The Cold and the Case: Present for Sophie83540(CM, Reid)

[Kshu]

Thanks for the update to one of my favorites!

[AnteatersOnParade]

I second this!!!

[jezebel215]

Merry Christmas to me! Love this story.

[darkness-is-the-light]

You're doing a wonderful job, the wait absolutely isn't a problem.

[24Me]

This is a very short update, but I wanted to get something up and written. I’ve had a lot of writer’s block and I’ve been very busy with school and shows, so writing has been very difficult recently. I’m hoping to have this story finished soon, but I’m not sure when “soon” will be. Thank you very much for your support and patience! Any feedback is very much appreciated, and I’m open to suggestions/requests for how the story should proceed-it helps sometimes to have a prompt, so if there’s something you’d like to see happen, I’d love to hear it! You’re all amazing and I hope everyone is doing well. J

 

Hotch sat in the waiting room writing up case notes, his mind constantly drifting to Spencer and his well-being. Although he knew Reid was “fine”, or at least not seriously ill, he was concerned about how quickly Reid had gotten sick, and how severe his symptoms were. His feelings toward his youngest team member were much like those he had towards Jack, and he hated to see him feeling so miserable.

 

At the sound of a familiar hacking cough, Hotch looked up from his laptop and saw Reid walking to the front desk, presumably to check out. The younger man looked spent, his face pale and body language screaming exhaustion as he handed his insurance cards to the receptionist. Aaron finished his thought and shut down his laptop, tucking it into his bag and swinging it onto his shoulder before standing and walking over to Reid just as he was finishing the check-out process.

 

“Thadnk you, have a ndice day.” Reid was saying to the woman behind the desk. She gave him a smile and told him to feel better, and then turned to help the next person in line. Reid stepped away from the counter and placed his insurance card in his wallet before walking over to his boss.

 

“How did it go?” Hotch asked, the concern evident in his voice. Reid shrugged, turned away and coughed into his elbow, and then cleared his throat before turning back and speaking.

 

“It was okay.” He paused, looking drained, and pocketed his wallet before lapsing into silence.

 

“What’s the diagnosis?” Aaron pressed gently, though he could already guess what it was.

 

“A sidnus idnfectiodn adnd brodnchitis.” Reid answered, sniffing softly several times before removing a tissue from his pocket. “Excuse mbe.” He turned away again and blew his nose, the sound painful and burbling, before throwing the tissue away and using the hand sanitizer provided.

 

“I thought that might have been the case, but I was hoping I was wrong.” The older man said, sympathy faintly present in his tone and words. “I take it they prescribed antibiotics?” Reid nodded.

 

“Amboxicillin.” He held up a striped paper bag and sniffed again. This time, an uncomfortable look flashed across his features, and he quickly snatched a tissue from the box on the counter. Aaron took the bag from him, allowing Reid to turn away and direct a series of heady sneezes into the tissue. “Ahhh…hhh…hhhGSHoo! HhhTSHoo! HhhKTSCHoo! Hhh…hhh…hhh…hhhESHuh! HhhRSHuh! Ktsch!TSCH!ETSCH! HhhhPSHoo!” He grabbed another tissue and blew his red, chapped nose, eliciting yet another hoarse cough.

 

“Bless you, are you alright?” Hotch asked, his brow furrowed in concern. Reid nodded.

 

“I’mb really tired, though. Cadn we head back?” His boss nodded.

 

“Of course.” They stepped outside, both relieved to be heading back to the hotel.

 

[jezebel215]

:-) Hotch is so sweet

[Winged]

Well aren't I glad I just joined this fandom  There are so many great Criminal Minds fics on the forum, and with ones like this I feel like I'm getting spoiled! You write an endearingly miserable Reid (I just want to cuddle him up and take care of him), and I loooove how you're writing Hotch and his inner monologue. Poor dude feels so helpless, but I'm super glad he finally got Reid to go to the doctor.

A little nit-picky timeline thing: you mention Prentiss in one of the chapters on the first page, but then also mention Elle later on -- same with Rossi and Gideon. I'm only in the third season, but I'm pretty sure that those pairs are mutually exclusive (can't have Prentiss if Elle is around, etc). However! That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying this story immensely, and I'm glad to see that you're continuing with it.

I am looking forward to seeing how Hotch's *ahem* "headache" develops  And if you're looking for ideas, maybe in a later chapter JJ or Prentiss could stop by the room and check up on Spencer? It'd be fun to see them getting all motherly on him.

Thanks for sharing this great fic with us!

[24Me]

First of all, I apologize for being so inactive lately! I miss reading all your beautiful stories and I promise I'll get around to reading them and commenting soon. 

Secondly, I'm sorry my updates(on ALL my stories, but especially this one) are so few and far between! I'm involved in productions with my school and I have rehearsal Monday-Friday from 3:00-9:30, so I haven't had much time at all to write. I'm trying to get this story finished. It's taking longer than I thought it would, but I only have a few more sections left to write and they should be fairly easy. I'm hoping to have this done by the end of August, but don't hold me to that! I'll keep updating when I can, though they'll most likely be short. Thank you all for your patience! 

{Also, I'm basing the symptoms off of a sinus infection I had when I was younger. I don't remember much but I remember I had an awful cough and I was absolutely exhausted the whole time. I didn't sneeze much, if at all, but I figured it doesn't have to be entirely realistic. (; }

 

Reid stepped outside and immediately shivered slightly, the wind biting into his already chilled body. It wasn't unseasonably cold and he should have been fine with just his sweats on, but the fever made it hard for him to get properly warm. Hotch noticed but didn't say anything, choosing to let Reid keep any pride he had left. He did, however, speed up his walking slightly to get the car open, while Reid trailed slightly behind, completely spent. The change in temperature had made his nose run and irritated his sinuses, and he grabbed a tissue from his pocket stash, stepped up onto the curb, and sneezed. They were soft but powerful and desperate, and Hotch watched with sympathy as Reid struggled with the fit. 

"HhhGSHuh! HhhhNGSHuh! HhhRSSHoo! Hghhh....hhhNSHoo! Hhh'PTSCH'uh! HhhhGSH'hhhRSH'hhhESHoo!" 

The nasal sounding fit ended, allowing him to blow his nose and to walk again, but left him coughing raggedly into his elbow. He sounded absolutely miserable and Hotch's heart went out to him. The older man climbed into the car and turned the heat on slightly, grateful that it was no longer raining. Reid joined him seconds later, immediately slumping back against the seat once he had buckled himself in. Hotch watched out of peripheral vision as Reid closed his eyes, then snapped them open and straightened his posture. 

"Reid, you can relax." Hotch said quietly, shifting the car into drive and edging out of the parking spot. Too tired to fight it, Reid sagged against the seat again but kept his eyes open. They sat in  silence for a few minutes, before Hotch felt the tension coming from Reid, took pity on him, and turned on the radio to NPR. 

Shortly after that, Hotch heard Reid's breath catch and he launched into another harsh coughing fit, the sound sounding as if it were scraping against his throat. This one took longer to subdue and left Reid gasping for breath, his upper respiratory system up in arms. Hotch watched him in concern from the corner of his eye, worried about his youngest agent. 

"You alright?" He asked, voice soft and gentle with sympathy. Reid nodded and fished another tissue from his pocket, eyes fluttering as another sneezing fit built. The poor man just couldn't catch a break. 

"Ehhh...hehhh...hhh'USHiew! KTSCHoo! Hhh'PSH'oo! Ugh...HSSSHoo! ATSCHuh! ESHiew!" The fit was relatively small, but each sneeze sounded exhausting. 

"God bless you." Hotch said, trying to keep his tone neutral to avoid making the younger agent uncomfortable but not sure how well he was succeeding. 

"Thagks." Reid said, sounding completely stuffed up, before plucking another tissue from his pocket stash and giving a harsh blow that culminated in yet another coughing fit. Hotch felt his brow furrow in worry, feeling horrible for him. The wracking spasms finally slowed and then stopped altogether, leaving Reid with sweat across his brow and panting with exertion as he leaned heavily against the seat. Hotch eyed him warily from the corner of his vision as he eased the car to a stop in front of the red light. Taking advantage of the stop, he decided to check in and see if Reid needed anything. 

"Spencer, is there anything you need while we're out?" The sick agent shook his head no, cleared his throat, and spoke the answer. 

"Ndo thadnk you."

Aaron nodded, wishing there were something he could do to help ease Reid's discomfort. 

"Do you want to stop for anything to eat?" Again, Reid shook his head no, although Hotch really hadn't expected a different answer. He made a mental note to go back out for some soup and bread for toast the next time he went out, most likely during the next time Reid was asleep. "Okay, but let me know if anything sounds good later. I know this probably has taken a toll on your appetite and you need to eat to give your body what it needs to fight this."

Both men colored at the paternal nature of the words, and Hotch immediately back tracked. 

"Sorry-" He said with a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "-I keep forgetting I'm not talking to Jack." Reid gave a slight smile, too exhausted to muster a full one. 

"It's fidne, dodn't worry about it. I kdnow you care." A comfortable silence descended until Reid let out a small sigh that immediately sent him coughing again. He rolled his eyes and laughed a little, which only made him cough harder. Hotch nearly pulled the car over when the fit didn't seem to be stopping, but Reid picked up on his intentions and waved him on. "I'mb fidne-" He managed to choke out, and Hotch reluctantly kept driving, though he kept looking over in concern. When Reid had finally finished, he slumped backwards and closed his eyes, face flushed but rapidly paling again. 

