Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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A/N: So not entirely new! Just been stagnating in a folder, the muse finished it up and so I thought I might as well POST for your reading ability!

As for my newest story, The Last Of Our Mistake, it's ready and waiting to be posted!! So don't worry about that! The other stories are, well, 'sleeping' for the moment!

Enjoy! Read! Review! My muse will make new stories for me!! =)

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'Hotchner.' Hotch said as he answered his phone tiredly. The last case now dawning on them that it was over, sucking the last traces of their energy levels.

'I see you have finally got signal then Agent Hotchner.' Strauss said down the phone, her voice strained and scarily quivering with nerves.

'Well we just got on the highway and heading back now.'

'Okay well I don't want to alarm you but your tech, Garcia, was admitted to hospital last night.'

'Hang on a minute.' Hotch said as he put the phone on speak so that Derek, Rossi and Emily could hear. 'Okay carry on, is she okay?'

'She was involved in a car accident last night with Kevin Lynch.'

'Yes, but is she okay?'

'She's critical, the hospital don't hold much hope of her making it... they tried to get hold of you, but couldn't get through so called me.'

'Signal was bad.' Hotch said trying to keep an even tone to his voice. 'How's Lynch?'

'He is fine, in prison as we speak.'

'In prison?'

'He caused the accident.'

'How?'

'Agent Hotchner, I think its best you got your team to the hospital and ask questions later.' Strauss said sternly. 'I'll meet you there later... I don't expect any of you in for 2 weeks.' The line went dead and he looked directly at Derek who was staring emotionless.

'She'll pull through.'

'We don't know that, she seemed pretty certain there that she's not pulling through this one Hotch.'

'Don't doubt her.' They spent the rest of the journey in their own silence, Hotch had rang to JJ and Reid in the other SUV and alerted them to follow them to the hospital, when they got there they all grouped and walked in like pack ready to protect their own. They found out where she was and went directly there, only then did it all settle in.

'I'm Doctor. Jones, I'm looking after Ms Garcia, I'm guessing you are those on Ms Garcia's contact list?' The doctor said as he greeted them at last.

'We are, we were away hence why you couldn't get hold of us.'

'I'm glad you are here now.' He looked at them, both women red eyed, the youngster of them all looking near there, the big black man looking like tears were threatening to fall, and the two older men keeping all emotions well hidden. 'I'm sure you want to see her, but first I suppose you want to know about her condition?'

'Please.'

'Well firstly, she is extremely critical, we're not sure how much trauma her body can sustain any longer, she's unable to breathe on her own, due to the severity of damage that impact left her chest in. Her entire right side of her body is either broken or severely fractured from the impact.'

'What hit them?'

'A truck, it seems the driver of Ms Garcia's car shot through red lights and the oncoming traffic was already in full flow, it would appear she braced herself which is why she wasn't killed with impact.'

'Braced herself?'

'You need to talk to the police chief in charge but she was made aware of the driver's intentions moments before he did it.' Everyone saw red at that point. 'Luckily there is no damage to her back which we would expect from such high velocity impacts, she'll be immobile for a bit if she's pulls through but at the moment her chances of survival are hardly reaching the 50/50 marker.'

'Isn't there anything you can do?'

'This is just a waiting game now, we've done everything we can, it's up to her body now.' He saw them all nod acceptingly. 'Would you like to be taken to her?' Again they nodded. 'I can only allow one of you in at a time.'

'That's fine.' Hotch answered for them all. The team then followed the man down the corridor and then stop outside a room with glass panels. They all looked in and at Penelope, the majority of her skin covered with bandages, her eyes closed, her mouth circling a tube that really was her life, without that she wouldn't even have been that alive.

The next couple of days passed slowly, with no work to do the team all found themselves keeping a vigil at Penelope's side. All silently praying that she'd wake up, that this wouldn't be it, that they'd hear her voice or see her smile sparkle again. They all panicked as the monitor's flat lined twice in those days, and couldn't relax when it returned to a casual steady beat of her heart, they knew that her doing that was her weakening and as much as it hurt to think of it, her weakening was her dying, dying right in front of their eyes.

'I think we need to be talking to her.' Hotch prompted as he watched from the large window of Penelope's room, as JJ sat in the room, her hand near Penelope's, silence everywhere. 'She needs to hear our voices and I'm guessing we've all been too scared to talk to her.'

'I need her to answer me.' Emily admitted, her head in her hands, tiredness draping itself under her eyes.

'What if we miss the monitor change?' Reid asked clueless and lost for once.

Rossi and Derek remained silent as JJ got up and left the room, her expression blank, not wanting to exude too many emotions, she was too overwhelmed that she'd break if even one leaked.

'We'll go in one at time; we got to try everything we can.' Hotch told them and entered the room, JJ looking for answers.

'What's he doing?'

'He thinks if we talk to her, it might bring us back.'

'It could work, kind of like will her back?' Rossi nodded in response and thy watched the door to Penelope's room close so Hotch could have some private time; they knew this was going to become a private moment for them all.

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A/N: What you think? I went for worst case scenario! Sorry! =(