One thing Reid could never get used to was walking into a hospital. It didn't matter if he were hurt or was seeing a loved one, he hated this place more than anywhere in the world. Little good came from having to visit them. The only times he really liked being here were on the occasions to see JJ's new babies and that night Riley admitted she really loved him. Other than that… he'd very much like to forget for awhile that these establishments existed. Unfortunately, he hadn't been lucky enough to stay away from them for too long.
The emergency room at Michalek Martin General Hospital wasn't too busy, but still congested enough where Reid and Morgan had to wait before reception would even speak to them. Morgan rushed to the counter at his turn, not wanting to wait another second.
"We're looking for two women that were brought in after a car accident." He said quickly, not even caring the charge nurse was in the middle of entering something into the computer.
She looked up with a rather annoyed expression, as if what she were sick of family members bugging her over their sick relatives. She seemed more suited to working at the Lost Luggage Department at the airport. "Names?"
"Emily Prentiss and Riley Reid." Morgan stated. "We're their boyfriend and husband."
"For both of them? How does that work?" She laughed at her own joke, clicking slowly through the computer, which looked a least a decade out of date.
"R-E-I-D," Reid said angrily. "She's my wife and I need to know what happened to her. Now."
"Alright," She whined, continuing to click through. "Okay, yeah… she came in about an hour ago, she's been admitted… her attending is Dr. Tucker, I'll page her so she can talk to you."
"What about Emily Prentiss?" Morgan demanded.
"Boyfriend's aren't really family, I shouldn't just give you that information." She said with a superior glare.
Morgan had her. "I'm her medical proxy. Family or not, I have a right to see her."
He wasn't lying. Reid knew for a fact the two had made each other their medical proxies years before they started dating. It just made more sense, seeing as how her mother was always traveling and his so far away.
"She's being looked over by ortho. That's down in the Lucas Wing." She grumbled, getting out of her seat to step away, freeing herself from answering anymore questions. As if she had some pressing work to do. She hadn't even bothered telling Morgan what room she was in.
But it didn't matter. "I'm going to go find Emily… will you be alright here?"
"Yeah," Reid nodded. "You should be with her."
He didn't hurry away, though, looking to his friend with concern. "She's going to be okay, Reid."
"You don't know that." Reid mumbled with bitterness. "She's been admitted."
"It might just be a precaution. Come on, it'll be alright." He gave a confident smile. "Riley is not going to let you win that argument that easily."
With a crook of a smile, Reid nodded. Morgan patting his shoulder to show his support, he rushed off through the hospital to search of his girlfriend. Reid was worried about Riley… but still hoped Emily was alright as well. One crisis at a time.
The page for Dr. Tucker sounded over the intercom. It would be awhile before she even got here, and Reid couldn't stay still when he was anxious. He went over to the waiting area, pacing back and forth in front of the water cooler. This was nerve racking… his wife was somewhere in this hospital and he had no idea if she was even okay. There was no way he could leave her… as much as he wanted this baby, if it came between saving her life or risking her survival to save it… he knew his choice. Hypothetically, they could make another baby... but there was only one her.
He turned again, glancing over at reception. A young man had taken charge of it now, and was assisting two more arrivals. A man and woman, both about ten years younger than Reid. He knew they were a couple by the way they were holding hands… and judging by the woman's swollen belly and heavy panting, she was in labor. It made his heart ache to think he and Riley would never be where they are… but maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Reid knew his father was a good man, that he had wanted children so much, yet he left his only son behind when walked out, never to speak to him until Reid found him in unpleasant circumstances. The apple never falls far from the tree… who's to say Reid wouldn't take after him?
Wasn't that the same excuse Riley had been giving him? He appreciated it a little more now.
Just as the expectant mother was wheeled away in a chair, her partner by her side, someone called his name. "Mr. Reid?"
He turned immediately to see a short, older woman hurrying towards him from down the hall. "Yes," He answered.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Tucker, I'm your wife's doctor." She introduced. Her expression was very impassive, giving him no clue whether Riley was safe or not. She offered his hand and Reid promptly took it.
"How is she?" He asked.
She paused a moment, looking at the crowded waiting area. "Why don't we go somewhere private?"
She didn't answer him right away, and Reid's heart immediately sank. His throat clenched uncomfortably tight, keeping him from speaking. With a difficult nod, he followed the woman back down the hall, away from the noise and watching eyes. They stopped as they reached a more private area, closer to patient rooms. He felt a bit more relaxed here, in the privacy of the corridors, but not much.
