A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. After writing it, I realized the latter half didn't sound like Hotch so I had to redo it.

Chapter 33

The following morning found Hotch more alert, and awake than at any time since he awoke from his coma. Also, he found himself more able to remember new information, despite not being able to recall what happened to him. A sure sign of that was he stopped asking Rossi about JJ and whether she was all right. She was okay, and that knowledge warmed his heart. In addition, today was the day he would be going home. Back to Virginia. Back to Jack. He only had to endure a final examination from both Doctors Fleming and Betters. How bad can that be? With the head of the bed elevated about thirty degrees, Hotch turned his head toward the door when it opened. He smiled when Rossi entered the room.

"Dave. Where were you?" he asked.

Rossi smiled. "You miss me?" he joked.

"I've gotten use to seeing your ugly mug every day," Hotch replied with a smirk.

Rossi chuckled. "Ugly mug, eh? Keep it up, Aaron, and I'll leave your sorry ass here in this hospital."

"Sorry," he said even though he really wasn't. "Where's Haley?"

Rossi, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, moved closer to the bed. "I sent her to the cafeteria for breakfast before the doctors came to examine you."

"Thanks," Hotch told him. He waited for Rossi to sit down in the chair beside the bed.

"You're welcome. So, how are you doing? Still wondering if there's a conspiracy to keep things from you?" Rossi fought to keep his face neutral.

Hotch smirked. "No, and I'm doing okay. As to whether you, Haley, and the doctors are keeping something from me? No, I don't think any of you are keeping something from me anymore. I…I guess it's because I can't remember what happened between the time I found JJ in that alley, until I woke up here in the hospital. This not knowing what happened is driving me crazy."

Rossi looked at his friend, understanding how he felt. And he hated lying to him, but it had to be done. "It's for his own good," he told himself whenever he had doubts. He smiled and leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the mattress beside his friend's body. "Try not to force them, Aaron. Let them come naturally. They either will or won't return. If they don't, you're not any worse off than you are now. We can't control what we do or don't remember. You know that."

"I realize that, Dave. But right now, I'd give a month's pay to find out what happened to me after I found JJ."

Rossi was about to respond when both men looked sideways and spotted Doctor Fleming standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"And how are we this morning, Agent Hotchner?"

Hotch smiled showing his dimples. "I'm all right, Doctor Fleming. I'm also ready to get out of here." He paused for a moment. "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate everything you've done for me. But I need to get home to my son."

"I understand. Really. And I'm hoping you'll be able to leave here today. So Agent Rossi, if you'll please wait outside, I'd like to give Agent Hotchner one last examination before breakfast."

Hotch rolled his eyes. "Great. Another liquid breakfast. I can hardly wait," he said sarcastically.

Fleming smiled at the interaction between her patient and his best friend. "Not really. How do you feel about having oatmeal, juice, and tea?"

"Can I have coffee instead of tea?" asked Hotch hopefully. Surely the doctor would not forbid him that one luxury?

"Sorry, no." Fleming put the plugs of her stethoscope in her ears and glanced at Rossi.

"Fine," Hotch replied with another roll of his eyes.

Rossi smirked. "Behave, Aaron, or I'll call Garcia and squeal. And you understand what that means."

"I'll speak with you when I'm done," Fleming explained glancing at the older man.

"Of course." Rossi glanced at his friend and patted his upper arm. "I'll be right outside the door. Be nice for the doctor, Aaron." He got up and left the room so Doctor Fleming could begin her examination.

Haley sat by a window in the cafeteria sipping a cup of tea and staring at the passersby on the street below her window. A saucer with an untouched Danish pastry sat in front of her. She marveled at how those below wore either smiles or frowns. As for herself, she wore both at one time. A smile because her husband was alive and would recover; and a frown because of the uncertainty about his most serious injury. Would he recover from this injury? Only time would tell. But she loved her husband with all her heart, and nothing would ever change that, even if he never recovered full use. A slow smile crossed her face as she continued sipping her tea. She supposed this was the part of the wedding vows relating to 'for better or for worse'.

