Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds... shame!
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The more they watched the more movement they saw, first Emily's leg slid up in discomfort, then Penelope's hand rose up slowly to remove the oxygen mask, then JJ tried to sit up to no prevail. Hotch and Sean watched in on the part of the room where Emily was being treated, they saw her cough, and heave, and throw up and knew it could only get better, even if at that moment it seemed things were escalating for the worse. The same went for Derek and Fran as they watched Penelope. However JJ seemed more calmed, Reid and Rossi took note of the visible shaking of her body that was occurring, the more drugs being added to her IV.
When the men were finally allowed in they just took the women's hands and squeezed them reassuringly and smiled. The smile told them they were okay, that everything was going to be okay.
'Where have you been?' Emily asked in small rasps.
'I've been getting sorted... how you feeling?'
'I ache like hell, scared... are you okay?'
'I'm fine, just rest, I'm not going anywhere.' She nodded and closed her eyes, he breathed out relief, never better for seeing her eyes close.
Derek rubbed his thumb unconsciously across Penelope's hand as she surveyed him. 'I'm okay baby girl.'
'You're hurt.'
'And I'm stitched up and on the mend.' He enforced and then looked down. 'I seriously thought I had lost you.'
'I know you did.'
'I can't lose you.' He whispered. 'Not now, not ever.' He saw her smile and her eyes become tiresome. 'You get some sleep, I'll be here.' He then placed a hand on her head and shifted some curls out of her face and saw her eyes closed, relief washing over him too.
Reid walked warily to JJ, he hated to see her so fragile, he hated to see any of them fragile. He touched her hands and she woke up slowly.
'Hey.' She whispered through the oxygen mask.
'Hey... how you feeling?' He asked somewhat nervously.
'I've had better days... how about you?' She said the tears beginning to fall.
'I'm fine.' He soothed and wiped the tears. 'I'm okay; let's just focus on you for now.' She nodded and drifted off to sleep. When JJ woke up again she saw it was daylight and she was in a different room, Penelope was turned to Derek, her hand tightly grasped in his, Emily on her back, her hand in Hotch's, she looked at hers and saw Reid had hold of hers and she smiled.
'Hey look who's finally up.'
'Emily and Pen aren't.'
'They have been.' Reid said leaning forward on his chair. 'How you feeling?'
'Well I can move about... that's got to be a plus.' She looked at her two friends as they slept away. 'How are they?'
'Both of them have chest pains, muscles ache, but other than that a lot better.' Derek said as he shifted around a bit more.
'Do you know when we get out?'
'You tomorrow, them this evening.'
'Why me tomorrow?'
'Because you had a reaction to the drug so they need to keep an eye on you to make sure.' Reid explained.
'Strauss has signed us off for 3-4 weeks.' Hotch said as he sat back in his chair, trying to get comfortable.
'Does it hurt? I mean it looked painful when I was put in the room and saw Spence.' JJ said as she looked at Reid, knowing that under his clothes he had track marks from knife.
'Pain relief helps... just sore.' She looked at Derek and then Hotch and got the same response.
They looked at Penelope as her hand rose to her face and she rubbed it as she woke up. 'Rise and shine baby girl.' She smiled sleepily at him. 'How you feeling now?'
'Sleepy.' She muttered and he pulled the sheets up over her again and she closed her eyes and drifted off again.
'I think that's what you need to do JJ.' Derek said as he shifted some to pull the quilt up more and tuck her in.
'Do you realise how much she loves you?' JJ said as she complied and snuggled into the bed more. 'We were talking when we were being taken wherever... every time she talks about you she smiles... even midst kidnapping... says a lot.' She said tiredly and took the sleep.
The men all looked at one another and smiled. 'She's right... Penelope is at her brightest when she has you around.' Derek smiled.
'Emily's always sweeter when she has you to talk about Hotch.' They then looked at Reid who had remained silent. 'Kid... JJ's besotted by you... don't doubt it.'
'No but doubt this.' Came a new voice from the door.
