"Vendetta" - Chapter 3
Chapter: 3 ~ “Time Sensitive Information”
Author’s Notes: none
*~*~*
The body looked lifeless from a distance, but Horatio knew that in fact that the person lying with leaves partially covering him was alive. Another of his CSIs had been found. Eric Delko. A jogger had found him thinking he was dead, but when Alexx had arrived on scene with the officers and found a pulse she had immediately called him. Frank was already there, he could see him and Alexx crouched down around Eric talking to him. Horatio slowly approached the scene and noticed that there was an ambulance rolling in.
Alexx approached Horatio, letting the EMTs do their job. She wasn’t needed there since her body wasn’t dead. “Eric’s going to be just fine, Horatio… He’s got a big knot on his head. They should check him for a concussion, but I think he’s mainly going to need an ice pack and some Tylenol.”
“Thank you, Alexx,” Horatio said looking back over at Eric, who was being loaded onto the stretcher.
“Go talk to him,” Alexx said putting her hand on his shoulder and patting it before walking towards her van.
Horatio approached the ambulance as they were set to load the gurney. “Just a minute,” Horatio said and noticed that Frank had gone off to talk to his officers. He approached the side of the gurney and looked down at Eric. He could tell by the confusion clouding his face that Eric wasn’t entirely sure of what was going on. “I don’t want you to worry, Eric. You’re going to be just fine.”
“Calleigh…” Eric whispered.
“Calleigh?” Horatio asked. “Eric, tell me about Calleigh…”
“I dunno…” Eric mumbled.
“Eric, you need to tell me what happened to Calleigh…”
When Eric didn’t respond, the EMT apologized, “He really was hit pretty hard… I’m sorry, Lieutenant, you’re going to have to wait until he’s had a bit of time to recover.”
Horatio was frustrated and worried. He needed to know what Eric knew about Calleigh…he needed to know if there was a chance that the body in the morgue was Calleigh Duquesne. He was worried now that it was…and that he’d lost any chance of telling her…telling her the truth. Telling her things he wished he’d told her before… He forced himself away from the gurney and watched as the EMTs loaded it and got inside. Horatio closed the doors and then patted the back of the ambulance sending it on its way.
Moving towards Frank, he thought of what had to be done. He knew that he couldn’t break down, no matter how much his brain was screaming to him that Calleigh was gone. His team was being brought back one by one, but Calleigh’s return didn’t seem likely to happen in the next day. “I need this scene processed right away. This is the only scene in Miami,” Horatio told Frank. His phone rang, but he ignored it. He wanted to give out his orders regarding the scene, and any call could wait…
“I’ll call in the make-shift team…and I’ll order in coffee. The sooner Ryan and Natalia are back at the lab the better mood all shift CSIs will be in.”
“Make it happen, Frank,” Horatio said before heading back to the Hummer.
*~*~*
He spent a time in his Hummer thinking about the first time he met Calleigh, and how much enjoyed her job. How she’d been a friend to everyone…and had always had a fierce loyalty even if it could jeopardize her career. Horatio, though, finally got out of the Hummer and headed into the lab. His sunglasses didn’t come off when he entered the building. He wasn’t ready yet.
He was almost to his office, when he stopped when he heard someone calling out his name. Horatio turned to see that Alexx had been the person trying to catch up with him. He wondered if she had any information on Eric’s condition. The EMT hadn’t seemed too worried, and neither had Alexx, but he also knew that Alexx kept a close eye whenever one of theirs were in the hospital. She seemed to contact with the medical staff better. “Alexx, what can I do for you?” Horatio asked quietly, removing his sunglasses, but moving his gaze downward.
“I tried to call you earlier…” Alexx explained.
“I’m sorry; I was making sure that the site where Eric was found would be processed right away.”
“I wanted to tell you in person,” Alexx started. “The DNA results came back on the body that we found…” She could see that she’d caught his attention when his eyes rose to hers. He could see anger, but also worry in those blue eyes of his. She could see that he was preparing for the results. She knew that it was needed though. She had cried for a good five minutes before finally looking at the paper with the results. Alexx reached out and set her hand gently on his shoulder. “That body…is a Jane Doe.”
