Fic: Invisible, Part 19/22
Title - Invisible, Part 19
Pairing - Eric/Ryan
Spoilers - very brielfly - Nailed, Sex & Taxes, and 10-7
Notes - Thanks to Kathie for the beta! This chapter may seem a bit cheesy in some places - sorry about that in advance. *rolls eyes at self*
Ryan was confused. He couldn’t remember what he was doing lying in a hospital bed, and he certainly didn’t have a clue as to why there was a doctor standing over him with a clipboard. The last thing he remembered was Marisol fighting with some strange creature that looked like Tim Speedle.
***
Ryan felt different. Something had happened, that much he’d figured out; he just didn’t know what. The first thought that crossed his mind was that maybe he was crossing over - a thought that had him immediately worrying. Would Eric be alright? Would he be able to move on? Ryan hoped so; he didn’t want Eric to live in misery over a ghost.
“Yes,” an eerily quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. “That’s right. What will Eric do if you leave? You can’t leave him.”
“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” Ryan argued, although he had no idea who he was arguing with. “If it’s time for me to go, it’s time for me to go.”
“But you don’t want to leave Eric here all alone. What if he can’t get over you leaving?” The voice was beginning to take form, and Ryan wasn’t sure he liked what he saw. “Or better yet, what if he gets over it too quickly? What if you mean so little to him that he doesn’t even notice when you’re gone?” The ghostly figure smirked. “You were right; you shouldn’t have started anything with Eric. You should have just left him be. Now one of you is going to get hurt.”
The words cut close to Ryan’s heart. What if this person - was it even a person? - was right? What if Eric really didn’t care? And would that really be worse than if he couldn’t get past Ryan crossing over? His heart wrenched painfully. He didn’t want to leave Eric, but it didn’t seem like he got an option.
“He’s lying, Ryan!” another voice cut in. Ryan recognized that voice; it was Marisol! “Eric loves you! You know he does!”
Ryan turned to her. “Marisol, what’s going on?”
“Ryan, you can’t listen to him; he’s just trying to scare you. You have to go back,” Marisol explained. “Trust me on this, Ryan.”
With a slight nod, Ryan shifted his attention back to the other figure, only to find himself staring into the dark face of Tim Speedle. He could feel his eyes grow to what felt like ten times their normal size at what was resting in the man’s hip holster. It wasn’t the standard department issue, but he recognized it nonetheless; how could he forget the last thing he saw as a living person?
The rational part of his brain told him that it wasn’t necessarily the same gun, that there could be hundreds that looked exactly like that, but it made sense with what Eric had told him about Speed being the only suspect at the moment. Was he really killed by someone Eric called ‘friend’?
“Makes you wonder what else I’m capable of, doesn’t it?”
“Ryan, don’t listen to him! You have to trust me, this isn’t the real Speed! Speed is taking care of Eric. This thing is just the manifestation of your fears. You have the power to get rid of him, Ryan.”
That made sense considering the ‘thing’ - whatever it really was - seemed to be reading his mind, Ryan figured, but he wasn’t entirely sure he understood. “Why does it look like Speed?”
“I don’t know. Only you have the answer to that.”
“What? But I don’t…” he trailed off. He didn’t know what Marisol meant, but he could tell that was as much as she knew about it.
“You’re not going to believe that, are you?” the thing asked. “She clearly doesn’t know what she’s talking about. How could something exist based on fears?”
Ryan scoffed. “I’m a ghost. Do you really think I’m not open to other equally strange things?”
The Speed look-alike’s response was nothing but a glare, and even then, it wasn’t directed at Ryan but Marisol.
“Come on, Ryan. Just trust me. If you want to see Eric again, you’re going to have to trust me. Have I steered you wrong yet?” Marisol begged.
“She’s lying, Ryan,” Fear cut in. “She just wants you dead. She scared me into stealing this from the lab because she was afraid they’d figure out it was her that killed you.” He stared straight into Ryan’s eyes, causing a wave of panic to hit him full force. “She doesn’t want you to be happy, and she knows that if you go through that door, you’ll find Eric. She can’t stand the thought of her brother loving you.”
