Chapter 53

A slow smile spread across Hotch's face when he saw Prentiss followed by Reid, walk through the door.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, yourself," Emily replied stepping further into the room. She sat down in the uncomfortable chair, while Reid slowly lowered himself on the edge of the bed near the woman. He smiled nervously and avoided looking at his boss which didn't go unnoticed by the older man.

"How are you?" Emily asked as she studied Hotch. She had to admit he looked much better than when originally admitted into the hospital. The bruises on his face and neck were now barely visible. And he seemed to be much more in control of himself from what they had heard from Rossi who had been giving them updates. But still, she sensed there was something amiss but not able to put a finger on what it was.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected considering," Hotch replied keeping his eyes on Reid while answering the brunette. "But it's time to take back my life, and get past what happened." Hotch noticed the young agent looked uncomfortable right now just being in his presence. He hated thinking he was responsible for Reid's awkwardness. The last thing he wanted was for one of his agents to be uncomfortable around him. No, I won't think that. Reid only looks uncomfortable because he has no idea what to say to me, that's all. Yes, that must be it! "You're awfully quiet, Reid," he said. "You okay?"

A shrug of his shoulders was the only response Reid gave. The young man seemed to be struggling for words which, for him, was highly unusual, as the young genius was never at a loss for words.

Hotch and Emily exchanged looks before both studied Reid.

"Are you okay, Reid?" asked Emily, worried. No response came. "Reid?" she asked again.

Hotch looked at Emily. "Prentiss, can you give us a few minutes?" He jerked his head subtly toward the door. With a subtle nod of her head, Prentiss got to her feet and quietly left the two men alone.

Once the door closed, Hotch focused all his attention on his youngest. "All right, Reid, it's only the two of us, so you can freely speak your mind without fear of being overheard." The younger man still seemed hesitant. "I hope you understand you can tell me anything. I promise I won't judge you."

Reid raised his head this time, and looked into his boss's dark eyes. Tears rolled unashamedly down his cheeks, and his lower lip quivered. This display of emotion from Reid broke the older man's heart. He honestly believed he was the cause of his youngest member's display, and hung his head.

"I'm so sorry, Reid," Hotch muttered in a barely audible voice.

Reid wiped his cheeks and stared at his boss. "What do you have to be sorry about, Hotch?"

Hotch raised his head. The pain in his dark eyes visible. "I'm sorry for making you so uncomfortable by having to be in my presence. If you'd rather not be here, I won't keep you. You can leave if you want. I promise I won't be upset."

It was at that moment that Reid realized Hotch misunderstood his silence. He got off the bed and sat in the vacated chair. He took Hotch's good hand in both of his smaller ones.

"It's not you, Hotch. It's me."

Hotch's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about by saying that?"

"I…I'm so, so sorry, Hotch," he said shakily.

"Sorry for what? Spencer, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did, Hotch! I failed you!"

"How did you fail me?"

"I…I didn't figure it out until it was too late."

Hotch suspected what Reid was alluding to, but needed him to say it.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand. What didn't you figure out?"

"That it was the Rohypnol rapist. I should have realized he was targeting you when the attacks suddenly stopped while we were in Milwaukee. I got so involved with other things that it didn't occur to me you fit the victimology. Hotch, it's because of that failure that you were attacked. I…I should have realized it sooner so precautions could be taken to protect you."

Hotch shook his head sadly. One thing he understood well was guilt, and he refused to let Reid be eaten alive by it.

"Spencer, listen to me. None of us considered me fitting the description of the earlier victims, not even me. And if it had been brought to my attention, I would not have stayed away just because I might be a possible target."

"But you might also have been killed."

"But I wasn't, and that's what's important. I'm still here."

Reid wiped his face as more tears fell. "But you could have been, and we wouldn't have been there to help you."

Hotch understood that since Jason Gideon's departure, the young agent considered him a father figure. "Reid, I'll keep saying this as long as necessary. I'm going to be fine, so there's no need for you to worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Reid asked wiping his face again. "I mean…you wouldn't be saying that just to make me feel better, would you? Because I don't want you to feel obligated to have to do or say anything…"

Hotch held up a hand. "Reid, stop. Just stop. I'm not telling you anything that isn't true. You know me better than that. I am healing physically…healing emotionally will take a bit longer. Point is, I am going to be fine, so I don't want you to worry, and that's an order." He noticed his youngest appeared to be listening so he continued talking. "You are in no way responsible for what happened to me anymore than I am. We're profilers, Reid, not mind readers."

"Yeah but I…"

"There are no buts. What's done is done and can't be undone. Yes I was injured and could have died, but I didn't. I survived and will recover. If anything, I should be thanking you."

Reid looked confused. "Thanking me? What for, Hotch? I didn't do anything."

