NO SURRENDER
Chapter 6
Dying and a Death

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose." - Tom Krause


The fourth day, and Aaron didn't wake up in the morning. The woman checked him and was glad to find he was breathing still, although the breathing was shallow and erratic. His lips were dry and cracked today. He hadn't had a drink since that first day and would be seriously dehydrated by now. She tipped iodine on the chest wound, hoping the sudden pain would wake him up. It was pointless administering punishment to an unconscious man.

He groaned and shifted, but his eyes didn't open.

'Wake up Honey.' she said. She stood on the chair and kissed him, but still he didn't wake up. 'Come on, Darling, it's not time to die yet.'

She went and got some water, suddenly feeling a panic rise in her. She suddenly realised that she didn't want him to die. She opened his mouth and she poured a little water. Aaron swallowed, and licked a drop of water from his lips.

'That's it, Honey, wake up now.' She dripped water in his mouth again and he licked his lips. His eye lids fluttered and he opened his eyes and looked at her. She noticed his eyes had lost the lustre they previously had.

'Please....' he whispered,' I need...... a doctor...' He coughed and vomited blood onto the floor in front of him. His eyes watered as the pain tore at him as his stomach twisted. She put a hand on his cheek.

'I can take care of you.' she said to him, stroking him gently. He was too weak to protest. She wiped the blood off his lips and kissed him again.

'I love you.' she whispered.

'I'm dying.' he whispered back.

-0-0-0-

I think he's bleeding internally. I don't know what to do I don't want him to die, not now. But I can't take him to the hospital or I will lose him. I need to do this myself. He needs to be back on the bed. I cut down the rope holding him up. I know he cannot escape. He crashes to the floor at my feet and I want to make love to him again. I drag him back to the bed and pull him onto the filthy mattress. I have to be so careful because I don't want to hurt him any more – not yet, anyway. Yes he needs to be punished for the way he has behaved, but killing him is no longer what I need to do. I want to keep him as my secret lover. I will make him better and then he will be my lover. I pull him round again, and tie him as I did before. He is too weak to escape, but I need to drain the blood from his abdomen, and he might struggle.

I tie him down across his chest and hips, using belts. This is not so much to stop him from escaping – I don't think he's able to – but to hold him still while I drain the blood from his peritoneum. If he wakes up it is sure to hurt. I have a tube I can use to drain it, and a syringe to replace the blood in his veins. I don't really know what I'm doing. And I need to stop the bleeding.

He is shaking his head from side to side and moaning, although he is still asleep. I pour iodine across his abdomen where the bruise is growing. I have a craft knife, and I slice across the black and red bruise. The blood that runs out is dark and thick. The smell made her gag. He is waking up and I don't know what to do.

-0-0-0-

'Look at this.' Prentiss said, standing in front of an open wardrobe. The other's come and stand behind her and look in shocked silence at the pictures pasted over the inside. There are hundreds of pictures of Lowe, and a few of Rana. But the ones that grabbed their attention were the ones in the centre of the back of the wardrobe. Candid shots of Hotch stuck over the top of the others, with crosses through them. Reid touched one.

'She was in a rage when she drew the crosses.' he said. 'See how she has torn the paper on some of them with the pen.' Reid's voice shook. He needed Aaron badly. he needed to tell him...........

Hotch, hold on, we are getting closer..... Hold on to life, Hotch, don't let go........

'Where has she taken him? There must be a clue around here!' Morgan said. His fists were clenched, and he went over to the desk again.

In the centre of the top of the open desk was a small drawer. Morgan pulled the drawer out and turned it over. Taped to the bottom was a small key.

'I have something here.' he said. The others tore themselves away from the disturbing images to see what Morgan had found. He held the key up. 'Safety deposit box.' he said.

-0-0-0-

Looking down at the pale bleeding man on the bed, she realised that she had lost control of the situation. He was going to bleed to death in front of her unless she could get a doctor for him. His eyes were open and pleading as dark blood flowed out of the cut onto the bed.

She took his hand. 'I will get you some help.' she said. 'don't die.'

She pressed a towel onto the cut she had just made and he moaned with pain. His body jerked as she tied it in place with a belt. His face was cold as she kissed his cheek and said good bye.

