The Best of Everything – Epilogue part 4

GSW

“Spencer...” Jason tried to get his attention but he was too distressed to sense anything other than Aaron.

“Reid!” This time Jason shouted. Spencer looked up at Jason. “Spencer, he isn’t dead. We need to dry him and warm him up. He’s hypothermic.”

“N-not d-dead?” Spencer was touching Aaron’s cold blue lips, stroking him. “Not...?”

Jason picked Aaron up again. “Get some towels and blankets. Let’s bring him back.” Spencer ran to the cupboard and got an armful of towels. Jason carried Aaron to the bedroom and carefully laid him on the bed. Spencer took his wet pyjama bottoms off, and wrapped him in a blanket, rubbing his arms and legs, trying to put some warmth into his body. Jason felt for a pulse.

“He has a slow pulse, Spencer.” He checked the wound in his head. “I don’t know he managed to survive a GSW to the head though.” Jason liked closely at the wound. “The angle is wrong. It looks as if the shot went upwards, and didn’t break through the bone.”

Spencer looked up from where he was caressing Aaron’s face. “It can happen, I know. The bullet hits at an angle and bounces off. Is that what happened here, Jason?”

“All I can think is that a combination o him having a metal plate in his head, Hotch maybe shaking, and the recoil of the gun altered the path of the bullet so that it did the minimum damage.”

“And the cold water would have slowed his metabolism down so he didn’t bleed out.”

Spencer stripped off his own wet clothes and put on sweat pants and top. He sat on the bed next to Aaron and wrapped his arms around him, and rocked him, whispering softly to him, as if Jason wasn’t there. Jason turned and went back to the bathroom. Until Aaron woke up, there wasn’t anything he could do. The GSW wasn’t bleeding, but as he warmed up, it could start again. He searched through the cupboards to find some dressings, so he could cover the head wound. He took them back to the bedroom.

“Spencer, let me dress the wound.”

Spencer once again released Aaron to Jason.

“The wound is clean, and although it looks bad, it isn’t deep.” said Jason. “I can dress it here. He won’t need hospital. I can take care of him here.”

He placed a non stick dressing against the wound, and wrapped a bandage around his head to hold it on.

“When he wakes up, he is going to need lots of reassurance, Spencer.”

Spence nodded. “I won’t move from his side.” He pulled back the covers, and moved Aaron so that he could cover him over. Aaron moaned very softly. He was starting to awaken as his body warmed. Spencer curled himself round his lover. He looked up at Jason.

Jason smiled. “I think he’ll be fine now, physically at least. Would you like coffee?

“That would be great, Jason. Thank you.”

Jason sat in the kitchen waiting for the coffee machine to do its work. He was very worried. Although Reid had explained Hotch’s condition to him, it was a horrible shock to see the strong dependable Agent in such a state. He was the last person he would imagine trying to kill himself. He just thanked his god that it hadn’t worked. He picked up the letter again.

... I can’t carry on like this, relying on you for everything. I am supposed to be the strong one, taking care of you...

“No-one said you needed to be the strong one, Hotch. You took that rōle on for yourself.”

Jason thought back to the time Hotch had almost been garrotted in front of the team, refusing to allow anyone to take out the UnSub. His strength and self sacrificing attitude was epitomised in that few minutes. And yet he had allowed Jason’s comforting arms to embrace him afterwards. He hoped he would be able to accept his help again.

AS he poured the coffee, he wondered, not for the first time, at Reid’s strength. He had always known it was there, it just needed to be tapped. It seemed as if Hotch had managed to do that. Yes this surprising relationship was good for Reid.

He sugared Spencer’s coffee and took the mugs upstairs to the bedroom.

Spencer was sitting in the bed, holding Hotch’s head in his lap, one hand on his face, the other running fingers through his hair. Jason could see the fear in Reid’s eyes. It was just starting to hit him, what had happened. He went and sat on the bed next to them. Reid gratefully took the coffee from Jason, and drank deeply.

“I almost lost him, Jason.” Spencer said softly, not looking away from Aaron. “I don’t know what I would have done if he had died. I thought he had for a moment.” He looked up and sipped his coffee. “It felt as if my life had ended, Jason.”

Jason reached out and put a hand on his arm. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to, Reid. I promise.”

Spence put down his mug. “Thank you.”

He looked down at Aaron. His eyes were fluttering open, his head turning towards Spencer.

“Spence?...” Scarcely more than a whisper.

“Aaron!” Spencer touched Aaron’s face and looked at him with wide tear filled eyes. “Oh Aaron, I thought I’d lost you!” He pulled Aaron close and held him.

Aaron pressed close to Spencer. “I’m so sorry. Spence, please, help me.”

“Jason’s here, he’s come to help.”

Jason reached out a hand to Aaron. Aaron took it. “I know what you are going through, Hotch. I understand. I will do my best to get you right again.”

Aaron raised a hand and touched the dressing on the side of his head. “What happened? Why am I...?”

“You missed.” Spencer said with a grin. “You failed your qualification! I think I’ll find another coach!”

Aaron flickered a tiny smile, this time, it reached his eyes before it faded. Spencer wanted to whoop with joy at seeing those deep dark eyes shine again, however briefly, but instead he pressed his face into Aaron’s hair, and kissed the top of his head. Aaron tilted his face towards Spencer, and their lips met in a soft gentle kiss.

Jason sat smiling. “I’ll get you a coffee, Hotch. I’ll put sugar in it, that will help you feel better.”

After Jason left, Spencer cupped Aaron’s face and looked into his eyes.

“Aaron, Babe, don’t ever do that to me again! You have always been there for me, now let me do the same for you.”

Aaron looked down unable to meet Spencer’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Spencey. I am such a burden to you. I just wanted to free you.”

“Aaron, I don’t want to be freed from you. Being with you, supporting you, loving you, is what I want to do. Never even think of taking that away from me again.” Tears were falling freely from Aaron’s eyes. He pulled Spencer close and cried into his hair.

“I won’t, Sp..ence. I’m s-sorry.”

When Jason returned a few minutes later, they were clinging to each other, rocking gently, each considering what they had almost lost, both determined never to come that close again.