Sorry for the wait, but chapter 3 is here! I just arrived home after a long vacation. I spent a copious amount of time with my family and relaxing. It was exactly what the doctor had called for ;) Now, it's back to the daily grind. Hope you enjoy
WARNINGS: Dark themes, violence, mild language
- I will put an extra warning on chapters if I believe it's necessary
Disclaimer: Our wonderful crime fighters are not mine
Set in season late 5/early 6
Please leave reviews after reading…they really help motivate me to write! I feed off of them !
Chapter 3 : Waiting
…
"Rossi, you and JJ go talk to Vanessa." Hotch said, still reeling from the recent news, "See what she knows. Maybe we can nail this guy."
The blonde and Rossi hesitated slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Hotch.
"I understand our thoughts are with Emily, but right now, sitting and doing nothing won't help her. We still have a job to do." Hotch said sternly, but softened his gaze.
The two agents left the room, leaving Hotch, Morgan and Reid alone to wait. Reid quickly got out of his bed, as he was not expected to remain in it. His injuries were relatively minor and he did not plan on staying in bed for either one. He held the injured hand, now covered in a thumb brace, close to his body while he paced back and forth. He noticed Hotch doing the same, neither man could sit still. He knew that Derek would be doing the same if it wasn't for the injured ribs and concussion.
About an hour passed when they heard shuffling in the hall. Moments later, the very colorful Penelope Garcia burst through the door.
"Oh my gosh," She said, quickly clicking her way towards Derek, "I heard about everything, are you okay?"
"Baby girl, I'm fine—"
Then, she gently nudged his shoulder. "Derek Morgan, you are not allowed to scare me like that again!"
"Ow! Alright!"
Once the distraction of Penelope's entrance wore off, the room fell back into its gloomy tone. It was as if a blanket of worry and tension was placed over their room. Hotch and Reid both paced, heads hung low and Reid was biting at his fingernails. Garcia took a seat in the chair closest to Derek's bed and had her book open in her lap. However, she hadn't turned the page since she'd opened it.
"Vanessa couldn't say much," Rossi said, holding the door for JJ before letting it fall closed. "The unsub kept her blindfolded."
"Did she give you anything?" Hotch asked.
"She said she was kept in a basement, maybe a cellar. The ground was cement and it was damp." JJ said, fidgeting with her fingers. She wasn't used to confronting the victims of their cases in such an intimate matter, but she knew she had to do it.
Hotch excused himself in order to give Chief Berkley an update, quickly filling him in on what Vanessa told them and that Garcia was looking into the basement. He informed him of Emily's situation and let him know they'd be at the hospital until the surgery was complete.
It had been nearly two hours since Emily was taken back, which made Reid quicken his pace, as he knew the placement of an external drain was quite simple in terms of insertion and time.
Rossi and JJ had set up a game of chess and were both using it as a distraction and a way to pass the time. Neither of them could leave their minds free to wander, as JJ immediately imagined the worst case scenarios and made her even more worried.
"Emily Prentiss?" An older doctor said. The tall man had roots that were just beginning to transform into grey, along with prominent scowl wrinkles in his forehead and mouth.
"Yes." Hotch said. "How is she?"
"I'm Dr. Kuller, I performed Ms. Prentiss' surgery." Kuller said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "The drain placement was successful. It is draining the local edema surrounding her brain and her ICP, or Intracranial Pressure is already beginning to decrease." He said, observing the six extremely concerned faces. "She is currently being moved into a room in the Neurological ICU where she will be monitored extremely closely for signs of bleeding or infection."
A silence broke over the room as everyone took a moment to digest the news. "Can we see her?" Penelope asked, the usual chirp absent from her voice.
"Agent Prentiss is unable to have visitors as of now. She is intubated right now, relying fully on the ventilator to breath. Once she is stable and settled in her room, I can take two of you at a time."
"So, she's going to be okay?" Garcia asked, hopeful.