"Let me start out by saying you're wife is going to be okay." She stated plainly. "That's the most important thing right now."
"I'd have to agree." Reid muttered, his hands going into his pockets to keep them from shaking. A bit of relief flowed through him.
"Good," She gave a light smile, glad they were on the same page. "She took the brunt of the damage because the truck hit her on that side. There was a gash above her ear. We fixed that with some stitches, 7 to be exact, but there's no sign of concussion. There are a lot of bruises on her exposed leg and side of her torso, but nothing that won't heal themselves in a week or so… my main concern for her recovery is… the baby."
"The baby," Reid repeated, anxiously. So she hadn't lost it.
"Oh," She said, misunderstanding, "Did you not know she's pregnant?"
Reid explained. "We, uh… we just found out today." He paused, taking a hand to run through his hair. "Is the baby going to be alright?"
"We don't know yet. Your wife's body suffered a great trauma and while her body is designed to protect her offspring, it's main concern is protecting her. No mommy, no baby."
"I know," He answered.
"At this point, it's hard to tell what's going to happen." Tucker continued. "We're monitoring your wife very closely. Now, with these injuries, typically it takes about 24 to 48 hours for the body to stabilize. It's a very crucial time. She didn't have pelvic bleeding, so we know she hasn't lost the baby yet, but within the next 48 hours… it's very possible she could suffer a spontaneous miscarriage."
Reid his stomach churned at that. "I see."
"That's not all of it. We gave your wife an MRI and there doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding, but then we may have missed it. Since your wife suffered a good deal of impact, it's possible that bleeding could start once her body's been at rest for awhile and if that happens, we'll have to go in… I need to warn you Mr. Reid. If the time comes and we have to operate… we'll need to evacuate the fetus."
What a horrible term for saying they would have take the baby. "I understand," He answered.
"We're still okay. It's just 48 hours, not a long time in the grand scheme of things." She said, trying to lightening the mood. "And, if we get through the next two days without problems and we see a healthy baby on the sonogram, we'll have every reason to expect a perfectly healthy baby."
He hoped she was right. "Thank you, Doctor."
"My pleasure," She had another kind smile. "I'm keeping a diligent watch on your wife, and I have every confidence she and the baby are going to get through this. You should, too. She's down the hall in 34C, we need to keep her on the surgical floor for the next two days. I think she'd very much like to see you."
Reid wasn't so sure about that. He was absolutely disgusted with himself. He'd told Riley he'd leave her if they didn't have this baby, then chose her somewhat reluctantly… now he'd give anything just so she'd be okay… including the baby.
Morgan wasn't exactly sure where to go. There weren't any doctors or nurses passing by that he could ask, but even if there were, he doubted they would know anything. Something had to point him in the right direction. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to that snotty receptionist.
"Come on, Em, where are you?" He muttered, looking up and down the corridor. It was quiet for this time of night. He wondered if this was typical for the orthopedics' wing. He kept walking, wondering if Emily wasn't even down here at all and that girl had been mistaken, or just trying to get rid of him. Where could she be?
"Ah!" Someone screamed down the next hall. "Son-of-a-bitch!"
There she was.
Turning the corner, Morgan hurried down the next hall towards the direction of the cry. Thank God his partner couldn't deal well with pain. Another cry of pain sounded as he spotted an open doorway about halfway down. Stepping closer, he at last saw the raven haired girl seated on an exam table, her back to the door. She'd removed her top, sitting in her black cotton bra while the doctor examined her. He had her left arm raised above her, attempting to rotate it. It wasn't going well.
"That still hurts?" He asked to be sure, still continuing to revolve it.
"Yes, that hurts!" She snapped. "That's why I'm screaming- ouch, God damnit!"
"Okay, alright!" The doctor eased as he gently set her arm back down. "The blade's back in place, but I think you should wear a sling for a few days, it could pop back out again if you don't keep it stable. Basic Ibuprofen should handle that pain. I'll be right back with your sling."
"Thank you," She bitterly grumbled.
The doctor, an elderly gentleman with very white hair, turned to see the muscular man standing in the doorway. "Can I help you?"
Emily turned and was stunned to see Morgan standing there. "I'm here for Emily." He explained.
"You really shouldn't be back here." The doctor explained. "It's supposed to be family only."
