A/N: I do not own CSI Miami or any of it's characters, affiliates...etc. This is just my imagination running with it! I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 3
Keep Me Posted
When she opened her eyes almost two hours later, she inhaled deeply and tried to sit up straight.
"Easy."
Calleigh's voice, was right beside her.
"It's alright. You're safe."
She looked at the soft green eyes before her face. Confusion spread across her own features. "Horatio was here."
She nodded. "He's checking on a few things."
"I have to go. I need to leave. He's in danger there."
"What do you mean?"
"What if the man comes back? What if he tries to..."
"Honey, honey no. Calm down Ricki. He's safe. He's got people with him and he's armed. No one is going to get him. Do you want me to call and make sure he's okay?"
She stared at her for a moment. "You're sure he's alright?"
"Absolutely. Look, I'll call him right now and just check in. Let him know you're awake. Okay?"
She nodded and watched as Calleigh dialed her phone.
"Hey H. She woke up."
"Good. Is she alright?"
"Worried about you. But otherwise seems to be alright."
"Well, I'm almost finished here. I think she's telling the truth."
"Good."
"Agreed. We need to put her into protective custody until we figure out who is doing this."
"Alright. Well, I'll let you know when she's released, if you're not already done and here."
"Sounds good."
She hung up and looked at Ricki. "He is alright. He's with my team members and is safe."
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "So what happens now?"
"We put you into protective custody until we can figure out where and who this guy is. Do you remember anything about him?"
She thought back and started shaking again.
"Don't put yourself back there. Take a deep breath and calm down a bit okay?"
Ricki nodded and closed her eyes for a second. "He's tall and he's built. Not heavy, but built. His eyes were brown. I could see that through the mask. But that was about the extent of it. He never said anything." then she looked up at the blond, with tears filling her eyes. "I can't believe I just let him die. The only person in my life who ever gave a shit about me, and I just let him lay there and die." she whispered.
"Honey it could have been a lot worse. What if you'd been shot too? Then you wouldn't be able to help us now."
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I was so stupid."
Calleigh touched her arm and she almost screamed as she jerked it back, clearly unable to help the reaction.
"Sorry. I...I'm sorry. I don't like..." and a shiver ran down her spine. "I'm not used to being..."
"Hey, it's okay. I was just trying to offer support."
She nodded and looked up with tear filled eyes. "I know." she replied softly. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright."
The nurse walked in and she instantly cleared her throat. "When can I get out of here?"
"Well hello to you too young lady." the portly woman said, sarcastically. "Glad to know you're feeling better."
"Well I'm not swimming every time I move my head now if that helps. When can I get out of here?"
She looked at her for a moment, trying to keep from sounding upset, because she'd seen girls like Ricki before. "I'll check with the doctor sweetie. Once he clears you, you are free to go."
Nodding, she looked at Calleigh. "Where do we go from here?"
"Well, we can put you up somewhere, or put you right in the jail."
She didn't like the sound of jail. But she wanted to be protected too. There was no telling if this guy would come after her somewhere or if he could even touch her. She'd been taught by Joe, that trusting anyone could be fatal. But she didn't like the sound of jail.
"Let me see what Horatio thinks, and we can go from there. Okay?"
She nodded.
Horatio walked into the safe house about four hours later. "How is she doing?" he asked, looking at the girl who seemed to be asleep on the couch.
His CSI took a deep breath. "She's in a rough spot H." she replied lowly.
He studied her frame. "She's got survivor's guilt, doesn't she?"
She nodded. "Bad."
"I was afraid of that." and he walked in and sat down beside where she was on the couch. Her eyes opened a little. "Hey sweetheart."
"Hey." Ricki whispered back.
"How are you feeling?"
She shrugged. "Fine I guess." she said, just a little louder.
"You don't sound too convinced."
She didn't say anything and she closed her eyes. He noticed a tear roll down and he reached out with his handkerchief and wiped it away. She opened her eyes again
Without a word, he sat there looking for a few moments. "You miss him don't you?"
Simply nodding, she closed her eyes as another tear fell.
"Do you want something to drink, something to eat?" he asked hopeful. But her head just shook back and forth as her eyes closed again. "Alright Ricki. Maybe later?"
She nodded this time and opened her eyes again. "Have you had any luck finding out who did this?"
He nodded. "We're getting there. Hopefully you won't have to be tucked away for too awful long."
"Okay."
And then almost as if being shrugged off, she turned around and faced the back of the couch. He stood up and walked back to where Calleigh was, in the kitchen of the home.
"You're right. And she's taking it hard. Try to make her eat or at least drink something a little bit later if you can. I'm going to get back out there and see if I can find out who did this to her."
She nodded and walked him to the door. "Keep me posted."
It was a few hours later when he called her and told her that they had found the man that murdered Joe. And he'd had a hard time with the fact that it had been Ricki's cousin Franky that had been the one to pull the trigger. All over a kilo of drugs that he was trying to steal so he could resell.
When she hung up the phone with him, she looked at Ricki and sat down beside where she was sitting on the couch.
"That was Horatio?"
"It was."
"They found the guy?" she asked, afraid to get too excited.
"They did. But Ricki...you need to know, it was your cousin Franky."
"What?"
She nodded. "I'm sorry honey."
"But that can't be true." she whispered. "Why?"
"Drugs."
"No." and she stood up from where she was. "This isn't right."
"Wait, you can't leave."
"Somethings wrong. I can't...this isn't right. Franky wouldn't do this!"
"He had the gun. He said he did it. Horatio wouldn't lie about something like that."
She looked at her with pleading eyes. It couldn't be true. She glanced up at the rooms to the right. "Where's the bathroom at, in this place?"
"Around the corner and to the left."
"Thanks." and she stood up and walked away. Calleigh knew that she would distance herself from it when it was said and done, but she'd flat out gone on a dead run. She wondered what could be going through her head.
It was twenty minutes later when she opened the bathroom door, to find what she'd been worried about the first few minutes in. She grabbed her phone. "Horatio. She's gone."
"What?"
"She got out the bathroom window."
"I'm on my way. She can't be far."
He was there in fifteen minutes and they were discussing where to start first. They honestly didn't have a clue where to begin.
