Coworkers || Aaron Hotchner

Chapter 65

March 30th
"Hey Spence, can I ask you something?" I ask as I sit down across from him on the jet
"You just did" he says smiling
"Come on, I'm serious" I say
"What do you need?" he asks
"Is it possible for someone's pulse to drop to almost zero? Like appear dead?" I ask
"Actually yes. Sometimes when the situation allows it, a person's body can go into shock dropping the heartbeat and breathing to almost nothing in order to preserve itself. Then when the conditions allow it the patient's vitals start to come back up and eventually become stable. It's usually treated with atropine or epinephrine in order to fasten the heart rhythm and get everything back to normal" he says
"Really? Ok, thanks" I say and I get up.
"Wait, Jessie, is everything ok?" he asks
"Yeah, I'm just... An old friend of mine had an injury and when I found out about the almost zero vitals, I was confused" I say controlling the expressions of my face so he doesn't suspect anything. He nods and looks back at his book.

Then the image of the nurse giving him morphine came back in my mind. What if that wasn't morphine?
"Beta-blockers are causing bradycardia, right? Can that send you in that kind of shock?" I ask taking his attention again
"If it is the exact amount that the situation requires to send them in that kind of shock, yeah definitely. Beta-blockers are the most common culprits in causing bradycardia, interfering with slow action potential generation and atrioventricular conduction and they target the sympathetic nervous system" he says
"And then if you administer atropine or epinephrine, it can bring the patient back" I say
"Yeah" he says and I nod
"Ok, thanks" I say and I go to the bathroom.

I take my phone out and I call Cruz. "Agent Grey, everything ok?" he asks
"We are on our way back from Montana but I need to talk to you ASAP. Be in two hours in SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) and bring the director with you" I say
"The director? Grey, what you're asking me is--" he says but I interrupt him
"I don't care. You better be there" I say and I hung up.

I didn't even go to my office when we landed, I went straight to SCIF. Cruz was waiting for me outside. "Grey, I convinced him to come here but he is not very happy about it" he says
"I don't care" I say as I lock my phone and gun outside before we go in the room. "Agent Grey, you mind explaining me why you brought me here?" the director asks as soon as I walk in
"Of course I will. I just wanted you here because I have a question for you. The both of you actually" I say standing up and folding my arms
"Next time agent Grey, you can call" he says and stands up
"Sit down" I say
"You can't talk to me like that" he says
"Sit. Down." I repeat standing in his way. He forces himself to nod and sit down.

"Is Aaron Hotchner alive?" I ask
"Excuse me?" he asks
"Don't answer a question with a question. Is agent Aaron Hotchner alive?" I ask again
"Agent Grey, I don't understand--" he says
"It's a simple yes or no question" I say
"I don't like your tone agent" he says
"This is not an answer" I say
"And this is not your place. I can't be wasting my time on theories" he says
"Is my husband alive?" I ask ignoring him
"No. Agent Hotchner died on September 26th" he says
"Wow, it's actually surprising that you remember the date since you keep saying that you are so busy. It seems like you did your homework when you came here didn't you? I bet you even rehearsed it on your way here" I say
"Are you profiling me agent?" he asks
"Yes, I am" I say.

I look at Cruz this time "What were you doing in the hospital that day?" I ask him
"I heard and came to see how he is doing" he says
"But you left before he got out of surgery. And a little later his chart changed. Why is that?" I say
"I asked the nurses and then I had to leave again" he says and I nod
"You really need to work on your poker face Cruz" I say.

"I took a look at the FBI finances. Why did the FBI spend 645.000$ in unspecified medical expenses starting from September 26th all the way to December 2nd?" I ask the director
"Where did you find that?" he asks
"I am Unit Chief, I have access to finances and budgets" I say
"I think that this conversation is over" the director says and gets ready to stand up again
"I don't. You're right sir, this is not my place. But signing the papers to dig up my husband's grave is my place and if his body isn't there, get ready to face the biggest law suit in the FBI's history. So it's your choice. I can do that and then everyone finds out since digging up a grave is not something that can stay hidden or you can answer me now and this conversation doesn't leave this room. Is agent Aaron Hotchner alive?" I demand
"Yes, he is" he finally says. That's when I sat down. "Peter Lewis was getting close and--"
"That was the perfect opportunity to hide him, right?" I ask
"Yes. It was for his and your family's protection but I can't give you more details" he answers.

"Let me tell you that you weren't really careful and now Peter Lewis is looking for him and he has been for the last 6 months" I say
"We don't know that" he says
"We do actually. Peter Lewis is a genius. He predicts and plans for every variable, every possible outcome. He doesn't just stop which means that for the past 7 months that he hasn't resurfaced, he is planning or more possibly if he has seen what I've seen, he is looking for something. He has a hell of a headstart. In the meanwhile I buried my husband, I cried for him and eventually started getting my family's life back into a normal routine. Right now, you're telling me that he is alive and that I can't see him. I understand that it is for his and our safety and I am willing to keep this to myself but if anything happens to him while he is under your protection and away from here, you're screwed" I say and I leave.

I rush to my office but I was stopped by Pen when I entered the bullpen. "Hey, I just got a--" she started saying but I stop her
"Later" I say and I keep walking.
"Everything ok?" David asks but I ignore him. I close the door and I sit on the couch. I bury my face in my hands and I try to calm myself down. I should have seen it coming. I should have at least make sure that he was... He has done this before. He wouldn't able to do it this time because he was unconscious but someone did.

I get up and I rush back to Penelope. "Hey, sorry for earlier. I just heard something that kinda upset" I say
"It's ok. But you're not here for that right?" she says
"Can pull up Rossi's phone records for September 25th and September 26th?" I ask
"Yes, I can but is everything ok?" she asks
"Yeah, he needs them for the phone company" I say and she nods
"I faxed them to your office" she says
"Thank you love" I say and I leave.

I go back in my office and I take a look at them. Three hours after Aaron was admitted and the first report on him was written, David called Cruz. The call lasted almost 5 minutes. Then an hour later Cruz comes in the hospital and that's when David left the waiting room. And two hours later, he was the one who told us that Aaron flatlined for 12 minutes. I open the door "Rossi!" I yell taking his attention and I go back in
"What is it?" he asks as soon as he walks in. I slam the paper in front of him
"You gave the idea, didn't you? And then you had the audacity to announce it to me and compare it to my dad's death. You watched me almost fall apart but you didn't say anything. That's why you asked me to let the funeral to you, you were feeling guilty, didn't you?" I say and I wait for him to say something
"Jessie..." he says and I nod
"Ok, get out. I have to work" I say as I seat down. He just nods and leaves. I grab Peter Lewis' file and I open it again.
I'm gonna find you, you son of a bitch and I'm gonna get my husband back.