CHAPTER 10
Reid silently walk into J.J.'s new room, which was covered in darkness, except for the light of the heart monitor and the ventilator, which gave J.J.'s features an eerie look, he pulled a chair from the corner and sat next to the bed, holding her hand, that action alone was so soothing that Reid could feel the stress leaving him and sleep soon enveloped him, until he felt a squeeze in his hand, opening his eyes he turned to look at his friend. "J.J.?!... You're awake… Thank God… Hi… how are you feeling?" Reid said excited.
"J.J.?..." He said again when the only answer he got was a stare, thinking she was confused he continued "…it's OK, you're in the hospital, a bomb went off in the police station when you were inside and you got hurt, but your doctor says you're going to be fine" He said holding her hand, but his joy turned into confusion when she pulled away from him with amazing strength for someone in her condition.
"J.J.?! is everything OK?" He asked utterly confused.
"Leave!!" J.J. yelled.
"What?... why?" Reid asked even more confused and hurt than before.
"You weren't with me when I needed you…" She said angrily "… you left me alone in that barn, and I was lucky I didn't become dog food and you left me alone in the station, had I left a minute later, I'd be dead…" she finished running out of breathe while grabbing her side with a pained expression on her face "...I don't need you now!! LEAVE!"
Reid shocked remained in the same spot.
"Are you deaf?!... I don't want you here!! I HATE YOU!!" J.J. said with such venom in her voice that her tone alone was enough to push Reid to the floor.
"J.J., Calm down, you're gonna hurt yourself, if you want me to leave, I'll leave" He said almost crying from his spot on the floor.
But his only answer was an alarm and a flat line on the heart monitor.
"J.J…?" He said standing up quickly. "No, no, no!! J.J., please don't do this, don't leave me" He said shaking her desperately.
"Help, I need help, please!!" He screamed for what seemed like an eternity until a team came in with a crash car and started working on her, but after a few minutes they stopped and one of the doctors said sadly "Time of death…"
-
Reid opened his eyes and drew a shaky breathe; it was a dream, only a dream. He cleaned the sweat of his forehead with his arm and closed his eyes again but sleep eluded him, so after a few minutes he took his cell and dialed Prentiss number.
"What's happened Reid? Is everything OK?" Emily asked with a mix of grogginess and fear in her voice.
"Everything is fine, Prentiss… I just wanted to know if you were fine" Reid lied.
"Reid, it's 3 a.m., you didn't call to see if I was fine…" Prentiss said suspecting the reason he called.
"I… just I couldn't sleep and I thought, I…" Reid hesitated, before Prentiss interrupted "J.J. is fine, doctors and nurses are next to her at all times, she is sleeping peacefully… as I should be, by the way" She said jokingly.
"Sorry, I had this dream and I couldn't go back to sleep" Reid said a little ashamed, reminding Emily that although he was a genius and he'd been through a lot, he was still the baby of the team.
"It's OK, try not to worry, if anything changes you'll be the first to know" Emily said trying to comfort him, but not really knowing what else to say.
"Ok, thanks… bye" Reid said hanging up.
-
Gideon had been right, the next day they all met back at Hotch's room with renewed spirits and more energy, and after a quick breakfast and a call to check on J.J.'s condition, they all head out to complete their assignments.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Agent Gideon from the FBI, this is Agent Brown…" Gideon said to the old lady that stood before them "… we'd like to ask you a few questions about your husband if that's alright with you" he continued politely.
"FBI?..." Linda Fitzgerald asked skeptically "…what's the FBI doing investigating the murder of a retired cop?"
"It seems that the death of your husband is related to other crimes, that's why the local police asked for our assistance" Gideon answered patiently.
"Another crime? Like a serial killer of something?" Ms. Fitzgerald asked doubtfully.
"Yes, ma'am. We're trying to find the connection between him and the other victims" Gideon answered once again.
"What can I do to help you" She said in a whisper.
