Are You Profiling Me?

-2-

This chapter is very short! Just wanted to give a little background - promise it gets good

You froze. It was your brother's girlfriend. You needed to pretend nothing was wrong or you would freak out and you were in a room full of profilers. You were too drunk to drive. Reid. You could feign sickness, pipe leak, something. You saw Reid and made your way straight to him. You decided on sickness, which you were already feeling. Bile filled your throat.

"Reid. I know you hate germs but I'm about to be sick. Can you take me to my place?" You asked and at that time you genuinely had to hold in your vomit. He put his drink down and grabbed your arm.

"Danielle. Of course, let's go tell the team and we can go-"

"No! They are having so much fun, Hotch is actually enjoying himself and let them have this. I live like two blocks from here, just drop me off quickly and come back. You know you are gonna have to DD for them." You surmised. He nodded. It wasn't unusual for you to not want to be vulnerable around everyone, that's how all the team was. Spencer bought it because you would have no reason to lie.

Before you knew it, you were home. The taxi already called to take you to the airport. Your family lived in New York. The flight was quick. You packed just the essentials and you were at your brother's house by 3am. You didn't even bother knocking. Taylor was sitting on the couch, crying, half of her family was in the living room.

"Taylor, what's wrong? Where is my brother?" The room froze. No one said anything.

"I'm not gonna ask you again. Where is my brother?" She went to speak but nothing came out. You ran up the stairs.

"Stefan!" You looked in every room. This can't be true. Your brother cannot be dead. You pushed the bedroom door open and saw the photo of you two together on the swings, another photo of you two at your graduation, and the last at your parents funeral. No. You ran back downstairs.

"Dani. There is nothing you could have done. It was a drunk driver, I am so sorry." Taylor's dad said walking up to you.

"I want details, I want the when, the where, who. Where is he?" The word vomit again.

"He's at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He's brain dead." Mrs.Lennox spoke up this time. You got out of the house and straight into the rental car. The drive was quick, no traffic at this time of night. You felt your phone buzz a few times. It was the team telling you they hoped you felt better and no one had to come until noon. Hotch texted too but you couldn't bring yourself to look at it. You entered the hospital, the lights bright in the early morning, sky still pitch black. You said your name to the reception desk and her face remained stoic and she walked you to your brother's room. You really admired that. A doctor stood outside.

"Ms. Lindsey, I presume. My name is Doctor Sloan." I shook his hand. "Your brother sustained major brain injuries, he was dead on impact, he did not suffer." He said. He opened the door. There wasn't much to say. This was the end.

"Take all the time you need." The nurse said before shutting the door. You couldn't see your brother's face due to all the tubes and blankets around his body. You moved closer, dreading the moment, but you had to see for yourself. You wished you never looked. Half of his head was missing, gone. It was a miracle he was still technically alive. His eyes were swollen shut and his jaw was unhinged. His whole face was burned, you guessed the car had set on fire. In a way this made it easier. That wasn't your brother. It was just a body, an unrecognizable one. A nurse came in to check his vitals and you looked at her.

"Where is the paperwork?" She stilled for a second. Not expecting you to ask for it so soon. "My brother wouldn't want this. He would want to save lives with the remaining healthy organs and he wouldn't want anyone seeing him this way. She nodded and grabbed the forms. There were a million but you initialized all of them and handed it back. The doctor came in shortly after and started the end of life care. They started to wheel him away but you grabbed the bed rail. You moved the blanket to find his hand and it wasn't there. You closed your eyes. This isn't how you were going to remember him.

"I love you, Stef." and then he was gone.