Disclaimer: I don't own any of CSI Miami or its intellectual properties. Please don't sue me; my lawyer's in jail.

A/N: WARNING! Contains explicit references to female problems.

This story is based on my own experience with this type of surgery. Many times things are leared through stories like this. Please let me know if you think this story would be a good teaching tool about hysterectomies.

Chapter 1—Nobody Must Know

Private Investigator Yelina Salas tilted her head down and watched her subject, just like she had so many times before. She sat perfectly still, her long, chocolate curls concealed her eyes like a curtain. There were no sounds in the car except her labored breathing. With a pale, sweaty, trembling hand she reached down on the seat and clicked on her microcassette recorder.

"Ten-forty-five in the morning. Subject is seen coming to his front door. Subject is carrying a folding ladder estimated to weigh about thirty-five pounds. He is not wearing any kind of medical equipment at this time." With that she clicked it off and took a breath.

The Florida heat and humidity caused her to sweat horribly by now, her thick hair clinging to her neck. Nonetheless, she couldn't turn on her car's the air conditioning. Nobody could know she was there. She glanced in the rear view mirror. Her beautiful brown eyes looked as vacant and tired as she felt. Her once beautiful skin looked pale. She felt a heaviness in her pelvis. It was doubtful she would put in a full day today. But she clicked on the microcassette recorder and glanced down again.

"Ten-fifty in the morning. Subject is now unfolding ladder in front of his residence." Very discreetly she took out her camera phone and clicked it in his direction. He seemed to be unaware of her presence as she watched him climb the ladder to his roof.

Without warning, pain shot through her womb like a lightning bolt. It was as though someone had knifed her. But she couldn't move. She grimaced and her muscles froze as the sweat poured from her forehead and soaked her curls. No one could hear her whimper in agony as she clenched her fists and her toes. Nobody could know she was watching.

She felt helpless. But nobody could know she was there. Least of all her subject. There was too much to lose.

Finally the pain faded away. She took a deep breath and sighed. Then that other feeling came on.

Dammit, not again! I don't believe this!

Yelina put down her microcassette recorder and started the engine. She had as much information as she needed. But first and foremost, she had to get to a bathroom. Immediately.

There were few customers in the small, run-down diner by that time. Quickly and quietly she ducked into the ladies' room. Toilet paper had been strewn all over the stall. She couldn't worry about it just then as she fumbled through her white purse.

It was her last tampon, and she was out of change. She would have to go home and get more. This one only lasted about an hour.

"Yelina."

She gave him a sad smile through the screen door. "Horatio."

"Thought I'd come check on you and Ray Jr."

She backed away from the door. "Sure. Come on in."

Sadly Horatio watched his sister-in-law. She was tired, pale, shaky, and sad again. Instead of those cute white sundresses, she was wearing a long tee shirt and dark leggings. She had been like this for several months now. She was holding her hand over her abdomen again. "You come to see Ray Jr?" she asked to take attention away from herself. She knew he was studying her again.

Horatio dipped his head. "I think I should be concerned about you, Yelina. You've been sick again, haven't you?"

She shrugged with a half smile. "Oh, well, this is been a rough case."

"Yelina?"

"I'm fine!"

"Yelina, you used to do the more high-stakes cases. Now for the last two months you've been doing insurance fraud and divorce cases. You're tired every time I see you. Have you gone to the doctor?"

"I haven't had time, Horatio. As a PI I'm very busy. You know that."

"You're pale and shaky too."

She leaned her head on her hand and stared out the window. She hadn't had energy to do much else.

"Mom?"

Ray Jr stood in the hallway. "Oh, hey Uncle Horatio."

The Lieutenant smiled fondly at his nephew. "Ray, I'm going to have a little talk with your mother. Why don't you wait for me in the other room?"

"I just wondered if Mom was gonna make dinner. It's getting late, and I'm hungry."

Yelina closed her eyes. "I'll be right there, Ray" she moaned.

"Actually, I was just thinking, Ray. How long has it been since you and I went out for burgers? I'm sure your mother could use a quiet night to herself."

A smile crossed the teen's face. "Yeah. Great! Thanks!"

"Good. Meet me out by the car."

As Ray Jr. stepped out the front door, Horatio looked at his weary sister-in-law again.

Yelina smiled tiredly. ''Thank you."

He smiled back. "I'll have Ray back in a couple of hours. I want you to take a hot bath and go to bed early. And then in the morning I'm gonna take you to see the doctor so we can find out what the problem is."

She dipped her eyes.

"Something wrong?"

"It's not my regular doctor. It's my gynecologist."

Her brother-in-law was unfazed. "That's fine. I'll take you there and wait outside. But we're going tomorrow. Is it the same problem?"

She nodded.

"I thought he put you on medication."

"Doesn't work anymore."

"So your problem came back?"

She nodded sadly. "Horatio, I'm so tired all the time." Her voice cracked with emotion as she clutched her stomach. "I can't keep doing this." Her eyes moistened. "I keep taking iron pills and drinking water. They don't help. I'm so dehydrated." She leaned her face on her hand again. "Horatio, I can't do this anymore."

Horatio stood close to his beloved sister-in-law and just looked down at her sympathetically. "We'll go to the doctor tomorrow, Yelina. Now go. Get yourself a hot bath and go to bed. I'll call you in the morning."

"Thank you" she said into her hand.

As he guided the Hummer away from the curb, Horatio was silent. He'd seen the bottles of iron pills. He'd seen all the boxes of tampons. Her "problem" had come back. He knew the doctor had put her on hormones, but they had lost their effectiveness. Yelina didn't like to discuss the bleeding that wore her out. As always she was going to tough it out. Just like she had when Raymond was deep undercover, leaving her to raise Ray Jr. alone. Just like when Raymond had crossed back over to the dark side in Brazil. Just like when Raymond was killed. And she would be tough again now. That was her way. It was what made her such a superb police officer and private investigator.

Ray Jr. had been staring silently at the dashboard. He knew Uncle Horatio was troubled, and he knew Mom wasn't feeling well.

"You okay, Buddy?" Horatio finally said to his nephew.

Silence.

"What's wrong with Mom?" he finally said.

"Ray, your mother might need to take a little vacation. But she's going to need our understanding. Okay?"

Ray Jr. nodded.

Horatio's mind wandered back several years. He could still feel his blood pressure rise as Rick Stetler stormed out of his sister-in-law sporting his belongings and a bruised, swollen eye.

"I guess you didn't need me after all" he said to her with a smile.

Yelina looked at him with a quiet anger. "That's not true. And that will never be true."

Horatio looked at the steering wheel again. If it was what he thought it was, Yelina and Ray Jr. would certainly need him this time.