Chapter 7

The air ambulance ride was a nightmare. Morgan and Emily traveled with Reid and Hotch, watching helplessly as the paramedics worked on them, trying to stabilize them, saying nothing.

"Hey!" said Morgan. "I want to help."

The medic glanced up at Morgan. "Just hold his hand." She said "Talk to him."

Morgan looked at her. "What do I say? I don't know what to say!" He felt a panic well up. Just talk. Not set the bones, or clean him up. Talk.

And he couldn't do it.

"Tell him where he is. Tell him he's safe now. Let him know you are there."

Hotch was delirious, crying out for Reid, trying to get off the stretcher. Morgan held his hand.

"Reid is here, Hotch. He's ok."

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he squeezed Morgan's hand. Morgan leaned forwards and leaned his head on Hotch's chest.

Emily sat by Spencer, stroking his hair, talking gently to him, telling him he was safe, praying that he actually was.

"Kenzie, get over here."

The paramedic left Hotch and moved across to where her partner was trying to intubate Reid. "He's not breathing; can you hold his head back? His throat is so swollen that I can't get the tube in."

Emily stepped back to allow her in.

Kenzie tipped Reid's head back, appalled by what she saw – this young face so cut and ravaged. She had never met this man but more than she had ever felt before, she wanted him to live

"Its in." he said, obvious relief in his voice.

Kenzie pushed her hair behind her ears and checked the pulse and respiration.

"Pulse rapid and weak; blood pressure's falling."

Her partner checked Reid's eyes. "He's going into hypovolaemic shock."

She checked the roller assembly on the saline drip. "It's fully open. We are going to need a rapid infuser." Quickly and efficiently Kenzie inserted a second IV access device for a larger diameter tube, attached a saline bag and fixed the infuser device onto it

"I hope that's enough." She said worriedly, "What's the ETA?

The pilot glanced back. "We're coming in now."

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Kenzie and her partner stood on the tarmac and watched the nurses take Hotch and Reid into the hospital

"Are they going to be all right, PJ?" said Kenzie, eyes filling with tears

"I don't know, Kenz." He put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It doesn't look good."

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When they arrived at the hospital, JJ and Garcia were already there, pacing the ER waiting area and looking distressed. As the paramedics rushed by, Morgan and Emily went over to them. As much as they wanted to follow their friends into resus, they kept out of the way.

Morgan started to tell JJ and Garcia what they knew.

"So Cross is dead?" JJ asked

"Yeah. Don't know who shot him, but it was definitely good shooting. At least three to the chest and one almost took his head off." Morgan tried to smile… "Probably not Reid then." But the smile never made it to his eyes, and it died there on his lips. "We may never find out what happened."

He got up and wandered over to the door through which they had taken Hotch and Reid and peered through the small window. Reid was lying very still on the table. His clothes had been cut off him. His body small and battered. The Doctor was holding the defibrillator paddles.

Morgan wanted to move away but he was held in thrall. The sounds of the ER blurred into the background as he watches Reid's body jerk off the table. A few seconds, and again.

And again.

How much more could he take?

Morgan joined his hands against his face and prayed. He had to make it.

The green light suddenly jumped.

Oh God.

"Sinus rhythm restored."

Morgan tore himself away and went back to the girls. They looked up at him for news. There was no need for them to know what he had seen.

The door flew open and a trolley was pushed past them.

"That was Hotch." breathed JJ.

Morgan jumped up and followed them to the lift. The doors opened and they pushed the trolley into the care of the theatre staff waiting. Morgan took the arm of one of the doctors. "What's going on?"

"Are you family?"

"Er….yes." Haley had not arrived yet. It was a long trip for her, and Morgan felt justified in the lie.

The doctor looked at him disbelievingly, but said

"Aaron is going up to theatre. He has been pumped full of antibiotics. Normally we would wait for them to take effect before we operate, but he is in danger of loosing that leg. We have to work fast." he paused and then said, "Does Aaron have a substance abuse problem?"

It took Morgan a second to comprehend the question. "Sorry?"

"Substance abuse. You know, drugs."

Morgan was furious. "No! Absolutely not!"

The doctor put his hand on Morgan's shoulder. "It's ok, it's something we just needed to ask.. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of it."

"And Reid? What about Reid?" Morgan tried not to shout.

"I'll go and find out for you." And he disappeared back into the ER

Morgan stood stunned by what the doctor had said.

Then the doctor returned. "We are still trying to stabilize your friend at the moment. He has lost so much blood, he's on volume expanders, and as soon as he's stable, he will be going up to theatre. We need to try and save his arm, but it is unlikely that we will be able to."