"Did you know a man called Darren Wallace? Was your husband related to him somehow?" Brown spoke for the first time.
After a few minutes, she answered "I think he was a lawyer…"
"…Yes a defense attorney…" Gideon interrupted her.
"…Maybe my Tommy worked a case with him, but they couldn't have been friends he despised defense attorneys he said they helped put scumbag back on the streets…"
"I don't think that was the case here…" Gideon started "… We believe Wallace was killed for revenge, a client he couldn't get out…" Linda nodded in understanding.
"Did your husband talked to you about his work?" Gideon asked.
"Sometimes, he did, mostly happy cases, he didn't like worrying me…"
"Anything that stroke you, anything special?" Brown asked.
Linda shook her head "Nothing that stands out… he was a good man…" She said crying "… he helped a lot of people, why would anyone want to hurt him like that…" her voice broke "I… can't… help… you" She said between sobs.
"It's OK, ma'am…" Gideon said squeezing her shoulder "…we'll find whoever did this to your husband, I promise" He said looking her straight in the eyes.
-
"Hey, girl, has anyone ever said to you how loud you snore?" Morgan asked to Garcia laughing.
"I do not snore" Garcia answered a little outraged.
"Yes, you do…" Morgan began, before being interrupted "…OK, fine I snore, if you tell this to anyone I'll kill you" She said trying desperately trying to change the subject.
"Oh! I won't need to tell anyone, they'll find for themselves on the flight home" Morgan said laughing even louder.
"I won't sleep, is just a few hours…" Garcia answered playfully "… and you won't tell anyone" She finished with a stare that more than frightening was amusing, but Morgan decided to get serious.
"OK, I won't tell anyone… listen, girl…" With a tone that got Garcia's complete attention "…I know Hotch assigned us together and I'm thrilled to be riding with you, but you're not used to being in the field and the cases we're looking into are pretty gruesome and…" He hesitated "…And?…" Garcia asked "…and I don't think is something you should see, so I'd like to take you to the hospital and pick up Prentiss, you can keep and eye on J.J. and you won't have to see anything unpleasant" Morgan finished a little concerned that she would take this the wrong way.
"Really, can we do that?" Garcia said a little too excited, receiving just a nod for an answer.
"Yes, please, I hated the idea of going to the field, but I didn't want to disappoint you guys"
"Disappoint us? You couldn't do that, even if you tried…" Morgan said with a smile on his face "…why don't you call Prentiss and tell her we're on our way, give her a chance to smooth her hair, wash her face and do all the stuff you girls do before going out to the street" Before he was finished Garcia was already on the phone.
-
Hotch's and Castleman's ride to the Children Services Office was pretty quiet, both men had a very standoffish nature and none of them were bothered by silence.
"We're here" Hotch spoke for the first time since he said good morning a while ago.
Once they were inside the building they asked for directions and were led to Nathan Jackson's office.
"Mr. Jackson, I'm Agent Hotchner, he is Agent Castleman, were here to ask you a few questions about Martha Rodriguez" Hotch said cutting to the chase.
"Sure, come in, what do you need to know?" Nathan asked politely.
"Did you know Ms. Rodriguez?" Hotch ask.
"Only for a brief time, she retired a month after I got here"
"Do you know why did she retire early?" Castleman asked.
"Not really, like I said I didn't know her that well, but in this line of job, the reason is almost always the same, too many kids in trouble, too many shattered families, social workers, specially the dedicated ones burn their full pretty quickly" Nathan answered almost sadly.
"We like to see the cases she worked on, can you help us?" Hotch asked.
"Well, lucky for you we put all of our records on the computers last year, we just have to do a little search" He said writing Martha Rodriguez name on the search box.
While the search engine did its work Jackson took out a CD and when the search was done, he burned all the information in it "Here are all her cases, you can look at the information and if you have any questions call me I'll see what I can do to help you" He said giving Hotch the CD and his card.