Finishing her tea, she sat the cup down on the table and pushed both it and the pastry aside. She lay both her arms in front of her and continued staring out the window. She was grateful Dave Rossi was here with her. He was and had been a godsend. It was good for Aaron to have his best friend here. And it was good for her as well. His presence allowed her somebody to talk with who understood. And finally, he was able to get things done she never could. She faintly became aware of movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up, and saw Doctor Betters standing in front of her. He held cup of what smelled like coffee in one hand. And a donut on a saucer in the other.

"Doctor Betters, I didn't see you standing there," Haley remarked with a smile.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Mrs. Hotchner. You looked preoccupied. Mind if I share your table?" he gestured to the empty chair opposite her.

"Please." She waited until Betters had taken his seat. "I was just thinking about Aaron, and how lucky we both are despite what's ahead of him, and us."

"How do you mean?" Betters asked before taking a bite of his donut. He told himself Agent Hotchner was a lucky man. He hoped one day he would be that lucky.

"Well…" Haley turned the empty coffee cup around and around on the table as she looked at it. "…Aaron and I have been married for twenty years. And with his job, he often gets injured. It's a dangerous job. And I pray every time he goes away on a case, that he'll come home to me and our son. This time he almost didn't. But we've been lucky. He always recovers from his injuries and he will this time. What I meant when I said what's ahead for us, I meant recovering the full use of his manhood. Don't get me wrong. I love him and will stand by him even if he never recovers full use. I just hate for him to suffer with an injury he might not recover from this time."

Betters reached out and patted her hand. "Try not to worry, Mrs. Hotchner. We've done everything we can, but unfortunately, medicine can't cure everything. It's out of our hands now."

Haley nodded her head and let out a deep breath. "I suppose. But Aaron has never been a patient man. I have no idea how he's going to handle the waiting, or how I can help him."

Betters took a sip of black coffee. "If I may offer a piece of advice. Your husband will need to learn patience. At least with this. As far as how you can help him…continue to love and support him. And from what I've seen, that won't be a problem for you. Both you and Agent Rossi. I have no doubt you both will give Agent Hotchner a good support system. He's going to need it."

Haley chuckled. "Dave and Aaron have known each other for more than twenty years. You'd have to kill him to get him away from Aaron. He thinks of him like a son. He'll be by Aaron's side until his last breath."

Betters finished his donut and took another drink of coffee. "It's obvious how much Agent Rossi cares about your husband. My associate, Doctor Fleming, is giving your husband a final examination. Once she's done, I have to give him one." He saw Haley about to ask a question. "Before you ask, it's necessary. We both want to make sure he's fit to be transferred later today. Afterward, Doctor Fleming and myself will fax the results of our final exams to the doctors who have been assigned to your husband in Virginia. We've sent them everything we have on your husband so far, along with all the medical records." He checked the time on his watch. "In fact, Doctor Fleming should be with your husband now."

Haley's eyes showed their surprise. She quickly got to her feet. "I need to go. I want to speak with Doctor Fleming when she finishes her examination." She started to leave, stopped, and looked back at Betters. "Thank you for everything you've done for Aaron." She again started to walk away when Betters called her name. Haley looked back questioningly.

"One thing you should be aware of, Mrs. Hotchner. The last time I examined your husband, he was in a medically induced coma. This time I will be examining him while he's conscious. He's going to see me examine him. Trust me when I say he is going to ask why I am examining his genital area. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give him an explanation. I won't explain everything, but I will need to tell him something."

Haley sighed and nodded. "I understand. I just don't want Aaron to find out the full extent of his injury. Not yet anyway. When he's a bit stronger. But I really need to go now. Thank you." She turned and walked hurriedly away.

