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Reid rolled Hotch over, trying to ignore the coldness of the rain.
"Hotch? Hotch!"
"Oh my God!" A women's voice could be heard as he saw a car pull over. He stiffened, shaking.
"Hey man!" The driver was a young man, around Reid's age. "Need any help?"
Reid swallowed and nodded.
"He's been shot!"
"Lisa, go grab some of the beach towels!" The man shouted as he rushed towards Hotch's body.
"What happened?"
"We...we pulled over to change a tire. A group of people in masks ambushed us, they shot him...took off his clothes and forced me to t...take off mine and then took off in their car and ours..."
The man stared at him with horror.
"Did they do anything else to you?"
No they just humilated me and tried to kill my boss.
"No." The women rushed towards them and handed Reid a couple of towels. He nodded thankful and flushed when he realized she could down there. Her head was turned, though, for privacy as he used one to wrap around his legs and one around his shoulders, feeling less exposed. The other two towels were placed around Hotch.
"He's alive, but he needs a doctor," said Reid. "Can you take us to the nearest hospital?"
"Shouldn't we call the cops?" The women asked. "They're gonna want to question them."
"We're FBI," Reid said. "I'll contact my team once we're there."
They stared at him.
"Aren't you a little young for the FBI?" The man said.
"Look, my boss has been shot! He needs help!"
The man quickly nodded.
"Right, of course."
With Reid's help they managed to carry Hotch to the backseat. Tears formed in his eyes as he laid Hotch down on his lap.
"I'm so sorry, Hotch," he whispered.
"Why are you sorry?" Lisa asked quietly. "It's not your fault."
Reid said nothing.
It is my fault. I should have done something. I should have done more.
It was humilating to go into the hospital pratically naked. They found spare clothes for him as they rushed Hotch into surgery. It was time to call the team. The cops were already questioning him on what was happening. It gave him a headache, trying to convince them he was a real FBI agent. He needed the team's support.
"Hell yes baby!" Morgan grinned at the machine. "Jackpot!"
"You know those things are rigged, right?" Rossi asked, flipping the magazine. Morgan glared at him and Garcia chuckled as she typed away at her laptop.
"Trying to bring me down?"
"Are you sure we were right to leave Reid with Hotch?" Emily asked, feeling guilty.
"Please," Morgan said, rolling his eyes. "Both of them love being alone in silence. And both hate casinos."
"Besides Hotch is less likely to snap at Reid than he would to one off," JJ said while smiling.
"Speaking of the kid." Morgan looked at the cell phone that was ringing ."He's calling right now." He answered it while grining. "Hotch giving you a hard time kid?"
His smile vanished almost completly.
"What? What happened?"
The others looked, startled to see such a worried look on Morgan.
"You're at the hospital?" Garcia closed the laptop. "Why? Wait...WHY is Hotch in surgery?"
JJ placed a hand against her mouth.
Morgan's face became sterner and sterner.
"It's going to be okay, Reid. We're coming. We'll be there as soon as we can. Just hang in there."
He hung up the phone.
"Come on, let's go. I'll explain on the way."
Reid was exhausted of the questions. They wanted to know if he had any clues on what the UnSubs looked like, he had none. He breathed in relief when he saw the team rush into the room.
"How's Hotch?" Rossi asked.
"Still in surgery," sighed Reid.
"And you are?" One of the officers asked and Rossi held out his badge.
"Agent David Rossi." Their mannerisms changed once everyone showed their badge.
"I'd like to speak to a doctor about Agent Hotchner as soon as possible," Morgan said to one of the nurses.
"I believe you've done enough questioning for one day," Rossi told the officers. "We'll take it from here, let the poor kid rest."
Reid was looking pretty miserable as he sat in the waiting room. JJ was sitting next to him, holding his hand gently.
"Ried." Morgan could tell the kid was blaming himself. "It wasn't your fault."
Reid said nothing.
"Could have happened to any one of us," Rossi added. "Victims never see it coming. It's not their fault, and it's not your fault."
"I just sat there," Reid said. "I just sat there and listened to them talk to Hotch and just sat there after they shot him."
"You had a GUN to your face," Emily said.
"I should have reacted sooner. It was my fault. If anything happens to him, it's my fault."
Reid was angry. Beyond angry, but angry at himself.
"Reid," JJ said as Reid stood up and stalked off.
"Leave him be," sighed Rossi. "Let the kid deal with this."
Morgan placed his hand over his face, feeling guilty now more than ever for making Reid ride with Hotch. But even more guilty for going to the cosinos. If they were right behind them...they could have...DAMN IT!
"I need some air too," he said. They looked at him and Rossi nodded, understanding in his eyes.
He sank into the chair next to JJ and Emily and Garcia as they waited for news about Hotch.
Waited for this nightmarish day to be over.
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