After what felt like an eternity, paramedics arrived and ran over to where Morgan and Emily were knelt by JJ. Emily had JJ's head cradled in her hands and was whispering to her, regardless of whether or not JJ could hear her. Morgan was just in shock, staring at the blood that was slowly pooling beneath JJ's chin as though he could somehow will it back into her body.
"Agents, please, give us some room to work." One of the medics said quickly. Morgan backed away on autopilot but the other medic had to physically guide Prentiss away with a murmured "Let us do our jobs and help your friend" so that the first could assess JJ.
"Miss, can you hear me?" She said loudly, turning JJ onto her back. "Oh Jesus" She breathed as she saw the bruises and blood covering JJ's face. "What the hell happened to you, sweetie?"
"JJ, her name is JJ. She was in a… a fight." Prentiss muttered absently. "She's going to be okay, right?" Her voice choked at the last moment and a pair of tears traced down her cheeks. Morgan pulled her into a desperate hug but neither took their eyes off of their friend.
"We'll do the best that we can, Agent." The medic had her ear near to JJ's lips, listening for any signs of breath. But there were none, there was no telltale tickle against her cheek or any rise or fall of her patient's chest.
"She's not breathing, I need a C-collar and a suction pump." The medic said quickly. Her partner was there in a matter of seconds. With well-practiced movements, they fitted the C-collar around JJ's neck and set up the suction pump, swiftly clearing the blood from her mouth and throat.
"Give the medics some space." Hotch said, motioning for his agents to climb down out of the van. "Morgan, call Reid, tell him to meet us at the hospital." Hotch was looking unnaturally pale, with no small amount of fear etched across his face. Fear for JJ. Fear that even after everything that had happened, even when they were so close to getting her back, they might lose her all over again. Lose her permanently.
"What do I tell him about JJ? He's with Penelope, Hotch, she'll want to know how JJ is."
Hotch sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Tell them that she's in bad shape but that the medics are with her and she'd going to be okay." He had no idea if that last part was true but the last thing he wanted was Garcia having a meltdown. Morgan seemed to understand this and nodded, getting out his phone. Hotch also took his phone out and dialed Rossi's cell, he needed to know what had happened.
The medic checked JJ's breathing again. Still nothing. "I'm going to have to intubate. How's that ECG coming?" She asked, grabbing a laryngoscope and endo-tracheal tube from her bag.
"ECG's almost up." She checked the blood pressure cuff she had placed around JJ's upper arm quickly. "BP's 70 over 30," She glanced at the ECG monitor, "Heart rate's 135. I'm setting up an IV."
"Left lung isn't ventilating, I'm hearing gurgling sounds."
"I'll get the gurney." The second medic handed the bag of saline to Prentiss to hold and dashed back to the ambulance to grab the gurney. She wheeled it back just as quickly and removed the backboard, sliding it beside JJ's supine form.
"On three. One, two-" On three the pair shifted JJ onto the backboard, then transferred her onto the gurney. "One of you can ride with us to the hospital." The first medic said over her shoulder to the three team members still stood in and around the back of the van.
"Prentiss, you should go." Hotch said, "We'll meet you there."
Emily nodded and hastened to follow the paramedics who were loading JJ into the back of the ambulance. As she climbed into the back of the ambulance, one of them was climbing back out and got into the driver's seat. Once the gurney was secured and JJ was strapped into it, the medic attending to her shouted up to the front. "We're good to go!"