"He's my boyfriend." She explained without a moment's hesitation. Morgan had never heard her say that to anyone before. Simply because they wanted to keep it secret… he had to admit, it sounded nice… being told he was her possession. The only thing that could have made it better were if there were eligible men in the area with their eyes on her gorgeous body. Maybe he was a little possessive, but one thing they had in common, she was, too.
"I see," He said, still eyeing him with annoyance. "I'll be right back, Miss Prentiss."
He stepped out, leaving the two agents alone. Crossing the threshold, Morgan walked into the room, going over to her.
"Hey," She said with a smile. "I didn't think you'd be here."
"My girlfriend was in a car accident, why wouldn't I be here?" He questioned, looking over her with caution. Fortunately, she didn't look bad. Her face looked as beautiful as always, her hair looked messed and ruffled like they'd just gotten out of bed. He felt anger start to bubble in his gut at the bruises clustering around her shoulder and down her upper arm.
"I just wasn't sure if you could get away." She said simply. "Are the others here, too?"
"Reid's here, that's it." He shook his head. "The others know we're close, it's not that weird... and in a time like this, I really don't care what the others think."
She gave a sweet smile... he wanted to see that smile every morning for the rest of his life. God, what had he been so afraid of before?
"Who did this?" He demanded. "I will kick his ass."
"It was my fault." Emily shook her head. "I was talking to Riley in the car, we stopped at an intersection. We were discussing her and the baby… she even told me the light was green but I wouldn't move until she looked at things my way. By the time I did drive forward, I didn't see the light had changed back. The truck to the right of us went to go through and… smashed into the passenger's side."
Maybe it was her fault, but it didn't make Morgan any less furious with the man driving that truck. "Are you alright, what happened to you?"
"My shoulder slammed into the door from the impact, it dislocated my shoulder. It hurt like hell and even more when they popped it back in."
Morgan cringed, lightly brushing the soft flesh of her shoulder, turned to florescent blues and purples. He'd had his knocked out of its socket before… she must be in agony.
"Do you know anything about Riley?" She asked, worried.
"Reid's with her… I'm not sure how she's doing." Morgan answered.
Emily felt like crying. If Riley lost the baby because of something she did… and after they'd made such progress. She could see something in that girl's eyes when she called the baby hers… there was a spark. She just needed a little more time to think and she'd realize what she really wanted. That's all.
Morgan, however, had other things on his mind. His mind was in perfect perspective now. How could he have been so selfish? So stupid? Reid was right. Saying those three words meant everything. He could have lost her tonight… and she never would have known.
"I love you, Emily." Morgan revealed.
Her mind came to a screeching halt, as well as the rest of her body. She couldn't even feel the pain in her shoulder anymore. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his, watching her with… yes, that was love. And a little sadness, too.
"What?" She asked.
"I love you," He repeated. "I have for a long time… I think even before I first kissed you… I should have told you sooner... a lot sooner… I was just afraid if I said it, I'd subconsciously find some excuse to run and I didn't want to hurt you… but I'm not going to run. Not ever… I've never been more sure of how I feel than I am right now. I love you, Emily."
"Oh," She answered. Emily couldn't describe how that made her heart swell, so fast and tight, she felt it would burst. "Thank you."
Thank you. That wasn't exactly the response he was hoping for. Morgan suddenly felt very deflated… he thought this would have been a beautiful moment between them… something that would really put their relationship in stone. She was the first girl he'd said this to... that he felt this strongly about.
"That's all you have to say?" He asked.
Emily knew the door was wide open behind her, and she felt very exposed. This was a very bittersweet moment, not at all like she dreamed. "What do you want me to say?" She shrugged.
"Well, I thought maybe you might say it back." He answered, taking a step away.
"Is that why you said it?" She asked with a stern expression.
"No, Prentiss, I said it because I feel it." He corrected. "I heard you were in a car accident… and suddenly realized my last words to you were about a case… at least you should know I love you… I thought you loved me, too… I guess I was wrong."
"You're not wrong!" Emily cried sharply.
That didn't make any sense. "So you do love me?"
A beat passed. Emily tried to speak, closing her eyes and hanging her head a moment. "I… I… I'm just not sure if I'm ready to say it out loud."
"Emily, you don't have to be scared. I've already admitted it, you know I'm not going freak out." He tried to reassure, giving her a smile.
"I am not scared!" Emily cried, looking at him with a harsh expression. "Morgan… why is it so important if I say it? I feel it, that should be enough."
