Author's Note:

OH MY FREAKING GOSH I AM SO VERY SORRY FOR KEEPING YOU WAITING! UNINTENTIONAL OVER-SUSPENCE. I APOLOGIZE.

I've been under severe writer's block and had zero time to write lately, so bear with me, and forgive me.

Monday November 19th, 2012 6:01 PM
Keyser, West Virginia

What happened next was simply a blur. What Amy could generally comprehend was this:

Reid started to cough almost as soon as Stan finished his speech. Soon after that, Amy joined him. Well, they at least were attempting to cough.

This coughing made Stan suddenly seem...nervous. He began fidgeting. His eyes danced between Reid, Amy, Hotch, and the covered up window. And then... Stan, too, started to cough. Out of habit, he raised his right arm to cough into his elbow, dropping his pistol. However, as his coughing increased, he released the detonator and grasped at his elbow.

Stan only noticed what he had done when he saw the panicked expression on Hotch's face. His knee buckled at that moment as well, almost giving viewers the impression he was trying to catch the falling detonator.

The last words Amy thought she would ever hear were "Oh shit, I've done it now. I'm sorry."

The detonator fell in slow motion.

As did the hand that caught it not seconds before it would have hit the ground.

Everyone had braced themselves for the blast that would end them all, but it never came.

Derek Morgan's hand had firmly wrapped around the detonator and pressed the button that would ensure the bomb vests would never detonate.

As Morgan stood up, Stan collapsed completely, submitting.

"Next time, I let it fall."

"And kill us all, Morgan?"

"Okay, so maybe I'd catch it anyways, but still. Next time, it falls."

"Agent Morgan, I assure you: There will never be a next time."

"No, Stan. I can assure you there will never be a next time," Hotch said, standing just as JJ and Prentiss entered the room, quickly followed by Rossi.

With that, Reid's head fell, and slowly Amy's world went black.

"Eloïse, Reid's going to be fine."

"Oh thank the Lord, Aaron!" The young agent's wife threw her arms around Hotch's neck, tearing up in relief. "Thank you."

The agent smiled. "Don't thank me. The person to thank, as strange as it sounds, is Stan. Had he not reached out to us and turned himself in to save Amy's life, the four of them would be in worse shape than they already are."

Eloïse pulled away from Hotch. "Well, I'm never thanking him for anything, so you'll simply have to take the thanks."

Hotch chuckled. "Then you're welcome."

Slowly, Danielle made her way over to the two. "Anything on Amy and Domonick?"

Hotch's smile faded as his expression saddened. "You'll wish to speak to the doctor on that one."

Danielle's eyes widened gradually, her jaw unsure if it wished to fall or lock tight. "He...it...it...it isn't that bad, is it?"

Hotch merely closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.

"Oh no..." Danielle's hand flew to her mouth as her eyes began to tear up. "Oh God no... Not him... Please not him..."

Dr. Leigh Rawlings closed a hospital room door, clutching a file folder that he placed in the basket on the door. As he turned in the threesome's direction, he sighed and walked over to them.

Hotch turned and sighed. "Danielle, this is Dr. Leigh Rawlings. Dr. Rawlings, Danielle Hunt-"

"Domonick Nickhoales' fionceé."

Hotch and Eloïse both were shocked. "Fionceé?"

Danielle nodded. "When we were celebrating Amy's birthday and Dom had asked me to go get Amy's present from his bedroom, I found a ring box on his bedside table. Being a reporter, it's partially in my nature to ask questions. So, after the party, I confronted him about the ring box. He confessed it was his plan to propose on our one-year anniversary, but he couldn't wait to buy the ring because it was simply perfect and a limited edition. He unofficially proposed to me then and there, but he said he'd do it better on our one-year anniversary, which is also when he'd give me the ring."

Dr. Rawlings nodded slowly. "I'm happy for you to have found such a strong romantic connection with him, yet I don't have the best of news for you regarding his condition."

Danielle bit her lip, nodding quickly as the tears built up again.

Dr. Rawlings sighed. "Domonick is in a coma."

"NO!"

Dr. Rawlings winced at Danielle's sudden cry. "Unfortunately, yes. The leak in the bomb vest resulted in him inhaling toxic fumes, the likes of which I'd rather not disclose to anyone besides FBI. He must have been inhaling them for quite a long period of time, for it led to his coma."

Danielle was shaking in Eloïse's arms, the tears pouring down her cheeks, her sobs giving the doctor and agent the impression she was hyperventilating.

Dr. Rawlings sighed sadly again. "Unfortunately, that's not all. This is no doubt a prior condition, but there is a small mass on his right lung. Surgery may be required to remove it, but I cannot do that until he regains consciousness."

Danielle nodded through her tears and sobs.

Eloïse frowned as she stroked Danielle's back. "Shh... It's going to be alright. Domonick's strong. He'll pull through. Besides, he has you and me and Spencer and Amy and Derek and Aaron and JJ and David and Aryanna and James... He has a lot of people to wake up to. He wouldn't give up so easily.

Aryanna, who had just arrived, asked, "Who wouldn't give up so easily?" Already it was clear she was anxious.

"Domonick," Hotch said, walking over to her. He relayed what the doctor had said about Reid and Dom, and Aryanna simply nodded very slowly, controlling her shock and masking the added stress.

"And Amy?" she managed to ask.

Hotch sighed. "She'll be alright. Her wrist fracture's pretty bad, though, and the sprain doesn't make it any easier on her. Six of her bottom ribs are fractured to the point where I'm surprised none of them splintered and stabbed her lungs or an artery. She has impressive bruising as well as a cracked skull, and the blood loss was much more than anyone anticipated. She needed a transfusion."

Aryanna bit her lip. "She's been through so much..."

Hotch nodded sadly. "But we've caught him now. He can't hurt her anymore. Not physically anyway."

Aryanna nodded in agreement, wiping her eyes. "At least that is a comfort."

Hotch suddenly was attacked by a wave of regret. "Oh, right... Aryanna, I'm so sorry... You had enough to worry about... What with your own recovery and James' recovery and you both getting settled with Savannah..."

Aryanna laughed softly. "It's alright, Hotch. I brought them with me. I think Savannah was getting far too worried about Amy, especially after Garcia called us and told us the news, then when Derek called us to let us know you found them and they were in the hospital."

Hotch smiled sadly. "Well, none of them are up just yet."

Aryanna nodded. "I thought so. But at least I have something to tell James and Savannah. The two of them are with Derek down in the cafeteria. They hadn't eaten and I couldn't wait much longer, so we're meeting in Garcia's room..." She laughed. "What is it with all of us and hospitals?"

Hotch laughed, glad that for once, someone found humor in the grim situation.