Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
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When Hotch and Rossi had arrived at the hospital their main concern was that of Penelope, the one who had taken an enormous beating in quick succession. When they had entered the room that they had left McClusky they had found it to be successfully empty but they had found Chase McClusky, being protected by several over weight men in a room nearby, F.B.I. and multiple police cops later the large menacing group had been captured and Chase McClusky was on his way down for kidnap, assault and GBH with intent to kill of a ten year old case, and now again the kidnap, assault and GBH with intent to kill of a federal agent. Not only that but also 6 other counts of kidnapping federal agents. His time in prison was a lengthy lifelong one and he would spend it with the one and only Jacob Garcia, who unfortunately was going down for a provoked manslaughter charge with parole.
After getting an update that extended to the saying, waiting room, they went up the corridor found the elevator, found the floor and with found the team. Evident tiredness creeping in on their faces, worry scrawled into every burrow, worry radiating from them like a sore thumb.
'What's happening?' Hotch asked on approach.
'She's had x-rays done because they weren't sure if her ribs are broken or badly bruised. Her jaw might be broken but apart from that she's just badly bruised.'
'Broken jaw? Seriously?'
'Well the bruising pattern is coherent with it but we won't know until such time as they've got the x-rays.'
Hotch and Rossi nodded. 'Was no one allowed to stay with her?'
'No... not until they've got her settled in a room.'
'They're making her stay overnight for observation whatever.' Again the two bosses nodded and took sits with the others. The whole time Derek had not expressed one word, he had remained silent, his eyes transfixed with the stained flooring.
'Penelope Garcia?' A young nurse asked an hour later recognising the gang but not the two older gentlemen that stood at the name. 'Would you like to follow me please?' They all stood and followed the woman to a room up the corridor a little bit, they all saw Penelope laying wide awake, the nurse stood in the doorway and allowed them in. 'A doctor will be up soon.' She said and received nods before leaving.
'Hey baby girl... how you doing?'
'Getting lonely.' She said quietly, scarily disconnected for Penelope Garcia. 'Can we just go home now?'
'Sorry sweetness but you got to stay in here overnight minimum.' She sighed and raised a hand to her head in frustration. 'We get it that this is the last place you want to be right now...'
'I just really want to go home.'
'We know and we understand that.' They all looked at the knock on the door and saw the doctor standing there, a chart in his hands.
He smiled. 'How are you feeling now Ms Garcia?'
'Fine... can I go home?'
'I'm afraid not until the morning... although you jaw is not broken it is indeed near enough fractured.' He saw the worry spread like wildfire. 'We'd like you to keep ice on it, to reduce the swelling and then we do another x-ray to assess how bad the damage is entirely.' He then moved over and turned the light on the wall to look over the x-rays of Penelope's chest once more. 'You have minor fractures to at least 3 of your ribs, the majority of the rest are mainly bruised, so we have wrapped them for added support... now when you breathe in it will be painful but you need to fill your lungs with as much air as possible to help diffract the pressure.' Penelope nodded. 'For now I'm going to get a nurse to come in and give you some strong painkillers and you need to rest.' With that said he left.
'See this time tomorrow you will be tucked up in bed.'
'I'm not going back there.'
'Baby girl... you come to mine.' She nodded, knowing full well she no longer felt safe in her apartment after coming face to face with a ghost of the past.
'Right everyone let's get home and get some rest, for now we could only get Derek's hoodie from the SUV's at the bureau but tomorrow we'll get you some proper clothes and then we can get you home.' Penelope nodded and then everyone bid their farewells and went home.
Derek looked at Penelope and took her hand as the tears fell. 'Come here goddess.' He said taking her in his arms, cradling her emotional pained body in his arms. 'It's okay baby girl.'
'No it's not.'
'Why isn't it?'
'It's my fault you were there... it's my fault you had to watch.'
'Penelope! You never asked for this! We don't blame you for any of it.' He wiped her tears, feeling his heart breaking as her tears left her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. 'I know it was hard with everything but we got him... the good guys got him and he isn't hurting you ever again. You're safe, safe with me.' She nodded.
'I really hate these places.' She laughed slightly.
'I know you do but it will be over, now why don't you just sleep.' He suggested and helped her lay down; Penelope was asleep long before the nurse came in and gave the much needed pain killers. Derek then settled into a seat and stood guard over Penelope, allowing no harm to come to her. He slept instantly and calmly, his hand enveloped with Penelope's in perfect unity, just as he liked it. However, when he awoke it was a completely different story.
He looked at the bed, allowed his eyes to focus and his mind to catch up, before realising Penelope's bed was indeed empty. He shot up and looked at his watch, it was only 5:46am, the light was indeed outside even if minimal, his hoodie was indeed missing and his baby girl was indeed missing. He left the room, spoke to the nurse, he reassured them and went on the hunt. He knew one place she might be that was close and offered her a breather.
When he made it, he smiled and breathed out, there was Penelope, his hoodie wrapped around her, her knee's drawn up the hospital gown falling down to her feet, her eyes red and containing a distant glare to them as she peered out onto the river.
'Hey baby girl... don't you know it's too early and chilly to be out.' She shrugged and continued to stare. 'Come on let's get you back in.' He placed a hand on her.
'Derek please get off me.'
He felt hurt at the words, but then reality slapped him in the head, back at the place she had been touched, she had been hurt, she had been invaded if not completely but she had been violated in a sense. 'Let's get you back goddess... then we can get the x-rays done and get you home.'
She looked at him. 'I can't do this anymore.'
'Baby don't talk like that.' He said as he watched her sob.
'I'm going to live with this hanging over me for life now... twice he got me... twice he had his way... except the second time he did it with a bigger audience.'
Bigger audience. Those words echoed his head a couple of times. That meant the first time she wasn't alone, the second time they knew she wasn't but the first time she had people watching it.
'I just can't do this anymore.'