He paused, stepping back to observe her a moment. "So I guess you can only say it to me when I'm sleeping?"
"No, Morgan, that's not what I mean, I-" She stopped in mid sentence, once again caught off guard. How could he have known that?
Her shocked expression looked up to meet his knowing eyes. He gave a small smile. "I wasn't asleep."
"Why didn't you say anything, then?" She asked, feeling a bit violated.
"Because…" Now it was his turn to be taken by surprise. "Because I thought if you knew I heard you say it… you'd want me to say it back…" He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "And I'd probably be acting just like you are now."
"I never meant for you to hear that." She explained. "I'm not ready to say it to you. I've said it to guys to get things I wanted, or in hopes that something small might become something more… I never felt it before you. And that… yes, it does make me afraid."
"Of what?" He walked over to her. His hand landed on her hip, just enough so his fingers would brush against the silky flesh of her curves. "Don't you trust me?"
His touch was so warm and she paused a moment to savor it. Emily suddenly felt so tired, wanted to sink under the covers and just wrap herself in his arms... forever.
"Of course I do… I am overjoyed that you love me. You have no idea what that means to me." She paused, feeling like crying. "But Derek… my parents thought they loved each other, too. Look what happened to them? If I let my guard and let myself feel like that for you… I might not be able to handle being that vulnerable, just like my mother. And I don't want to hurt you like she hurt my father."
He let out a deep breath, more than satisfied by that reasoning. Emily wasn't much like her mother, she really shouldn't have a fear about it... but Morgan would press her. Really what did it matter right now? They had the rest of their lives to be in love... he could give her all the time she needed. "I can respect that."
"Really?" She asked, worried.
"Yeah," He said, giving one of those gorgeous smiles that for a long time now, he saved only for her. She loved that those were only for her. "You say it when you're ready. It's not going to keep me from saying it, though, whether you like it or not. I love you, Emily… with all my heart. And I'll still be here when you're ready… no matter how long it takes."
She smiled at that. With one hand on his cheek, she reached up to press a kiss on his other one. "Thank you for being so understanding."
He reached down to envelope her in his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. She clung to him tightly. "No problem." He said, kissing her temple. "I love you."
Inside, she was screaming those words to him, but all she could manage was, "I know."
Reid made it to room 34C on the surgical wing. Peaking through the window, he saw Riley alone, lying in bed. She was staring out the window at the bright lights of Vegas. Definitely she'd been crying. He couldn't see any stitches, no doubt covered by her mounds of curls.
Bracing himself, Reid took the handle. He knew what he wanted to say, that he loved her and it didn't matter what happened or what she wanted. As long as she came out of this, they could move past it. All he wanted was her, and if she'd rather it be just the two of them for the rest of their lives… that was okay with him.
The handle clicked and the door opened. Riley looked over expectantly at her new visitor, gasping a bit as she saw Spencer walk in.
There was silence as he entered and closed the door softly. Both had things they wanted to say, but neither knew how to start, or even if they wanted to say the first word. Their eyes met across the room, both feeling like they were going to break down at any moment.
"Hi," Reid finally muttered.
"Hi," Riley said. She looked on the verge of tears. Was that because of the pain or because of him?
"Riley," He said, taking a tentative step closer. "I-"
"Dr. Tucker was just in here." She interrupted, not even giving hima chance. He stopped abruptly, stunned she wouldn't even let him apologize. Was she that mad at him? "She, uh… she told me about my condition… did she tell you?"
"Yes," Reid answered.
"Oh... so you know I might miscarry." She couldn't hold Reid's gaze. Riley looked up to the ceiling, tears instantly beginning to form. "Or I might need surgery and then they'll have to abort."
Reid wanted to tell her that was okay, that no matter what happens, he would always love her and, more importantly, be by her side. Nothing would change that.
But that wasn't her concern at the moment. "As soon as she said that… do you know what my first thought was?"
He had a guess, and he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear it. "No."
There was a long, expectant pause as Riley tried to keep her tears from escaping, her breath turning quick and shallow. "When she told me that… the first thing I thought was…" Breaking down into a fit of sobs, she exclaimed, "I want this baby!"
For a full three seconds, Reid was completely stunned. His jaw fell in amazement, for a moment unbelieving... this couldn't be true.
