A/N: I should explain something. In this story, the Replicator never happened, and Strauss wanting to make amends in this chapter relates to her treatment of the team and Hotch because of her past drinking problems.
Chapter 34
Rossi smiled at the doctor and gestured it was okay for him to enter the room. Betters, having always considered himself a bit of a 'profiler' when it came to reading people, believed he had interrupted something. But for the first time, he really wasn't sure. Looking at the faces in front of him showed nothing. He suspected they had been discussing Aaron having known about the injury to his privates. Also, he had run into Doctor Fleming at the nurses' station, who informed him of Hotchner's revelation. This caught him totally by surprise. The agent had given no sign he had known. But in a way he was glad. It would make things a little easier. He had a female nurse follow him into the room. The doctor moved closer to the bed and looked down at his patient.
"How are we doing today, Agent Hotchner?" he asked with a friendly smile. Hotch's face remained pleasant as he looked at the doctor.
"I'm okay, doctor," Hotch said. He tried to sit up more, and winced from the discomfort in his groin from the movement. His reaction didn't go unnoticed by either Haley, Rossi or Betters. Haley became worried and put a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Aaron," she uttered biting her lower lip in concern. "Honey, try to relax."
"Try not to move too much, Agent Hotchner," Betters reminded him. "You're going to experience discomfort despite the pain medication, because your genital area is tender right now, and will be until it heals. For that reason I wouldn't recommend you try and sit up yet."
Hotch let out a deep breath. "I understand," he said as the discomfort lessened. He figured it might be better to stay still. The pain he felt had not been pleasant. He swallowed. "Are you here to examine me?"
"Yes, I am." The doctor glanced at Rossi and Haley. "I would appreciate both of you waiting outside while I examine my patient. Then you can return."
Rossi grabbed Haley's arm gently, and led her towards the door. He glanced back at his friend. "Play nice, Aaron," he added with a smirk as he and Haley walked out the door. He grinned seeing Hotch's glare bore a hole in his head.
Hotch watched Betters throw back the covers exposing his entire body, preparing to begin the exam. With eyes on the doctor, he watched as he grabbed the hem of his hospital gown. It was then Hotch remembered the female nurse, and his eyes shifted to the woman standing beside Betters.
"Wait," Hotch ordered just as the doctor was about to lift the gown exposing the lower half of his naked body. Betters paused.
"Something wrong, Agent Hotchner?"
Hotch right away grabbed the sheet and threw it back over his body, not wanting his lower region to be exposed to the female nurse. After all, he was a gentleman. "Why is she still here?" he asked, eyes never wavering from the young blond woman who smiled at him and blushed, diverting her eyes from his face. To her, Hotch was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Betters shook his head at the agent's modesty. "Agent Hotchner, meet Nurse Givens. She is going to help me with the examination."
"No, she isn't," was all Hotch said as he gripped the sheet covering him so tightly, his knuckles turned white.
"Agent Hotchner, I have to examine your injured area, and your urine bag has to be changed. That can't be done unless we can get to the injured area." Again, Betters reached for the sheet and started to life it. Hotch gave the man a fierce glare which even made the doctor nervous. "Please. I assure you my nurse has seen a man's genitalia before. There's no need to be embarrassed."
"I'm not embarrassed," Hotch replied. "I…I just can't expose myself in front of a strange woman. You can do the exam and change the bag alone. End of discussion."
Betters let out a deep breath and folded his arms. "Agent Hotchner, I can't do this alone. I need my nurse to aid me. So you have a decision to make. If we can't do the exam, then I will have to postpone your return to Virginia. Your choice."
Hotch turned his face away from Betters for several minutes as he thought things over for a few seconds. He desperately wanted to get back home. To Jack. He was far from being a prude. But he was uncomfortable about a woman seeing his naked body other than Haley. He understood he was being ridiculous because the doctor had seen his body. But this was different. To him, it was unacceptable. But the need to go home was stronger. He turned back to face Betters and his nurse.
"I will consent on one condition," Hotch explained slowly. "I want Agent Rossi to be present during the examination."
Betters' arched his eyebrows. "Agent Hotchner, you can't…"
"Doctor Betters, my wife has not seen my injured groin area. I haven't either for that matter. Agent Rossi has, that's why I want him here with me and not my wife. I don't want her to become more worried than she already is."
"But Agent Hotchner, your wife is going to see your injuries when you are finally discharged and sent home to your family."
"I'll be nearly healed by that time. But I don't want her to see it now. And I'm not going to change my mind. My offer is not up for negotiation. It's your decision. Either you get Agent Rossi in here, or you can forget the examination." He stared at the doctor with his patented glare, and smirked as Betters stared at him. It was obvious the doctor was frustrated.
