Title: A Shocking Thing
Author: Femvamp
Disclaimer: CSI Miami does not belong to me. There I disclaimed it.
Spoilers: Season 8, Episode 20: Backfire

Note: So not my best work; but I was bored.

It was a shocking thing to see yourself in a hospital bed; to be standing next to your own body; there and yet not there; watching your own chest go up and down. Breathing through a tube.

Standing there next to her friends who couldn't see her; trying to figure out what was going on. Calleigh couldn't remember ever being that scared in her life.

After a few minutes everyone had left her their alone with herself. She continued to stand there watching herself; trying to figure out how she had gotten there. She knew of course; it was the fire. She had stopped breathing at the fire. Was she dead? Were the tubes in her nose and throat the only thing keeping her…whatever she was?

Calleigh didn't notice at first that there was someone else in the room; standing at the door really. She thought at first it was Eric; her Eric. He must be hurting so badly right now. She had the sudden urge to go to him. To try to make him understand that no matter what happened to her that he'd be ok. When she turned around she didn't see Eric standing there but Natalia.

Her friend Natalia. They had gotten close over the years but Calleigh was surprised to see her standing there with what could only be described as a lost look. Calleigh stood in shock as she saw a single tear go down her friend's cheek. After a moment Natalia spoke but in such a low whisper that Calleigh wasn't sure she heard it right.

"Don't die, Calleigh. I never got the chance to tell you how much I love you."

At that moment Calleigh so much wanted to go to her friend to comfort her but by Natalie turned away and walked out into the hallway. Calleigh tried to follow her but when she got into the hallway she was stunned to see Eric standing by the nurses desk laughing with one of the nurses. She briefly forgot about the scene she had just witnessed with Natalia and walked over to her….Eric.

Just as she got to the desk she saw the nurse with her hand on Eric's arm. She expected Eric to pull away but he didn't. At least not a first. It had shocked her for a moment. Eric and her were supposed to be one of those things that lasted forever….then she remembered her forever might just be up. She tried to yell at Eric; to talk to him but he couldn't hear her. That's when she felt her heart stop. That's when she felt a shock unlike anything she had ever felt before, and in the distance she heard someone scream.

"Clear!"

For a brief moment she wondered if this was pain. Watching the man she loved flirt with someone else while…..oh God she suddenly saw Natalia's face.

Natalia loved her.

It was a shocking thing to realize.

"Clear!"

Calleigh layed in her hospital bed trying to piece together all the little moments that were flashing in her head. She had been able to help prove that the boy that she had tried to rescue hadn't been the one to set the fire that killed him and had nearly killed her. She still didn't understand most of it. She didn't remember most of it. It was like a dream you had just woken up from. Most of it fades away quickly. There was one moment however that didn't fade away.

"Hi, Calleigh." Eric smiled as he sat down in a chair next to her hospital bed.

"Hi, Eric." Calleigh smiled at her boyfriend.

"We were all worried about you."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You need to stop running into burning buildings." Eric said taking her hand, "You can't save everyone."

"I can try,"

"Calleigh."

"Eric." Calleigh paused trying to figure out what to say next. What was she supposed to say? Ever since she woke up only one thing; one person had been on her mind, and it wasn't Eric. "This isn't working is it?"

Calleigh watched the emotions play on Eric's face and knew immediately that he felt the same way. Something had changed between them and neither of them knew exactly what it was. They still cared about each other but…it wasn't love.

"I'm sorry." Eric said simply.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm interrupting." Both Calleigh and Eric looked toward the door startled and saw Natalia standing there with an awkward look on her face. "I'll leave you two alone."

"No. wait." Calleigh said before Natalia could leave.

She was shocked again when she looked back at Eric and saw his face. He wasn't at all shocked. He smiled at Calleigh and kissed her on the head, "That's why we could never work." He then got out of his seat and smiled at Natalia, "You take care of her won't you?"

"Of course." Natalia said trying to hide her concern "Is there something wrong?"

"No." Eric smiled at her, "I think things are finally right. You make sure she rests and don't let her trick you into letting her go back to work until she is good and ready."

After that he was gone.

"Ok what was that about?" Natalia asked concerned about both her friends.

Calleigh smiled at Natalia. She wasn't sure about much and this might not be the best time; but she had a lot of explaining to do. Maybe it would take some time and she still needed to figure out how she really felt about Natalia but it suddenly felt like something was starting between them.

It was a shocking thing to realize that she was looking forward to finding out.