A/N: Sorry for the delay. A touch of RL mixed in with a case of writer's block. Here's hoping this chapter was worth the wait. Also, there is one more chapter before the epilogue.
Chapter 24
The team arrived at the hospital an hour before visiting hours, and decided to head to the cafeteria before it was time to head upstairs. Rossi kept the file folder in his possession tucked under his arm. But before heading for the cafeteria, Rossi looked in on Hotch and saw Haley with her arms folded on the bed with her head resting on top of them sleeping soundly. He decided not to wake her and let the door close quietly before rejoining the others waiting outside the bank of elevators.
"Is Haley coming?" asked JJ.
"She was sleeping so I decided to let her sleep," Rossi explained. "Poor kid, she's gotta be tired."
Once they were all seated at a table drinking their coffee, Reid glanced at Rossi. "Think Hotch will believe our explanation about him confusing Daria with Emily?"
"I think so," the older agent replied. "But before we try and convince Aaron, I believe we should show our evidence to Haley. She might be able to help us convince him."
"Speak of the devil," Reid muttered softly straining his neck as he looked around. The others looked in the direction their young genius was looking, and spotted Haley entering the cafeteria. She quickly got herself a Styrofoam cup of tea and was about to leave after paying the cashier, when she spotted Rossi waving for her to join them. With a tired smile, she approached the group as Morgan grabbed a chair from a nearby table and gestured for her to sit which she did between Morgan and JJ.
"How you holding up?" asked Prentiss eying Haley. She noticed the blond staring at her.
"I'm all right," Haley replied tiredly. She licked her lips as she thought about what she wanted to say. "Emily, I need to apologize for going off on you before. I shouldn't have done that."
Prentiss smiled as she tucked a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear. "You don't have to apologize to me. It isn't necessary."
Haley sighed. "Yes I do. I was wrong to jump on you the way I did. I should have realized that you would never hurt Aaron. I hope you can forgive me."
Prentiss smiled. "There's nothing to forgive. And as far as I'm concerned, it's already forgotten." She saw Haley smile warmly at her. Then, the woman noticed the file folder under Rossi's elbow.
"What is that?" she asked, curious, gesturing to the folder.
Rossi slid the folder out from under his elbow to in front of him. "We believe we know why Aaron lashed out at Emily." He removed photos of Prentiss and Daria and handed them to Haley to study. He saw the blond's eyebrows knit together.
"My God. There is a sort of resemblance between them." Haley pointed to Daria's photo. "Is this the woman who was involved in Aaron's kidnapping?" She looked up at Rossi.
Before the older man could respond, Morgan interceded. "Her name is Daria Hunt. She and her husband Ronald, and his father, Dr. Jack Hunt, were all involved in Hotch's kidnapping."
"But I was the last one to see Hotch before he disappeared," Prentiss added. "We separated after we entered the location where a girl was being held. Hotch went one way and I went another. The rest of the team was searching the upper level. Next thing I knew, somebody knocked me out from behind. When I came to, the rest of the team was standing over me telling me that Hotch had disappeared."
Laying the photos on the table in front of her, Haley shoved them back at Rossi who put them back in the folder. She took a drink of her tea, then stared into the cup at the liquid. "What did…what did they do to Aaron during those three years?" she asked not looking up.
"That's not important," JJ replied gently laying a hand on Haley's arm.
"Please," Haley looked up, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I need to know what happened to him."
The group exchanged troubled looks as if deciding who was going to be the one to explain. Finally, Morgan inhaled and exhaled through his mouth.
"They uh, they kidnapped Hotch to use him in some kind of experiment they were conducting on innocent people."
"What kind of experiment?" asked Haley. "Don't hold anything back from me."
Morgan continued. "The experiment was to put a person into a catatonic state first, then used electroshock treatments on them to wipe out their memories, and replace them with different memories."
"All the other victims died," Reid added softly.
Haley looked horrified. "They died from the electroshock treatments?"
Rossi shook his head. "No. If the uh, treatments didn't work right, the victims were killed and their deaths made to look like suicides."
"Oh God!" Haley murmured burying her face in her hands, her sobs heard by the group. Morgan reached out a hand and gripped the upset woman's shoulder.
"Haley, we got to Hotch in time. He only had three treatments which was way less than what the others had. With luck, he could regain the memories he's lost in time. He's already showing signs of remembering things. It's just gonna take time and a lot of patience."
"And whatever you and Jack need," JJ added. "All you have to do is call us. And unless we're on a case, we'll be available to help."
