Chapter 6

The Waiting Is Over

July 18th 2012

St. Francis Medical Center

Colorado Springs, Colorado

It took them another twenty minutes to reach the hospital. All that was left was the waiting game; the game that had been all too familiar to them. They sat there and remembered the last time they were in this position. The memories flooded back and it was like they were swept back to that night in March the year before. They prayed and waited just like they had done that night and then they prayed some more.

Two hours later Dr. Wells walked through the double doors and the look on his face was one that reflected JJ's the year before.

"Aaron Hotchner?" Dr. Wells asked as he scanned the waiting room.

Hotch stood and walked toward the Dr.

"Yes. I'm Aaron Hotchner."

"Mr. Hotchner, you were listed on Ms. Prentiss' medical records as her emergency contact."

"Yes, I'm her boss. It's a requirement to have me on her list of contacts." Hotch confirmed.

"Well, being as you are the only one on her contact information you are the only one I can give information to. We were able to stabilize Ms. Prentiss and bring her core temperature back up to normal. It had dropped dangerously low. We were able to put her shoulder back in the socket without having to do surgery. The MRI we did on her showed that there was no damage to the blood vessels or tendons, there was a little tissue damage but nothing that won't heal on its own. We had to stitch up the cut on the back of her head. Her body was under a lot of stress and when her core temperature dropped as low as it did… well, I'm sorry we were not able to save her baby. We had to perform a D&C on her, she is in recovery now. You can see her as soon as we get her to her room."

"Baby… she was pregnant? How far along was she?" Hotch asked as a wave of nausea washed over him.

"She was approximately seven weeks gestation. I am truly sorry. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back, I have another patient waiting." Dr. Wells said before turning and going back through the double doors.

Hotch's face was pale; he turned suddenly and ran to the garbage can in the corner, throwing up until there was nothing left in his stomach.

The team sat around in tears and in shock at Hotch's reaction to hearing Emily had lost the baby that none of them knew about.

"Oh my poor Em." JJ whispered as Morgan and Reid tried to comfort her.

They all knew how badly Emily had wanted a baby… had wanted a family of her own. They all had seen the envious looks she would give JJ when she talked about Henry. They had seen how attached she had become to Jack…and even Hotch, before Beth.

Dave walked over to where Hotch was still dry heaving into the garbage can.

"Here Aaron, drink this." Dave said and handed him a cup of ice water.

Hotch stood up and took the cup from Dave; Dave could see the tears in his.

"Was it yours?"

"Yes, the time fits so… yeah I think so." Hotch said, his voice cracking as he tried to hold back the tears.

"I'm sorry Aaron. I guess you didn't know?"

"No I didn't. Why wouldn't she tell me? Why would she keep something like that from me?"

"Aaron she wasn't that far along, maybe she didn't even know yet. Give her a chance to explain before you jump to conclusions. If she did know, then give her a chance to tell you why she didn't say anything."

"I'm not mad Dave, I just… it's complicated. It was one night and we decided that we couldn't start something, there are rules and…"

"Aaron, everything worth something is complicated. Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Then that should be all that matters. You deserve to find happiness again Aaron; and god knows Emily does. Look at what the two of you have been through over the years. If you wait for it to be the right time then you are going to let the best thing to ever happen to you, walk out of your life. You might not get a third chance."

Twenty minutes later a nurse walked Hotch to Emily's room where she left him outside the door. Hotch pushed the door opened slowly and saw her asleep on the bed. Hotch walked over to the bed and looked down at her sleeping form. He loved this woman, why was he scared to be happy again? He knew he had walked away from her, using the fraternization rules as an excuse. He was scared to let himself love again and that was all it came down to.

Hotch laid on the bed and curled his body around hers. He laid his hand gently on her stomach and cried for the loss of their baby. He cried for the pain he knew this would cause the woman in his arms. He cried for the time they wasted and he cried for Emily. He could have lost her today and then his world would have caved in around him.

Emily stirred beside him and he lifted his head to look at her face.

"Aaron? What…where…?" She started and then the memory of the past twenty four hours came flooding back.

"Oh god…the baby! Aaron, tell me the baby is ok. Tell me… please tell me the baby made it." she cried and then she saw the tears in his eyes.

"NO! Oh god no. Please tell me they made a mistake and that the baby is ok. I'm sorry god… I'm so sorry. Please…" She cried out.