Ryan’s eyes flickered between the two of them. ‘Who should I believe?’ he asked himself. ‘Eric’s sister, who has been nothing but nice to me ever since we met, or this guy - Speed? Eric’s friend. Surely Eric’s own friend wouldn’t kill someone, but if I believe Marisol, then this isn’t Speed, this is some demon that just wants me dead. Eric’s family would just want him to be happy, right? And they’ve both mentioned that she’s Eric’s sister, so I know that’s true. She doesn’t look like a murderer to me…’
“Just turn around and walk through that door, Ryan. It’ll take you back to Eric,” Fear urged.
“No, Ryan. Eric’s waiting for you, but that door won’t take you to him,” Marisol argued. “If you want to be with him again, take my hand. I’ll take you back to him.”
Ryan gave them both one last long look and made his decision. He reached out, hoping he’d made the right choice.
***
Then he’d awoken in the hospital room, and Alexx - who he’d taken a moment to recognize; it seemed like it had been ages since he saw her last - had started crying, though she looked relieved, not upset. Horatio had been there, too, but he left, presumably to find the doctor.
It wasn’t until the doctor arrived that Ryan realized that there was something very strange going on. He tried to figure out what was happening, but his mind wasn’t working properly. Whenever he tried to remember how (and when) he’d ended up in the hospital he could only see a flash of grey flying straight toward him.
“Sir,” the doctor began. “Can you tell me your name?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He tried to clear his throat, but ended up in a coughing fit. It felt as if he hadn’t used his voice in months. When the coughs subsided, he felt light-headed and a little dizzy - and very glad he was lying down. Trying again to speak, he managed to rasp out his name.
“Good,” the doctor murmured. “Your voice will come back with time and practice. Hopefully, your memory will return sooner. Just think of it as regaining your bearings after a long night.” Ryan managed to nod with great effort. The doctor smiled. “Well, I think I’m finished with you for right now, Mr. Wolfe. There are a few people who really want to see to you.”
It was at that moment that Alexx opened the door to his room and walked back in. He hadn’t even noticed her leave before. “Hey baby,” she whispered to him as the doctor left. She took the seat next to his bed and gently laid her hand on his. He smiled in return, wishing he could say something back. “Everyone has really missed you, Ryan. It’s been really quiet around the lab without you there. Even Eric has been pulling his hair out waiting for you to wake up. Calleigh says she’ll be in later to see you; she’s busy talking to Eric right now.”
Ryan listened as she told him how much they’d all missed and filled him in on some of the things that had happened since he’d been hospitalized. Her stories didn’t much help him though, he couldn’t even remember getting put in the hospital in the first place. Then she started talking about Eric, and something in his mind was jarred. She told him of how Eric was convinced that Ryan thought he hated him for how they’d acted toward each other before, and vague bits of conversations between them came back to him.
He focused him mind on those conversations, trying to remember what had happened, inadvertently blocking out what Alexx was saying. Slowly, everything came back to him.
He was in the lab, studying tire treads and Eric was scolding him for leaving him behind, then giving him advice about which type of car to focus on.
He was in the break room, watching the television as Erica Sikes reported what she knew of the crime, what he had told her of the crime, even if he hadn’t meant to.
He was in that trailer, looking around for Karl Lampley when suddenly a nail flew at him, the pressure and pain knocking him to the ground as Charlene Hartford fled the scene. He was in a Hummer as Eric sped him to the hospital, trying to get the nail out of his eye as soon as possible. He was in the hospital when the world around him went black…
No matter how he tried to focus, he couldn’t remember what happened next. It didn’t make sense to him anyway; how could all that have happened if he had never been a CSI and he’d been dead for two years? How did he remember Alexx if he had never met her? Was this some sort of strange dream? He resolved to ask lots of questions about that when he got his voice back.
Sometime during his internal deliberation, Alexx had noticed his lack of attention, and had gone quiet, just watching his face as he tried to piece things back together. She knew he wouldn’t be back to normal already; after all, it had been over a year since he’d so much as moved. He’d have a lot of healing to do, and she and the others would have to catch him up on all that had happened since then. She wondered where his mind had been during the last year, what it was like for someone in a coma. Had he known that he was injured? Had he tried to get back to them? Or had he just been floating in some alternate world? She had plenty of questions for him, but she decided to wait for Ryan to talk about it first - if there was anything to talk about. He could’ve just been in a dreamless sleep for all she knew. She was just glad to have her baby back.
