Chapter 9
Survivors
The world was very quiet when Aaron's senses next announced their existence. His first thought was one of surprise that he was still alive. His hand was resting on his chest, where a hole had torn out through his body. It was stuck to the blood that had pooled around his hand. He could feel the hole under his palm, but he wasn't sure if it hurt or not. It felt as if he was submerged in pain, washing over his whole body, not in any specific place, but all embracing.
He turned his head, trying to remember what had happened.
Next to him was the body of the hostage that had been murdered. He remembered carrying her.
The terrorist was lying by his feet, surrounded by blood. He remembered him falling, and firing his gun as he fell.
Then he remembered.
Spencer. Where was Spencer?
Spence had shot the terrorist. He had saved their lives.
Aaron groaned in agony as he attempted to turn over. He could see the feet of someone lying face down above his head.
Spence!
He wasn't moving. He tried to call him, but his voice wasn't ready yet.
Aaron reached up with his hand, trying to touch him. His hand brushed against Spencer's arm. He stretched his fingers out and caught hold of his shirt, pulling his arm towards him.
He couldn't move closer but he could touch him..
He ran his hand along Spencer's arm and found his hand. He entwined his fingers in Spencer's.
His skin felt cold and clammy.
Spencer, I love you. You saved us. You are the bravest man I know.
Aaron's eyes overflowed with tears. Was he dead? Had he finally given his life to save others?
Aaron's crying cut into the still quiet air as he gripped the hand of the man he loved.
His senses drifted again.
The darkness came back.
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"……..Aaron, you are safe………take you to hospital……."
Voices. Close by. Hands touching him. Gentle kind hands.
"Spencer…..where is he?"
Aaron realised he wasn't holding Spencer's hand any more.
"Where is……"
He felt an injection into his arm.
"It will take some of the pain away Aaron." The hand stroked his face.
He tried to ask for Spencer again, but his mouth wouldn't work.
Darkness
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The young paramedic watched the man being carried out to the ambulance, and sat on the floor with her head in her hands.
When the four of them had entered the cinema, she saw the familiar place scattered with bodies.
This was supposed to be a place to relx, to have fun.
Now all she could see was death.
She went to the four bodies lying still on the ramp.
The first one she reached was a young man with long reddish brown hair. He had been beaten and something had injured his eyes. There was blood everywhere, but mostly on his neck and chest. He had at least one gunshot wound, possibly two, but there was so much blood she couldn't be sure. She felt for a pulse.
There was one, but very weak.
She saw he was holding the hand of one of the others lying there.
Her colleague took over and she moved to the next person. This one was a woman of about fifty. She was definitely dead; she could not be survived her facial injury.
The third body was a tall man in his twenties. He was clutching a shotgun. He too was dead, several bullet holes in his chest.
The fourth man she saw was holding the hand of the other survivor with the eye injuries. He was alive, but had suffered a gun shot wound to the head, and a serious chest injury. While her colleague continued to work on the young man, she started to check his friend.
As she began to cut his clothes back off his chest, she heard voices behind her. She turned to see a tall handsome black man and a dark haired woman. The man introduced himself.
"Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss, FBI" He indicated the dark haired man at his feet. "That is Agent Aaron Hotchner, his friend there, Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, both with the FBI."
Emily went up the ramp into the theatre where the hostages were being released.
Morgan knelt beside Aaron.
"Are they going to be all right?" To Morgan, neither looked all right. There was so much blood, and the injury to Aaron's chest, which the Paramedic had now uncovered, was bad.
"We'll do our best, Sir." she said, feeling that the stakes had suddenly got very high. "He's alive, and is drifting in and out. We'll know more when the doctor has seen him."
Spencer was being lifted onto a stretcher, and carried out. She noticed that their hands stayed together until they were literally pulled apart.
She cupped Aaron's face in her hands. "Aaron, Aaron, you are safe now. We are going to take care of you. The ambulance is here to take you to hospital."
She prepared a syringe.
"What's in that?" Morgan asked.
"A painkiller."
Aaron clutched at her hand. "Spencer….Where is he?"
She gently touched him, trying to calm him.
"Where is….."
She injected the painkiller, explaining to Aaron what it was. His eyes flickered, and he fell into a deep drug induced sleep.
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Four dead, including a hostage and the projectionist. Two FBI Agents in serious condition, and two terrorists with mild chemical burns to the face.
And twenty two unharmed hostages.
As they were led out of the building into the waiting ambulances, the press wanted to talk to them. One of the women stopped to make a statement. She had blood spatter across her face, and she was shaking with shock and relief.
She told the reporter about two FBI agents who happened to be watching the film. She said how their bravery saved their lives.
"The younger man, the one with long hair, he was wonderful." She was crying as she told the reported of the man's bravery, how he would not give in, and how on several occasions, had taken a beating to save others. And how, in the end, he was murdered in front of them.
She started crying.
"It was horrible, and he was so brave." she sobbed, "But without those two, none of us would be alive."
She walked away towards the ambulances, crying for the two agents, praying that they survived.