumb. "Come on, kiddo. You can do it." Spencer's eyes fluttered before cracking open into partial slits. The confusion was evident in his battered and bruised face. His eyes moved sluggishly from side to side as he tried to get his bearings, then landed on David. Spencer's brow furrowed. He attempted to speak, only to find his voice trapped, and something hard and plastic wedged between his teeth. His eyes widened in horror, heart rate soaring at the thought of being gagged again. His fingers weakly brushed against the tube, his strength still diminished by the drug in his system.

"Spencer? It's okay, kiddo. You're safe. It's a breathing tube. Just let it do its job." Spencer's hand dropped back down to his side with a soft thud. David reached up and pressed his palm into the orange button on the wall. He leaned forward and brushed Spencer's hair back out of his face.

"You're okay. Just breathe. The doctor will be here any minute." Spencer nodded, his frightened, hazel eyes fixed on David's face. "Welcome back, Spencer." Spencer averted his gaze to the blanket, his brows pulled tightly together in thought as he tried to piece together what had happened. The recollection and realisation hit him like a bucket of ice water. His breath hitched in his chest, trapped behind the breathing tube. His limbs trembled with the overwhelming panic that descended on him and crawled through his veins. He had been raped... The word was sour in his mouth. They had tried to execute him.

Spencer's hands flew up to the breathing tube, fingers scrambling to peel away the medical tape holding it in place. David came to his feet and desperately tried to grab the young man's hands, only to be batted away.

"Spencer? You're okay. You're safe. Leave the tube alone. Let the doctor deal with that." Spencer shook his head wildly. David attempted again to prevent him from removing the tube. Spencer felt a burst of adrenaline and forcefully shoved David away, causing the older man to stumble backwards. Spencer tore the tape away from his face and gave the tube a sharp yank, but it barely moved. Another tug on the tube, and it ripped free from his throat with a blood-curdling scream. He coughed painfully, blood peppering his palm. A tall, stern doctor with silver hair and a greying beard bustled into the room with three nurses flanking him. Spencer's eyes widened further at the sight of the doctor, and he scrambled to push himself further up the bed.

"No! Ge' 'way!" screeched Spencer, his voice raw and harsh.

"Dr Reid, you need to calm down this instant!" barked the doctor.

"N-no!"

"Dr Reid! You will restrain yourself right now, or we will do it for you!" David's mouth gaped in horror at the doctor.

"Hey, asshat? He's just been through a traumatic experience, and you look a hell of a lot like his tormentor! How about you learn some bedside manners?" snapped David.

"Stay out of this, agent. He is my patient, and if he insists on making a scene, then I will treat him as such."

"You've never cared for a traumatised patient before, have you?" The doctor's lips tightened into a thin, grim line.

"Agent, I will have you know that I am very experienced with traumatised patients. If a patient is posing a risk to himself and others the way Dr Reid is, I will sedate and restrain as I see fit."

"Listen. The kid has just been held captive, held in restraints while he was raped and then dosed with a lethal injection. Restraining him will only make things worse. Please. Let me try and calm him down."

"Very well. If he hasn't calmed in the next half hour, I will sedate and restrain him. He'll need the oxygen put on." David gave a huff of relief as the doctor turned on his heel and swiftly exited the room. A nurse unfurled the oxygen cannula and laid it carefully on the bed to avoid the terrified man in the bed. He turned the switch to set the oxygen flow and darted out of the room after the doctor.

David turned back to Spencer, his hands raised to his chest in an effort to placate the young doctor. Spencer was curled in on himself as much as he could, his knees pressed painfully into his chest. His hands were wrapped in his hair, fingers entwined in his messy curls. Tears streaked his face, and his entire frame trembled. The gown had slipped down, revealing his bare torso. David took a tentative step forward.

"Spencer? It's just me here. It's Dave."

"No..." whined Spencer. David slowly reached for Spencer's quivering hands and gently pulled them away from his face. Blood dotted his bottom lip.

"You're okay, Spence. You're safe. It's Rossi. Breathe with me, kiddo." Spencer's gut-wrenching sobs were heart-breaking to hear. David pulled Spencer in close, the tear-stained face pressed into his chest. Spencer initially tensed, then melted into the contact, his hands latched onto David's shirt, curling the fabric of his navy blue button-up shirt into his fists. David softly caressed Spencer's tangled hair.

"Shh. Let it out, caro. I've got you." Spencer let out a wail of sorrow and pain, his breaths stuttering in his chest. It was as though Spencer had regressed before David's eyes. He had already suffered so much in such a short time. He thought he had seen Spencer at his worst, but he could not be any more wrong. This was worse. Much worse.

After ten minutes, David felt Spencer's grip slacken on his shirt. His breathing had slowed, and his face was red and blotchy where there were no bruises. His broken nose twinged as he sniffed grotesquely. Spencer wiped the palm of his shaking his hand down his face, smearing his tears, mucus, and blood. David straightened up and reached for the oxygen cannula, his dark eyes warily glancing at the monitor to see it flashing to say Spencer's oxygen levels had dropped below normal.

"Spence? Can I put this oxygen on you?" Spencer lifted his watery eyes to the nasal cannula in David's hand. He nodded softly and tilted his chin up to allow the older agent to tuck the tubing into his nostrils and hook it around his ears. David adjusted the toggle on the cannula so that it rested comfortably under his chin. Spencer's eyelids drooped with exhaustion as he lay back into his pillows, fingers grasping blindly for the blanket.

"I'm sorry," whispered Spencer, eyes slipping shut.

"Don't be." David pulled Spencer's gown up to cover his shoulders and drew the blankets up over him. "Sleep. I'll be right here." Spencer nodded shakily and let out a deep breath. His throat felt raw and torn to shreds. David went to sit down when a hand wrapped around his wrist. He glanced up to see Spencer gazing at him through heavy lids.

"Thank you," rasped Spencer, a tiny smile quirking at the corners of his bruised mouth. David gave him a soft smile in return, patting his hand in reassurance. David seated himself back in the chair with a sigh and watched as Spencer's head tilted to the side, his chest gently rising and falling.