"Well, 751, it appears you are going to need a shower," 415 chuckled from where he was standing in the doorway to Hotch's cell. "Let me make sure everything is set up and then I'll be back to get you." He disappeared, carefully closing the door behind him.

Hotch lay back on his cot with a sigh. He supposed his capitulation had been inevitable. He had tried to hold out for as long as possible hoping his team would rescue him, but that didn't seem likely any more. And, when Jack was threatened - He gave another deep sigh. As for the shower, he probably did need one; he had been locked up in this cell for longer than he cared to think about. And, before that, he really couldn't remember the last time he had showered.

When his ankle manacle was removed, Hotch wasn't surprised to see the callous which had formed underneath it. He knew he had been chained to this cot for quite some time, but how long had he actually been here? And then, when he was led from his cell and down the hallway, the overhead lighting hurt his eyes which immediately began watering.

"You are going to have to adjust, Big Guy," 415 had been joined by another man who was helping to guide Hotch down the hallway. "I strongly suspect you are going to be seeing a lot more of the bright lights from here on out."

The shower room they escorted Hotch to was, as he had expected, barebones simple but spotlessly clean. The soap and shampoo which had been provided reminded him of that found in mid-level hotel rooms, and the washcloth and towels were of the same quality.

"Razor?" he questioned the two men.

"Sorry," 415 responded with a shake of his head. "Not this time."

"We do have clean clothes for you, though," he added as he pointed to a pile of clothing sitting on a stool.

"Are you planning on watching?" Hotch asked as he started to pull his shirt off over his head.

"Not Me!" the second man began backing out of the room.

"I will be right outside the door," 415 told him. "And, if I suspect that any funny stuff is going on in here – "

"I know, you'll be right in here to handle things," Hotch had his shirt off and his many scars stood out against his pale skin. He noted with amusement that both of the men were trying hard not to stare at them.

"Okay, you have fifteen minutes," 415 said as he left the room. "Fifteen!"

Hotch was relieved to find that the water coming out of the showerhead was relatively warm, actually almost hot. He relaxed in the comforting warmth and closed his eyes.

Then, he remembered his time limit and reached for the shampoo. Cleaning his head and beard took longer than it had in the past and, as he moved on to soaping up his body, he wondered how he was doing on time. He would prefer to have clothes on when the two men returned to retrieve him.

"Time!" the door opened and 415 poked his head in. "Been a while since you've had a shower, hasn't it?" he asked when he noticed that Hotch was still washing. "How about if I give you another ten minutes? I think you need it."

"Thanks - I would really appreciate that. I strongly suspect I smelled like an old goat," Hotch replied.

"Well, let's just say I have smelled better," the man admitted. "I just didn't want you to know it. Remember, ten minutes." He pulled the door closed.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After Hotch had finished with his shower and gotten dressed, he was escorted down the hallway, this time in the opposite direction from his cell. The entourage went past several closed doors until they came to one that was standing open. Hotch was directed to enter that room and, after he was inside, he paused to take a look around. The room was larger than his cell and featured a much larger cot, covered by clean, white sheets, with a tropical ceiling fan revolving lazily above it. There were shades over the small window, which made the room darker than the hallway. Otherwise, the décor was similar to his cell with its prison quality fixtures.

"This is where you will be spending the night," 415 told him. "And, while you won't be chained, be assured that the two of us will be right down the hallway."

The other guard grinned at Hotch. "Within hearing distance," he commented knowingly.

"So, I just wait?" Hotch asked as he sat down on the cot.

"It won't be long," 415 assured him. "You had better put your mask on," he added, nodding towards the item which lay on the washbasin.

As he reached for the mask, Hotch heard the door being locked behind the two men as they left.