~Spencer's POV~
I sit up on the stiff couch and glance over at Carmen who is restlessly sleeping on her hospital bed. Her hair tangles around her fingers as she reaches one hand up to touch her head subconsciously.
I sigh as I picture her long hair shaved off and her bald head with fresh scars crisscrossing her perfect skin. The chemotherapy that the doctors tried isn't working and they aren't even going to put her through the third round.
It's only been a week since the wedding and they're already going to put her through brain surgery.
~Carmen's POV~ (5 hours later)
I'm sitting upright in bed playing a board game with Garcia when I hear a knock on my door.
"Come in." I call, glancing at Garcia. A nurse walks in with Spencer and Morgan. The boys sit on the couch and Garcia joins them, taking the board game with her.
"How are you feeling?" She asks in a mundane voice, like she really doesn't care how I am.
"Fine." I reply. "Tired."
"That's normal with your condition." She says, the same monotone in her voice. I subconsciously reach up to my head but jerk back when I feel my hair braided into bumpy cornrows, still not used to it being there. Spencer was just relieved to know that they weren't shaving it all off.
The nurse preps me for surgery and I say my goodbyes to my friends.
"Wait!" Garcia calls after me as the doctors start wheeling me out of the room. "I almost forgot to give you this!" She reaches into her tote and pulls out a plush turtle, tucking it into the crook of my arm. "To remind you that you are strong, like the shell. And you can get through this." She says and gives me a comforting smile.
"Thanks, Garcia, that means a lot." I say and try to breath deeply, willing the medicine to to come faster. I count silently in my head to see how long it takes and to keep my mind focused on something, but loose consciousness before I reach 15.
~•~•~•~•~
I come out of surgery with a killer migraine. I reach up to put pressure on it, trying to calm the pain but my hand is caught before I can get halfway.
"Honey." A female voice says, making me jump. "We didn't fix it yet, but it's still not a wise decision to touch your head." Immediately a million questions zip around my brain, causing it to hurt more.
"What-" I croak. "What do you mean you... Didn't fix..." I say, still woozy from the medicine. My eyes start to clear up a bit and I whip my head around, searching for Spencer.
"Sweetheart, you didn't go through surgery." She says and I finally regain my vision.
"What do you mean?" I ask, frantically looking around at my surroundings. I see grey everywhere. Dark. Dreary. Grey. Nothing else. "Where the heck am I? Where is Spencer?!" I demand, getting scared and angry.
"Carmen, honey. Slow down, it's okay. Your at the I.C.U. in Moorfield. It's okay. Spencer is at Redgrass hospital in Virginia." The nurse says gently, smoothing my hair - the hair she just told me not to touch.
"What do you mean 'in Virginia' what state am I in?!" I ask, having a small panic attack.
"Carmen you're in a New York hospital. They had to life flight you here when you stopped breathing during surgery." She says and I try to sit up on the narrow hospital bed. "Carmen, lay down. It's okay." Instead of listening to her words I reach up and wrap my hand around the front of her hospital scrubs, pulling her close.
"Listen, and listen good." I demand. "You bring him here, and you let him see me." I demand with as much authority as I can muster up. "I don't care what it takes, you hear me? He is the only thing I need right now, it's something that you can't possibly put in that stupid I.V..." I take in a ragged breath before continuing. "It's true love." The wold goes dark again and I feel my fist going limp as I'm dragged into unawareness again.
~Spencer's POV~
I wake up to my phone ringing in my briefcase. I jolt upright on the uncomfortable hospital chair and look around me at JJ, Hotch, Morgan, and Garcia, all of whom are asleep.
"Hello?"
"Yes, is this Spencer Reid?" A quivering voice asks from the other end, almost scared.
"Yes. What's going on?" I ask frantically, shaking Morgan awake so that I have something to grab onto.
"You're wife wants to talk to you." I let go of Morgan's arm and smile. He gives me a confused and sleepy look but I just shrug him off.
"Okay, put her on the phone."
"Spence?" Carmen asks and I breath a sigh of relief.
"Hey Carmen. It's me, why are you calling me?" I ask.
