Chapter 4
Nathan jumped out of the seat he was sat in while doing paper work as both Horatio and Zoë began to choke on the tube that was aiding their breathing at the same time. Alexx quickly sprang out of the chair and took care of Zoë's tube. Both of their tubes were quickly taken out of their mouths.
"Horatio, can you hear me?" Nathan questioned loudly as he placed his hand firmly on Horatio's chest.
"Zoë, can you hear me?" Alexx questioned as both Nathan and Alexx shone the torches in their eyes as Eric stood between the beds, looking at both Horatio and Zoë. Alexx and Nathan both rubbed each Horatio's and Zoë's sternum and each got a reaction in the form of small movement.
"How's Zoë doing? Is she breathing okay?" Nathan questioned as he looked back to Alexx.
"Yeah, her breathing is a little laboured and ragged, but she's fine, her oxygen sats are good." Alexx replied as she studied Zoë's calm, pale face.
"Good, Horatio seems to be breathing well." Nathan said softly as he studied Horatio's calm, pale face as he breathed steadily for himself.
"Is he reacting to pain?" Alexx questioned as she looked back to Nathan as she placed her hand on Zoë's cool arm.
"Only a little, but I don't expect any more from them at the moment." Nathan sat as he looked back to Alexx and Zoë. They both checked if either Horatio and Zoë could hear them again. Neither Horatio nor Zoë gave them anything so they left them alone for a while. Eric stood there, looking from Zoë to Horatio, desperate for any sign they gave.
"Are they okay?" Eric asked as he ran his hand through his hair, wanting them to give more reactions. He was desperate.
"Yes, they're still just unconscious, but they're coming around." Nathan said softly and Eric nodded and swallowed. He turned to Zoë after Alexx walked away and sat down. He placed his hand on her arm and looked down at her placid face, she just looked like she was sleeping.
"It's been over a week, why are they only just waking up?" Eric questioned as he looked back up to Nathan.
"It could be that they're slowly recovering." Nathan said softly as he wrote in Horatio's notes.
"But they woke at the same time." Eric said as he looked up at Nathan with a frown.
"I think that's just a coincidence." Nathan said softly as he put Horatio's notes down and picked Zoë's up.
"Will they be okay?" Eric questioned as he took hold of Zoë's hand. Alexx took a deep breath and looked at Zoë's small hand in Eric's.
"I hope so, but I've already told you, there's a chance they won't wake up. They've both received a traumatic brain injury." Nathan said softly as he continued to write in her notes.
"It's their wedding day tomorrow." Eric said as he looked over to Horatio and then back to Zoë as Alexx got back up and made her way over to him.
"I know Eric, how about we go and get some coffee? Let Nathan give them both a thorough examination, yeah?" Alexx asked as she placed her hand on his back. He let go of Zoë's hand and then looked over to Horatio tenderly. He then nodded and then walked out with her and Nathan gave them both a thorough examination and then had them both given a sponge bath. Eric and Alexx walked back in 30 minutes later.
"How are they?" Eric questioned as he walked back over to the seat that sat between both beds.
"They're okay. But you need to go home and get some proper rest, Eric." Nathan said softly as he looked up to him from the paper work on his lap.
"Not until I know that they're better." Eric said firmly.
Nathan took a deep breath and then rubbed his face with both hands before running a hand through his short brown hair. "Eric, that day may not come." Nathan said truthfully as he placed both hands on the arm rests.
"You said that about Zoë last time, look where she got to, she had recovered and was fine. You can't give up on them now." Eric argued as he looked back to Nathan, frowning.
"I know, but Zoë's case was very different, her brain wasn't physically damaged by an impact." Nathan said softly as he shook his head.
"She still had brain damage though, she recovered. You said she'd never wake up, you were sure of that. I will not give up on them. Don't underestimate them." Eric said firmly as he looked to Horatio before looking back to Zoë. He then rubbed his face as he ran his hands through his hair as he sat back. He exhaled and looked over to Horatio. He hadn't even noticed Alexx get up again and walk over to him.
"Eric, you need some rest honey, you're verging on manic." Alexx said as she placed her hand on Eric's back.
