CHAPTER TWO: Echoes
"How cruelly sweet are the echoes that start, When memory plays an old tune on the heart. – Eliza Cook"
When she woke the next morning, it took a moment for her to realize where she was. She caught sight of a clock on the far wall, and noticed that it was seventeen minutes after six in the morning. She was surprised, not expecting to feel this well after one night of uninterrupted sleep. She was still tired, but she knew that she would be able to make it through her day.
Her nurse came in a few minutes later, being as quiet as possible, as she closed the door.
"I'm awake," she said, causing the young nurse to jump slightly, before the woman turned toward her, a smile on her face. JJ noticed the stress lines on the woman's face, and could easily tell that her shift was about over.
"It's good to see you're awake, Miss Jareau," the woman said slightly mispronouncing her name. "Did you sleep well?"
JJ nodded, her eyes searching the room around her.
"My name is Angelica, and I'll be your on-duty nurse until nine this morning. We had to move you too a private room last night, there was a large crash, and all the local hospitals were requested to take in patients. You are on the third floor. You have also had a young man calling on you, who asked that we notify you that he has arrived."
"Spencer Reid," she asked. The woman nodded and said, "he claims to be a Doctor, but no one believes him. We think he's just trying to impress us nurses."
"He's not that kind of doctor," JJ agreed slightly, "but I doubt he was trying to impress anyone. It's alright if he comes up?"
Angelica nodded, confusion showing on her face as she said, "Doctor Bonneville has ordered a full panel of blood tests. We have a phlebotomist arriving on shift in an hour. We will have breakfast brought to you in about thirty minutes; Doctor Bonneville thinks you can start back on solids now that your electrolytes are improving."
JJ nodded and thanked Angelica as a unique knock sounded at the door. She smiled.
"Come in Spencer," she said. He opened the door, not even asking how she'd known it was he.
"Good morning JJ," he said upon entering, handing her a cup of coffee. Angelica almost protested, but JJ had already taken a large gulp before any protests could be had.
"Did you get this from the coffee house across from my apartment, Spencer?"
He nodded and said, "Yeah, I remember you mentioning that you had a standing order from your coffee house, and when I arrived and told him you were in the hospital, he handed me the cup and this donut for you."
She knew she wouldn't get away with eating the donut, so told him he could eat it. Spencer shrugged, and took a bit.
She could see his eyes widen, and knew that he'd probably become a frequent customer of Mr. Manchelli, considering his love of coffee-flavored sugar.
"Thank you Spencer," she said. "And thank you again for staying with me, even though you could be going home for the next few weeks."
Spencer smiled at her, one that he often reserved for local law enforcement when he was about to make a point.
"You are my best friend," he said, "at least I like to think so, so of course I'd stay with you, JJ. I know that Morgan would have stayed, but last night was their weekly movie night, and we know Garcia's rule on that."
She nodded a small smile on her face.
"I do have a question though," Spencer, asked, his face contorting into that look he got whenever something puzzling happened to him.
"Shoot," she said.
"Why were those nurses giggling at me whenever I introduced myself?"
She laughed.
"Did you happen to specify what type of Doctor you were," JJ said, watching Angelica, who had started checking her blood pressure and pulse as she looked at her friend.
"What does that have to do with anything," Spencer questioned.
"Spence," she said, not noticing as she unintentionally shortened his name, "you're a profiler, so profile them."
He closed his eyes. She knew that he was replaying the conversation over in his head.
"They thought I was a medical doctor," he asked incredulously. She laughed.
"This is a hospital, Spence," she said between gasps for air. "Let me guess, they called you Doogie?"
He nodded.
"What kind of Doctor are you," Angelica finally questioned. Spencer turned to her and said, "I have PhDs in Engineering, Chemistry and Mathematics, as well as Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology."
She watched Angelica's face pale, before turning a deep maroon. Spencer smiled and said, "Doctor Spencer Reid, PhD."
"I'll make sure the others know, Doctor Reid," Angelica said almost immediately, before saying, "I'll be back in when the phlebotomist arrives to do the blood work. Kelly will be the nurse bringing in your breakfast. Doctor Reid, have you eaten yet?"
Spencer looked at her and said, "I have, thank you, and please call me Spencer."
When Angelica left, she turned and said, "How did you sleep last night?"
Spencer sighed, and said, "Not as well as you did, I believe. You look almost completely refreshed."
She nodded and said, "I think they gave me knock-out gas, or something."
"It's possible they gave you a low-dose Ambien, a sleep-aid," Spencer said shrugging, "I'd have to look at your chart to be sure."
She shook her head and indicated that she wanted him to sit. He did so, taking the chair he'd inhabited the day before. "I brought you some things from your house. I followed Morgan over when he dropped your car off yesterday, so when you do get out of here, you won't have to go back to the BAU."
She nodded. "They're in the car, I wasn't sure it was appropriate to bring your clothes in when you may not be leaving today. If not, they'll stay in my car until the doctor releases you. Also, I took the liberty of taking down your messages on your answering machine, so I could tell you what you've missed."
