Chapter 7

The team waited anxiously for news during which time the doctors had come to ask Hotch permission to perform a risky procedure. Normally such a question would be directed to Derek, but… he had granted it and the doctor had rushed away. They were allowed a private room to wait, for which they were grateful, but it didn't quell the palpable tension in the room.

Prentiss had been trying to figure out what was wrong- well she knew what was wrong- but there had been something off about what happened in that basement. She couldn't quite identify it though. Rossi had expressed concern and she told him as much. He had attributed it to the haze of panic they were all in at seeing Spencer like that. But she knew that wasn't it. She replayed it again and again in her mind's eye until she realized with a jolt, "He was lucid."

Everyone in the room turned toward her, confused. She looked to Rossi. "I thought he would have lost consciousness when he stopped breathing, but he didn't. He was awake. He knew exactly what was happening… He was scared."

That last comment settled heavily on everyone and Prentiss regretted having said anything. They were all wrapped up in their own thoughts and they all refused to acknowledge aloud that this ordeal struck a horrifying resemblance to that terrifying case in Georgia. The tension and worry was so strong in the room that they startled the doctor when she finally came in by the mere rush of people to stand and crowd around her.

"He's alive, "she said and everyone nearly fell over with relief. "However his condition is still cause for concern. He's stable for now, but unconscious. He's incredibly lucky to have the paramedics get to him when they did. They were able to stave off the full effects of the drug until they got him here. He's still having some muscle problems. At the moment, he is unable to breath on his own, so he's on a ventilator. That should be temporary, but he will need monitoring. The drug he was given was a powerful muscle relaxant. The ventilator takes care of his breathing, but his heart is still a concern. He was also given a blood transfusion to replace all that he lost and his broken ribs were set and wrapped. He also went a short time without oxygen reaching his brain. We can't know until he wakes, but there is a possibility of brain damage."

"Can we see him," JJ asked, feeling a bit like they were experiencing emotional whiplash. Fear for his being in the hands of a killer, relief for finding him, fear for his life from the drugs, relief that he was alive, fear that his heart may still stop- that his mind may not be intact...

"Because he's not completely out of the woods yet, I can't allow more than one visitor at a time and only for a short period of time. If he wakes up I ask that you notify staff immediately," she said before telling them what room to find him in and making an exit.

Over the following days, they took turns visiting him, talking to him; JJ was currently reading to him, a random book one of the police officers had brought them. The language was complex and she had no idea what it was about, but she suspected Spencer would like it. She had paused in her reading when she thought she saw him move. Setting the book aside, she leaned over him.

"Spence? Come on wake up," and she was rewarded when he began to slowly open his eyes. And then he panicked.

Spencer was feeling fuzzy and heavy when he became distantly aware of a voice somewhere close to him. He thought for a moment that it was his mother reading to him, until he opened his eyes and saw JJ's halo of gold hair and kind eyes. He tried to sigh in relief that came with her mere presence, but found he couldn't. There was something in the way. His breathing felt wrong. He felt himself exhale when he tried to inhale. The feeling stuttered his heart and terror shot through him.

"You have to let to the tube breath for you Spence! You have to relax," JJ was saying, but he couldn't focus enough to decipher her words. The heart monitor was rushing to match his anxiety and she was shouting for a doctor who rushed in and had JJ step back while she worked. "Dr. Reid, do you want the tube out," the doctor asked. He nodded frantically and she set about getting it out. When she pulled it carefully out of his throat he gasped and coughed and the doctor let JJ through to try to calm him.

"Shhh, it's okay Spence, you're in the hospital. They got you here in time. You're okay," she said softly while stroking his tangled hair away from his badly bruised face. "It's okay, you're okay," she whispered. The words had the desired effect and he relaxed into her touch, his breathing calming. She was relieved until she saw tears streaming down his face. She began to reassure him again, but his raspy voice stopped her.

"Der-Derek-," he coughed.

"Spence he's fine. He's here. Still recovering, but he's going to be fine. He woke up yesterday and I'm told he's now threatening hospital staff if they don't bring him up here soon." A tiny smile graced Spencer's chapped lips at that and seeing it made her smile. "He's going to be so happy that you're awake," she went on. The doctor went to the other side of the bed to ask Spencer questions and run tests to gauge his brain function, but she said that it looked promising that he had escaped major brain damage. He might have a little memory loss at the most, but JJ didn't think he would mind that. After she finished the tests, the doctor left JJ to look after him. She petted him gently and told him how they figured out where time find him, and how much trouble both he and Derek were in with Garcia for getting themselves in such danger. "She's been like an angry bull in a china boutique trying to find you. We're all a little afraid of her at the moment. I'll have to call her when I leave to tell her you're going to be okay."

Spencer smiled. His whole body pulsed with aches and pain, but they had respected his wishes and gave him nothing stronger than morphine and nothing narcotic. He was grateful, but his head was pounding badly. JJ pulled the curtains over the window to dim the brightness of the room and he croaked a thank you. She smiled sadly at him and tried to look past the painful looking bruises that made him look as though he was wearing a partial mask covering all but a quarter of his face. She couldn't tell if his eyes were tired or swollen until she heard his quiet voice, "If I fall asleep, will you stay with me?"

"Of course, Spence."

"Will you read to me?"

She nodded and resumed reading until she saw his eyes flutter shut and his breathing slow. She worried for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall, making sure that it kept doing so before she continued reading in hushed tones.

When Spencer woke again JJ was on the other side of his bed slumped in the chair with the book lying against her stomach. It didn't look very comfortable, but she was asleep.

"There's my Pretty Boy," he heard from his left. He turned his head and wanted to cry out with the relief at seeing Derek in a bed pushed close to his. He looked tired and had thick bands of gauze around his chest, but he was right there and was okay. "Don't you ever do something like that again Spencer, you hear me," his voice betrayed his worry.

Spencer ignored his words and said what he thought he would never say to Derek again. "I love you," his voice was quiet and strained with pain, but he said it again. "I love you so much."

Derek reached his hand out across the space between them and Spencer sluggishly took it. "I love you too Spencer. So so much. I'm so sorry I let him take you."

"You were shot," said Spencer looking confused.

"I was so afraid when you kissed me Spencer. I thought it was the last time I'd ever see you and I couldn't stop it."

"I know. I did too," he felt Derek hold his hand tighter and he suddenly wished they were able to kiss and cuddle the way they had in the hotel before all of this happened.

Derek must have had the same thought because he said, "Damn when we're out of here and strong enough I am so making love to you Pretty Boy. And we are taking that vacation time!"

"Then it's a date," he said with a smile.