Chapter 2


"Brookie is asleep," Tim announced as he walked down the stairs into the living room. "But we have to buy her a pony."

Calleigh put down the remote and smiled brightly as she looked up at her husband. "She has you wrapped around her pinky, I swear."

Tim plopped onto a cushion next to Calleigh, shrugging. "She'll always be my baby girl," he replied as he reached over to take the remote.

Snuggling closer to Tim, she ran a hand over his chest. "Speaking of babies…."

Tim furrowed his brows as he turned his gaze to Calleigh. "Brooke is still a baby, Cal. I thought we agreed we'd have our next one after she's older."

Calleigh chewed on her lip, racking her mind in attempt to find the right words to say. "Um, actually, there's been a change in plans."

"What are you talking about Cal?" Tim questioned. His eyes widened in realization of what she meant.

Calleigh nodded slowly. "You're right, we did plan on waiting until Brooke was older, but I'm pregnant."

Her news was rewarded with a kiss from Tim. "Wow… how far along are you?" Tim questioned as he stared at her flat stomach.

"My period was supposed to come last Wednesday. I just did a home test earlier. I can't be any more than just a month," Calleigh replied.

Tim leaned to kiss her once more. "I love you so damn much."

"And I you, more than you'll ever know," Calleigh replied as she moved to sit in his lap. "Maybe we'll have a boy this time."


And sure enough the unborn baby who was kicking Calleigh in the ribs as she waited to hear about Tim was indeed a boy. Tim had been thrilled when the obstetrician announced that they were expecting a son.

Tim wasted no time in purchasing infant sized New York Yankees memorabilia for the baby. "Forget the Marlins or Tampa Bay," he had told her when the package arrived. He had tried to sway Brooke into playing sports, or to at least tool around with a mock chemistry set, but she was more interested in playing with dolls.

Hours passed with still no word about Tim. Brook was fast asleep, curled in the waiting room chair. A nurse had come by and draped a blanket over her, for which Calleigh was appreciative. Eric arrived a short time later and after consoling Calleigh, he and Horatio went off in search of coffee.

The situation was all too surreal for Calleigh. 'This is my entire fault!' she thought bitterly to herself. 'Oh God, please don't let Tim die. Please.'


"Timmy..." Calleigh called out teasingly. "You love me right?"

Tim poked his head out of the bathroom with a bemused look. "Of course," he responded, through a mouth full of toothpaste.

"Well, would you mind going to get me ice cream?" Calleigh asked sweetly as she changed into her nightgown.

"We have three different types of ice cream in the freezer babe," Tim stated matter of factly.

"But we ran out of mint chocolate chip and the baby's really hungry," Calleigh replied as she entered the bathroom.

Tim groaned as he wiped his face clean. "I just worked a double shift Calleigh, I'm exhausted."

"Please?" Calleigh asked once more. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled her face into his bare chest.

"Alright, alright, I'll go," Tim sighed, kissing the top of her head as he walked into their bedroom. "Have you seen my pants?"

"By the foot of the bed where you last left them," Calleigh called out in response. "Just be careful on the roads, it started to drizzle a bit."

"Duly noted," Tim had responded. "I'll be back in ten minutes babe. Love you."


Calleigh wiped her eyes against the sleeve of her shirt. "Oh I'm so sorry Tim," she whispered.

"Mrs. Speedle?"

Calleigh looked up at man in scrubs in front of her. "How's Tim?" she replied anxiously.

"I'm Dr. Shearman. Your husband unfortunately had a lot of head trauma, though he faired much better than he would have if he didn't have his helmet on. He suffered a subdural hematoma," the doctor replied. He offered a sympathetic smile to Calleigh as he continued. "However, we were fortunate to have caught it early and preformed a craniotomy to remove the blood clot. Because the injuries such as the one your husband sustained have many risk factors, please understand that we had to take all necessary precautions."

"I'm sorry. I'm not… following," Calleigh replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Is he going to be OK?"

"We've placed your husband into a medically induced coma," Dr. Shearman replied. "It is the most effective solution to reduce the metabolic rate of brain tissue, as well as the cerebral blood flow. With these reductions, the blood vessels in the brain narrow, decreasing the amount of volume occupied by the brain, and hence the intra-cranial pressure. The hope is that, with the swelling relieved, the pressure will decrease and your husband shouldn't suffer from any brain damage."

Calleigh wasn't even sure how to respond. "Um… do you know how long Tim is going to be in a coma?" She involuntarily began to play with her wedding band.

"For as long as he needs to recover but for most patients, it can last anywhere from days to months. The prognosis for your husband looks good though. He should make a full recovery if no other complications arise." Dr. Shearman replied. "If you'd like you can go visit him now in ICU – eighth floor."

Calleigh let out the breath that she didn't realize she was holding until then. "Oh, thank God. Thank you…for everything."

The doctor nodded, before leaving Calleigh. At that moment, Horatio and Eric arrived and they looked at each other worriedly as the doctor walked away.

"Calleigh?" Eric questioned, approaching her cautiously.

She turned to him tearfully. "Tim's in a coma and they don't know how long he'll be in it!"

Horatio pulled her in for a quick hug. "Go to him Calleigh. We'll watch Brooke."

Calleigh nodded, grabbing her purse. "Thanks." She walked over to the elevator and pressed the button, signaling for it to arrive. It dinged loudly, announcing its arrival and as the doors closed, her heart began to race in nervous anticipation.

The baby made his presence known once more, and Calleigh swallowed hard at the sudden prospective that she might have to face her future for once – without Tim.