Quiddity

A Criminal Minds Story

Derek Morgan watched her sleep. Her chest rising and falling, steady as it should be. He'd started counting the seconds between each breath. One, two, three, four, five. Another breath. Sometimes it look longer for her to breath, a count to eight or ten and Morgan's heart would catch, worried for just a moment as she breathed again. She was covered by a light white sheet, hospital standard. Her blonde hair pulled into a messy braid; hastily done by a young nurse. It was still damp from the rain. Her skin was littered with bruises, new and old, green and purple. There were also deep red slices, that were stitched up sometime ago. Morgan only caught a glimpse of them when she was switched out of her hospital gown and into a new one. Each of them hurt, he was sure.

Morgan's eyes wandered to her hands, the ring Will had given to her two years prior was gone. His mind flashed to the memory of her, sitting at her desk admiring it. A soft smile gracing her lips as she was undoubtedly thinking of her two boys that were waiting at home. JJ won't be happy that it's missing. Shifting his gaze, Morgan found his way to her feet that were bandaged so tight that he doubted, when she woke up, should she wake up, that she'd even be able to move them.

The experienced agent rubbed his hand across his face trying to rub some life back into it. Hoping the small action would keep him awake. He wanted to be there when she woke up. It bugged him though that he partially wanted her to wake, so he could find Emily. JJ was the only one that could find her, but she wasn't awake. It was as though it was all the blonde's fault.

It had been three days since JJ was found in the park. Three days of Morgan trudging through the woods where she had stumbled out of. Three days of nothing. Finally Hotch had ordered Morgan to sit with her. With JJ. He had resisted at first because JJ didn't need him and Emily did. JJ was safe. She had Will and Garcia with her. She'd be fine, but Hotch had made a good point. When JJ woke up, neither Will nor Garcia could take her official statement. The statement that would tell them exactly what had happened to her and Emily over the two weeks.

A statement that could save Emily's life. If only JJ would wake up to tell it.

It was nearing two am when Morgan woke up to a strangeness in the breathing he'd been so diligently listening to. It was rushed, scared, frantic. He sat up from his chair by her bed to see her blue eyes staring back at him through the dark. She was awake.

"Mo-Morgan?" Her voice was weak, so unlike JJ's that he for a moment doubted it was her.

"Yeah- yes, it's me. Jayje, it's me," He waited as her breathing started to relax a little more and her head fell back to the pillow beneath it. Her eyes drifted close, like she had passed out, "No, no JJ. Open those eyes for me. I need you to stay awake." He shook her shoulder, she couldn't go back to sleep.

"JJ, where's Emily? Emily, JJ!" The mention of their friend's name shook her back to life as her eyes flashed open and her hand latched onto Morgan's arm.

"Woods, Shed… Morgan help me up." JJ started to stand, but her bandage-laden feet smashed to the floor, her breathing started to pick up speed. To her the room started to spin as black dots flooded her vision. She felt her arms started to shake followed by her legs. The young agent dug her nails into the forearm of her teammate to stay standing. However the shaking did not stop, and she collapsed to the ground.

"JJ! JJ!" She heard Derek cry out, felt his presence near her and his hand on her shoulders. Her vision had gone completely black while her body shook yet she still felt completely aware of her surroundings. Morgan was now calling for help, nurses were running inside.

Then, she simply blacked out. The last image that flashed through her head was of Emily telling her to run.

Not too far away, a young woman shivered in the cold as she curled herself into the corner of her very tiny room. She held a fraying, thin blue blanket tightly around her shoulders, her body shaking. The cold wasn't as noticeable before when her good friend was with her in the small room, but now it was just her. Just Emily.

Her abdomen throbbed from the bullet that had torn through it. The bullet that had prevented her from escape. She could still clearly see JJ's blue eyes exploding with fear as she pressed her hands on the wound. Emily knew it was now or never for the blonde. If JJ would run then she could get help.

So she told her to. She told JJ to run.

Emily didn't know if it was the adrenaline or the fear of their captor that was barrelling towards them, but with only a second look towards Emily the blonde had taken off. Leaving Emily to await her fate, whether it was die from her wound or be recaptured by the man she had just escaped. She recalled the choking feeling she had felt as her own blood set out to drown her.

Then everything went black, and she woke up back where she had started with a new bandage and a bottle of pain medication next to a cup of water. How nice of him, she had thought with pure hate dripping with the words. Him being the man that held her there. It did give her comfort to find that JJ was not with her, but it also filled her with seeping dread. Part of Emily wished she hadn't told the younger agent to run. With a unavoidable thought Emily figured either JJ had escaped or she was killed. Being that her captor had saved her own life, she hoped it was possibility number one.

The snap of a bolted lock jarred Emily from her thoughts as she stared at the door. The man, her captor, Doctor, as he liked to call himself trotted inside with a certain pep to his step. Emily's heart sank.

"Glad to see you're awake," He smiled, "I would have been very upset had you died. You did provide me with a delightful experience though. I have never had an opportunity to remove a bullet wound before" His intense, self-confident, prideful smile made Emily want to gag.

