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“Why do we have to park so far away?” You groan, trekking through the forest to reach the house of the unsub, a man by the name of William Doe. He’s been kidnapping girls to replace his daughter, who died when she was five from cancer.
“If we park too close, he’ll know we’re coming,” Spencer replies, “so if we’re further away we have the element of surprise and more chance he’s here.”
You give a small smile, grabbing Spencer’s hand and swinging it jokingly.
“Thanks Spence. I was asking a rhetorical question and complaining instead, but that you for giving me an answer.” You try to explain it gently, helping Spencer pick up on your tone of voice and a few other cues. “I’ll be happy when we’re home.”
“I’ll be happy when you’re gone,” Rossi complains. “Then I don’t have to listen to you whine all the time.”
There’s a quiet laugh before Hotch makes everyone stop a few paces from the door.
“Okay. Y/N, Dave, Morgan, I want you on the front door. We’ll take the back. Alright?” You all nod and sneak around, lining yourselves up for the signal. When Hotch calls it, Morgan kicks the door down and you move in. One by one, you clear rooms, taking the downstairs and moving up. You and Rossi stay downstairs, watching to make sure no one tries to sneak away.
You’re so wrapped up in this, you don’t notice William Doe come in through the back door. You don’t notice him reach into his coat and pull a gun.
You don’t notice him pull the trigger.
There’s a bang and you cry out in pain. You’ve been shot, in the thigh, and it’s bleeding heavily. The red viscous liquid spurts out at an alarming rate. It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’ll bleed out if the team don’t do something. As they run after the now fleeing William, Rossi and Spencer stay, kneeling next to you. Dave firmly clamps his hand around the your thigh, stopping the blood flow as best he can. Spencer’s mind is racing before fumbling for his phone and calling an ambulance.
“Y/N? Can you hear me?” Rossi asks, getting a weak nod in reply. “That’s good. That’s good. What’s your name?”
“Y-Y/N L/N,” you reply, wincing in pain. Your eyes droop to a close and Dave’s widen, his free hand coming to hold your head up.
“Hey now, don’t you dare close your eyes. Don’t you dare. I can’t loose you kid,” he begs. “How old are you?”
“T-Twen…” You trail off, eyes closing. Rossi fights back the urge to scream, instead still coving the wound and keeping pressure. Spencer takes your pulse, his face paling at how weak it is.
“Y/N? Y/N? Hey now, don’t you go,” Rossi asks again. He looks up. “Don’t let them go, old man. They’re so young.”
Dave’s so caught up, he doesn’t notice the paramedics pull up and take over. Spencer takes his hand and leads him away slightly, letting the professionals do their job. They bandage your wound and load you onto a stretcher, carrying you out to the ambulance. The two agents follow, joining the rest of the team. As they’re about to leave, Dave turns to Hotch.
“I’m going with them.”
Aaron doesn’t protest, simply nodding and gesturing. Rossi runs over, waiting near the steps to hop in the back. He climbs up, only to feel a hand on his chest.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave unless you’re some kind of family,” the medic says, her voice dripping with sympathy. Rossi shakes his head, pushing through.
“I’m the closest thing to family the kid has. I’m coming.”
Thankfully, she doesn’t argue and Dave takes his seat next to you as you start for the hospital. The journey’s smooth for the most part, until the heart monitor emits a loud beep. Dave’s eyes widen as a medic starts chest compressions, the other grabbing you hand.
“I can’t feel a pulse!” She yells, taking over from the man and letting him charge the defibrillator in the back. Once done, ‘clear’ is called and everyone lets go, including Dave, to let him shock you. It’s hard to see, and hear the cracks of bones, but it’s worth it when there’s a steady beep filling the back. Everyone breaths a sigh of relief.
The ambulance stops and you’re rushed out, Dave running alongside. He can’t process much, just the words 'intensive’ and 'now’ and just like that, you’re through a set of doors and he’s directed to a waiting room.
That’s all he can do now. Wait.
—•—
“Y/N L/N?”
Rossi’s head shoots up and he rubs the sleep from his eye, almost tackling the doctor.
“How are they? Have they made it? Will they be okay?” He rambles, fear and worry clouding his better judgement. The doctor nods along, holding up a hand and halting the agent in his thoughts.
“They’re okay, they’ve just come out of intensive surgery. The damage has been repaired but they lost a lot of blood. We managed to do a transfusion so they’ve replenished. They should wake in the next hour or so if you want to wait in their room,” she explains and tilts her head for him to follow. Dave complies and travels through the winding hallways of the building before coming to a room in the ICU. She points to room five. “They’re in there.”
Dave thanks her profusely before rushing through. His heart shatters. You’re a mess of wires, hooked up to different machines and IV’s to pump your body of fluids and nutrients and monitor just about everything. He collapses in the chair next to the bed, resting his head in his hands. He sends a quick update to Hotch and leans back, just watching you take each breath.
“Are they yours?”
He turns his head to see a nurse at the door, a small but sad smile on her face. Rossi doesn’t hesitate in nodding. “Yeah.”
The nurse nods and sits next to him. “I can see it, y'know? The way you watch them take every breath as though they’ll stop again. They way you keep running your thumb over their knuckles, comforting them even though they’re asleep.”
Dave gives a resigned smile. “Have you ever considered being a profiler?”
They share a laugh and she shakes her head. “I love being a nurse, helping people practically. I’m the same with mine.”
“Boy or girl?”
“A girl. Savannah. She was hit by a car a few years ago. She was in the ICU for a while and every day I sat next to her, just like you are now, holding her hand and watching her take each breath just in case. She made a full recovery, luckily, and I pray every day she’ll never end up back here.”
Dave nods, taking it all in.
“Y/N isn’t mine, biologically. We work together—that’s how they got shot. They’re the youngest in the team, and joined when they were eighteen, about two years ago. I’m the oldest,” he laughs a little. “I feel…responsible, I guess? They’re the kindest person, too. They bake for us, put all of us before themselves, always up to go out and spend time with any of us. I guess that’s why I took them under my wing. They’re so much like me, and they’re a third of my age. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I did.”
“Like three divorces?”
Dave looks down and relief floods his mind at the smile on your face. He leans over, giving you a gentle hug. “Kiddo.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” the nurse says, getting up and returning to her station.
“Thank God you’re okay. I was scared you’d-”
“But I’m not. I’m okay.”
You talk, Rossi filling you in on what happened after you passed out, how you almost died, and his fear. By the time you finish, it’s coming up to one in the morning.
“I’ll let you sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow,” Rossi says, standing up and tapping your calf lightly with a smile.
“Wait!” You call and Rossi turns around. “Please don’t go. I…I don’t like hospitals.” He gives a kind smile and nods, leaning out to call a nurse and ask for a bed to be set up.
He’s not going to leave you again. Ever.