Author's Note: I don't usually post two chapters of a story in one day, but this story is just churning around in my head and I'm going to. This story is based on a life event that has happened to me in the last few months and I wished that I had had someone like Horatio to help me through it. So this story is my way of helping myself deal. I hope that readers out there will understand and bare with me. Please leave your reactions to this, good or bad, but please no flames.
Chapter 2
"Hey Erin, you got the results from that substance we pulled off the vics shirt?" Ryan asked as he came into the trace lab that afternoon.
"No, sorry Ry, its still running. Alexx did say that cause of death was strangulation and it was obvious that our scene was a body dump and not the primary. I'm hoping that sample will give us a clue to where the primary scene might be," I answered. Ryan started to say something else, but my cell phone began to ring interrupting him.
"Graycen," I answered without looking at the caller ID.
"Hey Erin, its Gregg," was the response over the speaker and I recognized the voice of my Dad's younger brother. My heart rate hitched up a notch then, because my Uncle Gregg never called me at work unless there was a family emergency and I could tell by the tone of his voice that something was wrong.
"What's going on?" I asked trying to stay calm.
"Randy just called and said that he had to call an ambulance to come and get Mom. He's following them to Dade Memorial right now and I'm on my way too," he answered speaking of his son who checked on our Grandmother every day regardless if anyone else did or not.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Randy said that when he got there she was having trouble breathing and that she was so weak she couldn't stand up on her own."
"Okay Gregg, I'm on my way, I'll meet you there. Have you called Daddy?"
"I called him first. He was out on a call but he'll be here as soon as he can be. I'll see you at the hospital Erin," he answered and I closed my phone. My father was a field engineer for a regional medical company and worked all over the east coast and so we were lucky he was even in Florida right now.
"What's wrong Erin?" Ryan asked and not even realizing that I had closed them, I opened my eyes and looked at him.
"My Grandmother is on her way to Dade Memorial. My cousin Randy went to check on her and she was having trouble breathing when he got there. She didn't say anything to me this morning about feeling bad," I told Ryan. My Grandmother had lived with me since my Grandfather's death and I tried to keep on top of all her health issues.
"Maybe she didn't start feeling bad until after you had left for work," Ryan commented. "Come on I'll drive you to the hospital and you can text H on the way and let him know what is going on."
I didn't argue with Ryan about being able to drive myself, because I wasn't sure how well I would be able to concentrate on driving and it would do my Grandmother no good for me to end up in the hospital too. I followed Ryan out to the hummer and once we were on our way, I pulled out my phone and texted Horatio about what had happened.
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan pulled up to Dade Memorial's Emergency entrance and I jumped out of the hummer before it had even come to a complete stop. Once inside I went directly to the waiting area, knowing that Gregg or Randy one would be there. Gregg and Randy both were there along with Randy's younger sister Carmen and her boyfriend Scott.
"Have you heard anything yet?" I asked directing my question at Gregg.
"Not yet, they came out a few minutes ago to get signature for permission to treat her and they told us they had to entibate her bur are still running tests to see exactly what's going on."
I nodded my understanding and we all sat down to wait. About half an hour after arriving at the hospital, I looked up to see Horatio coming through the doors and I got up to greet him.
"Hey sweetheart, how is she?" he asked, his voice soft and his eyes full of concern.
"We haven't heard anything yet. The last they told us, they had to entibate her and were still running tests to see what is going on," I answered not able to keep the tremble out of my voice even as I desparately tried to hold back the tears.
To my surprise, Horatio pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. His warm embrace gave me strength, but it also caused me to loose my battle of wills with myself and I let my tears of fear flow freely.