"I'm not leaving them. They'd be doing the same thing if it was you or I in their position. Horatio didn't leave Zoë's side, she even stuck through her phobia of nurses to make sure Horatio, me and Wolfe were okay when we were injured or unwell." Eric pleaded her.
"At least get some decent sleep, you cannot stay up all night every night just waiting for something to happen. You're making yourself unwell, Eric." Alexx said softly as she tilted her head and looked deeply into his eyes.
"I need to be here Alexx." Eric said as he looked up at her, she saw the bags under his eyes as well as the drained expression. She exhaled as he looked back over to Horatio.
"Look, I'm going to go back to yours and I'm going to get some of your stuff okay? I'm sure Nathan can arrange for a fold up bed for you, can't you?" Alexx questioned as she looked back to Nathan who stood the other side of Horatio with crossed arms and he nodded up at them.
"Thank you." He said softly and Alexx nodded and then turned to leave when Zoë's phone began to ring. Eric picked it up and looked at the caller ID.
"It's Joe, what do I do? Do I answer it? I wouldn't answer if it was anyone else, but you saw how close they were. He needs to know what's going on. I haven't been able to get hold of him to tell him the wedding is off." Eric said as he looked up at them.
"Let me speak to him, you're in no state of mind." Alexx said softly as she held her hand out to him.
"No, he doesn't know you." Eric argued and then answered the phone defiantly.
"Zoë? Thank god, I was starting to worry." Joe exhaled on the end of the phone with a long relieved exhale.
"Joe? It's Eric Delko here." Eric swallowed as Alexx placed her hands on her hips and looked at Eric displeasingly.
"Eric? Is everything okay? Where's Zoë? Can you put her on please?" Joe questioned sharply, also sounding quite confused.
"I can't do that, unfortunately. Erm… are you still living in New York, or are you now in Miami?" Eric questioned softly as he looked over to Zoë as he got up.
"I live in New York but I've just arrived in Miami, I don't move to Miami for another 2 months." Joe said, quickly growing concerned. Eric reached out and took hold of Zoë's hand again as he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Where's Zoë?" Joe asked when he heard Eric exhale.
Eric opened his eyes and swallowed. He looked over to Zoë's pale face. "Zoë's… Zoë's been involved in a car crash with Horatio. The wedding has been called off. I couldn't get hold of you as Horatio's phone was destroyed and Zoë's has got a lock on. I couldn't find your number anywhere." Eric said as he took a few deep breaths. He brought his left hand up to his forehead and lightly rubbed it after letting go of Zoë's hand.
"What?! Is she okay? Is Horatio okay? Can you put her on the phone for me?" Joe questioned quickly and loudly. Eric could tell he was beginning to panic.
"They're both unconscious, they have been for the past week and a half. We don't know if they're going to wake up, but they've both just come off the ventilator." Eric swallowed as he turned and looked over to Horatio with soft eyes as Alexx placed her hand on his upper back and gently rubbed. She could tell that Eric was getting worked up, he was deeply hurt to see both Horatio and Zoë in such a state.
"I'm on my way now, is she responding at all? She is alive, isn't she?" Joe questioned and Eric heard the break in his voice when he questioned if she was alive.
"They're both alive, and moving a little when their sternums are rubbed, but they aren't responding to anything else. They've received brain injuries and everything." Eric said as he ran a hand through his hair and turned again to take hold of Zoë's hand.
"I'm on my way, I'll be there in an hour." Joe said as he hung up. Eric looked back to the phone as it locked itself. He put the phone down and shook his head as he looked at Zoë. 'Come on Zoë, wake up for us please.' Eric begged her in his mind. Alexx looked at Eric awaiting to hear what was happening.
"They're on their way down." Eric said as he took hold of Zoë's hand with both of his, he could feel that her hand was slightly cold as he looked at her.
'I can't take this, they look awful.' Eric thought to himself as he turned around to look at Nathan doing his paperwork. "Do something Nathan, please. I can't see them like this anymore." Eric begged him as he let go of Zoë's hand.
"I can't Eric, we're doing everything we can. There is nothing more we can do." Nathan said softly with a sigh, he could see the toll that sleep deprivation was having on Eric. Eric exhaled violently as his face hardened, all he wanted was for them to wake and to be fine. They looked round to the door as it opened and Ryan cautiously walked in.