Hotch arched his eyebrows. "Didn't do anything? Spencer, you were the one who right away figured out it was the Rohypnol rapist who attacked me, thus saving the team a lot of wasted time and unnecessary research. And for that I will be forever grateful. Spencer, you are my hero in this. So don't sell yourself short."

A small smile worked its way onto Reid's face, and his cheeks turned a shade of crimson. He was touched by his boss's words. He chewed his lower lip as he tried to organize what he wanted to say. For the first time in his life, Spencer Reid found himself at a loss for words. He looked into his boss's eyes and saw no sign on deception in them.

"That's a sight I never thought I'd ever see," smirked Hotch with arched eyebrows

"What's that?"

Hotch chuckled. "Our resident genius speechless for once. Morgan's gonna be so sorry he missed it."

Reid looked confused. "I'm not speechless, Hotch. I just couldn't come up with a response to your remark. If one is speechless, it means one cannot talk at all. So you saying I am speechless makes no sense."

The older man shook his head disbelievingly and laughed. Seeing his boss laughing made Reid even more confused.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Reid. Nothing at all." He got control of himself. "I guess we should allow Emily to come back inside and join us."

Reid hastily wiped his cheeks and grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if she fears we might have killed each other as it's been so quiet in here." Hotch chuckled and started to call out for Prentiss, when Reid stopped him. The older man studied the genius with an arched eyebrow.

"Before Emily comes back in the room, I have something I need to say."

"Sounds serious. What is it?"

Reid swallowed the lump which had been building in his throat, then smiled, his hazel eyes focused on the older man's face. "I'm really glad you're going to be all right. I…I lost Gideon when he suddenly left us. I don't think I could have handled it if I had lost you, too. You said I was your hero. Well, what I want to say is…you've always been my hero, and always will be." His smile grew wider.

Hotch was affected deeply by those words. He was about to open his mouth to respond when the door opened, and Emily poked her head into the room glancing at both men.

"Everything okay in here?" she asked, looking around the room. "I don't see any bloodshed."

"Everything's fine," Reid answered. "What made you suspect something was wrong?"

Emily shrugged walking into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "It was so quiet in here I didn't quite know what I expected to see." She studied Reid's face for a moment and saw the whites of his eyes were red. She didn't ask what happened, but made a mental note to ask him about it later. She faced her boss. "Hotch, can I ask you a question?"

"What's on your mind?"

"Is there anything you aren't telling us? I mean….if something was wrong you'd tell us, right?"

"What makes you ask me that?" the older man asked with arched eyebrows.

"I dunno," Prentiss responded cautiously. "I can't put my finger on it exactly."

Hotch chuckled. "Emily, I swear I'm not keeping anything from either of you. There is nothing wrong except I'm sick of lying in this damn bed. I want to go home and sleep in my own bed and be with my son."

"And you will be," Emily replied. "You need to be patient. I understand for you it's difficult, but I bet you'll be home before you know it."

"Not soon enough," Hotch grumbled.

Emily was about to respond when there was a knock on the door before it opened. A blonde head looked inside the room nervously.

"Is there room for one more in here?" she asked with a smile.

"JJ!" Hotch exclaimed, really happy she came back to visit him. He had such overwhelming guilt after her last visit over the way he treated her. "There's always room for you."

The blonde happily entered the room, walked up to her boss, and kissed him on the top of his head. She realized her action was inappropriate as he was her boss, but at a time like this she didn't care.

"How are you doing, Hotch?" she asked.

Hotch smiled. "I'm good, JJ. But I thought you were staying with Alana Wheaton while she was being examined?"

JJ crossed her arms over her chest. "I was, but the doctors finished their tests and put her in a room. She's in room 345 of the Pediatrics Unit. The poor thing fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. So I thought I'd take a few minutes to sneak up here to visit you."

"How is she?"

"She's in pretty good shape considering what she's been through, Hotch. She's a bit dehydrated and a little malnourished, which explains why they want to keep her overnight. But they found no noticeable injuries. Oh…and the entire time, she kept asking me when she could see her Uncle Hotch and then her daddy." JJ looked at her boss with a smirk.

"Uncle Hotch?" Emily stared at the older man with raised eyebrows.

"I'll explain later," Hotch promised. His dark eyes met JJ's bright blue ones.

"But she's all right otherwise?" he asked.

"She's gonna be fine," the blonde replied.

Hotch sighed contentedly, then gazed at Emily and Reid. "I want to thank you guys for stopping by to visit. I really appreciate it. But I'd like to visit with JJ alone, and then I have several phone calls to make."

Emily and Reid exchanged looks before getting to their feet.

"No problem, Hotch," Prentiss replied. "Reid and I will head back to the BAU. JJ, we'll catch up with you later?"

"Absolutely."

