***I am delighted after being informed that Guilty Until Proven Innocent has been nominated for Best Angst for the Profilers Award.***

Chapter 21

When Hochstein walked into Hotch's hospital room, he found the agent gazing at him. He was in what could best be described as a 'semi-upright' position which allowed the least dizziness as he studied the doctor.

"Good evening, Agent Hotchner. Do you know who I am?"

Hotch nodded. "Doc…tor…Hoch…stein…" He swallowed the lump in his throat as he was unable to read this man, and it made him nervous. He hated not being able to read someone.

Hochstein smiled. "That's right. And how are you feeling this evening?" he asked after glancing at the chart in his hands.

Hotch sighed. "O…k," he managed. The agent sensed the doctor had something to tell him, and despite the pain, he shifted his head on his pillow, and winced painfully. "Tell…me…" he urged the doctor. "Wan…to…know."

Hochstein continued to smile as two male nurses and two female nurses walked into the room. He spotted his patient's anxious look.

"It's nothing serious," Hochstein assured him. "In fact, I'm bringing you good news."

Hotch arched both eyebrows. "What?"

"You've proven you're able to keep breathing on your own, so we're moving you to a private room."

"When?"

"Right now," the doctor said as the nurses continued disconnecting the machines, and laying the IV bags on the edge of the bed. Once that was done, they prepared to roll the entire bed out the open door.

The Unit Chief smiled despite the discomfort. "My son…visit…now." He was thrilled knowing that now he'd be able to see his son whom he missed desperately. And seeing Jack will give him a chance to see his son was okay, or if he had been affected by what had happened.

Flaxen slammed his hand angrily on his desk after he and Mason walked into the blonde man's cubicle. He was angry. Angry because the only thing they had found while conducting their search of Morgan's house was an address book. He turned to his partner when he heard chuckling.

"What's so damn funny?" he asked the black man who appeared amused.

"You didn't expect to find that shirt still in Morgan's possession, did you?" Mason inquired folding his arms.

The blonde man took in and let out a deep breath, and sadly shook his head. "I was hoping," he admitted. "But at least we can now prove Morgan's connection with the three women who were having problems with their bosses. The same bosses who turned up dead later." His eyes narrowed when he spotted a slip of paper on his desk being held in place by the paperweight he kept on his desk. He picked it up and read it. A slow smile appeared on his face. "Don't go back to your cubicle yet," he told Mason. "We're going back out."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"A Beth Gilliam called while we were out," Flaxen explained.

Mason arched his eyebrows. "The same Beth Gilliam who worked for Gill Macklin?"

"The same. Seems she has something we should know about Derek Morgan." He walked out of his cubicle with Mason behind him.

Jessica Brooks had barely stepped inside her home when she was slammed into by a small tornado colliding with her legs. Looking down, she smiled as Jack wrapped his short arms around her legs looking up into her face.

"Did you see daddy?" he asked excitedly. "Did you give him my card? Did he like it?"

"No, I didn't give him your card. Let me close the door, sit down, and we'll talk."

Hearing her words caused the child's body to stiffen. She hadn't given his dad the card he had made for him. Did this mean his aunt had something bad to tell him about his dad? Had he died and she was trying to find a way to tell him? Was he now an orphan?

Jessica closed the door, sat down on the sofa, and waited as her nephew climbed up onto the sofa. He sat down beside her and studied her face.

"Aunt Jess, did…did daddy die?" he asked, lower lip trembling and tears threatening to fall. "Is that why you didn't give him my card?" The tears began rolling down his face.

The woman gasped when she heard the question. She wondered what made her nephew ask that question. But seconds later, she realized it was because of what she had implied when she said they would 'talk.' At his age, Jack had taken those words to heart and interpreted it to mean she had bad news to tell him.

She put an arm around the boy's shoulders and hugged him close to her, laying the side of her face on the top of his head. Seconds later, she straightened up, put a hand under his chin, and lifted his face so she could stare into his moist eyes.

"Jack, I want you to listen to me. Your dad did not die. He is very much alive. And I did see him. He is doing as well as can be expected. Believe me when I tell you he misses and loves you very, very much."

"Then why didn't you give him my card?" he sniffled. "You promised you would give it to him." At this point the child wasn't sure what to believe.

"Sweetie, I didn't give him your card because your dad's doing so well, he's being moved into a private room by himself. In other words, you can give him your card yourself." She watched her nephew's face instantly brighten.

Getting to his knees while on the sofa, the boy leaped into his aunt's arms, burying his chin on her shoulder. "Really?! I can see daddy?" He pulled back and stared at his aunt. "Can we go tomorrow? Can I stay home from school so we can go? I wanna see dad early and spend the whole day with him! I miss him so much!"