In the hallway, David Rossi leaned the upper part of his back against the wall a few steps away from Hotch's room. He stared at the floor with hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. Periodically, he glanced at the closed door of his best friend's room, and noticed the curtain still drawn in front of the bed. He let out a deep breath.

"Dave!" a female voice called out. Rossi turned his head and spotted Haley hurrying toward him. "Is the doctor still with Aaron?"

Rossi nodded. "Doctor Fleming should be done soon with her examination. She told me she'd talk to us when she's finished." He noticed Haley's change of expression. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I spoke with Doctor Betters in the cafeteria. He told me when he examines Aaron, he is going to have to tell him something because Aaron will have questions when he watches him examine his genital area. I asked him not to tell Aaron the seriousness of his condition. He promised he wouldn't, but that he has to tell him at least part of the truth."

Rossi sighed and shook his head. "Well, it had to happen eventually," he said. "We just have to trust Doctor Betters not to tell Hotch everything." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the curtain being pulled back into place by Doctor Fleming. He stood straight and glanced at Haley. "Looks like the doctor's finished her exam."

Fleming smiled at Hotch as she draped the stethoscope around her neck. "Well, Agent Hotchner, everything looks good. The swelling in your knee is going down nicely. Also, the injuries to your face, chest and feet are doing nicely. I have no reason to object for you to be transferred back to Virginia. After I write up the results of my examination, I will fax them to your doctors at the rehabilitation hospital. But Doctor Betters still needs to conduct his examination."

Hotch's eyebrows knitted. "Doctor Betters? Who's he? I don't remember a Doctor Betters."

"He cared for you while you were in a coma."

"You mean because of the injury to my private area?"

Fleming looked at Hotch in surprise while making notations on his chart. To say that her patient had surprised her by knowing about his injury was putting it mildly. She let out a deep breath as she hung his chart on the hook at the foot of the bed. She put her hands in the pockets of her white coat. "You know about that?"

"For two days. The day after I awoke, I suspected something was being kept from me. I took a peek under my gown and saw the bandages on my genitals."

"He had to do a debridement."

"What was the injury?"

"You should really let Doctor Betters tell you." Fleming noticed her patient's eyes narrow.

"Was the injury to my genitals from what happened to me?" Hotch's mind was full of questions.

Fleming licked her lips. "I really can't answer that, Agent Hotchner. You should speak with Doctor Betters. He's much more knowledgeable of your injury than I am." She started to leave the room. Her hand gripped the doorknob.

"Doctor Fleming. Wait." Hotch called out.

Fleming paused and turned to look at her patient. The man had become upset. "You said I had a debridement done. I understand that procedure is done to remove dead tissue to promote healing. Did I have burns?"

"Agent Hotchner, you need to calm yourself. If you don't, I cannot allow you to leave this hospital."

Hotch ground his jaw. "Doctor, I'm going to ask you one last time. Is the injury to my genital area because of burns? Yes or no?"

"I really can't answer that question for you." Fleming turned the doorknob and quickly left the room. She found Haley and Rossi waiting with looks of concern.

"What happened in there?" Rossi asked noticing the doctor's expression. Fleming looked at both of them.

"Physically, Agent Hotchner is healing well. His knee swelling is down as well. But, he asked about Doctor Betters when I mentioned him. I had to tell him he was a urologist."

"And?" Haley asked nervously.

"He told me he already realized he had an injury to his genitals because he discovered the bandages when he looked under his gown. He also suspects he had burns in that area. He figured that much out himself when I mentioned the debridement. The only thing I didn't tell him about were the possible complications because of the injury. I don't believe we can keep that from him much longer. He's going to find out. Also, if he doesn't calm down, I cannot let him leave this hospital. It wouldn't be safe for him."

Rossi shook his head. "Can we see him before the urologist comes?"

"Go ahead. But I expect he will insist on being told everything. He's upset right now because he doesn't remember. You need to calm him down before he leaves here to return to Virginia. If not, as I said, I'll have to postpone him leaving here. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to write up my report based on my examination."