Dr Kuller sighed. This was his least favorite part of his job, yet he always seemed to be in the position. He looked at the very vibrant woman, unable to find the correct words.
"We will not know if the swelling caused any brain damage until she wakes up." The energetic woman covered her hand with her mouth, unable to stem the stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. "We'll run and EEG test to monitor her brain activity. Until then, it's just a waiting game."
Hotch nodded, unfolding his arms and reaching out to shake the doctor's hand. "Thank you, for everything."
Dr. Kuller offered them a sympathetic smile before he stepped out of the room. Nobody said a word.
"I want you all to get some rest." He held up his hand before any of them could protest. "None of you have gotten any sleep in at least two days. I've gotten a few rooms at the motel across the street, you all look exhausted. Some sleep will do us some good."
"What about you?" JJ asked.
"I'll stay here with Morgan," He flashed his gaze towards Derek, who simply nodded, "and I'll call as soon as we can see her."
…
The next morning, the team was back at the hospital by seven in the morning. Nobody got a tremendous amount of sleep, but Hotch could tell they were more energetic and well rested compared the past few days.
"Good morning agents," A young, brunette nurse chirped, "I'm here to take two of you to see Ms Prentiss."
They'd already decided that Rossi and JJ would be the first pair to visit, followed by Morgan and Garcia and lastly, Hotch and Reid. Hotch had told them that after they'd had their visit, they needed to return to the police precinct to help work the case. Although Vanessa Cambell was released alive, it didn't fit his M.O which was worrisome. They had very little to go off of now, as the forensic report showed no fingerprints, DNA or trace evidence. It was like they were back at square one.
Rossi and JJ followed the slender woman down the hall and to the elevators. They rode in silence until the elevator ding alerted them of their arrival on the neuro ICU floor. The brunette took the initiative, stepping off the elevator and directing them to room 403. She abruptly stopped next to a wall, just in front of the glass doors that would lead them to Emily, her smile quickly slipping off her face.
"You may want to take a moment to prepare yourselves," she peaked into the room briefly, her stance stiffening, "your friend has a ventilator that is breathing for her, which means there are a multitude of wires and tubes."
JJ's eyes widened as the shock hit her. This was really happening. Her best friend was fighting for her life in the neurology ICU. She took a deep inhale, trying to calm her jittery nerves.
"As you were aware, she also had an external ventricular drain placed. There is a thick layer of dressing around her head and a fairly large drain that is pulling out the excess fluid."
Rossi and JJ gave each other an encouraging nod as they silently agreed they were ready to see their friend.
"You're ready?" The nurse asked, placing her hand on the doorknob.
They both nodded simultaneously. She led them a few more feet ahead of them and the glass doors opened swiftly. JJ's hand went to cover her mouth at the sight of the woman lying in the bed.
"I'll be outside if you need anything." She said, stepping back and allowed the automatic glass doors to slide shut.
With her hand still covering her mouth and tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, JJ silently drifted over to the side of Emily's bed while Rossi stood at the end of it. She delicately placed her own hand on top of Emily's, as if one wrong touch would completely shatter her. She eased her way into the lone chair next to the bed, her eyes never leaving the face of the brunette woman. Her eyes were closed, but each had large, purple bags underneath her eyelids. The tube that currently snaked its way down her throat hissed, causing her chest to rise, then went quiet for a moment before the process started again.
Rossi stood at the end of her bed, his hands gripping the ridge as he stared at his colleague. The tubes that ran down her arms were each connected to some sort of bag or machine, none of which he was familiar with. The drain that came out of the dressing led down to a bag that was hidden at the side of the bed, a reddish liquid pooling at the bottom. On top of the ventilator pulsating, he could hear the steady beat of her heart monitor. The one thing that really convinced him that she was, indeed, alive. That this all wasn't his own mind playing tricks on him.