"Are you alright?" Hotch ventured, knowing the answer but feeling a need to ask anyway. Sure enough, Reid nodded.

"I'mb fidne, just tired." His boss nodded, and the two spent the rest of the ride to the hotel in companionable quiet. 

[jezebel215]

<sighs> I love paternal Hotch

[Melody]

This is fucking amazing I love your persistence on this story, well all your stories really! Amazing 24me!  

[24Me]

On April 29, 2016 at 9:21 PM, jezebel215 said:

<sighs> I love paternal Hotch

Thank you for always leaving comments! I love your stories and your feedback means a lot! 

 

On April 29, 2016 at 9:30 PM, Melody said:

This is fucking amazing I love your persistence on this story, well all your stories really! Amazing 24me!  

Thank you so, so much! That means the world to me!

 

 

 

What? Two updates in 1 week?! I've had extra downtime at rehearsals and I really want to get this story finished-it's taken way too long as it is-so I took full advantage of it and wrote.  I hope you guys like it! There's not much sneezing in this part but I plan to fix that with the next update! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time they reached the hotel, Reid was completely fried. His whole body ached, and his chest felt tight and painful from coughing so much. The pain and pressure in his head was clouding everything-he couldn't think straight with his sinuses feeling like lead and his whole face throbbing. He just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep until the fatigue that had settled into his bones passed, but he also didn't want to look weak in front of his boss. The nurse who'd filled his prescription had said that he'd feel relief within 48 hours, once he'd taken several doses of the amoxicillin, but it felt like those two days would last forever and he really hoped they started taking effect sooner. 

"Hhh...hhhESHnoo! KYYSCHuh! EYSHuh!" 

Then there was the sneezing. It was persistent, much like the coughing, and was absolutely exhausting. Each one was soft but made his already aching head spin, and blowing his nose triggered pain in his sinuses AND another coughing attack. Besides the physical symptoms the attacks elicited, it was incredibly embarrassing. Somehow, showing symptoms felt like weakness, and he felt he couldn't hide how he was really feeling when he was coughing and sneezing so much. 

"Bless you." Hotch's quiet voice broke through the fog, and Reid nodded his thanks before responding vocally. 

"Thadnk you, sorry." His voice trailed off until the sorry was nearly a whisper, and he cringed in on himself, mortification heating and reddening his pale cheeks. 

"What are you sorry for?" Aaron asked, his tone puzzled as he turned to look at Reid, hand covering the keys in the ignition but not turning the car off. 

"For beindg sick." He responded before coughing into his elbow several times. A measured inhale helped subdue the fit and a wave of relief washed over him. 

"Spencer, I couldn't care less." Hotch responded, his tone warm and borderline paternal. "I mean, I feel bad that you're not feeling well, but it doesn't bother me at all." Sensing Reid's discomfort on the topic, he turned the car off and pocketed the keys before unbuckling and exiting the car, allowing Reid to follow suit. They walked to the lobby in silence, save a sniff from the sick agent, before the change in temperature upon entering the lobby had Reid halting and burying his nose in a tissue. 

"Hhh...ghhHSSHoo! UTSCHoo! Hgghh....hhhhNGSHoo! KTSSHCH'ESH'GSSHoo!" 

"Bless you." Aaron's voice was a low rumble to avoid embarrassing Reid by drawing more attention to him. He nodded and gave a burbling blow that was remarkably unproductive, but hurt like a mother, and threw the tissue in the trash can before continuing to walk to the elevator while trying to smother coughs into his elbow. Each one wracked his exhausted body, shaking his slim shoulders and coloring his face red. 

He couldn't stop coughing the whole time they were in the elevator, and the spasms continued as they walked down the hallway. Hotch put a comforting hand on his back, unable to continue to stand by without doing something, and then moved ahead to unlock the door. While Reid trailed behind, he filled a glass of water from the bathroom sink and brought it to him, pressing it into his hand while simultaneously easing him onto the bed. 

For his part, Reid was to out of breath to be properly embarrassed. Every time it seemed like the wracking coughs were slowing down, they picked back up again. He couldn't seem to get enough air and his head was spinning. Walking was exhausting and even standing seemed to take too much effort, and he was relieved when Hotch's strong arms guided him onto the bed and pressed a cool glass of water into his hands. He took it gratefully, nodding his thanks, and took several spluttering sips before managing a larger one as the coughing subsided. He felt nearly out of body due to his inability to take a decent breath, but the water soothed his raw, burning throat and cooled his body as well as halted the relentless coughs. 

When the attack finally eased, Reid was left doubled over and gasping for breath. His head felt bright and dance-y with dizziness, and throbbed with each pulse of his heart. As oxygen returned to his body, the dizziness gradually wore off. In its place came mortification. 

Hotch, for his part, watched with first concealed concern, then outright worry, as Reid's face reddened and his breathing turned shallow and ragged. He felt a weight lifting off his shoulders when the coughing slowed, then stopped altogether.  It was then, as Reid was managing to catch his breath, that they both realized that Hotch's hand had remained on the younger man's too-warm back. 

Instantly, Hotch removed his hand and Reid's pale face reddened. The two both chose to ignore it and moved on, neither sure how to handle, or even how to feel about, it. Reid broke the silence.

"Sorry Hotch. God, that was awful." His voice sounded hoarse, the words grating and rumbling lower in his chest than they did day-to-day. Hotch shook his head, wishing Reid could understand that he wasn't annoying or a burden, and that being sick was nothing to apologize for. 

"I keep telling you, there's nothing to apologize for." Hotch's tone was firm and warm, and Reid could tell he really meant it. 

"I'mb sorry, I'mb just ndot used to beindg around people whend I'mb sick." The sentence trailed off towards the end, and Reid sounded lost. His boss could tell, and also sympathize. He was not one to seek comfort in others when he was ill, either-he preferred to be alone and to suffer in silence until he was well enough to mask his symptoms. Even being around Haley was a stretch when he was under the weather, and he was always as self-sufficient and stoic as he possibly could be. 

"I completely understand." There was a sincerity in his voice that made Reid feel more at ease, and while it was incredibly awkward, he was almost-not quite, but almost-glad that someone was with him and that he didn't have to suffer alone. However, having his very intimidating boss as a nurse was humiliating. 

"Thadnks." He said quietly, then quickly covered his mouth when he stifled a yawn. The sinus infection had completely sapped his energy and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for however long it took for it to go away. Hotch saw how tired he was and stood up, moving to sit on his own bed. 

"Get some rest-we'll talk when you've slept." 

Too tired to fight it, Reid merely nodded and crawled under the covers. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

[24Me]

Hi guys! I haven't forgotten about this, it's just been really hectic with finals and preparation for our end of the year dance recital. I got another part finished and edited, so I thought I'd quickly post it! I'm sorry I haven't been commenting or reading stories-I have very little free time right now. Hopefully as the summer goes on I can get caught up.  Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the update! As always, please feel free to leave comments or criticism. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He sat, staring at a board. There was writing all over it, addresses and names, and pictures taped up, but he couldn't make any of them out. They weren't in a foreign language, but they could have been for as much sense as they made. They connected somehow, he just knew it, but he couldn't make any sense of anything. He squinted, furrowing his brow and trying to force himself to focus, but all that did was make his head ache. He tried to move closer, but it was as if something were holding him back. 

A target materialized, the bullet holes riddling the edges of the paper. None were at the bulls-eyes, where he knew they should be, and his stomach sank. It seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place it...why wasn't anything making sense? He couldn't think straight. What was going on? 

"Reid. Reid, wake up." A soft, female voice broke through the cloudiness and started pulling him out of the confusion. He felt as if he were coming up from under water-everything was disjointed. 

Reid blinked hard to get the sleep out of his eyes and tried to sit up. Immediately, he grabbed a handful of tissues from the box beside the bed and sat up the whole way as he dissolved into a flurry of wet, ticklish sneezes.

"Ahhh...hhhECKSHoo! HESHoo! KTSCHuh! Hhh...hhhGSH! RSSSH! TSCHoo! Hhh...ESHoo! PSHoo! ETSCHoo!" 

"Bless you, bless you, bless you! Oh, you poor thing." JJ said, voice warm with sympathy. Reid flushed slightly, cheeks heating with embarrassment. 

"Thadnk you, sorry." His voice was horribly congested and he quickly turned away to blow his nose, but found that there was nothing really to come out-his passages were simply swollen. The only thing it did was make him cough, which in turn made JJ pat his back. He could feel the motherly concern coming from her, and it made him want to sink into the floor. 

"Reid, you sound terrible!" She exclaimed when he'd finished, speaking overtop of his "sorry". He turned a deeper shade of red and hunched in on himself, unsure of what to say or do. Why couldn't he just be left alone to suffer in peace? This was humiliating. 

"I...um...sorry?" His voice trailed off. JJ gave him a half puzzled, half amused look. 

"What on earth for?" Reid sighed. 

"I don't know, it's a reflex." She nodded. 

"Well, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for." They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before JJ broke it. "How are you feeling?" Reid quickly assessed himself. He still felt drained and congested, and everything ached. His sinuses felt like they were filled with concrete, and he was willing to bet he still had a fever, but he didn't feel worse than he had when he'd fallen asleep, so he was counting that as a win. 

