Coming Home

#7: Departure

Part 7

Spencer~

The first few days after I was shot I slept more than I probably had in months. I would wake up every half an hour for a few minutes sometimes managing to eat a few bites of jello that Garcia bought for me before falling back into a hazy sleep. You would think that after being shot the first couple of times, this would all be routine for me, but this was different. It wasn't just different because I really had someone to worry about this time, but even I knew that this was worse. Much worse. The looks on the faces of just about everyone that walked into my room told me how horrible I must have looked. Sophie's sobs from the first time I was conscious play over and over in my head, reminding me to never again forget how lucky I am to live everyday knowing her. To hear someone cry over you is one thing. But to hear your biggest love cry as if they are already mourning your death? That's something I doubt even someone without an eidetic memory could forget.

"Spencer, I'm not letting you leave AMA!" I looked up from my daze to find my angry girlfriend standing at the end of my bed.

"Are we talking about their AMA or your AMA?"

"Both! You were shot, for christ's sake!"

"But I have you to help me! You'll know better than any of them if there's something horribly wrong with me and then we can take care of it! Plus, studies have shown that patients being cared for by loved ones in their own homes recover more quickly than patients in any other environments"

She crossed her arms and tilted her head at me.

"Fine. but you are not getting in a plane. We'll stay in Maine until I clear you to fly, cappice?"

"I thought you wouldn't want to stay here-"

"Spence, don't worry about that, okay? I can survive a few nights with my mother if it means you don't do anything more to hurt yourself."

Sophie~

So, I lied. Just a little lie, but nevertheless, a lie. Truthfully, I want to get out of this place more than Spencer could ever know. But if staying here means that he is at less risk, what choice do I have?

"Hey mom, i'm sorry that I haven't called you back, things have been a little hectic"

"Sweetie I'm not angry, I'm just confused! What's going on with you?"

"I'm here mom. I'm at the Portland hospital with Spencer, and we need a place to stay until he's okay enough to fly."

I stood in the corner of the room by the windows whispering in hopes to not wake the now sleeping Spencer, but failed. He looked towards me and furrowed his brows like he does whenever he is trying to piece things together. I attempted to mouth to him- all good, my mom, go back to sleep- but with the puzzled look he gave back to me I'm guessing I didn't do such a great job.

"Look mom, he just woke up so I have to go, but should I call Lu or can I bring him there?"

"Of course you can come here! There's no need to bother your sister, besides you know how she is around blood and that poor-"

"Okay thank you goodbye mom" I hung up my phone and made my way back to the chair beside the hospital bed where my computer and my blanket were messily thrown on the cushion.

"Once you are good to leave we are going to my house."

"Your house? Am I about to meet your parents for the first time?"

"Yeah babe, you are. Got a suit?" his eyes got really wide and I laughed while shaking my head.

"Im joking, Spence, I don't even know if I remembered to bring you pants, nevermind a two piece"

And so with a simple exchange and a lot of paperwork, we signed him out, found him some pants, and left the hospital.

Spencer~

Oh my god. You would think that my greatest shock of the past week would have been being shot multiple times, but no, oh no. My biggest shock of the week is that now, barely dressed, my torso covered only with the slightly bled on gause the nurses applied to me, I was about to meet my girlfriends parents. You would think that for such a short distance and for knowing each other for so long we would have at least corresponded a few times with her parents, but no. That was yet another topic that was a little too raw.

With an orderly pushing the wheelchair that I was in and Sophie walking briskly beside me with her hands full of medical supplies and various personal belongings, we made our way out to a big black dodge van. A man slightly shorter than me stepped out of the driver's seat, and a woman a little taller than Sophie stepped out of the passengers side. I could recognize them both from pictures around the apartment and her phone. If I could stand I would have shaken their hands, but in my current painful state the most I could do is try to look even half awake.

"Mom, dad, this is Spencer" I smiled through the pain and looked up at them. Both were smiling back but with a little apprehension, like they weren't quite sure what to make of me.

Our introduction was brief and very few words were said before Soph ushered me into a seat in the back and opened the opposite door to enter the seat beside me. As soon as she got in she quickly reached out to grab my one unrestrained hand and squeezed it so hard I thought she would have to wheel me right back into the ER.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, baby" I tried my best to reassure her, but without knowing why she was this scared in the first place, I wasn't sure how well I could help.

The car ride was shorter than I expected it to be. Although I am certain that I was asleep for the majority of it. When the car stopped I woke up and squeezed Sophie's hand which still rested in mine. The house we stopped in front of was a light purple with a navy blue trim. The driveway was long and unpaved, passing a big pond on one side and a forest on the other. There were two other cars in the driveway and I could hear dogs barking from within the house. It was so unlike where I had grown up. It was beautiful, I couldn't understand how someone could hate this. A woman who looked almost exactly like Sophie approached the car and opened Soph's door.

"Well, look who finally came home"

~~~~~

Spamming today to catch up on what Ive written, sorry

*I dont own any criminal minds characters