The doctor had to admit the agent was certainly the most stubborn man he had ever treated in all his years as a physician. Yet, it was good that the man showed signs of fighting back instead of giving up as his wife had mentioned. Betters finally let out a deep breath and looked at his nurse. "Nurse, get Agent Rossi in here, stat."
"Yes, doctor." The nurse quickly left the room only to return a few seconds later with Rossi behind her. The older man glanced at Betters.
"What's going on?" Rossi asked with hands stuffed in pockets.
"Agent Rossi, your friend refuses to let my nurse and I examine him unless you are present. Something about you having already seen his injuries?"
Rossi glanced at Hotch, then turned back to the doctor. "It's okay. Aaron's right. I did view what had been done to him before he was brought here." He then turned and approached the bed. He looked down at Hotch and smiled. "If it'll keep you from being a prude, I'll stay."
"I'm not a prude, Dave," Hotch reminded him with a glare at his friend.
Rossi smirked and sat down in the chair beside the bed. He grabbed Hotch's hand tightly in his. "Just hold my hand and don't let go. I promise to stay until the exam is finished. Is that what you want, Aaron?"
"Yes."
"Then you got me." Rossi turned to the doctor and nodded.
The two men watched as Betters tossed back the sheet, grabbed the hem of Hotch's gown, and lifted it, exposing the lower part of Hotch's body. Hotch bit his lower lip anxiously as the doctor carefully removed the bandages. Once the bandages were removed, he got to view the full extent of the damage. He grimaced, and unconsciously tightened his hold on Rossi's hand. The older man placed his free hand on Aaron's as well seeing his friend's reaction to what had been done to him.
"My God," he heard Hotch whisper and close his eyes. "I didn't think…that is, I had no idea…" Hotch swallowed the lump in his throat. Rossi grimaced as well, but not from seeing the injured area itself, but from the intensity of the grip. He looked at his friend.
"It's okay, Aaron," Rossi replied understanding. "Keep your eyes closed if it helps. You don't need to see it if it makes you uncomfortable. Just keep holding my hand." Rossi watched Betters closely examine the injured area. The doctor glanced at the older man and smiled. Rossi assumed that meant the man was pleased with what he was seeing. He watched as the nurse, at Betters' instruction, changed the moist dressing. Once that was done, she checked the connection to the half-filled urine bag before removing it, and replacing it with a new one. She then went into the bathroom to empty and dispose of it. Betters proceeded to pull down the gown, and pull up the sheet covering Hotch's body again.
"All done, Agent Hotchner," the doctor said as he picked up the chart at the foot of the bed and wrote something on it. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hotch open his eyes and again look at him, waiting for an update. Finished writing, Betters hung the chart back on its hook, and studied his patient. "Let me explain. The burns are healing nicely since I performed the debridement to remove the damaged tissue to promote healing. The moist dressing has been changed which explains why you don't have a lot of pain in that area. The moist dressing is to aid in the healing. Also, your urine bag has been changed. And I see no reason you can't be transferred to Virginia." Hotch looked at him as if he wanted to ask a question. But Betters smiled. "Is there something you want to ask me?" he added.
Hotch swallowed hard. "I…I didn't think it would look like that," he said. "It almost looks like raw meat. Am I going to heal? Or will it always look like that?"
"I know it doesn't look good right now, but it was much worse when you were admitted. If infection had set in, and other methods didn't work, you were facing a possible partial or total penile amputation. Fortunately, the debridement and later methods have been successful. I have no doubt in time you will completely heal with very little scarring."
Hotch let out the deep breath he had been holding the entire time and faced Rossi. He saw a smile on his friend's face, but knew the older man had been as nervous as him.
"Thanks, Dave," he added with an expression of gratitude on his face. "I don't think I could have gotten through this exam without you here."
With an affectionate smile, Rossi patted Hotch's hand. "Anytime, my friend. Anytime." He lay his friend's hand back on the bed and got to his feet. He stretched his aching muscles. "Everything all right, doc?" he asked staring at Betters as the nurse emerged from the bathroom, smiled at Hotch who weakly smiled back, and left the room.
Betters looked at Rossi. "Let's talk outside so I can update Mrs. Hotchner at the same time and don't have to repeat myself." He faced Hotch again. "Agent Hotchner, I probably won't see you before you leave us. So I wish you a speedy recovery."
"Thank you for everything, doctor," Hotch replied with a tired expression. He looked at Rossi. "Dave, I'm going to take a nap before breakfast."