Emily really was disgusted. She'd been his forced patient for too long. He had told her and JJ time and time again how they were his experiments. He was testing the human body's tolerance level to pain and fear when placed in different, unpleasant conditions. The dark haired woman shook the memories a way with a violent flinch. She didn't like to think of the last, however long she's been there. She'd like to never think of them again. Looking back up to the man, Doctor, Emily was reminded of the very first moment he spoke to them.

"I am your doctor," He said with a smile that unnerved the two agents deeply, "I won't let anything happen to you."

That moment definitely made it to the top ten worst days of her life. Probably JJ's too.

With a sigh Emily partially listened as he, Doctor, for the billionth time went into his ever boring speech about his great achievements. What she, Emily, had helped him accomplish. With a sincere roll of her eyes Emily thought with a hint of humor that if his experiments didn't kill her soon enough, his speech definitely would. Emily hated him. She hated his smile and his experiments, she hated his constant white hospital coat and red scrubs worn to sell the illusion that he was a real doctor. Pausing her own rant Emily looked over the man again, catching what she hadn't before. It was a badge, a legitimate badge that dangled from his coat. Doctor might actually be a doctor.

Emily's heart sunk once again. She knew exactly what that meant. She knew now, why he was so cheery. Why he wasn't throwing a raging tantrum about ruined success and ruined plans. She knew what he was leading up to telling her. Closing her eyes, Emily waited for the information to come to light. It didn't take long as she heard the quick snaps of his fingers in front of her, jolting her eyelids open.

"Don't sleep just yet. I haven't even told you the best part. As I was debating your punishment I went to work, and lo and behold there she was. Your friend, my escapee being wheeled into a room. It's a sign I figured, so I volunteered to be her doctor. Being that I specialize in trauma patients, I met no resistance. I even got this photo to show you," He smiled happily as he showed her a selfie of him and a sleeping JJ. To make matters worse there was Morgan sleeping in the chair beside JJ in the photo. His grin, made Emily sick as she teared her eyes away from the phone.

He laughed again, "I imagine she'll be joining us again soon. Well, I better get going. I've got a meeting with an Aaron Hotchner. I believe you know him, yeah?"

Emily flinched as the door slammed shut and the lock clicked into place. She swore she could still hear his laughter resonating through the room long after he was gone. With one last regretful sigh Emily stood slowly, her hands holding the woods walls for balance. It was up to her now, to get out of there. To save JJ. To save herself. She nearly got to a straight standing position when a dazzling pain, clouded Emily's vision, and she slid back to the floor with a thud.

Yes, she did need to get escape, but for now … she just needed rest.

Just some rest.

Then she'd kill that egotistical psychopath and never lose a single second of sleep over it.

Aaron Hotchner tapped his foot impatiently against the cold floors of the hospital hallway. He was to meet JJ's trauma doctor. Apparently, he is some expert in working with patients that have survived traumatic events. The unit leader didn't even think he was a real medical a wannabe who couldn't make the grades in med school and switched to psychiatry. Hotch only believed that because he had already pulled the man's file. He needed to know exactly who was working with his agent.

And as of fifteen minutes ago, Hotch wasn't impressed at all with Dr. Nate Beltran. Not at all. He'd understand if it was only a few even thirty minutes late, but this Beltran was running behind by almost and hour. Hotch's observant stare took in his surroundings as he checked his watch once more. He chose this spot to meet the doctor because it was only two doors away from JJ's room. He'd reach the room in exactly ten seconds should she need him.

Not that she's woken up since early that morning, but the fact that she did open her eyes gave Hotch hope. If he listened close enough he could almost hear Reid reading to her. He couldn't remember the book name, but it was some, unacknowledged classic that literacy professors have mistakenly passed over in their course readings for the last five decades.

He had sent the distraught Morgan home for rest, while asking Penelope to grab lunch while Rossi coordinated the search in the woods for any sign of Emily or shred of evidence that could help guide them to her. But really the team's biggest lead was two doors away, in a hospital bed, covered in bruises and burns and sloppily-stitched cuts.

All of which pointed to their original profile of the unsub that they were, are, attempting to capture. A man who likely didn't make it through med school despite his high intelligence. A man in his late forties or fifties. He is strong enough to incapacitate two women and hold them for weeks at a time. His lack of a medical degree fuels his desire to operate and save, women, deemed in need of medical treatment.

He's killed eight women in three months. All suffered malnourishment, infections, were unwillingly forced to be subjects in trial surgeries of different kinds. He picks his victims in pairs of two. Hotch and the team had yet to figure out how he chooses them and why he does what he does when Emily and JJ were snatched up on their way back to the hotel. It's something he should have seen coming. Something he should have stopped.

Hotch sighed as he looked at his watch again before looking down both ends of the hall. His hands went up in frustration. He was wasting his time here. Turning to head back to JJ's room, Hotch then heard a yell.

"Agent Hotchner! Agent Hotchner!" A man, likely close to fifty years old ran towards him. Nearly slipping on the smooth floor. His badge dangled from his coat. Hotch noted specks of red splashed in one area of his coat. It looked like blood. Hotch frowned, but shook the outstretched hand of the panting man, "I'm so sorry for the wait. My little girl is sick, and she got a bloody nose."

