The team is standing together watching a casket being lowered into the ground.
A folded American flag is being handed to Horatio.
When the ceremony is over, Eric can see Tim Speedle carved into an old headstone.
Right next to Tim's grave is the fresh grave, but Eric can't make out the name on the headstone.
He takes a few steps forward to get a better look.
The name on the new headstone reads 'Ryan Wolfe'.
Eric startles away from his nightmare and finds himself still seated in the hard plastic chair next to Ryan's hospital bed. He sits up lifting his arms over his head to stretch out the kinks in his back. When he happily slumps forward he retakes Ryan's hand, looking over to find that he is still fast asleep.
Looking around the room, Eric notices that Horatio isn't there. He also notices his large duffle bag on the floor by his feet. He'd have to thank Alexx for that later. He also notices a vase of multi-colored flowers sitting on the hovering hospital bed table, along with a card he assumes is also from Alexx. Beside the card is a folded piece of yellow paper.
Eric picks up the folded paper and finds that is a note for him, from Horatio.
Eric,
I was needed at the lab. I will return as soon as possible. I will call if any leads come to our attention.
Love you both,
-H
Eric puts the note down just as Alexx walks in and hands him a cup of coffee.
"Hey, babe. How are you holding up?"
"I'm alright Alexx. Thank you for being here."
At the MDPD lab, Calleigh, Frank and Horatio are quickly putting their facts together.
"So, we know the Spacing was hired to kill Edmonds and Ryan." Calleigh started. "He's also not talking anymore."
"And we know the knife and gun both belonged to Spacing." Horatio stated. "And that he was giving the before he was brought to interrogation."
"And we know that person was Ross. We just don't know where to find him, and no one on patrol has seen or heard him in months." Frank told them.
"Ross was at the crime scene when Eric and I located the murder weapon." Horatio continued. "Has that background check come back yet, Frank?"
"Not yet, Horatio. I made the check a priority, and put out a bolo on Ross."
Horatio excused himself when his cell started to ring.
Calleigh tells Frank, "I've even cross referenced everyone that had contact with Ryan and Mr. Edmonds, but nobody came up. I don't know what else to do."
Horatio returns from his phone call. "All we can do now is wait for the background check. I'm going to the hospital, Ryan is awake."
Alexx left the room with the doctor about ten minutes ago to ask more questions on Ryan's condition. And for ten minutes Ryan hasn't said a word or even looked in Eric's direction. Eric on the other hand was babbling on about anything that came to his mind. He was quickly silenced when Ryan blurted out his question.
"Why do you think I cheated?"
"I don't want to talk about that now, Ryan. I just want us to-"
"Why not now!" Ryan shouted, than recoiled when a sharp pain shot up his torso.
"Be careful Ryan. You need to rest and-"
"I need to understand. All I know is that you and Horatio believed it, him, whatever. Ned think I know I'm sharing Frank's couch with his cat."
"Frank has a cat?" Eric asked with a smile.
"Don't change the subject." Ryan pleads sullenly. "Please just tell me what happened."
Eric couldn't look in Ryan at the moment. Those same sad eyes he had seen in the locker room two days ago. He had been avoiding Ryan, and he knew his word were cruel yesterday. He wasn't even mad anymore. He just Ryan to be alright, to come home with them, to live.
"H and I went to the AV lab, to see if the surveillance video had caught anything useful. You know the new AV tech, Matt Tucker. He told us that you brought the evidence in with Officer Ross. That you two were hanging all over each other." Eric explained.
"I didn't drop anything off in AV. I put everything in the evidence locker. I had Edmonds assistant in interrogation. By the time I finished, Calleigh was already processing things." Ryan defended himself. "I only met Matt Tucker yesterday. When you told me I was a mistake. He introduced himself to me." Ryan says, thoughtfully.
"Ryan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I just wanted to hurt you." Eric apologized, but Ryan didn't hear him. He was lost in thought.
"You said you met him." Ryan blamed.
"What?"
"You said you met him. That he told you all about us being together for a year. "
It took Eric a second to realize that Ryan was talking about Ross. That Ryan was reciting his very words from what he likes to call 'The Locker Room Accident'.
"We did. Horatio and I, we met Ross at the crime scene. He said that you two were on and off for about a year, but he could never get you to commit to an actual relationship. He didn't even care when we mentioned you were already taken." Eric answered.
"I still don't understand. Two different people, that I haven't met told you I was cheating, and instead of you coming to me and talking about it, you break my arm and dump me." Ryan slurs.
Eric didn't know what to say to that. He knew it was wrong not to talk to Ryan first, but his anger overshadowed any reasoning he had at the time.
When he looked back up at Ryan he realized how tired he looked. He remembered Alexx saying that it was a possibility that Ryan hadn't eaten anything the day before, and knowing how Ryan reacts when he's upset that was definitely a possibility.
Alexx and Horatio came into the room, seemingly saving Eric from answering. Horatio stood to Ryan's right, and Alexx returned to the small couch near the door.
"How are you doing?" Horatio asks.
"I've been better." Ryan answers, sleepily.
"Why don't you get some rest, baby." Alexx says.
"I'm really not tired." Ryan slurs some more.
"Ryan, your body is exhausted and you need the rest so your body can-"
Eric interrupted Alexx in mother mode, by shushing her. Before she went off on him for the interruption she took a glance at Ryan, and her words died on her tongue. Ryan was fast asleep.