Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or alerted this story. Again, I'll direct you to the warnings in the first chapter of this story.
The doctors met with the profilers in JJ's room several minutes later. Emily had systematically refused to leave JJ's side, and the doctors desperately needed to inform the agents of the further care JJ needed.
"Abigail, maybe you could start for us. What did you discover in the SAE?" Dr. Martinez asked, looking back to his charge to make certain the blonde had indeed fallen asleep.
Dr. Gonzales sighed, "JJ was definitely a victim of multiple sexual assaults—one, very recently, being so violent as to cause severe tearing along the vaginal walls. On examination, at least three sexually transmitted diseases were readily apparent. I ordered strong antibiotics, but I won't know the full scope of what we're dealing with until I get the labs back." She took a deep breath, pausing to allow the information to sink in. "It appears, just from what I've been able to assess, that most of her injuries have been either completely untreated, or were only mildly treated."
Dr. Martinez nodded, "From what I've seen, I would have to agree with you. I'm sure you noticed the thinning hair and gaunt appearance which only further supports what her weight alone tells us—Jennifer has been severely malnourished for some time now. I would suggest," He turned to the profilers, "that we first do a full exam, cataloguing each injury. Then, we can admit Jennifer until we can get a basic handle on her various treatments."
"Various treatments?" Emily asked quietly, hoping that they wouldn't wake JJ from her fitful sleep, "what do you mean?"
"I'm not a surgeon," Dr. Martinez sighed, "however, on viewing the x-rays, it is apparent that many of her healed injuries will need to be repaired once she is stable enough to be able to handle such an extensive surgery."
"Such as?" Hotch prodded stiffly.
Dr. Martinez rubbed his eyes warily. "The injury to her leg that I mentioned earlier? It will definitely require surgery—surgery which would entail re-breaking the bones and setting them with the hope that they heal correctly. As it is, the injury is likely still causing her severe pain."
"Her hip." Dr. Gonzales spoke up, "As I was helping her move her legs, there seems to be something wrong with her hip. It will definitely need an MRI or a CT scan to check for any damage, it may not have shown up on the X-ray. An injury like that would require months of physical therapy at least, if not surgery as well."
"So what should we do?" Emily asked, her mind swimming with the information the doctors had heaped on her shoulders.
"Like Dr. Martinez said," Dr. Gonzales prodded, "a full exam is really the first step. We just need your consent."
Hotch nodded cautiously, "Do whatever you need to."
.oOo.
Dr. Gonzales smiled sympathetically at Emily as she sat back down on her stool, "Dr. Martinez and I decided that if Jennifer here wakes up, it may be less traumatic for her if she finds me cataloging her injuries."
Emily nodded deftly, retaking her own spot at JJ's bedside.
"The nurses said they saw something on her lower back when they were helping her take the X-ray—" Abigail murmured as she scooted over to the side of the bed. "Did you see anything?" She asked Emily as she rolled JJ's hips to the side.
Emily shook her head quickly. "No, I was trying to keep her calm." She admitted, fighting the urge to feel slightly defensive. Vaguely, she recalled JJ snapping away quickly from a nurse that inquired about something on her back. At that time, it had been far more important to help the doctors treat JJ's shoulder.
Dr. Gonzales stopped as she felt tightness in JJ's pelvis. Massaging around the area that she suspected was from a previously broken hip, she pushed herself to continue, mentally making a note of the area. Pulling back JJ's hospital gown, her jaw dropped at the sight that met her eyes.
As an Emergency Room doctor in a rural town, Abigail Gonzales had seen her fair share of grotesque and disturbing images. But her prior experience couldn't hold a candle to the image in front of her. Scarred, distorted and bumpy purple flesh marred a circular area on her back. An unintelligible design was also burned into her skin, black skin bordering the semi-fresh burn. But the image that bored into Dr. Gonzales's mind was the third sore—a second circular red angry mass of blistered cauterized skin oozed puss and the smell of infection at first glance. Gasping involuntarily, Abigail gently traced the outside of the burn as she racked her brain for what type of immediate treatment would be best.
JJ jerked awake, yanking at her arm that was cuffed to the bed and winced as she pulled her arm, immobilized in a sling, up under her chin for protection. "¡Deténgase! ¡Por favor!" She begged in Spanish.
Grimacing almost imperceptibly, Dr. Gonzales grabbed a disinfectant, frowning slightly as she acknowledged that this would most definitely hurt her charge. "Jennifer, this is going to sting a little, but I want to make sure this newer injury doesn't get infected."
Applying the cool liquid to JJ's back, Dr. Gonzales felt her own calculated professionalism begin to reach its limits. Hissing at the pain of the liquid sizzling against her already sore wound, JJ tried to pull away. "No. Please –Don't—Please, make it stop." She pled in Spanish.
Emily, fighting between desperate to know what had elicited such a strong reaction from the doctor and having a sinking feeling that she didn't want to know, finally decided to stand from her seat and look over JJ's body to where the doctor was working. Her hand flew involuntarily to her mouth, attempting to hold in the audible gasp that she feared would only frighten the woman in front of her. Theoretically, she knew that what JJ must have gone through was awful. Having evidence of JJ's torture flung in her face was something she had been completely unprepared for.
Turning to Emily with tears dripping down her face, JJ pled quietly in her unbroken Spanish, "Please Emily, make it stop."
Emily could swear that in that moment, her heart stopped completely. For nearly three hours, she had sat by JJ's bedside without so much as a second glance from the younger woman. Truth be told, she was starting to question whether this woman in front of her really was Jennifer Jareau. But the simple plea from a broken woman was all it took for Emily to snap into action. "Stop it!" She commanded authoritatively. "Now."
"Her wound has to be cleaned." Dr. Gonzales explained forcefully. It wasn't that she wanted her patient to experience more pain-she just knew what needed to be done.
"I don't care. Stop it." Emily commanded, rubbing JJ's shoulder gingerly.
Dr. Gonzales's mouth fell open as she attempted to argue. Her argument, however, was cut off as both Hotch and Dr. Martinez burst into the room.
"We have a problem." Hotch announced.