Later standing outside the hospital with Hotch's gun in her pocket, she wondered how she was going to do this. She watched the staff walking between the buildings, and waited until there was a man on his own. She walked across the road in front of him and faked twisting her ankle. The man came to help her. As he knelt beside her she produced the gun.

'Don't react, doctor, or I will shoot you. Now stand up slowly and help me onto my feet.'

He reached out his hand and she stood up, still holding the gun pointed at his stomach.

'Now come with me to my car.'

'What do you want me for?' he asked in a high frightened voice.

'You are going to help a friend of mine.' She unlocked her car door and gestured him into the driver's seat. Then quickly she went round to the other side.

Holding the gun against his waist, she directed him along the streets, leaving the city and out into the open plain. He didn't speak until the car was driving across the plain, leaving the city behind.

'Tell me about your friend.' he said in a shaky voice. 'Just so I can be ready.'

'He has internal bleeding. I need you to fix him.'

The doctor nodded. 'And what if I can't do it? What then?'

'Then you die as well.'

-0-0-0-

I don't want him to see how scared I am. I think it might be too late already. I have killed lots of people but I don't want Hotchner to be one of them. I realise that Mase has been out of my thoughts now, and Aaron Hotchner is taking over.

'I am sorry, Mase....'

We drive for a few minutes, and turn off the road towards my Grandfather's house. I can see it now, and I tell my doctor that we are almost there. He stops the car close to the front door, and we get out. I take the keys from him and put them in my pocket. If he made off with the car, I'd be finished.

'This way.' I nudge him in the back and he walks in front of me to the door. Every step closer to Hotchner, I fear a little more that he will be dead when we reach him. I poke the gun hard into the doctor's back.

'Move it!' I tell him. He stumbles forward towards the basement door

-0-0-0-

The towel was drenched with blood when they reached him, but Hotchner was clinging to life still. She gave the doctor the craft knife and iodine and sat back to watch.

'Don't let him die.' she said. 'If he dies, you die.'

The doctor realised at that point that she was going to kill him anyway. He had to play for time.

'Who is this man? How did he get beaten like this?' he asked, uncovering the cut I made in his stomach.

'He is my fiancé.' she said, taking Hotch's cold still hand.

He worked on Hotch for an hour, trying to locate the bleed, closing it off and cleaning him up afterwards. Hotch was in a deep coma now, and didn't react to what was happening. The doctor had blood up to his elbows.

'I have done what I can.' he said. 'He needs proper care and antibiotics.'

'Just do your part.' she said to him.

He stood back and looked at the man lying on the filthy bed, soaked in blood and other body fluids.

'He had a ruptured bowel, and severe bleeding. He is dehydrated, and needs an IV drip of antibiotics. I have done what I can, but he may still die.' he said. 'He will develop peritonitis. Will you allow me to take him to hospital?'

'Step back from him now.' she said, 'And kneel down.'

He stepped way from her. 'He isn't safe yet.'

'Kneel down and face away from me.'

He knelt down. She cocked the gun and pressed it into the back of his head.

'Please don't kill me. I have children.' he sobbed. 'I helped you.'

Without a word she pulled the trigger and blew the front part of his head off. blood and brain and bits of splintered bone shot forward in a fountain and stuck to the wall.

She knelt beside him and turned him over. His badge said "Tony Vernon. Junior Houseman."

'I am sorry Tony Vernon, but I couldn't let you go.'

She dragged the body away from the bed and left him in the corner of the room. Then she went back and sat with Hotchner.

'You can wake up now, Hotch. You are going to be ok.'

She took his cold white hand in hers and held it against her face.

'Please wake up, Aaron Hotchner.' She started to cry.

-0-0-0-

I pick up the bottle of water I have left on the floor. There is blood on it, and something else. I wipe it away with my sweater, and pour a little in his mouth. I thought he would drink it, but instead he coughs and chokes on it. I turn his head to the side and try to help him breathe again. When he stops choking I'm not sure if it's because he has died, and the now familiar feeling of panic rises. But he licks his dry lips and reassures me that he is still here.

'A doctor has fixed you.' I tell him.

He turns his head to the side and vomits again. His eyes water precious fluid. Each breath sounds like a sigh, and each time I pray that it is not his last.

-0-0-0-

A/N – Slightly shorter chapter this time. I will probably post again today.