There is no narrative with this story, only Hotch's thoughts (in italics) and words (in quotes), and the words of the people talking around him. It helps if you are familiar with the characters, to guess their facial expressions, tone of voice, emotions, movements... and if you read the story not too fast! I'm hoping your imagination will fill the gaps and help you experience this story as if you were Hotch and your memory was a bit confused from a recent concussion. Please, don't forget your comments!
Oh! The licence plate number in chapter 1 was taken from Garcia's convertible in the episode "Sex, Birth, Death".
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters, and I'm not expecting any remuneration of any kind while borrowing them – just some fun in sharing...
WARNING: Some cursing in most chapters
This chapter was beta'ed by the amazing Kitty! Thank you!
CHAPTER 2 - Confusion
...
Ow! Who used my head to play soccer?
FEMALE VOICE (in hallway): ... code blue...
The hospital...
ROSSI: Aaron?
"Dave... What happened?"
ROSSI: You have a concussion, or two.
"What time is it?"
REID: Almost 2 am. How do you feel?
I don't know what feels worse! My head, or my feet... or everything in between.
"I'm okay. Why are you here? What happened?"
ROSSI: You disappeared all day. The police found your car around noon, Garcia sent us there—
My car? I was driving—
"The van! A brown van, license plate—"
ROSSI: Yes, we know, we found it. The driver, you remember him?
He looked suspicious.
"He was on the phone, didn't realize my passenger window was open. He was... talking... talking... about... "
ROSSI: Aaron, are you okay? Reid, get the doctor!
Ouch! Why can't I move? Everything hurts to move!
Why am I so dizzy? Concussion, he said. The nausea...
Pain, everywhere...
ROSSI: Try to stay awake. Aaron!
"I'm gonna be sick..."
ROSSI: Don't move. The nurse is here.
NURSE: Mr. Hotchner? The doctor authorized a muscle relaxant, it will ease your pain. There. You should let him rest, we'll check on him regularly.
Wow, that's... different!
Can't... keep my... eyes open.
The boy...
"The boy, he's hurt. Did you find him?"
ROSSI: No. What boy?
"I was too late. He shot him... I shot—"
REID: There was blood on the ground. Hotch?
...
...
I feel strange. What happened?
Whoa-ho... I'm high?
I was drugged?
And knocked on the head! Who...?
That's a hospital bed...
I was hit from behind.
I was checking the boy.
The man had a gun.
I shot him.
ROSSI: Welcome back. How do you feel?
Dave. And Reid.
"The boy. Did you find him? He needs help—he got shot!"
ROSSI: What boy?
I don't remember...
"..."
ROSSI: Was he alone?
"I don't know."
ROSSI: We didn't find any boy, but there was a man, shot dead, in an alley, on 147th Street at Coral Drive. Rings a bell?
"The man, in the alley, he had a gun—I was too late—"
ROSSI: We also found some blood, we think yours and some other's. The boy's perhaps? Then about three hours ago, you were found 12 miles from there.
Why can't I remember what happened?
"What happened?"
REID: He's perseverating: his mind is going in a circle, repeating the same thoughts—
ROSSI: I know what's going on, Reid, thank you.
"I've asked you before? What was your answer?"
ROSSI: Actually, we were hoping you'd remember and tell us.
"The boy—he's wounded, he's only eleven."
Is he still alive?
How long has it been?
"What time is it?"
REID: It's 2:40 am. Who shot the boy?
"The driver of the van. I followed him. I couldn't call it in, my phone was dead. "
ROSSI: We know. *sigh*
"I found him in a back alley, holding a gun at a woman and her son. The boy started to run away and the gunman—"
Damn, I should have reacted faster.
ROSSI: We found the man's body lying in the alley. Ballistics revealed the bullet came from your handgun.
"I was too late. The boy was still alive, shot in the back, near the right shoulder."
REID: It's been at least 19 hours since—
ROSSI: What else do you remember? Did you hear what he was saying on the phone, while he was driving?
"My cell—the battery died—"
ROSSI: It's okay, don't worry. It's okay. You decided to follow that van. Why?
"He talked about kidnapping a woman, and about a bank... and... I don't know."
REID: There was a woman; the mother of the child?
ROSSI: Who are they?
"I..."
ROSSI: The boy was alive. How do you know that?
"..."
I can't think.
REID: Hotch! You told the police: 'Help them.' Were you talking about the woman and her son? Hotch?
"Help them."
REID: Where are they?
Where?
I know this.
I'm tired...
What a strange feeling.
My head and my feet hurt so badly. Why?
There was a large space—
"I tried to stop the bleeding. His shoulder—"
ROSSI: That was in the alley?
"No, in the place where they kept us. It was cold."
REID: A basement?
