Too soon, for everyone's taste, Derek was put into a medically induced coma. Penelope had stayed with him until Derek's hand had become limp in hers, and he'd closed his eyes.
They'd enjoyed the time of having Derek awake and calm as much as possible. Sofie was so happy to see her dad and vice versa. It felt like they were close from the very first moment. Just like Penelope always had imagined. She was on the verge of tears all the time and just kept it together for Derek's sake. Penelope really didn't want Derek to see her cry before maybe not waking up ever again. She wanted him to see her smile.
Derek couldn't see every one of the team before the medically induced coma became necessary. His condition had dropped quickly after talking to his closest family for a while. As if he'd been waiting just for his mom and daughter to arrive. That's what Penelope had felt, though.
Penelope was glad that she'd been able to give Derek that - a happy moment after all the horrible things he'd been through. He'd smiled all along until the profound narcosis had worked. If Derek would make it, Penelope vowed to give him as many happy moments as possible. That was for sure.
She'd never imagined for this to happen. To have Derek, her Hot Stuff, back in her life. Penelope had never given up hope, not once. But having him back for real...it felt like a dream.
After saying their goodbyes to everyone, the team around Aaron Hotchner was forced to fly back to Quantico. Life and especially work had to go on for them. The bad boys wouldn't wait until Derek would be out of danger. And even if they'd wanted to stay, mainly Spencer, there was no way for them to stay any longer than they'd already done. But Penelope had promised to keep them updated as often as possible. They were one big family, after all.
Everyone was concerned about Derek's condition and, of course, wanted to know everything. One of them, at least, called once a day, asking about Derek's condition. And Penelope was glad they did.
Penelope, Fran, and Sofie stayed in Sacramento with Derek. Of course, they did. There was absolutely no way for them to leave him in a foreign city, even if he was in a coma. Especially not when he wasn't able to take care of himself.
The thought alone of leaving Derek made Penelope cringe. She couldn't do that to him nor to herself, never. Also, Sofie and Fran felt the same way.
They wanted to spend as much time with Derek as possible.
And that's what they did.
Even if they didn't know if Derek would hear them, they talked as much as possible to him. They kept homeschooling Sofie at Derek's side, hoping that hearing their voices would keep help him fighting for his life.
Penelope slept at his side every night, worked from Derek's hospital room if her skills were needed.
For Fran and Sofie, though, Penelope had found a small apartment where they would sleep and shower. Where they could take a break if necessary. Aaron and Rossi had helped Penelope a lot with it, and she couldn't be more grateful for their support.
Penelope only left Derek's side if Fran and Sofie were with him to take a shower or a nap. And sometimes, to take a short walk around the hospital.
Penelope was always in a rush, to be honest, as long as she wasn't around Derek. The need to stay at his side was overwhelming at times. But thanks to Fran, Penelope was able to take enough breaks. And thanks to Sofie, her mind was also occupied with other things than Derek's physical state.
It was troublesome, Penelope was super exhausted, but she would do anything for the love of her life. And she simply knew that Derek wouldn't want to be alone. Especially not after what he'd been through. Derek needed her presence and her strength. He needed his family at his side. They tried to build their lives around him as well as possible. They even watched movies that they knew Derek would like.
The first week had been so very hard.
An up and down.
Not just on Derek's physical condition but also on everyone's emotions. Penelope stopped counting at some point how often she'd cried during a day. About how often she had to comfort Sofie, who simply needed her much more now. It was hard on her to see her dad like that right after meeting him for the first time in her life. Of course, it was. But she was so strong. Her little girl. Penelope couldn't be more proud.
Even Fran, who Penelope always admired for being so calm despite any chaos that came with Penelope and Sofie, had a hard time coping with her son's health.
Derek's condition had been very critical.
He almost didn't make it through the first night. His heart stopped several times. The medication didn't work as good as the doctors hoped, and there wasn't much more they could do other than wait and hope. And pray.
Derek had an emergency surgery only a few hours after he'd been put into the coma.
Several inner and cerebral bleedings that the doctors had hoped would stop on their own simply didn't.
It was a high risk, but there was no other way than to try. Otherwise, he would've been dead within a few hours.
But against any doctor's persuasion, Derek survived the surgery. He survived, and somehow, he made it through the night as well.
It was a wonder.
It really was.
Still, Derek's doctors in charge didn't give Penelope anything to hope for. And Penelope learned how to talk to God again. Praying to God helped when she honestly feared for the worst to happen.
That Derek would die.
Penelope wasn't able to close her eyes just once during these 24 hours. She almost ran to the loo and back, fearing to lose the love of her life while being absent.
Fran and Sofie stayed with them as well, even if Penelope didn't want Sofie to see her daddy suffering and almost dying. She didn't want Sofie to have such trauma at such a young age.
But well.
Sofie was just as stubborn as her parents, and so there hadn't been much of a discussion.
And Derek? A fighter he was.
Somehow, he made it through the first 48 hours. No one had thought he would. At one point, his vitals became at least a little bit more stable. And the doctors proved Penelope's assumption that Derek's body seemed to accept the medication given to him. A little bit, at least. Still, the doctors didn't give her much hope, even if they'd told her that this was a start. There was still a long way to go, and, genuinely, Penelope was grateful that the doctors were honest with her. That they didn't give her false hope.
And then, Derek made it through another day and the following night as well.
That day, Penelope would never forget it, was the day the doctors told her smilingly that the medication finally started to work the way it should. The day, Derek's body seemed to fully accept the treatment.
