Lucky
For: kaaatie as part of crimeland's gift-giving challenge.
Spoilers: Episode 5x01, "Nameless, Faceless"
"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
- William Barclay
Spencer winced in pain, throwing an arm across his eyes as his leg was disinfected and wrapped.
"You're lucky. The bullet just missed the femoral artery. You'd be in a lot worse shape if that happened."
Gritting his teeth, Spencer said nothing. He didn't say he'd known about the femoral artery since he was five years old and collected facts that made his mother squirm. He didn't consider himself lucky now, with this tear-your-hair-out ache and nothing and no one to soothe it. Because while Spencer had been trying to talk down the terribly grief-stricken man who had just shot him, he had also been keenly aware that Hotch was somewhere, injured.
The team - all of them - had gone there because Spencer had insisted. He could handle this. He was fine.
--
Time passed, and Spencer mindlessly flipped channels on the television. He scrolled past game shows, talk shows, and soap operas. Angrily, he turned off the set. Would it have been so hard for the hospital incorporate the history channel in its selection?
He was more irritable than usual because he had insisted against any kind of pain medication.
Stretching out for the drawer beside his bed, desperate for reading material. Spencer had just managed to snag the handle to pull it open when the phone rang.
"Yes?" he snapped. Who would have his number here anyway?
"Spence?"
"JJ," he said, not able to hide the relief he felt. "How's Hotch?"
"How are you?" she insisted.
He smiled at the temper all-too-evident in her tone. "I'll be fine. The bullet wound was through and through, missed everything major. They said I was lucky."
JJ was silent. Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"That I'm not there. That somebody's not there."
He grunted, trying in vain to get more comfortable.
"Need anything?" she asked, nothing but sincerity in her voice.
"Good thoughts?" he asked it like a question, hoping she wouldn't think it was a ridiculous request.
"Of course."
"Really?"
"Always."
Spencer blinked, shocked at her willingness to give.
He took a deep breath, realizing that finally, he did feel lucky.
Spoilers: Episode 5x01, "Nameless, Faceless"
"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
- William Barclay
Spencer winced in pain, throwing an arm across his eyes as his leg was disinfected and wrapped.
"You're lucky. The bullet just missed the femoral artery. You'd be in a lot worse shape if that happened."
Gritting his teeth, Spencer said nothing. He didn't say he'd known about the femoral artery since he was five years old and collected facts that made his mother squirm. He didn't consider himself lucky now, with this tear-your-hair-out ache and nothing and no one to soothe it. Because while Spencer had been trying to talk down the terribly grief-stricken man who had just shot him, he had also been keenly aware that Hotch was somewhere, injured.
The team - all of them - had gone there because Spencer had insisted. He could handle this. He was fine.
--
Time passed, and Spencer mindlessly flipped channels on the television. He scrolled past game shows, talk shows, and soap operas. Angrily, he turned off the set. Would it have been so hard for the hospital incorporate the history channel in its selection?
He was more irritable than usual because he had insisted against any kind of pain medication.
Stretching out for the drawer beside his bed, desperate for reading material. Spencer had just managed to snag the handle to pull it open when the phone rang.
"Yes?" he snapped. Who would have his number here anyway?
"Spence?"
"JJ," he said, not able to hide the relief he felt. "How's Hotch?"
"How are you?" she insisted.
He smiled at the temper all-too-evident in her tone. "I'll be fine. The bullet wound was through and through, missed everything major. They said I was lucky."
JJ was silent. Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"That I'm not there. That somebody's not there."
He grunted, trying in vain to get more comfortable.
"Need anything?" she asked, nothing but sincerity in her voice.
"Good thoughts?" he asked it like a question, hoping she wouldn't think it was a ridiculous request.
"Of course."
"Really?"
"Always."
Spencer blinked, shocked at her willingness to give.
He took a deep breath, realizing that finally, he did feel lucky.