Chapter 1
Man Down
Horatio knew he shouldn't have called this debriefing meeting. It was his habit, if it had been a particularly busy or harrowing day, to get his main team together. To make sure everyone knew what was going on. To make sure everyone was all right. It wasn't strictly necessary, but it made for a better team, he thought.
This time it would have to be brief. He was aching from head to toe, every joint and muscle protesting. Not surprising really, given that he'd just had the hardest day, physically, of his life. He had avoided not one, but two, bomb blasts, and then been almost throttled by the bomber. He knew it was the first blast - it was small, or he wouldn't be standing here, but close - that had done the damage. It had affected his hearing, and his balance, and even now, he was steadying himself on the back of a chair, as he waited for the last of his team to arrive.
In truth, he hadn't been feeling that well ever since the blast, but nothing bad enough to stop him doing his job. However, in the last hour or so, his body was letting him know that it had had more than enough. It felt like deep exhaustion, almost as if his legs wouldn't take his weight. The headache he'd had all day was turning rapidly into migraine proportions, blurring his vision, and making him feel sick. As for the near strangulation, his throat felt as if he'd swallowed razor-blades.
He felt Calleigh studying him and wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she quickly looked away.
"Forgive the voice," he said hoarsely. "Anyone know where Ryan is?"
"On his way," Eric replied. "Said he 'just had to finish something'."
Horatio managed a small smile. "As always. In that case, I'm just going to take a quick break."
He pushed himself off the chair he was leaning on and turned towards the door. The doorway seemed to sway in front of him, and he was conscious of the nausea in his throat. Still, the bathrooms were virtually next door… His vision worsened, from blurred to black round the edges, and the floor seemed to slope. He was vaguely aware of the doors opening to admit Ryan, before his sight blackened altogether.