Forgetting

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds

Panic…deep, breathless, strangling panic shot through her entire body. Oxygen wasn't entering her brain fast enough and she fought through the fog. There was pain, too, but she couldn't make out the source or how to stop it. Darkness closed in and she let go, praying that this was only a dream.

The nightmare was her reality…She woke with a start, her eyes flashing open and she began breathing frantically, not knowing where she was. She smelled blood and sweat and a stomach-turning stench that was familiar but she couldn't place it. There was a bed of wet leaves and branches under and around her and she struggled to sit up, pain attacking every nerve. Her head pounding, she dragged her sluggish body to a tree and leaned against it, finding that she couldn't use her right leg at all without it exploding in fiery agony. When she looked down at it, fear in her shallow breath, she saw a horrible gaping wound at the bottom of her knee cap where her bone was clearly protruding outward and she held back the gut-wrenching urge to be sick. The sick feeling was magnified when she spotted a corpse, not ten feet from where she was sitting. It was a man and his entrails weren't inside anymore and she gagged, trying to forget the awful smell. There was blood all over her, but she was in shock, adrenaline shooting through her, the defense mechanism against whatever trauma that had befallen her. She was thankful for her body's automatic response and she took a rattling breath. Her dark hair fell into her face, sticking to her forehead from the blood pouring from a head wound.

Confusion entangled her every thought, not allowing her to recall what had happened. She was bleeding and felt like she had been She was only slightly aware of the uncontrollable shaking of her limbs, but she didn't have time to worry about that. Right now, she had to get help. Her leg was obviously in really bad shape and she didn't even want to think of what was under her blood-soaked shirt. All she knew was that she was in trouble. She didn't dare look under her shirt, in fear that what she saw would only inhibit her progress to safety. She squeezed her tear-filled eyes shut and felt around for a lifeline – anything that could help her get out of the horrible situation she was in. A glimmer of hope emerged when she found her cell phone, but she barely had any service. There was a sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach and she set her trembling jaw, determined to get a call through to someone – anyone who could help her.

The phone nearly slipped from her bloody hands and she had to consciously calm herself down so she could dial the number, her hands shaking violently. It was only then that she realized how incredibly cold it was as a frosted cloud billowed from her mouth. Hope was the only light that warmed her and she pushed her trepidation aside, holding the phone to her numb ear. When the ring assaulted her ear, she took a relieved breath, now praying for her best friend to answer. Emily Prentiss ignored her trembling and focused fully on hearing the voice that could save her life.

"Agent Jareau." The warm tone that answered sped Emily's heart up and she took a breath, speaking.

"JJ!" Emily didn't even sound like herself. It sounded like her voice had been ripped to pieces, rasp and gruffness replacing it. There was a small uncomfortable silence.

"Who is this?" This confused Emily and she looked at the phone she had. It wasn't hers…She cursed under her breath and continued frantically.

"It's Emily." She kept it short, needing to take a breath, feeling a little dizzy.

"Emily? Where the hell are you? Are you okay? We've been looking for you for two weeks." Emily's eyes widened, words failing her. Two weeks? What happened to her? She couldn't remember anything before waking up. Panic flooded her mind again and she cursed again.

"Oh my gosh….two weeks? I….I don't know….I don't know where I am…..what….I don't know what…..I just woke up and…" She stopped, catching her breath. She was freaking out and JJ heard the strongest woman she knew losing all of her fearless façade.

"Emily…take a deep breath, okay? Can you tell me where you are?" JJ's heart was pounding.

"No. I don't know where I am…" Emily felt hot tears streaming down her face and she shook it off.

"Okay, okay…hold on. I'm going to get Garcia to trace the call, alright? I'm still here…stay with me, okay?" JJ spoke as fast as she could, taking off for Garcia's office. "Trace this call, Garcia. Fast." Her voice was hard, panicked, and void of all positivity. Garcia did as she was told, confusion and curiousness written all over her face.

"It's coming from a few towns away…in the middle of nowhere, Jayje. What's going on?" Garcia swallowed nervously.

"Emily. Send the coordinates to my phone. I'll call you when we know something." JJ tore out of the analyst's office and rounded up the team, still on the line with Emily.

This just came to me. Not sure where this is going but review if you want me to continue! –mlw217-