Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

Chapter 21

Derek heard shots and ran into Theater 5, gun at the ready. Emily, Rossi, and Hotch arrived moments before and followed behind him with the four cops coming in tow. They ran down to the stage and examined the situation. Spencer had Amelia laid on the stage, his hands clamped over a wound on her abdomen. Behind them laid Christopher Regino, strewn on the floor, a single gunshot to his chest visible. JJ started to stir, laying across the doorway of the emergency exit. A beat went by before everyone rushed into motion. 

"Medic needed ASAP, 3720 Main Street, two victims, GSW..." Hotch rattled off into the comm in his ear. 

"JJ? Can you hear me?" Emily spoke gently to her friend, helping her into a seated position. 

"We've got a pulse!" Derek shouted from his crouched position next to Christopher.

"Kid, let me.." Rossi gently replaced Spencer's hands with his, holding a scrap of what looked like Amelia's dress to the gunshot wound on her stomach.

Amelia looked up at Spencer, who had tears streaming down his face as he looked down at her. If it wasn't for the tears, Amelia wouldn't have realized he was crying. She knew her vision was starting to go out of focus, but Spencer's smile seemed calm. He gently reached up and cupped her face with his palm.

"Stay with me, Lia. Medic's are almost here, you're gonna be just fine sweet girl." He leaned down and said in a soft voice. 

"Spence, it's s'loud in here.." She tried to look around but found it difficult to move her head. She closed her eyes, tired from the effort. 

"Sh, c'mon open your eyes. Okay? Listen to my voice. Want me to tell you more about the squirrels?" He gently patted her cheek to rouse her. 

She let out a small laugh. "Squirrels..suck." Spencer gave a small smile, glad she was conscious enough to joke. She saw a blur of motion as she felt hands on her neck, felt the plastic get cut away from her wrists and ankles. She let her eyes close, realizing the medics were here. She could rest for a little. 

"Ma'am, I need you to stay with me. Open your eyes Amelia" the medic spoke loud, too loud for Amelia. 

"M'open" she mumbled, opening her eyes to see Spencer keeping stride with her as they wheeled her into the ambulance. She heard him insist on riding along with her and his face came into her vision once more. 

She took in the man in front of her, a smear of blood on his angular cheek, FBI vest strapped tightly to his chest, and his hair in disarray. She felt her eyelids start to grow heavy, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion sinking deep into her bones.

"Y'know, you look pretty hot in that vest" she mumbled as she closed her eyes. She could no longer keep them open, and she felt herself enveloped in a cold chill before she slipped unconscious.

__

Spencer looked down at Amelia in the glaring light of the ambulance. The medics hovered around her, one of them asking him to let go of her hand. He looked down at her, pale and bloodied, and glanced back at the woman who had asked. He pleaded with his eyes, thinking if he let go of her hand she'd somehow slip away from him forever. The medic studied him briefly then gave a sharp nod and worked around Spencer, who tried to sit back out of the way. He clasped her hand in his, running his thumb along the top of hers.

Realization dawned on him, and he slipped his hand into his pocket. Running his fingertips over the smooth gold he removed the ring from his pocket and slowly slipped it onto her finger. At least she now had this little piece of herself back.

At the hospital, Amelia was whisked away into surgery immediately upon arrival. Spencer was the first one there and he sunk himself into a seat in the waiting room. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. He ran every possible outcome through his mind based off of where the gunshot to Amelia's stomach was. Best case scenario, the bullet missed any major organs and just caused blood loss which would still be hard to stop but better than.. The worst case scenario, that the bullet ripped through her organs. The odds of recovering from that were, Spencer knew, not good. And he couldn't bare to think about it.