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An untouched cup of coffee sat in front of Reid, steam rising from its surface. He ignored it in favor of staring at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room just outside the hospital cafeteria. Someone had topped the tree with an angel in a long silken gown of ivory with lace around the neck. The dress had been embroidered with golden thread that matched the color of her hair. She had thin, transparent wings edged in gilt. Her eyes were uplifted as though she saw something that held her total attention. Her cheeks held a blush and her lips were rose petals. He thought she had the look of an antique rather than something just purchased off a shelf. Her dainty little hands held something he couldn't quite make out and she smiled just a little.

He blinked and Emily stood in front of him. He hadn't heard her approach his table. Her expression was more sympathetic, but it annoyed him rather than soothed.

"I thought I'd find you down here."

He flicked his eyes past her to the tree and the beautiful angel on top. He didn't want to talk to Emily or anyone else. If he ignored her maybe she would go away. She didn't go away, but she did take the chair opposite him.

"I don't want to talk to you."

She glanced over at the coffee cup near his elbow. "You must be upset if you're ignoring that coffee."

He looked at the coffee cup. "Oh, I didn't even notice…"

"That's what I mean," Emily said. "It's been four hours since the accident and you're just sitting here. Why don't you come back upstairs with me?"

"JJ doesn't want me up there and I don't blame her."

"You know better than to take what she said personally. Surely you're familiar with the psychology of something as stressful as this for JJ and Will."

"I don't need a lecture on psychology." He snapped. "It's easy for people to say, "Don't take it personally," when they're on the outside looking in. When you're the one getting attacked, it's hard not to take it personally."

"Reid -"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I get it Emily. I'm just not ready for another confrontation."

He laughed bitterly when she favored him with a smile. "I guess what goes around, comes around. I've been so angry and unwilling to give JJ a break about her hand in faking your death."

"You have every right to feel angry and betrayed Reid. I'm sorry I made you feel like your anger wasn't justified."

He finally picked up his coffee, took a sip and grimaced. "I'm not angry with you and that's the point."

Emily sat back in her chair and nodded. "You think you should be angrier at me than JJ because if not for me, you never would've crossed paths with Ian Doyle."

He shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so."

She decided not to be hurt by his words. He was right and she knew it. "Why don't we go back up together? I'll be right there with you."

"I don't need a shield." He said, as his eyes found the angel on the tree again.

"Don't think of me as a shield." Emily suggested. "Think of me as a go between."

He flicked his eyes to her and couldn't help but feel some of the stresses leave his gut at her tone. "I really am fine Emily. I just want to know that Henry's going to be okay."

"He's going to be okay." She said.

"I don't know if I can believe that," He said getting up from the table. "There are times Emily when I wish I didn't have certain facts and statistics in my head." He tapped his forehead with an index finger.

Emily patted him on one shoulder. "I'm glad you have all those facts and statistics in your brain."

When Emily and Reid stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor, Garcia was there to meet them. She hugged Reid so tight he had to wiggle out of her arms.

She sniffed audibly. "Are you alright baby cakes?"

"I'm fine… I'm done sulking." He raised his eyebrows at Emily. "It's not about me anyway. Henry's the one in a coma. I want to see how he's doing."

Garcia looped an arm around Reid's left and pulled him along the corridor. "JJ and Will are in the Pediatric ICU. There're only two visitors allowed at a time, but we can go sit in the waiting room."

Reid's knee had stiffened up a little as he'd sat at the cafeteria table. He limped more than he had in months.

"You're limping." Garcia said. "I thought you said you're okay."

"I am; I just need to stand for a little while. I sat downstairs for too long. Don't worry about me."

They turned a corner and passed a nurses station. There were three nurses, two female and one male at the desk looking solemn in their blue scrubs, but the atmosphere they'd created for the kids in the ward reflected the season. The walls were decorated with fir boughs and red ribbon. Someone had strung up, red, green and white lights and there were cutouts of Santa on the walls. There was a large manger scene at the nurses' station that someone had painted with a special white paint so it glowed like mother of pearl in the light. One of the nurses glanced up and gave them a smile as they passed.