"I don't remember."
I must remember.
It's been too long. He could be dead already.
God, we must find them.
He can't die. You can't let him die...
"I'm tired."
REID: What did he say?
ROSSI: I'm not sure. Aaron, we identified the dead driver. His name is Phil Cook. Maybe you heard that name?
"..."
ROSSI: Did anyone mention names? Phil Cook?
"Carla. Carla..."
REID: Carla who?
"... Nicholas."
ROSSI: The woman and the boy's names?
"..."
ROSSI: Aaron?
...
...
ROSSI: ... and we've been up all night. Crime Scene processed both crime scenes, found prints at the second location, but we're hitting a wall. Even Garcia has nothing for us. I think it's time we take a break, get some sleep.
PRENTISS: Who will stay with Hotch? If he wakes up he may have more information for us. A boy's life and his mother's may depend on this being solved soon.
REID: I called JJ, she's on her way.
Prentiss is here? Morgan?
MORGAN: I'll call Garcia, tell her to get some sleep.
Why are they all here?
Nicholas! He's hurt, his mother can't help him—
They haven't found them, have they? Who took them? They knocked me out.
God help them!
I'm not feeling so great—
"...erk..."
REID: Hotch? He's awake!
PRENTISS: How are you doing?
"Tired."
MORGAN: Yeah, and WE're the ones who were looking for you all day and who were up all night, while YOU've been sleeping for hours!
*chuckle*
"Ow, don't make me..."
The drugs are wearing off.
My body has turned to lead.
And I feel like throwing up.
At least, I seem able to think.
ROSSI: Do you remember what happened?
No, not everything.
"Carla, Nicholas, they need help. Her husband is an assistant manager at the bank."
ROSSI: What's his name? Do you know their surname?
I'm sure I do, but... *sigh *
"..."
Oooh, bad idea... Shouldn't shake my head...
REID: Did you hear the name of the bank by any chance?
The bank? On the phone, the guy talked about...
"I don't know. The driver—"
ROSSI: Cook.
"Cook? He said something about the assistant manager at—'the bank'. They wanted to force him to cooperate—"
I could do without the nausea.
MORGAN: I'll get Garcia to check if anything happened at a bank today, or rather, yesterday.
Fuck! I can't get sick now!
Can't do it.
Maybe after they leave...
PRENTISS: You look like you need a bucket.
Please, don't say 'bucket'.
Think about something else. My feet...
"My feet—I walked for a long time, from there—"
ROSSI: The empty foundry?
A foundry?
REID: We found iron, aluminum, steel, and dust from other metals on your clothes and figured you had been in a factory or metal processing plant. Garcia found an abandoned building, a foundry, about two miles from where the police found you.
MORGAN: We went in, found the room where they kept you; we found your jacket, soaked with blood—
PRENTISS: And we found your socks and shoes, outside.
My shoes? I walked barefoot? Why?
At least now I know why they hurt...
Uh-oh!
"Would you... leave? Now?"
ROSSI: You shouldn't move your head!
REID: I'll get the nurse... and a pan—
"Leave it... Go!"
Ouch!
ROSSI: Stop moving!
"GET OUT!"
JJ: Hey! I just got here!
PRENTISS: Don't worry, Jayje, it's for us, not you... Let's go—
JJ: What did you do?
MORGAN: Keep moving, keep moving—
Not yet!
Not yet! Hang on!
ROSSI: The nurse will be here any second. Do you know how many unsubs there were? Did you see them?
Is he fucking kidding me? Why isn't he leaving?
The boy—I've got to try.
"No, I don't think so... I'm not sure, though. I asked Carla, but—"
ROSSI: Crime Scene found two sets of finger prints at the old foundry. One was identified, the other is unlisted.
"..."
He's not going to say more? No, he's profiling me! I should just puke on his Italian leather shoes!
"AND?"
ROSSI: Garcia tried to find a current address for a Jules Paulie, the guy whose prints we identified, but can't find him anywhere. He has a history of shoplifting, extortion, and aggravated assault, but no kidnapping or bank heist. Are you sure that's what it's about?
No.
"I'm not sure of anything."
Shit, my head is about to explode; the pounding—
NURSE: How are we feeling?
"..."
ROSSI: The nausea is getting worse—
NURSE: The pain is back, isn't it? Your medication is wearing off. Here, it's time for your injection.
"What time is it?"
NURSE: Too early in the morning, you should try to get more rest. Oh! You asked for a bucket? I'll leave this pan, here, if you need it. They start serving breakfast in ninety minutes or so. We'll see if maybe you're up for it then?
My stomach is empty, but the idea of food right now...
Oooh, that must be the pain killers... Muscle relaxants?
...
Can't keep my eyes open...
...