Hotch nodded, his brows furrowing, "Your file didn't say anything about a child. What's her name?"

Hotch caught the flash of surprise in his eyes, "Her name is Em- Emma, and I'm not actually her father, but her legal guardian. My sister and her husband were killed in an auto-accident."

The skilled agent stared at the men for a second longer, but gave a short nod in acceptance. "I understand you're an expert in your field. Is that right, Doctor?"

"That's right. I'm the go-to guy when a patient comes in having survived terrible ordeals. I work with them, so that when they leave the hospital it is an easier transition back to the real, not so scary world," The man smiled as though he'd just nailed a speech he'd been reciting for a long time.

Hotch nearly scoffed, the world was scary. The thought of him attempting to get JJ to believe that after everything she has seen was close to comical. With a sigh Hotch looked at the doctor, "Why do you believe my agent needs your help? She's barely even woken up yet."

Aaron didn't miss the flash of anger either, "With all due respect Agent. I was assigned to Miss Jareau and from what I heard she's been through a lot. Plus, she might actually need me. Do you think that she'll even want to talk to you? I heard the rumors, she was taken right out from underneath you…," the doctor's eyes glowed with pride and if Hotch hadn't been suddenly distracted by Dr. Reid yelling for a nurse he would have seen that too, and he would have known right then and there. But Hotch didn't see it.

"Reid, what's going on?" Hotch asked as he left the annoyed doctor behind to speak with his youngest agent.

"She woke up and started to panic, pulling at her IV and trying to get out of bed. Nothing resembling the seizure she had last night," Reid muttered, clearly frazzled as his book still rested in his hands.

"Did she say anything?" Hotch asked as he watched four nurses wrestle JJ back into bed. His body moved forward protectively, but knew there wasn't much he could do. He watched as the Dr. Beltran ran forward smashing a sedative into her arm. Not at all delicately.

Perhaps, if Hotch hadn't been so caught in the whole situation he would have noticed JJ's eyes turn fearful at the sight of the almost a medical doctor. He would have seen her flinch back and the shake of her head and the whimpered, 'no', that escaped her lips, but he missed it.

Reid didn't catch it either as his worry for JJ blinded his sight through a wall of water that he refused to let fall. His eyes dropped to his book just as JJ's head dropped to her pillow, unconscious once again. "Emily."

Hotch looked towards Reid inquisitively, his arms folded across his chest. His eyes flashed back to JJ's now still form as Reid repeated, "That's what JJ said. Emily."

David Rossi inhaled his bottle of water the moment he stepped foot back in the park. Luckily it was a cool day, but he was getting too old to trudge through mud and dirt for hours at a time. With a deep sigh he looked back at the line of trees he had just emerged from. Really, he was getting too old for all of it. The entire job. That didn't mean he was about to quit though, he'd spend all day and all night in the woods if it meant finding Emily. He just prayed it was an alive Emily.

Though Dave was happy to see Garcia pull up and exit her car with a brown bag in her hand that surely contained a delicious sandwich; He just wasn't sure he could handle her typically bubbly attitude. Not that she's been her normal self for the last few weeks anyway. The technical analyst motioned him over to the table on the far side of the park and Rossi nodded. He could use the break anyway. Neither of the two spoke as both munched away. The silence wasn't awkward or strained, but something they both needed as they breathed in the fresh air and let the cool breeze blow between them.

It was finally Garcia who broke the quiet air, "JJ woke up again this morning." She added without emotion. No excitement. No Relief. Just words being spoken. Rossi looked up, unsure why this wasn't good news. Sensing that she still had something to say, Rossi took another bite of his food and waited.

"She started panicking and tried to stand again. Her doctor had to sedate her." She added that last part with a bit anger.

Rossi frowned, "Did she say anything?" Echoing the words his own boss had asked the young genius earlier.

"Emily. She said Emily. Oh, my poor baby. She's probably just scared and confused." Garcia lowered her gaze as she picked at the polish on her nails. Her thought drifting to her injured colleagues one in the hospital and one still out there waiting.

"How do you mean?" Rossi pressed Garcia, her last comment having sparked something within him. A thought. A wild idea. He wasn't exactly sure yet.

"The Unsub. He treats his victims like his patients. He patches them up and everything, so maybe JJ thinks she's still caught. Maybe she doesn't understand that she is in a real hospital fully. With the staff keeping her sedated, she might be confused and probably scared," Garcia rambled, her heart pained for her two best friends. Her crime-fighting beauties. Oh, how she has missed them.

Rossi stood up, already reaching for his phone. He didn't understand why they didn't think of it before. "You are a genius, Garcia!"

Penelope watched the older man rush off, a little bewildered barely muttering a half-confused, "Glad I could help."

Rossi fumbled with his phone before he dialed a familiar number, "Hotch it's Dave. We might have a problem."

Gosh! That took a long time to get published. I couldn't find a good place to stop it, but I hope you still like it. It is a more boring chapter, but my hope is that will pave the way for the rest of the story. Please let me know what you think. Should we keep with it? Any suggestions or comments or criticisms are much appreciated.

Thanks!

-HCB