Part XV

It seemed longer, but it was only about an hour before the doctor came to see the team in the waiting area. There were more faces that he didn't know than those that he did, so he started off by introducing himself.

"I'm Doctor Burke - I was the one that performed surgery on Doctor Reid. Are all of you with him?"

Since Morgan was the one the doctor knew, he was the one that nodded and did their end of the introductions.

"Yes, this is our boss, Aaron Hotchner and Agents David Rossi and Jennifer Jareau. How's Reid?"

"Doctor Reid is in recovery. Everything went well and we were able to stop the bleeding without any difficulties. We realigned and secured the broken rib. There is a considerable amount of soft tissue damage that concerns us, bruised kidneys in particular from where it appears he was kicked in his lower back. There is currently blood showing in his urine - not enough to set off any alarms, but enough that we want to keep an eye on it at least overnight. I understand you intend to be flying out of the area?"

Hotch answered for the group.

"Yes. We'll all be traveling back together."

"I'm hesitant on agreeing to that. Being cramped up in an airline seat is not going to be comfortable for him and might aggravate some of his injuries."

"We have a jet. He won't be flying coach. We even have a area where he can lay after takeoff."

The doctor only had to take a brief look at Hotch before deciding that he didn't appear to be the type to joke about things like that.

"Alright then. In that case, if we don't see any complications in forty-eight hours, I'll clear him to fly. Is there a doctor or hospital that you would prefer his records be sent to?"

J.J. took over with giving him the details needed for the record transfer, then looked back to the doctor.

"When can we see him?"

Taking a glance at his watch, Doctor Burke spoke again.

"He should be ready to be taken to his room in half an hour. I understand that due to the circumstances regarding the orderly that someone is going to be with him in his room?"

All four agents nodded in firm agreement and the doctor jotted down a note onto pad.

"I'll send a nurse in when we're ready then so that someone can be with him during the move."

"Thank you, Doctor Burke. We'd appreciate that."

Shaking his head, Burke sighed.

"Much as I would like to say that it's an unneccessary precaution, I can't say that I'd be any less concerned myself under the circumstances after what your man has been put through."

All of them stayed until Reid was actually settled and they could see him briefly. Reid blushed slightly as J.J. ran her hand over his too short hair.

"You are planning on letting this grow back out, aren't you, Spence?"

"Definitely. I don't see this as a good look for me. Fortunately, my hair seems to grow fairly quickly."

The time remaining in Indiana passed very quickly as the team (aided by Reid after Doctor Burke agreed that working with a laptop was fine so long as he didn't neglect to eat and sleep as directed) dedicated themselves to gathering the evidence that supported Thorpe's innocence as well as contacting the legal representatives for the other prisoners that had Salters testifying at their trials. Some of them were probably still guilty, but if there wasn't enough evidence for retrial without Sheriff Salters testimony, there probably hadn't been a good case against them to begin with.

The case against Salters and Kemp was a Federal one. Not only had they kidnapped, assaulted and illegally incarcerated a Federal agent, but they had crossed state lines to do it. The full implications of what he'd been involved in hadn't sunk in to Kemp until he heard the charges. When it did hit him, he broke down and confessed everything.

As they read over the written confession, Hotch's face grew grimmer. As Reid had already suspected, Salters had thought that Hotch's son was far older than he was and the target had switched from Jack to Reid after the truth was discovered. Hotch had thought the use of Jack's name was just a dig at him - he had never suspected that his son was the intended victim. He felt both relieved and guilty that it had been Reid instead. Even more so after Reid said that he was glad Jack was safe and hadn't had to go through any of the experience.

It was a tired, but satisfied team that headed for the airport. They found that Thorpe was waiting there for them.

"All the stink that got caused when the media heard about the stuff Salters had been pulling? Governor got involved and issued me an immediate pardon based on that surveillance video your lady tech found. No telling how long I might have rotted in that cell if you guys hadn't been dragged into this."

Reid smiled up at the large man. Due to Doctor Burke's insistence that he not be on his feet for more than a few minutes at a time, Reid was being pushed around in a wheelchair by Morgan.

"I would say it was my pleasure to be of help, but to be perfectly honest, this was a trip I could have done without."

Thorpe laughed loudly as he gave Reid a surprisingly gentle pat on his shoulder.

"I bet. Any of you ever need anything, look me up. I'm in your debt and Ronald Thorpe's not a man to forget his debts."

Rossi handed Thorpe one of the BAU's cards before they headed for the jet. Morgan took Reid directly to the couch and the slender agent settled down on it before giving it a pat. He saw the others look at him and looked a little embarrassed.

"I dreamed about this enough that I'm halfway afraid I'll wake up and be back in the cell."

"Perfectly understandable, kid. Want us to prop you up enough for a game of cards?"

"Thanks, Rossi. That would be great."

"Hey, you know that knot you left us? Talk about going the entirely wrong direction when we were going by the corned beef name."

Laughter broke out among the men and J.J. watched as the guys basically fussed over Reid. As good as it felt to get Spence back, something deep within her was warmed even more by what they had been able to do for Thorpe and possibly others like him. That feeling - getting justice for those it had been denied to? That was why she was with the BAU and why it had always been and would always be more than just a job.

"Every time we turn your heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong,
when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out,
we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice."~ Robert Kennedy