(no subject)
Title: Small Steps
Author: elly_rad23
Length: 1,174
Pairing: Morgan/Reid (established)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Morgan picks Reid up from physical therapy. First installment in a "Recovery" ficlet series.
Morgan looked up from his seat in the waiting room when he heard his name being called.
“Derek? Spencer is almost done with his session for today,” said the woman at the door. “Brian said you could come back if you wanted to.”
Getting up and following her through the door and down the hallway, Morgan turned the corner into the physical therapy wing. Eyes scanning the room, he immediately located Spencer lying on one of the patient’s tables. He had his hands behind his head and his eyes were screwed shut- Brian, his physical therapist, had Spencer’s surgical leg stretched straight out, a rolled up towel behind his heel, and was pressing down on his thigh.
Morgan saw Reid cringe and pull his bottom lip between his teeth at the pain- he knew it would pass in a moment, and that the maneuver had to be done or Spencer would never be able to extend his leg properly again, but at that moment in time, Morgan would have given anything to be able to switch places with his boyfriend and experience that pain for him.
When Morgan saw Brian stand up straight and pat Reid’s leg before reaching below the table to grab the ice machine, he made his way across the room.
“Hey, man,” he said, reaching out to shake Brian’s hand. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty well,” Brian answered, going back to wrapping the cuff around Reid’s knee before propping his leg up on some pillows and turning the ice machine on. “He did a lot today, so he’ll probably wanna take it easy for the rest of the afternoon- I’m only telling you this because I know he isn’t going to want to take the rest of the day off of work, but it’s probably best if he does.”
Reid’s crossed arms and furrowed eyebrow only further proved Brian’s point, which made both Morgan and the physical therapist laugh.
“I’m going to print out a sheet of some new, modified exercises for him to do at home- he was able to bend his knee 76 degrees by himself today, which means he’s only fourteen degrees from getting out of the brace. The new exercises should ensure that the transition goes smoothly. Oh, and Spencer has a surprise he can show you once he’s finished icing his knee!” Brian finished before turning away from the table and heading into his office to print the exercises.
“Oh, really?” Morgan asked, taking a seat on the edge of the table, turning to look at Reid, whose mouth was now curved into a slight smile. “And what might that be?”
“You’ll see,” Reid responded, unfolding his arms and reaching for Morgan’s hand, who quickly laced their fingers together.
“So how was it today, baby? I know Brian said you did well, but he also said you did a lot…how do you think you’ll feel in a few hours?”
Spencer leaned back against the wall, blowing out a puff of air. “I’ll probably need the ice machine at home for most of the night, if I’m being honest.”
“Alright, I’ll call Hotch on the way home and tell him we’re both going to be out the rest of the day-,” Morgan reached out and put a finger on Reid’s lips when he started to protest. “And I’ll get you set up when we get home- Spencer Reid, did you just bite me?”
“You put your finger on my mouth,” Reid replied simply. “I’m tired and I’m hurting and I’m more than a little grumpy from having my knee moved around for the past hour in ways I should be able to do myself. And I can’t go back to work. So yes, Derek, I did just bite you.”
Morgan pressed his lips together in order to hide a laugh, instead bringing Reid’s hand to his mouth and biting his knuckle lightly. “There. Now we’re even.”
Brian came out of his office then, holding two sheets of paper.
“Alright, Spencer, we can get you out of that ice cuff now so you two can get going. Here, Derek, I’ll give these papers to you- all of the instructions for the exercises are on there. Try to make sure he does them at least twice a day, if you can- some of them are new and will cause him some discomfort, but they’ll be worth it in the long run.” He said as he turned off the ice machine and unwrapped the cuff from around Spencer’s knee before buckling the knee immobilizing brace back up and setting the range of motion to 80 degrees. “I’m giving you a few extra degrees on the brace since you seem to be recovering so quickly. Okay man, you ready to show us what you can do?”
Reid nodded and turned, swinging his legs so they were hanging off the edge of the table, readjusting one of the straps on his brace so it wouldn’t slide down. Morgan grabbed the crutches that were leaning against the wall, offering them to his boyfriend, who now had his feet on the floor, his hands on either side of his thighs. Looking at the crutches, he then looked at Morgan and shook his head before taking a deep breath and shifting his weight to his arms so that he could push himself up off the table until he was standing.
“Go stand over there?” he asked Morgan quietly, eyes moving to a spot about three feet in front of him.
Morgan nodded before going to stand where Reid asked him to.
“Spencer, I’ll be right behind you,” Brian said. “Do it just like you did at the beginning of our session.”
Reid closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, reaching up to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes and tuck it behind his ear. Letting the breath go, he shifted his weight to his good leg before taking a hesitant step forward. Morgan almost lunged forward when he saw Spencer sway slightly, but Brian took a step closer and put his arms out, ready to steady him if needed.
“You’ve got it, baby,” Morgan said quietly. “Let yourself get some momentum.”
Reid nodded slightly before starting again, shifting his weight to his surgical leg this time and stepping forward on his good leg. Not stopping this time, he allowed himself to gain momentum, and a few slow moments later he was standing right in front of Morgan, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Derek,” he said, putting his arms on Morgan’s shoulders to balance himself. “I- did you see- did you see what I just did? I did it!”
Morgan, afraid that Reid would get too excited and forget he needed to be careful, wrapped his arm around Reid’s waist to support him. “I did, Pretty Boy. Great job. Now, for my sake, can I get you your crutches?”
“Absolutely. But only if I get to try that again later at the house.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, baby.”
