A/N: Just watched Man Down the other day and thought this might be a nifty idea to explain the events which occur after Eric wakes up. ie: my explanation to people who think Eric's love for Calleigh is only the side effect of a head injury. Enjoy!

Stay With Me

Somewhere beyond the sea
She's there waiting for me
If I could fly like birds on high then straight to her arms
I'd go sailing

Eric Delko should hurt. He'd been shot…hadn't he? Yes, he remembered being shot. It had hurt…a lot. He looked down at his body. He'd been shot in the leg…why wasn't he bleeding? Why didn't it hurt? He'd definitely been shot—Horatio had dragged him behind a car to protect him.

Horatio.

He'd been yelling at him…not at him…to him. He never remembered Horatio sounding out of control.

Stay with me, Eric. Stay with me!

Eric stopped thinking and took a moment to notice his surroundings. He was on the beach, wide blue-green water before him, white sand beneath him, tall, craggy bluffs behind him. Definitely on a beach—alone. Had he been shot on the beach?

No. It hadn't been the beach…it was a parking lot… No. A parking garage. He shook his head. Memories were fading in and out in bits and pieces. Already Horatio's pleas seemed far off, distant.

Stay with me, Eric. Stay with me!

Where did Horatio think he was going?

Or rather, the question seemed to be, where had he gone?

He looked around again, forcing the confusion momentarily from his mind. It was time to logically assess the situation and figure out how he'd gotten here. His eyes fell to the sand beneath his bare feet. What was the evidence telling him? He was alone, on a beach, lacking an injury he knew perfectly well that he'd sustained, with his memory playing tricks on him.

Right.

Eric took a few tentative steps toward the mild-mannered ocean before him. His bare toes touched the surf—cool, wet sand under his feet, warm, foamy water scurrying to taste his skin. He smiled to himself, a deep sense of contentment settling over him like a warm blanket. Wherever he was, it felt good to be here, no matter the circumstances that had brought him. They were fading away, taken further out by each wave that lapped up to the shore to greet him.

"Of course it's the ocean," an impossibly familiar voice said softly. "We never could get you out of the water."

He turned slowly from the water to see his sister standing a few feet behind him, her lips curled into a shy smile. Eric felt his breath leave him in a whoosh. "Mari?"

"It's me, little brother."

His steps were slow and steady, his body not wanting to be disappointed by the tricks his mind was playing. She reached for him first and pulled her to him—warm and solid and feeling so very much alive. But she wasn't…she couldn't be…

Marisol felt his muscles tense. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I'm here, Eric. It's really me."

"But how…? Where are we? What's…" He looked from his sister to the ocean to the expanse of the beach around them.

She sighed and linked her arm through his. "Let's take a walk."

She led him along the shoreline, keeping the water on the left and the bluffs on the right. The sun above them had begun making its way slowly toward the sea before he found his voice.

"Marisol…where are we? What is this place? What happened?"

"One question at a time, mijo," Marisol smiled with a shake of her head. A dark curl slipped over her shoulder and into her face. She tucked it behind her ear; Eric caught a glint of sunlight reflecting off her wedding ring. "Why don't you tell me what you remember?"

He stopped and tried to comb his memory. "We were working a case…looking for something…"

It was coming back in flashes that faded as quickly as they came.

"She's running out of time, Eric."

"This could take hours—she could be anywhere."

A silver Mercedes.

Horatio's tone changed to one of hopeful determination. "Maybe not."

"What happened then?" Marisol prompted, squeezing his arm supportively.

"I don't know…someone started shooting."

He darted from his position, firing a round at the target. Something struck his leg. He howled in pain. It screamed like fire under his skin. Blood seeped through his jeans.

"I got shot." He'd known this before but it still seemed so ridiculous he had to say it again. "Someone shot me."

Mari's eyes deepened with sadness and understanding. "Yes, Eric, they did."

He looked down at his sister, a sinking feeling hardening his stomach. Someone had shot Marisol too. Mari had died trying to recover. "Mari…am I dead?"

She looked down and pursed her lips. "I'm not sure."

"That's impossible." He pulled away from her, hands beginning to shake. "I only got shot in the leg. I'm going to be fine." The scene was coming back to him now—the flashes of memory brighter and staying with him longer. "There was the one guy and H grabbed me and took me between the cars. H had him…" his voice grew softer and more desperate. "It was just the one guy…I'll be fine."

"There was more than one, honey," Mari reached for his hand. "They shot you again."

"So that's it? I'm really dead? Is that why I'm here?"

"Didn't you hear the lady, Delko? She just said she didn't know." Another voice came from behind him.

Eric spun, rather unsurprised to see Tim Speedle coming toward them, shaking his head. Despite the news he'd just digested, Eric couldn't help but feel his heart swell at the sight of his friend. "Speed? That really you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else would come down for the welcoming committee?" They looked at each other for a long moment before each man captured the other in a brotherly embrace.

Marisol smiled as the two stepped away from one another.

"Oh," Eric pointed to his sister. "Mari, this is—"

"We've met," she cut him off with a smile.

"You have?" He looked between the two of them.

Speed shrugged. "It's kind of like college…you tend to stick to people you have something in common with."

Kind of like college. That was an interesting way to put it.

"So tell me the truth, Speedle, am I really dead?"

Speed fell into step on the other side of Eric. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, you definitely were at some point. You wouldn't be here otherwise." He shrugged again. "They may still be trying to revive you—depending on what happened." He cocked his head. "What did happen?"

"I got shot."

