Chapter Text
Aaron did his best to remain composed.
The drive from the cemetery to the nearest hospital was around a half hour. Everyone was exhausted, but no one could rest knowing that their youngest agent was currently sedated and being treated for the torture Hankel inflicted upon him. In the hospital waiting room Gideon was doing his best to remain strong, but Aaron could tell he was worried by the lines near his eyes going tight. Morgan was tense in the chair across from him. He was leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his hands clenched together under his chin. To Morgan's right, Garcia was slumped back, her bright colored outfit and personality was dulled. Her eyes were glassy and red. Her hands shook as she twisted a patterned scarf between her fingers. The adrenaline JJ had coursing through her since Reid was taken had finally ran out. Her head rested against Penelope's shoulder as her shaky breaths had evened out only moments ago.
"...has anyone informed Reid's emergency contact?" Prentiss asked softly into their quiet space of the waiting room, partially away from the constant beeping of medical equipment and sniffling adults and children alike. Although she was new to the team, Aaron could tell she was worried.
Aaron would like to say he was a logical man, but even he made mistakes. As unit chief, it should have been the first thing he did when Reid- Spencer got taken. Instead, he was stuck with the image of Reid's body seizing up, his body lifeless and never waking up. Not making it in time. Not figuring out his message. Having to live without one of the kindest souls in this grueling career. Not hearing Spencer's tangents about the linguistic differences between New England and Southern California or an advancement in medical technology.
"I've already contacted them," Gideon responded before Aaron could force his tongue to move. "They're getting on the first plane out here."
Aaron's brows furrowed, but the last 48 hours had been a nightmare. As Gideon's gaze locked with his, he decided that despite the questions running through his head, he'd overlook this for now.
As the sky turned from the darkness of the night to the blueish hue that arose before dawn, patients and their families came in and out of the hospital. Gideon took JJ back to the hotel with Prentiss a few hours earlier. A while after, Derek and Penelope left as well, though both were insistent Aaron tell them as soon as Spencer wakes up, though he didn't have that information.
Aaron messaged Haley that he'd be home a couple of days late and to tell Jack that he missed him very much. Aaron knew he wasn't going to leave until he had some form of an update. Still, every time he vaguely asked the nurses at the front desk if anything turned for the worse in Spencer's condition, they used a soft, but firm tone that they couldn't divulge such information. All they could say, really, was that he was resting.
It was around 6 in the morning before Gideon came back to the increasingly familiar waiting room.
"Now, I never knew these chairs were a suitable substitute for a bed." Gideon noted in his dry tone. His clothes were different than the ones from last night and though his eyes were slightly bruised, he looked rested.
Aaron felt increasingly irritated but also knew that was irrational. He sighed and looked up at his mentor's face. "It's important that one of us is here in case his condition turns for the worse."
"Hotch. You can't help him when you're like this. Go back to the hotel, wash up, and get yourself a coffee."
"...fine. But you call me if anything, and I mean anything, changes." Aaron suppressed a groan as he got up from the stiff chair. His joints popped in places he never knew could.
"Of course, Hotch."
"I'm not a child. I can handle myself!"
"Spencer Reid, you are twelve years old! You can't even drive!"
By 8am, the entire team was back in the blue-gray painted waiting room.
Somewhere, a baby was becoming increasingly fussy despite its mother's coos. An elderly couple leaned against each other and reminisced about their grandchild graduating from law school. The security officer talked quietly with a nurse getting off their shift. The doors of the hospital opened and closed an undetermined amount of times.
"...I can try to access his medical records...?" Penelope hesitantly spoke into the room.
Derek chuckled and shook his head. "It's alright, baby girl. We can wait." Morgan would seem alright if not for the slight bounce of his knee.
Aaron kept himself composed as he leaned his head back against the wall. Before he could rest his eyes, he heard something he didn't expect till at least noon given the hours it took to get from San Francisco to Atlanta.
"Excuse me, I'm here for Spencer Reid?"
As Aaron and the rest of the team became alert, they looked towards the front desk. There was a blond scruffy man. Mid-to-late 30s. He held himself in a way that suggested exhaustion. His eyes were filled with worry as glasses sat precariously on his nose. His clothes were rumpled as though he threw on the first thing he saw. To be completely honest, the man looked like a hot mess.
"Well, hello, sir. Can you please provide your name, ID, and relation to the patient?" The nurse asked professionally while typing into her computer.
"O- oh, yes. Of course." The man fumbled in his sweater pockets and accrued a worn wallet. He took out his Driver's License and placed it on the counter. "My name is Ryland Grace. Spencer is my- well, he's my son."
There was a sudden stillness to the group with the exception of Gideon and Aaron.
The nurse brought the ID close to her face as she pulled her glasses from her hair to her face. She looked between the ID, the man, and the monitor to her left.
"Ah... Adopted." Ryland grinned in an almost self-deprecating way.
The nurse nodded with a tired smile before handing the ID back to him. She got a Post-it and wrote on it with a spare pen. "He's on floor 4 room 15," She handed the piece of paper to the man along with a visitor's ID.
"Thank you so much, ma'am." He nodded and looked for the elevator, glancing past the group as if he never knew their faces, which he probably didn't.
"We'll ask if we can see him after Mr. Grace checks over Spencer." Aaron spoke into the anticipating silence. Although no one spoke, Gideon nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"You don't have to do this alone, you know?"