Schedules, Schmedules, or: It's Not Going to Happen (Anytime Soon)

"I take good care of my teeth, Dr. Weiss," Reid announced as the dentist walked into the room. "I brush and floss twice a day."

"Understood," Dr. Weiss returned. "But it's hard to get at everything, no matter how careful you are, and sometimes teeth just can't hold up. You drink a lot of coffee?"

Reid sighed. "Yes."

The news was three cavities, and the tired receptionist at the front desk, Karen, handed him an appointment card. "Teeth 15 and 16 she will do on your first appointment, and tooth 29 she will do on the next date."

"I already explained this to Dr. Weiss, but I have a very erratic schedule, lots of unscheduled flights of state. I might miss them," Reid returned.

"But other than that you'll be able to make them?"

"If I am not out of state, which I might be."

Karen smiled grimly. "Then I will see you next week."

Reid tucked the appointment card into his bag and walked out.

He received the call before he'd even reached his car, and was soon striding into the round table room. "Dentist appointment," he explained as he slid into his chair, noticed that Hotch wasn't there and turned to Rossi.

"Those are hard to fit in," Rossi said sympathetically. "But I'm glad you finally got that checked out. What's the news?"

"Three cavities," Reid returned. "I have two appointments that I really hope I can make, simply to get them over with."

"I know the feeling. Once I just needed a simple shot, it'd take five minutes, but I rescheduled on my poor doctor about ten times, no joke."

"No joke," Reid agreed, as Hotch strode into the room.

"Hello, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm calling to reschedule my appointment with Dr. Weiss on the twenty-ninth."

"When would you like to reschedule to?" Karen's unmistakable voice came through the phone.

"October sixth," Reid answered.

"This will mean rescheduling your second appointment also, Dr. Reid. When would you like that to be?"

"What would be the best next date for it?" Reid scrambled. "As long as I'm not out of state…."

"You should be able to make it," Karen finished. "That would be the twenty-first of October. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, fine. Thank you, Karen."

Reid put the phone down and rubbed his eyes. It was past midnight, on the jet. They'd just taken to California. Because of the nature of the case, he really doubted he'd be back before Monday.

Looking around him, he saw that most everyone else was sleeping, or pretending/trying to. With that thought in mind, he lay down and tried to organize his thoughts.

"Did you get your appointment rescheduled?" Rossi asked, much later that day as they waited on their dinner.

Reid stifled a yawn. "Yes, right after we took off."

"When is it now?"

"October sixth," Reid replied.

Rossi raised his shot glass of brandy. "Here's to you making it," he said dryly.

Reid raised his own glass of ginger ale in response. "Indeed."

On the sixth of October, at 9:47 a.m., Reid left Dr. Weiss's office, the upper left half of his mouth entirely numb. If he tried to smile, it looked like he'd had a stroke. And talking was...interesting too. Not hard, but, looking in a mirror, he knew that his mouth wasn't moving normally.

If he was lucky, there'd be no one (outside of the team) to speak with today.

"I see you got it done," Rossi said, approaching Reid.

"Oh, yes," Reid replied. "If you look closely, or stand five feet away, you can tell my mouth is not moving normally. On top of that, the whole thing gave me a headache."

"Dental work always gives me headaches too," Rossi nodded. "So no ice cream for the next few days?"

"It's not recommended," Reid replied, then put on a falsetto tone. "But, you know, I'm just warning you. Not everyone experiences the same thing. But if you do, just know it's normal."

"So Dr. Weiss is a woman?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, she is."

"How old?"

Reid shrugged. "Fifties."

"Oh. Too old for you then," Rossi said, sounding disappointed. "Well, see you later, if I'm lucky."

He missed the look Reid shot at his back.

"Hello, Karen, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm calling to reschedule my October twenty-first appointment…"

"Hello, is this Karen? Tiffany. Really, Iowa? Um, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm calling to reschedule my appointment with Dr. Weiss on October twenty-eighth. No, no. What? Yes, November? The fifth? 9:00 a.m.? There's nothing earlier? Because I could—okay. Sounds great. Yes. I will. Thanks so much." Reid hung up the phone feeling slightly deflated. He would have been able to make it tomorrow, or the next day, but there wasn't anything available until the fifth. And by the time that came around...who knew?

Rossi, walking by, seemed to understand perfectly. "You still haven't gotten that done?" He asked, sounding only mildly surprised.

"Believe me, you'd know if I had," Reid said. "For one thing, I wouldn't have been able to speak without lisping."

"You've read up on it?"

"No, I had a cavity on tooth 30 a while back. Before the BAU," Reid stood up and began walking with Rossi. "My whole lower jaw was numb and I literally couldn't feel it when I was drinking coffee. I couldn't feel the mug against my chin."

"And talking?"

Reid slouched. "As I said. Lisping."