"Thank you, Mr. Jackson" Castleman said while they left.
"Let's go to talk to mall employees" Hotch said getting into the SUV.
-
"Ma'am, can you think of someone who wanted to hurt your husband" Reid and Agent Brown were interrogating Kate Miller, the widow of John Miller.
"Well John had quite a temper, he didn't take bullshit from anyone and that's never a friend magnet, but he was a good man, he loved our kids, even if they weren't really ours…" Ms. Miller said "…even if not many people liked him, I can't think of anyone wanting to blow him up!..." She said coldly "…and our only home along with him" she continued with a mix of sadness and anger in her voice.
"What about your foster kids?..." Nelson asked "…anyone violent enough to do something like this"
"Most of this kids come from violent homes, so yeah! They're violent enough, but none smart enough to make a bomb and not blow themselves in the process"
"Maybe you're underestimating them" Reid said a little offended.
"Don't get me the wrong way, Agent…" Kate Miller said annoyed "…I'm not saying that there are not smart kids here, I'm just saying that the ones that are smart enough are not violent enough"
Both agents remained silent contemplating her silence, until Reid spoke again. "Or smart enough not to do it themselves…"
"What?" Both Kate and Agent Nelson asked.
"Nothing, I'm rambling…" He said distracted "…you said they're many violent kids, anyone special, too violent even for his background"
"Let me show you something…" Kate Miller said walking into one of the rooms of her new house and began searching in the boxes "…this are some of the things that survived the fire" She explained while she continued her search.
"Here it is… A few years ago, one of our kids beat John, pretty badly, he sent him to the hospital…" She said turning the pages of what looked like and photo album.
"Why?" Reid asked curiously.
"I… I don't remember, I think John was nagging him about his homework… or something" She answered nervously.
Reid didn't really believe her, but nodded for her to continue.
"…anyway… we took a family photo every year… Here he is" She said pointing at a very tall and skinny boy "…his name is Shane"
"How did he do it?" Brown asked finding it hard to believe that such a skinny boy could've beaten a man that badly.
"He used a baseball bat" She answered calmly.
"What happened to Shane after he attacked your husband?" Nelson asked.
"The system took care of him" Kate said shrugging.
-
"The system took care of him?" What's that supposed to mean Nelson asked a little outraged.
"Most likely that he was sent to juvie, but I'll asked Garcia to find out" Reid said a little pensive.
"It's just me or that woman looked sadder about losing her house, than losing her husband?" Nelson asked once again.
"No, I thought the same and did you notice her behavior when I asked why the kid beat her husband" Reid
"She was hiding something"
Reid nodded in response as he pulled out his cell to call Garcia.
-
"Hi, sweetie…" Garcia said when she saw a very tired Prentiss walk towards her "…how did you spend the night?"
"Well, J.J. slept peacefully all night, me on the other hand had very little sleep…" She said yawning a little "… who knew those chairs were so uncomfortable" She left out that every time and alarm went of, a nurse passed running next to her or a doctor came close to her, she got up, fearing something was wrong with J.J. and that a certain genius decided to call in the middle of the night.
"If you want I can go with Morgan, you need some rest" Garcia said rubbing Prentiss back.
"No, it's OK, I'm not very fond of hospitals, besides I can help J.J. better out there, you can work your magic, from anywhere with a computer and a wireless connection" She said half joking, half serious.
"You have a point…" Garcia said patting her laptop "…Morgan is outside, you better hurry before he has to move the SUV"
"OK, call if you guys need anything" Prentiss said while she headed to the elevators.
"Yeah! You too" Garcia said while she seated next to a snoring Agent Harris.
-
Once Morgan and Prentiss got to the school where Roger Morris, ex-marine turned P.E. teacher used to worked, they were lead to the Principal's Office.
"Men, I can't remember the last time I was brought to an office like this" Morgan said reminiscing old times.