Author: elly_rad23
Length: 1,174
Pairing: Morgan/Reid (established)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Morgan picks Reid up from physical therapy. First installment in a "Recovery" ficlet series.
Morgan looked up from his seat in the waiting room when he heard his name being called.
“Derek? Spencer is almost done with his session for today,” said the woman at the door. “Brian said you could come back if you wanted to.”
Getting up and following her through the door and down the hallway, Morgan turned the corner into the physical therapy wing. Eyes scanning the room, he immediately located Spencer lying on one of the patient’s tables. He had his hands behind his head and his eyes were screwed shut- Brian, his physical therapist, had Spencer’s surgical leg stretched straight out, a rolled up towel behind his heel, and was pressing down on his thigh.
Morgan saw Reid cringe and pull his bottom lip between his teeth at the pain- he knew it would pass in a moment, and that the maneuver had to be done or Spencer would never be able to extend his leg properly again, but at that moment in time, Morgan would have given anything to be able to switch places with his boyfriend and experience that pain for him.
When Morgan saw Brian stand up straight and pat Reid’s leg before reaching below the table to grab the ice machine, he made his way across the room.
“Hey, man,” he said, reaching out to shake Brian’s hand. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty well,” Brian answered, going back to wrapping the cuff around Reid’s knee before propping his leg up on some pillows and turning the ice machine on. “He did a lot today, so he’ll probably wanna take it easy for the rest of the afternoon- I’m only telling you this because I know he isn’t going to want to take the rest of the day off of work, but it’s probably best if he does.”
Reid’s crossed arms and furrowed eyebrow only further proved Brian’s point, which made both Morgan and the physical therapist laugh.
“I’m going to print out a sheet of some new, modified exercises for him to do at home- he was able to bend his knee 76 degrees by himself today, which means he’s only fourteen degrees from getting out of the brace. The new exercises should ensure that the transition goes smoothly. Oh, and Spencer has a surprise he can show you once he’s finished icing his knee!” Brian finished before turning away from the table and heading into his office to print the exercises.
“Oh, really?” Morgan asked, taking a seat on the edge of the table, turning to look at Reid, whose mouth was now curved into a slight smile. “And what might that be?”
“You’ll see,” Reid responded, unfolding his arms and reaching for Morgan’s hand, who quickly laced their fingers together.
“So how was it today, baby? I know Brian said you did well, but he also said you did a lot…how do you think you’ll feel in a few hours?”
Spencer leaned back against the wall, blowing out a puff of air. “I’ll probably need the ice machine at home for most of the night, if I’m being honest.”
“Alright, I’ll call Hotch on the way home and tell him we’re both going to be out the rest of the day-,” Morgan reached out and put a finger on Reid’s lips when he started to protest. “And I’ll get you set up when we get home- Spencer Reid, did you just bite me?”
“You put your finger on my mouth,” Reid replied simply. “I’m tired and I’m hurting and I’m more than a little grumpy from having my knee moved around for the past hour in ways I should be able to do myself. And I can’t go back to work. So yes, Derek, I did just bite you.”
Morgan pressed his lips together in order to hide a laugh, instead bringing Reid’s hand to his mouth and biting his knuckle lightly. “There. Now we’re even.”
Brian came out of his office then, holding two sheets of paper.
“Alright, Spencer, we can get you out of that ice cuff now so you two can get going. Here, Derek, I’ll give these papers to you- all of the instructions for the exercises are on there. Try to make sure he does them at least twice a day, if you can- some of them are new and will cause him some discomfort, but they’ll be worth it in the long run.” He said as he turned off the ice machine and unwrapped the cuff from around Spencer’s knee before buckling the knee immobilizing brace back up and setting the range of motion to 80 degrees. “I’m giving you a few extra degrees on the brace since you seem to be recovering so quickly. Okay man, you ready to show us what you can do?”
Reid nodded and turned, swinging his legs so they were hanging off the edge of the table, readjusting one of the straps on his brace so it wouldn’t slide down. Morgan grabbed the crutches that were leaning against the wall, offering them to his boyfriend, who now had his feet on the floor, his hands on either side of his thighs. Looking at the crutches, he then looked at Morgan and shook his head before taking a deep breath and shifting his weight to his arms so that he could push himself up off the table until he was standing.
“Go stand over there?” he asked Morgan quietly, eyes moving to a spot about three feet in front of him.
Morgan nodded before going to stand where Reid asked him to.
“Spencer, I’ll be right behind you,” Brian said. “Do it just like you did at the beginning of our session.”
Reid closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, reaching up to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes and tuck it behind his ear. Letting the breath go, he shifted his weight to his good leg before taking a hesitant step forward. Morgan almost lunged forward when he saw Spencer sway slightly, but Brian took a step closer and put his arms out, ready to steady him if needed.
“You’ve got it, baby,” Morgan said quietly. “Let yourself get some momentum.”
Reid nodded slightly before starting again, shifting his weight to his surgical leg this time and stepping forward on his good leg. Not stopping this time, he allowed himself to gain momentum, and a few slow moments later he was standing right in front of Morgan, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Derek,” he said, putting his arms on Morgan’s shoulders to balance himself. “I- did you see- did you see what I just did? I did it!”
Morgan, afraid that Reid would get too excited and forget he needed to be careful, wrapped his arm around Reid’s waist to support him. “I did, Pretty Boy. Great job. Now, for my sake, can I get you your crutches?”
“Absolutely. But only if I get to try that again later at the house.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, baby.”