Chapter 19: I Will try to fix you

He startled awake, not knowing for a minute where he was.

"Aaron. It's okay. You're in the hospital."

He looked to his left where Rossi stood, worry evident on his face.

"Aaron, you need to calm down." Dave told him as the ringing got louder. "Deep breaths. In and out." He instructed. "There we go." He said once Hotch's heart rate slowed down.

Hotch blinked a few times, trying to clear the fuzziness he felt. He had a headache that rivaled the worst hangover he ever had. "What..." He swallowed. Dave handed him a cup of water and he took a few sips then cleared his throat. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Rossi asked.

Hotch frowned. "I, uhm..." He paused as he tried to think back. "Aria." He remembered. "Oh God, Dave." He gasped out, as the pieces started falling into place.

Rossi nodded sadly. "I know, Aaron. I'm so sorry."

Hotch fell back against the bed and closed his eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I was too late. Again. I failed her. Just like I failed Haley." He said with regret.

"Aaron..."

"I let her down, Dave. My little girl. Now she's gone."

Rossi frowned. "Aaron, Aria's not dead. She's in surgery right now."

Hotch looked confused. "No, she died. I was there. She coded."

"Yes, she coded. But they got her back." He explained. "She didn't die, Aaron. You weren't too late."

"I don't understand." He shook his head then groaned.

"Yeah. You probably shouldn't do that. You have a concussion." Dave told him. "Aaron, look at me. Aria is not dead."

"So, it was just a dream. She really is alive?" Dave nodded. "Why don't I remember that?" He asked.

"You collapsed before the medics managed to get her heart beating again. I guess the stress of almost losing Aria and your head injury contributed to that. Not to mention that the gash in the back of your head needed 10 stitches to close."

Hotch frowned then touched the back of his head, wincing slightly as his fingers made contact with the stitches.

"And Myers?"

Dave sighed. "He got away, Aaron. There was a hidden tunnel not shown on the blueprints."

"Damn it!" He muttered furiously.

"Morgan and Prentiss found blood though. So, we know that he's injured. CSU is still processing the scene."

"So, at least one of my bullets hit him."

Dave nodded. "He'll need medical attention sooner or later. We have officers canvassing all hospitals, medical facilities and pharmacies in the surrounding area."

"I don't want him to get anywhere near her, Dave."

"There are agents placed outside the OR and officers guarding all exits." Rossi assured him.

"What else happened?"

"Well, a second ambulance was dispatched after the first set of medics were re-routed to Stephany Dawson. That's why it took so long for them to get to where we were. Turns out she was in pretty bad shape. Worse off than Aria was."

"How is she?"

"Still in surgery last I checked. Doctors were surprised she was still alive after what she went through."

"So, they're both still in surgery?"

Rossi nodded. "For the past couple hours. Both lost quite a bit of blood so we all got tested and donated." He said holding up his arm so Hotch could see.

"I should donate too. Aria and I have the same blood type." He said as he slowly got up.

"Whoa. Slow down." Dave told him. "We've got it covered." He said as he placed his hands on Hotch's shoulders.

"Dave, let me go. I want to help."

"Aaron Hotchner, I swear to God if you don't get back in that bed right now, I will sedate you." Came a stern voice from behind them.

They both looked up to see Aimee standing in the doorway, hands on her hips as she glared at the father of her child.

Hotch stopped struggling when he realised that she wasn't joking. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he sat back down.

"Checking up on you." She answered simply. "Where did you think you were going?"

"I just...wanted to help."

"You do realised that you lost blood right? No one in their right mind would've let you donate." She said as she moved further into the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"I'm fine, Amelia. How's Aria?"

Aimee bit her lip. "She's still in surgery. Someone should be out soon with an update. I just wanted to check in on you then I'll go back." She said as she started doing a basic check up.

"Should you be working right now?" Dave asked her.

She shrugged. "Honestly, I could really use the distraction. I can't stand waiting around. Besides, all I'm doing is checking his vitals. I could do this in my sleep." She said with a small smile.

"Your blood pressure's a little elevated but other than that your vitals look good." She told him once she finished up.

"So, when can I get out of here?" He asked.

"If your concussion doesn't get any worse, probably in a day or two."

"I was hoping to be out of here before Aria got out of surgery." He told her.

"Aaron, that could be a while. And you need to rest. Head injuries are extremely unpredictable. Your doctor will discharge you when you're ready."

"Aimee..."

"I will keep you updated on Aria as best I can. But right now, you need to focus on yourself."

