"JJ, will you just find a place to sit and sit!" Morgan demanded hotly. "There is no reason to keep checking. We all know this room is 15 ft by 25 ft and I am sure it hasn't changed any in the past hour."
"Morgan – Can't you just shut it?" JJ snapped back. "If I want to walk around, I will walk around!"
"Okay, both of you," Blake called out. "Please, try to calm down!"
"I am calm!" Morgan returned loudly. "It's JJ who needs to – "
"Enough!" Hotch thundered. "Now, I know we have a rule against profiling each other, but let me take a guess here."
"JJ, you are worried about Henry and Will and are concerned about what they are going through knowing that you are missing. Let me assure you, I feel the same way about Jack. And, Morgan, you are so frustrated about being unable to figure a way to get out of here that you feel like punching the walls. If I thought it would do any good, I would be helping you. And, as for you, Blake, you are concerned about James and what he is going through, and all you want is to get out of here and let him know you are okay. Am I right?"
"Okay, okay, you're right," Morgan admitted. "But, Hotch, you have to agree. We need to do something about getting out of here!"
"We are stuck in here with a pile of trash which keeps getting larger and smellier," Blake pointed at the corner which they had designated as their 'midden'."
"And a porta potty which, no matter how hard we try to keep it clean, still stinks," JJ continued the diatribe.
"Not to mention that we are all tired of eating these pre-processed meals and I, for one, would kill for some fresh fruit," Blake added, wrinkling up her nose as she glared at the shelves.
"Plus, we are all sleeping on these uncomfortable cots, with no end in sight," Morgan concluded.
"I just want to smell some fresh air!" Blake complained, while JJ and Morgan nodded in agreement.
"Did it ever dawn on any of you that this might be what our captors want?" Hotch asked. "Maybe they are planning on our getting on each other's nerves and fighting."
"An interesting suggestion," Blake said thoughtfully. "An experiment in how well profilers deal with stress?"
"If Spence were here, he would undoubtedly have suggestions for improvements to the overall design of the experiment," JJ smiled at the thought.
"And, he would probably be volunteering to help analyze the results," Hotch chuckled. "Now, we need a project - Something we can focus on."
"You have a suggestion," Blake guessed.
"Oh Yes!" Hotch smirked. "Seeing as how Morgan here is an expert in remodeling, I thought we could start by getting his thoughts on what he would do with this space."
"You mean if we weren't trapped in it?" Morgan questioned. "You are interested in how I would make it livable?"
"That's right," Hotch told him. "For example, I assume you would start by putting in some windows."
"Oh yes!" Morgan assured him. He walked over to the right wall and began pointing. "Judging from the way the sun has been coming through the roof, I would assume this is east. I think a window right about here, approximately 4 ft by 4 ft, would be a good place to start."
"What about a bow window?" Blake asked. "That way you would have a place to hang some plants, and maybe put in a window seat."
"I would put a stone fireplace on that wall," Hotch pointed towards the rock face which formed the back of the room. "And, possibly, some built-in shelves on either side of it."
"Paint colors?" JJ said thoughtfully. "What about some earth tones?"
"Maybe I should start writing this down," Blake suggested as she pulled out a notebook and a pen.
"Along with some sketches," Morgan suggested as he leaned over her shoulder to help.