Here's Chapter Four. Thanks for reading this far, and let me know what you think. Warning, the next few chapters are going to be intense, and deal with a lot of triggering subjects.
The brightly lit hospital had become the home of the BAU for the past twenty-seven hours, ever since their news agent had been brought in after spending thirty-four hours with a sadistic serial killer. The team were in a small waiting room, Blake and Prentiss were sitting beside Reid talking about random things, Morgan was pacing, and when he'd get tired he'd join Hotch and Rossi. JJ was constantly back and forth between wrapping up a press conference and getting information from the doctors on their team members condition.
A tired looking doctor came around the corner, reading his tablet and jotting down notes. "Agent Dare?" He asked the lightly crowded waiting room, and the eight members of the team stood up, and headed towards them, Hotch and Rossi in the lead.
"Agent Dare suffered a brutal beating, but I don't have to tell you that. We found indicators of over twelve areas where she suffered electrical burns, she had three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, severe bruising, and sexual assault injuries. She's been asleep for the last twenty-seven hours, and she's stablized. She's lucky to be alive, but she should be able to be discharged tomorrow morning. I want to keep her here one more night for observation before setting her up to see a doctor at home. She should be back in the field within a week or two. She's a tough one." He said.
A sigh of relief came from almost all the members of the team, as small smiles started to creep onto their worried faces.
"She's awake, and you can go back and see her. I've made notes that you all can extend the visiting hours, for all that you've done for our community." The doctor said.
Hotch thanked him, and the whole team headed down to Agent Dare's room.
Lucky to be alive, that's what we always tell victims. 'You're lucky to be alive.' Like it's some kind of blessing. I had been flipping through channels on the tv, waiting for the nurse that had been updating my charts to leave my room so I could rip out the damn IV and escape, when I heard a knock on my door. I looked at it curiously, as it opened and I was slightly surprised to see the whole team coming in.
The expressions on my team-mates faces ranged from outrage to pity, to something else I couldn't read. I smiled at them and whispered.
"Please tell me we're blowing this joint."
A chuckle escaped all of them, and Hotch replied with something that was almost a smile.
"You can leave in the morning."
Morning. Ugh. Fine, but this IV was going as soon as I could manage to get it out.
"I really hate hospitals. Hell, it's not even a hate. It's hospital-phobia." I said.
"You know technically it's called…" Reid began.
"Reid. If you tell me a technical term for hospital phobia, I will shank you." I said with a playful glare.
He let a small smile escape, but he looked slightly afraid which had Morgan roaring with laughter.
It didn't take long, and the team had settled on the extra furniture brought into my room for them and they ate the pizza that was donated complimentary by the hospital, that nearly everyone had dozed off. Everyone that is except for Hotch, Rossi and I.
Hotch and Rossi had moved closer to me, when the rest of the team settled allowing them to have the more comfortable chairs, since they probably wouldn't be sleeping anyway. A long while, silence enveloped the room, until I broke it.
"He wanted me to call him 'Sir'." I said quietly, not looking at Hotch or Rossi.
"He's a narcissist, that's what got him off." Hotch said quietly, and I could feel him watching me.
"I guess that's one of the few times that my male-authority issues actually helped me… I guess you can call it helped." I said with a small smile.
Gently Rossi took my hand and said, "You're alive. You did what you had to, to stay that way. You did good, kid."
I looked up at them, tears in my eyes for the second time in the last week and said, "It doesn't feel good."
A look passed between Hotch and Rossi, as I slowly turned me gaze away from them and rested it on the door. Minutes, hell, maybe even an hour passed before I spoke again. Finally I remembered my desire to remove the IV , and the over-whelming need over-took me. I had to get out of there. I needed to think, and I couldn't think with a room full of profilers, profiling me.
I reached across myself and pulled out the IV, ignoring Rossi and Hotch as they told me to stop, and swung my legs over the bed.
"Asren, what the hell are you doing?" Hotch asked, as the room around me stirred.
"I've got to get out of here. Have to leave." I muttered, as I stood up quickly. Too quickly, the room around me spun, and I fell forward. Something caught me, and I as looked down I realized that it was Rossi's arms.
"Easy there, kiddo." He said gruffly.
