Lieutenant and SSA (Emily Prentiss x Reader)

13. Come to save us

Y/n pov - A few hours earlier

This morning everything took a turn for the worse. Nate keep passing out and Nat started seizing. And it didn't get better. I was forced to use almost all of our remaining water and resources. The two bags are empty. There's nothing left. And we're still locked in.

Nate can die any second, so could Nat. Even I could die at any minute right now. Nothing is left, not even an ounce of hope it feels like. Whatever had started to heal incorrectly in my chest is making it difficult to breath. As if that wasn't already a problem with all the sand around us. Sometimes it even feels like I'm choking on my own saliva when I fall unconscious. Nat says it looked like seizures.

And I can't do anything. It's to painful for me to move. I can't help them. I can't give them more time, I can't help heal them, I can't give them more hope. Not when I have none left myself.

"I'm sorry..." I cough out as my throat is dry. "I'm so sorry I'm breaking my promise Emily."

My breathing grows heavy as it feels like the air around me it growing thicker. The sound of harsh wind makes my ears ring, the ground shakes in a way that feels like death.

And in what I imagine are my last moment I see an imagine in my head. One at home in the house, Emily coming home from work, me working on some painting or writing a book from the study, our kids running around. Two girls and a boy. And I feel tears sting the cuts on my face.

But it's not death who comes in through the opening, but men in armour. Not just any armour. But military issued armour, US military.

Their forms are blurry and the ringing and wind keeps me from hearing what they're saying.

Someone's hands hold my face and even though it's blurry, I would recognise his smile from anywhere. Those damned cadets that don't take things seriously. But the silly smiles always brought another kind of life to base.

"Son of a bitch, I knew you were to stubborn to die." I hear his voice in the distance and I think I let out a small laugh. One that causes a rise of liquid in my throat.

I'm coming home.

***

It felt like I'd been arguing with corporals and doctors for days by the time they gave me access to a phone. But according to the clock it was only two hours since we landed and their original examination or our injuries.

Nate is still in surgery while Nat only just got out of hers. She's sleeping just a few beds down from me. I need surgery too but I've refused until I get to speak to Emily. I know exactly what to tell her, what to ask, what to say. I just have to talk to her and tell her that before I go into surgery, just in case... but I don't let myself finish that sentence.

The phone rings in the doctors hand before me. I force myself to breath. "Yes, hi, is this Emily? I'm calling from... I have a message for a Emily Prentiss." Inhale. Exhale. "Could i speak with her?" Inhale. Exhale. "Is she there?" Inhale. Exhale.

"Tell whoever it is to just give her the damned phone." I say. I can only guess that it's either Laura or maybe someone from her team. Probably Hotchner, or maybe Morgan.

"Her wife is seeking her, could you pass the phone. She's refusing treatment until she speaks to her." And then there is another moment of silence. All before he passes me the phone and I press it to my ear.

As soon as I hear her breathing through the phone i forget all that I was supposed to say. "Hi Em." I just breath out. Not caring how much it hurts my lungs. She sobs. But I know it's her.

"They won't let me fly out of here just yet, something about not wanting to risk making injuries worse." The doctor looks at me. But in his eyes I can see that he understands why I'm not telling her about every scratch on my body. Or the surgery. "But I promise you that I'll be home after than you know." I try to exhale again, but my lungs won't let me this time. It's just so painful that I have to use the mask to breath for a few seconds. "Just know that I love you Emily Elizabeth Prentiss, my beautiful and wonderful wife, and don't think for a second that I'd ever break my promise of coming back to you. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

I wait for something more than muffles sobs of relief as the doctor almost pushes up the mask in my face again. Maybe I shouldn't have refused surgery immediately. But I couldn't risk anything without hearing her voice just one last time.

"Honey?"

It comes out as a broken sob. "I love you too Y/n?" I don't even want to try and imagine how horrible these weeks have been for her. The not knowing. It must have broken her to pieces. It know it would me. It almost had.

"And don't you forget it." I try to laugh but nothing lets me. "I will be home soon and you can take care of me instead of these doctors." I look up at him again and he laughs. It's a comforting sight. The only laughter I've seen in weeks are of madness and pain. "But I'll call you as soon as I can, and often as I can."

"Do you promise?" She asks, and I cherish every word I hear come out of her mouth.

"I promise." I answer just as the doctor gestures to me that it's time to get going. Apparently not only my ribs are fucked up, but I have glass embedded in the bone of my leg. Which would explain why it hurt so much. "Look, I have to go. But I'll call you as soon as I wake up again".

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you too." I hang up and hand the phone back to the doctor. His smile is kind and admiring. "What?"

"You're really lucky to have a wife like her." He says as some others come in to prep me and take me away.

"I know." I lean back as I answer with what must be a lovesick smile. But just as they're about to put me under I say one last thing. "Wait, Watson. Could you just do one thing."

"Sure, whatever you need for me to get you on that table." He answers and we both let out a laugh. It's nice. It's nice to be alive right now.