memento vivere - supernatural & criminal minds

chapter 39

Chapter 39

 Chekhov's Gun

"Ma'am? Ms. Wesson, are you still there?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here." Jude's apartment came shuddering back into focus. She stumbled around for her purse and keys, missing them several times even though they were still by the front door. She had only returned from Florida a few hours ago. "I'm sorry. You said– shit!" Jude tripped on her rug on the way out the door. Her legs shook as she ran for the elevator. "Sorry, I'm so sorry. You said she's in surgery now?"

"Yes, ma'am," the nurse's gentle voice answered. How he could sound so calm delivering this, Jude could not fathom. No amount of witnessed atrocities could have prepared her for this call. "Now since you're Ms. Garcia's emergency contact, we were required to call you first, but given your professions–"

"I'll call our unit chief," Jude cut him off. The elevator was going too slow. She considered jumping to drop it faster. When it finally opened to the parking lot, she sprinted for her car. "He can contact the rest of the team," she panted. "I'm on my way to the hospital now." She thanked him, dialed Hotch, and put the phone on speaker before tossing it into the passenger seat. She peeled out of the lot, wishing she had one of the BAU's siren-equipped SUVs to allow her to go faster.

Hotch picked up on the second ring. "Wesson, are you–"

"Penelope's been shot."

"What?" A spike of panic cut through his typically stoic voice.

"She's in surgery. Her neighbor found her on the steps of their building and called 911. I'm on my way to the hospital." She gave him the address while driving at a speed that would have made Dean proud and given Sam a heart attack. "I need you to round up everyone else. I don't trust myself to do it without crashing this car."

"I'll handle it," he assured her, unfazed that she was now the one giving orders. "Drive safely."

Jude did not drive safely, but she and her car made it to the hospital in one piece. She likely scared a few innocent healthcare workers on the night shift as she burst through the doors in her disheveled work clothes. A sweet senior nurse who smelled like fresh cotton and antiseptic brought Jude two floors up to where the surgery was taking place. The other nurses behind the desk got her some water and urged her to calm down. When they were unsuccessful, they opted to give her a wide berth as she paced the waiting area.

Hotch and JJ arrived first, as they had both been at the office when Jude's frantic call came in. "Any word?" JJ asked, fear marring her gentle features. Jude could only shake her head. Hotch joined Jude in her pacing while JJ sank into a chair, her face in her hands.

Their cloud of nerves steadily grew as more people arrived. Spencer was next, halting Jude's pacing to hug her. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than Penelope," she muttered as she stepped back, running her fingers through her hair and tugging at the roots. "I can't believe this happened. She's not in the field, she's supposed to be the safest of us."

"You think this is job-related?" Rossi asked as he strode in with Prentiss.

"The police think it was a botched robbery, but I'm not sure. How many robbers are bold enough to break into a gated apartment courtyard to steal a purse?" Jude wrapped her arms around herself. "She had a date tonight. When she told Morgan and I about this guy, she said she thought it was happening a little too fast. I encouraged her to go, but Morgan disagreed and she blew up at him." Her train of thought chugged faster. "What if it was the guy? What if she'd listened to Morgan instead of me? Did I do this? Did I get her shot?"