Criminal Minds One Shots

5.5 psi (Reid)

5.5 was all that ran through Spencer's mind.

"5.5 pounds," he muttered, staring at the pooling blood before him.

"What's that?" Morgan asked, cautiously approaching the young agent.

"5.5 pounds," he said louder. "5.5 pounds per square inch."

"What are you going on about, kid?"

"That's all it takes to pull the trigger on a Glock model 22. That's all the effort I had to put in. I- I killed him, with that little effort." Spencer stood shaking, shifting his gaze from the blood to the man's face. "Logan Mitchell is dead because of me, a- and—" Spencer began to tear up.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. It's all okay. Did you kill that man? Yes. Is that bad? No. He was gonna hurt you and me." Morgan put his arm around Spencer's shoulders. "It's okay to cry, you don't need to hide it."

Spencer nodded and let the tears streak his face.

"Logan killed a lot of people, okay? It's okay, kid. It's all gonna be okay."

"When?" Spencer asked as he wiped his nose. "When is it gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. But it will, that I promise."

The two men stood in a silence only disrupted by the arrival of the rest of the BAU and emergency responders.

"SPENCER?" Gideon called, running into the house. He stopped and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the scene before him. "Spencer?" he asked with a nurturing voice.

Morgan turned around and saw Gideon. "Hey," he whispered, nudging Spencer.

Spencer turned around and upon seeing Gideon, ran toward him.

"I know, I know," Gideon cooed, stroking Spencer's hair.

He shot him, Morgan mouthed to Gideon, who nodded in response.

"I know it's not easy, but it's gonna get better."

"W- will I ever forget him?"

"No, you won't. You never forget anyone you kill, especially not you. But it becomes less painful to remember." Gideon held Spencer as he cried. Gideon wanted to cry too. He had seen Spencer in many states, but one this vulnerable was foreign.

"I've seen worse than this," Spencer said quietly. "But none of them prepared me for- for killing a person."

"I know. Nothing can, my boy. Nothing can."