"I'mb okay." He said, voice croaky and thick. "I dodn't feel awesombe, but I dodn't feel worse." That seemed to satisfy JJ. 

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, the look on her face warm and caring. He shook his head and immediately regretted it. There was just enough time to snatch another handful of tissues and bring them to his face before he dissolved into a flurry of congested sneezes. 

"Hhhh....hhhESHoo! ECKSHoo! HhhRSSHoo! Hhtschuh!KTSCHuh!NGGSHoo! Hhhh...hhhPSHoo! HANGSCHoo!" The last sneeze bent him over with its strength, and left him slightly dizzy. He tried blowing his nose, and all it did was make him cough. 

"Goodness! God bless you!" JJ said, her voice worried. "Do you want some water?" Reid nodded, and she disappeared into the bathroom. The coughing was hurting his throat and making his head pound, and he was glad when JJ came back with a glass of water. It took several sips, but the spasms gradually eased and then ended altogether. He set the glass on the nightstand and rubbed his temples, the ache in his head far more prominent after the coughing. It had left him dizzy and exhausted, and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. JJ must have sensed that, because she emptied two antibiotic pills into her palm and handed them Reid, along with the glass of water. 

"I almost forgot what I woke you for. Hotch said that it would be time for your next dose around 8." Reid looked at the clock in shock, the movement making him squeeze his eyes shut for a moment against the pain in his sinuses. 

"How londg have I beedn asleep?" JJ sensed his distress and quickly reassured him. 

"Just a few hours. Don't worry-you're allowed to sleep! It's what sick people do." He made a soft noise of agreement before popping the pills in his mouth and chasing them with a swig of water. 

"JJ, I'mb dnot tryindg to be rude, but why are you here?" It had been nagging him the whole time. Had Hotch finally gotten annoyed with him? Maybe he was too gross to be around?

"Hotch went to go get something to eat and to finalize some paperwork, and he didn't want you to be alone when you woke up, so he asked me to stay with you. It was mostly for my benefit-I was really worried about you." Something inside him felt warm and fuzzy hearing that he had two people who cared about his health and well being. "Do you mind? I can go if you want." 

"Ndo, that's fidne. It mbeands a lot that you're here." Reid said with a shy smile. JJ returned it and gently patted his leg under the covers. The tender moment ended when Reid's sinuses decided to join the conversation. 

"Sorry-" he managed before the fit began. "Hhh...hhhTSCHoo! ECKSHuh! HhhGHSSSHoo! KkTSCHuh! HhhRSHoo! Hhhh...hhhNSHoo!" He rolled his eyes as the standard coughing began. JJ winced at the sound. It was so harsh and thick, and sounded incredibly painful. When he's finished she gave him a sympathetic smile and patted his leg slightly awkwardly, unsure of how he'd react to the touch. 

"Bless you, bless you, bless you!" She exclaimed, the maternal concern clearly audible in her voice. 

"Thandks." Reid said, gently massaging his forehead. The constant sneezing and coughing was making his already throbbing head feel even worse, and all he wanted to do was take another ibuprofen and go back to sleep. It was like JJ read his mind as she dumped two ibuprofens into her slim hand and gingerly placed them in his. 

"Here, why don't you take these? They might help your headache." He chose to refrain from nodding, not eager to spark another fit, and instead thanked her. 

JJ looked at him with a concerned frown. He was very pale and looked exhausted, and she wanted to let him sleep, but felt he needed to eat something first, particularly since he'd just taken a dose of two medications that could be harsh on an empty stomach. 

"Reid, I'd like you to eat something before you go back to resting. Does anything sound good?" He sighed softly. 

"Dnot really." Reid sensed JJ wasn't satisfied with that answer and quickly decided the easiest thing to do would be to suggest something. "Mbaybe a piece of toast adnd sobme soup?" She gave him a soft smile and stood up. 

"I'll call room service and see if they have anything." 

While JJ called, Reid leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes, rubbing gingerly at his irritated nose to try to stave off any imminent sneezing fits. It worked, and he lowered his hand in relief. He was so tired of sneezing! Covered by a warm blanket that felt wonderful on his fever-chilled body, he started dozing. The sinus infection was really knocking him out. 

"Okay, thank you." He heard JJ end the phone call and sat up again. "Room service should be up shortly." She said. "Why don't you rest until they get here?" Reid made a soft noise of agreement and laid back down. 

"JJ? Thadnk you." He said, eyes already closed. She gave him a bright smile and pulled the covers a little more snugly around him. 

"You're welcome." She replied, and sat down on Hotch's bed to wait for room service to get there. 

[24Me]

I keep saying it, but I'm sorry that this is a fairly short update. I'm going through some things that make it hard to write/find inspiration to write, so I've just been writing a little bit each day to try and scrape something together to post. I really want to finish this story before I go back to school, but I'm not sure if that will happen. Thanks for sticking with me and for being so understanding. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the fifteen minutes it took for room service to arrive, Reid managed to go completely back to sleep, which was a testament to how exhausted the sinus infection had made him. JJ hated to rouse him, but knew that he needed nourishment to fight the illness. 

"Reid, wake up. Your food's here." She said softly, shaking his shoulder gently and wincing at the heat rising from it. He stirred and rolled over, immediately reaching for the tissues.

"Ehhh...hehhh...ESCKHuh! HTSCHuh! NGSHuh! HhhGSHoo! RSSHoo! TSCHoo! Hhh...hhhh...HENSHuh! UCKSHuh! HhhPSHoo!" He gave a long blow that, although painful and loud, proved remarkably unproductive. JJ rubbed his leg maternally. 

"Oh, bless you Spencer! You poor thing-you sound horrible!" Reid nodded, attempting to smother a cough into his elbow and failing miserably. JJ felt concern bubble in her stomach with the sound. It was raspy and even more congested than when he'd gone to sleep. He caught her expression and tried to reassure her.

"I'mb....fidne..." He choked out, causing JJ to look at him skeptically. 

"Yes, you certainly sound it." She countered sarcastically, standing up and picking up the glass off of the table. It took less than twenty seconds for her to go into the bathroom, fill the glass with cool water, and return to give it to the still-coughing young man. He took it gratefully and took several spluttering sips before managing to stop coughing. "You okay?" 

He nodded, wincing slightly at the way the movement made his sinuses throb. 

"Yeah. Just ready for that to stop." JJ made a noise of agreement. 

"I can imagine." She paused for a moment, then remembered why she'd woken him in the first place. "Your food's here." 

Reid pushed himself up from his half upright position leaning on his elbow and sat the whole way up. The movement made his head spin and caused the congestion to shift and throb, forcing him to smother a hiss of discomfort  and raise a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. The pressure made his whole face ache, which was not a comfortable feeling in the slightest. JJ looked at him with sympathy and concern. 

"Are you okay?" Wisely, Reid chose not to nod. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It just hurts to move." He said with a laugh that turned into a cough. He took another swallow of water and managed to halt the fit before it really got started. With his respiratory system finally settled, he turned his attention to the food. 

Though he didn't have much of an appetite, he finished the food to avoid worrying JJ. Sensing his embarrassment over being monitored, she pulled her legs up onto the bed and pulled out her phone, allowing him to eat in peace. He was fine until he started the soup. The steam quickly irritated his sensitive nasal passages, and he hastily set the bowl on the tray, swapping the spoon out for tissues. 

"Hehhh...hhhhESHoo! HYSCHuh! PSHoo! HhhNGSHoo! Hhh...hhhTSHuh! TSCHoo! RSSHuh!" It was a fairly short fit, which he was thankful for, but each sneeze was violent and made his already aching head throb painfully. JJ watched with thinly veiled worry, feeling terrible for him. 

"Bless you! Are you okay?"

He nodded and regretted it immediately. It was painful and shifted the pressure when he moved, and he couldn't stop himself from wincing. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." JJ gave him a skeptical look, and he amended his statement. "Okay, maybe 'fine' isn't the word." 

"That's more believable." She said with a soft smile. "You look like you're in pain." Reid shrugged. 

"The pain is better than it's been-it's more uncomfortable now." She nodded, and went back to her phone once he went back to the soup. He carefully are it, taking care not to accidentally get a sniff full of steam and also trying not to inhale through his nose in an attempt to avoid another sneezing fit. At first, he was successful. Then, he swallowed a bit of broth wrong, and began to cough.

Coughing hurt his entire body. His chest ached, throat burned, head throbbed, and torso shook with each jagged expulsion of air. He quickly covered his mouth with his elbow, but couldn't get a decent breath in. JJ watched with worry as his face turned a dark shade of red, and quickly moved to his side to rub his back. Reid felt his face burn with embarrassment. Why wouldn't his body just cooperate? 

"Reid, are you okay?" JJ asked, eyes wide with concern. He gave a thumbs up, unwilling to move his head to nod. 

"Wrong pipe-" He managed to choke out. She furrowed her brow but accepted it, then got up with the glass and walked into the bathroom, reemerging a moment later to hand it to the still-coughing young agent. He accepted it gratefully and took several small, slow sips which helped bring the fit under control. When he had caught his breath enough to speak, he thanked her. "Thank you JJ." His voice was hoarse and choked sounding, eyes watering and words catching on air. 

