AN: Please review! Thanks!
You are speechless, you have no words as you take the seat next to JJ. The doctors and nurses are still present, but they have began to filter out, and right now, to you, it's just you and JJ. In reality, you know that is simply not true, you hear the conversations going on behind you, the sounds of the machines, monitors.
And as you sit, you take her hand in your own and fight back the tears.
Her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes are open.
"Hi JJ," You tell her softly. "We've missed you." And you watch and dread begins to fill you as you begin to pick up on subtle clues. Clues that are only coming from her eyes.
The eyes are the windows to the soul. You remember hearing that time after time, and now, now the full impact of the statement is hitting you head on.
You can see so much in them. You see pain, fear, at the same time, you see she is drugged. You do not see the one thing you were hoping to see. In those eyes, you do not see JJ.
"JJ." You bend down closer to her, "can you look at me?"
She doesn't, her gaze does not shift. She is staring through you, instead of at you.
"JJ?" You try again, and get no response.
"Agent Hotchner." You look up to see Santos leaning over you. "Can we speak outside?" He is a kind, soft spoken doctor.
"I.." You don't want to leave her, not moments have her eyes have finally opened.
Santos nods and takes a seat next to you. Your gaze does not waver from JJ.
"Agent Hotchner, I need you to remember something right now. She is still very sick," he pauses. "But, she is taking a step in the right direction." Another pause. "Agent Jareau sustained a traumatic brain injury and she is going to have to relearn almost everything."
You nod in understanding, you had been warned about this before.
"We will start working with her immediately on some of these things.."
"Like what?" You ask.
Santos pauses and looks to JJ, smiles, and then looks back to you. "Breathing." He must see the look on your face. "Right now, we need to determine if she is going to be able to do it on her own, or.."
"Or if she can't." You look back to JJ and see her eyes have closed.
"Correct. She has been dependent on a ventilator for four months, her muscles have atrophied and we need to see what extent of damage the bullet did to her brain." Another pause. "Because of her brain injury, over the next few weeks, we will be running tests to determine the extent of the brain damage."
You turn as you hear nurses enter the room with a cart of supplies and you wonder what is happening.
"I'll explain in a minute." Santos smiles before continuing. "We cannot run those tests, however, until she is more alert and responsive. Once she is, we will be able to determine her level of function is a few key areas, such as her speech, coordination, thinking, etc."
Before you can say anything, you watch as he stands up, and walks in front of you, bending down in front of JJ.
"JJ, open your eyes." He says and you smile when she does. "JJ, my name is Dr. Santos." His hand is on her shoulder. "I know you are tired honey, but we need to do a quick procedure."
You look at him. What procedure?
"You have some fluid on your lungs and we need to get rid of it." You smile as his gentle hand brushes JJ's cheek. You wonder if she has any idea what is being said to her, but are thankful that the kind doctor is talking to her about it.
Another nurse has entered the room and together, three nurses go behind JJ and turn her on her side, so that she is facing you.
And as they do so, you see it in her eyes.
You see life in JJ's eyes. You catch a brief glimpse that JJ is still there.
But what you see breaks your heart.
All you see is fear.