Jess hugged him again. "I don't know about spending the whole day with him, Jack, because he still needs his rest. But yes, you can stay home from school tomorrow and we'll visit him after breakfast. I promise."

"Thanks, Aunt Jess. You're the best!"

It was seven-forty-five p.m. when two women and a man walked through the front doors of the hospital. A matronly-looking, full-figured, blonde nurse behind the nurse's station counter, looked up from her computer as the trio approached.

"Can I help you?" she asked smiling at the trio.

The threesome produced their credentials, and held them up for her to peruse.

"Yes, I'd like to know if Agent Aaron Hotchner is still able to receive visitors?" asked one woman, a blonde, as she put her credentials back in her inside pocket.

The nurse, whose name tag read: Doris, was caught off guard with how young the man before her looked to be an FBI agent. He more resembled a college student or a teacher's aide in her eyes. "Yes, he is, agents. You're just in time, in fact. Visiting hours end at eight-thirty on weekdays."

"Thank you," the blonde replied as the trio started to walk away.

"You're welcome. Agent Jareau?"

"Yes?" the blonde asked as she and the others, having not walked far, returned to the nurse's station.

"Agent Hotchner's been moved out of ICU and into a private room earlier this evening." The nurse typed on her computer keyboard. "Here it is," she said glancing upward. "He's been moved to room 431. Just take the elevator to the fourth floor, and check with the nurse's station there."

"Thank you."

The threesome walked toward the bank of elevators down the hall, and the brunette pressed the 'up' button. After a few seconds, there was a 'ding' as the doors of one car hissed open, and they stepped inside, the doors closing behind them. The ride upward was a silent one as each person was lost in thought.

Reaching the fourth floor, the doors hissed open again, and the trio stepped out into the hall. They spotted the nurse's station at the opposite end of the long hall, but instead went in search of room 431 themselves. It didn't take them long to find the room in question, and notice the guards Rossi had assigned to protect their Unit Chief. As they came closer, they pulled out their credentials again. Once the guards acknowledged the credentials, they were allowed to proceed. The blonde opened the door and the trio warily entered.

Hotch seemed to be asleep with his face looking toward the ceiling with the head of the bed still in its semi-upright position. As the door opened, he opened his eyes a crack and turned toward the door. A smile appeared as he spotted the three agents enter.

They took in the machines and wires crisscrossing the Unit Chief's body as they cautiously approached the bed. Reid sat in one hard plastic chair beside the head of the bed. Pulling the strap of his messenger bag over his head, he sat the bag on the floor beside his feet. He tentatively reached out and gripped one of his boss's hands in his. He needed this connection with Hotch; to feel the warmth of his skin in order to prove to himself that the man was alive.

JJ sat in the chair on the opposite side at the head of the bed. She rested one hand gently on her supervisor's shoulder. Like Reid, she needed to feel a physical connection with her boss.

Emily sat on the edge of the bed at Hotch's feet studying her boss. She smiled fondly at the man as she rested a hand on one of his covered legs "Hotch, I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to come and see you since you regained consciousness before now. It's just…that is, we have been working hard to find out who did this to you. But we had a little time this evening and thought we'd stop by and see you." The Unit Chief's eyes met hers, and he smiled.

"Em…'ly…" he muttered. He shifted his eyes to the blonde. "JJ…"

JJ smiled as she squeezed his shoulder. "Hotch, it's so good to finally see your eyes open, and be able to talk to you instead of at you," She had always thought of Hotch as the older brother she never had in addition to being her boss. The fear of almost losing him had nearly shattered her. If that had happened, it would have been like losing a member of her own family.

Hotch then looked at the young genius as he turned his eyes in Reid's direction.

"Reid…wha…wrong?"

Spencer spoke hesitantly. "I…I was so scared we would lose you…that I would lose you. You're like a father figure to me, Hotch. Have been since Gideon left."

The Unit Chief smiled affectionately while looking at his youngest member. "Not…easy…t'get…rid of…me."

Reid smiled as he gently squeezed Hotch's hand and continued staring at his boss, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

Adjusting his position in bed, Hotch squeezed his eyes shut momentarily and grimaced as a wave of pain shot through him. Reid felt the pressure increase on his hand.

"Hotch, what's wrong?" asked JJ, panicking, seeing his face. "Should I get the doctor?" She glanced at the others who were as panicked as she.

"No…" the man hissed. A few seconds later, his face relaxed. He opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Shud…n't…have moved," he said.

"Don't worry about it," said Emily running her hand up and down his covered leg gently. "Are you sure you're okay? Can we get you anything?"

"Water."