Speed scoffed. "Join the club."

"We're thinking of getting jackets," Marisol quipped from her brother's other side.

Eric felt his face twitch into a smile. "So what happens now? I've got some kind of a choice to make? Is my life going to flash before my eyes or something?"

"You mean that didn't happen yet?" Speed raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're not as dead as I thought."

"You're right about one thing, Eric," Marisol's chocolate eyes had turned to the sinking sun. "You've got a choice to make."

"Life or death?"

"We prefer to think of it as 'after-life' around here," Speed corrected. Eric rolled his eyes. "And yes, that's the choice you've got to make."

"You can go back and deal with whatever is going to happen next," Marisol explained gently. "Or you can stay here, forever. Not at lot of people get a choice, actually," she said as an afterthought. "You're lucky."

"So what are you guys doing here?"

Speed smiled. "We're here to make your decision harder."

But his decision wasn't hard. He was here with his sister and his best friend—two of the most important people in his life—who he'd never thought he'd see again. He was safe and happy and surrounded by beauty…and the others would join him eventually. He had proof of that now—there was no more wondering. Someday he would turn around and Horatio would rejoin them, and Alexx, and his parents, and Wolfe…maybe not Wolfe—he was Jewish…did that matter here? Eventually, he would see everyone again and they would all spend eternity together here, in this beautiful place. What was hard about making that decision?

Just as he was about to open his mouth, to tell them he was staying, Eric felt something prick the center of his palm.

Eric, stay with me.

It was barely a whisper, carried from the sea on a light breeze. He heard it though. Not Horatio's insistent plea; it was a soft, desperate request, wrapped around a prayer.

His hand grew warmer than the rest of his body for a moment, his fingers curled in toward his wrist. He looked down at his closed fist and pulled his fingers up one by one.

Lying in the palm of his hand was a necklace. A silver and diamond cross on a delicate silver chain. He'd seen it many times before, glittering around the neck of Calleigh Duquesne. His best friend.

Eric's heart dropped to his knees. Calleigh. How could he have forgotten about Calleigh? Any thoughts he'd been having about 'eventually' suddenly seemed preposterous. He couldn't wait for 'eventually' to see if she inevitably washed up on this heavenly shoreline. He had to see her now, had to tell her all about this place, had to look into her big green eyes and tell her how much she meant to him. He had to tell her she was essential.

He raised his eyes to his companions. Speed offered a sad smile; he pointed to the cross. "It's Calleigh's, isn't it?" Eric nodded wordlessly. "That's one hell of a woman."

"I can't leave Calleigh," he said simply. "Not yet."

"Of course you can't," Marisol smiled, ignoring the tears which pricked at her eyes. "You've got a lot of things left to do."

"Guys," Eric looked between the two of them, the reality of saying goodbye all over again hitting him swiftly, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Speed asked. "You're doing the right thing."

"You sure about that?"

"When have I ever steered you wrong?"

Eric could think of plenty of times but he smiled and opened his arms for another manly embrace. "She's special, man," Speed said in a low voice before they let one another go. "Make sure you remember that. I'll be checking in."

Eric blinked away his tears and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lab's not the same without you, Speed."

"I would hope not," Speed smiled again before turning his head and letting out a few shallow coughs. "Take care of yourself."

"I will."

They shook hands once more before Eric turned to face his sister. She smiled and reached a hand up to wipe at her eyes. "I know…I know…I cry at everything."

Eric reached out and pushed her tears away with his thumb. "I miss you so much, Mari." Not wanting to waste another moment, he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "I wish I could bring you back with me."

He felt her laugh against him before she pulled away and brought a hand to his chest. "Right here, baby brother. Never have to look any farther." She wrapped her arms around his middle again as few of his tears dropped into her hair. "Look after him for me?" she asked, her voice near a whisper.

"Of course."

"And Mom and Dad…and Tessa and the girls and…" Mari's voice became panicky. She looked up at him, unable to stop, "Eric there's just too much to say…"

"Shh," Eric pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. "It's okay, mija. I'm going to be okay…maybe not at first, but I'll figure it out."

"I know you will," she sniffled. "That's what you do," she looked up at him again with glassy eyes, "you figure things out."

He cast a regretful glance toward the horizon. "I think I have to go."

Marisol stepped out of his arms and took a deep breath, wiping furiously at her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you." He leaned and kissed her cheek.

"Remember, I'm right here whenever you need me."

Eric squinted his eyes. His friends seemed to be getting further away. "I'll remember, Mari."

"Oh, and Eric, for God's sake—"

"What?" he had to raise his voice to reach them.

"Tell her!"

He smiled to himself. How did she always know everything? "I don't know how!" he called back as the wind began to pick up.

"You'll figure it out!" Speed cupped his hands over his mouth and called into the breeze.

Though it should have been growing darker, the sky was getting lighter. The sun reflected off of the water casting the beach in a blinding white light. Eric put his hand up to shield his eyes.

His eyes. They were so heavy. His hands weren't covering them anymore—they were too heavy too. They weighed down by his sides, completely useless to aid him against the brilliant light. He managed to raise his eyelids a fraction to see what had just happened.

He was in a hospital room, weighed down by unknown forces and hooked up to a million machines. Where was Marisol?

"Hey," a soft whisper broke his thoughts. He'd heard that whisper before…on the beach. It felt so long ago…like something from a dream. But it had been real—he'd felt it.

Eric, stay with me.

"It's Calleigh…"

Eric couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "Cal…"

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R&R please? It's my first Miami fic