Hello, hello everyone. Hoped everyone enjoyed the early post like week. Well I am back on schedule for now. Summer can get busy which screws with my posting. I'll try to stick to it for the few chapters that are remaining. Now go read.
"Good afternoon," Garcia cheerfully announced, breezing into the Emily's room toting a large shopping bag in one hand and a drink cup in the other.
"Hi," Emily said with a smile, looking up from the unappealing lunch she was poking at.
"Any good?" she asked, plopped down in the visitor's chair and set the bag down with a loud thud.
"I don't know. I haven't tried it yet," Emily admitted, making a face. Just one whiff of the meal had killed her appetite.
"Em, you have to eat. You're way too skinny, girl."
"I know, Pen, but the pain meds are screwing with my appetite."
Garcia smiled. "I thought they might so I brought you something that I always like when I'm sick." She handed the drink to Emily. "A cookies n' cream milkshake. Cool on the throat, filling and so full of the stuff that's not good for you that it will put a pound on you in snap."
Emily took a sip. It slid down her throat smoothly and quieted her growling stomach. "It delicious, Pen. Thanks."
"No problemo. Look at this," she tutted, picking up the apple from the lunch tray. "They didn't even slice it for easier eating." She held up the knife. "Peeled or unpeeled?" she questioned.
"Peeled."
Penelope started peeling. "Just be glad they didn't send up a banana. They wouldn't have given a second thought to how you would open it with one hand."
"Hey!" Emily said in her defense. "I still have a thumb and two fingers that work." She wriggled them to make her point.
"True," Garcia conceded and then pointed with the knife to the sling. "But said appendages are attached to the hand that is strapped to your chest and located up near your left shoulder. Talk about a awkward position to open things." She peeled the apple in one long strip and neatly sliced it. "Done. Now eat."
"Yes, Mom," Emily teased and popped a slice in her mouth.
"So my Wounded Warrior, how are you feeling?"
"Not bad," she admitted. Better than I was this morning. Maybe I'm catching my second wind."
"And then you'll crash tonight," Penelope pointed out.
Emily grinned. Probably. But I'll sleep through the night. Oh, I want to thank you for the blanket. It was very thoughtful of you."
Garcia's eyes grew wide. "Thanks, Em, for reminding me. I picked up some stuff for you," she said excitedly and pulled the shopping bag on her lap. She started rummaging through it.
"Penelope, you didn't have to do that," Emily protested.
Garcia stopped. She looked at Emily her face deadly serious. "Yes, I do. I didn't get a chance to do it last time."
Emily's eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
She nodded. "I need to do this. Just let me spoil you this one time."
"Okay," Emily smiled. "So what's in the bag?"
Garcia's high wattage smile returned. "I've got all sorts of goodies for you. Let's see. I got you some pajamas." She pulled out two pairs: one in a solid light blue and the other also light blue but with black cats all over it. "Those hospital gowns are so drafty and they expose things that you don't want exposed." She picked up the sleeve of one. "I've split the seam on the sleeve so you can get it over your hand. And," she continued before Emily could say a word. "I got you a matching robe, non skid slippers and a couple of warm stocks."
"Wow. I'll be the height of fashion for, " she paused, "whatever floor I am on."
"Eighth," Garcia supplied.
"Eighth floor."
Penelope piled the clothing on the nightstand next to the bed. "I'll leave it to the nurses to help you change. I don't have a clue how to remove that rig you are wearing."
For which Emily was relieved. It was embarrassing enough having the nurses helping you with things that you normally were able to do. She hated feeling weak. It had been tough letting JJ see her in that condition but she wasn't ready to let the rest of the team see. And then there was the scar. Jack was the only person she had allowed to see it and only because he was a little boy and it had distracted him from his perilous situation.
"That's a good idea," Emily agreed. "They haven't shown me yet on how to remove the sling. Thanks, Penelope, for the sleepwear. I'll definitely be more comfortable."
"Oh, I'm not done yet," Garcia said while waggling a finger at her. "I haven't gotten to the fun stuff yet."
Emily shook her head in amusement. The bag didn't look big enough to hold anything else yet Penelope continued to dig through it. "Did you steal Mary Poppins' valise?" she teased the technical analyst.