And somehow, it became a whole week, and Derek's heart hadn't stopped since the first cruel 24 hours.
His condition still was far from good, but somehow, he'd made it through the week.
Derek's blood levels were better every time they got checked. Also, his heart became stronger with every passing day.
That was the week Derek's more extensive surgeries started. They had to break and set his leg correctly. Otherwise, he'd be in pain for the rest of his life. The same applied to the fingers of his right hand. Some had been broken many times, and there hadn't been any treatment.
But after all, Derek'd gone through, there was hope that he could use his hand and leg again after a lot of physical therapy. And with an unquestionably challenging amount of work, of course. Derek's fight wasn't over. There was a long way of recovery in front of him if he would make it.
Physically and mentally.
After that first week, Penelope, with the help from a nurse she quickly made friends with, shaved Derek's beard and hair. With his former goatee and his head shaven, Derek looked more like himself. He looked so peaceful, even with the intubation and too many machines surrounding him. He also still was way too thin, but Penelope knew that he got appropriately fed.
She would never forget looking at him and feeling a tiny glimpse of hope rising up in her chest. She also would never forget not fighting it down.
After the second week, Derek's vitals finally became stable. The doctors told her that the healing process finally started to set in. That they eventually were allowed to hope for him to wake up.
And Derek's condition proved the doctor's words.
The bruises all over his body faded, the color of his skin became healthier in the third week.
And with that, Penelope's hope crashed in with full force.
Derek would make it. Everything was going to be okay.
Penelope knew it.
She found her smile back, even started to joke again when working for the team in Quantico.
Sofie and Fran acted more carefree as well. Everyone lost their tension. It felt so good to finally have something to look forward to.
Nothing much happened in the fourth week.
Well, Derek gained some weight, and that was a lot for Penelope, to be honest. God, it was.
The doctors slowly put him off the medication that held him in the coma.
No one could tell precisely when Derek would wake up. But they assured her that it could happen at any time.
Penelope, Fran, and Sofie still talked to Derek as much as possible. He got physiotherapy many times a week.
And slowly but surely, Derek showed signs of waking up. At first, his fingers moved, he showed reactions when getting touched. Not all the time, but sometimes.
The doctors were able to put him off the intubation because Derek started to breathe independently again on another day.
From time to time, it seemed like he was about to open his eyes.
And that really was the best thing possible, knowing that Derek soon would wake up.
"Take your time, Hot Stuff. We're not in a hurry. Not now that you're with us. Safe and sound," Penelope murmured, lovingly caressing Derek's cheek. Watching him for another moment, Penelope smiled at the love of her life. "I'll be chatting with the team now. They need their Goddess of all Knowledge," she added jokingly, though Penelope knew that this was nothing but the truth. The case the BAU was currently working on was a tough one, and they could need any help possible.
Her skills were needed, so Penelope sat down on her armchair beside Derek's bed and opened her laptop. Connecting herself with the BAU team, Penelope smiled brightly at her colleagues and friends.
"Hello, my furry friends, how is my family today?" She asked her teammates. "What do you need?"
And so, the work started.
Fran was on a little shopping trip with Sofie, and Penelope was glad that they were outside. Sofie needed a little distraction, a positive one. And Fran was all in to give her grandchild a lovely day, giving Penelope the time to help the BAU with her skills.
Checking on Derek from time to time or having a quick talk with the nurses in between, the day passed by in no time, and soon, another evening came.
Fran and Sofie had done a shopping tour that, indeed, had escalated a little. In between buying necessary stuff for school, Sofie was now a proud owner of a few colorful clothes she proudly presented to her mom after returning to the hospital. Bringing Derek's upper body up a little, just as they were allowed, they made him able to watch as well. Yes, his eyes were still closed, but since there was a chance that he could wake up any minute, Penelope, Sofie and Fran acted like he was already awake.
They had a nice dinner together, all sitting around Derek. Every once in a while, they recognized some movements of Derek's fingers. Slightly one's.
But yet, Derek didn't wake up.
Penelope stayed with him. She still didn't want to leave him all alone. Even if she trusted all the nurses and doctors working here. Penelope knew everyone by their names by now. They had quite some time to talk since she didn't really leave Derek's side very often.
"You know, Hot Stuff. This day has been quite a good day. Oh, you know what? It's the best day in a long while. Our heroes have fought the bad guys once more, and Sofie is so happy today. I know it's hard on her, being in a foreign city, without her friends and all that stuff going on...but god, she's so stubborn. She would've never stayed back at home with your mom or JJ or Spence. You will see when you're awake, Handsome," Penelope told him, chuckling all along. "No one has a chance if she really wants something. And what she really wants is to stay with her poppa as much as possible. And who I am to deny it? Especially in this situation. God knows our daughter is strong. She's doing so great, but she needed the little time-out today. It was great to see her smile like that."
Bringing Derek's hand in hers after laying down on her own bed, Penelope made herself comfortable right beside Derek's bed.
"It's been a long day, Handsome. I'm trying to get some rest. Wake me if you need me. I'm here. But you know that, right?"
Squeezing Derek's hand gently, Penelope bent her head and pecked Derek's lips lovingly.
"I love you so much, Derek Morgan," she whispered tenderly and laid back down on her pillow.
"See you tomorrow, okay?"
Closing her eyes, Penelope didn't need long to fall into a light slumber, not knowing that in the morning, everything would be different.