Before I sleep
Lt. Horatio Caine was a force to be reckoned with. Everyone knows that. Nothing happened unless it was part of his plan…
Horatio felt a sharp pain as the bullet ripped through his flesh. It was all going as planed. He fell to the ground as he went into shock. His breathing became labored and he tried to fight the tremors coursing through his body. Time seemed to be weaving in and out, speeding up and slowing down. All perspective was lost. "How much time had lapsed," he wondered. Only then did he become aware of the warm wet spot that was pooling around him.
For the first time in a long time Horatio felt vulnerable. He was once again reminded that he was in fact only human. As he laid there in his own pulling blood his mind began to race, thinking about anything and everything. He thought of his family, his job, his friends, and all the things he cared about. His first thought was his son, Kyle. Things had been crazy this last year, with Kyle showing up quickly followed by his mother, all of which conspired to this moment. He hoped more than anything that Kyle was safe.
He thought of the rest of his family. Yelina's face rolled into his head, quickly followed by Ray Jr., then to Suzie and Madison. He wished he had been able to see more of them over the last few months. His mined then went to a dangerous place. She Was his seemingly only hope for a family of his own. But she, like so many others, was gone. And then the thought occurred to him, what if this was how it was to end. What if this was it, his final moments. At least this way he could go down on his own terms.
He could see himself basking in the light of heaven in the company of his sweet love, finally at peace. Maybe then he could find rest for his tiered soul. At that moment the fight seemed less important. It would be so much easier for him to just let it all slip away. His mined then snapped back to reality. He was needed. He could not give up yet. Not when so much was at stake. There was too much to be done, too many people relying on him.
He thought of the rest of his family. His lab family, the people who had stood beside him, working hard for the same goals. No, this was not his time, he was not finished. He had worked long and hard to get where he was and now was not the time to give up. He would not let them down.
He laid there for what seemed like hours and yet like seconds. He felt his consciousness begin to slip from him. He fought against the enticing pull of exhaustion. Through blurred vision he saw them, a pair of shoes. "Lt. hold on the ambulance has just arrived."
"…
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
-Robert Frost "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"