"She's right, Aaron." Dave agreed.

Hotch nodded. "Fine." He relented as he leaned back.

Dave nodded. "Good." He said then stepped out to answer his phone, leaving Aimee alone with Aaron.

"Do you need anything?" She asked softly as she handing him some water to drink.

He shook his head lightly. "Thanks though."

She nodded, then sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"How are you doing?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Exhausted. I probably slept a grand total of 6 hours in the past two and a half days."

"That's not what I meant." He told her.

"I know." She said with a sad smile then bit her lip.

"When I saw the medics wheel Aria in and I saw her, all bloody and pale with a knife sticking out of her abdomen..." She paused then shook her head. "It felt like my heart stopped beating for a second."

He nodded in understanding. "That's exactly how I felt when I found her."

She looked up at him. "The last time that happened was when I saw her after Lilly was killed. I thought I couldn't feel any worse than I did that day. And then this happens." She swallowed the lump in her throat then shook her head slightly, as if it would help will away the tears. She checked her watch. "I should get back to the waiting room in case there's any news."

He nodded as she stood up. "Keep me posted."

"Of course. Get some rest." She told him then left the room.

Aimee caught up with Rossi as they made their way back to the waiting room. She was pulled into a hug by Daniel.

"How's Agent Hotchner doing?" He asked her, genuinely concerned.

"He's gonna be okay. Mild concussion. Couple scrapes and bruises. He was conscious for a while but he's resting now so you guys can see him later." She said as she turned towards the team.

"That's good news." Prentiss said. The rest nodded their agreement, feeling relieved.

"I'm surprised he didn't fight to be here." Morgan said.

"Oh, he tried." Rossi told them. "But Aimee threatened to sedate him."

Daniel pulled away slightly so he could look at her face. "You didn't." He said, half surprised, half amused.

She shrugged as Daniel and the team chuckled lightly, needing a bit of humour in between dealing with the events of the past few days. It was short-lived though, as they saw Stephany Dawson's surgeon make his way towards her parents, who sat in the far corner of the waiting room, away from everyone else.

"Stephany's out of surgery already?" That's good, right." Rossi asked.

Aimee eyes followed her colleague, noting his body language and expression. "No, it isn't." She said softly as she watched him take off his scrub cap, then spoke softly to the Dawsons. She couldn't hear him but she knew exactly what he was saying.

"What do you mean?" Rossi asked.

Before Aimee could answer him, Hope let out a heartbreaking scream, her legs giving out from under her. Chris managed to catch his wife, preventing her from hitting the floor as they both sobbed in each others arms.

"Her injuries were too severe. We tried everything we could but despite our best efforts, we were unable to resuscitate her. I am so sorry for your loss."

Aimee sat down on a nearby chair, elbows resting on her upper thighs as her hands covered her face. Would she be getting that same news within the next few hours?

"Aimee, love?" Daniel said as he crouched down in front of her. "Are you alright?" He asked her, squeezing her knee.

She shook her head. "What if..." She choked out.

"No." He told her firmly. "Do not even go there. Stephany was worse off than Aria was. You know that. Our girl will be fine." He said then sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. They remained like that for the next hour, Aimee dozing on and off while gripping Daniel's hand.

"Excuse me, Dr Marano?"

Aimee blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from her eyes. "Yes?" She said as she sat up straighter.

"Dr Grey said I should give you an update."

Aimee nodded. "Go ahead, Wilson."

"The knife didn't hit any major arteries but it did puncture Aria's liver. Dr Grey managed to repair it and stop the internal bleeding. She lost a lot of blood but the transfusion went smoothly. Her CT scan was clear. At best she has a mild concussion but we'll know more once she has an MRI done."

"Any other injuries?" Aimee asked.

"Mostly, cuts and bruises. She has a fractured rib on her right side, two bruised on her left and one of her kidneys is bruised." Dr Wilson informed them. "They should be finishing up in the next hour or two."

"Okay. Thank you." Aimee said politely.

"See? I told you she'd be fine."

Aimee bit her lip, not looking or feeling as relieved as she should be. "A lot can still go wrong in an hour, Daniel." She told him. "Her bp could drop, she could code again, develop a blood clot..." She started listing.

Daniel put his hands on Aimee's shoulders, stopping her ramblings. "Love, I know it's hard not thinking like a surgeon, but right now Aria needs you to be her Mum. Not Dr Marano."

She sighed. "You're right."

He grinned. "I don't hear that very often but I'll take it."

Aimee shook her head slightly. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never have to find out." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead before pulling her in for a hug.

