Gray Rooms 9
The breath he took was shallow, he blew into the device the respiratory therapist held for him, it didn't hurt. So the next breath was just infinitesimally deeper, still good. He now assumed he was dreaming and took an unfettered deep breath, which felt as if it was tearing at the very molecules that held his lungs together.
He felt a tiny hand in his. Jack smiled at him. "You're doing really good daddy, every day is better."
Aaron didn't want to tell Jack that he was ready to just give up. "I think it's enough."
"No daddy, you can't give up."
He wondered if he'd said anything about giving up, or had Jack become more sensitive to his father's despair. "It hurts, buddy."
Jack nodded. "Just a few more times."
He wiped tears from his eyes, looked at the therapist, took a few tremulous breaths and took a breath slightly above shallow and blew into the infernal plastic tube. Jack watched as the indicator rose slightly above the bottom. He frowned at his dad.
So Aaron took as normal a breath as his lungs would allow and blew again. He'd do about anything to wipe the worry off Jack's face.
Jack nodded.
The therapist set up a nebulizer and Aaron breathed in the medication, other times he'd coughed against it, but today it didn't seem so thick or invasive.
Jack held his hand and they both drowsed.
CMCMCMCMCM
The BAU team walked into the private room.
The first thing Reid noticed was that Hotch's hair was looking long and slightly messy. The second was that the man was too thin.
"Hotch," he whispered. "Aaron."
Hotch slowly opened his eyes, "Spencer. Oh god, Spencer it is good to see you." He allowed his eyes to close again.
"Hey boss," JJ said quietly, "we're back."
"All done?" asked a sleepy Jack.
"All the bad guys in custody. None of us got hurt, we didn't kill anyone," Dave said.
"Good, good." Hotch mumbled, the drugs in his system making it hard to think.
Rossi sat on the bed. "Hotch do you remember a killer, Longwell."
Hotch opened his eyes, but his look was vague. Still quite clearly he said, "in Seattle, I was still a lawyer for the bureau. Young guy."
"He's the one who shot you."
Hotch shook his head. "I just don't remember."
"It's okay," Morgan said, "they caught him in New York."
"Okay." Hotch replied.
"I hear we're springing you out of here day after tomorrow." Emily touched Hotch's hand.
"Jack said we're going to Dave's. Need a nurse for a few days."
They all looked at each other, not expecting the response, expecting Hotch to want to go to his own house, his own bed. But then when he'd been house hunting he'd stayed with Rossi, so was used to the scenario.
"And Baron is coming with us." Jack piped up.
Hotch smiled, "Oh yeah, Dave, did we mention we have a cat?"
