Chapter 7

"Let me know if you see her before me." Eric said softly and Natalia nodded. Eric went back to do his work and then finished what Zoë was doing and picked up her kit too and went downstairs, he expected Zoë to be in the hummer on the phone with Horatio. He opened the door to the hummer and saw that Zoë's handbag hadn't been disturbed. He turned around and then pulled his phone out just as Natalia jumped into her hummer to head back also, she'd not realised that Zoë wasn't sat in Eric's hummer either as she expected Zoë to be on the phone to Horatio too.

"Nat, Zoe's not been here." Eric shouted and she got back out of her hummer and walked over to Eric. Natalia emitted the same concern Eric was just as Eric dialled for Horatio while both looked around.

"H, it's Eric." Eric said as Horatio picked up.

"Eric, everything okay?" Horatio questioned when he heard Eric's urgency.

"Has Zoë rung you?" Eric questioned as he looked at Natalia while they exchanged deep frowns.

"No, why?" Horatio questioned calmly, but he already had a pit form in his stomach.

"She's gone, she said she was going to get a snack from her bag and I've just come down to the hummer, she's not here and she's not touched her bag." Eric said as he looked around. He looked up and down the street but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"I'll be right there." Horatio said firmly before he hung up. Horatio rushed out to his hummer and drove over to the scene as he rang Zoë's phone, just pleading her to pick it up.

"Can you hear that Delko? That's Zoë's ring tone." Natalia said and Eric nodded as they both looked around. They quickly scouted the garden to try and find her phone. It stopped ringing and they found themselves lost again until it began to ring again. They still couldn't find it but continued to look as both of their hearts began to beat fast. Eric was beginning to really panic, he knew Horatio wasn't going to be happy at all, he also knew that Zoë could be in grave danger, especially as he knew she was pregnant.

Horatio was less than a minute from the scene as he rang the second time. He pulled up just as Eric picked up her phone and turned to see Horatio rushing towards them with the phone against his ear.

"Her phone, H." Eric said as he handed it to him once Horatio brought his phone away from his ear and ended the call.

"What happened?" Horatio growled fiercely as he checked her phone and then put it in his pocket as he placed both of his hands on his hips to look around the scene.

"Is that her plimsoll?" Natalia questioned as she looked over Horatio's shoulder to the pavement. Both Horatio and Eric turned and then rushed over when they saw the black shoe just lying on the floor. Horatio picked it up and then looked up at both of them, they could see that he was distraught as well as angry. He ran his hand through his hair and placed his fists on his hips as he glared at the both of them.

"Did neither of you see nor hear anything?!" Horatio questioned forcefully and they thought to themselves and shook their heads.

"Nothing H, I thought she was on the phone to you in the hummer." Eric begged as he shook his head more. Natalia swallowed and looked up at Horatio.

"I saw a black van drive off as I was by the window, I didn't see Zoë at all though, I didn't even know she'd gone downstairs." Natalia said as she swallowed and looked up at Horatio.

"Details." Horatio snapped and Natalia quickly gave him the details. "Get back to the lab, Natalia and track that van now," Horatio said as he walked away and pulled Zoë's handbag from Eric's hummer.

"I'm sorry H." Eric said as he shook his head while Natalia rushed over to her hummer and jumped in. She pulled away immediately and put out a BOLO matching the description of the van he had seen outside the house.

"It's not your fault, Eric." Horatio said quietly as he walked back over to his hummer. Eric got into his and then drove off behind Horatio in the opposite direction to Natalia.

"H, I've put out a BOLO for the van, we'll find her, Natalia has as well, they aren't going to get far, I promise." Eric said over the radio but Horatio remained silent. Eric swallowed and knew Horatio was tearing himself up. Not only was Zoë in danger, but the baby too. "H, you need to slow down, I can't keep up." Eric said as he looked back down at the speed he was doing, they were doing almost double the speed limit.

"We do not have time, Eric. She could be in anyone's hands." Horatio growled over the radio just as Natalia's voice appeared and gave them a location of the van. Horatio and Eric put their foot down more and headed towards the direction of the van. They caught up with it but it accelerated as they tried to pull it over.

