— “ PROPHETIC ! ’ 〉.

reid was S O B B I N G by this point, shaking his head quickly. “no, no caleb don’t leave,” he pleaded. “don’t leave me here with these.. these STRANGERS.” he was panicking, turning to the nurse. “take this out.” he tugged at the tube in his nose, before looking back at caleb as he moved in to kiss his temple & say his goodbyes. “no.” he said again -- he didn’t even want the boy to go O U T S I D E, he needed him here. “why are you making him leave? caleb, i’m an adult. i can go home, right?” he winced. “i don’t need this! i don’t!” he exclaimed. “i’m okay i- its just a sickness bug.” he pleaded. “why..” his voice cracked. “why.. do i need to.. why do i need to be on a psych ward? i’m O K A Y. caleb.. what about work?” he wiped his eyes, moving to attempt to pull at the tube AGAIN.

the nurse left & reid felt a rush of RELIEF when she did, thanking caleb siltently for his authority. “papers? what do you mean papers?” his eyes went wide. “no no no.” he muttered, not listening or interested in caleb’s A N A L O G Y of why they should rename the wards. “what about.. what about my life? work? the gym? i..” he shook his head. “no. i’m an adult. i can leave right? i can discharge myself & take these tubes out.” he was frantic now, sitting up properly & TUGGING at his face. “help me!” he exclaimed, his heart racing. “they’re gonna make me eat. fuck, no.” he bit his lip, breathing heavily as the nurse came rushing back in, PRESUMABLY because he was being loud.

reid was STUNNED by the frenzy in which caleb tried to prevent him from touching the tubes residing in his skin, & he found himself ever the more confused. “i fell asleep?” he asked when caleb said he wouldn’t wake up, glancing at the nurse. “just tell me if i’m going to a fucking psych ward.” he practically shouted, & then furrowed his brow. “no. i want him here.” he muttered, quieter now in order to maintain peace with the staff - maybe then they wouldn’t send him away, although; it really didn’t work that way. “i’m okay.” he insisted, huffing up at the ceiling & then back at caleb. “can we go H O M E ?” he asked - he wasn’t going to be home for a LONG time, though. most of him knew that.

the first thing reid saw when he opened his eyes was him -- & it’s good, because that’s the only thing he wanted to see. “caleb?” he muttered, his voice THICK with comatose. “where..” he trailed off, glancing around the room. “why am i in the hospital?” he changed his question, glancing down at the tubes filling his hand. he moved his fingers up to his nose to feel a tube residing there & made a face. “fuck, no.” he muttered as he tugged at it, suddenly more alert. “why have i got a tube in my face?” he panicked glancing up at caleb as he sat up all too quickly. “are they..” he looked at caleb. “am i going to a psych ward or something?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing as a nurse came bustling through the door. “fuck - why am i here?”

caleb’s reaction made reid hurt more -- he PULLED away, but reid wanted him to touch him, for more of a comfort than ANYTHING. “I am.” he nodded in reassurance, his eyes rolling back slightly. “no, caleb. we can’t.” he shook his head as caleb got up frantically in a search for his keys. “come on c, come back to BED.” he pleaded, his breath sucking slightly as he rushed to get out of bed to stop caleb. however, the rush of his weak body getting up SO quickly mixed with the absolute deadly parasite ( or more, his body giving up ) in his body, caused his knees to falter from under him. the last thing he managed to REMEMBER was his vision blurring & a loud THUD on the floor which he was sure would leave a bruise. he must’ve awoken most in the house at that point -- but he didn’t recall -- the next thing, his eyes were emitting a light so bright only a H O S P I T A L could compete, & he realised within seconds that that was exactly where he was. his head was pounding & his chest was tight -- not only that, but he was attached to an abundance of TUBES, & hooked to machines.

with caleb’s new found alertness came guilt to reid -- he didn’t want the boy worrying about him. he didn’t DESERVE it. “i’m fine.” he nodded when caleb incanted that whatever was going on didn’t sound good. “like i said, probably just a bug.” he insisted, moving backwards & wincing at the fast beating of his heart. perhaps this was it - perhaps this was his heart FINALLY giving up, finally saying you’re not worthy of living, or something incessantly along those lines. reid knew it was coming. “fuck,” he muttered to himself as his vision blurred once again. “no.” he shook his head at caleb’s request. “i’m alright, c. honestly. i just need some sleep.” he nodded again, although there was absolutely not a CHANCE he was sleeping tonight - he felt he was D Y I N G. he gave a G U L P, a loud one, his fingers shaking violently. “maybe i need to be sick or something.” he tried.