Change My Mind ~ Criminal Minds (Aaron Hotchner x OC)

21.0: Close Call

WARNING: THERE'S SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER

"The present changes the past. Looking back you do not find what you left behind."

― Kiran Desai

Crystal was tired, her body ached and she wanted someone to cut off her side. Hotch wasn't doing much better, the only reason he hadn't fallen yet was because Crystal was supporting him up. Hotch stumbled a bit and Crystal stopped walking to catch him, Hotch looked over at her. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, maybe we should rest Hotch."

"No."

"Hotch-"

"I'm fine, after we find the trail." Crystal stared into Hotch's eyes, she was trying to find any signs of pain. Hotch sighed as he noticed this and his head started to hurt which made him wince, "I promise to tell you if I need a break, let's just keep moving. I can still move, are you still okay?" 

Crystal sighed, "Okay, we can keep going. I'm still good to, let's get moving Hotchner before a bear catches us." He let out a soft chuckled before nodding, Crystal had one arm around Hotch from his back and front as he had an arm around her. They continued walking in the direction they hoped would lead them to a trail, Crystal winced as her side started to hurt more with each step she took.

Please let the team be close.

___

Morgan and Rossi were currently waiting for Prentiss and Reid to radio them that they arrived on the trails when JJ came in, "We've got three of those matches on our volunteers list." Rossi shook his head, "How'd that happen?"

"They either work for the rangers or have the insight needed to explore the woods, I didn't approve of these." Morgan sighed at JJ's words, "Sheriff did?" She nodded as she sat down, JJ was about to say something when Morgan's phone rang. "Baby girl tell me you've got something on this son of a bitch."

"Better, I've got him and his vehicle. George Hutten, 46, white, and his boss says he's a piece of work. Last summer he got into an accident with his wife which causes him to limp now, his leg was badly injured during the crash and he had three surgeries just for him to walk again. They crashed in the middle of nowhere and when I say nowhere I mean they were lost for 4 days with no cell service or any civilization for another 30 miles. They had just finished camping when the accident happened and were in the middle of the woods."

JJ looked confused, "4 days? He takes them for 2."

"Ah, they were reported missing after two and it took two days for them to be found. So I looked into the reports and it turns out that his wife was driving when the accident happened and she was hardly injured, how'd they crash? She swerved to not hit a squirrel, they walked until George couldn't anymore since his leg was hurt to badly. His wife, Hannah, went to go get water for them since she wasn't as injured, but in their tired state they didn't realize she had gotten salt water from the lake she found."

Morgan sighed, "Which made them malnourished and dehydrated, they were exhausted."

"Right you are handsome, now when they were found they were in bad shape. They get to the hospital and it turns out the surgery to help fix up George's leg so that it'd be perfectly fine was not an option since he was to dehydrated, it would be to dangerous. They needed to make sure he was stable, but by the time they did that-"

"It was already to late and they couldn't do it anymore," Rossi finished as he looked at JJ and Morgan, "That's where his hatred for women comes from, he blames his wife for taking away his ability to walk. Garcia, I'm guessing their marriage didn't last?"