Well I might be able to write this chapter if my computer can survive the attack of the kitty. So far he's deleted one draft and clawed off two keys.
And I did it again, I added some Elle/Gideon dialogue after Hotch left in the last chapter. And very uncharacteristically, I have written three advance chapters with William and Spencer. Those scenes were stuck in my head while this chapter was giving me writer's block.
These agents were going to be the death of him - or his patient - Dr. Wilson realized as he walked out of the ICU. Hadn't he been clear enough about the temperature regulation? But Agent Garcia was right, he hadn't explained how his temperature was regulated, she had only been trying to give Dr. Reid the comfort he had encouraged. She hadn't known that taking his arm out from under the cooling blankets could be detrimental to his recovery. He couldn't be mad at her though, not after her hysterical crying as he checked Dr. Reid's temperature. If Agent Prentiss hadn't returned when she had...
He entered the waiting room, only to find another FBI/kindergarten argument...only this time even Agent Hotchner was in the thick of it. This couldn't be good.
"You did what?" Agent Hotchner had never looked so angry, but his angry eyes were locked not on Agent Garcia, but at - Agent Gideon?
Agent Gideon was one of the calm rational ones. What was going on here?
"That's what you told him on the webcam!? If you're not going to talk to Dr. Wilson, then...just go! If I see your face here again -" The threat hung in the air. "Just go home! At least Strauss will be glad to see you!"
Gideon looked like he was going to argue, but in the end, he bowed his head and walked out the door without a glance back.
Wow! Well there went his medical proxy contact. Hopefully he wouldn't have to call the man.
"How is he?" Agent Garcia was the first one to see him.
"Fine, or as fine as he can be. His temperature is still within therapeutic range. No harm, no foul."
"Thank you."
"You want to thank me? Next time ask the nurses before you move anything. I know you didn't mean any harm, but stay away from my patient until you calm down. You can see him again in the morning." He turned around to leave, but then changed his mind. "When his family arrives, leave them to me. I don't want them getting overwhelmed with gruesome case details." He looked from one agent to the next, making sure they had the message, stopping short when he came across a new face.
"Ethel Armenta?"
"No, Elle Greenaway. Former Agent Elle Greenaway. I left the Bureau a couple of months ago."
"So you don't know what happened?"
"I was just getting the full update."
"Sorry," Agent Garcia grimaced. "He wasn't in the ICU when Morgan asked me to call you and then -"
"And then you forgot I was coming because you were worried for Reid. It's okay, you at least didn't do anything wrong. Can't say the same for the rest of you idiots."
Dr. Wilson decided he liked this Agent - former - Agent Greenaway. "Let me know when they get here."
Aaron Hotchner watched the doctor leave, feeling guilty about the relief flooding his overwhelmed mind. This at least was one notification he wouldn't have to give. "Does anyone know when his family is getting here?"
"Yes, I checked airline records." He'd have to have a talk with her about abusing privileged information. "I've found two tickets booked by Ethel Armenta's credit card, as well as tickets for William Reid and a David Armenta. David is coming from New York, he's going to be the first to arrive. His flight lands-" She checked her phone clock - "within the hour."
That wasn't all, he could tell by the grimace on her face. "Garcia?"
"Ethel Armenta booked a flight to Vegas and then two from Vegas to Atlanta International."
"Two?"
"Don't tell me she's -" But of course she was. Damn.
"What?" Emily looked at everyone in turn wondering why every had identical looks for frustration and sympathy.
"Reid's mom is coming."
"Well of course she is, her son is in the hospital." Why on earth did everyone look like a tornado warning had just been issued? "I know Reid said she was sick, but -"
"He told you?" Morgan's sharp voice sounded way too surprised for this to be good.
"Dr. Baker was asking about his family. Why -?"
Morgan gave Hotch a questioning look. He did not want to explain this. Reid hadn't volunteered this information to any of them. Telling Emily felt like a betrayal, but she'd find out soon enough anyway. Hotch nodded his permission, his attention turned to J.J. who hadn't moved from her seat.
"His mom isn't just sick, Emily. She's schizophrenic...and institutionalized."
Emily' felt her jaw drop to the ground of its own accord. "His dad left him with his schizophrenic mother?"
"You know about his dad too?"
"He mentioned his dad at the same time. Did any of you -?"
"No, we only found out about his dad when trying to find a number for family notifications. He never told any of us."
How well did they actually know Reid, anyway?
"It's like Gideon said, she may have been diagnosed after he left. Let's not rush to judgement when he gets here. I think we should let him say his piece before we all line up to deck him."
"Elle Greenawawy being the cool head. Who would have guessed?"
"Just because I can kick ass, Morgan, doesn't mean I always do. It might surprise you, but I do know when to stand down."
Hotch sat down next to J.J. who hadn't moved from her seat in...had it really been hours?
"Are you okay?"
J.J. shook her head. "Why? Why would he confess? He had the profile, he knew Hankel killed sinners. We were 10 minutes away, Hotch! 10 more minutes and he would have been fine!"
"J.J. the drugs -"
"He was drugged too?"
He didn't have time for Elle's dramatics right now.
"Don't make excuses for him, Hotch! He was thinking clearly enough to give us a clue at gunpoint minutes before we left. Why? It's, its like he...wanted to die!"
"That's not true, J.J. If he wanted to die, he could have given up at any time in the E.R. or as he lay in - in the dirt." He couldn't say 'Reid's grave.' He just couldn't. "But he didn't give up, he fought." Profiler or no profiler, she and Gideon had come to the same conclusion. "And we're going to continue to fight for him. What's really going on? Why don't you want to see him?" Morgan and Garcia had been badgering him to talk to Dr. Wilson on their behalf. J.J was the only one who had remained silent.
"I can't, I just can't. I'm so mad at him. Before my sister died, she fell into a coma and -" She blinked back the tears again. She hadn't told the team about Rosalyn's suicide and she wasn't about to now. "I stayed by her bed and begged her to wake up. For days I stayed and I begged...and it was all for nothing. I can't do that again, Hotch. I can't. But I can't leave him either."
"J.J." They looked up to see Garcia. "If you want to help him, I've got an idea."
"What is it?"
"If you call Reid's phone, I can record the call. I've got ear plugs, I won't listen. I've been making a playlist of music that I thought might be soothing. I can add the recorded audio files to the playlist so he can hear our voices even when we aren't there. I started making the playlist before realizing that ICU visiting hours don't actually end. I thought he was going to be alone all night and I couldn't stand the thought, so...anyway. Just text me when you call so I can start the recording and text me when you hang up. I'll do the rest."
"I think I'll do that. Thanks."
"Just remember what Dr. Wilson said, make sure you're calm before you call. Why don't you ladies head back to the hotel for some rest. Morgan and I will stay here and wait for his family. When are they getting in, again?" He couldn't deal with Elle right now. Garcia and J.J. were far from calm and Emily...Emily had earned a break and then some. Either way, he didn't want his family feeling overwhelmed when they did get here.
"Well David gets in right about now, but the rest aren't getting in until really late - like red eye late. I don't know if they're going to actually come here this evening or tomorrow morning."
Elle looked like she was about to protest, but in the end she walked out with the rest of them, leaving him and Morgan in the waiting room.
"You haven't been in to see him yet, have you?"
Hotch shook his head. "Neither have you."
"Yeah but I'm not the one who is banned."
Reid was all alone in there, for the first time since this had started. He reluctantly got to his feet and walked past the ward doors, dreading what he was going to find.
* Think of this chapter as the calm before the storm...and if anyone could tell me in which episode we first find out about Rosalyn Jereau's suicide that might help me write J.J. a little better.