"You're welcome. You just can't catch a break, can you?" He was proud of himself for remembering not to nod, swapping the head movement out for a shrug instead, feeling awkward. Need for a response was eradicated when the door opened and Hotch walked in. 

[Kshu]

God this is my favorite.

[zen]

Ahhhh i really love this!! Reid is my favourite and this is definitely my fav sneezefic!! Can't wait to see what happens next 

[Melody]

One of my fav CM stories I've read! Thanks for being so persistent! 

[24Me]

It's a miracle! I was inspired to write!!! This is the final installment of the piece, which I'm putting into two parts so I can get something new posted. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me through this multi-year story, and for continuously offering me support and encouragement. It has been a very, very hard few years. I don't want to bore you all so I'll leave it at that, but I wanted to let you know that if you are struggling with physical or mental illness, I am here for you and I have some experience. If you want to talk, PLEASE pm me. I know I've been absent from commenting on stories and I'm so sorry about that. My goal is to have this story finished for Christmas, and I'm really really close to reaching that. I'll stop rambling now and just post the story. Sorry for the delay, I hope you all are doing wonderfully because you are AMAZING people. 

Reid sighed and settled back against the seat, letting his eyes close for a brief moment before Morgan piled in next to him and he forced them open again. When Hotch had come back to the room, he'd come with the news that their plane was leaving in four hours to go back to Quantico. He'd been trying to push it back to spare Reid the pain of flying with a sinus infection, but unfortunately that hadn't been possible. It had been an exhausting afternoon of packing, coughing, and sneezing constantly, and all he wanted to do was sleep. That was all the infection had left him with the energy for. 

"You okay, kid?" Morgan asked, concern evident in his voice. Reid turned to look at him and forced a smile. 

"Yeah, just tired." His friend laughed. 

"Sure." Morgan's voice was laden with sarcasm, but not the rude kind, just the "whatever you say" kind. JJ leaned forward from her position in the back seat and put in her two cents. 

"It's okay to say you don't feel well, Reid." He felt heat move to his face, tinging the upper parts of his ears and cheeks a rosy shade. 

"I know, I just...I feel better. It's dnot as bad as it was, I'mb hondestly mbostly tired." 

"That I believe." Morgan piped up. If it weren't for the fact that it would cause intense pain, Reid might have rolled his eyes. As it was, he was too tired and too leery of the discomfort he was experiencing intensifying to do anything but sit quietly. The team seemed to sense that he wasn't up for talking-although Hotch may have briefed them, he couldn't be sure-and left him in peace as they conversed. They did speak more softy than usual, which he appreciated very much. Every inch of his head was aching. His sinuses felt full and throbbed with even the slightest shift, there was a tension headache in his temples, and a headache was behind his eyes, ready to pound if he shifted positions. 

A feeling familiar to the last few days fluttered in his nostrils, and he sighed internally, pulling a pack of tissues from his pocket and readying them. He was acutely aware that the conversations had stopped as he sat gasping like a fish, the tantalizing need to sneeze dancing just out of reach, mortified and uncomfortable. Reid could feel eyes on him and wanted more than anything to disappear. 

"Reid, are you-"

"HehECKSHuh! ATSCHuh! HHGSCHoo!" He snapped forward into the tissues, cutting JJ off. Sneezing was agony. The movement jolted his head and grated his sinuses, sending flashes of pain through his skull and doing nothing to relieve the pressure and ticklish itch that was always there. Of course, the fit wasn't done. With this cold, it never stopped at three. 

"Heh...hehhh...hhGSHoo! MGHSHoo! PSHoo! HhhTSCHoo! ESUh! HHHRSHuh! Eh...ehhh...hhhhhKTSCHoo! ISH!ISH!ISHoo! HhhhGSHuh!" He was so glad he had the tissues, as the sneezing has dislodged copious amounts of grossness. He snuffled into the soaked tissues for a moment before he deemed it safe to take new ones from the pack.

"God bless you Reid!" JJ exclaimed, her voice warm and slightly astonished. 

"Goodness, are you alright?" Elle asked, ignoring the flush of Reid's cheeks as he tried to blow his nose as quietly as possible, which wasn't quiet at all. 

"Jesus kid, you sound like hell!" Morgan contributed his two cents. As if he needed things to get worse, the standard following-a-fit cough started up. It was chesty and congested and Reid felt his face and ears burn in embarrassment, the feeling matching the burning of his raw throat and chest. This one didn't seem to want to stop. 

"Spencer, are you alright?" JJ asked, eyes wide with alarm. He almost nodded, then thought better of it, and flashed a thumbs up sign instead, trying to force a smile that came out looking like a grimace, and was hidden in the crook of his elbow anyway. God, this was mortifying.

Rossi caught his eyes in the rear view mirror from his position next to Hotch in the passenger's seat, and cleared his throat.

"Okay, we get it. He sounds like death and looks like death warmed over. Enough. He's embarrassed enough as it is. Leave the kid alone." 

"Sorry Reid, we didn't mean to embarrass you." JJ's voice was warm and made the words sound gentle. 

"I kdnow." He croaked, and leaned more heavily against the seat. The warmth of the car was making his eyes heavy, and right now all that sounded good was a long nap. His head was pounding and he let his eyes close. It felt good and the headache eased slightly. 

A hand on his knee and a soft voice calling his name startled him out of his half asleep state. 

"Reid? Reid, we're here." JJ was reaching back and gently rousing him. He blinked slowly, disoriented and tired. 

"Whad?" He croaked in an exceedingly congested voice, quickly followed by a cough he barely managed to catch in his elbow. 

"Oh, you poor thing..." She murmured, her eyes filled with sympathy. A wave of affection for her crashed over him-not romantic, of course, but the kind that you feel for your dearest friends. 

"I'mb ogay." He rasped, the feeling of the words painful against his raw throat. JJ gave him a soft smile. 

"It's okay not to be okay, Spence. I know you aren't feeling well, you don't have to pretend around me." 

That thought jogged his brain and he opened his eyes wide, looking quickly around the car. It was empty except for JJ and himself, and he wondered how long he'd been out. He must have actually fallen asleep...

"How londg-" Reid tried, but the words caught in his throat and caused a wretched sounding coughing fit. JJ passed him a water bottle and waited for him to get his breathing under control before replying. 

"It's only been five minutes. Hotch and the others went ahead to load up, but he wanted to let you sleep a little bit longer. You were out like a light, you needed the rest." 

"Thadks." He murmured, embarrassed but touched. "Umb, JJ, do you have tissues?" She nodded, and passed him a travel pack. Gratefully, he accepted them and brought two to his reddened, sore nose. 

Blowing was horribly painful, and remarkably unproductive. It made his face throb and eyes feel like they were bulging out of their sockets. 

"Sorry, that was gross." He said, his pals cheeks  tinged red. 

"It wasn't gross, Spence. I babysat, believe me, I know what's gross and what isn't." Reid had to laugh at that, which turned into a cough that he quickly subdued with another drink of water. "You ready? The sooner we leave the sooner we'll get you home." The young agent flashed her a thumbs up sign, and unbuckled his seatbelt. 

JJ climbed out first, which turned out to be a good thing. As he folded his long frame in half to get out without hitting the roof, the world felt like it was spinning too fast. He sat heavily in the passenger side middle seat, where JJ had been previously, and waited for the feeling to pass. His friend eyed him with worry. 

"You okay?" 

"Yep, stood up too fast." He replied, still trying to get his bearings. It felt like his head was wrapped in cotton-his mind wasn't functioning, his face felt swollen, and he felt floaty, almost as if he were in a dream. JJ shivered and Reid immediately felt guilty. Here he was sitting in the still-warm car, while JJ was standing in the cold waiting for him. "Sorry JJ."

Despite still feeling off-kilter, he swung his leaden legs out the door and stood up. The change in temperature and altitude immediately registered in his sore, sensitive sinuses, and he barely had time to raise his handful of tissues to his face before dissolving into a flurry of sneezes. There wasn't really even a hitch before they tumbled out, one on top of the other. 

"ESHuh! ISH! TSCH! HhGSHuh! PSHuh! ECKSH! HhhKTSCH! ISH!ISH!TISHoo! HhhhHGGSHuh! RUSHoo! AHHH...hhhh...HJSGH! NGSHoo! HAPSHIEW!!!!" The final sneeze was wrenched out of him and was as painful and ticklish as it sounded. It left him snuffling into the damp tissues, nose still prickling and unsatisfied. 

"Oh my goodness, bless you Spence!" JJ said, placing her hands so one was on his arm and one on his back. "You poor thing." He blew his nose before speaking, or attempted to. It turned into a hacking cough that sounded like a donkey braying under water. Somewhere in the middle of the fit he stumbled, and felt JJ's arms tighten around him, keeping him upright. Too exhausted to do anything else, he leaned into her touch and allowed her to support him. 

He knew that once he felt human again he would be mortified, but right now all he could focus on was how utterly drained and miserable he was. His sinuses felt heavy and sore, and his body felt weak and limp. It was all he could do to keep himself upright-feeling embarrassed wasn't even on his radar. 

"Sorry-" Reid choked out in between coughs, trying to catch his breath and failing miserably. 

"Shh, you have nothing to be sorry for!" JJ said, her voice filled with compassion and with layers of gentle sympathy. "Just relax, you're fine."

Reid shook his head slightly, stumbling a little as the dizziness made him lose his bearings.

