I jumped a bit. " I'm sorry. What?" I asked rubbing my eyes.
" You haven't slept at all have you?" Reid said as he made his way over. "The bags under your eye suggest its been about two or three days." He said sitting next to me.
" Yeah well I never did sleep well in hotels... even the nicer ones." I laughed.
" You know people who don't sleep at night are usually the ones who have higher levels of stress and anger bursts." Reid said looking around and noticing the looks everyone was giving him. He put his head down after that.
" Well I can tell you my stress level has nothing to do with me sleeping." I said patting him on the back. He smirked at me a bit.
" Well then what is it?" JJ asked.
I looked at her and Reid who looked a bit concerned. "I'm sure it's nothing. You know that feeling you get when you think something bad is about to happen?" I asked and JJ nodded. " Well its like multiplied by like ten." I sighed. " But I have no idea why." I shook my head.
" Well maybe its just you being cautious." She shrugged.
" Maybe..." I sighed no believing it.
The rest of the plane ride was quiet. I tried to get some sleep but the plane bounce and I held on for dear life. The team still thought it was funny. When we landed I headed back to the office with the rest of them to finish paper work. Reid left first with Rossi after they were finished and I could tell they couldn't wait to get home.
I somehow had fallen behind on my case reports and I looked up from my mount paper to see Hotch in his office. His head in his hands as he wrote and looked serious. I stood and walked over. I knocked. " Come in." He called out.
"Agent Hotchner?" I asked. I had gone back to calling him agent after he accused me of lying to Sarah and calling my story fake. It's not because I wanted to be spiteful, I just wanted to seem more professional. " You have a minute?" I asked.
" Yeah sure." he said putting his pen down and looking at me. He squinted as he looked into my eyes and saw the bags Reid was talking about before. " Walsh you should go home and get some rest." he said looking back down to read.
" I will... Just after you tell me what I did wrong." I said standing in front of his desk.
" What do you mean?" he asked with a sigh.
"No offence but ever since you confronted me about my story I told to a witness last month you have talked down to me, not trusted my judgement and second guessed any call I tried to make." I said looking at him. "And I would just like to know why." I said he was quiet. " You still think I lied to Sarah?" I asked.
" As much as you think you were doing the right thing Walsh... I just can't have members of my team spreading lies."
" But I didn't lie." I said shaking my head. " I know it seems really hard to believe but I didn't." I said. "Lying is what got me in the mess I was in..." I said.
" Its not that I don't believe your story, I just can't have an agent under my watch who I can't completely trust." he sighed.
" Why can't you trust me?" I asked. He said nothing. " When you hired me you thought I had potential right?" I asked and he nodded. " You told me not to make you regret your decision... you remember that?" I asked. He nodded again. " Well I have worked really hard to make sure I don't make you regret the faith you once had in me." I said. " Hotch I'm not an idiot I know how to do my job." I said.
" i realize that." He said standing. " and I still have the same faith you will succeed." He said.
" Then why am I in the dog house?" I asked and he smirked a bit.
"Your not." He said. " I just don't think you understand the hazards of the job. I have gone through a few agents to know that newer and younger isn't always better." He said. "Case and point your sleeping habits. Durning cases you don't sleep. I have noticed and so has everyone else." He said.
" Hotch it isn't a problem." I said.
" I think it is."
" Hotch I haven't had a good nights sleep in a very long time. But I can still think and can still do my job you just have to let me." I smiled.
" Alright. But I would advise you to do something about it because you will burn out." he said. " Now go home and get some..."
" Agent Hotchner?" a knock came to the door and a man in a police uniform stood at the door looking very nervous. He was skinny and in his mid 30's.
" Yes?" Hotch asked.
He looked between me and Hotch. I noticed the Missouri seal on his shoulders. He took off his hat and walked in a bit. " Soorry... to um.. sorry to interrupt but I am looking for... for a... Clara Walsh?" He asked and I looked at him quickly.
" Well you found her." I smiled kindly at him and his nervousness grew when he looked to me.
" Um Miss Walsh..." he stuttered out. "I.. I uh have.." He stopped and took a deep breath. " I have some bad.. bad news." he said and my back stiffened.
" What kind of bad news?" I asked turning to face him completely.
" Well it is about... There..."
" I'm sorry but can you just spit it out?" I asked kindly and he nodded.
" There's been an accident and... I need you to come with me." he said.
" Why? What kind of accident?" I asked as I started to get scared. Hotch looked at me when he heard the crack in my voice and he walked around his desk and stood just beside me.
" We got a call from a truck driver down in Jefferson City who calms he blacked out and hit a car..." he said looking down. "he drove a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala off the road."
" Oh God..." I lost my footing. I felt my knees give out. I looked down and looked back up.
" The men inside were badly injured. So I need you to come with me." He said.
"How badly were they hurt?" Hotch asked as he watched my face go white.
" No better question where are they?" I asked.
" At Jefferson City General. I have a helicopter waiting. We can be there with in a few hours." He said as his tone got steady.
My heart was racing a mile a minute and I couldn't breathe. " Clara? You alright?" Hotch asked placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Um... No. I need to go with him. I'm sorry, I know the FBI isn't just a job I can leave without notice but I need to go." I said.
Hotch saw all the pain in my voice and eyes. " Of course take as much time as you need." he said.
" Thank you." I smiled at him. The office was already at the door and he was waiting for the elevator. " No takes to long. Stairs." I ordered as I ran to my desk grabbed my purse and phone and he ran to the stair case with me.
" Clara?" Morgan and JJ asked as I ran past them. I didn't stop to answer I just pushed past them and ran down the stairs and out the doors fast then ever before. The helicopter was waiting.
" If you can get me to that hospital any fast I'll give you fifty bucks." I said to the pilot and he did as I asked. An hour and a half I sat with my hands clasped together tightly as my mind thought of every possible situation. When we landed I didn't wait for the pilot to touch ground. I jumped out of the helicopter and ran for the doors.
When I got into the hospital all I could think about were Sam and Dean. Where were they? How were they? And most of all where they alive? I ran quickly to the receptionists desk I was out of breath when she smiled up at me.
" Three guys were brought in here after an accident. Where are they?" I asked.
" I know who you are talking about. I just need to know your relationship with the three men." She smiled at me kindly.
"What?" I questioned her as I tried to catch my breath. " The freaking police just brought me here! Why does it matter?" I asked.
" I can't just let anyone in..." She started.
" Clara?" I heard the break of Sam's voice and when I turned my head my heart completely broke. His eyes were full of tears and he had scratches and one arm in a sling.