"Cute," she answered. "Watching TV all the time can get boring so I brought you some entertainment." She dumped in Emily's lap several magazines and a bunch of puzzle books for crosswords, word seeks and sudoku. "Didn't know which one you liked so I got you one of each." Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Oh gosh, Emily. I'm so sorry. I forgot."
Emily glanced at her curiously. "Forgot what?"
"That you are right handed. You won't be able to do them. I'll take them back."
She went to retrieve the offensive puzzle books but Emily was quicker and moved them out of her reach. "They're fine. I think I can handle circling and printing with my left. I'm going to have a weeks to practice."
"You sure?"
"Positive. So what else do you have in that bottomless bag of yours?"
"Only two more things," she admitted sheepishly. Emily just shook her head. "I know you are old fashion when it comes to books but I thought this might be easier to hold for the time being." She handed Emily an E Reader. "I downloaded a ton of mysteries and fiction and I found for you the Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Unabridged."
"Wow." Was all that Emily could say. It felt like Christmas in July.
"Now I saved the best for last," Garcia grinned and dipped her arm into the bag to pull out a framed photograph. "A picture of our little Boo."
Emily's face broke into a wide grin. "Sergio! I was hoping you had him."
"I do."
"He's a charmer isn't he?" Emily beamed.
"Absolutely. I want visitation rights."
"You got it." Emily fondly ran her fingers over the photo of the black cat. She hadn't realized until now how much she had missed her furry companion. Now she was looking forward to falling asleep with him curled in the bend of her knees and waking to fine him in possession of over half the bed. Something odd about the picture caught her eye. She brought it closer to get a better look. She blinked twice before turning to Garcia in puzzlement.
"Penelope? Is Serge wearing a leather jacket?"
Reid stood outside of Emily's room nervously shifting from foot to foot. He wanted to go in but at the same time he didn't. He was happy that she was back but was also angry about being kept in the dark by JJ and Hotch and to a lesser degree by Emily. The last didn't make sense since learning that Emily hadn't had a say in what happened to her but it still bothered him. Maybe he was still upset that he hadn't been given a chance to say goodbye.
Reid, you can come in you know. I'm not contagious."
He jumped at the sound of her voice. Caught he stepped into the room with an embarrassed look on his face.
Emily silently watched him as he settled uneasily in the chair and rested his satchel in his lap. "Hey," she said, giving him a small smile.
"Hey," he said, returning the smile and then dropping his eyes to his hands.
He was speechless. For the first time he didn't know what to say and that spooked him. The previous time he had been here at her bedside she had been sleeping. There was no need to talk but to simply watch over her. Reid felt guilty that he couldn't talk to his friend so he forced himself to.
"How are you?" he ventured.
"I'm okay."
"Great." Reid looked away and the two sat in silence.
"Are you still having the headaches?" she asked.
His eyes snapped back up and saw the genuine concern in hers. "A few but they're not as bad as they once were," he admitted.
"Is that good?"
"It is," he said and the room grew quiet again.
Emily watched him intently. She could see how uneasy he felt around her and it saddens her. Their easy friendship was gone, hopefully not for good. Of all her teammates she knew he would take it the hardest. Reid must feel like she had abandoned him, left without saying goodbye, which technically she did. The best thing for her to do was to let him proceed at his own pace even if it meant one-sentence conversations from here on.
"I got you some chocolates." He fiddled with the flap of his satchel. He pulled out the box and handed it to her. "I remembered you saying that you loved chocolate," he said nervously. And when he was nervous he rambled. "So I stopped at Mallory's Chocolates to pick up a box. I thought it would be real simple but it wasn't. There was quite a variety to choose from and I didn't know what you liked. There are nut clusters that have peanuts, almonds or cashews in them. Chocolates with soft centers like vanilla, strawberry, orange…"
While Reid rattled on Emily, after a bit of a struggle, got the lid off and took out a piece. She bit into it, chewing slowly to savor the taste.
"…Chocolate and butter cream. I also considered getting a box of mixed chocolates but I didn't like how the odds are stacked against you in finding what you like on the first try. I finally settled on caramels but was stumped on if you liked milk chocolate or dark so I got you both."