Haley allowed a small smile to appear. "Thank you. All of you. I don't know what Jack and I, or even Aaron, would do not having all of you to help." She finished her tea and looked at her watch. "We should see if Aaron is awake by now."
Hotch slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them, removing the crustiness from them. He then glanced over at the empty chair beside the bed, and wondered where Haley had gone to.
Just then, the door opened and Doctor Sherman walked in.
"Good morning Agent Hotchner. How do you feel this morning?"
"Okay, I guess." Hotch again glanced at the empty chair. Sherman glanced as well.
"Do you know where your wife went?" he asked.
"I don't know," Hotch replied nervously. "She wasn't here when I awoke a short while ago."
"She probably went to the cafeteria after being here all night. One of my nurses told me when I came on duty this morning that she saw her sleeping in the chair beside your bed last night." Sherman noticed a frown appear on his patient's face. "Is something wrong?"
Hotch shrugged. "Nothing you can do anything about."
"That depends," said Sherman wrapping his arms around himself. "What seems to be the problem?"
Hotch looked at the doctor. "What's going to happen to me once I get out of here? I mean, with my memory being what it is, where am I going to go after leaving here?"
"What do you mean where are you going when you leave here?" asked a female voice. Both Hotch and Sherman looked at Haley standing just inside the doorway. She had heard part of their conversation. "You're coming home with me and be with our son. He's going to be so excited to see his daddy after all this time."
Hotch frowned. "All I remember about Jack is his name, but nothing else about him. I barely remember anything about you. How am I suppose to act around you, much less as a father around a child I don't even remember?"
"We'll get through it together," Haley explained fighting to hold it together. "You won't have to face this alone." She then looked at Sherman. "Is Aaron all right? His team is outside and would like to see him."
"I'd like to examine him before I allow any visitors, Mrs. Hotchner," Sherman replied. "I promise I will update you as soon as I'm done."
Haley nodded and smiled weakly. "I'll wait outside with the others."
About an hour later, Doctor Sherman emerged from Hotch's room to find the six agents and Haley waiting. His eyes immediately fell on Prentiss and a look of disapproval crossed his face. Haley immediately noticed it.
"It's all right, doctor," she said. "Aaron is wrong about Agent Prentiss, and it's important that he see her."
"I'll allow it only if Agent Hotchner doesn't become extremely upset. The moment he does, she will have to leave. Is that understood?"
"Understood," Rossi replied. "How's Aaron?"
Doctor Sherman let out a sigh. "Physically, he's doing quite well. In fact, there's a good possibility he could be released by the end of the week. Mentally, although he remembers a few things, he's still having problems with his memory. Unfortunately, with the kind of memory problem he's having, there's nothing we can do for him. The only thing any of us can do is wait and see how much, if any, of his memory returns with time." He paused as he waited to see how the information he gave was received. He noticed the frowns that were appearing.
"So there's a possibility that he may never remember anything other than what he has so far?" asked Garcia grimly, her lower lip trembling.
"That's correct," Sherman replied. "Look, I know it's not what any of you want or were hoping to hear, but it's the best I can offer you. Only time will tell."
"Can we see him now?" asked Haley, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Of course. But I would not suggest Agent Prentiss go in just yet. If what you told me earlier is correct, then it would be best to break it to him gently without upsetting him. Seeing Agent Prentiss right now would only upset him at this point."
Nodding her head, Emily looked at Rossi. "I'll wait out here," she said. "I don't want to upset Hotch. Just have somebody come and get me once everything's straightened out."
"You sure, Princess?" Morgan asked. Prentiss nodded and slowly sat on the bench.
"I'm sure," she replied with a faint smile.
Hotch lay on his back staring at the ceiling, the head of the bed slightly elevated when he heard the door open. Turning his head to the side, he saw Haley, Rossi, Reid, Morgan, Garcia and JJ enter. The corners of his mouth curled upward.
"Haley, Dave, hi," Hotch greeted them before looking at each of the others individually. "Let me see if I can remember your names. You're JJ…" He noticed a smile come to JJ's face. "And you are Garcia…" The computer tech smiled as tears rolled down her face. "You're Reid…" Stuffing his hands in his pants pockets, Reid smiled shyly. "And you are Morgan." The black agent grinned.
"From all your expressions, I must have got it right," Hotch replied.
"Right on the button, Boss man," Garcia joked. "How do you feel?"