"I dod't....thidk...it's stobbing-" The words were choked and pinched as he struggled to squeeze them out in between jagged coughs. He knew it was the temperature change that had triggered this-it always happened that way. JJ squeezed his arm gently. 

"Alright, let's get you inside then." He covered his mouth more tightly with his arm, trying to avoid showering JJ with his germs as she kept him upright while they walked the short distance across the tarmac from the car to the plane. 

Climbing the stairs was a struggle. His head was spinning from a combination of lack of oxygen, congestion, and fatigue, so he leaned heavily on the railing and on JJ. To do that meant coughing uncovered, but he turned his head to the side to avoid spraying her. JJ was speaking in a gentle voice to him the whole way. 

"It's okay, we're almost there." 

"Watch your step." 

"You're fine, you can lean on me." 

And so on. It was comforting, but he was also completely humiliated. She was so sweet, but he wasn't six. As much as he wanted to say he was fine and push her away, though, he definitely needed her as a stabilizing post. The world was spinning around him and he just. Wanted. To stop. Coughing. His throat was raw and burning, every expulsion of air made his aching head pound with a sharp stab of pain, and it was utterly exhausting. 

They made it up the stairs into the plane, and JJ ushered him to the closest seat, maneuvering him into a sitting position before sitting down and wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Just take deep breaths." She urged him, massaging the area between his shoulder blades with one hand and letting the other rest on his shoulder. He was keenly aware of how close she was to him, and did his best to cough to the side. A moment later, someone tapped his knee. He looked up to see a concerned Hotch holding a water bottle, which he gratefully took. 

After several spluttering gulps, the fit ran its course and left him sitting there, completely drained and feeling like he could fall asleep right there. The coughing had also caused the congestion to shift, leaving him sniffing nearly continuously to keep his nose from running down his face. 

"Good God, man!" Morgan said from his position on the seat across from him. "Are you okay?"

Reid nodded, and instantly regretted it. Why was it so hard to remember that he couldn't move his head? He hardly had enough time bring the tissues JJ was offering him to his face before sneezing harshly. 

"HhhESHoo...HECKSHuh! HhISHoo! RUSHuh! ACKPSHuh! Huh...hhh...hhhETSCH! KTSCH! PSHuh!" The fit was thankfully short lived, but it left him feeling extremely off balance. JJ must have sensed it, for she put one hand on his back and one on his shoulder, providing stability. 

"My goodness, bless you!" She exclaimed. He closed his eyes and leaned towards her before catching himself. 

"Thadk you, I'b sorry." JJ gently pressed between his shoulder blades, helping to release the tension he was holding. 

"Shh, you have nothing to be sorry for. Why don't you move to the couch so you can lie down?"

"I'b fidne-" he tried, and was cut off by a large voice crack. JJ raised her eyebrow. Hotch spoke up from his position behind the seat. 

"Reid, you need to rest. Take the couch." Blushing, Reid said okay and stood up, gripping the back of the seat tightly to get his balance before he even attempted to move. JJ stood with him, hovering, ready to step in if he stumbled. He was alright, though it was difficult to move in a straight line, he didn't feel quite so dizzy as he had been when he'd gotten out of the car. It was a relief to sit though, it really was. 

"Are you cold?" JJ asked, and he was aware that he was trembling. 

"A little." He admitted. She stretched up into the overhead cabinets, grabbed a blanket, but a thoughtful expression crossed her face and she paused before handing it to him. 

"Why don't you lie down?" She asked, and while he wanted to say no, he felt like he was about to fall asleep. Lying down sounded much better than sitting up right now, so he caved. Slowly, he maneuvered himself so that his aching head was resting on the cool, soft arm of the couch. It felt good against his too-hot forehead, but the touch hurt his sinuses, so he turned carefully onto his back. There, he could feel the congestion draining down his throat, but he was most comfortable there. Too exhausted to fight it, he let his eyes close. 

[24Me]

The Cold and the Case 

This is it guys, the final installment of this story! I'm so excited to have finally finished a piece, even though most of the installments have been utter crap. Than you all for sticking with me, and for constantly encouraging me to continue writing. I'm not sure if you all have liked these last updates, but I've been trying my best. If you have a moment, I'd love some feedback, but if not that's totally fine. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next thing he knew, someone was gently shaking his shoulder. 

"Spencer, can you take some medicine? You're burning up." Hotch's hand moved from his arm to his forehead. He opened his heavy eyes to see the team leader frowning, brow furrowed with concern. 

"Yeah, sure." His voice was barely audible, and he cleared his throat lightly to try to convince it to function normally. It turned out to do more harm than good, as the controlled cough turned into a harsh fit. Reid swung his legs over the edge of the couch and pushed himself into an upright position. He felt worse than when he'd laid down, even though he was sure it had only been a few minutes. His head was throbbing, his sinuses were pulsing, and his body felt heavy and exhausted. 
  
He was acutely aware of everyone staring, and of Hotch's hand resting gently on his back, and he felt his ears turning red to match his face. Hotch handed him a bottle of water, and he took it gratefully, noting that the cap had already been loosened. The cool liquid felt so nice on his burning, aching throat. After several sips, the coughing died down. 

"I'b so sorry." Reid rasped, his voice strained and painful sounding. Hotch frowned. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You're sick, not an UNSUB." The younger man had to laugh at that. 

"True." He conceded, but it didn't change that inside, he felt like a bad person for being sick. Hotch had exerted so much time and energy caring for him, and he felt terrible about that. His plans to fly under the radar and keep to himself had gone out the window, and he wasn't happy about it. 

"Reid?" Hotch's voice was concerned, and he wanted to crawl into a hole as he realized that he'd been zoning out while his boss was calling his name. 

"What? I'b sorry."

"It's okay, are you alright?" Reid flushed. 

"Yeah, just out of it. I'b really sorry." Hotch squeezed his shoulder gently, in a kind way that made him feel safe and cared for.

"You don't need to apologize. Can you take some medicine? It should make the flight a bit more bearable." Reid nodded, and immediately wanted to kick himself. The pain in his head turned from an ache into a sharp, stabbing pressure, and the tickle in his nose intensified tenfold. 

"T-thhhissues?" He spoke around hitching breaths, pressing his finger against his nose as he desperately tried to stave off a fit. His boss reacted quickly, producing a wad of tissues seemingly from thin air and pressing them into the sick agent's hand. "Th-thadkssssCSHuh!" The "thanks" trailed upwards into a ticklish, miserable sounding sneeze. "Hehhh...HECKSHuh! ETSCHuh! HHHNGSHoo!!! HhhRISHooo ! PSHiew! EPSHuh! Uhh...huh....hhhTSCHoo! HANGSCHeeew! KTSCHoo!TSCHiee!GSHuh! HhhRSH!CSSH!ATSCH!ATSCHiew!" 

A breathless quadruple concluded the fit, leaving his head spinning and him gasping for breath. His nose was still absolutely plugged and crawling with an awful tickle, but he was relieved to be done with sneezing. 

"Bless." Hotch said quietly. "Are you okay?" This time, Reid was smart enough not to nod, and instead responded vocally. 

"Yeah, I'b okay." 

Hotch nodded, and picked up the bottle of pills sitting in his lap. He took off the lid and shook two white ovals into his hand, passing them to his youngest agent before handing him a water bottle as well. 

"Thadnks." Reid said, and placed the pills on his tongue, chasing them with a swallow of water. 

"We'll be taking off soon." Hotch's voice was low and calm, and calmed him a little. His boss was intimidating as hell, but he was also incredibly good at making someone feel secure and loved. 

"Yeah. Ndot lookidng forward to it." Reid said with a laugh. It quickly turned into a cough, but he managed to get it under control almost as soon as it started. Hotch's stern face melted into a sympathetic frown. 

"I flew with a sinus infection my first case. I hope yours doesn't feel the same way mine did." The younger agent gaped. 

"YOU had a sidnus indfectiond?" Hotch nodded and arched an eyebrow. 

"Is that so unbelievable?" 

"Well, you just...you're Aarodn Hotchnder. You dodn't get sick." His boss had to laugh at that. 

"Not often, no, but more frequently than you'd think." 

JJ piped up from her seat across the aisle. 

"Believe me, now that he has a kid, he gets sick so much more often." Hotch smirked. 

"Unfortunately, that's accurate. Usually it's not too bad, I can hide-"

"In his office so he can pretend we don't know." Rossi interjected. Reid felt like his face would split in two from smiling so hard. Not only was this hilarious, he felt for the first time as if he were a part of the group. 

"Shut it, Dave." Hotch was grinning, and Reid just felt warm and happy inside. It was so good to have everyone joking around and feeling good, not like the time he'd been kidnapped and everyone had been so somber and strange. 

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts." The Italian said with his typical half-smile.  Reid had to laugh, which for the first time in...he wasn't even sure how many days, stayed a laugh and didn't turn into a cough. Yes, it sounded croaky and congested, and it jolted his head just as much as the coughing did, but it was a start. 

The loudspeaker crackled then, interrupting the laughter. 

"We will be taxiing in two minutes. Please keep seats in an upright position and buckle your lap belts." 

Reid leaned  against the couch back and pulled the lap belt across his legs. He noted that he was shivering, and regardless of how stupid he looked, he tucked one blanket across his legs and pulled the other around his shoulders. 

