Two weeks before Christmas, it seemed like Agent Prentiss was finally fitting in with the team much better, giving Erin one less thing to worry about. Especially when the team had been called out to Chicago to try and prove that Agent Morgan wasn't a serial killer. This was yet another scandal they didn't need attached to the BAU, and while she knew that he would be cleared with enough time, there was still the possibility that he could also be railroaded into a confession. Looking at the updated picture of her children, she felt a wave of terror sweep over her heart as she imagined what Agent Morgan's mother must be going through.
Just as she was about to set to work on the budget for the next quarter, her phone rang. Fishing it out of her purse, she frowned to see David's name on the display. He hadn't mentioned that he would be calling, as he was taking Elise to her checkup. "David? Is something wrong?"
She tried not to sound worried, but her heart felt like ice in her chest as she waited for him to speak. "I need you to do something difficult, Erin. There are a few anomalies that her paediatrician would like more follow up on, but since I'm not the father, I can't give a more thorough medical history. You're going to need to contact Haley and see if she can shed any light on the subject for us."
Erin felt bile rise in her throat as she nodded. "I will call her and see if she'll talk to me. But is Elise going to be all right?"
"She's going to need a small surgery to repair the issue, but Doctor Gibson feels like it should resolve everything. We can wait until after Christmas to take care of it, but we're going to have to monitor her closely. That's why she's been so cranky. It was nothing we were doing, stellina."
She knew that he was trying to mollify her, but it felt like his words weren't reaching through to her. "Thank you for trying to make me feel better, but I just feel more guilty now. It's not your fault. I, I have to go call Haley before I start crying. I'm sorry. I'll try to come home early, maybe work from there, after I explain to Director Shepperd what's going on."
"Of course, Erin. I love you, and it will be all right."
"I love you, too," she choked out before ending the call and clearing her throat. Getting up from her desk, she went out to Helen and caught her attention by coughing lightly. "Can you access the personnel files of Alpha team, or do I have to get that information from Ms. Garcia?"
"I should be able to get that for you, Erin. What do you need?"
"The home phone number for Aaron Hotchner, along with a cell number for Haley, if it's available."
Her assistant gave her a quick nod before turning to her computer, her fingers flying over her keyboard before she picked up a pen and quickly wrote down a series of numbers. "The top is their home, the bottom is her cell. Is everything all right?"
"There's something wrong with Elise, and I need to talk to Haley. I don't know any more right now, but I am trying to hold it together. And I would give my left arm for a bottle of gin right now, even though I know that would solve absolutely nothing. It's what got me into this situation in the first place." She took the slip of paper from Helen's hand and gave her a shaky smile.
"While you're on the phone with her, I'll run down to our café and see if they have any of that chocolate cake that you love so much. At least the calories won't be too detrimental to you."
"Thank you," she whispered as she turned and went into her office, closing the door behind her. Rather than taking a seat behind her desk, she settled onto her sofa, curling up in one corner as she tried to concentrate on the numbers written down, seeing the swim from her tears that she refused to shed. Finally, she was able to parse out Haley's cell phone number, and she shakily pressed the numbers on her phone before connecting the call and bringing the device to her ear.
There were only two rings before Haley answered, and she bit her lower lip as she heard Haley's voice answer. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Haley, please don't hang up."
"Erin? Is something wrong with Aaron?"
She cleared her throat, trying to buy time, to keep her tears at bay. "No, it's not him. It, it's Elise. There's something wrong with her, and she's going to need surgery to fix whatever it is. Her paeditrician wants to know more about the familial history, and I can't tell her half of it. It would be embarrassing if I wasn't so terrified."
There was a tiny pause, and then Erin through she heard a faint catch in Haley's breathing. "It's a heart problem, if I can be so bold as to diagnose your daughter without seeing her. Even though I'm not a doctor. Jack had the same thing, that's what I was trying to tell you in May, before Aaron interrupted us. I, I assumed that since you never contacted me sooner that Elise hadn't inherited it, too. Sean also had the same thing when he was a baby. But she will be okay. Jack had the surgery, and he's thriving now. Are you there with her now?"
"No, I couldn't take off work, since David is taking all of us to Comack for two weeks to finally meet his sister this Christmas before heading to Connecticut to show her off to my parents. But I'm going to take off early today, bring work home so I can do that and look at my baby." She didn't know why she was opening up to Haley, just that she knew the woman understood where she was coming from, since she had faced the same terror. "Her paeditrician also thought the surgery could wait until after Christmas, but that's nearly a month, and so much can happen in that amount of time."
Erin choked back a sob as she considered the potential of losing her daughter, her precious baby. "Sean's surgery was scheduled for almost two months after he was diagnosed, and he turned out fine. Try not to worry too much. Which I know is extremely difficult, because she is your baby, and you would do anything in your power to protect her. Would you mind having company this afternoon? I could tell you more about what to expect, if I'm correct."
"I, I think I'd like that, actually. And it would be nice for Jack to meet Elise. It's never too early to start making friends, after all. I still need to call up to the Director and see if I can leave early, but if he says yes, I'll text you with David's address…"
"Actually, I know where he lives. We used to spend time over there, before you moved in, but things have been rocky between them lately. Just text me with an answer before you leave, and I'll swing by as soon as I've fed Jack."
"Okay. And Haley?"
"Yes, Erin?"
"Thank you." She hung up before the woman could say anything else, and then took a few deep breaths before calling up to the Director, hoping that he would give her the answer that she desperately needed to hear.
