Sorry about the long dry-spell. Life has been hectic. But that is no excuse. So where are we? Poor Amy has been attacked and Derek blames himself. Strauss does have something that resembles a heart, and Floyd recognized something too important to ignore. Will it be what cracks the case? Will he confront this knowledge or take an alternate route? I'm getting chills just thinking about it. For the record, I don't own Criminal Minds.
Part Of The Plan
Derek Morgan was past the point of exhausted. He had been sitting beside Amy's hospital bed all night waiting and hoping for her to open her eyes. If love could will someone back to life, then she should be up and running around. Unfortunately, that was not the case at the moment.
The doctors had reported that the swelling in her brain was no worse, but it was no better either. And because surgery was out of the question at the moment, they had decided to put her in a drug-induced coma in the hope that it would retard the swelling. Now all they could do was cross their fingers.
Never one to rely on religion or prayer, Derek had long ago given up letting someone else take the reins. After witnessing his father's murder, then the bad things that happened to him, and all the crime he witnessed 7 days a week, he had decided to be the master of his universe. Faith was for people too afraid to make the necessary changes on their own.
And God…where was God when his father was gunned down? Or Elle was attacked? Where was God for all the children who were brutally and senselessly taken from this earth? Where was God when Amy needed Him the most?
Derek knew he shouldn't be questioning things that had no answer but wasn't it human nature to question things? Wasn't it logical to want a reason instead of accepting things on blind faith? It amazed him how Rossi could still attend church and keep his faith even though everyday life brought another tragedy. Actually, he was jealous how some people -Rossi, his mother, JJ…and Amy- could still believe that everything happened for a reason and it could all work out.
Holding fast to Amy's hand, Derek wanted to cast aside his doubt and believe. But the scars were too deep. Maybe he was cursed. It seemed logical since every time he got near someone or loved them they were taken away. Maybe he was destined to be alone.
Wiping away tears of self-pity, Derek watched his love, his heart, his life fighting for life and it dawned on him that should she make it, he was going to do the honorable thing and bow out of her life. She had done nothing wrong to deserve this…except fall in love with him. She deserved better in life. And anyone not named Derek Morgan would be better.
Softly the door opened and Rossi stepped inside. It didn't take a great profiler to see that Derek was close to the precipice of a complete breakdown.
"How is she?"
Not taking his eyes off of Amy's face, Derek replied: "The same."
"JJ got the word out yesterday." Never one for small talk, Rossi tried to make an effort to get to the source of what was happening in his friend and co-worker.
"I saw it. Do you think it's going to help us catch the guy doing this?" Morgan's tone was flat.
Rossi shoved his hands into his pants pocket. "I do. Strauss let Hotch make the anonymous call to the police and she authorized the use of the jet to pick up your families."
"I suppose I will have to send her a Christmas card this year."
Rossi shrugged. "I wouldn't go that far to say thanks, but you could always invite her to the wedding."
Derek looked up and then down and away. "If there is a wedding."
"I talked to the neuro-specialist and there is a good chance that she will come out of this without any problems."
"It's not that."
"You don't love her anymore?" Rossi raised an eyebrow.
"It's not that…" Derek tried to control the tears that flowed freely down his cheeks.
"You're blaming yourself for what happened." It was not a question. Rossi waited. Derek's silence spoke volumes. "Wow! That is one for the record books."
"What's that?"
"You managed to edge me out as the reigning anal-retentive bastard. And I don't like being edged out." Rossi moved around the side of the hospital bed.
"Look at her…I did this!" Derek's voice cracked with emotion.
"No you didn't! It was random Derek. The only person guilty for what happened was a psychotic bastard who hates life as much as he hates women. Don't let him claim another victim by making you take on his guilt. What you and Amy have is a one in a million. But if you sit here and say that Amy will be better off without you…and you truly believe it….then maybe you are right and Amy would be better off. But you realize that not only will that bastard win, but he will claim two more lives…even if we catch him and he never kills again?"
Rossi touched Derek's shoulder with gentle understanding. "You are tired and not thinking straight. Go get yourself a cup of coffee and something to eat. I will stay here with Amy."
"What if…" Derek was more afraid to say it than he was to think it.
"Put your phone on vibrate so if anything happens I can reach you. JJ mentioned that the plane will be in shortly, and you can't see Amy's family looking the way you do. Let someone help with the burden, okay?"
Derek dropped his shoulders in weariness and sadness. "Dave-I-"
"This is what friends do. Now leave before I call Strauss to bring a team down here and have you forcibly removed."
Derek tried to smile, but could only force a small twitch. Standing up, he stretched and ran a hand over his face. Leaning over, he kissed Amy's forehead.
"Thanks Dave."
Rossi sat down beside the bed. "Out!"
Derek moved to the door. "Coffee with creamer and sugar, right?"
Rossi didn't reply, but he did raise his eyebrow. Derek opened the door, stepped out, and closed it behind him.
-
It was difficult not to notice the small army of people who had invaded the hospital floor. Along with Derek's mother and sister and Amy's parents, the BAU team, Amy's supervisor, and Director Strauss sat or stood in the waiting room as the doctors explained Amy's condition.
"The last CAT scan and MRI both revealed that some of the swelling had gone down so we're pretty confident that surgery will not be necessary." Amy and Derek's mothers cried silently at the good news. Relief was apparent on the faces of everyone in the room.
"When will she wake up?" Dean Churchill asked.
"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that. The drug-induced coma seems to be working…to wake her up right now could start the swelling again. It's best that we err on the side of caution. She did suffer a TBI -traumatic brain injury- and this is the easiest way to monitor her condition. We can't do anything that might injure her brain stem."
"What about the stab wounds?" Josephine Churchill inquired. "Is that going to affect her?"
