Her past catches up with her
I don't own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground. Might not be suitable for younger children. Some violence and mild swearing.
CHAPTER 8
After the plane lands, Reid helps JJ off the plane and to his car. JJ's still sleepy from her nap.
"Reid, where are we going? My house's back in the other direction." JJ says, almost too upset.
"Calm down JJ. I was told to take you to the doctors. Gideon wanted your doc to see the leg and the head injuries. He also thought maybe the doc could give you something to help you sleep and something to help you through this rough time." Reid says, looking at her every so often as he drives.
"Why does everyone think I can't take care of myself! I took care of myself on the street when I was 15! I took care of Walt all on my own! I got myself through college and the academy! I had no family or friends! I can do this on my own!" JJ says, staring straight ahead and emotionless, except the yelling.
"JJ, you're brave and strong to do all those things. And all by yourself. But you aren't alone anymore. You have so much family and friends that love you. We can help carry the load. Just give us a chance to show you. We all care. We don't care that you kept the truth from us. We understand you had to and why you had to. But don't shut us out. Lean on us the way we lean on you. It goes both ways." Reid says, reaching over and gently grabbing her hand.
JJ's silent and still staring straight ahead. Then one single tear rolls down her left cheek. "The only time I felt like I had a family and friends was when I was at Horizon. Peter and Sophie are like the parents I always wanted and needed. Scott's the boyfriend that made me believe in ANY kind of love. Daisy's the best friend that I had lost on the streets. Juliet and Auggie are just the pains, like brother and sister. Ezra's the geeky best guy friend. He's the smart one that wanted to love me more than a friend. David, he's just repulsive. He annoyed me so. Kat, she's the big sister. Always telling me what to do. But I sure did miss them when I was in college studying. When I'd see other students going home for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's like a knife in the heart. I never felt so alone. Never. I don't know how many times I picked up the phone to call Peter or Sophie. But then the thought of Josh made me put the receiver down. Wondering whatever happened to Jess. Hoping she's happy and healthy. Wondering if I might be an aunt. Wondering if Scott's married and has kids. Also about Daisy. The thought of all of them was what kept me from going crazy. Well, less crazy than I am now." JJ says, with a joking laugh.
"They sound like very special people. Maybe we can all meet them." Reid says, pulling into the parking lot of the doctors.
"Well, maybe most of them. Ezra's dead. David's over in Iraq. But the others seem to be doing well for themselves. I couldn't be more proud of them." JJ says, unbuckling her seatbelt and waiting for the car to come to a complete stop before opening her door.
"JJ, let me help you." Reid says, rushing over to her side of the car. Trying to stop her from exiting the car.
"Reid, I'm not helpless. I can handle this on my own, " JJ tries to push herself slowly up and out of the car. Her leg starts to ache a little too much to hold her. "I'll admit, I could use your help. The leg must be stiff." JJ says, trying to play it off as something it wasn't. Just trying to be more independent.
"Here we go." Reid says, pulling her up out of the car and balancing her with his arm around her waist.
"I can't believe how wiped out I feel. My body just aches." JJ says, as they slowly walk into the business looking office building.
Once inside, Reid sat JJ down in a waiting room chair and then went up to the register window to sign JJ in.
"Hello sir, who's the doctor seeing today?" The receptionist asks.
"Ms. Jennifer Jearau. The doctor told her to just come in. He'd had an accident in Colorado. We just got back. So the doc would like to see the extent of her injuries and go from there. So she doesn't have a set appointment." Reid says, rambling.
"Ok. Thank you. You may have a seat and the doctor will be out to talk you back in a moment." The receptionist says, closing the glass window. She had looked at Reid like he was crazy. So Reid turned around and walks over to JJ.
"Did you ramble?" JJ asks, not looking up from the magazine that she's flipping through.
"Yeah. She was looking at me like I was crazy. Who knows, maybe I am." Reid says, setting besides JJ. They set in silence for about ten minutes and the nurse came out and called JJ's name.
"Jennifer? Jennifer Jearau?"
"Here, just a second." JJ stands with Reid's help. "Ok, here we come." JJ says, as they slowly hobbled toward the open door that leads to the exam rooms. It took a few minutes and JJ had to be weighted.
"Ok, please step up and let me get your weight." The nurse says. JJ steps up and the nurse looks at the digital scale. "Ok, one hundred and ten pounds. I see you're down twelve pounds. Ok, we're going into room six." The three of them walk to the room. Reid sits in on of the two chairs and JJ climbs up onto the examining table. Her blood pressure and temperature is taken. " one o two over eighty. Very good. And your temp is normal. The doctor will be in shortly." The nurse says and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
"Wow, I guess I'm normal. So, then maybe we can leave. I need to go make arrangements for Martha's funeral and hire someone to come clean the house so I can live in it again. I should probably sell the houses and get something closer to work. I just don't know if I could sell Martha's house. I have so many memories of our Christmas' and our Thanksgivings. I hope Josh and Walt didn't trash it too much. I have to stop by the office and pick up some files and drop some off. I have to get a hotel room for a few days. I have to pick out something to bury Martha. I have to go through all her papers and find out where she wants to be buried. Oh, or if she wants to be cremated. I have to get some of my cloths from my place. Check out the mess that's been made at my house. I don't have time to be here." JJ says, just rambling so fast. Then, when she stopped to take a breathe, the doc came in.