"Wasn't just last week that Hotch called you to his office and gave you a speech about…" Prentiss started saying with a joking tone when he interrupted her "…I mean the Principal's office, Prentiss" "…I know…" She said smiling, but before their bantering could continue an old man maybe in his sixties opened the door.
"Are you the FBI agents?"
"Yes, sir" Morgan said standing a little straighter, he wouldn't admit it specially in front of Emily, but after all this years he still got this feeling whenever they went to a school that we was going to get caught and grounded.
"Come in please…" He said heading to his desk "…what can I do for you?"
"We want to ask you some questions about Roger Morris?" Prentiss said still standing.
"Oh! Please take a seat… sure, sure… Roger he was a good man, very loved teacher, I still can believe he is dead" Principal Reynolds said sadly.
"Were you close to him" Morgan asked politely.
"Yes, all of us… the teachers I mean… are, we spent together a lot of time and with a job like this, we need someone who understands what we do" He said seriously.
"A job like yours?..." Morgan asked doubtfully.
"Yes, teaching… is not like it used to… when I was younger, school rules were like the commandments, everyone obeyed, what we said was done… kids these days, they're out of control, everyone wonders what's wrong with the word, they can't explain why things are the way they are, and all they have to do to find out is take a look at our youth, never in my life I would imagine students shooting at their teachers, at their classmates, its…" he sighed sadly "… like I said teaching is not like it used to… anyway, I'm rambling we were talking about Roger…"
Morgan nodded in response.
"…We ate lunched together everyday, and from time to time we organized a BBQ, for all the staff" Principal Reynolds continued.
"Did he ever have trouble with any student?" Prentiss asked.
"Like I said he was very loved, but not without his detractors, he was very strict, he coached the baseball team, and a few months ago, there was sort of a scandal, he caught a few of the players smoking pot in the locker room, so he turn them in and took them out of the team, which didn't sue well with their parents or the rest of the team, they were the stars, to me is not a big deal, and if you had asked me ten years ago if it was reason enough to kill someone I'd said ABSOLUTELY NO, but now I don't know"
"Can you give us the names of the kids involved…" Prentiss asked
"Sure, I'll ask my secretary to give you the file"
"Besides that incident, is there anything else you think we should know, anything he told you about during those lunches?" Morgan asked not wanting to leave anything out.
"Nothing I can think of" He answered.
"Well, thank you very much, here's my card in case you remember something else" Morgan said giving him the little card and shaking his hand as a goodbye.
-
Garcia sat next to Agent Harris for almost an hour before she woke up with start.
"Hello, Agent Harris, did you sleep well?" Garcia said trying to focus in her laptop instead of the dried saliva in the Agent's face.
"Hi, where is Agent Prentiss?" She asked when she didn't see the other woman.
"She left with Agent Morgan when you were sleeping…" She said without looking at the woman "…I'm your partner now" she said turning her head briefly to smile at the woman.
"OK, listen do you mind if a go to the bathroom for a few minutes"
"Go ahead, I'll be right here"
A few minutes after Harris was gone, the ICU doors opened revealing a nurse that started reading a list with the names of the patients of the ICU, once they heard the name of their loved ones, family members walked to her to receive a scrub, a cap and something to cover their mouth before they could go in.
"Jennifer Jareau" Garcia hear after a couple of names, Harris wasn't back yet, but she wanted to see her friend, so she turned her computer down and headed to the ICU doors.
-
"Hi, honey, hi!!..." Garcia said wiping her tears, now she understood why Reid was so bumped down a few days ago "…Sorry I haven't come see you, but I've been helping the guys figure out who did this to you and besides this place sucks visiting hours last 20 freaking minutes, what the hell happened to visiting HOURS I do not know…" She rambled on while stroking her face "…you're not going to believe what happened yesterday… I slept with the one and only Derek Morgan…" She kept silent kind of expecting a WHAT!! coming from J.J.'s lips "…well not slept, slept, more like we slept in the same room, but nothing happened, he slept in his bed, I slept in my bed…mhmhmh!" she sighed dreamily "…did you know Morgan sleeps on his boxers, let me tell you girl, when I call him greek chocolate god, I'm not exaggerating" she finished with a sad laugh.
