Title: At the Hospital
By: Juma
Rating: T
Pairing: none
Summary: Missing scene post Darkroom
Spoiler: Darkroom
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, Id I owned CSI Miami, the whole mole thing would have ended way differently
Other: English is not my first language, please excuse any mistakes, thank you!
Standing in the hospital hallway Calleigh observed Natalia and her sister through the glass window and felt a pang of homesickness. Days like these she missed her family intensively, and promised her self to call her baby brother that same night.
Horatio had called her from the crime site, Anya was still alive, but Natalia was taking her to the hospital for a check up. Calleigh sighed.
Never a dull day in Miami.
H had sent her to take Anya's first statements and Calleigh only hoped she would not be too upset.
Anya was laying in the hospital bed, wearing one of those awful gowns that left your freezing in all the wrong places. Propped up against some pillows, Anya was holding on to Natalia's hand while Natalia was fussing over her.
Calleigh thought it would be best to get the uncomfortable subject over with right away, took a deep breath and knocked on the doorframe before entering the sunflooded room.
"Hello, I'm Calleigh, Natalia's collegue!" she said brightly.
"How are you now, Anya? I can call you Anya can't I?", Calleigh said softly and smiled her most reassuring smile.
"Yes, ma'am, I ok now", Anya responded, " I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused." Tears started welling up and Natalia quickly pulled out a handkerchief for Anya.
"None of this is your fault, sweetheart, so don't you apologize or feel guilty! You've been very brave, and Natalia is so proud of you!"
Natalia shot her a worried look. She'd known Calleigh would probably be the one sent by Horatio to interrogate Anya, but she had hoped to have some more time calming Anya down before they had to talk about all that had happened.
Calleigh sat down on a chair beside the bed and pulled out her notebook.
"I'm going to ask you some questions, ok baby?"
Natalia was stroking Anya's hair to reassure her, and squeezed her hand. Anya nodded, but seemed close to tears again.
"We know that the killer fooled you by promising a modelling job, but could you please detail your kidnapping for us?
Taking a deep breath, Anya tells the story about how she'd been transported in a car to the industrial building and how Gavin had scared her. She had not understood what was going on until it was way to late to escape.
"That's when I started praying for someone to come and rescue me. Gavin was confusing me with all those flashlights until I couldn't think straight. I'm very sorry, but it's all a blur, I don't remember all that happened."
Calleigh saw a big ugly blue and red mark on Anyas neck, and scratch marks on her arm and nearly all the finger nails of her right hand broken.
"Honey, I want you to think now, did he hurt you physically? You just do your best to remember, you're doing just fine so far."
Anya looked up at her sister and shook her head.
"No ma'am, I'm just fine."
Her lower lip tembling, Anya rested her head against Natalia's waist. Natalia covered her little sister's face with one hand, and slowly caressed her cheek with her thumb.
"Natalia, could you please get us something to drink? A couple of bottles of water from the wending machine down the hall would be just fine, thank you." Calleigh said with her best decisive-boss voice, but giving Natalia a soft smile to take the edge out of the words.
For a second, Calleigh thought Natalia would refuse judging by the panic stricken look on her face, but then Natalia nodded:
"Anya baby, I'll be back in 5 minutes, ok? Calleigh will take care of you in the meantime and if you need me, she'll come calling me, ok?" Natalia held Anya's face between her hands, and when Anya nodded agreement, she kissed her on the forehead and exited to room, knowing that Calleigh would be gentle with Anya, but maybe asking some questions Anya would not want to answer with her older sister present.
"Anya, you know, when something this traumatic happens to you, it's natural not to remember everything. What I'd like to ask you, is if Gavin hit you?"
Anya shooked her head but didn't dare to look Calleigh in the eyes. She held the bed covers tightly to her chest and stared intently at the blue and grey pattern.
Calleigh took Anya's right hand in her own and turned it around so they were both looking at Anya's broken nails. Calleigh put Anya's chin in her hand and lifted it up until Anya was looking directly at her.
"That's one bad bruise you have there, do you want to tell me about it?" Calleigh said pointing at Anya's neck.
Anya started crying, hiding her face against Calleighs shoulder.
"I don't want Natalia to worry about me, she's been having such a difficult time with her ex husband and then some things at work I don't even really know about, and just wish all of this would go away!"
Calleigh smiled at her sadly.
"It won't go away, I'm very sorry baby, but it won't go away. If you want, we can continue the questioning later, but you need to tell me if I should call the nurse to have a rape kit done?"