"They didn't tell you?" She responds and my stomach twists into a knot.
"Baby... Tell me what?"
"Apparently they life flighted me to New York. I want you here, now." She says. I hear the little break in her small voice and I know she's slightly scared, even if she won't admit it to herself.
"Baby, I'm coming. It's okay. Text me the address, I'm coming." I say and stand up, grabbing my briefcase. Morgan stands up with me and I motion for him to grab her duffle from her hospital room.
I wake everyone up and tell them the news, apologize for leaving, and thank them for coming just to support me while I wait for her to come out of surgery.
~•~•~•~•~
I almost pass the hospital because I'm speeding so fast, but luckily Morgan punches my arm to get me to pay attention. I swerve into the parking lot and park precariously. Morgan and I book it into the hospital entrance, feeling like crazy people as we fly by security.
We reach Carmen's section of the I.C.U. and I see her laying on a stiff gurney in a hospital gown.
"Carmen. I'm here, baby, I'm here." I sooth, coming around the side of her bed. She jerks her head up and I gently push her back down. "It's okay, just lay down, I'm here." She breaths deeply and I sigh. "I was worried about you."
"I'm sorry." She whispers and I bury my head in the crook of her neck. I love her so much. I don't even realize that I'm crying until I lift my head and find tears on her shoulder. "Spence... Please don't cry, I'm fine now." She says In a small voice and I try my best to contain myself. Morgan comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"It's a good thing you guys are together." Morgan tells Carmen and my eyebrows furrow together in confusion.
"Why?" I ask.
"Well because then the team can still see her and stay in touch." He says and I go tense.
"Carmen... What is he talking about?" I ask as gently as I can.
"I was going to tell you after the surgery..." She responds quietly.
"Tell me what?" I demand, looking from Carmen to Morgan and back again. "What are you guys not telling me?"
"I'm quitting the BAU..." Carmen trails off.
"You're what?!" I almost shout, drawing the attention of everyone in the I.C.U, well, everyone that is conscious. I can see her recoil into a ball and immediately I know I did something wrong, but I can't get a handle on myself, I'm just so frustrated. How could she not tell me? Or ask my opinion on such a big decision?
"At least temporarily." She whispers, barely audible.
"When were you going to tell me?!" I demand.
"I told you... I was going to tell you after-"
"Excuse me sir, you're not supposed to be here." A security guard says, grabbing my arm.
"No, you don't understand. I was given special clearance." I try to reason with him.
"Not now, you're disrupting the peace. These patients need to rest." He directs me out and I glance back at Morgan, wondering why he would betray me. Why he wouldn't come help me when the security guard is being so sassy. I see him just standing there with a look of shock and confusion.
~Carmen's POV~
I totally screwed up. I've never really seen Spencer angry. Let alone this angry. I can't help but think that maybe we rushed into things. I mean... Marriage? Really Carmen, what in the world were you thinking? And now you have cancer. You're going to go through brain surgery with your honeymoon money and... Then what? Just go right into living with Spencer like nothing happened? Like its a normal thing to just get married?! I think to myself, clutching my head and rocking back and forth on the uncomfortable hospital bed. I start to cry and Morgan comes over to me.
"Hey. None of this is your fault, okay?" He says and wraps his arms around me as I cry.
"Morgan." I say, taking a shaky breath and pushing him away from me. "I really appreciate you coming here, to help Spencer, and comforting me and everything... But honestly, right now I just want to be alone. Okay? I screwed up big time, and made some rash decisions on what I thought was true love. But really, Morgan. I rushed things with everyone and I really need time to think about everything, okay? Please just- please leave." I sob and he looks slightly hurt.
"Okay. I can respect that, I get it. But Carmen, Spencer really loves you. He might be mad right now, but you make him smile like no one I've ever seen. You are really stressed with everything, I get it. But promise me you won't end everything with Spencer just because of this, okay?" He says.
"I'll think about it, just get out. Please." I beg, wishing for the comfort and privacy of my house. With my own bed, and my comfort foods. I would give anything to feel the slightest bit of comfort right now.
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