A/N: I cannot thank you all enough for the reviews I have gotten. I wish I could express how much it makes my day. I am sorry I am updating late, it's been one of those days. I am open to story requests if you've got them, feel free to PM me!
Becky Dawes yawned as she downed yet another cup of coffee; she had lost count of how many she had had. It didn't matter really, fact was she desperately needed the caffeine. Night shifts were a bitch. Her patient load was small, policy dictated it be one ICU nurse to every two patients; tonight she only had one patient. Her other one had died.
Her sole focus was the FBI agent in room three. "JJ" as her friends called her, had been her patient for the past three shifts. It was not exceptionally common to have the same patient three nights in a row but she had discovered hours earlier that Agent Hotchner had specifically requested Becky be the nurse for JJ. It was an honor really, to take care of this patient.
And as the first shift passed, Becky started getting a bit worried. JJ should be coming around by now, but everyone was different, every patient was different. By the second shift, Becky was concerned JJ should have woken up by then. She had expressed her concerns to the hospitalist who agreed that something may be wrong and an MRI and CT scan was scheduled. It provided no answers and they could only speculate that she was simply taking her time, speculate that and hope that no brain damage had occurred.
She had rushed into work the third shift, hoping to hear good news. Instead, she was welcomed with the typical bedside report. She and the previous nurse had walked into JJ's room, the previous nurse giving the typical report. No change, really. Her blood sugar was down and good, but there had been no signs that the young woman was waking up.
That was four hours ago, Becky still had eight hours left in her shift. She worked three twelve hour shifts a week, if JJ didn't wake up tonight, Becky wasn't sure she would ever see the agent again. She would be off for a few days, and hopefully by then, JJ would wake.
"Hey JJ," Becky strolled into the room, glucometer in hand. It was time to test her blood sugar, as it was every hour. "Sorry, kiddo. I need to poke you again." Becky said softly, grabbing one of JJ's fingers and wiping it with alcohol. "I have heard you have brilliant blue eyes, I think you need to open them for us." She fanned the small finger, trying to dry the finger so she could poke it. "Or at least that Agent Hotchner that visits you." She pressed the lancet to JJ's finger and pressed the button.
JJ pulled away and Becky felt tears already pooling in her eyes. She was finally waking up.
It was less than an hour later that she saw Hotch racing down the hallway. She would have to catch him before he reached JJ's old room. She had the FBI blanket in hand, they had just moved JJ to a different room, and Becky, knowing how much the blanket meant, had grabbed it before the transporters moved her. She didn't want it "lost." Her eyes sprung with tears again when she saw Hotchner, she couldn't wait to tell him the great news!
Hotch stared at Becky, his heart close to breaking. No, JJ couldn't be gone, couldn't be dead. Not JJ. "Where is she?" He asked again, feeling his knees growing weak underneath him.
Becky immediately stepped up and grabbed his arm, seeing him on the verge of collapse. While Agent Hotchner and stayed true to his story, that he was simply her boss, Becky wondered if there was much more going on between the two. He obviously cared deeply for the young woman, and one night while she was working Becky briefly stepped into the ICU room.
Inside, she found Hotch brushing JJ's hair, speaking to her softly. He held her hand and tucked the blankets around her. It was when he gently kissed her on the forehead, Becky was sure that there was so much more going on. She assumed their relationship was a secret when any of the other FBI agents were with him, he was professional. Didn't touch JJ or whisper to her- when they left it was almost as if another person took over Hotch's body.
"We moved her to another room, Agent. That is all." She rubbed her arm, watching the stress and anxiety leave him. "I called you because we were able to take her off the vent."
"She's okay?" He looked the nurse straight in the eyes, a smile almost on his lips.
"Yes, she's okay." Becky assured, she wasn't exactly okay in the literal sense of the word, after all, she was still in the ICU. "But Agent Hotchner," Becky made sure he made eye contact. "She woke up." The light in his smile was what made Becky's day. "I didn't mean to scare you with my call. I tried to call you back but keep getting your voicemail." She gestured for him to follow her down the all.
"I left my cell phone on the bed." He explained, still trying to process what Becky had just told him. JJ had woken up, JJ was out of the coma!
"She asked for you," They arrived at another room, a bigger, brighter room. "She is still very lethargic, but she will answer you and open her eyes."
Hotch could only nod as he and Becky entered the room. And there she was, breathing on her own, only a nasal cannula assisting her. The nurses had her bed propped up a bit and Hotch smiled when he saw that instead of a hospital gown, JJ was now wearing her favorite sweatshirt from home. Garcia had sent it, that he was sure of.
"Agent Hotchner," Becky grabbed him before he stepped towards JJ. "Not many people who are comatose for three days make it out of here alive; she will get that. Don't forget to tell her how you feel."
Hotch stared at Becky, floored that the woman had picked up on his feelings for JJ, but he realized she was right. So with a small nod, he approached the sleeping agent, fear eating at him that she wouldn't wake up.
"JJ." He pressed, rubbing his hand over her hair. He smiled when he saw her eyes slowly blink open. "Welcome back, Agent Jareau."