"Are you cold?" Hotch asked with a frown. The sick agent shrugged. 

"Yeah, a little." His boss touched his forehead with the back of his hand. 

"You're still really warm." 

Reid colored, embarrassed. 

"Sorry, it's a parent thing." Hotch wore a sheepish smile as he spoke. 

"It's o-ok-aHAYSHiew!" A fit of sneezes snuck up on him and he hardly had time to catch the sneeze in his hand. 

"Bless-"

"ATSCHiew! HISHiew! Ushoo! PSHoo! TSCH!KTSCH!ETSCH!ENSHuh!" Each sneeze shook his whole body, and was incredibly nasal and congested sounding. It was humiliating. Why wouldn't his body just cooperate? As he plucked a handful of tissues from the box at his side, he realized that the plane was starting to move. 

"Bless you!" Elle's voice was warm. 

"Whoa, bless you!" Morgan sounded shocked. 

"God bless you!" JJ was kind and genuine. 

"Salad." Rossi sounded a mix between sympathetic and amused. 

"Bless." Hotch's blessing was simple and matter of fact. 

"Thadks-" He said, and then the plane took off.  

It was the most uncomfortable thing he could remember experiencing, including food poisoning, and an allergy to cats that had become apparent 15 minutes into a 2-day sleepover with a "friend" who owned 5. The pressure that was already present in his sinuses increased at LEAST tenfold, and he couldn't help but grab his face as the pain and pressure mounted. 

"Holy crap..." He muttered under his breath, and inhaled harshly as the pain spiked. 

"Reid? You okay?" JJ sounded anxious but he couldn't speak to reassure her. His eyes felt like they would pop out of his head, and his ears were plugged. He couldn't yawn to unpop them without triggering a sneeze attack, and he really, REALLY didn't want to sneeze like this. It was painful enough sneezing on the ground, he didn't want to think about what it was like at this altitude. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, but didn't feel able to open his eyes. His head was pulsing, stabbing with aching streaks of pain, his face throbbing and squeezing. It was horrible, absolutely horrible. 

"Just breathe. It'll stabilize when the plane has been at a high altitude for a bit." Hotch's voice was low and soothing, and Reid appreciated him saying that. It meant a lot, especially since he knew his boss had lived through it. He couldn't nod or move, but he knew Hotch knew he'd been heard. 

"Hotch, what can I do?" JJ's voice sounded anxious, but Reid appreciated that she kept it low. 

"I don't think anything. Just let it pass." He responded. Reid could feel tears coming to his eyes. It was easily the worst pain he'd been in, at least in his adult life. 

Seconds turned into minutes, and slowly the pain began to recede. The only noise on the plane was the sound of Reid's congested breathing and the whirring motor of the plane itself, and he was grateful for that. Noise made it worse. 

Cautiously, he let go of his head, though it felt like his hands were the only things holding it together. He opened his eyes slowly to see everyone staring at him. 

"Sorry-" He started, but Hotch shook his head. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Just relax. Is it passing?"

"Yeah." Thankfully he remembered not to nod this time. 

"Alright, good. Can I get you anything?" 

"Ndo, but thadnks." Suddenly exhausted, he stifled a yawn that made his ears pop painfully. Hotch noticed the yawn and the wince, and stood up.

"Why don't you lie down again? Get some rest. I'll wake you before we land."

"That sounds good." Reid responded, and didn't have to be told twice. He unbuckled and lowered himself gingerly onto the couch, propping his head on the arm rest. Hotch took the blankets and smoothed them affectionately over the sick agent. 

"Sleep well, Spencer." He said softly. He got a soft, sleepy smile in return, and then the poor guy was out. 

Hotch let his stooped figure straighten up when he was satisfied the blankets were as they should be, and strode over to where JJ was sitting at the booth. She looked up from her files with a smile. 

"You're such a softie, I had no idea." She said with a quiet laugh. Hotch rolled his eyes. 

"The curse of being a dad." He responded. Truthfully, he didn't mind if the team saw beneath his hard exterior. He led by trust and calm, rational thinking, not by fear. It was the only sustainable way to run a team. 

"Yeah." JJ said with a wistful look, and he knew she was thinking about having kids. 

"You'll be a great mom someday, JJ." He said quietly. She looked at him with a happy, but slightly startled, expression, and Hotch could tell the compliment had taken her aback. 

"Thank you!" She managed to sound excited without raising her voice too much, and he knew she was being careful not to wake Reid. Hotch nodded, his face a little less severe than usual  as he spoke. 

"I mean it." His voice was insistent and sincere, and she was incredibly touched. 

"Well...it means a lot." They smiled at each other for a moment before they realized what they were doing, and JJ quickly looked down at the file. 

Hotch looked over at Reid, pleased to see that he was still asleep. He was obviously exhausted and needed rest, but like most of the members of the team, struggled to take it. The poor man looked uncomfortable even in sleep-his brow was furrowed and his nose crinkled every once in a while. Deciding that continuing to watch Reid sleep was creepy, he pulled his paperwork from his bag and set about working on it. 

As was the case with most night flights, time passed quickly and quietly. No one talked much, and everyone was busy with their own task. Morgan was staring at the wall with his headphones on. Elle was reading a magazine quietly. He, JJ, and Rossi were all occupied with paperwork. And of course, Reid was sleeping on the couch, fighting an awful sinus infection that he hoped no one else would catch. It didn't seem like hours later when the pilot announced that they were beginning their descent soon. 

With a barely audible sigh, he stood up and went over to wake Reid. Gently, he touched the young man's shoulder. He didn't stir. Feeling bad for waking him, Hotch leaned over and shook his shoulder slightly. Reid groaned, but didn't wake. 

"Reid, we're landing soon. Can you wake up?" He asked quietly. The sick man furrowed his brow, cracked his eyes, and then blinked several times, rousing slowly. 

"What? Sorry?" His voice was soft and raspy, heavy congestion distorting the words. 

"We're landing soon, I wanted to wake you so you knew." Hotch kept his voice low and warm, knowing loud noises would make the certain headache worse, and that any sort of edge to his voice would trigger feelings of insecurity. The younger agent placed a hand over his mouth and yawned, wincing as his ears popped. 

"Thanks." Slowly, he pushed himself into an upright position, sending the blanket to the ground. Without thinking, he leaned over to pick it up, and immediately gasped as the sinus pressure increased dramatically. Having been in his position, Hotch felt his stomach clench in sympathy. He was all too aware of how much that had hurt. Reid was pinching his nose closed with one hand as he groped for tissues with the other, and his boss quickly passed him the box sitting on the floor. He received a grateful, albeit ticklish, look, and then the poor man began sneezing. 

"HhhGSHHuh! ATSCH! HhhRISHoo! HHGSHuh! HehISH! KKTSCH! TSCH! ATSHCHuh!" 

Reid felt like his nose was on fire. His throat was burning, his head was throbbing with sharp stabs of pain, and it was quickly getting worse. When his ears plugged, Reid realized they were descending already. It was pure agony to sneeze. Each one sent pulses of intense, electric pain ricocheting through his skull, increasing the already tremendous pressure and making it feel like his head was about to explode. Tears were in his eyes but he honestly couldn't find it in him to care, he was just focusing on keeping up with the fit. 

Hotch's hand was on his back, and he was both embarrassed and comforted by his presence. 

"AaaYSCHuh! GXXVHTuh! HANGSCHeew! ATSCHiew!" 

The combination of shifting congestion and the altitude change was making it impossible for the sneezing to stop. Each one was violent and painful, and it seemed like they would never end. The tickle was untouched by the explosions, and the pain got worse every passing moment. It felt as if someone were pressing his brain into his skull, squashing it behind his eyes and under his cheeks. Truthfully, he was pretty sure the food poisoning had been preferable to this. 

"Hotch, can't we do something?" JJ's voice was anxious and panicky, and Reid realized he was crying. It wasn't so much tears from the pain-it was the pressure making his eyes water. 

"HSGSHyh! ATSCHuh! KSSHIeww!"

"Jesus Reid!" Morgan exclaimed. He wished he had it in him to respond, but right now he was struggling to remain upright. 

Through it all, Hotch's hand was gently rubbing circles on his back, showing him that he wasn't alone. 

"Just breathe, Spencer." His boss' voice was a low rumble, and didn't add to the pain exploding in his head the way JJ's shrill one did. Unable to even nod, Reid just hoped his boss knew he'd been heard. 

The plane jolted, and Reid gasped as the movement shook his head. 

"HHSSSHuh! ESTCHuh! KSSSHiew!" 

"It'll go away in a minute, once you're used to the altitude." Hotch said. Reid certainly hoped so-the pain was absolutely unbearable. 

"ICKSHuh! Highh...hhhETCHuh! RUSHoo! HhhEPSHuh! TSCH!KTSCH!GGXCHT! Gghh....hhhh....HANSCHGIIEW!" With a final, violent, sneeze, the fit halted. He was aware that he was panting, and tried to quiet his breathing. Opening his eyes seemed like too much to ask at the moment, so he gingerly eased himself towards the support of the couch back, letting his hot, aching body rest against the cool leather. Hotch pulled his hand away and didn't say anything, letting his agent catch his breath. 

"Sorry." Reid finally rasped. It was all he had the energy to say. Exhaustion was settled deep in his bones, and moving felt like a Herculean task. The team immediately spoke over each other. 