"You know…" she hold J.J.'s hand and started to speak again this time with a sad tone on her voice "…I don't think I've ever told you how much you mean to me…" she sobbed "…since my parents died I've been on my own, until I started working with you guys, you all became my family…" she took a deep breath to compose herself "… you're my sister, my confidant, my best friend, just don't tell Reid I don't want him to get jealous…" Before she could continue a doctor and a nurse walked into the cubicle.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Lopez, head of the ICU, this is Nurse Devereux and we're here to check on Jennifer" The doctor said.
"Oh! OK, do I have to leave?..." Garcia said wiping her tears and hoping she could stay.
"No, it's OK, visiting hours are short enough" The doctor said sympathetically.
"That's what I keep telling J.J… Jennifer" She said pointing at her unconscious friend a little embarrassed.
"It's OK, Honey…" The nurse said kindly "…is good you talk to her"
After a few silent moments, in which the ICU personal checked the monitors, wrote in a chart, checked the IVs and wrote in a chart, checked the ventilator and a funny looking plastic box and a funny looking bag and God knows what else, and wrote on the freaking chart, Garcia had to speak
"What is that?" She said pointing at the funny looking box.
"It's called PleuroVac it drains the blood and the air from the bag surrounding Jennifer's lung, so it doesn't collapse again…" The doctor said as simply as he could.
"And this?" She pointed at the funny looking bag.
"It's a urine bag" The nurse said.
"Oh so it's connected to…" she said moving wildly her left hand "…you know never mind I ask too much" Garcia said embarrassed once again.
"It's OK honey, many family members feel better when they know what all these things do" Nurse Devereux said again.
"So how is she?" Garcia said abruptly, she was concerned, but she was afraid of receiving bad news.
"She's doing much better… " Doctor Lopez said "… the PleuroVac hasn't drained any blood in almost twelve hours, there's no sign of infection on her wounds and her vitals are stable, so where getting ready to wean her off the ventilator…" Doctor Lopez continued when he saw Garcia face of confusion "…we're going to reduce sedation, not enough for her to wake up, but enough for her to start breathing on her own… and we're going to change the set up of the ventilator, she's going to start every breath and the ventilator is going to finish it, if her vitals and her oxygen saturation remain stable we're going to take her off the ventilator and take her to a private room upstairs in the trauma floor" He finished with a sigh.
"You heard that J. your own private room!!" Garcia said excitedly patting her friend's hand.
"Well we all should go Miss?…" The Doctor said waiting for her to finish his sentence.
"…Garcia…"
"Miss Garcia visiting hours are over, you can come back in about six hours" He said politely guiding her to the door; where she shed all the clothes they made her put on just to get in and sat next to a very pissed Agent Harris.
-
"You almost gave me a heart attack! You could've told me you were going in! I thought someone had gotten to you! I…" Harris stopped when she saw Garcia's hurt expression "… just wait for me next time, I've met your friends and I wouldn't like to be the one to tell them something happened to you"
"Sorry…" Garcia started to say, but was interrupted by her cell phone "Garcia…"
"OK…" She answered to the person on the line "…I let you know what I found out…"
"Miss, you can't use your phone here" A nurse said angrily.
"I have to go, I'll call you, honey" She said hanging up to Reid.
"Sorry ma'am" Garcia said smiling apologetically.
"Who was that?" Harris asked Garcia.
"Reid, he wants me to run a few names" Garcia answered completely unaware of the man leaning casually into the nurse station, a few feet away from them, dressed as an orderly and listening intently to their conversation.
TBC
A/N: Here you go!! An extra long chapter, I hope you like it!!. J.J. is waking up next chapter!! Stay tuned, ja!!