"I need you to meet us at the hospital, Erin."

Those were not the words that Erin wanted to hear from David's mouth, and she glanced over at her children before answering. "Text me which one you're at, I'm on my way." Hanging up with him, Erin rose to her feet and slipped the phone into her pocket as she caught Karen's eye, jerking her head towards the door. Her eldest nodded and left what she was doing before joining her just outside the living room.

"What is it, Momma?"

"I have to go to the hospital, something bad happened, and I'll know more later. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but could you please watch your little sisters while I figure out what's going on. And if Jessica calls and wants to bring Jack and Celia over, that is perfectly all right as well. Somehow, I have the feeling that we're all going to need to be together."

Karen nodded before hugging Erin tightly. "Of course, Momma. I'll keep them occupied until we know more. Drive safely."

"Yes, darling." She kissed Karen's cheek before hurrying out to the kitchen and tugging on her coat before grabbing her keys and exiting into the garage. It didn't take long to plug the address for the hospital into the GPS and then she was speeding to where her fiancé was, hoping that he was okay. She knew that was a selfish thought, when everyone else on the team had people who loved them, but she didn't think that she could afford to lose the love of her life at this moment.

Finally, she was pulling into the parking lot, and pulled into the first spot available. After rushing into the building, she made her way to the information desk and showed her credentials, only to be whisked over to a waiting room where the entire time, including Agent Jareau, were waiting. Still, she only had eyes for David, and as she approached him, he rose to his feet and pulled her into one of the tightest embraces that she'd received from him in a long time. His lips blindly pressed against the closest bit of her head that he could reach, and she felt free enough to return the kiss in front of the others, knowing that this was no time to play coy. "You got here quickly."

"I know, but it sounded important. Where's Emily?"

David led her over to where Agent Seaver was seated, and she took in the fact that the woman was crying. "She, she's still in surgery. It didn't look too good when the paramedics loaded her onto the ambulance, but there's always that sliver of hope, yes?"

Erin nodded absently as she took hold of David's hand, threading their fingers together as she took a deep breath. "We have to hold onto whatever hope that we can find in situations like these. How long has it been?"

"It's been three hours since a nurse updated us and let us know that the surgery was progressing as well as could be expected. I hate waiting games like these, though, because I feel so powerless."

She gave him another small nod before glancing over at Agent Seaver. "And how are you holding up?"

"Ma'am?"

"This has to be stressful for you, since you're new to the team and haven't experienced everything that can go wrong in the line of duty. Are you doing all right?"

The younger woman shrugged a little as she pursed her lips. "I don't know what I feel? I knew that a situation like this could be a possible outcome, but you don't really expect it to happen?"

Erin reached out and patted her knee gently, seeing Karen and Tabitha in her scared look. "I understand that, yes. But hopefully, in this case…"

Her words trailed off as she watched a doctor approach Agent Jareau and Aaron, pulling them into the corridor. She knew that this was not a good sign, and she tightened her grip on David's hand before fumbling for Agent Seaver's, knowing that their hopes would be in vain. Erin watched all three faces intently, trying to determine the news they were about to impart to the rest of them, and she frowned a little to see that they kept glancing nervously at all of them, as if there was something that they were going to keep secret from them all.

Finally, about five minutes later, Agent Jareau entered the waiting room once more, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks as she looked around at them each in turn, only flinching a little when she met Erin's gaze. It was a small tell, but enough to let her know that whatever she was about to say to them, it would not be the complete truth. "Jayje? What is it?" Penelope asked, sounding frightened.

The woman took a deep breath as she returned her eyes to Erin's, as if drawing something from them that she needed in that moment. Erin nodded, knowing what Agent Jareau was about to say to them all. Instinctively, she clasped both Agent Seaver's and David's hands once more, squeezing tightly as she awaited hearing the words that no one wanted to hear about a colleague and friend. "She, she never made it off the table. The surgeons did everything that they could think of in order to save her, but she lost too much blood."

Erin felt Agent Seaver painfully grip her hand as Agent Jareau's gaze swung between Aaron and herself. From that small look, despite the apparent sadness and sorrow in her expression, Erin knew that there was something they were keeping from everyone else. Pursing her lips, she looked at Aaron, and watched as he gave her a tiny shake of his head before he went over to Penelope's side and pulled the distraught woman into a tight hug. All around her, the team was coming together, hugging each other, and she turned her head to look at Agent Seaver, seeing that along with sadness, there was a bit of confusion on her face.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" David asked as he let go of Erin's hand to crouch in front of Agent Seaver, his hands resting on their knees to balance himself.

"I feel so lost?"

"That's to be expected when one of our own dies. Loss like this is never expected, even though it is part of our jobs. I would be surprised if you didn't feel anything. Come here." He lifted his right hand off Erin's knee before holding out his arm, and Agent Seaver nodded a little as she bent forward and allowed David to hold her as she finally broke down into tears. Erin still held onto her hand, though, knowing that she needed to keep her own equilibrium. Somehow, she had the feeling that Aaron wouldn't be forthcoming if she asked him what was really going on, so she knew that she would have to play along and be the concerned leader, making certain that everyone was dealing appropriately with the grief that they were feeling. To her shock, Agent Seaver quickly let go of David in order to throw her arms around Erin's shoulders and sob into her hair. Still, she closed her arms around the young woman and rubbed her back in a comforting gesture as she met Aaron's eye, letting him know that they would be talking very soon.