Hotch shrugged. "Okay I guess." He focused on Haley. "You said something about me coming home with you once I'm out of here?"
Haley slowly walked around the bed and sat down in the chair beside it. She gripped her husband's hand and squeezed it. "That's right. The doctor told us you could leave here by the end of the week, and I want you to come home with me."
Hotch suddenly looked nervous. "I can't do that."
"What do you mean you can't?" asked Haley, surprised. "Aaron…"
"It's nothing against you," Hotch explained carefully knowing what he was going to say would probably hurt her, but he didn't know what else he could do. "But I don't think it's fair that I go home with you to a life I don't remember nor be around a child I don't remember anything about."
Haley fought to control her tears. "But…but…don't you want to see your son? Where will you go?"
"I don't want to discuss it right now until I speak with the doctor. So, could we just drop it for now?"
Haley opened her mouth to respond, but promptly shut it rather than argue the point. She didn't want to upset her husband right now; but also, she couldn't think straight at the moment after hearing his decision. She looked over her shoulder at the team who also had stunned looks on their faces. Stepping forward, Rossi rested a hand on her shoulder causing her moist eyes to look up into his. She saw him smile at her indicating he would talk to Hotch later about his decision.
"Thank you," she silently mouthed.
It was then Hotch spotted the folder in Rossi's hand. "What's that?" he asked.
Rossi looked at Haley who got to her feet and allowed Rossi to sit in the seat she had just vacated; the older agent placed the folder on the bed.
"Aaron, we need to talk about Emily Prentiss and your outburst at her the other day." He folded his hands atop the folder.
"I don't want to talk about her," Hotch stated turning his face away from the older man.
"Aaron, look at me." Rossi said. He waited until the younger man faced him again. "Look, I know how you feel about Prentiss and what you think she's done to you. But what if I can prove to you that you're wrong about her? Can you at least listen to me if you do nothing else?"
Hotch inhaled and exhaled through his mouth. "Fine. I'll listen to what you have to say. But I don't think it'll make me change my mind."
For the next hour, Rossi explained everything to Hotch from the moment the team had entered the premises three years ago in Louisville up to and including when he disappeared. When he was finished, Rossi waited for Hotch to say something.
"So what you're telling me is that I am confusing this Daria Hunt with Emily Prentiss?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you," said Rossi. He opened the folder and handed Hotch the photo of Daria Hunt. "Do you recognize her?" he asked.
Hotch, studying the photo, felt that he should recognize the woman, but wasn't certain. "She does look familiar to me yet…" he didn't finish.
"How about this one?" asked Rossi handing him the photo of Prentiss. Immediately Hotch noticed a resemblance between the two women, although very slight. He watched the younger man look back-and-forth between the two photos. The expression on his face indicating he was trying to make himself remember. After several minutes he found his eyes drawn to Prentiss's photo as the words came to mind.
"Be careful. You too," Hotch murmured in a soft voice as he continued to stare at the photo of the raven-haired woman. "He said he took care of her. Prentiss," he added with eyebrows knitted together.
Rossi glanced over at Haley. "Get Prentiss," he said softly. He watched the woman move to the door and opening it part-way, look out into the hall, and gesture with one hand for Prentiss to come inside. Seconds later, Emily Prentiss came inside the room staying close to the door, her back against the wall where Hotch could see her without obstruction. She noticed him look up and focus his eyes on her. Only this time she didn't see the anger in his eyes that she had seen the previous time; she thought she saw what looked like…compassion perhaps?
"Hotch?" Prentiss asked, licking her lips.
"Prentiss. Are you all right?"
A small smile appeared on her face. "I'm fine. But I should be asking you that question."
"He said he took care of you."
She knitted her eyebrows together. "Who did?"
Hotch tilted his head slightly. "I don't know. I can't remember who he was or is. I just seem to remember a man saying he had taken care of you." He sighed. "Prentiss, I apologize for screaming at you before."
Emily's smile grew wider as she came closer to the bed. "It's forgotten. Hotch, I know you don't remember everything yet, and you're probably confused about certain things, but trust me when I tell you we're all behind you."
Hotch's eyes shifted from agent to agent. "Why would all of you be behind someone who doesn't remember any of you other than what you've all told me so far?"
"It's simple, Hotch," Morgan told the dark-haired man. "You're our friend, we care about you, and you matter."
"I agree with them, Aaron," Haley added with a small smile. "Add to that I love you very much and so does our son. I understand you don't remember us or Jack right now, but like your team, we also will fight to get you back."