"Hey there Jennifer! So let's take a look at that leg and head. So what happened?" The doc asks, sitting on the stool that rolls and then rolls over to the exam table to look at JJ's injuries.
"I was in Colorado on an assignment. I bumped into a bar counter and dropped some glasses and of course fell onto the broken glass. I hit an artery in my leg. The doctor there was very good. He repaired the damage and stitched up the head injury. I just need to have you look at the cuts and sign a paper for work. It's workers comp." JJ says, talking really fast. Which made Reid a little nervous and the doc even looked a little suspicious.
"Jen, have you had any head aches?" The doc asks, looking concerned.
"Maybe. Why?" JJ asks, looking the same way he had just looked at her.
"Because, with a head wound, you have to make sure that you don't have a stroke from a blood clot. Have you had any vision problems or haulucanations?" The doc asks.
"I don't think so, but I'm becoming a bit paranoid." JJ says, a little on the scared side.
"What do you mean?" The doc asks. Reid was watching both of them with concern.
"Well, I have so much going on that I can't stand this. Then you add more stress by telling me I could have a stroke! I can't handle all this right now! I have work, a funeral to plan, papers to find, files to review and two houses to get clean! Plus I have to worry about Frick and Frack! I just don't have the patients to deal with it all! Oh god, I think I'm going to throw up!" JJ says, putting a hand over her mouth. The doc grabs the trash can and JJ vomits. Reid holds her hair back and rubs her back.
"Calm down Jennifer. I think we need to get you some xanax and maybe some ambein. The ambein will help you sleep. The xanax will help you calm down. I want to see you back next week to take a look at the progress of your injuries. If you are still upset, we'll talk about anti depressants. But you need to take some time off work. Deal with one thing at a time. Maybe have your friends and family help you with some stuff. Like Mr. Reid here. He came with you to help you. I'm going to call your boss and have him know what's going on. This is workers comp. Plus, you're dealing with the death of a close friend. Take some time to deal." The doc says, taking the trash can away.
"Doc, please don't say anything to my boss. I will take some time off. I promise. I just need to go get this stuff started. I feel fine. No head ache, vision or haulucanations. So I'll see you next week." JJ says, just tired.
"Well, I think she needs to have some blood drawn. We need to see if she has any drugs in her system. I'm sure it was just stress that made her tired. But we thought it might have been a drugging. See this mark." Reid says, moving JJ's long blond hair. The men look at the base of JJ's neck. "See this whole. It looks like a needle mark. But Jen thinks it was from the crutches. So just to see on the safe side. And can she walk on that leg, or does she have to use the crutch still?" Reid asks, like JJ wasn't even in the room.
"I think it will have to depend on what she's doing. If it's a long walk, then yes with the crutch. If it's just around the house and office, then no. Jennifer, do you want to use the restroom to freshen up. I'll be here with Mr. Reid. So if you think of any questions, you can ask when you get back."The doc says as JJ hops down and slowly hobbles to the restroom down the hall. "Mr.Reid, I'm concerned about Jennifer. Could you talk to your co-workers about helping her through this. This just might break her. I'd perfer that she not be alone. Just on the off chance her cracks. She'll need someone there the comfort her." The doc says, quietly.
"Sure, no problem. We actually made a list of what needs to be done. We divided it between us. But she will protest. That's just the way she is. I'll make sure we keep an eye on her. We're like her family. Thanks." Reid says, just as JJ returns.
"I really have to leave. I'll see you need week. Just call the scripts into the pharmacy. Come on Reid." JJ says, grabing Reids arm and walking out of the office. JJ stops and makes an appointment for next week. She didn't have a co pay because it's workers comp. They go to the lab in the building so JJ could get the blood taken.
Once they got out to the car, Reid asks, "So, where do you want me to take you?"
"To Quantico. I have to drop off some files and pick some up. Then I'll head over to the hotel closet to work. I need to make a list of all the calls and things to get Martha buried. I should have enough cloths to last until tomorrow. Then I'll go take a look at my place. That's if it's cleared for me to enter. Maybe I should just stay in my office. I don't know. Just take me back to work. Thanks again Spence. My head's everywhere. I have to fill out paper work for workers comp and then I have to call Martha's lawyer. I need to know if she's going to be buried or cremated. See if she wanted anything to go to anyone in particular. I just can't believe this." JJ says, looking out the window and not saying another thing untill they get to Quantico.
Everyone had gone to the office to drop off their take along bags. But only Hotch and Gideon stayed. Reid helps JJ up to her office and then heads home once he knows she's all settled. JJ had been working at her desk for about an hour when Hotch knocks on her office door.
"Come in!" JJ says without looking up from her paper work.
"Hey, what'd the doctor say?" Hotch asks, like a loving father.
"He gave me a couple of meds and wants to see me back next week. I don't have to use the crutch the whole time. Just for long walks.