"Hello, this is Dr. Reid. Oh, Karen. You're back from Iowa. Yes. Um, I'm calling to reschedule. I won't be able to make it tomorrow. November ninth. Yes, I should be done in Arizona by then."

"Hello, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. Karen. Hi. I'd like to reschedule. I'm not back from Arizona yet. How is Arizona? Oh, it's beautiful, as usual."

"I am so sorry, I could have sworn I'd be able to make the fifteenth. No," laughing. "No, I'm back from Phoenix. To be safe? Oh. Um…the twentieth?"

"Dr. Reid here. Still MIA. No, not really. What about the twenty-eighth? Does Dr. Weiss have office hours on black Friday? Not usually, but you'll ask." Hold music. "She can? 4:00 p.m. Thanks so much. Oh, could I call in advance if I need to reschedule? I'll try. Thanks, Karen."

Reid spent Thanksgiving at Rossi's, along with Garcia and Sam and JJ, Will and Henry. Hotch had plans with Haley's family, Morgan had flown home to Chicago and Callahan was also with family.

It was almost 2:00 a.m. on the twenty-eighth when a very sleepy Reid got a call from a very alert Hotch. They had a case.

Reid dreaded, very much so, making the call to Dr. Weiss's office.

On December second, Reid finally made it to her office, at 8:00 a.m. Hotch had dropped him off on the way home from the airport after a red-eye flight.

Karen was at the front desk, and she faked shock when Reid walked in. Or maybe she wasn't faking it. "I thought you'd never make it," the older woman exclaimed. "Congratulations, Dr. Reid!"

"I know, it's a miracle, just in time for..." he thought for a moment. "Advent, I guess," Reid shrugged. "Thanks so much for fitting me in so suddenly."

Dr. Weiss emerged. "It was to relieve my receptionists," she said cordially. "They were getting flustered, rearranging your appointments all the time. No worries. We're just glad you're here now. Come on back." She led the way to the examining room. "You look tired. Late night?"

"Um...I'm fresh off a flight from Seattle. I haven't actually made it home yet."

Her eyebrows rose. "I'm glad you counted this important enough. Sit down."

After a few minutes of prep work, she stuck a cotton ball in between his gum and his cheek, then she shot in the anesthetic. "This will take a few minutes to act, as you know. Did you bring a book?"

"I brought work," Reid replied. "I have to go straight to the office after this." And, taking a case file out of his bag, he tried to relax.

"Hello again, pretty boy," Morgan called out as Reid walked past his office, causing him to take a detour. "Did you get that done?"

"Yeth," Reid said, before remembering not to say words with a 's' in them.

"Want to try some tongue twisters? She sells seashells by the seashore," Morgan grinned.

Reid just shook his head. "I'm trying to think of...a word or collection of words to enunciate..."

Morgan was laughing. "Your genius brain failed you, old man. Even you can't think of the words to avoid all 's's."

"I could have tried harder," Reid replied. "Maybe I wanted to cheer you up after thith latht cathe. Thit."

Morgan was dying of laughter, but the mention of last night sobered him, just a bit. "Then thanks for that. I suppose you should be going."

"Have to thee Hotch," Reid said, and walked back to the door. "Thee you later."

At lunch time, Reid sat at his desk, rubbing his jaw in an effort to bring more feeling into it. Dr. Weiss had said lunch time or, 'up to one o'clock.'

He wasn't looking forward to eating like this, so he stayed at his desk while his coworkers mingled around him, finalizing what restaurant they were going to or standing around with their lunches, already eating.

He dismissed it, trying to ignore everything and just go into his own world. He finally did, just tuned out and kept the case file front and center. Therefore, he physically jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder, very lightly.

"I've called three times," Hotch informed him. "And your phone is right here, ringing." He held it up and Reid blinked to realize that Hotch was right. His ringtone was singing, loud and clear.

"Sorry, I was off in my own world," Reid apologized, sliding off his desk. The bullpen was half-deserted, and very quiet. "Did thomething happen?"

"Nothing like that, I just told everyone to shut up," Hotch said, unapologetic.

"Tho, do we have a cathe?"

Hotch's lips twitched every time Reid's mispronounced an 's'. "Yes. Sort of. At any rate, it's time for the round table," and he waved his hand towards the window, where Reid saw that everyone else was already gathered.

"I didn't have lunch," Reid muttered to himself, as he grabbed his bag.

He was surprised when Hotch turned around, not realizing it had been loud enough for the man to hear. "I know. That's why I ordered Indian."

Reid stood stock still, even more surprised, and when Hotch winked...

Reid wondered if he was dreaming. (He wasn't.)

For now, this is the end. Thanks for reading.

A/N: Since this contains mentions, albeit very brief ones, of Kate, I'll just say now that I am looking forward, very much so, to when I can write about her and actually know what I am talking about. She also, briefly, appeared in my first Criminal Minds story, Reid Reads the Dictionary.

When the tenth season does premiere, Kate is definitely going to make frequent appearances in my stories :)