"Thank you for everything, doctor," Rossi said extending his hand. Fleming shook his hand, and that of Haley before she walked away. The older man looked at the blond. "You ready to walk into the lion's den?" Haley nodded and took a deep breath.

Hotch was staring at the far wall when the door opened. He turned his head and saw Rossi walking behind Haley into the room.

"Aaron…" Rossi said slowly. "I understand from Doctor Fleming your injuries are healing nicely." Hotch looked at him. He thought he understood why Rossi and Haley didn't say anything.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Haley asked hesitantly. "You should be pleased with Doctor Fleming's examination results."

"David, Haley, I understand why you both didn't tell me about the burns to my privates. But I need to know the truth. Dave, were these burns from something I can't remember?"

Rossi bit his lower lip. "Yes."

"Will you tell me what happened? I really need to understand."

Haley feared her husband's reaction if he were to be told. A sad smile appeared. "Aaron, how you got them isn't important right now. And don't be angry with Dave. I agreed with his decision not to tell you." Hotch's expression never changed.

"You know, don't you?" Hotch asked staring at his wife. Haley nodded.

Rossi's shoulders slumped in defeat. But still, he hoped he could keep the seriousness of the situation from his friend. "Aaron, listen to me. I thought I did you a favor by not telling you about the burns. You were in very bad condition when you were brought into the hospital. I was more concerned with saving your life. That was more important to me."

"I understand that. But I'm better now. Besides, Dave, I really want to find out the truth."

Rossi nodded. "By the time they brought you out of your coma, I didn't know how to tell you. So I thought it best not to say anything. In your condition, you couldn't have handled that information. Face it, Aaron. If the situation was reversed, would you have told me?"

Hotch swallowed the building lump in his throat. He knew Rossi was right. He wouldn't have told him if their situation had been reversed. "Probably not."

"Just keep in mind, Aaron. I will tell you as long as you stay calm. Can you do that for me?" Hotch nodded.

Haley looked back and forth between the two men. She slowly sank down in the chair near the bed and waited.

Rossi let out a deep breath as he stuffed both hands in his pockets. "Yes, you suffered second degree burns in your genital area. I'm sorry. They are the result of Jason Armitage. He was our Unsub." He paused at his friend's sudden intake of breath. Hotch remembered the name. "He injured JJ as part of his plan to get to you. He wanted you. So, he attacked JJ and left her in the alley for you to find. It was when you found her that he overpowered and kidnapped you."

"What did he do to me, Dave? Please tell me everything."

"You sure you want me to, Aaron? It won't be pleasant to hear."

"Please. I want to hear it."

Slowly, Rossi explained as much as he understood what had happened to his friend at the hands of Jason Armitage. He only stopped long enough to answer any questions Hotch had. "But rest assured, Aaron. Armitage is dead. Morgan killed him the day we rescued you."

"I see," Hotch replied. He was overwhelmed with this sudden influx of information. But there was one thing he needed to find out. "Dave, you said you, Morgan, and Emily were the ones who found me. Who else knows about the burns to my privates?"

Rossi let out the breath he had been holding. He was expecting this question eventually. "Only Morgan and I. We had to do the crime scene reports. Strauss knows also since she got the reports. The others don't know anything except that you suffered second degree burns. They have no idea what part of your body they were on," he lied.

Hotch sighed. "I don't want the others to find out, ever. It's bad enough Strauss knows, but there was no avoiding it, I suppose." He looked at Rossi with hound-dog eyes. "Dave, talk with Strauss. I want this kept quiet if possible." Rossi assured him he would take care of everything.

"Thanks. Anything else I should be told?"

"Not that I can think of," Rossi lied convincingly. "Feel better now?"

Hotch smiled. "At least I now have an idea as to what happened to me."

The trio turned when the door opened, and Doctor Betters poked his head inside the room. "Agent Hotchner, I'm here to conduct my examination."