Accumulated Trauma

Chapter 3: Meeting Emily

⚠️trigger warning: trauma response, mentions of abuse, fear⚠️

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A little while later, Emily comes into the room with a coffee for herself and JJ, and a bottle of water for you when you wake up.

JJ -“Thanks babe”

Emily - “It's okay. How is she?”

JJ - “she's scared. I'm getting her to trust me a little, but it is definitely going to take some time, this kid is traumatised. She told me her name though, so that is progress.”

Emily - “yea we heard. y/n. Garcia is looking her up now.”

JJ - “okay” she goes to take a sip of her coffee but her movement nearly wakes you, so she moves you down onto her lap.

She smiles sadly as you huff in your sleep and move a little. 

Emily - “what is it?”

JJ looks up. “Hmm?”

Emily - “what's wrong”

JJ sighs and looks back down at you. “I just hate seeing people like this. This kid is 17? And she's terrified of everyone. I can only imagine what happened to make her like this.”

Emily looks down at you. “Yeah I know. It's hard, knowing we would have helped her.”

JJ moves the hair out of your face gently. Emily watches and looks at JJ. 

Emily - “what are you thinking?”

JJ - “it just sucks.”

Emily - “i know” she strokes JJ's hand.

At this point you wake up, see Emily and get scared. You try backing even further into the corner but you are already as far as you can get. Your breathing quickens and you look at her with fear in your eyes.

JJ - “hey, hey it's okay, look at me. Take a deep breath, you're okay.”

You can't take your eyes off of Emily and JJ realises.

She strokes your face and says, “this is my girlfriend Emily, she won't hurt you.”

Emily - “hello y/n, you're okay i promise you” she gives a small smile and you calm a little. 

They wait for you to calm down properly and Emily offers you the bottled water. 

You look at her and back at the bottle, unsure of what to do. 

They both look at you confused.

Emily - “It's okay, take it. I got it for you. To drink.”

JJ looks at you. “y/n, do you know what this is?”

You shake your head, mumble an apology and look at it curiously. They are both shocked and don't know how to respond. 

Emily - “that's okay, this is called a bottle. It has water inside. Do you know what that is?”

You nod. 

Emily - “okay, one second ill be right back okay? Then I will show you what to do.”

You and JJ both nod and Emily leaves the room.

She goes to the others.

Emily - “can you believe that? She doesn't know what a bottle is”

Reid - “i was watching her body language, she was genuinely surprised by it, i don't think she was faking.”

Rossi - “we need to find who raised this kid, because whoever did has a prison cell with their name on it”

Hotch turns to Emily. “keep working with her. She's starting to calm down a lot quicker with JJ's presence and you are helping.”

Emily nods and leaves to go to the vending machine. When waiting for the bottle to fall, she looked onto the sofa and had an idea. 

She returns to the room with another bottle of water and a medium sized cushion. You look up at her and quickly back down, remembering your training.

JJ - “it's okay y/n no one is going to hurt you.”

Emily - “in fact, i have an idea for you”

You look up. 

Emily - holding up the cushion “do you know what this is?”

You nod, and make a gesture similar to what a small child would do when showing someone how to sleep.

JJ smiles sadly and says, “yes that's right y/n”

Emily brings a cushion and water over to you. She hands you the bottle of water from earlier and picks up her own.

Emily - “okay y/n, copy me okay?”

You nod. She places her hand on top of the bottle and you do the same.

You watch as she twists her hand and the bottle lid opens. You find it cool and try to do the same thing, but it doesn't work. You start to get frustrated.

JJ - “it's okay y/n, try the other way.”

You try the other way and it opens. You set it down and wiggle a bit.

They both smile and Emily picks up her bottle.

Emily - “okay y/n, now do this.”

She brings the bottle to her lips and drinks. You do the same but spill a few drops. Your face drains of all its colour as you realise what you did.

JJ - “y/n? Are you okay”

You start repeating apologies again while trying to dry your clothes off as fast as you can before you get in trouble.

JJ and Emily both grab an arm before you hurt yourself, and JJ looks at Emily worried

Emily - “It's okay, it's a trauma response. It'll pass, we just need to get her to calm down.” 

JJ - “y/n i need you to look at me okay? Can you do that?”

You slowly turn to look at her and see in her eyes that she's not going to hurt you. You start to relax, and eventually they feel you are calm enough to let your arms go.