"You got it," Reid replied as he was the closest. He spotted the picture of water on the nearby table, and a plastic cup with a straw in it beside the pitcher. He reached over and filled the cup with cool water, and held it close.

"Here," Reid said as he brought the cup close to his boss and guided the straw in Hotch's mouth, letting his boss drink. As he drank the cool water, a grimace came over his face.

"Careful, Hotch," Reid advised. "You need to take small sips."

The Unit Chief soon stopped sipping from the straw. "Than…u," he managed to say.

"You're welcome," Reid replied sitting the cup back on the table. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "Maybe we should go. You need your rest."

"Plea…stay," Hotch struggled to say. He could feel himself becoming drowsy, and was sure it was apparent to the others. But he so wanted them to stay a bit longer. To tell the truth, he desperately wanted the company.

"Are you sure, Hotch?" asked Prentiss. "We won't be upset if you want us to leave."

The Unit Chief glanced at all three of them one at a time. "Wan…comp…'knee."

JJ grinned. "We'll stay another five minutes, but that's all. You need rest."

The trio all exchanged smiles seeing their supervisor smile at them.

"IA…give…Moor…gan…trub…ble?"

"We're handling it," Prentiss explained. "There's no need for you to worry about anything. All you have to do is just get well and come back to us and Jack."

"Jack…how…is he?"

"He's okay, really. He misses you, of course," JJ replied hoping Hotch believed her story. She recalled Rossi's warning not to tell Hotch anything about the cognitive interview they held with Jack. Not yet anyway.

But Hotch's eyes narrowed as he stared at the blonde. He suspected he wasn't being told something. And when that something involved his son, he didn't like being kept in the dark.

"Ur not…tell…lin' me…ev'ry…'thing…" the words came out a bit harsher than he wanted. But his eyes told the blonde he knew she was withholding something about his son from him.

"I swear, Hotch, I am being truthful. Jack is fine. He's just worried about you and misses you like crazy. That's all."

But before he could answer, Hotch yawned proving how tired he really was. JJ glanced at the others, her blue eyes indicating they should leave and let Hotch get some sleep. She leaned over the Unit Chief and pressed her lips gently to his forehead, before straightening up.

"I think we'd better let you get some rest, Aaron," she said calling him by his first name which she seldom did, and only in private. She was actually glad he was falling asleep as she wouldn't have to think of something to tell him so as not to tell him the truth about Jack.

Hotch smiled as his heavy eyes fluttered shut. "So…tired…"

"We'll stop by again, soon," said Reid squeezing his boss's hand before placing it back on the bed. He then grabbed his messenger bag from the floor.

"Next time we'll try and stay a bit longer," said Emily patting his leg before getting to her feet.

There was no response from Hotch other than a gently snoring. The three agents quietly left the room after one last fond look at their Unit Chief. As they walked down the hall to the elevator, nobody said much of anything as having seen the condition of their supervisor had stunned them. They stepped into the elevator once the car door's opened and closed.

Prentiss pushed the 'down' button. As the car began its descent, Reid spoke while staring at a spot on the vinyl floor.

"I'm glad we didn't have to tell Hotch anything about Jack," said Prentiss.

"So am I," JJ agreed. "I had no idea what to say if he had insisted on knowing. But now that he suspects something is up with his son, we'd better tell Rossi. He'll know how to handle Hotch and what to say to him."

The rest of the elevator ride was silent until it reached the ground floor. The doors hissed open, and the trio stepped out of the car and headed toward the exit. As they left the hospital and made their way through the parking lot, Reid shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He had been silent until now.

"You think Hotch will recover?" he asked as they headed in the direction of their vehicle.

Both women looked at him not sure who he was speaking to.

"The doctor told Rossi Hotch was getting stronger," Emily said.

"It's gonna take time, Spence," JJ added. "We just have to be there for him no matter what or how long it takes."

Reid raised his head and looked between the two women. "I don't mean physically," he said. "I mean will he recover?"

"What exactly are you saying or trying to say?" asked JJ arching her eyebrows. Reid pursed his lips but didn't answer. He didn't want to say what he feared out loud.

Prentiss paused and stared at Reid as she realized what he was trying to say in a roundabout way had finally come to her. "Hotch is young and he's strong. And he has Jack and he has us. I won't lie and tell you it'll be easy for him, but he will get through this. Why? Something tells you otherwise?"

"I don't know if I could recover if I found out somebody I knew had done to me what was done to Hotch," he uttered quietly. The threesome got into their vehicle.

"That's one reason we need to be there for him," JJ emphasized now understanding what the genius was hinting at. "If it turns out somebody he knows did this to him, we need to have his back."

"And we will regardless," said Prentiss as she opened the driver's side door and slid behind the wheel.