heartburn {jemily}

Five.

I wake up the next morning in an unfamiliar room with a familiar blonde sleeping beside me. I turn my head to her, smiling shyly.

I pry the blankets off of me, brushing the wrinkles out of my already worn out dress.

"You okay, Em?" I turn around to see a groggy JJ pulling the blankets back. I nod.

"Yeah. I'm just going back to my room to get dressed for today. I'll be back in half an hour, okay?" She nods, rubbing her swollen eyes with her hands.

"Go back to sleep, J." She doesn't hesitate. She falls back onto her pillow and drifts off to sleep again.

I pry her hotel door open, entering the cold hallway. I shiver. I am in a dress, for that matter.

When I reach my hotel room, I'm desperate for warmth. I swing the door open, breathing in the warm air that my room releases.

I strip off the gown that I wore last night, throwing it to the floor. I walk naked into the bathroom, immediately regretting it. The cold tile freezes my feet, sending shivers through my whole body.

I turn the water on, waiting until it is an acceptable temperature before stepping in.

My muscles immediately relax at the aggressive push of the warm water. I lean my head back, allowing the water to flow through every strand of hair on my head.

The water swims down my sore body, giving me a shock of warmth that I needed. Hopefully this long, warm shower will be the solution.

When I'm done my shower, I turn the water off and I try to get out accident free.

But as I exit the shower, my feet find the puddles of water left on the bathroom floor. I can feel myself falling before it even happens. My legs collapse beneath me, and I fall backwards. My head hits the ground forcefully, and my body lays limp on the floor.

The bathroom tile is cool and raw, and it defeats any warmth that the shower gave me.

I bring my hand up to the back of my head, feeling for any blood. To my disgust, my fingers are stained with dark blood.

I sigh, placing my injured head back on the tile. I lay naked in my bathroom, shivering as I close my eyes once again.

—————

The door swinging open and hitting the wall pulls me out of sleep. It takes a minute for me to adjust to what's happening in front of me.

The first thing I notice is that I'm lying on the floor in my bathroom, staring up at the bright ceiling.

The next thing I feel is the pain that emits from the back of my head. I recall the slip that I had earlier.

It sinks in that I'm naked. I run my hand down my body, acknowledging the fact that I am bare.

And then my eyes focus to the woman who just kneeled down in front of me, her blonde hair grazing my shoulders.

It sinks in that I'm naked in front of Jennifer Jareau. I immediately try to cover the places that I don't want exposed, panicking.

JJ's lips move but I can't hear anything she's saying. I see her calling my name, panic flooding through every line on her face.

I burst through my fear and into reality. The first word I hear is JJ's soft voice speaking my name.

"Emily? Can you hear me?" She asks. I try to nod, but that doesn't work, considering my head is cut open and I'm lying on the ground.

"Yes. Can you get me something to cover up?" I ask politely. She nods incessantly, reaching to her left to retrieve a towel.