"As far as stab wounds go, she was pretty lucky. One hit her lower lung lobe and the other missed her major organs. I can't see her having any serious side effects once she recovers and wakes up."
"But…"
"It still comes down to the brain swelling. I am not going to lie; we will continue to monitor and make sure that nothing goes wrong. But the brain is a very complex organ and I can't make any promises at this point." The doctor looked around. "If there is nothing else, I am going to leave you alone. If you have any further questions, feel free to page me." Standing up, the doctors left everyone not medical related to their thoughts.
Fran Morgan grabbed her son in a tight hug. "How have you been holding up?" Knowing he couldn't lie to his mom, he looked away. "Derek…"
"We'll talk later Mom." He was so tired and just wanted lay down and regroup and reenergize. But seeing the look Amy's father was casting his way let him know that the battle was only beginning.
"She called us that night," Josephine spoke up.
"She did?" Derek was surprised. Josephine's comment didn't go past Hotch and Rossi.
"She called to tell us that you proposed and you were flying out to see us in a couple of weeks."
Fran looked at Derek. Uncomfortable with the scrutiny, he shifted his weight and looked at the ground. "I was going to call you. We got tied up at work with this case."
She kissed his cheek. "I'm not angry. I understand."
Hotch spoke up. "You said that Amy called you that night?" Josephine nodded. "Do you remember what time she called?"
Josephine bit her lip as she tried to remember. "We are an hour behind…uh, I guess, uh, she called about nine our time."
"How long did you talk?"
"Forty-five minutes…maybe an hour."
"She didn't mention anyone in the house? No suspicious noises? No one lurking around the house?" Hotch didn't mean to be prying, but he had to know. Amy's parents hadn't been questioned, but it had never occurred to him that she might have called someone.
"What are you suggesting, Agent Hotchner, that Amy might have let the killer in?" Dean's voice became hard. "Should we be getting a lawyer?"
"No one is suggesting anything," Rossi broke in.
"If you are implying that my daughter may have brought this on herself due to some kind of impropriety, I think I have the right to know."
"Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, I know what you are going thru and how difficult this is, but the information that Amy called you that night is something we were not aware of," Rossi soothed. "This might help us determine when the attack took place and if she was under duress at the time of the call."
"Are you saying that he could have been in the house forcing her to call someone?" Josephine's voice was full of surprise and anger.
Rossi nodded. "It has happened. Some times attackers get a thrill making their victim call a loved one."
"Rossi-" Derek started.
"Morgan," Fran and Hotch replied simultaneously.
"What can you remember from that call?" Rossi prompted.
"She was excited. She told us that Derek had proposed and she said yes. But they hadn't set a wedding date. Dean asked her if she was pregnant and Amy replied that she wasn't. We talk about nothing much. She said she was learning Arabic." Josephine thought hard. "She told me about seeing a creepy man in the neighbourhood."
"When? That day?" Rossi's eyebrows shot up. The team looked at one another.
"No. No. She said she didn't even know why she was mentioning it, but she couldn't shake the bad vibes he had given her. She didn't want to worry Derek because he was on a case, but she needed to tell someone."
"Did she say who it was?" Rossi asked. The atmosphere in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife. "Think hard."
Josephine started to cry. "I'm sorry." Dean's arm went around her. "I don't remember. A vendor of some type. He worked in the neighbourhood."
"An ice cream vendor? A telephone repair man? A police officer?" Prentiss offered.
"No. No."
"A dog catcher? A postman?" Reid asked.
"I don't know," Josephine wailed.
"That's enough!" Dean ordered.
"A garbage man?" Derek asked quietly.
Josephine's eyes widened. "Yes. That's it. She said a garbage man made a vulgar pass at her."
"Did she mention what he looked like?" Hotch asked and shot Rossi a knowing look. They finally had a break. Prentiss stepped out of the room.
"No. She mentioned that she was afraid to stay alone but that she had an alarm system and Derek would be home later that night."
Rossi, Hotch, and Derek shot each other a look that spoke volumes. The alarm hadn't been set and Derek was not due home that night. Could Amy have sensed someone was lurking around the house and wanted to scare them off?
Rossi nodded and left the room to follow Prentiss. The remaining team members waited in silence.
"What does this mean?" Dean demanded.
"Unfortunately nothing right now. Director Cockerel, Dr Reid, would you escort the Churchills and Morgans to Amy's room, please? I need to speak to Director Strauss alone." Hotch waited as the families were lead out of the waiting room. After the door closed, Strauss went into director mode.
"What the hell is going on Agent Hotchner?"
"I think we broke the case," Hotch replied matter of fact.
"Is that why you and Agent Rossi relentlessly interrogated Mrs. Churchill?"
"It wasn't interrogation; it was fact finding. When she mentioned that Amy had called her, I figured she knew something."
"So you decided to browbeat her?" Strauss huffed. "I don't understand you and Agent Rossi's methods, but I draw the line at the methods you are using. Have you forgotten that the Churchill's daughter is fighting for her life?"
"No ma'am." Hotch waited. "Have you forgotten that this man has killed twelve women and maimed two?"
Strauss went to reply when the door opened. Rossi stepped over the threshold.
"Prentiss just got a text from JJ; we are needed down at the office."
"This better be good," Strauss glared at both men.
Rossi didn't hide the thrill of victory in his voice. "It's better than good; a guy showed up at the BAU claiming he works with our UNSUB."
It may not have been their greatest moment, but Hotch and Rossi both made a mental note to mark that day on their calendars when Strauss was rendered completely speechless.
Rossi stepped aside as Strauss squared her shoulders and swiftly stepped out of the room. Tossing Hotch the keys to the SUV, he grinned. "Wanna drive?"
"My pleasure. Go get the others."
Rossi nodded and quick stepped to get his team.
