Ah the trouble with real life. so sorry for taking so long to get this posted. Thanks for all of the alerts and reviews. I am horrible at replying to them, but know that I truly appreciate them all.


JJ and Garcia led Emily to the waiting room chairs while Morgan approached the nurse at the admitting desk. Holding up hi s badge he smiled at the woman, "I'm SSA Derek Morgan. I have with me my colleague who needs to be checked out. She was assaulted."

He nurse, Sally, looked over his shoulder at the three women that walked in with him. "Sure, Agent Morgan. She can come back and I'll leave her forms with you to start and fill out. Whatever you can't answer can wait till after she's checked out."

"Thank you." Morgan took the papers from her and turned towards his friends. He nodded his head towards the exam area and Emily stood up.

JJ and Garcia watched their friend cautiously. They both wanted to go with her, but they knew that was a decision she needed to make on her own. Emily walked halfway to the room before she stopped and turned back to the women. "Jayje," she looked down at her feet, "could you…umm." Emily took a deep breath.

"Do you want me to come back there with you?" JJ asked.

Emily's shoulders sagged with relief and she nodded at the blonde. "Please." JJ gave a reassuring smile and stood up to join Emily.

Morgan walked over to where Garcia was sitting and held up the paperwork. "I think between the two of us we get these filled out. What do you think, Babygirl?" Garcia patted the chair next to her and gave him an affirmative nod.

Inside the exam room…

Emily looked towards the gown that the nurse had left for her to change and bit her lower lip. JJ noticed the hesitation and asked, "Do you want me to wait outside while you change?"

Emily shook her head, "No. I think I'm going to need your help changing."

"Alright, I'll stay. Why don't you see how far you can get and when you need me just ask," JJ answered.

JJ watched as Emily began to remove her sweatshirt. She was only able to lift her arms to her shoulder level before she lowered them back down and muttered a slight, "Help."

JJ walked up to Emily. "I'm right here, Em. I'm going to lift the shirt up and over your head from the back, okay? Then I'm going to slide it off your arms." Seeing Emily's nod, JJ grabbed the shirt and slowly lifted the shirt off, being careful to not cause Emily any more pain than she was obviously in. JJ's eyes widened at the bruise she saw over Emily's ribcage. Deep inside, she was upset at Emily for being so stubborn when she had refused to come to get checked out, but she did her best to cover that up and just give her best comforting smile to Emily.

Five minutes after Emily was changed, a doctor walked into the room, "Agent Prentiss? My name is Dr. Katz."

"Hello," Emily answered. "Emily is fine." She gave the doctor a small smile.

"Alright Emily." The doctor returned the smile and looked towards JJ.

JJ extended her hand to the physician, "Jennifer Jareau. JJ. I work with Emily."

"It's alright if she stays here, right?" asked Emily with pleading eyes.

The doctor smiled at her. "Of course. If you want her here she can stay. If at any point you want things to be a little more private just stop me."

"Thank you," said Emily.

"So, Emily, what brings you in to the ER today? I see the bruised wrist. Did this happen on the job?"

"No, this is not work related. Do you have to notify them?"

"It all depends on the result of the exam, alright?" Seeing Emily's nod, the doctor started her exam and looked at Emily's wrist. She noticed a bruise that she saw too many times in some women. "Can I examine your wrist?" Emily held out her arm to the doctor. Emily gasped when the doctor touched a sensitive spot. "Sorry," the doctor apologized. "Good news. It's not broken, but I'd still like to send you for some ex-rays to make sure that it's not fractured. Are there any other injuries?"

Emily looked over towards JJ, she saw her friend nod showing her support and Emily slowly pulled up the hospital gown revealing her bruised stomach. "I'm sorry," Emily whispered to JJ with tears in her eyes.

"I am going to keep telling you this until you finally get it in that stubborn head of yours Em. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault," JJ responded.

Emily could only nod as she watched the doctor's hands feel around the injury. A slight hiss escaped Emily's lips and the doctor quickly apologized. "Good news is that I don't think any ribs are broken, but I'm going to order ex-rays of that area as well."

Emily nodded and bit her bottom lip, "And the bad news?"

"That, I'm sure, you already know. Pain." The doctor smiled at Emily and the brunette let out a small chuckle at the doctor's bad joke. "I'll send someone in shortly to take you to get your ex-rays taken."

"Could JJ come with me?"

"If that is what you want, Emily. She can accompany you to the room, but she will have to wait for you out in the hallway."

Emily let out a breath of relief, "That's fine."

The doctor left the room and JJ walked over to the bed, "How are you doing?"

"I know that look she had on her face. She's going to call Hotch, isn't she?"

"Honestly?" JJ asked. Seeing Emily's pleading eyes, JJ nodded, "Probably. You are a Federal Agent that admitted to her that your injuries were not job related."

"Would you have let me say that they were?" Emily bit her bottom lip.

"Do you really need to answer that question, Emily? Do you know how much paperwork is added for me and Hotch to do when someone on the team gets hurt? I love you Emily like a sister and I am going to be with you all the way while you deal with this, but I am not looking to punish myself or Hotch with paperwork." JJ could barely finish the statement as she was giggling through it all. Emily chuckled along with her friend and then gripped her bruised side. "Sorry," JJ apologized.

"I didn't want to make a federal case out of this," Emily said with a frown.

"I know Em. You know that doctors have to report if they suspect domestic violence." Seeing Emily about to say something, JJ held up her hand. "Even if it wasn't Patrick that did this to you, by being a Federal Agent this becomes a Federal Case. I know I don't have to tell you this. Domestic Violence or just an attack on a Federal Agent doesn't matter. Hotch and Rossi will be called because they are your superiors, and probably Strauss."

Emily groaned and placed her hand over her eyes. "I don't want any of them in here, Jayje. I just don't want to talk to them. Please, don't let them in here. God, this is going to ruin everyone's vacation. I should never have gone to your place. You could be at the park right now with your son and Will, Hotch wouldn't have to cut his time short with Jack."

"Emily…"

"Rossi wouldn't be called away from the hunting trip he was so looking forward to…"

"Emily…"

"…and Reid, oh JJ, please tell me he's not being called away from his visit with his mom."

"EMily…"

"Morgan and Garcia wouldn't have had their not-so-secret date interrupted. Oh, he's going to hate me for making his friend lose his temper so much. I need to see him. I need to apologize to him and…"

"EMILY STOP."

JJ's raised voice finally stopped the rant that was coming from her friend's mouth. Emily cringed at the anger in her friend's voice and lowered her head. JJ closed her eyes in frustration at seeing Emily's actions to her raised voice. Gently, she reached for Emily's chin and lifted her head until their eyes met. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I am not mad at you, and I, nor ANYONE, hate you for what Patrick did to you. It is not your fault, and I don't care if I have to go hoarse and record my voice saying that over and over again till you finally believe it."

Tears filled Emily's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime. I can't promise that the guys won't be mad." JJ could see Emily's eyes widen. "It's not anger at you, but at Patrick and what he did. They might be upset with you for not saying anything sooner, but they will never hate you for that okay?"

A knock on the door interrupted the friendly moment and Emily looked up as two nurses walked into the room. "We're here to take you for your ex-rays if you are ready."

Emily nodded and the nurses approached Emily's bed and unlocked the wheels and pushed the hospital bed down the hall with JJ holding onto Emily's hand.


Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.