⊰◈⊱ — Worry had overwhelmed Spencer to the point that he could hardly focus on the case that the BAU was in the midst of solving. Standing in front of people who he was supposed to be introducing the current case to, he contemplated on whether or not it was really a good time to leave. He attempted to continue talking, however his sentences left off midway and he found himself staring off into space, causing those listening to whisper amongst themselves, likely either confused or annoyed. He ceased his rant, slowly placing the files he carried on a nearby desk.
His mind kept traveling back to the actions and words that Morgan let on days before. Though he was trying hard to act normal, he wasn’t himself. Those were the actions of someone struggling with depression. The others must have noticed too, despite its suddenness. Spencer couldn’t recall any out of the ordinary cases that might put his friend off in any way, yet the signs were so clear he couldn’t ignore it, especially considering that he hadn’t even shown up to work this case. That either meant that, one: he needed a break to get his mind back on track, or two: he was planning on ending it all in the easiest way possible. Suicide.
“I uh… I’m really sorry, but I have somewhere else I need to be, please excuse me.” As he made his way away from the front of the room the whispers from the audience became a more audible grumble as people began to scold him. “I’d love to be somewhere else too, agent, still doesn’t give me the right to leave.” That was the first comment he could fully hear, before he began hearing more and more about how people his age always thought they were more important than everyone else. He ignored these insults, not looking back until he heard a very familiar low voice. “Reid!” Hotch called out, quickening his pace as he pulled Spencer to the side. “Reid, we are in the middle of a case. If you walk away now, more victims are going to die. They are our first priority right now. Do you understand?”
He locked his attention on Hotch. “I know.” He spoke slowly and honestly before continuing on. “I just… I can’t focus on this case right now. I keep thinking that if it were me, he– all of you would be there to help me work things out. I just want to do the same for him, and I want to be there to stop him if…” Hotch listened to his words before interjecting. “This is about Morgan.” He whispered a quick ‘yeah’, and Hotch looked off as if thinking about it. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “…We’ll take care of the case in your absence.” Spencer couldn’t help but smile at his decision. Sometimes that man’s head was a hard nut to crack, even for him, so he wasn’t completely sure what his answer would be, but Hotch knew better than most how it felt to be worried, and even more so how it felt to not be able to save someone. “Thanks.” He spoke gratefully as he walked away. “And Reid.” He stopped, turning back to look at him. “Hurry back.” Spencer let out another ‘yeah’ before heading out the door.
Frequent calls were made during the hour long car ride, but none were answered. Throughout the ride Spencer had replayed the scenes that played out over the past three days, and he had recalled Morgan dropping subtle hints that at the time he hadn’t realized. He named a specific building… one that had forty floors and stood tall, towering the rest of the city. The lowest floor was a restaurant that the BAU often visited, and all the floors above it were apartments. From what he could recall, Morgan didn’t have a room there… That was when realization struck him. As he parked his car and scanned the building carefully, he realized just how high the roof was, and how deserted the ground beneath was. A perfect place for a suicide. He exited his car quickly, running up the steps as fast as he could until he reached the lobby of the apartments, taking the elevator the rest of the way up.
Finally he arrived at the roof, attempting one last call. Though there was no answer, he could just barely hear a ringtone over the sound of the wind and the business of the rest of the city. He was right about him being here, but with that news, he wasn’t sure whether to be glad or afraid. “Morgan?!” He quickly turned his head from side to side as he looked around. His heart practically dropped as he found Morgan standing at the edge of the roof. However long the other had stood here contemplating he couldn’t be sure, he was just relieved he showed up in time. Hopefully.
“Morgan!” He yelled, his voice shrouded in a mixture of fear and concern as he ran towards him. He stopped a short distance away, not wanting to alarm the other. “Don’t do this Morgan, please.” At that exact moment, several past cases flooded through his mind– ones that ended in the unsub giving up everything and jumping over the edge, both literally and figuratively. The BAU would beg for them not to do it, yet the results were always the same. In this highest degree of depression, those dealing with it didn’t listen to reason as they usually would, sometimes even if it came from those whom they cared for more than anything. “Just talk to us Morgan, we can help you with whatever it is you’re dealing with– you just have to talk to us.”