Rossi patted Hotch's shoulder. "Go ahead. Haley and I will be back shortly." Then, he followed the doctor outside into the hallway where Haley was pacing back and forth, nervously wringing her hands. She stopped when she spotted Rossi and Betters, and hurried in their direction.
"How's Aaron?" she asked, panicked.
"Calm down, Mrs. Hotchner," Betters began holding up both hands. "Your husband is fine and his injury is healing nicely. I'm extremely pleased."
Haley let out a deep breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. "But, if he's all right, why did you need Agent Rossi in there while you did the exam?"
Rossi could see the woman was getting worked up again, and held up both hands stopping her. "It's okay. Really. Aaron was…how should I put it…a bit reluctant with a strange woman in the room with the doctor. Nothing serious." That made Haley's face relax.
"So it's all right to transfer him home to Virginia?" Haley asked looking at both men.
"All systems are go," Rossi joked with a grin. "Right now, Aaron's taking a little nap before breakfast."
"I want to sit with him. May I?" she asked staring at Betters. The doctor smiled.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you." Haley hurried to her husband's room. After she went inside, Rossi turned to the doctor, concern on his face.
"Are you sure Aaron's healing well?" he asked. "What I mean is, you wouldn't be keeping anything from me, would you?"
"Agent Rossi, what I told you, Agent Hotchner, and Mrs. Hotchner, is the complete truth. Agent Hotchner is recovering nicely. As far as the future, that's out of medicine's hands. But I can tell Agent Hotchner has a good support system in place from what I've seen. And I'm familiar with the hospital he's going to in Virginia. It has a sterling reputation."
With a grin, Rossi held out his hand which Betters gripped firmly and shook. "Thank you, Doctor. For everything. Both Aaron, Haley and I appreciate everything you and everybody here has done for him."
Betters smiled as he shook hands with the legendary profiler and author.
Erin Strauss was leaning back in the chair behind her desk, hands clasped in her lap. She was staring out the far window of her office lost in thought. She had read and reread the crime scene reports submitted by Rossi and Morgan after the rescue of their Unit Chief. But it wasn't the report alone that troubled her. Nor was it what she had done before she submitted the reports to her superiors. She believed she did what she had to do and didn't regret it. It had to stop with her, and if it came out what she had done, she would pay the consequences. Nobody else need be blamed for what had been done. The ringing of her phone brought her out of her reverie. Reaching over, she picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear.
"Erin Strauss."
"Erin, it's Dave Rossi."
Strauss sat upright in her chair. "Yes, David. How is Aaron? Is he still able to be transferred back to Virginia? I hope so because the medical plane is on its way."
"Everything's still on, Erin. In fact, Hotch had his final examinations by both his doctors, and everything looks good."
"Good. Glad to hear it." Strauss fingered one of the reports on her desk with her free hand. "David, I need to speak with you about something. And afterward, we never discuss it again. Is that clear?"
"What's going on, Erin? You getting heat from me not being there as Acting Unit Chief and staying here in California?"
"No. Nothing like that. I read the crime scene reports submitted by you and Agent Morgan. David, you lied to me about the seriousness of one of Agent Hotchner's injuries. Those second degree burns were not on his chest as you told me."
"Erin, surely even you can understand why that had to be done." In his concern over Aaron, he had forgotten about the crime scene reports. He silently kicked himself.
"David, do me a favor and just listen for once. I understand why you told me the burns were on Agent Hotchner's chest. Needless to say, I'm not angry you lied. I understand your reasons. I want to tell you I altered the reports you and Agent Morgan sent me. The ones saying where the burns were on Agent Hotchner's body." There was silence on the other end. And for a few seconds, Strauss thought the call disconnected. "David, are you still there?"
"I'm still here, Erin. You didn't have to do that. You could get in trouble if the Director finds out."
"He won't, I assure you. As far as the reports are concerned, there never were any burns anywhere except his chest."
"But the hospital…?"
"I already covered that with them They will send two separate reports to me. The actual one, and one indicating the burns are on his chest. And I've already spoken with Dr. Castor at the rehabilitation hospital here in Virginia. We have a similar agreement. Nobody must ever find out, David. This will go no further than me. I promise. Nobody above me will ever find out the true nature and seriousness of Agent Hotchner's injury. And I'm trusting you to inform Agent Morgan of this as well as any other team members who may know the truth. The truth needs to be kept confidential for Aaron's sake."
"Erin, just one question. Why are you doing this?" asked a wary Rossi.
Strauss leaned back in her chair and let out a deep breath. "One reason, David. And if you repeat this, I'll deny it. I need to make amends for how I treated Aaron and the team in the beginning."