"No! I don't want to! I heard Natalia and Christina talk when Natalia was still married to Nick, Natalia said it hurt so much that time when Nick –" she stopped and gave Calleigh a scared look. "Please don't tell Nat I just said that, please? She doesn't want people to know. I wasn't raped, I'd remember that wouldn't I?"
Calleigh sighed. This was not going well.
"I'll call the nicest nurse ever, and when you've talked we'll se what you decide, ok baby? You just lay back here not, and I'll go find your sister."
Calleigh left Anya and went to look for Natalia.
"I've suggested that your sister take a rape test, but she doesn't want to."
Calleigh saw the pain on Natalia's face.
"You don't think she was raped do you? I mean, the other girl had just made it all up?"
"I don't know, Natalia, but I'd like to be sure. Let's talk to your sister together before deciding what to do, ok?
Natalia rushed back into the hospital room and scooped Anya into her arms. Kissing Anya's face, she said:
"Calleigh thinks we should include a rape test in your physical, and I agree with her. It's better to know, see, than to wonder the rest of your life. And you did tell me you passed out there for a while."
Calleigh made a mental note of that.
Anya snuggled into her sisters arms and breathed in her scent two deep breaths before nodding.
"Ok. If you think it's best, but promise the nurse will be careful?"
Natalia smiled at her little sister and asked:
"Do you want me to stay in here, or do you want me to wait outside?"
Anya looked indecisive, but then she said:
"Outside, but just by the door, ok?"
The middle aged blond nurse who entered the room had seen a lot of scared young women during her career, and as Anya relaxed during her examination, Natalia and Calleigh quietly left the room.
Natalia sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting room and leaned her head against the wall. She looked absolutely exhausted, and Calleigh sat down next top her.
"How are YOU, Natalia? In all of this, you haven't sat down until now. Can I bring you something? A sandwich?"
"No thank you, Calleigh, that's very kind of you, but I don't think I can eat something right now. All I really want is to take my sister home, and tuck her into my bed."
"OK, But if you change your mind, please let me know, ok?"
Natalia gave Calleigh a tired smile. They had been working on some trust issues over the past couple of months and where slowly getting to a point where they could talk without Natalia feeling observed and on edge. Now Natalia was very happy that Calleigh was the one sitting beside her in the waiting room, she didn't think she could handle any one else right now, not even Horatio.
The nurse came looking for them.
"The rape kit came back negative, Anya just has some bruises and scratches." She gave them both a warm smile.
" As soon as the doctor has finished the paper work, you can take your sister home. She should rest for some days, and I'll give you a list of places where you can get help and support. Ok?"
Natalia thanked her, and virtually ran to her sister's room. Calleigh followed slowly. She still had to ask Anya some more questions, but it could wait until tomorrow, now she just wanted to bring Natalia and Anya home.
She stopped outside Anya's room to call Horatio with the update of the latest developments. Horatio told her he had put Natalia on leave for three days to take care of Anya, and that if she needed more days, she should just call him. Calleigh immediately felt better. Horatio had his difficult sides, but he genuinely cared about people. When she had asked him why on earth she should train Natalia to become a CSI after finding out that Natalia had had a part in the mole fiasco, he had given her one of his unreadable looks and said to be patient, because Natalia would turn out just fine, and to trust him. Which Calleigh always did. Maybe he knew something she didn't, and so she had decided to give Natalia a second chance. And so far Natalia was coming along just fine, with the usual hiccups and turns, of course.
Natalia came out to call her.
"Anya is ready to go." Calleigh thought Natalia looked like she'd faint any second and answered:
" I'm driving you both home! And I'll have no discussion about it! I know you came here with the uniformed police officer, and I'm not putting you in a cab in your condition!"
Natalia was so tired she didn't even try to argue.
Anya had dressed and was ready. Natalia helped her out of the bed and asked:
"Would you like to eat something tonight baby? I'll cook you any one of your favorites!"
"Anya seemed to consider for a while, then her face brightened and she said:
"You know what I want tonight? Your pancake soup!"
They both started giggling at the same time. Natalia turned to Calleigh:
" It sounds a bit strange, but it's really the best comfort food there is. I hope you'll stay and eat with us after all you're doing for me?"
Calleigh laughed a little:
"Well I'm very curious about what pancake soup is, so I guess I'll just eat with y'all tonight!"
The three women slowly walked down the hall to the elevator, Natalia with her arm firmly around Anya's waist.
Good? Bad? Awful? Please review!
Pancake soup:
leftover pancakes cut very thin "spaghetti like"
consommè, add some parsley if you like it
heat the consommè, and the pancakestrips
enjoy!