"Zoë!" Horatio yelled as he saw the van losing control and swerving side to side just as they were coming up to a bridge that crossed the main road below. Horatio got right up behind the van with inches between his bumper and the back of the van. He saw the van swerve before it fully come off the road and began to roll. Horatio pulled to a sharp stop as he watched the van roll down the grassy verge. They saw the van on its side as it came to halt in the middle of the main road below. He and Eric jumped out of their hummers and made their way down the verge as they called for ambulances and backup. Horatio had just put his right foot on the concrete at the bottom as a car drove straight into the roof of the van on its side. He froze as his eyes widened. He felt his heart skip beats in his chest as sheer panic enveloped his entire being.

"Zoë!" Horatio yelled as he glanced up the road to see the cars halting, causing a slight delay. "Zoë!" Horatio yelled again as he pulled on the two large back doors at the back of the van. "Get him Eric." Horatio shouted when he saw the perpetrator trying to get out. Eric quickly had him in cuffs while Horatio crawled into the back of the van and saw Zoë lying on her back. His breathing was quick and deep as he panicked about her.

"Zoe? Zoë, sweetheart?" Horatio questioned as he got closer to her on his hands and knees.

"H, is she okay?!" Eric questioned frantically as he too crawled into the back of the van on his hands and knees. Horatio glanced back at him with a deep frown.

"What have you done with the driver?" Horatio questioned firmly as he opened Zoë's eyes when he looked back to her.

"A patrol car just pulled up as they were driving, they're holding him and checking on the driver of the other car that crashed into this." Eric said as he crouched at Zoë's feet. Eric swallowed as he looked up at Zoë.

"Zoë, can you hear me?" Horatio called loudly as he placed his hands around her neck to feel the back of it.

"Mmm" she groaned as she raised one of her arms and began to squirm.

"Stay still for me sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he took hold of her hand when he released her neck. "Is there an ambulance on the way?" Horatio questioned as he raised his other hand to her hair and began to lightly play with it to keep her calm and Eric nodded as Horatio glanced back to him.

"H, she's bleeding." Eric said as he looked down at her thighs. Horatio looked down and saw blood in between her legs. He thought his heart had stopped as terror filled it.

"No! Zoë, you're going to be fine sweetheart." Horatio said as he placed his hands on her stomach and tried to feel for anything. He pulled her shirt up and out of her trousers before he placed both hands on her lower abdomen and tried his best to feel around, but couldn't feel anything. "You're going to be fine, Zoë." Horatio said loudly, but Eric could hear his worry and disbelief in his voice. Eric couldn't help but feel helpless, guilty and incredibly bad for the both of them. Horatio looked back down at the blood as it spread further down her legs and created a pool below her. Horatio ran one hand through his hair as he began to hyperventilate himself. "You're going to be fine, you're both going to be fine." Horatio panicked as he bent down and placed his ear to her stomach to see if he could hear anything at all.

"Mmm" she groaned again as she moved more. Horatio said back up and placed his left hand on her abdomen while he placed his other on her shoulder and looked down at her.

"Zoë, it's Horatio. Can you hear me?" Horatio questioned and she moaned again. "You're okay sweetheart, help is on its way." Horatio said softly as he gently rubbed her stomach and played with her hair after removing his hand from her shoulder.

"Mmm" she groaned as she took hold of Horatio's hand on her stomach and pulled it away as she raised both of her knees and groaned again. Eric swallowed when he saw how big the blood pool was. He felt a dark pit form in his stomach as he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, are you hurting?" Horatio questioned and she nodded with a moan as she began to breathe rapidly. "You're going to be okay, you're both going to be fine." Horatio said as he placed his other hand on her arm and leant down closer to her.

"She's losing a lot of blood, H." Eric said quietly. Horatio looked over to him and then down at her legs and saw the blood pool getting bigger. "I can smell petrol as well, we need to get her out of here." Eric said and Horatio nodded as he looked back to Zoë. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.

"Sweetheart, we're going to get you out of here, stay calm for me sweetheart, I've got you." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she reached over and took hold of his jacket while she clenched her eyes closed. Horatio felt just as pained as her expression. "Can you hold the top door open please?" Horatio questioned and Eric nodded as he got up and held the top door open as Horatio lifted Zoë into his arms. He shuffled out of the van on his knees and then stood once he got out. "I know I shouldn't move you sweetheart, but there's petrol around, I needed to get you to safety." Horatio said as she squirmed in his arms.

"Horatio?" She questioned quietly as she looked up at him and he nodded as he looked down at her and then carried her up the road a little away from the van. Eric followed as Zoë looked up at Horatio and blinked a few times.

"You're going to be fine, Zoë." Horatio said, but was really begging her to be fine.

