Disclaimer: I do not own Criminals Minds

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The team were all gathered by the time she woke up again, she noticed it was dark outside and she wondered what the time was. Everyone was asleep, apart from Rossi, who was sitting up, awake reading a book. She took the mask off to speak.

'What's the time?'

Rossi looked at his watch. 'Just past 12.' He went back to his book but then closed it and looked shocked at who had just said it. 'You're awake. 'She smiled. 'How you feeling?'

'Drugged. Ill.'

'Why don't you try and sleep it out some more?'

'I'm not tired.' She whispered.

'They got an ID on the Unsub thanks to you.' He put the book down and got comfortable for a long chat until she fell asleep. He knew not to push her to sleep. 'Plus claw marks down his face will be a giveaway.' He smiled but saw her eyes welling; he also noticed her trying told hold the tears back. 'Garcia we won't think any less of you if you cry. Especially after what happened today.'

'If I cry it becomes too real. Too real for what I would have left behind.' She looked at him. 'I know it's worse than you think I know. I was awake when the doctor told the nurses I have liver damage.'

'Temporary.'

'How can it be temporary liver failure?'

'It's the effects of the drugs but you making yourself sick most probably saved you from having complete permanent damage. How did you know what to do?'

She sat up a bit and looked at him intensely. 'I thought that because I had swallowed them and because of a case we had over a year ago if I threw them up as soon as possible then it would stop the effects of them on my body. My body hadn't had chance to absorb the chemicals, so I threw up as much as I could.'

'Well you did good.' He smiled. He looked at Derek who was stirring. 'I think we've woken someone up.' He pointed with his head and got back to his book.

Derek's breathing changed and he sat up. He looked at her and smiled. 'Hey baby girl.'

'Hey handsome.'

'How you feeling?'

'Like crap.' She gave his hand a squeeze. 'Thank you.'

'For what?'

'For getting to me.'

'You don't need to thank me.' He brushed her hair away from her face and saw the bruise along her cheek and the cut on her forehead. He felt the anger rise in him and the urge to go and track down the Unsub himself and beat the living crap out of him.

'I heard you know who it is.'

'Yeah Hotch made another team go and get him. He wanted us here.' He looked into her eyes. 'I'm so sorry he got you.'

'You have nothing to be sorry about handsome. Things like this could happen whenever.'

'Yeah but we were after him, we knew the women he was after. The happy women that have everything to live for.'

'Look he didn't succeed. I'm here.' She said and then yawned.

He watched the tiredness wash over her. 'Baby girl it's late, get some sleep yeah? This conversation can wait.' He brought her hand up to his face and kissed it.

'Derek seriously you can't blame yourself.' Rossi said from behind the book when he was sure Penelope was asleep. 'I wasn't ear wigging, it's difficult to block out conversations when you're in the same room.'

'It's okay.'

'She's going to be fine. Just get some sleep. She's going to need us more than ever.'

'Okay what about you?'

'Finishing this chapter and I'll be going to sleep.'

Derek sat back in the chair, his hand still entwined in Penelope's he took one last look at her and closed his eyes.

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The Next Morning

'Right Derek there's no point saying you're leaving so you and Reid stay behind and we'll go and see how the case is coming along.' Hotch said as he stood. 'Call us when she's awake, give us an update.'

'Will do.' Derek relaxed into the chair and watch Penelope, she looked a little better but there were so many problems he couldn't help but worry that she could be pluck away from him any minute.

'So what shall we do?' Reid said as he slumped into the chair on the other side of the bed.

'I have no idea.' Derek said aimlessly. His mind was elsewhere.

'Okay well do you want a coffee?'

'Yeah please. Want me to come with you?'

'No, I'll be fine. You stay here in case she wakes up.' Reid stood and walked out with a smile.

10 minutes had passed and Derek was beginning to wonder where the hell Reid had got to. He got up and walked over to the window and looked out. His mind couldn't stop whirling; he could have lost her, his everything gone forever. Every time his mind flashed to her on the floor, his heart clenched. Different scenario's passing over. He turned back and saw her lying so still, but she was alive, alive in front of him. And if he knew Penelope she would be determined to fight her way back to health. He approached the bed when he heard a deep inhale of air and Penelope's eyes began to flicker open. She looked at him and smiled.

'Hey handsome.' She was now hundred percent certain that she didn't want the mask on her anymore. Every time she had woken up she had felt closed in, breathing in humid breath, it was proving more of a discomfort to her. So she took it off.

'Morning baby girl how you feeling?' She asked immediately with a smile.

'Better than I did.' She sat up some more; Derek instinctively placed some more pillows behind her. 'Thanks... when do I get to go home?'

'We don't know yet but they got to check to see if everything's okay.'

Just before she could respond the doctor walked in. 'Ah Ms Garcia, it's good to see you awake. It's a positive sign already. I just need to update your chart, how are you feeling today?'

'Tired.'

'How's the breathing?'

'Easier. A lot easier.'

'Yes it sounds it, I'd like to keep you on oxygen just until it's completely back to normal but we won't keep you with a mask on. I'll get a nurse to change that for you in a minute. Can I get you to sit forward so I can listen.' Derek stood and helped her lean forward. 'Okay well you respiratory system is a lot clearer than when you were brought in yesterday afternoon.' He wrote on the chart and then checked her temperature. 'Hmm your temperature is normal as well. So far all your vitals seemed to have restored back to normal, which would mean the antidote for the overdose worked. Our only problem would be your liver and kidneys. But seeing how you lungs have got over the trauma I see no real reason why they haven't either but never the less, I'll get you fitted in for an ultra sound on both to make sure everything's working just fine. If it is I'd like to keep you in for another night and release you tomorrow noon time.' He saw her smile. 'You were very lucky Ms Garcia. As for the cut on your head and the bruise along you cheek they will heal in a short period, nothing serious there.'

'Thank you.' She said back and relaxed into pillows again.

'I'll see you after you've had the scans.'

'You deserve a pat on the back for using you initiative yesterday when you did.' He smiled his first genuine smile since finding her the day before. 'I was so scared when you said he had got you. I was surprised that Rossi and Hotch let me drive.'

'Were you bit a frantic handsome?' She smiled.

He laughed. 'Just a bit.'

The nurse came in and finished what the doctor had started, checking Penelope's pulse and changing the oxygen mask over for a simple tube. 'If you develop any problems or find any discomforts at all don't hesitate to push this button and one of the nurses will come in and help you out.'

'Thanks.' She watched the nurse leave. 'You know what's worrying me the most?'

'What's that?'

'The look everyone in this hospital is giving me. The one that makes me feel like I did this intentionally. That I wanted to end my life yesterday.' She felt the tears prick in her eyes.

'Hey baby girl, we know differently and that's all that matters. The people in your life that love you are the people who you should take judgement off.' He smiled. 'Don't worry about them.'

'What happens if he had won?'

'P he didn't so forget it okay?' He looked at her. 'I know it's hard but he didn't win. You won.'