Penelope expected to feel water. She even prepared herself to feel rocks. The images in her mind were hazy. She could remember seeing her parents and being in a forest. She inhaled to breath in the refreshing mountain air, however, she was disappointed to find stale scents that resembled pine sol and bleach.
However she found herself laying in a hospital bed. She could feel Derek beside her, his hand rubbing slow circles upon it, his lips taking their time to press against her hand. She felt fatigued and worn out. She went to exhale but opened her eyes when she realized that she couldn't. There was a tube down her throat that was allowing her to breathe. She felt her body grow ridged as her eyes adjusted to the brightness in the room.
"She's awake!" Derek exclaimed, removing himself from her side to alert the nurses. "She's awake!"
Her body was rigid and she could only rely on her nose for conscious breathing activity. Her heart began to race and she gripped to her bed sheets in fear.
"It's okay, Baby Girl," Derek said moving back to her side as he heard her heart race increase from the indications of the heart monitor. "You're going to be okay."
Doctor Johnson and some nurses moved Derek so they could remove her breathing tube. As they worked on her, Penelope began evaluating her body mentally. She moved her fingers, moved her toes, counted her heart beats as they worked on her. However, as she took a deep breath, she found she felt incomplete. Her eyes moved to look for Derek for silent answers. Penelope was relieved to see him smile, however, it didn't answer her questions within her mind.
As they released the tube, Penelope felt a sharp pain and the new inhalation of air hurt her chest. "Calm down, Ms. Garcia," she heard Doctor Johnson say as she controlled her breathing. Derek soon moved beside her and grabbed her hand tightly into his.
"Welcome back," her doctor said, looking back to her chart.
Penelope couldn't speak. Her throat burned and her eyes began to water. She turned to Derek for help and he began looking to the medical staff for answers. "What's wrong?"
"Ms. Garcia, you have made it through quite an ordeal," Doctor Johnson said.
"What happened?" she asked with a scratchy voice.
"What do you last remember?" Derek asked.
"We were arguing, and from there I don't remember." Penelope looked up at Derek with sad eyes.
Derek felt his heart stop. She didn't look like she knew anything that they went through. He finally got her to a point where they admitted their love for one another. Instead of panicking, Derek continued to rub her hand softly. "That was last night," he said looking at Doctor Johnson for intervention.
"Penelope, it seems that your third and ninth ribs punctured your right lung. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the punctures, we were unable to save your lung."
Penelope's eyes widened and she understood her feelings of emptiness and loss.
"It's okay," Derek murmured, kissing her hand softly.
"Am I dying?" she asked, unsure of what living with one lung actually means.
Doctor Johnson revealed a tight smile and replied, "No, Ms. Garcia. You won't be dying today."
Penelope breathed a sigh of relief and Derek let loose a tired chuckled.
"What do I do now?" Penelope asked slowly.
"You body is going to adjust to existing with one lung. I recommend you start physical therapy so your body can adjust to the changes within your organs. Unfortunately, due to your condition, some of your physical activities will be reduced. You will always need to be cautious you are entering rising altitudes."
Derek didn't want to look down at his Baby Girl and see the pain in her eyes. Instead, he remained focused and determined when questioning her doctor. "I know you informed me that Penelope didn't qualify for a lung transplant when she was first entered into surgery, however, can she be put on a list in case an available lung is accessible?"
"That is always a choice you can make. However, I must warn you. Organ donation is a very competitive enterprise. Depending on your circumstances, it might take years before an organ can be available."
Penelope took a quiet breath, not wanting to reveal her inner conflict. "When can I go home?" she asked quietly.
"We want to keep you here for observation for at least four days. That way we can see how your body is responding to the missing lung. Also, we can check all of your other injuries and see how they are healing."
Penelope sighed and rested her head sadly against the pillow.
"Thank you Doctor," Derek said with a sad smile.
"I will come in to check on you in a couple hours," Doctor Johnson said leaving the room.
Once he left, Derek turned toward Penelope and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He couldn't run from the tears that burned his eyes and fell upon her forehead. "I am so grateful you are okay," he murmured against her skin.
"Shh," she said, rubbing his forearms slowly, her nails scratching him soothingly. "It's okay," she whispered.
"Don't talk too much," he said moving himself so he could stare into her eyes.
Penelope could see the love and fear that swam within his onyx eyes. His scruff had been defined along his face in patches and she lifted her hand to touch his face. As she stared into his eyes, she could see how much he loved her, how fearful he was of her condition. "Derek?" she asked softly, rubbing her thumb against his cheek.
He leaned against her touch and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I know you don't remember, but I need to say this," he said with a painful voice.
She continued to stare up into his eyes and gave him silent permission to continue.
"Im in love with you, Penelope Garcia. And you keep scaring me," he said with a sad chuckle. Derek took a seat beside her upon her bed, careful not to hurt her more. "Last night, after we argued, we finally admitted that we loved each other. After years of denial and pain, we were finally going to make it work out between us. You had needed to use the bathroom and I let you go alone. The next thing I heard was a thud and I found you on the bathroom floor bleeding."
"Oh, Derek," she said, grabbing his hands tightly.
He took a breath and returned his gaze to her eyes. "When I was told you were going into surgery, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move passed the fact that I was almost losing you."
"I'm here," she reassured, holding his hands tightly. "I am here with you."
"I don't want us to take things slow. I want you. I want us. And I don't care if it seem strange that we are rushing, but I want to be able to look at you every time I wake up in our bed."
Penelope was stunned by his confession. She had imagined this moment hundreds of times in her deepest fantasies. However, as he sat before her, scared and frightened, her heart couldn't help but break for her Noir Hero. "I love you," she said with a smile.
He opened his mouth to reply, but she lifted her hand to silence him. "I have always loved you. And I am more than happy to start a life with you."
"But," Derek said, lowering his eyes to shield himself from rejection.
"No buts," she replied, surprising him. "I am very happy to be exclusively yours. I have wanted you for years, Derek Morgan. And I can't wait to be yours."
Derek sighed in relief and pressed a kiss to her lips. Penelope was eager to deepen their contact, however, her lung constricted in pain and she felt herself growing light headed.
"Easy," he said with a smile. "Easy, baby."
"I hate this one lung thing," she said in a huff.
"We'll get used to it," Derek said with a comforting smile.
"We?" she asked.
Derek leaned down and pressed another kiss to her lips. "Yes, we."
She could feel her eyes growing heavy. "Derek," she mumbled.
"Shhh," he whispered pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Just get some rest."
"But I want to see you," she whined.
Derek laughed and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I will be here when you wake up," he whispered against her lips.
She opened her brown doe eyes and looked up at him with question. "Promise?" she whispered.
"I promise," he said with a smile.
She smiled to herself and felt her body start to give into rest. "That's right," she said.
"What's right, baby?" he asked.
Taking a breath and resting her head against his palm, she whispered, "You will be here to catch me."