Reid came up for air and saw her smiling at him.
"What?" he asked, somewhat defensively.
"I missed that," she confessed.
"Missed what?"
"Your rambling." Her face grew serious. "Never take anything for granted, Reid. Once it is taken from you only then will you realize how much you miss it."
"I never got a chance to say goodbye," he mumbled, looking at the floor.
Emily leaned over painfully to briefly touch him on the shoulder. His came head came up and she dipped hers so she could see his eyes. "I know," she said softly. "Neither did I."
Reid gave her a small smile. Emily straightened and leaned back against the pillows, tired her exertion.
"I have a deck of cards in my bag. Want to play some gin rummy?"
"I would love to."
Reid's smile grew wider. He pulled out the deck, shuffled it with flair and dealt, placing each card carefully on her lap. Emily spread them out and lifted the corner of each to see what she had. They played quietly for a few minutes.
"Talk to me," she said as she picked up the queen he had discarded.
"About what?"
Emily shrugged her shoulder. "Anything. Whatever strikes your fancy."
"Ummm…" he stammered and glanced around the hospital room. His eyes settled on Rossi Jr. who was watching the game from his perch at the head of the bed. "Did you know," he said excitedly. "That the red panda is not related to the panda or the raccoon?"
"No, I didn't," she said, drawing another queen.
"The Ailurus fulgens, also known as the shining-cat, is actually a small arboreal mammal that is in a class of its own. It is native to Southwest China and the eastern parts of the Himalayas. Bamboo is its primary diet but it is omnivorous. It will eat bird eggs and small rodents."
Reid was so engrossed in his lecture he didn't see Emily picking up another queen from the top of the discard pile.
"The panda is a solitary animal that is sedentary during the day and active from dusk to dawn. When it is hot is sleeps on a branch with its legs dangling and when it is cold it wraps its tail around its face. They walk…"
Emily flipped her cards over. "Gin!"
Later after Reid had left, Dr. Barrett stopped in to check up on her patient. She inspected the stitches in Emily's shoulder and inquired if she was suffering any side effects from the concussions. Sensing that the doctor could smell bullshit a mile away Emily admitted she was still having headaches but no double vision or feelings of nausea. Satisfied with her progress so far Dr. Barrett deemed that Emily could get out of bed only, and she heavily emphasized only, to sit in the chair or to use the bathroom. No walking around the floor yet. Maybe in a couple of days the good doctor assured her not too happy patient, when you are steadier on your feet. Dr. Barrett noted to herself that they were going to have their hands full with this one. She was going to fight them every painful step along the way. But she liked her patients this way. The harder they fought to get better the quicker they went home.
After the doctor had left, the nurse applied new bandages to the shoulder. She also disconnected the IV but left the hookup on Emily's arm in because she was still scheduled for more doses of antibiotics. Grudgingly Emily asked for help with slipping into a set of pajamas Garcia had provided. The nurse happily agreed and she was soon decked out in black cats.
The nurse then asked if she would like to sit by the window. Emily readily agreed. She eased off the bed and on to her feet. Her legs started to shake and for once she was glad the nurse had a firm grip on her otherwise she would have taken a header and probably would have added a broken nose to her list of injuries. Walking the three feet to the chair was a struggle. The badly bruised hip had stiffened to the point of being almost unusable. Gritting her teeth against the pain she forced the leg the move and using the nurse as a crutch she hobbled over to the chair and sank into it with a sigh. The short distance had exhausted her but she was pleased that she had done it even with the help. An hour later they repeated the process and Emily crawled back into bed, falling instantly asleep and stayed that way for the rest of the night.
"Morning, Sunshine," Morgan grinned, strolling in just as Emily was finishing up her breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice. Only a banana remained untouched.
"You're here awfully early," she observed, wiping her mouth with the napkin. "I didn't expect to see any of you guys until later in the afternoon or this evening."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Told Hotch I was stopping before work to see my favorite girl."
Emily cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "I'm your favorite? Garcia might take exception to that."