"You have to save it!" Morgan stood up and yelled. "And don't dare intimate that he has a 'substance abuse' problem!" Morgan spat the words angrily. Garcia stepped up behind him and silently led him back to the seat.

"He's in the best hands, Babe. Just let them do their job."

Morgan paced. Emily and JJ drank endless cups of coffee. Garcia sat and stared. It seemed to be forever, but suddenly the door opened and Spencer was rushed past them into the lift.

This time Morgan didn't interfere.

Time passed.

Haley arrived. She rushed into the waiting area in a panic.

"Where is he? Where's Aaron?"

Garcia hugged her. "He's in theatre now. We don't know anything."

JJ gave her a cup of coffee. Haley sat with it in her shaking hands without drinking. Morgan carried on pacing.

Time seemed interminable. The five of them waited for news, Haley pale and dry eyed.

"Aaron Hotchner?"

The doctor came over to them, removing his mask. "I'm Dr. Thomas, and I operated on Mr. Hotchner. I am pleased to say that we have managed to save his leg, although it will be a long road to recovery. He lost a lot of muscle tissue due to the wound infection and it is going to take time for it to build up again.

"There could be a problem, however, with the head wound. At the moment he is recovering, but until he comes round completely, we won't know the extent of the damage."

Haley sat down in shock. "Damage?"

Morgan said, "Surely you have some idea?"

"No, I'm sorry. These things are impossible to predict." Dr. Thomas seemed genuinely upset.

"Mrs. Hotchner, please can I speak to you in private?"

Haley shakily stood up and followed the doctor wordlessly.

Morgan sat down, head in his hands.

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Someone was speaking to him. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt so heavy He moved his head painfully towards the voice, tried to speak.

"Don't try to move, Aaron. You are out of theatre, in recovery. My name is Tina. I'll be looking after you until you go up to the ward."

"Spencer." Hotch croaked. It didn't sound like anything even to his own ears. He tried again; Tina put her finger to his lips.

"Don't try to talk, Aaron," she said softly. "Your throat will be sore from the ventilator. I'm not far away. I'll check on you in a minute." She patted his arm and was gone.

Hotch concentrated on his returning senses. His mind rushing over the last two days, trying to remember. Confused images of the woods, of Reid. He had to remember. He knew there was something important.

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Morgan was getting impatient. What was happening with Reid? Never very good at waiting at any time, this was agony. When a doctor came over towards them, however, he was almost too afraid to hear what he had to say.

"Spencer is out of theatre. We have saved his arm, but he may not get full use of it. He is going to need intensive therapy to get any movement at all. There was a lot of damage to the nerves. But it is healing the psychological damage he will need most help with though. I hope he has a good support circle. Are you his friends?"

Morgan nodded, afraid to speak.

"Good. He is going to need you."

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Hotch was beginning to make sense of his surroundings. He could hear Tina speaking to someone. He heard a trolley being wheeled in. He opened his eyes and struggled to focus. The light was quite dim, making it easier to get used to. He watched as the trolley was parked next to him.

Spencer.

His face washed of blood, butterfly clips holding flesh together; his right arm a mass of stitched wounds.

He saw the box at the end of the trolley.

A rape kit.

The full force of the horror of their ordeal hit him

Please, Hotch, no-one must know.

Hotch reached out to him. "Spencer..."

Reid lay still, unmoving. Hotch's mind raced. He had to do something. He tried to move, to test his strength. His leg was in a metal cage, pinned and dressed, heavy and awkward.

He couldn't move it.

He wasn't able to get across to Reid.

He had to do something

What could he do?

Slowly he worked his way to the very edge of the trolley, hoping against hope that Tina wouldn't choose this moment to come over to check his obs.

With a huge effort, he tipped himself off the trolley onto the floor. As he went he grabbed the sheet that was covering Reid pulling it on top of him. Hotch hit the floor hard, knocking the wind out of him, unable to save himself, his caged leg clanging into the side of the trolley

The box landed next to him.

Desperately trying to control his hands, terrified that he didn't have enough time, he slid the box away.

Lying on his back, breathing heavily, and feeling shocked and in pain, had he done enough?

Then he was surrounded by nurses and lifted back onto the trolley.

Tina stood by him. She put her hand on his hair.

"How on earth did that happen?" she frowned. She glanced over at Reid, picked up his cover and replaced it.

"Were you trying to speak to him? Is he your friend?" Hotch nodded weakly. Tina smiled and wheeled the trolleys together.

"I am going to call Dr Thomas down to check out that head wound. Looks like you've opened it up again!"

Hotch closed his eyes, exhausted, anxious, frightened.

He needed to stay awake, look out for Reid.

Sounds moved further away.

His mind tried to pull them back.

He had to stay awake.

For Reid……………………