Part 20
Pairing - Eric/Ryan
Spoilers - very brielfly - Nailed, Sex & Taxes, and 10-7
Notes - Thanks to Kathie for the beta! This chapter may seem a bit cheesy in some places - sorry about that in advance. *rolls eyes at self*
Ryan was confused. He couldn’t remember what he was doing lying in a hospital bed, and he certainly didn’t have a clue as to why there was a doctor standing over him with a clipboard. The last thing he remembered was Marisol fighting with some strange creature that looked like Tim Speedle.
***
Ryan felt different. Something had happened, that much he’d figured out; he just didn’t know what. The first thought that crossed his mind was that maybe he was crossing over - a thought that had him immediately worrying. Would Eric be alright? Would he be able to move on? Ryan hoped so; he didn’t want Eric to live in misery over a ghost.
“Yes,” an eerily quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. “That’s right. What will Eric do if you leave? You can’t leave him.”
“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” Ryan argued, although he had no idea who he was arguing with. “If it’s time for me to go, it’s time for me to go.”
“But you don’t want to leave Eric here all alone. What if he can’t get over you leaving?” The voice was beginning to take form, and Ryan wasn’t sure he liked what he saw. “Or better yet, what if he gets over it too quickly? What if you mean so little to him that he doesn’t even notice when you’re gone?” The ghostly figure smirked. “You were right; you shouldn’t have started anything with Eric. You should have just left him be. Now one of you is going to get hurt.”
The words cut close to Ryan’s heart. What if this person - was it even a person? - was right? What if Eric really didn’t care? And would that really be worse than if he couldn’t get past Ryan crossing over? His heart wrenched painfully. He didn’t want to leave Eric, but it didn’t seem like he got an option.
“He’s lying, Ryan!” another voice cut in. Ryan recognized that voice; it was Marisol! “Eric loves you! You know he does!”
Ryan turned to her. “Marisol, what’s going on?”
“Ryan, you can’t listen to him; he’s just trying to scare you. You have to go back,” Marisol explained. “Trust me on this, Ryan.”
With a slight nod, Ryan shifted his attention back to the other figure, only to find himself staring into the dark face of Tim Speedle. He could feel his eyes grow to what felt like ten times their normal size at what was resting in the man’s hip holster. It wasn’t the standard department issue, but he recognized it nonetheless; how could he forget the last thing he saw as a living person?
The rational part of his brain told him that it wasn’t necessarily the same gun, that there could be hundreds that looked exactly like that, but it made sense with what Eric had told him about Speed being the only suspect at the moment. Was he really killed by someone Eric called ‘friend’?
“Makes you wonder what else I’m capable of, doesn’t it?”
“Ryan, don’t listen to him! You have to trust me, this isn’t the real Speed! Speed is taking care of Eric. This thing is just the manifestation of your fears. You have the power to get rid of him, Ryan.”
That made sense considering the ‘thing’ - whatever it really was - seemed to be reading his mind, Ryan figured, but he wasn’t entirely sure he understood. “Why does it look like Speed?”
“I don’t know. Only you have the answer to that.”
“What? But I don’t…” he trailed off. He didn’t know what Marisol meant, but he could tell that was as much as she knew about it.
“You’re not going to believe that, are you?” the thing asked. “She clearly doesn’t know what she’s talking about. How could something exist based on fears?”
Ryan scoffed. “I’m a ghost. Do you really think I’m not open to other equally strange things?”
The Speed look-alike’s response was nothing but a glare, and even then, it wasn’t directed at Ryan but Marisol.
“Come on, Ryan. Just trust me. If you want to see Eric again, you’re going to have to trust me. Have I steered you wrong yet?” Marisol begged.
“She’s lying, Ryan,” Fear cut in. “She just wants you dead. She scared me into stealing this from the lab because she was afraid they’d figure out it was her that killed you.” He stared straight into Ryan’s eyes, causing a wave of panic to hit him full force. “She doesn’t want you to be happy, and she knows that if you go through that door, you’ll find Eric. She can’t stand the thought of her brother loving you.”