Prentiss smiled. "Then we'll be on our way and leave you two to talk. We'll visit you again soon. Take care, Hotch." Reid only waved to his boss, but with a relaxed smile on his youthful face.

"Bye, guys. And thanks for stopping by." Hotch waited until he and JJ were alone. She sat down in the chair and waited, legs crossed.

Hotch studied her face, looking apologetic. "JJ…" he began.

The blonde held up a hand. "Hotch, if you're gonna apologize to me for how you reacted the first time I stopped by, don't bother."

Hotch tensed when he heard those words. Had JJ been so offended that she was refusing to accept his apology? Would he lose her friendship over this? Was it possible their friendship wouldn't be the same after this? He didn't know what he would do if he had lost her friendship. JJ must have realized what he was thinking because she placed a hand gently on his good hand and smiled.

"Aaron, when I said don't bother, I didn't mean I was angry at you and that you hurt me. I meant don't bother because there's nothing for which you need to apologize. I understand perfectly why you reacted the way you did at the time. As far as I'm concerned it never happened."

Hotch hung his head full of shame. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I was so rude to you."

The blonde put one hand under his chin and lifted his head so their eyes could meet. "Hotch, there's nothing to forgive. And you taking on the guilt of saying things I know you did not mean is nonsense. And if you don't just forget about apologizing, I'm gonna call Garcia, and have her unleash her wrath." A smirk crossed her face.

Hotch feigned being horrified as he stared at the blonde. One thing he was certain of was that he didn't want to face the wrath of one Penelope Garcia. He smiled at the blonde.

"Anything but that," he begged. "But I still want to say I'm sorry for how I acted the last time you were here. I promise I won't say it again."

JJ sighed wearily and shook her head. She knew her boss wouldn't feel all right until he officially apologized and she forgave him. "Apology accepted. Satisfied?"

Hotch smiled. "Yes." But he still had a small amount of lingering doubt. "So we're good?"

"We're better than good. Hotch, you are one of my best friends; the man I consider an older brother. I've seen you in just about every mood; angry, sad, scared, worried, nervous, grieving, and happy. And considering the trauma you experienced, you had every right to be out-of-sorts." She slowly got to her feet.

"Where are you going?' Hotch asked, surprised. "You just got here."

"Didn't you tell Emily and Reid you had several phone calls to make?" she smirked.

Hotch chuckled. "Yeah, I did."

She patted his good shoulder. "Then you make your phone calls while I go sit with Alana for a little while. I'll see you later, Hotch. Bye."

"Bye." Hotch watched her walk out of the door. Soon as the door closed, he grabbed the receiver of his phone, and pressed the buttons of the number he wanted. He listened to the phone ring on the other end waiting for somebody to pick up and respond.


Nathan Foyet spotted the pretty blonde leaving Hotchner's room. He had also spotted an equally beautiful brunette, and a skinny, geeky-looking kid with long hair leave the same room a few minutes earlier. Seeing those three leave, plus observing the guards standing around outside the room, confirmed this was Hotchner's room. A devious smirk appeared while periodically glancing subtly down the hall from where he stood at the nurses' station while pretending to be reviewing a patient's chart.

He marveled how his luck had held so far. At first he was nervous about venturing into the 'belly of the beast' as they put it. But with a few changes to his appearance, he was able to walk around the hospital in plain sight. And best of all, nobody recognized or even noticed him. It was amazing what could be done with a dark brown streaked with gray wig, a matching fake mustache and goatee, blue contact lenses and black horn-rimmed eyeglasses.

With his disguise, he ceased being Nathan Foyet, and became William Bayville, a substitute male nurse replacing the regular nurse assigned to Hotchner due to illness. He glanced down at the name tag pinned above his breast pocket and grinned. At least that idiot Caswell lived long enough to tell him the hospital was waiting for a replacement. Seems the regular male nurse assigned to the agent was seriously ill, and there was nobody else available. This ruse would enable him to gain access to Hotchner with no trouble.

He was ecstatic as this not only allowed him a way to get into the hospital, but replace the person assigned to Hotchner. But unlike his late cousin, George, he was proficient with a computer, so it was easy to hack into the hospital's personnel records, and change a few things. After Caswell had helped with that, he didn't need the stupid doctor anymore and the man thus became a liability.

These stupid fools! They're trying to protect Hotchner, and stop me from getting into the hospital and getting access to him. Little do they know I'm already in the hospital. And by the time they figure that out, I will have satisfied myself, killed him, and be long gone from here.

He grinned amused at the closed door again, ignoring the looks from the four guards talking among themselves. Soon, Aaron. Very, very soon. He patted his pocket to make sure the item the late Doctor Caswell had given him was still there. It was and a smugness appeared.

Now, all he needed was to find a way to get past the four guards as they were all that stood between him and his prey.