"Amelia?"

Aimee turned around to find her parents, each holding a coffee tray and wearing worried expressions.

"Is Aria okay?" Did something happen?" Eduardo asked.

"She's fine, Dad. Still in surgery but they should be finishing up soon."

"That's good news." Guiliana said as she handed Daniel a coffee.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah, Mom. It is." She said, not sounding as happy as she should be.

"Okay. What are you not telling us?" Guiliana asked.

Aimee sighed. Daniel grabbed her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "Stephany didn't make it." She told her parents.

"Oh, no." Guiliana gasped. "Those poor people." She said as her hand went to her chest.

Eduardo placed his hand on her lower back then shook his head. "That's awful. I can't even imagine..."

"Is there anything we can do?" Guiliana asked.

"I don't think so. Just give them some privacy. I think they're both still in shock."

They nodded. "Of course." They both agreed.

"Any news on Agent Hotchner?" Ed asked.

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. He's gonna be okay. Regained consciousness about two hours ago. He's resting right now."

He nodded. "That's a relief. Right, Guili?" He said, turning towards his wife.

She gave a quick nod but didn't say anything as she took a sip of her coffee.

Aimee frowned. "Mom, you have something on your mind?" She asked.

Guiliana shrugged. "Do we even know what really happened in that warehouse?" She asked.

Aimee stepped towards her mother. "Aaron was hurt trying to save our daughter. Your granddaughter." She pointed out. "That's what happened."

"Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't need to. God, Mom, why would you even ask that?"

Guiliana pursed her lips. "I'm just saying, maybe he shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"If he hadn't of been there, Aria wouldn't be in surgery right now." She said as she clenched her jaw. "She'd be dead."

"Or she wouldn't have been injured as badly."

"You don't know that. What happened was not Aaron's fault."

"He shouldn't have been there, Amelia. He's too personally involved in this. How do we even know he wasn't too distracted to do his job?"

Aimee shook her head. "I'm not gonna argue with you over this right now. Aria should be getting out of surgery soon. She's my main focus." She said as she pointed towards the OR.

"And you know what, Mom? As soon as Aria had the chance to call for help, she didn't call you or me, or even Daniel. She called Aaron. You wanna know why she did that? Because she trusts him and she knew that he would do whatever it took to find her. So, I don't care what you think about him. He kept his promise so I trust him, too." She said then turned around and walked away.

"Amelia..."

"Let her go, Guiliana." Ed told his wife as he watched Daniel follow Aimee. "Was that really necessary?" He asked as he shook his head.

"Agent Hotchner should not have been involved in this investigation, Eduardo. He should have taken a step back and let someone who wasn't personally involved deal with it." She insisted.

"I wouldn't." He said simply.

"Excuse me?" She asked placing her hand on her chest as if she had just been insulted.

"Guiliana, she's his daughter. If it had been me, and Amelia was the one in danger, I would've done the same thing."

"Look, I get that you're upset. But blaming Agent Hotchner for what happened to Aria is not going to change anything."

Guiliana shook her head lightly but didn't say anything. She moved over to the chairs and took a seat, placing her coffee on a nearby table.

"Hey." He said softly as kneeled in front of her. "What's really on your mind?"

She blinked back tears. "I missed out on so much with her."

"Guili..."

"I did. Those first five years, Ed. I'll never get them back. I've hardly been around the past few months either and she's been so understanding about it."

"You're an amazing Nonna, Guiliana." He assured her. "Aria adores you."

She shook her head. "I don't even remember the last time I told her that I love her."

"Oh, mi Amor. She knows." He told her then pulled her in for a hug. "She knows."

*Nonna - Grandmother

*Mi Amor - My love

"Aimee." Daniel said when he caught up with her.

She stopped pacing back and forth. "Can you believe her?" She asked. "Blaming Aaron for what happened." She shook her head. "Ridiculous." She muttered then wavered slightly.

"Hey, whoa." Daniel said as he grabbed her upper arms so keep her upright.

"I'm fine. I just felt a little lightheaded there for a second." She said as she let Daniel move her towards a chair.

"Your mum's just scared, Love, and she's looking for someone to blame."

"Aaron did everything he could to save her. I know he did."

"I don't doubt that, Aimee." He assured her. "Look, people deal with stressful situations in different ways. This is just her way of dealing. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"That still doesn't give her the right to say what she did." She told him. Daniel remained silent. "What? Don't tell me you agree with her."

"No. But she does have a point." He told her. "Hear me out." He said when he saw that she was about to argue.

