I don't own any of the CM characters; can only wish that I did.
Reflections
12:58AM
Looking at the dark-haired man sitting in an otherwise empty ICU waiting room, one might have been forgiven for thinking that he was a forgotten patient. His white dress shirt was covered with red blotches; fresh stains that stretched from collar to the un-tucked tail: blood. And plenty of it.
The man was sitting so his elbows were on his knees and his head lay in his bruised and swollen hands. Every so often his dark eyes would glance up at the room's only clock. It was then that the deep scratches and dried blood on his face became momentarily visible before he returned his head to its resting place.
To the untrained eye the man was calm, dozing even, he was sitting so still. But pausing at the doorway SSA David Rossi took one look and knew better.
"Any news, Hotch?" he asked softly, sitting next to his friend and passing him a bottle of water.
SSA Aaron Hotchner shook his head and tried to refuse the offering.
"Aaron, you've lost blood too. You'll be of no help to anyone if you go into shock. Now drink."
Slowly Hotch turned his head slightly to glare at the older agent. But it was only a half-hearted effort. Rossi could see the worry, despair and pain etched in the Unit Chief's eyes. He tried again.
"And after you've finished we're going to get that mug of yours patched up."
"I'm not leaving." came the flat reply.
"Hotch..."
"Dave, I appreciate your concern but I'm not going anywhere..." his voice faltered, "not until I know..."
Rossi felt a lump in his throat but he suppressed it, instead pouring as much confidence into his voice as he could muster in the circumstances, realizing that Aaron needed his strength now more than ever before,
"Aaron, listen to me..."
***