The Element of Surprise

Penelope - Part 1

William Shakespeare wrote: "Love all. Trust a few. Do wrong to none."

As an adolescent, I experienced that phase in every teenager's life where they lived on adrenaline alone, seeing how far they can push their limits before something, anythings, happens. That's how I discovered street racing. And it was everything I needed after the trauma my family's murder caused me - that little extra oomph to give me that high I craved.

But tonight I discovered there is a great difference between racing towards the finish line and a hospital.

I drove as if I was possessed with all but one thing in mind: Penelope. It took me two minutes to bolt out of the office towards the parking lot after Hotch delivered the news, merely a few seconds to skid out into the street, and where it would usually take around ten minutes to reach the hospital where she is held, I made the trip in five. During those five minutes, the words danger, collision, accident, and death didn't mean anything to my one-track mind. There was only Penelope and the fact that someone shot her and she might or might not be dying.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the nurses tell me Penny's in surgery and the best I can do for now is wait. There is really no way of telling if she'll be okay. So I sit on the nearest bench and let my head drop into my hands. Penelope can't die, she can't. Not her as well.

Fortunately, I'm not left with my thoughts too long. Footsteps down the hall informs me of Hotch and Rossi's presence. They were right behind me when I left the Bureau in such a hurry, but I lost them a few blocks down due to traffic.

"Morgan's not answering his cell but I've called the rest of the team, they'll be here at any moment," Hotch informs gravely, "Any word on Garcia?"

I shake my head, "She's in surgery, that's all the nurses told me."

"What do we know?" Rossi inquires, referring to the reason Penelope's been shot.

"Police think it was a botched robbery."

I'm too concerned on my best friend in surgery to think of why she has been shot. Nothing matters to me at the moment except that she pushes through and that the surgery's successful.

It's unclear how long it's been, a minute, five, ten, but the next thing I know, the rest of the team, excluding Derek, shows up. They ask the same questions. What happened? What's the word on Garcia? What does the police say? And where the hell is Morgan? When Hotch tells them Derek's not answering his phone, Spencer offers to call him again. I haven't spoken a word since I told Hotch what the nurses told me - the truth is, I didn't tell them everything.

"Hey," I look up to find Rossi claiming the spot on my left, "She's going to be alright."

"I hope you're right," my voice is weak and shaky. Unable to keep it to myself any longer, I decide to confide in him, "I didn't tell you everything since I didn't want to to worry the team. I overheard one of the paramedics who brought Penny in speak to the nurses. It doesn't look good."

Although his face remains passive, his eyes betray his true worry and fear of losing a valuable member of the team, the family, to a gunshot wound. For the second time this evening, his hands enclose mine as he speaks, "She'll make it, mio preziosa. Prometto."

In the meanwhile, JJ has marched off to hear if there is any new updates but comes back with none. Spencer also returns with the disappointing new that Derek is still not answering his phone. Where the hell is he?

With nothing else to do, we wait.

Rossi stands up so Emily and JJ could sit next to me and start pacing the ongoing hallway. Hotch stands as still as a statue, eyes trained at the wall ahead as he copes with the stress of losing our Tech Analyst. Spencer occupies the bench opposite of mine. His body is facing sideways, his head leaning against the wall which squishes his cheek slightly upwards. If there was ever a moment he reminded me of a little boy, now is that moment. My heart breaks at the sight of him. This is proof that, despite his intellect and incapability to feel sympathy, Spence really does care about the people the closest to him.