"Agent Hotchner should not have been involved in this investigation. At least not actively, due to his relation to Aria."

"Why would that matter? He was just doing his job." She pointed out.

"He was. But look at it this way: Would you perform surgery on a family member?"

"Well, no. It goes against hospital policy."

"Exactly. The FBI has a similar policy. Agents generally are not allowed to investigate a case if a family member is directly involved." He explained.

"So, he could lose his job over this?" She asked surprised.

Daniel nodded. "Possibly, yes. Or he could get suspended. It would depend on how lenient his boss is."

Aimee shook her head. "God, Daniel. He was just trying to do the right thing."

"I know." He said as he put his arm around Aimee, pulling her closer towards him.

"We should get back to the waiting area." She told him after a few minutes.

"Yeah." He said then stood up, holding out his hand for her. She gave him a faint smile before she grabbed onto it. They walked back to the waiting area, hands firmly grasped together.

"Now that's something I thought I'd never see." She said softly. Daniel followed her line of sight, then smiled.

Danny and Izzy sat next to each other in the far corner of the waiting room. Both were sound asleep, Izzy's head rested on Danny's shoulder, while his cheek was pressed against the top of her head.

Both of them had been pretty adamant about staying at the hospital until they knew that Aria was okay. Neither of them had slept much over the course of the past few days so she was glad that they were getting some rest.

"If I wasn't having such a crappy day, I'd take a couple photos." Aimee said.

"Way ahead of you, Kiddo." Eduardo said as he joined the couple, showing them his phone.

She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Mom?" She asked.

"Restroom." He answered.

She nodded.

"Aimee, about what your mother said..."

She held her hand up. "Don't, okay? I can't deal with that right now, Dad."

"She didn't mean it. She's just upset."

"We're all upset, Dad. That doesn't give her the right to say what she did."

Guiliana exited the bathroom. She saw that Aimee was back in the waiting area and hoped that she wouldn't notice how puffy her eyes looked.

"Any news?" She asked, focusing on her husband.

"No, nothing yet." He answered, placing his arm around her waist as he pulled her closer. "You okay?" He whispered.

She gave a slight nod, allowing him to guide her to one of the chairs.

Aimee stared at her parents with a frown. It wasn't like she wasn't used to them being affectionate towards each other. Despite her mother's cold demeanor, it was obvious that she loved her father as much as he loved her. She never had any reason to doubt that.

Guiliana had tried to hide it but Aimee noticed her red and puffy eyes. Had her mother been crying? She couldn't remember ever seeing her mother cry before. Maybe she was imagining it? She hadn't slept much the past few days so it could be possible.

"Aimee." Daniel called out to get her attention.

She turned to face him.

"Where did you go just now? You looked so deep in thought."

She shook her head lightly. "I was just..." She paused. "My mom looked like she was crying."

"Okay?" He frowned, not really understanding what the fuss was about.

"Daniel, my mom doesn't do crying."

"Aimee..." He sighed.

"No, I'm serious. I've never seen her cry before." She explained.

"That doesn't mean she never does." He grabbed both her hands. "Is that what's got you thinking so hard?"

She shrugged.

"It has been an exceptionally emotional day..." He reasoned.

"I guess." She answered.

"And despite what you may think, your mum is human, you know?"

She frowned again, as if she was considering whether that was in fact true.

"Hey, stop frowning." He told her as he ran his thumb over her brows. "I wouldn't want this beautiful face to get wrinkles before the wedding." He said then placed a light kiss to the space between her brows.

"You'd cancel the wedding if I got wrinkles?" She asked him.

"Absolutely. Can't have my reputation ruined now, can I?" He said with a smirk.

"Ass." She muttered, hitting him against his shoulder as she tried to hide her smile.

"Hey. I got you to smile, didn't I?" He said rubbing the spot she hit. "Mission accomplished." He said then pulled her in for a hug. "It's going to take a lot more than wrinkles to stop me from marrying you." He assured her.

"And here I thought you only wanted me for my good looks." She joked.

"Nah." He disagreed. "That was just a bonus." He said then kissed her lightly.

She pulled back after a few seconds. "Man, you are smooth."

"Of course I am. I'm British." He smiled. "Looks like Aria's out of surgery." He told her as he saw Aria's surgeon walk towards them.

Aimee gripped Daniel's hand tightly. He gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm right here." He told her softly.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Her colleague's face was unreadable and she couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

"Can we talk in private?" Dr Grey asked her as she noticed all the people in the waiting area. The BAU team had also showed up and Izzy and Danny were both awake.