"Don't apologize!"

"It's not your fault!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for!" 

Their voices were too loud and he winced. He felt the couch shake as Hotch stood up, but kept his eyes closed and hands over his forehead. Light was out of the question at the moment, and standing up seemed impossible. When his boss spoke, his voice was low but commanding.

"Good work on the case, I'm proud of all of you for your contributions. Tomorrow is a day off, so get some rest and take some time to recuperate. I'll see you on Wednesday with your paperwork completed." 

"Aren't we going to do a case summary?" Elle asked. Normally they drove back to the BAU and worked on case files after they landed, particularly when they wouldn't be at work the next day. 

"No." Hotch responded. "That can wait until we're back. I'm going to drive Reid home, and I want all of you to take extra precautions to avoid catching this. Wash hands, drink water, and don't go to bed late. I don't want anyone else down." 

Had he had the energy, Spencer would have protested. However, he knew he wasn't in a position to drive himself home. He didn't even have the energy to be embarrassed. 

The team began to disperse, talking quietly amongst themselves. Reid just kept breathing, praying the pressure would begin to ease soon. It was better than when they'd first landed, but his head still felt like it was swelling from the inside. A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he looked up to see JJ eyeing him with concern. 

"Hey." He said softly, voice catching slightly, but he managed to swallow the cough. No way was he coughing with the pain he was in. 

"You okay?" The blonde asked, and he felt like she actually cared about the answer. 

"Sort of. It's gettidg better, but it hurts." It took a lot to admit that he wasn't okay, but truthfully, there was no energy left to pretend he was fine. Something told him that he'd spend a few days cringing when he was with it enough to be embarrassed, but right now all he could do was keep his eyes open. JJ's hand rested lightly against his forehead. 

"You're really warm." Her voice was worried, and he shrugged to try to ease her fears. 

"'M fide." Hotch appeared then, brow furrowed in concern. 

"Reid, are you alright to come on off?" Truthfully, he wasn't. Standing sounded like the worst idea, but he knew the plane was going to be used again, so he reluctantly made a noise of affirmation. The older man stepped closer, and looped an arm around Reid's back. His left arm took the younger man's forearm. Having had a sinus infection before, he knew changes in position caused dizziness and pain. The last thing Spencer needed was to lose his balance and have to pick himself up off the floor. 

"I've got you, don't worry." Hotch murmured. Reid's cheeks flamed red with mortification. He felt that a grown man who was a member of the FBI should be able to take care of himself, and hated that he felt like he was being babied. 

"Sorry-" he said, before pushing up off the couch and standing up oh-so-slowly. His whole body ached, and moving was agonizing with his headache. It wasn't a migraine, but the severity of the pain felt similar. He was grateful to have Hotch to lean against, as the dizziness was overwhelming. Despite his efforts to stabilize himself, he stumbled, and only Hotch's strong arms kept him from going down. What was worse was the way the level change affected his nose. 

"Hhhhotch-KTSCH!" He tried to warn his boss, but couldn't get the words out before he sneezed. He barely managed to get his hands around his mouth and nose in time to catch it. Unfortunately, one sneeze was quickly followed by more. "HERSCHuh! UPSHoo! NGGSHuh! I'b-HETSCHuh! APSHuh! SohhhorryYISH! TSCH!KTSCH!PSHuh! Sorr-ISSHieew! Hhh...sorry-GGSHuh!"

No matter how hard he was pulling away, Hotch wouldn't let go. On one hand, it was good, because he was pretty sure his boss was the only reason he was still upright. On the other, it was hugely embarrassing to be sneezing in such close proximity to such an intimidating man. Reid was certain he was spraying his germs all over him, despite his concerted efforts to contain the mess. 

"Don't apologize, just breathe. You're alright." Hotch sounded like he were talking to a toddler-gentle, calming, sympathetic, but firm. Reid wasn't sure what to do. He wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole-this was humiliating. It was even worse when JJ-who he'd thought had left-stepped over and put her hand on his arm. 

"Spencer, relax. It's okay!"

Except it's not. His head screamed. He wasn't supposed to be weak like this. He'd never seen even Morgan make a spectacle of himself, and Hotch hadn't so much as sniffed in all the time they'd spent together. JJ squeezed his arm gently as if she were reading his mind. 

"Hhh....hhhGSHuh! Hhh...hhh...HUHHHuh...HUPSHiew! Hhhh...hhh...huh EECKSHuh!" With a violent, breathless trio of sneezes the fit ended. Reid found himself sniffing heavily and reluctant to pull his hands from his face. His body language must have betrayed his thoughts, because JJ tentatively stepped backwards as her boss spoke. 

"Are you balanced?" Hotch's voice was calm and emotionless, though if he'd been looking at his boss, Reid would have seen what had become this case's trademark concerned frown. 

"Yeah." He said from behind his hands, which muffled his voice quite well. Hotch let go of Reid's arm and replaced it a hand on his shoulder. 

"Why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll go get our bags." The younger man made a noise of assent and shuffle-walked to the back of the plane where the restroom, and it's wonderful sink, was. The tips of his ears were pink with embarrassment. 

Hotch stepped aside and motioned for JJ to exit the plane before starting down the stairs himself. Outside, it was bitterly cold, and he found himself stiffening to quell a shiver. The others were carrying bags to the SUV's or talking amongst themselves, and he strode briskly to the area of Tarmac where employees were unloading bags from the cargo hold. His own  was easy to find, and he got Reid's too. Thankfully, both were light packers, so it was not difficult to carry two at one time. 

By the time he made it back to the loading area, he was definitely cold and grateful that Reid hadn't been out to be stubborn when he was so sick. The cold was even getting to him, and he wasn't running a fever. The harsh sound of chesty coughing drew his attention to the stairs. Reid was descending slowly, one hand gripping the handrail and his right elbow covering his mouth, right hand gripping a water bottle tightly. Hotch felt his stomach twist. It was hard seeing someone so kind so miserable. He noticed that, although he was in a coat, Reid was shivering. With that ever-present concerned frown, he strode over to the sick agent. 

"Reid? Can you take a drink?" Spencer didn't nod, but took the bottle and tried to unscrew the cap. His hands were so cold, and body so wracked by the coughs and shaking, that he found it difficult to loosen the lid. Hotch quickly took the bottle, and unscrewed it with ease, before handing it back. Reid flashed him a grateful look and took a spluttering sip. 

"I'b sorry." Was the first thing out of his mouth when he could speak again. Hotch was about to respond when he noticed just how badly the younger man was trembling. Before Reid could protest, he had taken off his scarf and looped it around his friend's neck. 

"Don't be. Come on, let's get you in the car."  Reid opened his mouth, presumably to protest the scarf, and shut it when he received a Hotch glare. 

"Okay." The two started off towards the SUV, thankfully only a short distance away. By the time they reached it, Reid was exhausted and chilled to the bone despite a thick scarf and heavy jacket. Hotch opened the passenger side door and let Reid climb inside before shutting it firmly. 

Thanks to Rossi, the car was already quite warm. This was both good and bad. On the positive side, he was able to place his hands in front of the vent, providing soothing warmth to the freezing appendages. On the negative side, the change in temperature was making his respiratory system go haywire, and he was forced to raise his elbow to his mouth to catch a wracking bout of coughs. 

He could feel Hotch staring at him from the driver's seat and felt his cheeks heating up. Why, why, WHY was this happening? Of all the people to see him like this, why did it have to be Aaron Hotchner? A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he looked up too quickly. Immediately, pain flared in his face and his sinuses ignited with that awful, ticklish burn that never fully went away. 

"Can you take a dr-"

"IHCKSHuh! HhhESHuh! TSCHoo! Hhh....hhh KTSCHuh! EYSSHuh! HhhGSHuh! Hhh...hhh...hhh...HEHH...huh..." His eyes were fluttering with the need to sneeze, but his nose refused to give him the release he craved. Instead, the sneezes taunted him, leaving his breath hitching and face aching. 

"Bless you." 

"Hhh...thadk you...hhhh...hhh...HUHYISH!!! RISHuh!! PSHiew!" Finally, finally, he sneezed. The force of it bent him double, which sent a tight pressure through his skull,  and hurt like a mother. 

"Bless you again. Are you alright?"

His voice was kind, but not overly so. Very Hotch. 

"I'b fide." Reid's own voice was hideously congested, hoarse, and raspy beyond recognition. Hotch nodded, peering intently at the younger man. 

"You look like you have a headache." 

"Yeah, but...yeah." Too tired to fight it, he admitted defeat. Yes, he had a headache. It felt like his face was stuck in a vise, and his face and skull were pulsing. "Headache" wasn't a strong enough description. Then, there was the tickle plaguing his nose. It was fluttering, itching, niggling deep within his sinuses. It teased him, toyed with him, and left him feeling constantly on the verge of sneezing-of course, without the satisfaction of the actual release. It was one of the most uncomfortable sensations he'd experienced, second to a dislocated pinky finger, and he was so ready to go home and sleep until this stupid sinus infection was gone. When Hotch spoke next, it was as if he had read his mind. 

"Why don't you close your eyes for a little while? It might help." Reid made a soft noise of assent, and let his head tip back slightly against the seat. The slight shift in position sent drainage down his throat, but it didn't feel as painful as it did when he bent his head forward. He'd take drainage over a sneeze any day. He was just about relaxed when Hotch put the car in gear. 

