Sincerity - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

24. Discreet

"You see, you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too--even when you're in the dark. Even when you're falling." ― Mitch Albom,

The Father

We leapt to our feet and ran from the room, out into the hallway where everyone was still frozen in shock.

It was clear the bomb wasn't within the building, but very very close.

We proceeded to run from the building and the second we got outside, it was apparent where the explosion had come from.

The multi-storey parking lot next to the hospital was proceeding to crumble storey by storey, smoke and flames rippling from the rubble as the cement and concrete crumbled like baby power.

"GET EVERYONE AWAY!" I yelled, kicking into action, everyone beginning to run, screaming from the wreckage.

And then it was really chaos.

People, everywhere, thick black smoke clogging the air as Melanie, Spencer and I ran towards the parking lot whilst everyone else ran away.

Screams, car alarms, sirens, crying, coughing, and electrical whirring filled our ears as we pushed through the people stampeding in the opposite direction.

Spencer dropped to the ground to help an injured man and Melanie ran to children screaming, holding their ears and sobbing.

I pushed forwards towards the edge of the collapsing parking lot and snatched a woman into my arms, who appeared to be frozen to the spot, staring at the building crumbling before her.

It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

This wasn't our first party, we'd all been in plenty of bombings to last a lifetime. But this. This was complete carnage.

*

"I promise, we're okay." I said down the cell-phone.

"I don't like the idea of you running for something people tend to run from." Beth said worriedly.

"I know," I sighed, pinching my nose. "But that's just the nature of this job, sweetie," I said. "How's Matilda?"

"She's fine," I could hear our granddaughter playing in the background. "She's asking if Melanie can join her at school tomorrow instead of Peters."

We both chuckled and I sighed.

"We're halfway through this," I said, looking on at the chaos around me ."I can feel it, we're touching nerves. It won't be long before this is all over."

"I won't hold you to that, Aaron." Beth sighed.

"I love you," I said. "Please kiss Tilly from me."

"As always. I love you too, Aaron. Stay safe."

I cut the call and approached Melanie and Spencer who were standing together by the entrance to the ER.

"Have they been in touch?" I asked as I approached. They didn't need to answer, as a moment later, an SUV screeched to a stop in front of us, and Morgan piled out of the driver's seat with Garcia, Jackson, Black and Jack.

"What're you doing here?" I demanded of Jack. "You need to get to Beth, you shouldn't be here."

"No," He said seriously, his face worried and scared. "There's no way I'm letting the team be here for you guys and not come to help." He said defiantly.