Silent Evidence ~ Spencer Reid

"Ev. Come on, you've been locked up in here for days," Rodriguez pleaded, her voice soft but firm as she sat cross-legged on Evelyn's bed. She watched her friend, who was curled up beneath a mountain of blankets, her face barely visible.

Evelyn's voice was muffled. "How did you even get in here?"

"I may or may not have made a copy of your house key when you first moved in, but that's not the point," Rodriguez admitted, a playful smirk on her lips, trying to draw out even the faintest smile. When Evelyn didn't react, Rodriguez's expression softened. "Evelyn, you've been obsessing over this case. There's nothing more you can do. It's out of your control, and you have to let it go."

"Why?" Evelyn's voice was strained. "So another body can turn up?"

Rodriguez's heart sank. She reached over and pulled the covers back, revealing Evelyn's pale, exhausted face. Puffy eyes, dark circles, hair tangled from days of neglect. "You're obsessing, Evelyn. This isn't good."

Evelyn's gaze was distant, her fingers twisting anxiously in the fabric of the blanket. "I... I know." Her voice wavered, the vulnerability cracking through. "I just... I keep thinking that if I had done something differently, maybe—"

"No." Rodriguez's voice was firm, cutting off Evelyn's spiral before it could continue. She scooted closer, her hands wrapping around Evelyn's, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "You did everything you could. You always do. This isn't on you."

Evelyn's shoulders trembled, the weight of guilt pressing down on her. "I should've seen it coming. I should've known."

Rodriguez's grip tightened. "You're not a mind reader, Ev. You can't predict the future. You're human." Her voice softened, her eyes pleading. "I know how you get when things go wrong, how you pick everything apart, searching for that one missed detail. But it's eating you alive. You're punishing yourself for something that isn't your fault."

Evelyn looked away, her jaw tight. "If I don't figure this out, then who will? If I don't keep going, then what's the point?"

"The point is you. Your sanity. Your well-being," she said moving closer. "I can't watch you fall down this hole again. Not like before."

Evelyn's eyes flicked back to Rodriguez. "I don't know how to stop."

Rodriguez's face softened, her fingers brushing a stray hair from Evelyn's face. "Then let me help you. I don't care if I have to drag you out of this bed myself. I'm not letting you destroy yourself over this."

Evelyn's eyes glistened, the reality of her spiraling obsession hitting her. She let out a shaky breath, her body deflating as the fight drained out of her. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Rodriguez squeezed her hands tighter. "You lean on me. On all of us. You're not alone, Ev. You don't have to carry this on your own."

Evelyn's lip quivered, her voice a whisper. "I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm missing something, and it'll cost someone else their life."

Rodriguez's heart broke, hearing the fear laced in Evelyn's words. "And you can't save them all. No one can. But you're killing yourself trying." She softened, her voice turning gentle. "You're exhausted. When was the last time you slept? Ate? Took a break?"

Evelyn didn't answer, her silence confirming Rodriguez's worst fears.

"That's what I thought," Rodriguez sighed, her fingers brushing the back of Evelyn's hands soothingly. "Look, I'm all for dedication, but you're barely functioning. You're no good to anyone if you burn yourself out."

Evelyn's shoulders sagged, the exhaustion catching up to her. "I don't know how to shut it off."

"That's why I'm here." Rodriguez's tone turned teasing, a light smile playing on her lips. "I'll drag you out of this bed if I have to."