Horatio let out the breath he had been holding as he stared at Alexx to make sure that he hadn’t heard wrong, “It’s not Calleigh…”
“It’s not Calleigh…”
*~*~*
TBC…
Author’s Notes: none
*~*~*
The body looked lifeless from a distance, but Horatio knew that in fact that the person lying with leaves partially covering him was alive. Another of his CSIs had been found. Eric Delko. A jogger had found him thinking he was dead, but when Alexx had arrived on scene with the officers and found a pulse she had immediately called him. Frank was already there, he could see him and Alexx crouched down around Eric talking to him. Horatio slowly approached the scene and noticed that there was an ambulance rolling in.
Alexx approached Horatio, letting the EMTs do their job. She wasn’t needed there since her body wasn’t dead. “Eric’s going to be just fine, Horatio… He’s got a big knot on his head. They should check him for a concussion, but I think he’s mainly going to need an ice pack and some Tylenol.”
“Thank you, Alexx,” Horatio said looking back over at Eric, who was being loaded onto the stretcher.
“Go talk to him,” Alexx said putting her hand on his shoulder and patting it before walking towards her van.
Horatio approached the ambulance as they were set to load the gurney. “Just a minute,” Horatio said and noticed that Frank had gone off to talk to his officers. He approached the side of the gurney and looked down at Eric. He could tell by the confusion clouding his face that Eric wasn’t entirely sure of what was going on. “I don’t want you to worry, Eric. You’re going to be just fine.”
“Calleigh…” Eric whispered.
“Calleigh?” Horatio asked. “Eric, tell me about Calleigh…”
“I dunno…” Eric mumbled.
“Eric, you need to tell me what happened to Calleigh…”
When Eric didn’t respond, the EMT apologized, “He really was hit pretty hard… I’m sorry, Lieutenant, you’re going to have to wait until he’s had a bit of time to recover.”
Horatio was frustrated and worried. He needed to know what Eric knew about Calleigh…he needed to know if there was a chance that the body in the morgue was Calleigh Duquesne. He was worried now that it was…and that he’d lost any chance of telling her…telling her the truth. Telling her things he wished he’d told her before… He forced himself away from the gurney and watched as the EMTs loaded it and got inside. Horatio closed the doors and then patted the back of the ambulance sending it on its way.
Moving towards Frank, he thought of what had to be done. He knew that he couldn’t break down, no matter how much his brain was screaming to him that Calleigh was gone. His team was being brought back one by one, but Calleigh’s return didn’t seem likely to happen in the next day. “I need this scene processed right away. This is the only scene in Miami,” Horatio told Frank. His phone rang, but he ignored it. He wanted to give out his orders regarding the scene, and any call could wait…
“I’ll call in the make-shift team…and I’ll order in coffee. The sooner Ryan and Natalia are back at the lab the better mood all shift CSIs will be in.”
“Make it happen, Frank,” Horatio said before heading back to the Hummer.
*~*~*
He spent a time in his Hummer thinking about the first time he met Calleigh, and how much enjoyed her job. How she’d been a friend to everyone…and had always had a fierce loyalty even if it could jeopardize her career. Horatio, though, finally got out of the Hummer and headed into the lab. His sunglasses didn’t come off when he entered the building. He wasn’t ready yet.
He was almost to his office, when he stopped when he heard someone calling out his name. Horatio turned to see that Alexx had been the person trying to catch up with him. He wondered if she had any information on Eric’s condition. The EMT hadn’t seemed too worried, and neither had Alexx, but he also knew that Alexx kept a close eye whenever one of theirs were in the hospital. She seemed to contact with the medical staff better. “Alexx, what can I do for you?” Horatio asked quietly, removing his sunglasses, but moving his gaze downward.
“I tried to call you earlier…” Alexx explained.
“I’m sorry; I was making sure that the site where Eric was found would be processed right away.”
“I wanted to tell you in person,” Alexx started. “The DNA results came back on the body that we found…” She could see that she’d caught his attention when his eyes rose to hers. He could see anger, but also worry in those blue eyes of his. She could see that he was preparing for the results. She knew that it was needed though. She had cried for a good five minutes before finally looking at the paper with the results. Alexx reached out and set her hand gently on his shoulder. “That body…is a Jane Doe.”
Horatio let out the breath he had been holding as he stared at Alexx to make sure that he hadn’t heard wrong, “It’s not Calleigh…”
“It’s not Calleigh…”
*~*~*
TBC…