I steadied myself against him, and tried to pull myself into a standing position.
"I want to go home. I want my gun. I want my dog. I want my bed." I started rambling.
The noise brought an anxious nurse in, and as she took in my state, she tried ushering me back into my bed. I pushed her away from where I stood with Rossi's arms still around me and glared at her. By now the whole team was up, everyone trying to convince me to lay back down.
"I have to leave!" I raised my voice this time, and finally pulled away from Rossi. I made it to the door, before Morgan had his hands on me, trying to calm me down. Irrationally, I struck back and felt my fist connect with something and I trudged forward.
"Derek?!" I heard Emily say, and instantly I felt bad, but I didn't let that stop me. I trudged to the elevator and got in, as the team rushed out at me, Derek rubbing his jaw. The doors closed just before they got there, and I met Rossi's worried eyes. I could feel the tears running down my cheek as I pressed the button to the roof, and stumbled out into the cool night.
I took several deep breaths, and sank against the ground. My body throbbed, and everything hurt. My chest was on fire as I struggled to breath.
I didn't know how I long I sat there, but I didn't have it in me to turn when I heard the quiet 'ding' of the elevator. I knew who it was, I didn't need too look.
"I found her. We'll be down in a little while." Rossi said.
He walked towards me, and sat down on the ground beside me.
"Nice view." He commented.
I didn't say anything.
"It's kind of cool out here." He said, looking at me in my thin hospital clothes. Slowly he shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it around my shoulder.
"Rossi.." I said quietly.
"Mmm?"
"He told me things." I said, before turning my eyes to his.
Hotch let out a relieved sigh, and shut his cell phone turning towards the rest of the team.
"Rossi found her. He's with her now."
"What the hell happened?" Morgan asked, from where he stood.
"Guys.. She was with him for a 34 hours. I think a lot more happened then what she had to tell us. If it was me, I'd have freaked out long before she did." Emily said.
"You really can't blame her. Trauma manifests in many different ways." Reid spoke softly.
"You alright Morgan?" JJ asked, with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm good. She still has a pretty mean punch, even after what happened." He said as he rubbed his jaw again. Yeah, that was going to bruise.
"I'm going to grab some coffee, anyone else need some?" Blake said, and smiled when everyone raised their hands and Reid offered to help her.
"What did he tell you?" Rossi said, while watching the young agent. He was more worried than had been when he found her, at the look on her face.
"He knew a lot about me. He had his information straight. He told me things… about my childhood that I can't remember, but they make sense…"
The fear was visible in her eyes, and he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. His phone started ringing, and he answered it without taking his eyes off of her.
"Rossi."
"It's Hotch. Licoln is no longer in custody."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone posted bail. I'm not sure who but he's definitely out."
"Okay. Keep me updated."
"Everything okay with you two?"
"We're fine, Hotch. Why don't you guys go to the hotel. Get Asren's papers to be discharged, we'll meet you guys there soon."
"Will do, and Dave?
"Yes?"
"Take care of her."
"Always."
Rossi shut off his phone, and looked into Asren's questioning eyes.
"Bail was posted on Licoln."
Fear, absolute terror masked her features, as she looked wildly around her. God, that bastard had done a number to her in the days that he had her. She started to scramble to her feet, no longer feeling safe in the open roof, and he quickly helped her, as he himself stood.
"Asren, he won't get near you again." He said.
She shook her head, and he could feel her shaking. He pulled her into him, crushing her against his chest, as she sobbed. Her legs gave out, and he quickly caught her, scooping her up like she was a little girl. She was lighter than he expected, and he carried her easily to the elevator, and inside of it. Once the doors shut, he looked down at her, and was amazed to see that her sobbing had stopped and she had fell asleep. A chuckle escaped him, and as the elevator dinged and opened, he stepped out to meet their team. He didn't know what was about to happen, where that bastard Licoln was concerned, he just knew that Asren had one hell of a team to back her up. He'd personally make sure that she came back from this.
Well, looks like there's a twist coming.
If you guys have any thoughts on pairings… now would be an epic time to announce them. I'm starting to like Rossi and Dare, but I'm still unsure.
Anywho, thanks for reading, and I'll get to work on the next installment.
