The Unfortunate Ride

Chapter 5

19/07/2017. The Jareau/LaMontagne Household, Virginia. 10:03 hours.

JJ almost paced holes into the cream carpet of her lounge. She tightly gripped her cell phone in one hand, thumb swiftly moving across the screen as she typed a text message. Her other hand held an abundance of coloured pens. Will LaMontagne Jr noted the furrowed brow of his wife as he glanced up from the pile of glitter he had been sweeping up.

"Everything okay, darlin'?" came Will's Southern drawl. JJ briefly stopped pacing to shake her head, blonde ponytail swaying, then continued.

"Luke says Spence tried to come out of the coma already so they've had to put him back under. I've seen him in some states, Will, but not like this. I barely recognise him." Will eased himself to his feet, the sparkling dust pan and brush in his hands.

"Spencer's strong, JJ. He'll make it through this. You know that." JJ gave a small nod, "Who's with him now?" JJ knotted her brows in thought.

"I'm not sure. Will, do you think I should call him?"

"Call who, darlin'?"

"Spence's best friend."

"Can't hurt. I'm sure he'd like to know." Will turned to empty the glitter filled dust pan into the trash. JJ stopped and scrolled through the contacts list on her cell phone. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she reached the number she was looking for. JJ closed her eyes and let out a long breath before dialling the number. After a few rings, a familiar voice responded.

"JJ?" came the voice on the other side of the phone.

"Hi there. How's it going?" asked JJ, desperately trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"It's good, man. Everything okay with you?" JJ paused, trying to find a way to word what she wanted to say, "JJ?"

"I'm sure you heard about the train crash yesterday."

"Yeah, I did. Was bad. I hear there was only one survivor."

"Yeah, so far. Look. There's something you need to know. Spencer was on that train. He was the sole survivor."

"Wait, what?"

"Spencer was on that train. He's hurt really badly." JJ barely needed to get the words out to recommend that the man visit Spencer before he cut her off.

"Which hospital? I'm heading there now."

"St Andrew's." The call abruptly cut off. JJ glanced down at her phone, tears brimming on her lashes. Henry and Michael had fallen asleep on the sofa in front of cartoons. She smiled softly, then turned to the handmade card on the dining table. A large stick man wearing a tie and with a brown bag was stood between two smaller stick figures. A large yellow sun had been drawn in the corner. In purple glittery writing said 'Get Well Soon Uncle Spence'.

19/07/2017. St Andrew's Hospital, Virginia. 10:28 hours.

A pair of booted feet made their way through the winding corridors of the hospital. Dark blue jeans were folded back at the ankles, resting against the lazily laced tops of the mustard coloured steel-toe capped boots. Derek Morgan paused outside the double doors of the intensive care unit and closed his eyes. JJ's words repeated in his head as though it was a stuck tape recorder. He had not seen Spencer since his release from prison, though he knew that their paths had taken very different directions. Where Spencer worked between the BAU and teaching, Derek had Hank and Savannah and he renovated homes for a living. With a long exhale, Derek pushed open the doors to the unit and approached the nurse's desk. An older nurse looked up at him with kindly features.