Aimee shook her head. "They're all family." She dismissed. "Please just tell me she's okay."

"Aria made it through surgery." Dr Grey told them. "She's being moved to recovery right now."

Aimee released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"She's stable but not completely out of the woods yet. We have her on antibiotics in case of infection so we're keeping her in intensive care for the next couple days. As you know, due to the blood loss and transfusion, her body's very weak right now. The next 48 hours are critical."

Aimee nodded. "Wilson said her liver was punctured and she has fractured and bruised ribs."

"Yes. The puncture wasn't big but it did cause some internal bleeding, especially after we pulled the knife out. It took some time, but I managed to repair it. As for her ribs, that will heal on its own. There's not much we can do about that besides keep it wrapped."

"Yeah. I know." She agreed. "Was her head CT really clear?"

"It was. I know her head injury looked bad when she was brought in, but it wasn't. It's possible that she has a concussion but we won't know how severe it is until she wakes up."

Aimee nodded. "I understand."

"When can we see her?" Daniel asked.

"Give us a half hour to get her settled. I'll have a nurse come find you. Only two at a time are allowed for no more than 15 minutes. Aria needs her rest. You'll need to wear a gown and mask to avoid any chance of infection."

They both nodded.

"Thank you, Dr Grey." Daniel said then shook her hand.

"It's my pleasure." She smiled.

"Thank you doesn't feel like enough, Meredith." Aimee told her.

"It's plenty. Aria's a tough kid."

"Of course she is. Takes after her mother." Daniel remarked, squeezing Aimee's hand.

"Aimee, take a walk with me for a minute. I need your opinion on something." Meredith told her.

Aimee nodded. "Sure." She kissed Daniel on the check. "I'll be right back."

"What's going on, Mer?" Aimee asked.

She sighed. "I didn't wanna talk to you about this in front of everyone else but I spoke to Owen and..." She paused. "...he told me that Stephany Dawson was sexually assaulted."

Aimee's eyes widened. "Meredith, you shouldn't be telling me this."

"I know. But as Aria's doctor, I needed to." Dr Grey told her.

It took a few seconds for Aimee's brain to process what Dr Grey was trying to say.

"You think the same happened to Aria?" Aimee asked.

"I'm just saying that it's a possibility. When Aria came in, checking for sexual assault wasn't a priority. But her clothes were torn and I noticed that she had bruising on her inner thighs and around her neck." She explained.

Aimee shook her head. "That doesn't mean she was..." She paused, not being able to say the word out loud. The thought alone made her nauseous.

"I know, Aimee. I'm not saying she was. I just wanted you to know in case. It's not too late to do an exam."

"While she's unconscious?" Aimee shook her head. "No. I will not violate her like that. She's been through enough."

"Yes, she has." Meredith agreed. "Just think about it okay?" She said, giving Aimee's shoulder a squeeze then walked away.

I really need a cigarette right now. Aimee thought.

"Is everything all right?" She heard Daniel ask.

She schooled her features. "Yeah." She lied, giving him a fake smile. "Let my parents go first when the nurse comes out." She told him.

"You don't want to see her now?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm gonna go check if Aaron's awake so I can update him. He'll probably want to see her." She said. "Keep an eye on the kids, please?" She said referring to Izzy and Danny.

He nodded. "Of course." He easily agreed.

"Thanks." She half-smiled then took off.

Daniel frowned. What are you hiding from me, Amelia? He wondered then made his way back to his future in-laws to relay the message.

"Hey." She said softly as she leaned against the doorframe. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake."

"I couldn't sleep." He told her as he tried to read her expression. "How is she?" He asked.

She sighed then made her way further into the room, taking a seat on the side of his bed. "The surgery went well and she's stable."

Aaron sighed in relief. "Good. That's good." He told her. "What about Stephany Dawson?" He asked.

Aimee shook her head slightly. "She coded on the table. They couldn't get her back." She answered solemnly. "I'm sorry."

"Dammit." He cursed. "Her parents must be devastated."

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. It was rough."

He frowned. "What are you not telling me?" He asked. "You're not the best at hiding your emotions. I can read you like a book, even with a head injury."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she realised he was right. "Meredith -Dr. Grey - told me that she spoke to Dr. Hunt and he confirmed that Stephany was sexually assaulted." She told him. "You don't seem surprised." She pointed out.

"I'm not." He confirmed. "It's part of his MO." He said, referring to Myers.

