Undercover Love

The John Doe in the NICU

David Rossi stares blankly at the wall in front of him. White. He looks down at his hands. Red. So red.

He can still hear the shouts from the trauma room.

"I can't find a fetal heart rate!"

"Incubate! We need to incubate."

"Hold his neck. If you have to, tie him down."

"Starting CPR!"

A shout of pain. A groan.

"Push 25 of adrenaline!"

"Severe trauma to the c4 and c5. I need a neck brace."

"She's crashing!"

Jack. He looked fine. How didn't he see it? How could he have missed something like that?

ONE HOUR EARLIER

"Jack?" Emily calls stretching around her seat. "Jack?"

Jack pops up behind Emily's chair," yeah?"

Emily turns her head and smiles at the young boy," I need you to help me, okay?"

Jack nods, eager to be a hero," yeah."

Emily smiles as calmly as she can," Jack. I need you to go check on daddy. Can you do that?"

Jack, already climbing out of the car, nods and quickly answer," uh-huh," when he realizes Emily can't see him nor his head.

He jumps down from the car and lands shakily on the ground.

"Okay, Jack." Emily says cranning her neck to see," how's daddy laying?"

Jack seats down in the grass, crossing his legs as he was tought to do in Kindergarten," on his tummy!"

Emily is blinded by a another long contraction, they're coming in every few minutes. "I-I... Jack can you put your ear on daddy's back and listen for his heart?"

She grips the door handle tightly as another rips through her body.

"I don't.." Emily heart drops at the sound of Jack's 'I don't hear anything'. "Ah! I hear it," Jack chirps.

"Thank God."

Present

"The baby?" Rossi asks as soon as the doctor shows his face. They can't ignore the blood on the man's scrubs.

The doctor sighs," we had to perform a c-section. The baby is three months premature. With any premature babies there are risk." The doctor takes a deep breath," Agent Prentiss suffered major blood loss and although she is stable her position can become compromised by even a small cold. So I need to ask which one of you is her proxy."

Rossi looks to the fake white tiles that flood the halls," Aaron.. Agent Hotchner. He's her proxy."

The doctor sighs," before Agent Hotchner, who was her proxy?"

Morgan raises his hand," me sir."

The doctor turns his attention to Morgan," you may need to consider a DNR in the next to near future."

The team is dumbstruck by this news.

"Now in regard of Agent Hotchner, he's still in surgery but as soon as he's stiched up I'll return to deliver any news." The doctor steps away but Rossi advances two more in his stepa closer.

"Wait. Sir, Jack? The young boy?"

The doctor shakes his head," the young boy that came in went with the Pediatric surgeons and doctors. I don't have any news on him."

"Please," Rossi begs," anything."

The doctor sighs, running his fingers through peppered hair," I did see that they incubated him. Now, that's not always bad. I did see that he left the emergency room in better condition than his parent's."

THE RESCUE

"

Emily, you need to calm your breathing," JJ soothes wiping sweat from her best friend's forehead. "Deep. Slow breathes."

She fights against JJ, trying to see out of the car to the wreckage just outside her door.

"The driver is DOA," someone outside the car yells and Emily starts to panic.

"Aaron!"

JJ keeps firm in her spot, blocking Emily's sight. "It's not Hotch. Emily, please. Your baby needs you."

Just feet away Rossi carefully turns Hotch on to his back," he's busted his eardrum."

Morgan cusses," dammit!" He lifts Hotch's shirt from his chest and warm ozzing blood immedialty covers his hands. "Rossi... he's bleeding to fast."

Rossi, who's nerves are raw and all worn out, shoots him a dirty look," we're not leaving him so go help Emily or shut up and help here."

Morgan uses Hotch's ruined shirt to cover as many wounds as possibly," Rossi. I wasn't trying to suggest that-"

Rossi tilts Hotch's head back," I know. I'm sorry it's just.."

Morgan nods," I know."

"Over here!" Reid yells, little Jack seats in his lap crying. "Over here!" Paramedics rush around them. One splits out from the rest to Emily and another to Jack. The remaining two go to Hotch.

"Pulse is weak and thready," the younger says.

"Set up an IV," the other responds. "I'm calling General."

"He's not breathing," the younger concludes and gets in position to start CPR.

"Starting CPR."

"It's 3:35."

Rossi steps forward but Morgan grabs his arm," Rossi, man, let them do their job."

Present

"Someone needs to call Emily's parents," JJ says touching the NICU's glass wall.

"Sean and Jessica too," Rossi adds, he hadn't looked at the small baby yet. Instead he leaves his eyes to the floor.

Reid looks away from the baby," not Hotch's mom? Or his dad?"

Rossi smiles bitterly," his father is the last person that Aaron would want here." The smile fades quickly," no. He's dead."

Reid blushes," oh."

JJ rubs Reid's shoulder," it's alright, Spence. He doesn't talk about it."

Morgan rubs at the back of his neck," beautiful kid, huh?"

Rossi nods," beautiful unnamed kid who's parents may not live long enough to name him."

JJ jerks to attention," him?"

Rossi shrugs," no one told us the gender and I'd rather misgender than call it, it."

JJ softly strokes the glass," he's so small."

I think the little Hotchniss baby will be a boy. I'm thinking a names that start with Js. Like maybe James or John.
-SH