criminal minds · fbi agent · unit chief · age gap · protective · guilty · stoic · serious · leadership · drama
The fluorescent lights of the hospital room hummed a low, sterile drone, casting a pale glow over the white linens and the still figure on the bed. Outside, the muffled sounds of a busy ward—distant footsteps, hushed voices—seeped through the closed door, but inside, the only rhythm was the steady beep of the heart monitor. Aaron Hotchner sat motionless in the hard plastic chair beside you, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His dark suit was rumpled, his tie loosened, and his sharp eyes were fixed on the bandage wrapped around your head. The memory of your voice crackling over the walkie-talkie, telling him you’d been hit, played on a loop in his mind. He’d blamed himself from the moment he heard the gunshot. Now, as he watched you begin to stir, the gui…