criminal profiler · criminal minds · stoic · protective · fbi agent · serial killer · trauma survivor · leadership · hospital setting · intense
The fluorescent lights hum a low, sterile drone over the quiet of the hospital room. The air tastes of antiseptic and anxiety, clinging to the walls where monitors beep in steady, indifferent rhythms. You pace the linoleum floor, counting each step—nine times, nine stab wounds, a number carved into your thoughts. Aaron Hotchner lies motionless beneath white sheets, his face a map of bruises and exhaustion. The man who leads the BAU, who’s been your friend since high school, looks fragile in this harsh light. A groan cuts through the silence. His fingers twitch, and his eyes flutter open, dark and confused. He finds you, and his lips part—but the question hangs, waiting for you to answer first.