"Here's the waiting area." Emily said.

Hotch, Morgan, Kevin and Rossi were there as well as three other people that Reid didn't recognize. So, they weren't the only ones with a loved one in this place at the holidays. He supposed he should have known better than to think they were the only ones that suffered.

"Reid -" Morgan began.

"You guys, I'm alright. I just needed some time to think. Is Henry okay?'

Hotch stood up and crossed to him. "We haven't heard anything for a couple of hours. JJ and Will are in his room."

Reid nodded. "I'm sorry I ran out."

"No one's blaming you." Hotch said. "Everyone's on edge; we all want Henry to be okay."

"Hotch's right." JJ said from the doorway.

Reid turned around to see her, swollen eyes and red faced, leaning on Will's arm. "I'm sorry Spence. I didn't mean what I said. I was just so upset." She burst into tears and ran to him. He didn't move as she threw her arms around him.

"Will you forgive me?"

He gently disengaged from her arms. "There's nothing to forgive JJ."

She sniffed, wiped her eyes and hugged him again. This time he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight for a long moment. He looked up to see that Will stood watching them with red-rimmed eyes that were old and haggard.

He let go of JJ and went to Will. "What did the doctors tell you?"

"They said he could come out of it at any time or he might stay this way for -" His mouth trembled visibly.

"I believe he's going to be alright," Reid said confidently. "The temperature of the water would have induced hypothermia and shielded him from the worst effects of drowning."

"He's right," a man said from the doorway.

They all turned and JJ rushed over to him. "Dr. Otey?"

"I've been in to check on Henry and his vital signs are good. He's stable and comfortable. I won't lie to you; the longer he's in this coma the more I'm worried."

"What if he never wakes up?" JJ said tears welling over her lashes.

"We're doing everything we can." Dr. Otey assured her. "It's best for now to wait and see what happens over the next twenty-four hours. If his vitals stay stable, we'll move him out of the ICU."

"JJ," Hotch said as the doctor left the waiting area. "I'm sorry I can't stay. Jack was very upset by this and I need to get home and make sure he's okay."

She nodded. "Please give him a hug from me."

"I will."

Kevin had to leave as well, so Garcia walked him out, leaving the rest there staring at each other.

"Spence…" JJ said suddenly. "Why don't you go back and visit with Henry for a minute?"

"I can't." He argued. "You should go."

"No!" Will said. "I finally pulled her away for some food. Don't encourage her to go back."

"Will, he needs me." JJ cried.

"He needs a healthy mother. Now come down to the cafeteria. Spencer will watch over him." He gave Reid such a pointed look, that the genius couldn't argue.

"I promise." He said to JJ.

Will led her out and Emily took his arm as Garcia had done. "I'll go with you." She said.

The room looked like any other hospital room Reid had seen and he'd seen a lot, except the walls were glass. He supposed it was like being sick in fish bowl, if you were awake and aware.

He was glad Emily was there because he couldn't make his feet move forward when they got to Henry's room. The little guy lay on his back with a IVs infusing into both his little arms with fluids that Reid didn't recognize. He had a nasal cannula feeding him oxygen and leads that disappeared under his hospital gown. Reid supposed they monitored his heartbeat.

He looked at Emily who was expressionless except for her eyes, which held sorrow and pity at the same time. She tugged him forward into the room. He didn't know what to say to the boy despite the fact that they said people in comas could hear you.

"Hey Henry," Emily said softly. "Your mom and dad went to get something to eat so your Uncle Spence and I came to see you."

She elbowed Reid in the ribs. He glared at her and looked back at Henry. "Um Hi Henry… We ah, well we wanted to say hi because everyone's worried about you and we want you to wake up really soon."

"We're going to sit here with you for a while." Emily said. "We're all going to be right here when you wake up."

Reid sat down on the closest chair. "Maybe when you wake up we can put the puzzle together you got for your birthday."

He looked at the little boy because in the books and on television, this is when the miraculous awakening was supposed to happen. Henry didn't wake up.