The Conspiracy
Chapter 12
Fight for Life

"There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."

Don Juan deMarco (1995)

Johnny Depp

Hotch and Reid were in the air ambulance, and Dave was sitting between them. He was awake, but the medics thought he had an infection. He refused treatment though all the time his colleagues needed the medics.

Morgan winced as his head wound was checked. He had almost forgotten that he had been hurt in the cave in.

The sheriff had an upper arm gunshot wound, and was being checked over, but Emily stood by him with her gun trained on him. This man had a lot to answer for, and with his co conspirators dead, he was going to have to take the rap all by himself.

The medic said he would like to immobilise the arm, but Emily said no. She wrenched the arm behind him making sure that it hurt, and cuffed him.

The only vehicle still available and capable of being driven was Ana's truck. Emily asked Garcia if she would mind driving it. With the gun in his back, the sheriff climbed onto the bed of the truck, and Emily attached the cuffs to the side of the bed. Garcia and Emily got into the truck, Morgan and Ana sat in the back with the sheriff.

'You are going to hear about this!' he said angrily. 'You Feds think that you can come here to our little town and take over....'

'Shut up.' Morgan said, and to emphasise his words, he waved his gun in the sheriff's face. He felt a satisfied smile flicker across his face as the man grimaced when his arm started to bleed through the bandages.

The sheriff spent the journey in silence, apart from the occasional yelp as the truck bounced over the rough ground.

They stopped by Morgan's car and he and Ana got off the flatbed of the truck to drive it back to Chita's farm.

Both helicopters were in the air, the digging equipment having been loaded back onto the rescue helicopter. As the truck followed in the same direction, all three agents were wondering about their colleagues being rushed to the hospital.

-0-0-0-

Chita was waiting at the door for news on her son, watched the approaching car with trepidation. When she saw her son in the car she ran to meet it, throwing her arms around him before he could even get out of the car. The truck pulled up next to the car, Chita went cold when she saw the sheriff in the back of the truck.

'He won't be hurting any more families.' Morgan said with a smile.

'What about those who have already gone?' Chita asked, thinking of her own little girl.

'We will be searching the sheriff's house for records of the adoptions, and if they are not legal, which is likely, you will probably get your children back.'

A surge of hope washed over Chita as she thought of bringing her own child home. She hugged Ana.

Two helicopters flew overhead. Morgan looked up at them, and hoped that the three agents that were on them were going to survive their ordeal.

-0-0-0-

Dave woke up as the helicopter lifted off the desert floor. He groaned as the pain asserted itself, and leaned back in his seat with tightly closed eyes. On either side of him were Aaron and Reid, both being worked on by a small team of medics. Reid was stable for the moment; the biggest fear was the high potassium that was interfering with neurological responses. His heart was beating regularly but weakly, and the paddles were ready in case they were needed.

Aaron on the other hand was fighting for his life. The impalement had caused acute peritonitis, and the broad spectrum antibiotics that were being pumped into him were gradually being sent around his battered body. There was severe blood loss from the wound and the gunshot in almost the same place. There was a bullet lodged somewhere in his pelvis, and that had still not been located. He was beaten and had several broken bones, including some broken and cracked ribs. It was touch and go, and the sooner he was in theatre, the better his chances were.

The two helicopters went separate ways and the ambulance flew directly to the nearest hospital. The helicopter touched down and a team of doctors were waiting on the roof for their new patients to be handed over to them. They ran forwards to collect the three agents, and the two gurneys were passed out to them. Dave stood by the door, waiting for his friends to be taken out ahead of him. He walked shakily with a doctor after the two unconscious men

-0-0-0-

The bullet in Hotch was vital evidence. The dead UnSubs that had attacked the rescue mission each were carrying guns, and the one that matched the bullet taken from Hotch would identify the shooter. Hotch had smashed pelvic bones and untold tissue damage, and the doctors working on him were afraid that the septicaemia that was setting in would kill him.

Letting him die on the table was not an option.

In an OR along the corridor, Reid was in his own battle. His emaciated and dehydrated body was almost beyond the fight. They repaired the hole in his chest and replaced the IV which was feeding him saline and glucose. But the rest would take time to heal, his strength to return. There was a chance, although slim, that he would suffer brain damage to some extent. That too would take time to know.

'How could this have happened?' an OR nurse said to a colleague, as Reid was wheeled into recovery. 'All those children, and now this!'

'Money.' she answered. 'The papers said it was all for money.'

-0-0-0-

Morgan and a team of cops from the nearest town were searching the now ex-sheriff's house. There were extensive records, but they had been hidden under a false floor in a wardrobe. All the transactions were illegal, and the children identifiable. They would all be deported as illegals, but it was up to the Mexican government whether they would be returned to the natural parents, as with the stolen children, or put up for adoption in their own culture.

The cops and a group of social workers were to stay in the village and sort the mess out. Morgan wished he could stay too. He hated it when children were being hurt.

-0-0-0-

At last the doctors were able to persuade Dave to get treatment. The area around the wound was red and hot, and Dave was sweating and pale. He lay down with some relief on the bed and the wound was examined. He too needed broad spectrum antibiotics to fight the infection, but the wound itself had been treated well, and there should be no lasting damage.

In the next cubicle, the sheriff was being treated, and none too gently. Dave smiled to himself. It wasn't just the judicial system the man had to face alone. Kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder carried a high penalty, especially for those who were supposed to uphold the law, not break it for their own uses.

'The other two agents, are they out of the theatre yet?'

