thank you for all of the alerts and reviews. This is a short one, but I PROMISE that the next chapter will be posted tonight.
JJ gave one last look to Emily before she left the room and joined her friends out in the hallway. "How is she?" asked Rossi when he saw Dr. Lewis and JJ leave the room.
Dr. Lewis looked at the group and gave them a comforting smile. "I agree with Dr. Robinson's assessment that the memory loss is temporary. Emily correctly surmised that she was one of my patients. With my approval, Agent Jareau filled Emily in on the events surrounding how and why Emily faked her death."
"You told her about Doyle?" asked Morgan.
JJ nodded. "I didn't go into much detail," she said. "I just told her about her having to fake her death and that when she came back, things didn't work out and she resigned. I didn't tell her about the attitude she received when she returned or the way you all treated her." JJ finished her statement with a glare at Morgan.
"Why didn't you see that she was this bad?" Morgan asked Dr. Lewis.
"Agent Morgan…Emily was on her way to being able to deal with all that she had been through. Things changed during her last two weeks of sessions with me. I saw her pulling away and I did my best to hold on to her. But it was all too overwhelming for her to deal with. Are you aware that as a bureau psychiatrist, I can not treat patients once they leave the F.B.I.?" Seeing Morgan shake his head, the doctor continued. "The day before she resigned was our last session. Emily had such a lost look in her eyes. I tried to get her to change her mind, but she said that it was the right decision to make for the team. She believed that the trial period was a waste of time, and that it would only result in her leaving the BAU. I recommended some other doctors to her and she said that she would give them a call. She never answered my calls when I tried to check on her, and she never called anyone from the list I gave her. If you are going to blame anyone, Agent Morgan, you should be blaming yourselves."
Morgan glared at the doctor. Rossi spoke up trying to defuse any further escalation of the tension in the hallway. "We all missed the signs, Morgan. We should have seen it, but our anger with what she did got in the way. That's our friend in that room, and I'm ashamed it took her going this far in her depression for us to realize this. Think real hard if a lifetime of being mad for what she did is more important than the friendship you all have with her. While you are thinking about that, keep this in mind. Her only reason for not asking for our help is that she knew what Doyle was capable of. She knew that he would go after her family. We mean more to her than her own parents. That's why she ran. She did it to protect us and to protect Jack and Henry, and if you can't see that as a selfless act than you should all leave right now."
The group of friends all looked around each other after Rossi finished speaking. There were unspoken conversations between the group as they all processed what was said to them. After five minutes, Reid looked towards Dr. Lewis and asked, "What can we do to help Emily?"
A smile appeared on JJ's face as she saw the others look towards the doctor with the same question in their eyes, even Morgan. 'It's going to all get better now,' she thought to herself. Even Rossi had a pleased look on his face from the change in emotions that they were all showing.
With a deep concern in his eyes, Dr. Lewis answered. "Just be there for her. Talk to her. If you regret the way you've treated her, tell her. If you still value her friendship, tell her. If you forgive her for leaving, tell her. If you are mad at her, tell her. If you don't want her to die…tell her. She feels like she is all alone. Agent Jareau, although she might have never said it, Emily is very appreciative for what you did for her and for your support…but…she never wanted to get in the way of your life with your husband and son. So she kept her distance from you. She didn't want to cause you more grief and let you see how everything was really affecting her. I tried to get her to talk with you, but I am sure you know how stubborn Emily can be." JJ let out a small chuckle at that statement and nodded. "The biggest thing you all can do is just be honest with Emily. Be the stubborn minded agents that we all know you are and pull her out of this depression. Now if you do not have any more questions, I'd like to go and speak with Dr. Robinson now."
The team watched as Dr. Lewis walked down the hallway. "So what's it going to be?" asked Rossi. "I'm staying here."
"I haven't turned my back on her yet," said JJ, "and I'm not about to start now."
Hotch, Garcia and Reid responded with nods and agreed that they would not be leaving the hospital. They all turned to Morgan and looked to him for his answer. He had a determined and angry look in his eye that no one could understand. They weren't sure what he was thinking until he spoke, "I swear I will kick her ass if she refuses to get better." The group of friends let out a relieved sigh and chuckled at his comment. Things were looking better, they were going to pull their friend through this.
And when the dust settled…Emily Prentiss will be back to her old self.
What do you think?
