Had the best time at orientation! I'm so excited to start college! With that, please enjoy the update & let me know if you did!
XVII
"JJ." Hotch called to the still dripping blonde as he caught sight of her pacing from across the room.
"They took her in." she turned and acknowledged the man briefly before continuing. "They didn't say anything, they just took her."
"JJ." Hotch tried to step in front of the woman to get her attention. "JJ, stop. Jennifer!" At the sound of her full name, JJ halted and brought her gaze to her boss'. The dark haired man placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "She's going to be fine."
"I can't do it again." The petite blonde shivered and Hotch wasn't completely convinced that it was simply because of the cold. "I can't."
"I know, I know." He rubbed her arms softly and tried to ignore the own sense of panic he felt at the thought of losing Emily…again. "It's Emily. She's going to be fine."
"You're right." JJ sniffled and settled into a chair before sneezing abruptly.
"You need to dry off before you get sick." Hotch told the woman who remained seated. "I promise I'll come get you the second I know something."
"Even if you have to come into the women's bathroom." JJ raised an eyebrow, all the while knowing that if she didn't get warm soon she would regret it.
"Even if I have to come into the women's bathroom." Hotch made the sign of a cub scout, earning a small grin from the blonde before she hurried to find a restroom. When JJ returned, Hotch went to tend to himself and by the time he was done, the team had arrived. The two agents assured their friends that they had received no updates in the twenty minutes it had taken them to get to the hospital and settled in for an uncomfortable wait. Rossi sat next to JJ and noticed her shivering frame and chattering teeth.
"Here." The older man removed his jacket and placed it on the former media liaison's shoulders. She smiled appreciatively and curled up into a small ball.
"If this is how I feel after spending fifteen minutes out there…" JJ left the thought unfinished.
"Emily's going to be fine, bella." Rossi placed his arm over the woman's shoulders and drew her in. Growing up like JJ had, she hadn't really depended on a father figure but the moment David Rossi rejoined the BAU, everyone could see the father-daughter like relationship the two had built. JJ sneezed again and just as she went looking for a box of tissues, the doors to the restricted section flew open.
"Emily Prentiss?" a tall, lean man asked the group who immediately shot out of their seats. "Are you family?"
"We're her team." Morgan announced and the doctor took in the federal credentials displayed by each member.
"Will Agent Prentiss' family-"
"We are her family." Hotch told the man with an annoyed tone. Hesitant for only a moment, the young doctor nodded and sat across from the BAU to begin explaining Emily's situation.
"The car accident you informed the EMT's about didn't cause as much damage as it could've." He began. "Agent Prentiss sustained three broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and a concussion upon impact. We set her ribs and collarbone although she won't be able to participate in any field work for at least a month."
"And the concussion?" JJ asked, remembering how unresponsive and dazed the brunette had been in the alley. The doctor frowned slightly before continuing.
"Only time will tell us the extent of her head trauma but you see, this is where we were confused. Perhaps you could clarify something for us?" The team inched forward in their seats. "Agent Prentiss' initial concussion is not life-threatening."
"Initial?" Hotch voiced the concerns of the whole team. He didn't like the way this was going.
"Our scans show extensive skull damage that couldn't have been caused in the accident but rather, afterwards." He pulled out an x-ray of Emily's skull. Reid took it from him and began decoding it.
"He's right." The younger doctor said. "Assuming Emily was driving the legal speed limit which was 25 miles per hour on a residential street, calculating the magnitude of damage to the sedan concluding that the car that hit them was going around 40 miles per hour, Emily's head injury shouldn't be this bad."
"You're saying something else happened?" Morgan crossed his arms across his broad chest. "Something else hit her?"
"Or someone." JJ mumbled, unaware that they had heard her.
"Hail." Hotch's eyes flashed with an anger they had only seen once before. No one missed the look of pure fear that emanated from the doctor's expression at hearing the familiar name.
"You think Hail did this to her?" Rossi questioned the dark haired man.
"When I found her she was going on about how he took Mackenzie, how she had to find them." JJ pressed two fingers on the bridge of her nose. "There's no way she would've let Hail take the girl without a fight."
"She was handcuffed." Hotch informed the rest. "To make sure she didn't follow them out of the alley."
"The angle of the fracture and bruising does suggest the barrel of handgun." Reid deduced as he lowered his gaze.
"Son of a bitch." They heard Morgan grumble as he stood.
"I'm sorry, do you mean Adrian Hail?" the no longer silent doctor asked. "As in the Adrian Hail?" When no one responded, the man eased out of his seat slowly and practically sprinted down the hall.
"I want NYPD down here within five minutes. Two uniforms at her door at all times. One of us inside her room no matter what." Hotch ordered. "JJ, call Garcia. Tell her to run a background check on every person in this hospital. I want to know if they have the slightest reason to help Hail."
"Hotch, the entire city's terrified of him." Morgan pointed out as JJ whipped out her cell phone. "Given the right…motivation, they would all 'help'."
"Not if we have a say in it." Rossi stood and crossed his arms as if preparing for another war.
"Start with him." Hotch looked directly at Emily's doctor, stopping the man in his tracks. The nametag read 'Dr. Kyler'. JJ left them to initiate what would definitely be a very long conversation with the already agitated technical analyst.
"Has she said anything to you?" Morgan tipped his head in JJ's direction as the blonde paced while trying to reassure Garcia. Hotch ran a hand through his hair before responding.
"Not really. Just that she 'can't do it again'." The man shook his head and rested it in his hands.
"Do what again?" Reid questioned.
"I'm assuming bury her best friend." Rossi responded, earning himself a not-so-nice glare from the remaining members. "What, you think it was easy for her? If you ask me, she had it worse than all of us during those six months."
"All I know is that when we found her, JJ looked like she had seen a ghost." Hotch said. "I've never seen her so…afraid before."
"Think she's in shock?" Morgan glanced nervously at his friend. Hotch only shrugged, a defeated look easing its way onto his face. Rossi placed a hand on the man's shoulder comfortingly.
"How can this happen now?" the unit chief muttered, mainly to himself. The three men exchanged glances, already knowing exactly what their boss meant. Losing Emily had been difficult for all of them but after she returned, Hotch had all but broadcasted his affections for her on the national news. Everyone, including people who had never met the two before, noticed it in their eyes when they looked or even thought about one another- everyone that is, except Emily herself. She was secretly terrified that she was seeing things; conjuring up scenarios that weren't actually happening to cope with the fact that she desired nothing more than her boss. That's to say nothing of the man himself, who was mortified of hurting the one of the two people he would sacrifice anything for. The kiss the two had shared did more than assure her of his feelings; it rekindled a spark in both of them that they thought died long ago. After Haley and Doyle's deaths neither agent had been the same. For two distinctly different reasons, neither Emily nor Hotch had ever been seen in the company of someone of the opposite gender unless it was work related and their friends had taken notice. That and the frequent day trips, Sunday breakfasts with Jack and sidelong glances did more than confirm the budding romance to their colleagues. If anything happened to Emily because of this case, Hotch would undoubtedly lose his mind…after he found the most painful way to rid Adrian Hail of his miserable life, that is.
Already working on the next one!