"You're right," he chuckled. "One of my three favorite girls." As he sat he critically studied the breakfast tray. "Did you eat everything?"
Her eyes narrowed, the dark brown blending with the vivid bruising of the two black eyes. "What? Are you and Garcia the food police?" she asked, obviously peeved.
Morgan gave her his patented grin. "She's the sheriff and I'm just the lowly deputy. She says check so I check. You know I can't say no to Baby Girl."
"Obviously."
"She's right though. You need more meat on your bones."
"Wish everyone would stop telling me what I need to do," she muttered under her breath.
He leaned in. "What was that, Emily? I didn't quite catch that."
"I said weight loss can't be helped when you spend as much time in the hospital as I have in the last six months."
Morgan knew that wasn't she had originally said but he let it go. He could tell she was starting to get annoyed by all the helpful hands and this was only the beginning of day four. He dreaded to see what she would be like on day fourteen.
"You got me there. Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to the banana.
"Do you want it?"
"No. I was going to peel it if you wanted it."
"Oh. Yes then."
As Morgan snapped the stem, two young nurses stopped outside Emily's room, looked in, giggled to each other and left. "There you go. I'll leave the rest of the peeling to you."
"Thanks." She took the banana, pulled down the peel and took a bite.
"Nice jammies by the way," Morgan chuckled.
Emily glanced down at the cat pattern sleepwear. "Thanks. They're comfortable."
"Baby Girl?"
"Yes. She showered me with gifts yesterday," she gestured to the mags and E Reader. "And Reid brought me a box of chocolates. I hope you're not going to bestow a gift on me."
"I am. My gift to you is me," he teased.
"My, aren't you full of yourself today," she observed drolly.
"Ouch," he said and pretended to slap himself on the cheek. Emily rolled her eyes.
"Seriously. I'm glad you don't have anything. I feel bad about accepting these gifts when I have nothing to give in return."
"But you have. You are the gift, Emily. You survived and came back to us. That is what we've all been wishing for."
Emily didn't know what to say. Instead she focused on the doorway, catching a couple of nurses looking in. Caught in the act they made a hasty retreat. She frowned. "Morgan?"
"Yeah, Prentiss?"
"Do you know what is up with the nurses? I noticed that since you been here there's been an unusual number of them hovering outside my room."
Morgan ran a hand over his smooth head. "I do," he admitted ruefully. "And it is all your fault."
"My fault?" she echoed, eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes. It's what you called me in front of the Dr. Barrett and a nurse that first night. I'm sure it was all over the hospital by the morning."
"What did I say?"
"The doctor asked you what my name was and you said I was Garcia's Chocolate God of Thunder."
"Oh." She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.
Morgan frowned. "Do you think this is funny?"
She shook her head rapidly. "No." Then against her will her face split into a wide grin. "Yes!" and she roared with laughter while Morgan looked on in consternation.
"I'm so sorry, Morgan," she gasped, wiping at the tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"You should be." He tried to be serious but her laughter was infectious and he was soon grinning.
Emily held up her hand. "Morgan," she said, her eyes dancing in merriment. "I'm so not sorry for calling you that. What I am sorry for is that I don't remember what you face had to look like. It had to be priceless."
When Hotch stopped by that afternoon he found Emily sitting in the chair gazing unseeing out the window lost in thought while absently running her hand along the sling.
"Emily?" he asked tentatively.
Emily remained immersed in her contemplations.
"Prentiss!" He called out in his firmest boss voice.
Her head snapped around. "Huh?" she said confused.
"I called your name but you didn't hear me."
"I'm sorry, Hotch," she said sincerely. "I was just thinking."
"That can be dangerous," he teased with a small smile.
"Yeah. It can," she agreed.
"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked and instantly realized his mistake. He watched her eyes grow distant and saw that he had lost her. The walls were now up and unassailable.
"No," she said flatly, returning her gaze to the window. The hand that had stilled resumed its rubbing of the sling, a temporary substitution for her nail picking.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," he apologized, hoping she would come back out.
"No problem." They sat in silence. After a few minutes Emily turned back to him. "How's Jack?" she asked, smoothly turning the conversation away from her.
