"Guardian Angel" - Chapter 2
Chapter: 2 ~ “Hallucination”
Author’s Notes: none
*~*~*
“Are you finished pretending that you’re insane, yet?” Speedle asked a bit annoyed. “Ya know, for someone who hasn’t seen me in three years…you’d think you’d be happier…”
Calleigh turned to him, cold and still quite miserable. “You were shot and killed three years ago, Tim… I saw you in your own blood. I processed your gun… I went to your funeral…” She sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry over the gruesome memories.
“I should have cleaned it.”
“You should have, and you should have lived…” Calleigh said angry. “You died…and then…then Hagen shot himself. I lost you both…” She hung her head and closed her eyes.
Tim sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the cement overpass. “I’m sorry, Cal… I know…I know you and Horatio took it pretty hard…”
“Eric and Alexx, too…” Calleigh spoke up.
“Alexx deals with death everyday…she grieved and then accepted it…” Tim frowned and looked over at Calleigh, “Eric…he grew up. He’s a good CSI, Cal. We did a good job…”
“He’s been through a lot.”
“So have you and Horatio…but you two haven’t let it go yet,” he said looking directly at her. “You know its okay, Cal. It wasn’t your fault or Horatio’s… I knew I should have cleaned my gun… You couldn’t have changed things…”
“I could have been on your case more.”
“I would have just told you to have gotten off my back…” Tim shrugged off. “You two need to take care of each other…”
Calleigh smiled a bit, “We do.” She missed Speed; she missed how the team used to take care of each other… She and Speed would look out for Eric, and Horatio worked in the lab more… Now, Eric and Ryan fought…and Horatio sometimes felt like a ghost in the lab…unless he was hovering over you for evidence. “So…why did I dream you up after I hit my head?”
“I told you already, Cal, I’m not a hallucination…” Speed said with a smirk. “Though, if I were…at least you got a damn good one…”
The storm was fast approaching, and Calleigh had picked the boy back up, holding him close. She hadn’t found anywhere to stay yet. The house hadn’t seemed sturdy at all, after all, that had been why they were evacuating. She was walking through trees, when she found her arm being grasped and her being dragged along.
“You’re not moving fast enough.”
Calleigh’s jaw dropped when she saw who it was and her mind registered the voice. But all her mind was screaming afterwards was that it wasn’t possible. There was no way that that person could be there. She had seen the body and gone to the funeral… She could still hear the gunshots.
Tim Speedle.
The next thing she found herself thinking was that she had hit her head and that she was going a little crazy, “No…you’re not real…” she whispered still in shock of what she was seeing. She really was out of it because of the knock to her head. She knew it had to still be bleeding and knew that she needed to stop and put pressure on it. But with the storm system coming closer, she didn’t want to risk it. “You’re just trying to distract me.”
“I’m trying to get you and the little guy to safety,” Speed insisted as he dragged her along.
How could she feel him pulling her along physically if he wasn’t there? Fear and panic coursed through her as her mind rushed over the idea. Was she even conscious? Was she dreaming? Was it all a nightmare? Was there even a hurricane? “No, no…none of this is real.”
Speed felt Calleigh stopping, but insisted that she move along. He was worried about her, not just because she was alone with the boy in the storm, but because of head wound she had suffered. She looked pale, and even though he knew she had before…he knew that it wasn’t her normal pallor. “Come on, Cal. Horatio’s going to be on his way back for you… You’ve just got to keep moving. We’re going to find you and Matthew a place where it’s safe.”
“I’m tired,” she whispered, her arms feeling heavy. Matthew, though he was small, felt like a ton of bricks in her arms. She blamed part of it on the cold, and part of it on the fact that she had hit her head. She knew that it was important to stay awake, to prevent coma.
“No time for sleeping, Cal,” Speed pushed as he pulled the child from her arms and bared the weight instead. With an arm around Calleigh, he led them towards where he knew they’d be safe. It didn’t take him long to get them to a concrete overpass, and made sure they were below it, tucked as far against the cement wall in the corner as possible. “You’re both soaking,” he said as he helped Calleigh to sit down. It had been raining as they had made the last length, but he hadn’t realized how wet they were until then. He set the boy down as well and watched as he shivered. “He’s way too cold, Cal.”
Kneeling down, Speed started to open the buttons on Calleigh’s blouse.
“Timothy Speedle!” Calleigh shouted in surprise as she slapped at his hands. “See, now I know you’re a hallucination! My Tim Speedle would have never done such a thing!”
