Jet Lag

Chapter 3: Anticholinergic

"Emily, I need you to focus." Rossi, who had been listing off things they needed to collect from the jet, frowns at her. "We're all worried about him but if we want to live we have to focus."

He isn't meaning to be cruel, he's worried too but they can't find Hotch if they can't first save themselves.

"JJ kept two blankets in the shelf above the couch. Get both of those and the duffle bag underneath them. Aaron's briefcase should have simple pain killers, just grab any medicine he has in there." Rossi recalls his prize," I have bourbon. It's wrapped up in my suitcase you better pray it came through."

Emily's eyes wonder back out to the tree line. Ten hours ago she had had a slight thrill of the idea of Montana snow. Now she's shin deep in snow, one of her friends is missing, and she's freezing.

"Emily."

Her mother, just before Emily moved away the last time, had been collecting these Thomas Kinkade paintings. The man had a gift with a brush. Just by looking at these pictures one could be sucked into the acrylic strokes.

One of her mother's favorites hung in the hall by the mantle. In it, the edge of a set of woods was depicted. It always made Emily's blood chill as if she was in the picture.

Emily wishes she could go back home. Back to that mantle. Maybe then she could get Hotch back.

"Is she in shock?"

Emily blinks her tears away," we have to find him."

_¡|《》|¡_

He's warm.

He shouldn't be. He knows it.

"Dave!" He struggles to sit up. To fight against the warmth. "DEREK!" He falls back heavily. He isn't going anywhere. "Emily?"

_¡|《》|¡_

"Do you think you can handle carrying this?"

She'd volunteered to go with Morgan so that Rossi could hang back with Reid.

"Yeah," she nods but the word falls from her mouth meaningless.

Morgan steps closer to her, bending a little to try and catch her eyes," Emily I can carry it."

Reid's injuries had been more substantial than any of the ones the rest of them, and of the little they knew of Hotch's that statement still stands.

"I want to carry it." She takes the bottle carefully in her hands. "I can do it."

Morgan shakes his head and moves on. Blankets. Since Hotch is not here his jacket is of whatever use they need it for. Now they have two blankets, all their briefcases (stuffed, some sloppy some neat, with their clothes and other necessities), and all the medicine that Morgan could shove into Hotch's briefcase.

"Are you ready to head back?"

After getting a taste of the power, and paperwork, that being Unit Cheif gives Morgan never really forgot the experience. When Hotch came back there was no conflict. It was a silent ritualistic ceremony that was taking similarly to the changing of the guard. Morgan gratefully gave Hotch his high horse back, and with it he gave back the feeling of isolation.

No one missed the way they all looked to Rossi and Morgan for answers. After all it had been Rossi who looked after Hotch and Morgan who looked after them when Hotch couldn't.

Morgan doesn't want it. He does not want to be the one to make those calls. It was awful. Everytime they looked to him for answers there was this sense of worry. Would he be the reason someone was killed? Shot? Kidnapped? You never know.

This is survival. They have three real chances. They get rescued. The elements kill them. They fall like Hotch, simply gone.

And that thing, whether it be man or animal, will not get anyone else.

_¡|《》|¡_

Hotch lifts his body up. His arms trembling with strength he does not have.

He will get back to them.... as soon as he can figure out where he is.

Boom!
Sorry I've been slowly working on this as my workload from school gets heavier and heavier. Also if you have any questions feel free to ask. Most thing will be fairly clear by the next chapter. Pretty much you need to know JJ isn't there because she just had Michael. Emily is on the team because they're jurisdictions crossed over. All will be explained in the next chapter!!!
-S.H.