Ryan’s eyes flickered between the two of them. ‘Who should I believe?’ he asked himself. ‘Eric’s sister, who has been nothing but nice to me ever since we met, or this guy - Speed? Eric’s friend. Surely Eric’s own friend wouldn’t kill someone, but if I believe Marisol, then this isn’t Speed, this is some demon that just wants me dead. Eric’s family would just want him to be happy, right? And they’ve both mentioned that she’s Eric’s sister, so I know that’s true. She doesn’t look like a murderer to me…’
“Just turn around and walk through that door, Ryan. It’ll take you back to Eric,” Fear urged.
“No, Ryan. Eric’s waiting for you, but that door won’t take you to him,” Marisol argued. “If you want to be with him again, take my hand. I’ll take you back to him.”
Ryan gave them both one last long look and made his decision. He reached out, hoping he’d made the right choice.
***
Then he’d awoken in the hospital room, and Alexx - who he’d taken a moment to recognize; it seemed like it had been ages since he saw her last - had started crying, though she looked relieved, not upset. Horatio had been there, too, but he left, presumably to find the doctor.
It wasn’t until the doctor arrived that Ryan realized that there was something very strange going on. He tried to figure out what was happening, but his mind wasn’t working properly. Whenever he tried to remember how (and when) he’d ended up in the hospital he could only see a flash of grey flying straight toward him.
“Sir,” the doctor began. “Can you tell me your name?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He tried to clear his throat, but ended up in a coughing fit. It felt as if he hadn’t used his voice in months. When the coughs subsided, he felt light-headed and a little dizzy - and very glad he was lying down. Trying again to speak, he managed to rasp out his name.
“Good,” the doctor murmured. “Your voice will come back with time and practice. Hopefully, your memory will return sooner. Just think of it as regaining your bearings after a long night.” Ryan managed to nod with great effort. The doctor smiled. “Well, I think I’m finished with you for right now, Mr. Wolfe. There are a few people who really want to see to you.”
It was at that moment that Alexx opened the door to his room and walked back in. He hadn’t even noticed her leave before. “Hey baby,” she whispered to him as the doctor left. She took the seat next to his bed and gently laid her hand on his. He smiled in return, wishing he could say something back. “Everyone has really missed you, Ryan. It’s been really quiet around the lab without you there. Even Eric has been pulling his hair out waiting for you to wake up. Calleigh says she’ll be in later to see you; she’s busy talking to Eric right now.”
Ryan listened as she told him how much they’d all missed and filled him in on some of the things that had happened since he’d been hospitalized. Her stories didn’t much help him though, he couldn’t even remember getting put in the hospital in the first place. Then she started talking about Eric, and something in his mind was jarred. She told him of how Eric was convinced that Ryan thought he hated him for how they’d acted toward each other before, and vague bits of conversations between them came back to him.
He focused him mind on those conversations, trying to remember what had happened, inadvertently blocking out what Alexx was saying. Slowly, everything came back to him.
He was in the lab, studying tire treads and Eric was scolding him for leaving him behind, then giving him advice about which type of car to focus on.
He was in the break room, watching the television as Erica Sikes reported what she knew of the crime, what he had told her of the crime, even if he hadn’t meant to.
He was in that trailer, looking around for Karl Lampley when suddenly a nail flew at him, the pressure and pain knocking him to the ground as Charlene Hartford fled the scene. He was in a Hummer as Eric sped him to the hospital, trying to get the nail out of his eye as soon as possible. He was in the hospital when the world around him went black…
No matter how he tried to focus, he couldn’t remember what happened next. It didn’t make sense to him anyway; how could all that have happened if he had never been a CSI and he’d been dead for two years? How did he remember Alexx if he had never met her? Was this some sort of strange dream? He resolved to ask lots of questions about that when he got his voice back.
Sometime during his internal deliberation, Alexx had noticed his lack of attention, and had gone quiet, just watching his face as he tried to piece things back together. She knew he wouldn’t be back to normal already; after all, it had been over a year since he’d so much as moved. He’d have a lot of healing to do, and she and the others would have to catch him up on all that had happened since then. She wondered where his mind had been during the last year, what it was like for someone in a coma. Had he known that he was injured? Had he tried to get back to them? Or had he just been floating in some alternate world? She had plenty of questions for him, but she decided to wait for Ryan to talk about it first - if there was anything to talk about. He could’ve just been in a dreamless sleep for all she knew. She was just glad to have her baby back.
Part 20