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AARON STILL laid in the hospital bed, begging for some kind of entertainment. Luckily, he would be released within a few weeks, but not before he briefed the new agent; his replacement. He had been expecting their call, he wasn't told exactly who was taking on his role, since the moment he knew he couldn't go back to work. Finally, just as Aaron had entered a heavy daydream, his phone began to buzz next to him. Without hesitation, he reached for it. He winced in pain but pushed through it to grab his phone. He answered. "Agent Hotchner," His deep voice filled Ophelia's ears, who was especially nervous to talk to the actual chief of the Behavorial Analysis Unit. "H—Hi, this is SSA Ophelia Holmes, I'm supposed to fill in your position at the BAU while you're on leave?" She sneakily shut her door as to not draw the attention of the other agents to her conversation. "Yes, I was expecting your call," He cleared his throat and fixed his posture the best that he could in his hospital bed. "Meet me at the hospital, we need to speak in person," Ophelia was concerned at this request, but she obliged, eager to finally get some answers.
At the hospital, Ophelia followed Aaron's directions closely, not letting her mind wander like it often would. Once she reached his room, she could see the man laying in the hospital bed, almost exposed or embarrassed, through the glass doors. He beckoned her to enter, no trace of a welcoming smile like the other team members had offered her. "SSA Aaron Hotchner," He cautiously gave his hand for her to shake and she took it. "Call me Ophelia," She gave a weary smile and withdrew her hand. "Aaron. Would you grab those files from my go bag, please?" Ophelia nodded and obeyed, taking a sizable amount of papers in the respected folders and placing them on the desk that hung over Aaron's desk. "Please, sit," He gestures towards the most uncomfortable looking chair Ophelia had ever seen. Nevertheless, she followed and pushed herself close to where Aaron had sat upright in his bed. From the way he was glancing at her, almost like he was waiting for her to poke fun at him, Ophelia could tell Agent Hotchner felt weak, even helpless, in his current position. She hoped he would elaborate on that. "Now, I'm sure you've heard of The Reaper," He began. Ophelia's eyes lit up. "Of course, sir," She replied meekly, clearly bewildered on what the reaper had to do with her briefing. He cleared his throat again and carefully swung his legs over the bed, towards where Ophelia was sitting. She grabbed his small, mobile tray and moved it back with her to give him room to stand. Instead, he slowly untied his gown and letting it fall into his lap. She stifled a gasp as she saw multiple stab wounds on the man's toned chest and abdomen. "He knew where the safest spots were," She realized, still analyzing Aaron's bare torso. He watched her eyes trace every wound and as her hands absentmindedly did the same. He stifled a shiver under her touch and his lips curled with anger. Not at her, but at the man who did this to him, for making him look like this in front of Ophelia. He wasn't sure why. She withdrew her hands as quickly as she raised them, feeling a little embarrassed. He quickly covered himself back up. He didn't bother to tie his gown. "Why you?" Ophelia asked, an undeniably concerned look on her face, as if the wounds were new and he wasn't safe in a hospital bed. Or as if she wanted to hug him and tell him it was going to be okay. "I didn't take his deal," He growled deeply. "If I stopped looking, he would stop killing," He elaborated. She nodded, wanting him to continue. "And your family?" She questioned, not taking her gaze off of him. She didn't really know if the man had a family, but she only assumed, given his furious state. "In hiding," He added, his eyes still dark with fury. She felt incredibly helpless, wishing she could've helped sooner. "What can I do?" She didn't expect a definite answer, but she wanted to ease the agent's stress in any way she could. "Look after my team," He replied, trying his best not to get emotional in front of the new agent. He quickly shifted the subject to her newfound duties as chief, leading them into a long conversation that led far past her office hours.
Once Hotch felt content in her ability to cover for him, he dismissed her. She stood up, barely making any noise as she packed up her things. Aaron watched her every move and she could feel her cheeks burning a rouge tinge on her face. "Thank you, Agent Hotchner, for everything," She gently pushed stray strands of her honey-brown hair behind her ear and closed her briefcase. Her sweetness almost tugged a smile onto his face. "Of course," He began, shifting comfortable in his bed. "Get home safe," He cautioned her. She nodded and started towards the door. "Feel better, Aaron," She flashed a sugary smile at the man, her signature dimples forming once again. He nodded in thanks and they parted for the night.