He came back to his senses, though, and hurried over to Riley's bedside, sitting on the edge of the bed. Not wanting her healing body to move, he brushed her cheek and lean down to rest his brow against hers. Her trembling hands clutched to Reid's arms, her nails almost ripping through his shirt, as if to feel he was really here by her side.
"I want it!" She cried, her eyes squeezed shut as the tears flowed from underneath. "Oh, God, Spencer I want it so much!"
"I know," He said, his own tears flowing out. "I want it, too."
"I'm so sorry, Spencer." She moaned. "I should have realized this before."
"It's alright, Sweetheart." He assured her, reaching up to press his lips to her forehead.
"No, no it's not alright!" She cried. "What is wrong with me? I was thinking of killing our baby… I hate myself so much."
Reid sat up to look at her. She was so scared and filled with guilt and remorse. "Riley, please don't hate yourself. You were just scared, it's alright. We've never made any decisions on this and to have this thrown at you… I'm sorry, I should have thought about this when you told me you were pregnant. I was so happy about the baby, I didn't even think about you."
"At least you were happy!" Riley cried. "All I could think about was myself."
"I wouldn't say you were thinking about yourself." Reid corrected. He clasped her one hand between both of his tightly. "You were thinking about what kind of mother you would be… and while I know you're going to be great… you were anxious about what kind of life you'll give our child. You wanted to save it from the kind of life you had… others might not understand, but I know you. And I think that's very commendable."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She moaned, looking away.
He reached over to turn her face back to his. He replied, very seriously, "I'm not. You do things like this all the time… you think you're going to hurt people by opening up and sticking around, when in actuality, you hurt them by running away. I know that's how everyone made you feel for years, but things are different now. You've always been a good person. A kind and loving woman, and as long as you just be yourself, there is nothing you could do that would drive me away… and I know you're too good a person not to love your child. I mean… you wouldn't drink any coffee today… and I know today was stressful, have you even had a cigarette to cope with that?"
She shook her head, closing her eyes as more tears spilled out. Reid leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek, making her look at him again. "See? You're already starting to love this baby, you're just haunted by your own past. Before you came along, I never wanted kids either… I thought I would be just like my father… walk out on them when things got too hard for me to handle… I'm still afraid I'll do that, to be honest."
"Spencer," Riley cried, as if shocked he would think such a thing. "You would never do that. You'll be a wonderful father."
"You know that," He pointed out. "I might be worried, but you know me better. Just like I know you… and I can't see any outcome than you loving and protecting our child. Us having a baby is not going to separate us or destroy what we have… it's going to bring us closer together. We love each other… don't we?"
Through her tears, she managed a smile. "Of course we do. I know I love you."
"And I love you." He smiled, gently brushing the hair off her temple. Lifting the locks, he could see the line of stitches beside her ear, surrounded by a forming bruise.
He leaned down and met her in a loving kiss. She sighed with content as he claimed her mouth, gripping his shirt in her usual manner. His kiss was always so powerful, if she didn't hang onto something, she might drown.
As it slowly and reluctantly ended, he leaned down to gently bring her weak body into a hug, not wanting her to sit up. She sighed again, starting to sob silently as she enclosed her arms around him. Her tears dripped onto his shirt. Reid didn't mind in the least, in fact he savored each moist drop.
"I'm sorry I put us through this," She wept, turning her head to nuzzle into his chestnut hair. "But I want you to know, Spencer… I don't think I ever would have gone through with an abortion… I just wasn't thinking clearly... I needed time to let this sink in."
"I know that now, and I should have given that to you." He said as he sat up again. "You needed me and instead of being there for you, I could only think of what I wanted… how I couldn't get a say. That wasn't right." He said softly. "But I want you to know… I never would have left you. Ever. If you had truly decided you didn't want to have the baby… I would have been devastated, but… I would have understood. I would have been there for you… and held your hand through the whole thing."
"Really?" She started crying quietly again.
"Yes, really." He said. Reid reached up to wipe her tears away. "I love you too much to let you go. Don't make this decision for my benefit. I will do what you want to do, whatever it is… I love you and support you."
Giving him a smile, she said with great determination, "I love you, too, Spencer… and I mean it. I want our baby."
Grinning like an idiot, Reid met her into another kiss, which she accepted willingly. He pulled his hand from hers and reached down to caress her stomach. Hers followed suit, resting over his slender fingers. As happy as they were, a shadow was still hanging over them. Two days suddenly felt like an eternity.