A/N: New story! I am really stuck on Exhale, but will get it eventually! Please review for this one, and if you have any idea what is wrong with JJ, go ahead and guess!
Spencer Reid watched his friend, concern evident on his features. Something was very wrong with his friend, and despite all the knowledge Reid had; he could not figure out what was ailing the young woman.
She looked, quite frankly, like death warmed over. Dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale skin, she looked tired, worn out. She simply looked sick.
And Reid knew she was sick, and that was about all he knew. Because JJ refused to provide him with any other information.
"JJ.." Reid began, hoping to convince her to tell him something. Anything.
"Reid. Drop it." JJ warned, her voice low.
"I'm just worried about you." Reid shook his head as he was finally able to make eye contact with his friend. "You're sick, JJ. You need to see a doctor." He knew it was of no use- he had been trying for the last few days to convince her to go. But she was too damn stubborn and refused to even consider the absurd notion.
"Reid." She paused, and Reid watched as she took in a deep breath. "I'm fine." JJ forced a smile but Reid immediately saw straight through it.
He pursed his lips together. "Fine." Reid stood up, pushing back the chair as he did. "The chief left a few boxes of documents for us. Hotch wants it back at the hotel. Do you mind grabbing a few boxes?"
The look JJ shot up at Reid, gave him all the information he needed. It also added to the mounting fear growing in his stomach. He walked to her side and offered her her coat. "JJ.."
"Stop." She growled angrily, snatching the coat from his hands. "I. Am. Fine." She hissed as she bent down to pick up one of the boxes.
Reid could only watch. It was painfully clear that JJ had no intentions of listening to him; at this point is only other option was Hotch. And he was not sure he was ready to enter that minefield- JJ would never forgive him.
"Alright." It was not alright, but there was nothing more he could do about it.
"Thank you." She nodded, and bent down to pick up the remaining box. The heaviest box. "What's in here?" She asked, lifting it and shifting it in her arms as she began to follow Reid down the hall.
"Not sure, Hotch just asked us to grab them and bring them back to the hotel."
JJ nodded, but did not speak as the two walked down the hall.
It was halfway down the second hallway, that she finally gave in. "Spense.." She gasped and placed the box down. "Give me a second." She bent down and placed her hands on her knees, desperate to catch her breath.
Reid, did nothing, but stood there; knowing not to push JJ any further. He knew she had to be embarrassed.
It was when he reached over and grabbed the box, lifting it into his own arms, that JJ finally spoke.
"I had the flu. I went to the doctor and I am fine now. I am just slow to heal I guess.."
"You had the flu three weeks ago, JJ." A pause. "This is something else."
"I'm tired.."
"You slept the entire way here.. we just got here a few hours ago."
"Fine!" She turned to look at him, white in the face. Reid was not sure if it was from anger.. or that she was fighting so hard to breathe. "Fine. Dr. Reid, then you tell me what is wrong with me because you seem to know everything about me. Go ahead." She pushed.
"Did you get a clearance from the doctor before coming back to work?" It was an innocent question, at least he thought so.
But JJ, if possible, got angrier.
"I'll see you back at the hotel." She told him, walking off.
"JJ.." Reid started, holding out the keys to her but she had already disappeared around the corner. He would much rather see her drive, then walk. Because deep down inside, he knew she would never be able to make it the mile to the hotel. At least not on foot.
With a heavy sigh, Reid reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell. The person picked up after the first ring.
"Hotch." Reid began. "I need to meet with you immediately." A pause. "It's JJ."
Aaron Hotchner bit the inside of his lip as he listened to what Reid had to tell him. And the more Reid spoke, the more Hotch grew concerned. After all, if Reid was telling him something was wrong, Hotch had no reason to doubt it.
The line he was unsure if he was willing to cross was what stopped Hotch from moving forward.
He understood Reid's concerns, he had had them himself. He knew JJ needed to be seen by a doctor, but to force her to do so was something he questioned. Sure, he could remove her from the field until she had a doctor's clearance, and right now- that option was sorely tempting.
"Hotch- she was gasping for breath after carrying a box down a hallway." Reid explained as they sat in the hotel lobby.
"Do you know where she's at?" Hotch asked, looking up frequently to see if his agent had walked through the lobby doors.
"She said she was on the way back. I was going to offer her the keys so she could drive, but she was gone before I could.."
Hotch nodded. "Call Garcia, tell her we needed the nearest emergency room that can get us in immediately." Come hell or high water, Hotch was going to ensure that JJ saw a doctor that day.
And he knew it might come down to that. JJ was stubborn and hardheaded, but she was ten times worse when she was sick. He had no other option than to threaten taking her out of the field. If that didn't work- he had no other cards to play.
"Hotch." Reid interrupted his thoughts. "Garcia tracked her phone.. she's about a block away."
Hotch only nodded, mentally preparing himself for battle. And when JJ walked in, Hotch knew there would be no battle. JJ was going to go to the hospital.
"Make sure a car is up front." Hotch spoke softly to Reid. "If I manage to convince her to go, I just want her to get into the car.. if there is any delay, she'll change her mind." He knew his agent well enough, he knew how her thought process worked.
"Morgan is coming." Reid responded as they approached JJ.
She looked worse than she had when he had last seen her.
"JJ." Hotch stopped her.
"Hotch." Her voice was soft, low.
Hotch stepped close to her, preventing her from passing him. "You need to go to the hospital." He whispered, not wanting to humiliate her in the lobby.
He watched as her eyes narrowed, before looking behind him and landing on Reid. "How dare you." She spoke, glaring at her friend.
"JJ." Hotch grabbed her arm and gently lead her to an empty business area. "I am going to ask you to go to the hospital.."
"I don't.." She started.
"You are not going back into the field until I have a doctor's clearance.." Hotch stopped and looked at her. Something was very, very wrong.
"I do not need a damn doctor!" She spoke through her teeth, obvisouly irate at the entire situation. "I need you and Reid to leave it alone." She huffed as she grabbed the back of the chair she was standing near.
"Agent Jareau.." Hotch warned, shocked at her attitude.
"No, Hotch." He heard it then, a small dip in her voice, and he caustiosouly took a step towards her. "I am tired. That is all." She took in a deep breath. "Henry has been sick." Another breath. "And I.. " Another breath. "Have been up.."
Hotch took another step towards her as he noticed her sway on her feet. His eyes met Reid's and slowly both agents moved closer to their friend.
"Taking care of him." She gasped out.
Hotch heard it as it got closer to her, and it scared him as the relization hit him. JJ coudn't breathe. "Sit down." He ordered as she looked up at him.
He knew. He knew right then and there that something was going horribly wrong with the young agent. He saw it in her features, in her expression and as she let go of the chair, he rushed forward.
He caught her just as her body gave out and she collapsed in his arms. "JJ!" Both he and Reid shouted as Hotch gently placed her on the ground, his fingers immediatly going towards her neck.
He searched. And searched again.
He couldn't find a pulse. She had stopped breathing. And without a moments hesitation, Hotch pressed his lips to hers and began forcing oxygen into her lungs, as his fists went to her chest.
JJ had stopped breathing, and until the ambulance got to the hotel, he and Reid held JJ's life in their hands.