Speed laughed at her, “The kid needs heat, Cal… Skin to skin contact is the best. You don’t want him to die, do you?”
Calleigh blinked and frowned, “No…”
Instead of finishing Calleigh’s buttons, he went to the boy and removed his t-shirt before handing him back to Calleigh, who freely finished unbuttoning her shirt and pulled the boy close. Speed, pulled her shirt around the boy and started to button it back up.
“How long do you think it’s going to be until Horatio comes?” Calleigh asked quietly.
“I dunno, Calleigh… I know that he’s trying…” Speed assured.
Calleigh’s eyes felt heavy. She’d stayed awake like Speed had instructed, but she was ready to sleep…just for a bit…just a nap. “I’m so tired… Let me sleep,” she pleaded. She knew if she started to nod off, that he’d just poke her or yell at her to keep her eyes open. Shivers ran through her body, forcing her body to move and Calleigh to lightly hit the back of her head against the cement. “Ow…”
“You can’t sleep, Cal,” Speed told her sitting across from her and then he looked outside. The storm was in full swing, and the cement barrier above them was just barely protecting them. “Matthew needs you… He needs you to be strong and stay awake…”
“Horatio isn’t coming,” she whispered shivering again. She was so cold… It sometimes confused her at how cold Florida could get. Most of the year, Miami was hot…and humid during the summer. But when hurricanes came around, they could drop temperatures in areas.
Calleigh’s pallor was scaring Speed. He hoped that the storm moved on soon, he knew that that was the only reason why rescue wasn’t already there. Calleigh’s skin was pale, and only looked worse with how blue her lips were turning. “You could have a concussion…”
“No kiddin’, I’m seein’ you, aren’t I?”
Smirking, he responded, “Angry, are we? I wasn’t the clumsy one who fell and hit my head on the rock.”
“As much as I miss you Tim, you’re being a pain…” she mumbled miserably.
“I love you, too,” he told her sincerely. His voice turned serious, “You could have hypothermia, Calleigh…” He knew that the concrete was probably not doing them any favors and neither was the wet ground below them.
Tears rolled down Calleigh’s face, “Tell Horatio to hurry…” she said before letting her eyes close. “Tell him, Tim.”
“He’s coming, Cal,” Speed whispered worriedly.
*~*~*
TBC…
Author’s Notes: none
*~*~*
“Are you finished pretending that you’re insane, yet?” Speedle asked a bit annoyed. “Ya know, for someone who hasn’t seen me in three years…you’d think you’d be happier…”
Calleigh turned to him, cold and still quite miserable. “You were shot and killed three years ago, Tim… I saw you in your own blood. I processed your gun… I went to your funeral…” She sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry over the gruesome memories.
“I should have cleaned it.”
“You should have, and you should have lived…” Calleigh said angry. “You died…and then…then Hagen shot himself. I lost you both…” She hung her head and closed her eyes.
Tim sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the cement overpass. “I’m sorry, Cal… I know…I know you and Horatio took it pretty hard…”
“Eric and Alexx, too…” Calleigh spoke up.
“Alexx deals with death everyday…she grieved and then accepted it…” Tim frowned and looked over at Calleigh, “Eric…he grew up. He’s a good CSI, Cal. We did a good job…”
“He’s been through a lot.”
“So have you and Horatio…but you two haven’t let it go yet,” he said looking directly at her. “You know its okay, Cal. It wasn’t your fault or Horatio’s… I knew I should have cleaned my gun… You couldn’t have changed things…”
“I could have been on your case more.”
“I would have just told you to have gotten off my back…” Tim shrugged off. “You two need to take care of each other…”
Calleigh smiled a bit, “We do.” She missed Speed; she missed how the team used to take care of each other… She and Speed would look out for Eric, and Horatio worked in the lab more… Now, Eric and Ryan fought…and Horatio sometimes felt like a ghost in the lab…unless he was hovering over you for evidence. “So…why did I dream you up after I hit my head?”
“I told you already, Cal, I’m not a hallucination…” Speed said with a smirk. “Though, if I were…at least you got a damn good one…”
The storm was fast approaching, and Calleigh had picked the boy back up, holding him close. She hadn’t found anywhere to stay yet. The house hadn’t seemed sturdy at all, after all, that had been why they were evacuating. She was walking through trees, when she found her arm being grasped and her being dragged along.
“You’re not moving fast enough.”
