A/N: Hello. This is a one-shot I wrote for the CCOAC Theme song challenge. My song was Time of Dying by Three Days Grace. And the song is for Emily's theme. This takes place during the last few scenes of Season 6 episode Lauren. So if you haven't seen it please don't read.
Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
Time of Dying:
The minute that piece of wood pierced her skin she knew that this was it. That this would be her time of dying. But she had never thought that it would hurt this much. No, not the physical pain of the wood pushed inside her, but the pain of knowing all she'd leave behind, all that would be left unfulfilled.
She didn't know how long she lay there writing in the pain of both her wound and death; she didn't know exactly when Ian had ceased to pester her about his son's whereabouts. She only knew that Morgan was suddenly hovering over her.
"I got her…" he shouted. "I got her in a basement on the south side. I need a medic…"
He took hold of her hands. They were so warm against her suddenly cold skin. "Prentiss… hey… it's me, I'm right here… you're gonna be all right… stay with me baby… come on, stay with me!"
As much as she didn't want to say it, as much as she didn't want the words to come true, she said it anyways, "Let me go…" she managed to breathe out.
But Morgan was stubborn; it was one of the things she liked most about him. One of the things she'd have to leave behind. It was causing her so much pain to know she'd have to leave this beautiful man behind. A dream unfulfilled. It was making her time of dying all the more unbearable…
"No, no I am not letting you go," he protested. "Help me!"
He was not going to accept this she suddenly realized. Her dying would kill a little part of him. And she suddenly hated herself for doing this to him. But it was not her choice. She could not help it.
"Listen to me, I know why you did all this, I know what you did for Declan," he told her.
She was ashamed of what she had done to get that little boy to safety. And many times she wondered if it was really worth it. Was dying right now worth saving that little boys life?
She knew the answer to that question, of course. And Morgan's next words to her solidified her belief that she'd do it all over again if she had to.
"I'm so proud of you, do you understand that? I am proud of you, because you are my friend and you are my partner. No Emily! Come on, stay with me!"
She so wanted to heed his words. To stay with him, to make all this up to him and her friends a thousand times over. But the pain was fading and she could feel nothing. She was numb. Her eyes started to flutter shut even as Derek continued to urge her on.
"If you can hear me, please, just squeeze my hand…"
Because he wanted her to, she tried her best. She squeezed his hand with all the force she had left. She didn't like this numbness that was settling over her body, so she'd fight it as long as she could. She squeezed his hand the best she could.
"Yes, there you go, there you go baby, just keep squeezing," he pleaded.
She held on as best she could. But soon the numbness took over and the world went black. The last thing she remembered seeing was Derek's worried, grief-stricken face, hovering over her as she was being lifted. It wasn't right, his face in such a hard look. She tried her best to give him a reassuring smile. But she knew it didn't work when he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
The kiss said to her, "I will miss you," and she knew that this was certainly her time of dying.
Emily woke up, groggy and stiff, but she was awake nonetheless. She was amazed that she'd survived. She was ecstatic that she would have another chance at life. That she would have a chance to fulfill her every wish, starting with making up this entire situation to the one she suddenly knew she cared for most. The man that had been with her when she believed it was her end.
When the nurses told her she'd been in a coma for two months, she sat there stunned, unable to respond. The nurses had given up waiting for her to ask any questions and left her to be. Two months was a long time to be away from her friends. A million thoughts raced through her mind, mostly centered on whether things could go back to normal or not.
When JJ came to visit her three days later she was beyond happy to get her first visit from one of her close friends. It hadn't occurred to her to ask why it had taken three days for someone to come see her. She had her answer a minute later. Emily was in Toronto. But even that fact didn't faze her. She was eager to know how they were all doing.
She needed to know JJ was happy in her new life. She needed to know Reid was all right and that his headaches weren't getting the best of him. She needed to know that her painful situation did not take away from Garcia's sunshine. She needed to know that Seaver didn't run from this ruthless job, because Emily knew that it could be rewarding. She needed to know that Rossi could continue to find meaning in this job. She needed to know that Hotch had gone unpunished for all this.
But most of all she needed to know how Derek Morgan felt about her, because she knew she cared for him deeply.
But Emily wasn't able to ask those five hundred questions. Because words escaped her when JJ told her what they had done. And only sobs would come instead. She broke down at the news. And the only question she could manage to get out was, "Why?"
Because as it turned out, she hadn't escaped her time of dying. Not at all.
Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!
Thanks to ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 for continuing to host these lovely challenges!