She knew that he meant verbatim, and nodded.
"Your mom called you yesterday, she sounded worried about something. It was after you left for work, but before you passed out."
"Can I hear the message," she asked. Spencer closed his eyes and said, "JJ, darling, it's your mom. I woke up feeling as if something was wrong, so call me when you get this message. You know how I am."
She nodded and said, "(412) 555-8160."
Spencer nodded and said, "Any message you would like me to deliver?"
"Just tell her that I'm alright, but that I passed out at work, and that I'll call her the second I get out, alright?"
He nodded. "Also, your brother called. He wanted you to know that Melissa is pregnant again."
She gasped and said, "Melissa is Jeffrey's wife."
He smiled and said, "congratulations to your family, JJ."
She smiled again.
"A Father Winston also called."
She nodded and said, "What did he have to say?"
"Jennifer, your mom called and told me what has happened to your work-family the past couple of days. If you'd like to come by and talk with me, my door is always open. I leave you with this verse of scripture, Philippians 3:13-14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."
"Thank you Spence," she said. He nodded saying, "You didn't have anymore messages when I was there, but I can go back and check later; if you'd like."
"Not unless I'm kept overnight again," she said, "just call my mom and let her know that I got her message, please."
He nodded again, and as the phlebotomist came in, excused himself to make JJ's requested calls.
She smiled, ignoring the phlebotomist's blush as she stared at the young genius. When the woman turned back to her, JJ smiled and said, "Let me guess, you were one of those nurses that didn't believe he was a doctor?"
The woman blushed again, her skin turning a pure garnet, as she said, "Just how smart is he?"
JJ laughed. The nurse, who introduced herself as Denise, said, "If you'll hold out your arm, I'll begin drawing your blood, Ms. Jareau." JJ noticed that the young woman pronounced her name correctly, and wondered if she had taken French as a second language.
"You should only feel a pinch as I pierce your skin," Denise said as she placed a pair of gloves on her hand and opened an alcohol wipe. She continued, "Hopefully, all goes well, and we will have your results back in a few hours. Do you have a preference as to which arm we use, Ms. Jareau?"
"No, either is good," JJ said. The young nurse smiled, and pushed a table to her side which had a sponge block on top. JJ placed her arm on the sponge and turned it so that her elbow was facing down.
"Just relax your arm," Denise said calmly, tapping her vein to force it to protrude. Once that was done, Denise quickly inserted the hypodermic needle, holding her fingers to the point of entry, and placed a vial on the opened surface. She watched in fascination as her blood flowed into the open vial, before it was taken away and a second vial placed into the small aperture.
"Good," Denise said, "one more should do it, Ms. Jareau," she said happily.
When she finished a few seconds later, she pulled the needle from the vein, and placed the used cotton-ball wipe over the wound with a brief, "Hold it there," while she placed doctor's tape over, cutting off blood flow.
"Thank you," Denise said as she packed her tray, and said, "And I hope you start feeling better soon. I'll tell your young man to come back in, shall I?"
JJ almost protested, but realized that Spencer Reid had integrated himself in her life to the point that they were becoming inseparable. She smiled, nodded and said, "Please?"
When he entered a minute later, he was just hanging up the phone.
"Your mom gave me strict instructions to have you call the second you sign your release forms, and told me to give you a message, verbatim."
JJ groaned, but nodded. "When you get released, if you aren't here in six hours, young lady, I will send your dad to collect you."
She winced. "Crap, you didn't tell her that I haven't been eating, did you?"
Spencer looked at her, incredulously and said, "You think I want to get in trouble, JJ? Are you crazy, of course I didn't!"
She smiled at his affronted, almost scared look.
"How far are your parents from here, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Don't you know the home addresses of all of us, Spence?"
He nodded, "yeah, but I don't make it a habit of checking maps, or the internet to see how far away a place is, unless it directly involves a case."
She smiled at him, sheepishly admitting that he hadn't ever pushed for information from them, and apologized.
Hours passed, as she talked to the young genius. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about, none pertaining to their work or anything even seemingly approaching Adrian Bale and the horrifying events in Boston. JJ was thankful that her friend was there, keeping his eye on her, and giving up his vacation time to keep her company.
When the doctor arrived about six thirty that night, however, she knew he wasn't going to release her. Spencer listened to him, emphatically committing every word and gesture to memory, as the man explained to her that her electrolytes were just short of the point he would like them, and that she would be released first thing in the morning. She nodded. When the announcement came over the intercom that visiting hours were over, her friend told her that, in no certain terms, he would be back in the morning to pick her up. She smiled, caught his hand and said, "thank you, Spence."
It didn't take long to fall asleep, the anticipation of leaving a high motivator.
"What would it profit thee to be the first Of echoes, tho thy tongue should live forever, A thing that answers, but hath not a thought As lasting but as senseless as a stone. – Frederick Tennyson".
End Chapter