'Hold on, and I'll see if there's any news.' the nurse said, and disappeared around the curtain.

Dave Exhaled heavily. He needed justice to be served, but if any of his team mates died, justice would never be done. He stared at the ceiling and waited.

A minute or so later the nurse returned. Reid was in recovery. He would be going into intensive care. Hotchner was still in surgery. It was touch and go whether he would survive, and even if he did, it was doubtful he would be able to walk without intensive physiotherapy.

Dave felt tears in his eyes and the nurse sat beside him and held his hand.

'He is in the best possible place.' she said, but really there were no words that would help. All Dave wanted to see was his two colleagues walk into his room.

He closed his eyes to stop the tears. He thought back to the trap that they had walked into in the desert, and he felt again the bullet hit him and the ground disappear beneath him. That was when it had all gone wrong.

He turned onto his side and clutched at the pillow and prayed. The nurse kept hold of him.

-0-0-0-

Reid's eyes flickered open.

'Welcome back, Spencer.' a sweet voice said. Reid focused his eyes on the nurse who was looking down at him.

'Uhh.' said Spencer.

'Don't try to talk. You have had a tube down your throat. It will hurt for a little while.'

She turned to go, and felt a hand grab at her arm.

'What is it, Spencer?' she said gently.

'Hotch.' he croaked.

'The other man who came in with you?' she asked. 'I will go and see if there is any news.'

-0-0-0-

There wasn't. Hotch's heart had fibrillated twice so far, and at that moment, keeping his heart beating was more important than anything else. The priority had been to stop the bleeding and increase the depleted blood volume. They were still battling this as he arrested the third time.

The paddles were charged and clear was called. It took two surges of electricity to start his heart this time. The surgeons were worried as they continued to try to save him.

It was going to be a long night.

-0-0-0-

Morgan collected Garcia and Emily from the hotel and together they went to the hospital. They both felt the same fear – that they could have lost their friends – members of the new family that they had forged under terrible conditions. Afraid of what the answer would be, they asked after them at the reception.

'Let's see.' the receptionist said as if there was no hurry. 'Spencer Reid has just gone up to Intensive care. David Rossi is in Medical One, and ...... who was the other patient?'

'Aaron Hotchner.' Garcia said.

'Aaron...... Hotchner....' she said, typing the name into her terminal. 'Are you relatives?'

'Yes.' Morgan said challengingly.

The receptionist was about to say something, and at the look on Morgan's face, thought better of it.

'Come this way, please, and I will have someone come down to talk to you.'

The three were led to a comfortable sitting room labelled "Relative's Room."

Oh god oh god oh god.........

The three of them sat on a couch holding hands, gaining strength from each other.

'Are you related to Mr. Hotchner?' the doctor who entered said suspiciously.

Emily stood up. 'We are the closest he has.'

'What news is there?' Morgan asked.

The doctor sat opposite the three agents. 'He is still in theatre. He is very poorly, and it is a fight. Please, be prepared for the worst.'

Emily and Garcia began to cry. This whole thing was not even a case; it was people looking out for the ones they cared about.

'I am so sorry.'

A single tear ran down Morgan's cheek.

-0-0-0-

'I need to go and see Dave and Spencer, but I'm afraid to leave here.' Emily said.

'I know.' Morgan answered her. 'Do you two want to go and I'll stay here for news.'

'We can all go. I'll let reception know where we are.' Garcia left and went to tell the woman at reception that they were going to Medical One to see Dave.

The three of them took the stairs. They needed time to collect themselves and stop crying. It wouldn't help Dave if they were crying.

As it happened, it wouldn't have mattered as Dave knew. He smiled weakly when they entered his room. The nurse who had been sitting with him left them to talk.

'It's Hotch, isn't it?' Dave said when he saw their ill hidden red eyes.

'It's bad for him.' Morgan said. 'We could lose him.'

'He's strong, Derek. He'll make it.' Dave bit his lip. He had to make it.

Dave was a solitary man. Married three times, and single again, building bridges if friendship was not something that came easily for him. Team work was difficult for him, but he had found a friend in Hotch where no bridges were necessary. If Hotch died, then part of him would die too.

The door opened, and a doctor came in.

'Are you here for Mr Hotchner?'

Four pairs of eyes bored into him through a mist of tears.

Morgan nodded. 'Is he.......?'

'He's out of surgery. He should make it.'

-0-0-0-

With Dave in a wheelchair, thanks to the reluctant doctor, the four went to see Reid to tell him the good news. But they didn't need to. Reid was in a small side ward, and Hotch was in the bed beside him. When they entered, Reid was lying on his side watching Hotch breathe. He turned at the sound of them entering.

'He's going to make it.' Reid whispered hoarsely. Garcia sat next to him and rested her hand on his.

'You are all going to make it.' she said.

'This whole thing is my fault, going out after Adam without telling Hotch the details....' Reid looked as if he was going to cry.

Garcia brushed his hair from his face. 'The killers are either dead or arrested. It's their fault not yours.' she said, touching his tears with her finger.

Reid smiled a shaky smile and turned to Hotch again.

'He's very special to me.' Reid said

Emily was by Hotch. 'He's waking up' she said.

Hotch's eyes opened slowly, dark and beautiful. Emily laughed.

'Welcome home, Sir.'

Dave was at his other side.

'Aaron....'

'Dave.... I thought you died.' Speaking was difficult for Hotch, but the shock and joy on his face was effervescent.

'We all made it, Hotch.' Reid said.

The room fell silent.

END