So here's something different for the next part of this storyline. This takes place about two months after Reid meets JJ's family, about two weeks after the two of them moved in together, and sometime late in the third month of JJ's pregnancy.
I know next to nothing about the flu, or hospitals in America, so I'm drawing from my own experiences here.
Disclaimer - I own nothing you might recognize.Only the characters of Dr Brooks, the nurse that speaks to JJ in the waiting room, and Jason Reid. Oh, and the storyline for this Chapter. Other than that, nothing.
He woke to the sound of vomiting coming from behind the closed bathroom door, and immediately reached for the warm body that almost always lay under the sheets beside him. His hand meeting nothing but cold blankets, he immediately sat up, casting his eyes around the room in search of his girlfriend. "Jenn?"
His inquiry was met by a soft groan from behind the closed door that led into their bathroom, the sound of the woman's puking finally having stopped. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got to his feet, walking over to the door, and pushed it open, his warm brown eyes immediately registering the blonde-haired woman who crouched on the floor in front of the toilet, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked up as she heard the door open, managing a slight smile in her boyfriend's direction. "Morning, Spence…"
The brown-haired man returned her smile, kneeling beside her on the cold tiled floor of the bathroom. "Are you alright?"
Jenn shook her head slowly, swallowing back the bile that threatened to rise. "No, I feel awful".
"Well, to be fair, that's probably expected. After all, morning sickness plagues up to 85% of…" Reid began, only to be cut off by his girlfriend staring at him.
"I don't think this has anything to do with morning sickness, Spence".
She leaned forward suddenly, the sound of vomiting filling the small bathroom, and as she drew back, Spencer noted with slowly-increasing concern the flushed red colour that her face had taken. "Jenn, you don't look so good".
His girlfriend scowled. "Gee, thanks, Spence. That's real comforting…"
"No, seriously, Jenn, I think you might be coming down with something. We need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible".
The blonde struggled to her feet, but staggered and would have fallen if not for Reid automatically grabbing her by the waist and pulling her upright again. Putting his free hand on her forehead for a few seconds, he grimaced. "You're burning up. You were right, Jenn, this is nothing to do with your morning sickness. This could be something bad; we really have to get to a hospital".
"Alright, alright. Are you going to call Hotch?"
"Of course. You're in no shape to work, and there's absolutely no way that I'm leaving you here on your own. Now, we need to get you to a doctor and make sure that both you and our baby are going to be alright".
"Fine. But… do you mind supporting me? I feel like I'm going to collapse at any second".
Her boyfriend nodded. "Whatever you need, Jenn"
His arm tightened around her waist, supporting her, and as he helped her towards the door, he pulled his phone from his pocket, swiftly punching in the Unit Chief's number.
~Some time later, at the hospital~
"Miss Jareau?"
JJ raised her head slightly, nodding weakly to the young woman in the nurse's uniform. "That's me. And this is Spencer, my boyfriend"
"It's nice to meet you both. The doctor will see you now".
Reid stood, supporting his girlfriend gently as she did the same, and the two of them followed the nurse down the hall and into a sterile-looking white room. Reid inhaled, and immediately grimaced, covering his nose. "I hate hospitals" he muttered, getting a slight laugh (followed by an immediate wince) from his blonde-haired girlfriend.
"I hate them too. Can we just go now, please?"
Reid shook his head, helping her into a seat before sitting down next to her. "You and I both know that you're not feeling well, and we both want to ensure that our baby is still alright. Whether we're comfortable here or not has nothing to do with it".
"Have I mentioned how much I hate it when you're right?"
"Not in the last ten minutes, no"
"Miss Jareau?"
The couple looked up as a tall, raven-haired, man walked in. JJ nodded. "Yes, that's me. This is my boyfriend, Spencer Reid".
"Nice to meet you both. I'm Dr Brooks. Miss Jareau…"
"Call me JJ".
"JJ. You said you've been feeling sick since early this morning?"
The blonde nodded. "That's right. I spent most of this morning throwing up. I'm far more tired than usual, I can't stand without help or I feel like I'm going to collapse, my head is pounding, and my throat is really sore".
"And she's feverish" Reid added a couple of seconds later, earning him a glare and a playful punch in the arm from his girlfriend.
The doctor nodded. "I see. Your paperwork also states that you're pregnant?"
"That's right. Three months along approximately"
"And you're certain that the way you're feeling today has nothing to do with your pregnancy?"
"We're both completely certain. I've been reading about things to expect during pregnancy, just in case, and I've never come across anything like this" Reid answered softly, giving the blonde-haired woman's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Alright, I see. I'll just need to run a quick test to see what's affecting you. I'll just need to swab your nasal passage or the back of your throat first".
~Fifteen minutes later~
"I have the results of the test I ran. Do you want to know what it is that's affecting you?"
"Pretty sure that's why we're here" JJ replied softly.
Reid nodded to the doctor, giving his girlfriend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Everything's going to be fine, Jenn"
"Miss Jareau, my recommendation is that you go home and take a warm shower, get some rest, and try to stay well-hydrated. You're suffering from a case of influenza".
JJ and her boyfriend shared a concerned look. "Will it affect my… our… baby?" the blonde-haired woman queried.
The doctor paused thoughtfully. "Most likely. Your immune system is weaker than usual in your current state, so you are more vulnerable to the flu virus. In most cases, the flu can result in complications, including premature labour and delivery".
The couple shared another concerned look, knowing that if that occurred, then there was practically 0% chance that their child would survive, as undeveloped as it was. "Is there anything we can do?" Reid questioned.
The black-haired older man nodded. "I'll give you a list of home remedies you can try, as well as a list of foods and drinks that might help to alleviate the symptoms. Other than that, just take care not to do anything too strenuous. And absolutely no working whatsoever"
Reid nodded, squeezing his girlfriend's hand slightly. "I'm going to give Hotch a quick call. I promised I'd let him know when we found out what was wrong. I'll be right outside just in case you need me, alright, Jenn?"
"Okay".
The brown-haired man stood, disappearing through the door that led out of the doctor's office, and JJ sighed. Getting the flu was definitely not high on her list of priorities, but if there was a bright side, then getting to spend more time with her boyfriend definitely counted. She just hoped it would all be over soon…
So there we go.