Do Not Tell

Chapter 8

The world fell silent for a moment as Spencer felt himself becoming weightless, descending towards the ground. Just before impact, Hotch caught him, gently lowering him to the ground.

 
"SPENCER!!" They both sat on the dirt and leaves.

 
"Are you ok?" Hotch noticed the blood coming out of Spencer's abdomen. "Oh god..."

 
"Aaron.." Spencer whined between breaths.

 
"I got you." Hotch checked his wound, realising its severity. Spencer winced in pain and swallowed with difficulty. "Why would you do something like that, Damn it." Hotch's eyes were fixed on Spencer, who was gradually fading.

"Stay with me, hey, Spencer, hey," he patted Spencer's cheeks lightly.

"Aaron..."

"I'm here, Spencer, im here,"  Hotch carsed Spence's face.

"I'm... ..sor...sorry Aaron" Spencer was talking while panting, his respiration uneven, and his eyelids drooping. "What are you sorry for, for God's sake?" Hotch responded anxiously, his nerves on edge as he struggled to figure out what to do next.

"I ..didn't want... you hur..t but I..I..ended up hurting all of you more." Hotch could relate that to whatever Spencer was going through in the past few days, but it didn't matter right now, all that matters is saving Spencer's life.

"It's going to be ok, whatever it is, it can wait,I need you to look at me and keep your eyes open for me, Can you do that?" Spencer nodded slightly. An agent from Swat appeared, took down the one who shot Spencer, and headed to them.

"Agent Hotchner, it's clear in this area, but I'm afraid our way back is crowded; we cannot proceed that way." Hotch listened to what the swat man told him as he remained focused on Spencer. The man handed him a bandage, and without hesitation, Hotch grabbed it and began wrapping it around Spencer's torso, gaining groans of pain from the young man.

"Shh, it's ok, Spencer; you will be alright, I promise," Hotch realised how critical Spencer's condition was. There is no ambulance here, no one can help them, and Hotch himself doesn't have medical experience. "Listen to me, Spencer, we can't stay here.

Do you think you can walk?" Hotch hated to put Spencer through more pain, but they needed to leave their spot. "I don't...know." Spencer was in enomerous pain, sequeezing his eyes. "I'll help,"  Jona offered, appearing out of nowhere.

"Jona, where did you come from? Are you alright? Where is Morgan?" Hotch asked. "I've lost him, but I managed to get here with help." Jona advanced to them.

"Oh..Spencer.." Grasping the situation, Jona kneeled down near the doctor, and his hands began hovering over the wrapped wound. Just when Spencer thought it couldn't get worse, he saw Jona, and he felt his heart ache.

"Is it bad?" Jona looked at Hotch, waiting for an answer.

"The bullet is still inside."

"That is not good.." Jona said and glanced at Spencer, who was opening and shutting his eyes, and he could see that Spencer was anxious about his presence. "There is  a cabin nearby, it should be in a dead zone, we should be safe there," Jona suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Okay then." Hotch wondered inside from where Jona knows about a cabin or knows where it is, but now they don't have the time for questions or doubts. Hotch and Jona attempted to lift Spencer up by the arms, but Spencer resisted.

"Spencer, it's okay. We're going somewhere safe," Hotch reassured him. "Hey, can you hear me? We've got you." Hotch gently held Spencer's face in his palm, ensuring that Reid was listening to his words.