JJ marched into the roundtable room where Hotch and Morgan were reviewing paperwork from the last case. "You need to see this," she said gravely, turning the wall screen to a news broadcast.
"Tonight, we're asking for the public's help in identifying this woman..." the anchor relayed emotionlessly.
She paused the broadcast. A haunting picture flashed across the screen: a young woman with gaunt, sunken cheeks and deathly pale skin. Her long crimson hair hung in matted locks and entire chunks seemed to have fallen out. Her blue eyes were empty and lifeless.
She was nearly unrecognizable, but there was no mistaking this shell of a woman for Lucy.
Hotch's expression was grave. "Has Emily seen this?"
JJ shook her head. "She's at therapy for another hour."
"Where is she?" Morgan asked, eyes still glued to the screen, unable to look away from the picture of what had once been a vibrant and joyous young woman.
"New York," JJ replied. "I'm on hold with the Chief of Police, trying to get us an invitation in."
"Good," Hotch remarked sombrely. "I'll call the team."
"There's something else you should know," JJ interrupted, her expression grim. "She's six months pregnant..."
Lucy looked up sharply, eyes wide and frightened, at the sound of a knock on the door of her hospital room. She wrapped an arm protectively around her belly as if afraid someone might try to take her baby from her.
She hadn't slept since they'd brought her to the hospital, not trusting that should she close her eyes she wouldn't open them to find herself back in the dungeon that had been her home for the last half a year. It had taken the doctors nearly a full day to convince her to let them do an ultrasound, a further twelve hours before she'd eat what they offered her.
"Lucy?" a gentle voice asked. JJ stepped part way into the room, offering a faint reassuring smile. "Can I come in?"
For a few moments, she seemed to hesitate, to weigh whether she still trusted this woman she'd once known so well. Eventually, she nodded slowly, saying nothing. It didn't escape JJ's notice that she still cradled her belly distrustfully.
Taking the seat next to the bed, JJ asked, "How are you feeling?" even though she knew it was a hollow gesture, given the hell she'd no doubt been through over the last seven months, if the appalling condition she was in was any indication.
Lucy shrugged, either not having an answer or not wanting to share it.
JJ understood that all too well. "I want to talk to you about what happened," she said, "Is that okay? We'll go slowly and I'll be by your side the entire time." She seemed reluctant, so JJ said, "We need to know what happened so that we can keep you and your baby safe."
She nodded then, slowly, timidly. The fear was in her eyes again at the prospect of reliving it. JJ could see her hands start to shake and, wordlessly, reached over to gently wrap her fingers around the hand not clutching her belly. The contact seemed to startle her, but after a moment or two, she relaxed into the gesture.
"You're safe here, okay?" JJ reassured, offering an encouraging smile. "We've got a protective detail on your room 'round the clock – no one can hurt you or your baby." She watched as Lucy's posture released some tension, but her hand never left the swell of her stomach. "Close your eyes, okay?" she prompted. "Take a deep breath."
Lucy slowly let out a heavy breath, eyes falling shut after one last wary glance at the doorway.
"Let's go back to the night you were abducted. Where are you? What are you doing?"
"I've just come out of the theatre," Lucy whispered, voice cracking with disuse. "I'm running late to the booster gala – I haven't had time to dry my hair and it's starting to freeze. I'm flagging down a cab."
"Good," JJ encouraged. "Tell me what you saw. Was it dark out?"
Lucy nodded. "The streetlights are on. It's cold out – I can see my breath on the air. I've forgotten my wrap in my dressing room, but I don't have time to go back for it. I'm shivering."
"You're flagging down a cab," JJ reminded. "Does one stop?"
She shook her head. "I decide to cross the street. I step off the sidewalk and then..." She shook her head once, twice, eyes flying open. "Then I can't remember. I must've gotten hit..." She turned to JJ with apology written across her face. "I'm sorry."
"Okay," JJ soothed, "That's okay. What's the next thing you remember?"
"I wake up and he-he's staring at me. I remember his eyes so clearly...he seemed so kind at first." She brought her fingers up to her forehead tentatively. "I'm bleeding. He says...they're taking me to the hospital."
"Does he say anything else?" JJ prompted.
She paused, brows knitting together in concern. "He knows my name," she murmured. "I ask him how he knows me and he says... He says he's a friend of Emily's." She gasped, choked. "Oh, God, Emily! Where is she? Is she okay? I need... I need to see her, please!"
"Lucy, you need to calm down," she urged calmly as the heart monitor started blaring cacophonously with her panic.
"You don't understand," Lucy sobbed. "I was so upset with her that night... She told me not to go to the gala, she said it wasn't safe and she was right, but I didn't listen and now... This is all my fault!"
"No, Lucy," JJ insisted, "None of this was your fault, okay?"
"He had her," she pressed, refusing to believe her assurances. "I don't know what happened to her, but he had her – you have to find her!" She started hyperventilating, setting off the fetal monitor.
Doctors poured into the hospital room then to attend to her distress, forcing JJ out into the hallway. Sighing sadly, she rejoined Hotch and Morgan where they were standing in the hallway with grim expressions on their faces. No one said anything. They all knew things the road ahead wasn't going to be an easy one.