Now they were on common ground. "He's good," he said proudly. "He's rebounded from his ordeal like a typical six year old."
"No bad dreams?"
Hotch saw the concern now in her eyes and he was touched. "Only one or two so far."
"That's good. He's a brave little boy. I was so proud of him when he kicked Doyle in the shins," she smiled fondly.
"But Doyle took his anger at Jack out on you."
"I could take it," she stated firmly and started to retreat.
He couldn't allow her to do that. "Jack's been dying to see you again."
"He does? I thought after what had happened to him he would not want to have anything to do with me," she answered sincerely and quietly.
Hotch smiled. "Quite the opposite actually. He's been telling anyone who will listen of his grand adventure in which you figure prominently. You're his knight in shining armor and I think his crush on you has gotten bigger."
"Some knight," she snorted. "Who doesn't own a decent set of armor to prevent getting the crap beat out of her."
He chuckled. "Are you up to having a visit from your little admirer?"
"Absolutely."
"Great. But before I go and get him, I have something to give you." Hotch reached for his briefcase as Emily mentally rolled her eyes at another gift. "Here you go," he said and held it out.
Emily looked at it and then at him. "A file?" she asked dubiously. "Gee, Hotch, you do know how to make a girl feel special. I always wanted one."
He managed to frown and smile at the same time. "Just open it, Smartass," he growled.
Emily grinned and laid the file in her lap. She noted it was labeled with just the letter 'E' and that it was somewhat thick. Slowly she turned back the cover and let out a gasp of surprise.
"Those are the drawings Jack and Henry made for you over the past five months," he volunteered, watching her unfold each one carefully, her eyes glistening with the hint of emotion that each imaginative creation evoked.
"JJ and I told the boys that we would send them to you. They were worried that you might be homesick and they wanted to cheer you up. I didn't know where you were living so I kept them in my office waiting for the day I could give them to you. I wanted you to have them so if the boys asked about getting them you wouldn't be surprised."
As she flipped through the layers of drawings her hand stopped when she felt the thicker texture of a card. She pulled it loose and set the sheets aside to focus on the brightly colored Mothers Day card. Her heart jumped to her throat and barely read the greeting before she had it unfolded. Almost illegible scribbles of admiration were rounded out with a perfectly written autograph. Jack. She felt the warm tears cascade down her cheek. She didn't care. She hadn't felt the warmth of unconditional love in months.
Hotch sat back silently taking it in. Usually Emily could keep her emotions in check but these last months had put severe cracks in her ability to control them. As the emotions washed over her he decided that he should step out and give her some space to deal with them properly.
He made a move to get up from the chair. "Would you like me to leave you alone for a few minutes?"
"No. Stay." She wiped at the tears. "I'm good."
"You sure?" he asked, sinking back down. Silently he held out the tissue box.
"I am," she said with half a laugh. She took a tissue and finished wiping her cheeks. "Thank you for keeping these for me. I love them."
"You're welcome."
"It looks like Jack enjoys drawing. He is very good at it. I noticed how he works so hard to get the details right."
Hotch smiled. "He got that from Haley. I can barely draw a stick figure."
Emily chuckled. "JJ brought me a couple of his drawings while I was in the hospital. One was of Sergio and the other was what I thought at the time was a sunburned raccoon but now I know it was of a red panda."
"Speaking of pandas. Out of curiosity, why did you name it Rossi?" He nodded at Rossi Jr.
Emily looked over at the panda on the bed. "Actually Jack did," she said. "It kept him busy while I tried to find a way to get him out."
"You might want to consider renaming him."
"Why?"
"It's causing some confusion. Every time someone asks about Rossi, Dave isn't sure if they are talking about him or Rossi Jr. there."
"Oh," she said in puzzled voice. "I guess I could call him RJ. Make it easier on poor Dave. Can't have him wandering around confused. He may appear gruff on the outside but on the inside he is a cuddly…"
"Don't say it, Emily," Hotch warned.
Emily grinned wickedly. "On the inside he is a cuddly red panda."
Sorry to those who love cliffhangers, I'm all out of them. For now. Hee hee. See everyone next week and thanks for the reviews!