It's going to be okay," JJ said, interrupted by the hissing of the ventilator, "you're okay. You're okay…" The blonde repeated the mantra over and over again while gently stroking Emily's cheek with her thumb. "Everything is okay."
…
"Derek Morgan, if you don't sit that wonderfully magnificent ass of yours into this chair right now, I will call the doctor back in here." Penelope said, standing up straighter and positioning her hands on each hip.
Derek chuckled and accepted his defeat. "I'll do what you say, baby girl, but I really do not need a wheel chair. I am fine."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Mr. Broken ribs and Concussion." She pushed the chair next to his bed and gently held his shoulder as he lowered himself into the chair with a groan. "I'll believe you when you stop moaning."
Penelope pushed the dark agent out of his room and towards the elevator. Since Morgan was still in the hospital under observation, Garcia decided to set up her computers in his room and bunk with him until he was released. It'd been almost two weeks since the crash and Emily hadn't woken up yet. The team was no closer to catching their unsub, or finding the man who'd abducted Morgan, Prentiss and Reid. It seemed as though both unsubs had dropped off the face of the Earth, as Garcia had described it. Her computer could not find any trace on either case, which only infuriated the feisty blonde.
The two of them had been deemed the "Emily watchers" as the rest of the team was needed at the station, leaving the two to keep them updated on Emily's condition.
Nothing had changed.
Her ICP, or intracranial pressure had been slowly decreasing each day and there was no signs of infection. But, she hadn't woken up yet, either. So, really there was nothing new.
The pair was excited to visit their friend as the day before was a 'no visitors' day.
"The patients need a day to rest." The nurse had said after Derek, very charmingly, tried to convince her to bend the rules for them. The rest of the team was back at the police station, attempting to re-profile their unsub and figure out his next move. There had been no killings or abductions since he let Vanessa go.
Now it was eight twenty in the morning, ten minutes until visiting hours began. Penelope walked them towards the front desk where they got visitor pass stickers. They both placed them towards the right corner of their shirts and listened to the nurse talk about what to expect. She said that in addition to the medical tubes, she'd have EEG monitors plastered to her forehead. Although she wasn't conscious yet, her medical team wanted a gage of where her brain activity levels were.
Both of them nodded, anxiously awaiting for the nurse to allow them to actually see their friend. The nurse directed them to the room directly behind the nurse's station. Derek noted the glass walls and small cubicles that housed the neurological ICU patients. Reid had informed them that the walls were glass so that the nurses always had a visual on the patient in each room. The rooms also came equipped with automatic sliding doors so that medical equipment and medical personnel had easy access to each room.
Derek began to stand up out of the chair, causing Penelope to nearly cry out.
"Derek! You need to sit—"
"Are we going to have this fight every day?" He smirked.
The dark agent completely the ache in his side. He placed a tentative hand around his ribs and trudged towards Emily's bed. Standing over her, he observed the new wires on her forehead. The hissing of the ventilator, although familiar, put him on edge. Knowing the reason behind him was more than upsetting in this situation. His hand found its way to hers, and he gently wrapped it up within his own.
"Good morning, agents." A tall, thin doctor said as he briskly made his way towards Emily. He began examining the monitors and the drain that was coming through the top of the gauze.
"Her ICP is looking better today, it's steadily decreasing." He smiled at the two agents, but his positivity did little to curb their concern. "That's a good thing."
Derek wanted to return the doctor's warm smile, but he felt Emily's hand twitch in his.
"Her hand twitched." He said, his eyes open wide. "I—I felt it."
The doctor quickly made his way to the side of the bed, a scowl and concentration etched into his features. He pulled out a pen and clicked on the light, quickly peeling open her eyelids and shining it into her eyes.
He ran through another series of tests before sighing. "It doesn't seem like she's waking up—"
"I felt her hand move. I know I did." Derek insisted.
"It may be a sign of her beginning to wake up, or it might have just been a muscle twitch. Hopefully it was the former. Waking up after a traumatic brain injury such as Agent Prentiss' takes time." He put the pen back into his jacket pocket. "I'll be outside if anything else happens."