"You mean those other two girls..." She trailed off and watched as he nodded. "She asked if they should do an exam on Aria."

He frowned. "Was there evidence of sexually assault?" He asked.

"It's pretty circumstantial: torn clothing and some bruising." She answered. "What do you think?" She asked as she bit her lip.

"He didn't have her long enough. The other girls were held for a few days then raped right before they were killed. He only stabbed Aria because she tried to get away, not because he was following a routine." He sighed. "When can I see her?" He asked, changing the subject.

"How about now?" She asked, allowing him to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about it either. Aria was alive and safe. That was all that mattered.

"Definitely." He smiled.

"Okay. I'll be right back." She told him then left the room, only to return five minutes later with a wheelchair.

"Absolutely not. I can walk, Aimee."

"Sorry. Doctor's orders." She told him. "It's either this or nothing."

"Fine." He relented with a sigh.

Aimee wheeled Aaron down the hallway towards Aria's room just as her parents stepped out and removed their gowns and masks.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you awake." Eduardo said then shook Aarons' hand. Guiliana walked right past without sparing them a glance.

"How does she look?" Aimee asked her father, choosing to ignore her mother's haste exit.

"Not great." He admitted. "I think your mom was a little freaked out by it." He said as his eyes landed on his wife as she stood by the elevator at the end of the hallway.

Aimee frowned. "She was?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "We're gonna head home to get some sleep. After you see her, I suggest you do the same." He told her then placed a kiss to her temple. "We'll be back later."

She nodded. "Thanks, Dad." She said softly. "You seen Daniel?" She asked as she looked around.

"He's still downstairs. He was on the phone with his parents. Scott and Rachel are with the kids. They didn't want to leave until they've seen Aria."

"They won't be allowed in, Dad. It's family only."

"Aimee, you know as well as I do that those kids are family."

"I know, okay? But I can't break hospital policy." She said with a sigh.

Ed raised his one eyebrow. "Then bend it."

"I'll see what I can do." She relented.

He smiled. "Good. I'll see you later, mi amor."

While Aimee and Eduardo had been talking, Aaron had managed to move towards Aria's room in his wheelchair. He sat just outside of her door, not wanting to go in just yet. He could see her through the glass doors, her chest rising and falling as she breathed steadily. She was alive. He didn't see a ventilator so he knew she was breathing on her own. He let out a breath of his own. She's here. She's alive. He reminded himself.

Aimee placed a hand on his shoulder. "You ready to go in?" She asked as they both slipped on a gown.

He nodded.

Aimee opened the sliding door and pushed Aaron inside until he was next to Aria's bedside. She made her way around to the other side. "Hi baby." She whispered then kissed the uninjured side of Aria's head.

Aaron sucked in a breath as he got a better look at her face.

He could see the stitches peeking out from under the bandage covering the gash in her forehead. She had a small cut on her cheekbone which was surrounded by bruising under her left eye. Her bottom lip looked like it was split open but had started healing and she had bruising around her neck.

"Is that finger marks?" He asked.

Aimee looked closer. "Yeah. It is." She answered as she gritted her teeth. "That bastard." She exclaimed then gripped Aria's hand in her own. "What else did he do to you, Tesoro?" She asked as she gently caressed the side of Aria's face that wasn't bruised. She then moved over to the foot of the bed to grab Aria's chart and began checking her vitals.

"Shouldn't you wait for Dr Grey to do that?" Aaron asked her.

"I'm a doctor, too. I can do this." She told him. She had to keep busy. The grip she had on her emotions was slowly slipping and if she didn't do something to distract herself from her injured daughter, she would start bawling and she didn't think she'd be able to stop.

Aaron could see that she was barely holding it together. "Aimee. Stop." He told her gently. "Just stop."

She paused then dropped the chart onto the bedside table.

"Sit down." He instructed.

She bit her lip then sat down in the chair next to Aria's hospital bed.

"I know this is hard. But Aria needs you to be her mom right now. Not her doctor." He told her.

She turned towards Aaron. "Daniel told me the same thing earlier."

"I knew he was a smart guy." He told her which earned him a faint smile. "She has the best doctors looking out for her."

She swallowed the lump in her throat then nodded. "Yeah." She looked over to Aria then squeezed her hand. "I know." She whispered.

"Hey." He said, reaching over to grab her hand. "She's going to be fine, Amelia." He told her, squeezing her hand.

She nodded, feeling too overwhelmed to speak as they both sat in silence, watching their daughter's steady breathing.

"Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you..." Coldplay – Fix you