Remember Me

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

                Hotch entered JJ’s office, and glanced around the door at Gayle, curled up in one chair, head resting on her knees.

“How’s she doing?” he asked, motioning. JJ looked over from her file, and shrugged.

“She’s been in and out since she got here…seems really tired, but she can’t seem to stay asleep. What’s up?” she asked, looking back up at Hotch.

“Anything in the news that we need to know about?” JJ picked up the newspaper from her desk, and held it out for Hotch.

“Just a repeat of the reports we saw on the local news,” she replied, shaking her head. “But I have a call in to all the local networks and papers, to give me a call before anything is shared with the public.”

“Good. Keep me updated…on her too,” he said, pointing the paper at Gayle before heading back to the rest of the team. JJ turned her head, and looked at Gayle in the chair. She didn’t look as peaceful as she had when Hotch first entered the room a few moments before. Sighing softly, JJ turned her attention back to her work.

                The door opened, then latched, as Hotch reentered and sat down near Rossi.

“Any luck?” he asked, looking around. The team shook their heads slowly, and Hotch nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Alright….Morgan, I think you should take Prentiss and go look at the crime scene where we found Debbie Caine’s body, see if you can pick up on anything while you’re there. The rest of us are st-“

                Before the sentence could finish leaving Hotch’s mouth, he was interrupted by screams coming from the other side of the bullpen. Within seconds, the team was up off their chairs, and racing towards JJ’s office. The door to the office was open, the screams and cries flowing through the doorway. Hotch made it through the door first, to find JJ kneeling on the floor, and Gayle thrashing in the chair, sobbing and screaming. He hesitated long enough to see what was happening, before moving to the chair and gripping Gayle’s shoulders.

“Hey…hey, Gayle, c’mon…wake up, come on, you’re safe,” he said, softly shaking her as he tried to wake her and stop the screaming. Reid moved over, moving JJ away from the chair, before taking a breath.

“Here, Hotch, let me try.” He quickly rubbed the palm of his hand on the front of his shirt, before laying it gently against her forehead. “Gayle, you are in a safe place, you are fine, please wake up. Come on.” He cupped his other hand on the back of her neck, and within seconds, she gasped, and opened her eyes, looking around in surprise, fear, and confusion.

“Wh-what…where…wh-what’s going on?” she gasped, her eyes darting between the concerned faces looking down at her. Reid held on to her, laying her back against the chair, before letting go and clearing his throat.

“You, uh…woke up screaming again,” he replied, shaking his head. Her face paled, and she shook her head, looking away.

“Oh…I…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice and hands shaking. Hotch looked around the room, before crouching, and taking her wrists.

“Do you…remember anything?” he asked, looking at her. Gayle took a deep breath, and looked at her, before shaking her head slowly, then stopping, then frowning.

“…I…uhm…” Wiping her eyes, and rubbing her face, Gayle let out a long sigh, and nodded. “It isn’t much…but…I know why I couldn’t stop,” she said softly, glancing up at Morgan. “He cut the brake line. I did try to stop, but the Brakes light on the dash was on, and nothing was happening, so…yeah…” She sighed. “He…he went out before he put me in the car, came back with cutters in his hand. I didn’t put it together until I was already driving. I…He was trying to kill me, not save me,” she added, hearing his gruff voice in her head as she spoke.