"I know, I'm good." She said softly after she took a deep breath. She looked like she'd calmed down completely. "My thigh hurts." She said as she looked up at him and Eric placed his hand on her shoulder. Horatio exhaled and looked down at her with pained eyes.

"I don't want to alarm you sweetheart, and I need you to stay calm, but you're bleeding quite a lot. We're going to have to go to hospital, okay? Don't panic though, please." Horatio said softly while he held her in his arms.

"Where am I bleeding? I don't hurt too much." She said softly as she kept eye contact with him at all times to keep herself calm.

"There's blood on your thighs." Horatio said softly and then swallowed, he knew she wasn't going to take the news well. She finally broke the eye contact when she looked down at herself and then began to hyperventilate. She looked back up at Horatio with a terrorised expression.

"Horatio! No! Horatio stop it! Stop it please!" She screamed just as two paramedics ran over to them with a bed.

"Zoë, stay calm sweetheart, you and bean will be fine." Horatio said as he placed her down on the bed delicately.

"Horatio!" She cried as she placed her hand over her stomach and pulled him closer as she looked up at him panicked.

"Ma'am we need you to calm down, can you tell us your name?" One of the paramedics said.

"Forget about me! My baby! Save my baby please!" She screamed before she hysterically cried. She removed her hands from Horatio and her stomach to cover her face and eyes.

"How many weeks pregnant are you?" The elder paramedic questioned as they wheeled her over to the ambulance.

"7 weeks!" She cried as she grabbed Horatio's shirt as they got her into the back of the ambulance.

"What's her name?" The younger paramedic asked Horatio who was managing to stay very calm but it was clear that he was distraught.

"Zoë Caine, she's 28, she has asthma and a pacemaker." Horatio said and the paramedic nodded appreciatively.

"Who are you?" He questioned.

"Horatio Caine, her husband." Horatio replied and he nodded again as they quickly cut her trousers off.

"What happened?" The younger paramedic asked.

"She was in the van, I had to get her out as petrol was beginning to leak." Horatio said and they nodded.

"Okay, Mrs Caine can you tell me if you hurt anywhere?" The elder paramedic questioned.

"No!" She growled as she lifted her head and glared at him. Horatio exhaled and sat down beside her on the seat.

"Zoë, calm down sweetheart, you need to stay calm. They're trying to help you." Horatio said softly as he moved closer and took hold of her hand.

"I'm fine, I feel fine really, I just want our baby to be fine and safe, Horatio." She said as she looked over to him and he nodded.

"We need to put this collar on you Mrs Caine, can you try and lie as still as you can?" The younger male said warmly.

"No! Just get me to the hospital where they can check my baby out." She growled as she pushed the collar away and glared at him fiercely.

"You could have serious injuries that are being masked by the adrenaline, ma'am." He said softly as he continued to look at her warmly.

"Get me to that hospital now!" She raised her voice as she tightened her grip on Horatio's hand.

"Zoë, take a deep breath sweetheart." Horatio said as he stroked the back of her hand lightly.

"I feel fine! They're not listening to me!" Zoë said as she looked at Horatio and he sighed.

"Ma'am can you please raise your knees and open your legs, I need to check where this blood is coming from." The older paramedic asked softly.

"Shut the bloody door then! I don't want the whole world seeing me with my legs open! Do you not know anything about patient privacy!" She shouted as she continued to hyperventilate. They looked at her and saw the burning hot fire in her eyes.

"Ma'am we need you to calm down, or we'll have to sedate you. You could have a serious head injury that could be causing this agitation." The older paramedic said calmly.

"How do you expect me to remain calm? I could be losing my second baby right now while you're pissing away these precious seconds and telling me to calm down?! If you listened to your patients and respected my privacy I wouldn't be so bloody agitated right now. I have not got a head injury." She growled and both paramedics swallowed before they glanced to Horatio. "I will drive myself to that hospital if we are not moving within the next minute." She warned lowly and all 3 men could see that she was serious.

"Okay ma'am, we'll go now just try and calm down for us please." The older man said as he pulled the doors closed as he got out and jumped into the drivers' seat.

"Finally, thank you!" She said as the younger male moved closer to her as he maintained his warm expression.

"Ma'am, can you open your legs please, I need to see where this blood is coming from and I need to stop it if I can." He said and Zoë looked up at him and then pulled Horatio from the seat and closer to her as she looked up at the paramedic. The paramedic saw the fear in both of their eyes.