Calleigh’s jaw dropped when she saw who it was and her mind registered the voice. But all her mind was screaming afterwards was that it wasn’t possible. There was no way that that person could be there. She had seen the body and gone to the funeral… She could still hear the gunshots.
Tim Speedle.
The next thing she found herself thinking was that she had hit her head and that she was going a little crazy, “No…you’re not real…” she whispered still in shock of what she was seeing. She really was out of it because of the knock to her head. She knew it had to still be bleeding and knew that she needed to stop and put pressure on it. But with the storm system coming closer, she didn’t want to risk it. “You’re just trying to distract me.”
“I’m trying to get you and the little guy to safety,” Speed insisted as he dragged her along.
How could she feel him pulling her along physically if he wasn’t there? Fear and panic coursed through her as her mind rushed over the idea. Was she even conscious? Was she dreaming? Was it all a nightmare? Was there even a hurricane? “No, no…none of this is real.”
Speed felt Calleigh stopping, but insisted that she move along. He was worried about her, not just because she was alone with the boy in the storm, but because of head wound she had suffered. She looked pale, and even though he knew she had before…he knew that it wasn’t her normal pallor. “Come on, Cal. Horatio’s going to be on his way back for you… You’ve just got to keep moving. We’re going to find you and Matthew a place where it’s safe.”
“I’m tired,” she whispered, her arms feeling heavy. Matthew, though he was small, felt like a ton of bricks in her arms. She blamed part of it on the cold, and part of it on the fact that she had hit her head. She knew that it was important to stay awake, to prevent coma.
“No time for sleeping, Cal,” Speed pushed as he pulled the child from her arms and bared the weight instead. With an arm around Calleigh, he led them towards where he knew they’d be safe. It didn’t take him long to get them to a concrete overpass, and made sure they were below it, tucked as far against the cement wall in the corner as possible. “You’re both soaking,” he said as he helped Calleigh to sit down. It had been raining as they had made the last length, but he hadn’t realized how wet they were until then. He set the boy down as well and watched as he shivered. “He’s way too cold, Cal.”
Kneeling down, Speed started to open the buttons on Calleigh’s blouse.
“Timothy Speedle!” Calleigh shouted in surprise as she slapped at his hands. “See, now I know you’re a hallucination! My Tim Speedle would have never done such a thing!”
Speed laughed at her, “The kid needs heat, Cal… Skin to skin contact is the best. You don’t want him to die, do you?”
Calleigh blinked and frowned, “No…”
Instead of finishing Calleigh’s buttons, he went to the boy and removed his t-shirt before handing him back to Calleigh, who freely finished unbuttoning her shirt and pulled the boy close. Speed, pulled her shirt around the boy and started to button it back up.
“How long do you think it’s going to be until Horatio comes?” Calleigh asked quietly.
“I dunno, Calleigh… I know that he’s trying…” Speed assured.
Calleigh’s eyes felt heavy. She’d stayed awake like Speed had instructed, but she was ready to sleep…just for a bit…just a nap. “I’m so tired… Let me sleep,” she pleaded. She knew if she started to nod off, that he’d just poke her or yell at her to keep her eyes open. Shivers ran through her body, forcing her body to move and Calleigh to lightly hit the back of her head against the cement. “Ow…”
“You can’t sleep, Cal,” Speed told her sitting across from her and then he looked outside. The storm was in full swing, and the cement barrier above them was just barely protecting them. “Matthew needs you… He needs you to be strong and stay awake…”
“Horatio isn’t coming,” she whispered shivering again. She was so cold… It sometimes confused her at how cold Florida could get. Most of the year, Miami was hot…and humid during the summer. But when hurricanes came around, they could drop temperatures in areas.
Calleigh’s pallor was scaring Speed. He hoped that the storm moved on soon, he knew that that was the only reason why rescue wasn’t already there. Calleigh’s skin was pale, and only looked worse with how blue her lips were turning. “You could have a concussion…”
“No kiddin’, I’m seein’ you, aren’t I?”
Smirking, he responded, “Angry, are we? I wasn’t the clumsy one who fell and hit my head on the rock.”
“As much as I miss you Tim, you’re being a pain…” she mumbled miserably.
“I love you, too,” he told her sincerely. His voice turned serious, “You could have hypothermia, Calleigh…” He knew that the concrete was probably not doing them any favors and neither was the wet ground below them.
Tears rolled down Calleigh’s face, “Tell Horatio to hurry…” she said before letting her eyes close. “Tell him, Tim.”
“He’s coming, Cal,” Speed whispered worriedly.
*~*~*
TBC…