CSI: Tim Speedle
Horatio sat on the beach, watching the waves break on the sand. The sun was starting to set. Speed loved this time of day. Many times, Horatio had seen him sitting out here, watching the sun set. Even in the midst of the most hectic times, Speed found this relaxing.
It has only been a few months since they lost Speed in that jewelery store. Sometimes it still felt like yesterday.
He remembered the time he first met Speed. He was young and exuberant, showing signs of excitement. He had found out somehow, that the younger man found his place in the crime lab. He loved his job and he tended to get addicted to it. He remembered when Speed sifted through a huge ball of shredded paper, looking for any implication of a clue. He spent day and night on it. When he was told to go home, all Speed said was, "At this point, I'm addicted." He remembered that Speed loved puzzles too. A good reason he was a CSI…
He remembered his fights with Speed. The man had many ways to always challenge his authority. And even though he threatened to fire him so many times, he knew he couldn't. And Tim knew that too. He remembered the times when he taught Speed lessons in life or anything in general.
He remembered when he saw Speed get shot for the first time. When his lungs collapsed, Horatio was on the verge of panic but he kept it to himself and concentrated on Speed. He knew that he couldn't lose Tim. But, instead of showing his worry, he bought him a gun-cleaning kit.
Horatio had noticed that Calleigh had taken it the hardest. He had figured it would have been Eric because they were closer friends. But Calleigh was the one. She has said that she had felt guilty because she had yelled at Speed for using her light. She never had a chance to truly apologize to him.
Horatio had taken it harder then he had let on. Speed had died in his arms after all. Horatio knew he was supposed to protect his partner at all costs. Of course, if Speed had cleaned his gun like he was supposed to, he may still be here. But, there were other circumstances as well.
Speed was a joker. Always had been. Horatio remembered back to when Catherine Willows and Warrick Brown had come to Miami for a case.
They were searching a swamp for a car and talking about gators.
"The only way to outrun a gator is to swim faster then the guy next to you…right Delko?" said Speedle.
"I used to have a partner." replied Eric.
Tim and Eric always got along the best in the office. They were the closest friends of everyone. Speed had hazed Eric-sent him to Alexx's autopsy room when she was cooking a skull. It was his way of welcoming Eric to the team.
The two of them worked well together. They always had. They had a similar sense of humor and work process.
"There's no way you're getting out of processing this hotel room with me." said Eric.
"Why would I try to do that? I love hotel rooms. Body fluids everywhere," replied Speed.
Horatio smiled at the memory of Speed's sense of humor. He could always make Horatio laugh. No matter what was going on around them.
Horatio smiled as he thought back, once again, to a suspect interrogation Speed had done.
"Oh, you got a permit," said Speed.
"Yeah, that's right. From Parks and Rec.," replied the suspect.
"Well, I'm going to let you tell that to the family of the girl that got murdered here last night."
"Whoa, hold on."
"I'm going to let you tell them that we can't process this crime scene because you have a permit for a party."
"You misunderstood me."
"Then I'm going to arrest your cheap tequila-pushing ass and have you spend a night in lock up with all the drunk and disorderlies and you can smell the vomit of the fraternity boys."
"You know what? Maybe I…I should wait until you're finished."
"That's a capital idea, Ted."
Horatio smiled. Speed always had a way with people, whether or not they wanted him to.
Speed frustrated Calleigh, a lot. She was forever shaking her head about him. Like that one time they all had to take an IAB polygraph test.
"So, you gonna shave before you go to IAB?" asked Calleigh.
"It's a polygraph test, not a portrait." replied Speed.
They were all running on lack of sleep that day and yet Speed was able to make everyone laugh, most of the time at the expense of himself.
Of course, there were always times when someone got the best of Speed. It didn't happen often but every once in a while, it happened. Usually it was Alexx who did it though.
"You need some help?" Speed asked Alexx, as she started to undress the body.
"Nah. I could undress a dead man in my sleep."
"Leaving that one alone."
Horatio smiled. As he sat staring at the sun set, tears welled in his azure eyes. He could still picture the day in the jewellery store like it was happening now.
Horatio could still remember the last words Speed has said to him while he wasn't fighting for his life.
As Speed stepped out of the driver side door in front of the jewelers, he spotted a red convertible parked right in front of him. "These cars are such a bad investment. I'm just happy to have my bike," he said to Horatio, who was just stepping out of the passenger side door.
"One day," Horatio replied," you may need something with doors."
"Well, I've got plenty of time for that."
Tear welled in Horatio's eyes every time he thought of that day. It still haunted him. And always would. Not only did he lose a great CSI that day, but also a friend.
Speed and I had gone to the jewelery store, looking for answers. Speed saw something and pulled his gun. I pulled mine. Gun fire erupted. Speed pulled the trigger. His gun jammed and he took a shot to the chest. I saw Speed fall. I saw it moving in slow motion, saw Speed pause, saw the bullet hit him. I saw the spatter like red confetti, sailing upward and drifting down like red rain. I saw Speed hit the floor. I saw the pain and the fear and the shock in his eyes. I went to Speed. He's choking on his own blood.
"I've got an officer down!" I heard it on the radio. Was it really coming from me?
He was dying in my arms. "Speed…Speed…" I said to him. I listened for his heartbeat. It was fading quickly.
He was looking at me, like a frightened child searching for his mother because he was hurt. But a small child's wounds could not compare to what Timothy Speedle was experiencing then; a gunshot wound. He tried to speak, perhaps to show that he was brave. But it seemed that his efforts failed.
"I can't feel anything," I heard Speed whisper. "Can't fight it." He died in my arms.
I just knelt there, beside him, in a mess. My calm exterior slowly gave way to someone completely new; a person who fears everything. That time, I couldn't seem to put myself together, being a witness to a comrade's slow death.
I didn't hear anything until Alexx.
"Give him to me, Horatio. He needs to go with me."
I watched her go. We caught the guy.
I couldn't watch Alexx do the autopsy. I don't know how she could. Later she told me, in confidence, that it broke her heart to see Speed there.
I emptied his locker. A clean set of clothes, some CD's, pictures, a half empty bottle of water, a bag of candy and a few letters.
Taking the final item from the locker, I stood and placed my hand over the placard. I could feel the engraved letters of Tim's name against my palm, burning into my skin.
I could still feel it days later.
A large car procession befitting a slain police officer. At the funeral, a flag was given to Speed's parents. A 21-gun salute fired as he was remembered.
Each shot made me cringe. And each shot made me remember some aspect of Speed. He determination. His friends. His life. They all loved him. Not just as a co-worker or comrade, but as a dear friend. He had died protecting justice, died while trying to help others. I tried as hard as I could to hold back my tears. He had repeatedly risked his life for others. And he had died saving me. I knew that Tim wouldn't want people crying, not for him. That's just the kind of person Tim was. Selfless. Completely selfless. The lab would never be the same. Not without their Speedle. As the last shot rang out, I had this one last thought: Goodbye, Tim Speedle.
Horatio took a breath and blinked back the tears. He had gotten an alert from Speed. Horatio had heard the unsnapping of the holster and the puling of the gun. He keeps thinking about the outcome. All he gets is this thought:
"I guess I have to define a hero: Someone who puts his/her life on the line to save others, no matter what the cost to himself/herself."
That was Speedle in a nutshell. Horatio started to cry, just a little. A simple mistake took Speed's life away from him and everyone around him.
Not every cop dies in a heroic fashion. Speed died trying to save the life of someone he knew. That someone was Horatio Caine.