Derek and Penelope nodded, both focusing back on their friend once he was gone. Derek gently rubbed the bangs out of her face and away from the sticky electrodes.
"C'mon, baby. It's time to wake up."
…
"Erin, the case isn't closed yet. Not to mention Prentiss—"
"There hasn't been a murder in almost two weeks. The police have enough of a head start on him, if he resurfaces they will be better equipped to find him. I can't have one of the bureau's most valuable units working a cold case for much longer." Strauss said coldly.
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Agent Morgan and Agent Prentiss are still in the hospital—"
"Isn't Agent Morgan stable enough to transfer him to Quantico?"
"He's being released tonight. But Emily—"
"Aaron, this isn't up for debate. Your team needs to be back here by the end of the week."
Aaron straightened up. He couldn't let her push them around. "We will not leave Agent Prentiss behind."
"Then arrange for her to be transferred. I expect to see your team on Friday." She quipped and hung up.
"Strauss?" Rossi asked, leaning against the doorframe.
He raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. "She wants us back by Friday."
"Does she know that Emily hasn't been cleared to transfer?"
Aaron nodded. "She isn't giving us an option."
Rossi stepped into their assigned room and quietly closed the door. "The team isn't going to leave her behind. What's our plan?"
Hotch sighed and rubbed his hand over his chin. "My hands are tied here."
"I'll call Garcia and Morgan and let them know."
…
"I'm not leaving without her, Rossi." Morgan said, the anger boiling within him at the news. "I don't care about losing my damn job. How can we even consider leaving without her?"
"Strauss didn't give us an option. We have to be back on Friday."
Morgan scoffed. "Well I'm not leaving."
"Have you asked her doctor about transferring her?"
"Not yet, he hasn't come in today. It's just been nurses." Derek said, glancing at the monitors subconsciously. "Her ICP is almost back to normal. They're talking about removing the drain soon."
"Let us know what happens." Rossi said, then hung up.
Derek stuffed his cell back into his jean pocket and took a seat in the chair next to Emily's bed. A smile graced over his face at the pink and yellow blanket that Penelope had draped over Emily's chest and the multitude of stuffed animals surrounding her head.
"They'll keep her company at night, when we can't be with her. This way, she'll never be alone."
His smile quickly disappeared at the memory. He wasn't going to let the stuffed animals be the only company she had. There was no chance in hell that he would leave her alone.
"Good afternoon, Agent Morgan." Doctor Kuller said cheerfully. "Let's see how Emily is doing."
He checked each monitor, seemingly pleased with each. The one that mattered the most was the one that monitored her ICP. Doctor Kuller examined the monitor, and a big grin grew across his face.
"Well, it seems like the drain has done its job! Emily's intracranial pressure has returned to its normal levels." He said, turning to face Derek. "I'm comfortable removing the drain in a few hours as long as her ICP remains normal."
Derek immediately perked up in the chair. This was the first bit of good news about Emily's condition that he'd heard. "Does that mean we can move her closer to home?"
Kuller nodded. "Once the drain is out, she will be stable enough to transport."
"She'll wake up soon, too, right? Once the drain is out?" He asked, his shoulders broadening at the sudden burst of hope.
Doctor Kuller's face fell slightly, the edges of his mouth gradually falling as his face became stoic once again. Agent Morgan, your friend has suffered a fairly severe traumatic brain injury. She hasn't had much time to recuperate from the trauma, it has only been two weeks." He said, flipping her chart over on his clip board. "After all, time is the greatest healer."
Eh? How was it? I'm not sure if it is too short...I had most of it written before I left for my holiday and just finished it now that I'm home. I hope it is okay. I'm hoping to write longer chapters from here on out. Maybe around 4,000 words (at least) per chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please do leave a review and let me know how it was. Check back soon for the next chapter :)