Calleigh busied herself downstairs for a few hours, completing chores around the house and catching up on the odd jobs that she had let slide over the past few months. Although she willed herself not to she couldn't help but glance at the stairs every once in a while, she was tempted to go up to his room to check on him but though better of it, heeding the advice from Jeff. Calleigh was disturbed from her thoughts by a loud growling noise from her stomach, she realised that she had not eaten since breakfast that morning. Lunchtime had come and gone, she was too busy fretting over Horatio to care about eating anything. Figuring that cooking a meal would occupy a little more time until Alex visited Calleigh set about preparing ingredients for dinner.
Forty minutes later Calleigh took the freshly cooked lasagne out of the oven, it wasn't exactly a staple of most Miami resident's diets but she knew that Italian food was one of Horatio's favourites, she hoped that the familiar tastes and smells would help soothe his troubled mind a little. She got out two plates from the cupboard and scooped the lasagne on to them, she glanced at the wine glasses in the cupboard and toyed with the idea of opening a bottle for them to share over dinner, she shook her head and admonished herself for even entertaining the idea. She called out to him for the kitchen that dinner was ready but she was greeted with silence, after trying again and failing to get a response Calleigh purposefully made her way upstairs.
"Horatio? It's Calleigh" she said as she knocked on the door, "Are you ok in there?" Her mind started to race when she heard no response, "Horatio, I'm going to open the door, I just want to see if you're ok" She told him as she took a deep breath and reached for the door handle, she entered the room and saw him standing by the window, gazing out towards the beach. "Horatio?" she asked tentatively as she walked across the room to him, "Everything alright?"
He turned his head to look at her briefly, "I'm ok, Calleigh" he said softly. He looked down at the figurine in his hand and started to fiddle with it, clearly uncomfortable with Calleigh's presence in the room.
Calleigh's eyes followed Horatio's; she smiled when she saw him holding the glass sculpted horse in his hands. "I see you've found Dobby" she said as she gave him a shy smile.
He looked at her puzzled, "Who's Dobby?" He nodded his head in realisation when Calleigh pointed to the object in his hands, "Sorry" he said as he went to place the horse back on the shelf, "I guess I feel naked without my glasses, they kind of always gave me something to play with" he gave her a small smile.
"It's fine, Horatio. Help yourself" she told him as she sat on the bed, "I've made some dinner if you'd like to come down and try some" she gave him her best puppy dog eyes, hoping to appeal to the kind-hearted man who she knew was still in him.
He looked at her expression and the hopefulness in her eyes, as bad as he was feeling he knew he owed it to her to at least make an effort, after all she had opened up her home to him, he told himself to show her some gratitude. He returned his gaze back to the window and continued to fiddle with the figurine, "Sounds good, Calleigh. What are we having?"
Her heart skipped a beat when he agreed to eat dinner with her, she told herself not to get too excited, he was still distant and emotionally detached from her but she saw his acceptance as some kind of progress. "I've made lasagne, I know you like Italian food" she told him, hoping that the thought of the meal would lift his sprits a little.
She saw him flinch and clench the figurine tighter in his hand; Horatio took a couple of deep breaths and willed himself to get hold of his emotions. It was true, he did like Italian food but raking up old memories with Jeff had left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. He thought back to when his mother would make lasagne, usually when his father had been particularly abusive towards the two of them she would take it upon herself to make her husband his favourite meal the next day, trying to appease him. As far as Horatio was concerned the smell and taste of lasagne brought back unpleasant memories of his father, how he used to beat him and his mother until they begged for mercy.
Calleigh was taken aback by his reaction; she had thought that cooking him a meal from his favourite cuisine would make him feel better, not worse. "Horatio, what's wrong?" she asked shakily, rising from the bed. He turned and looked at her, she let out a small gasp when she saw the pain in his eyes, she wanted to run up and hug him but knew better than to approach him when he was so emotionally unstable. "What is it? Talk to me please" she begged him, gradually walking closer to him.
He gave a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry, Calleigh" he said as he willed himself to be honest with her, "That dish just brings back bad memories from my childhood. It used to be my father's favourite dish" he looked away from her again and back down to his hands.
She mentally kicked herself for not knowing, "Oh God. I'm so sorry Horatio, I'll get rid of it and cook something else" She turned to leave the room but was stopped by his hand on her wrist.
"Don't" he said more forcefully than he intended, he closed his eyes and then opened them and tried again. "You have it, I'm not that hungry anyway" He released her arm when he saw the look of shock on her face, "I'm sorry" he said quietly.
"Will you at least come downstairs with me so I can make you something to eat?" she asked him hopefully.
"Ok" he said reluctantly as he followed her down the stairs, when he entered the kitchen he saw her try to hide the lasagne in the microwave, "Calleigh, it's fine. Eat your dinner" he told her as he sat at the dining table.
"What would you like to eat, Horatio?" she asked as she walked over and looked in the fridge, "I can make you a sandwich?"
He was being honest when he told her that he wasn't hungry but it was clear that she would not take no for an answer, "That'll be fine, Calleigh. But you really don't have to"
They sat in silence as they ate, the only sound was that of the ticking clock on the wall, Calleigh glanced at it and knew Alex would be arriving soon. Horatio had at least made an effort to eat the sandwich although one half of it still remained on the plate. She watched him eat, going through the motions of chewing but not really enjoying the food he was eating, she had offered him desert but he politely declined.
Calleigh was just placing the dishes in the sink when the doorbell rang; she raced into the hallway and opened the front door, glad to see a familiar face. "Alex" she said breathlessly, "Come in"
The doctor regarded her friend's appearance, she looked frazzled. "Everything ok, sweetie?" she asked, giving a Calleigh and concerned look as she walked through in to the hallway.
"Everything's fine, Alex" she lied, "It's just been a long day"
Alex sensed that Calliegh was not telling her the whole truth but decided to let it slide for the moment, "Is he in the kitchen, Calleigh?" she asked gently. When Calleigh nodded her head the doctor made her way in to the kitchen and set her bag down on the table, "Hey honey, how you doing?" she asked Horatio as she sat facing him.
He glanced at her and then looked back down at his hands, "I'm ok, Alex. You don't need to make a fuss" He hoped that she would leave him in peace but knew that would be highly unlikely.
"I'm not here to make a fuss, sweetie. I'm just going to change your bandages and check your head out, ok?" He gave her a tight nod and couldn't help the small groan that escaped his lips, "Your head still hurting?" she asked him as she raised his chin with her hand and looked in his eyes.
"A little" he answered her honestly.
"Let me just check you over then" she said as she took the small penlight from her bag, he winced when she shone it in his eyes but was satisfied that his pupils were reacting normally. "Are you still getting dizzy spells and shooting pains in your head, Horatio?" she asked as his eyes followed the pen as she moved it in front of his face.
"Sometimes" he said.
"Well that's to be expected" she told him as she placed the light back in her bag and pulled out dressings and bandages. She winced when she uncovered his hands, the knuckles were still sore and swollen, the bruises still a vivid dark purple colour. He looked away as she cleaned and re-dressed his hands; she carefully manipulated his broken fingers to check they were healing properly before applying a final layer of bandage. "There. That should do you for another couple of days"
He didn't respond with words, he looked at her and then Calleigh before standing up and leaving the room. The two women heard Horatio climb the stairs before shutting the bedroom door quietly. Alex saw the look of anguish on Calleighs face, she walked over to her and enveloped her in a fierce hug, "It'll get better, honey. I promise you"