"Hotch, what about everyode else?" Why weren't they in the car? 

Hotch glanced over at him but kept reversing until he'd turned around to head out of the lot. 

"I'm taking you home. They're going back to the precinct to get their cars." 

A wave of shame washed over the sick agent. He felt useless for not being able to drive, but he knew he was in no state to be behind the wheel. 

"Thadks." Quiet from both the illness and embarrassment, Reid seemed small as he shrank into himself, trying to go unnoticed. 

Hotch observed this and took the inside of his lower lip between his teeth, unsure of how to put Reid at ease. He shot a quick look over to the younger man to make sure he wasn't sleeping, and then decided it was story time. 

"Reid, I told you I had a sinus infection before, right?"

He made a noise of assent, unwilling to turn his head and risk more pain or sneezing. Hotch continued. 

"It was my first year with the BAU. We were working a case over Christmas, and I was already coming down with something before we left. I was too afraid to tell my boss, so I tried to work through it. Before the case was over, Strauss benched me. I was in no state to be in the field, and she knew it. I'm telling you this because I want you to know it's okay to get sick, and it's even more okay to admit it." 

"Strauss was there?" Reid asked incredulously. Hotch nodded. "But she...how was she?" His boss smirked. 

"Germaphobic and irritable." 

That made Reid laugh, which he immediately regretted. It quickly turned from a light chuckle into a heavy, congested cough. Hotch waited until it had passed before continuing as if nothing had happened, speaking over Reid's "I'b sorry". 

"My point is, you never have to pretend you're okay when you're not. I'll never think less of you because you have extra bacteria." 

"Thadk you." His voice was quiet, raspy, and bashful. He was touched-still red in the face with embarrassment, but touched-and felt a bit more at ease. There were no words in his brain to express what he was thinking, but he hoped his boss understood. 

"Of course." 

The drive  continued in comfortable silence, each agent lost in his own thoughts and exhausted from the case and its struggles. Reid was looking forward to curling up at home, away from his eagle-eyed boss, and Hotch was looking forward to resting. Worrying about Spencer while simultaneously working a case had sapped his energy, and he was glad the young man would finally be able to rest. He knew he was embarrassing Reid, so he was perfectly happy to leave him in peace-to an extent. He'd be calling and checking in, but he wouldn't be sharing a bedroom. 

"HhhGSH! EYSCH! NASTSCHeew! HhhYISHuh!" Next to him, Reid snapped forward with four wrenching sneezes, directed into a fresh handful of tissues. 

"Bless you." Hotch murmured, trying not to make him more uncomfortable. 

"Thadks." Reid tried to blow his nose, which resulted in a honking sound that was quickly followed by a wet, harsh set of jagged coughs. His boss waited until he had recovered his breath before speaking.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." 

In truth, he wasn't. While he didn't feel as awful as he had the day before, he still felt chilled and overheated at the same time. His head was throbbing, throat burning, body aching, and whole being absolutely exhausted. The constant sneezing and coughing had left him feeling winded and like he had when he'd tried to sprint a 5k in sixth grade-run down, worn out, and ready to sleep for a significant length of time. Walking up the stairs to his apartment seemed like an insurmountable task, and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather the strength before they got home. 

The next thing he knew, someone was shaking his shoulder gently. 

"Reid, can you wake up? We're here." 

Still groggy, the younger agent slurred his words as he spoke, keeping his eyes closed. His voice was barely audible-hardly a rasp. 

"We're at your apartment. Can you wake up? You can sleep when you're inside." 

Slowly, Spencer blinked open his eyes, too exhausted to think straight. The brief escape from how awful he felt had been wonderful, and waking up was a rude reminder that he was well and truly miserable. 

"Sorry." He said, passing a hand over his face, letting it linger at his red, raw nose as he tried to soothe the tickle. 

"It's okay, take your time." Hotch's voice was warm, low, and very reassuring. 

Slowly, Reid picked his head up off the headrest and settled into an upright position, trying to convince himself that the world wasn't spinning. 

"Sorry." It was all he could think of to say. With a sigh, he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the side door. Immediately, he was hit by a blast of cold air that seemed to go straight to his sensitive sinuses. He hardly had time to gasp before the sneezing fit began, though he did grab the door to stabilize himself after the first rapid double. 

"IITSCHitsch! HhhRISHuh! EXCHSHuh! Hhhhgccxxt! HhhKTSCHoo! AaaYISH!"

Reid felt a hand on his back as he sneezed into the crook of his elbow, and he tried desperately to avoid spraying his boss. 

"HPSHF! ISHuh!ISHuh!ETSCHuh! Hhh....hhh...HHH...HUHSHoo! ihhPSHoo! HANGSCHEEew!" 

Even after the most wrenching sneeze, it seemed his nose was unsatisfied. The tickle was unreachable, and driving him insane. He NEEDED to sneeze. 

"HhhTSCHoo! ERASHuh! HHgggsh! Hhhtssch! Kksssstx! ASHIEEw! Uh...hhh...HHAGNSCH!" The final expulsion was violent, and hurt the whole way from his abused throat to his on-the-verge-of-exploding sinuses. Of course, his respiratory system wasn't satisfied with mere sneezes-it turned into a harsh fit of coughing that shook his entire body. When it finally passed, he was dizzy and drained, and felt unable to move. 

"Bless you. Come on, let's get you inside." Reid sniffed thickly and started towards the door, even though his legs felt leaden. Hotch kept a hand on his back as they walked(Reid was more shuffling than walking though), which was both embarrassing and comforting. He only let go to hold open the door, as it was heavy and the younger man clearly did not have the energy to open it. 

It was warm inside-he could feel the heat on his face-but Reid still felt chilled to the bone. The only thing the warmth did was make him cough as they walked to the elevator. 

Hotch was very concerned about Reid's health. He was worried he wouldn't eat, or that he'd get dizzy and fall. Having suffered through a sinus infection, he knew how draining they were. A congested voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"Hotch?"

"Yes?" 

"You dod't have to cobe up. You can go hobe if you want to." Aaron gave a little half smile. 

"I just want to make sure you get in okay, then I'll go." Reid's voice was barely a whisper when he spoke. 

"Thadk you." 

This was humiliating. He felt as though he was a child again, unable to even get home on his own. 

The elevator finally arrived at its destination, and the two agents got out and started walking down the hallway, Reid in the lead. It was only then that Spencer realized Hotch was carrying his bags for him, and he blushed. Hotch waited in silence  as Reid fumbled with the keys before finally getting the door unlocked. He turned around to face his boss, who handed him his duffel and suitcase. 

"Hotch? Thadk you...for everythidg." 
 
His boss smiled.

"You're welcome. Get some rest Agent Reid, I'll see you in a few days. Call me if you need anything." Reid smiled shyly back, and then walked in the door. As he shut it, Hotch could hear him coughing. With a sigh, he started back down the hallway, his body relaxing for the first time in several days. 

Inside his apartment, Reid set his bags down by the front door, then made a beeline for his bed. He was shivering when he got under the covers, but fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. 

 

[silentdreamer789]

This is so wonderful! I loved the story of Hotch's past experience, and the teasing from the team, as well as the caring relationship between the two that you wrote so well

[KD02]

Aaghhhh this story is sooo good!! I'm just sad it's ended. 

Cute sick Reid and Hotch taking care of him  it's just to damn cute!

Loved it! Thank you so much for writing it!

[Melody]

This was probably the best CM fic I've read on here  The way you write illness in all your fics not just this one is just  I think you are incredible for your dedication to finishing this story! It is truly a gift to the all the CM Reid lovers out there! Just thank you so much I really enjoyed reading it 24me!

[24Me]

On 12/29/2016 at 9:24 PM, silentdreamer789 said:

This is so wonderful! I loved the story of Hotch's past experience, and the teasing from the team, as well as the caring relationship between the two that you wrote so well

I'm so happy you liked it! Thank you for the reassuring feedback. It means a lot, especially coming from you! 

On 1/1/2017 at 9:37 AM, KD02 said:

Aaghhhh this story is sooo good!! I'm just sad it's ended. 

Cute sick Reid and Hotch taking care of him  it's just to damn cute!

Loved it! Thank you so much for writing it!

I really appreciate that! Thank you very much! I was nervous about this story so the feedback helped a lot. 

 

On 1/9/2017 at 4:58 PM, Melody said:

This was probably the best CM fic I've read on here  The way you write illness in all your fics not just this one is just  I think you are incredible for your dedication to finishing this story! It is truly a gift to the all the CM Reid lovers out there! Just thank you so much I really enjoyed reading it 24me!

Wow....oh my goodness. I am completely speechless right now. I can't believe you liked it that much! It is such high praise and means absolutely everything to me. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! I was not happy with this story so your feedback is much appreciated. 

[Elyze]

I LOVED this story! It was so well written and caught the characters so well! Reid was always my favorite on the show! So much information in that pretty head of his, and still he can be so lost. Adorable! 

[turtlesneeze]

This was a great story!!!

 

[Seeker]

Omg I read this story like 80 times and can't believe I failed to comment! Sorry about that---truly excellent story! You really expressed Reid's sickness so well. And thanks for finishing; I find so many potentially excellent stories only to be left hanging. I only started CM this year (thanks, Netflix!) but I knew I loved Reid from snippets I watched. I tried to resist but