Here's the next chapter for you, someone needs to give our favourite lieutenant a stiff talking to...
Eric stayed with Horatio for another hour or so, they sat in silence as both of them tried to come to terms with what the doctor had told them. Eric had tried talking to Horatio at first but gave up when he got one word answers in reply. After a while Horatio closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Eric quietly left the room and dialled a familiar number.
"Hey Eric" a perky southern voice answered, "How's Horatio doing? Awake and giving the nurses a hard time?" she joked.
Eric winced as he recalled Horatio's behaviour towards the hospital staff earlier in the day. "Like you wouldn't believe" he told her tiredly, sitting down on a chair.
Hearing the weariness in his voice, she probed for more information. "What's going on there Eric, is everything alright?" she asked,clearly worried now.
"No Calleigh, not really" he told her honestly, "They ran some tests today, the doctor said there's some brain damage"
"Oh Lord" Calleigh audibly gasped as she took in the news, "How bad, Eric?" she asked timidly.
"He said that it's fairly minor, something to do with the amygdala, it controls memories, moods and muscle functions. He said that with physical therapy that H should make an almost complete recovery"
"But that's good news isn't it, Eric?"
Eric ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Not if you're H it's not. He wants to walk out of here and go home and he's not taking it too well that he can't. I know that he's not exactly in control of his emotions at the moment but he's being real hard work, you know?"
"Give him time, Eric. I know he's pushing you away right now but sooner or later he's going to realise that he needs us there"
Eric laughed humourlessly, "Calleigh, you do remember that this H we're talking about, right?"
"I know, Eric. Horatio's just being stubborn and pig-headed but that's why we love him, right?"
"Yeah, Calleigh. I suppose you're right" Eric admitted, smiling and feeling better for talking to Calleigh.
"Aren't I always?" she told him cheekily before hanging up.
For the first time since this ordeal had started Eric had managed to get a fairly decent night's sleep, Horatio had slept peacefully throughout the night having been exhausted by the previous day's activities. Eric looked at his watch and then stood up from the chair and stretched his tired and aching muscles, he looked over and found Horatio still asleep and so left the room closing the door quietly behind him. Just as he was about to walk to the cafeteria he saw Frank enter the waiting room.
"How's it going, Delko?" big Texan asked.
"About as good as can be expected" Eric replied honestly.
"That good, huh?" Frank countered, "Calleigh told me what the doctor said, I take it he's not taking the news too well?" he asked, motioning his head towards Horatio's room.
"He's like a bear with a sore head, Frank. I think most of the nurses are scared he's gonna bite their heads off if they get too close to him"
"Huh" Frank grunted, hands on his hips, "You reckon he's up for a visitor, Delko? "
"He was asleep when I left a few minutes ago, the nurses will be round with breakfast soon anyway so you might as well go and wake him up" With that Eric, walked out of the ICU waiting area and down the corridor, stretching his neck as he went.
Frank entered Horatio's room just as a nurse was leaving, looking more than a little upset. He braced himself for the icy reception he knew he would receive, he closed the door behind him quietly and looked over to the man in the bed. Horatio was lying propped up in bed with a breakfast tray in front of him, "Morning, Horatio" he began.
The red head turned his head to look at the other man, "What do you want, Frank?" he responded wearily.
"Well, aren't you the little ray of sunshine this morning?" he quipped, unfazed by Horatio's surly demeanour.
"Have you just come here to insult me? That's not nice you know, you shouldn't mock the afflicted" Horatio muttered as he pushed the tray away from him.
"How long are you going to keep this up, Horatio?" Frank asked, feeling his hackles rise at his friend's negative attitude.
"How long am I going to keep what up, Frank?" Horatio shot back, almost spitting his colleague's name.
"This little pity party you've got going on. I've thought you were many things Horatio but I never put you down as being a jerk" Frank countered, his anger mounting.
"Jerk?" Horatio repeated incredulously, then sighed and closed his eyes. "Sure, Frank. Whatever you say"
"The Horatio I know wouldn't just sit back and take this crap. He'd get up and fight!"
"Maybe I'm not the Horatio you knew anymore, ever think about that?"
"That's bull and you know it!" Frank shouted, realising that he had lost his temper he took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. "Look, you got hurt. Big deal. Do you have any idea what your team have been through in the last couple of weeks?"
"Have you any idea what I've been through?" Horatio countered, petulantly.
"Well I can see your ego is still in one piece! I'm so sorry Horatio, I forgot this was all about you!" Frank shouted, his temper boiling over. "You've got a group of people who want to help you through this but you insist on pushing them away"
"I don't want their help. I want to go home and be left alone" Horatio responded, his voice low.
"Why? So you can wallow in your own self-pity?" Frank said as he paced around the room, "You need help, whether you like it or not. You're going to have to swallow your pride and let people in"
"I don't need to be treated like a child" Horatio spat.
"Then for God sake stop acting like one then!" Frank bellowed, he took another deep breath in an effort to calm down. "You need to let your team be strong for you for once, stop being such a self-righteous prig and let us help you"
Horatio was tired of arguing, tired of putting on an act for the benefit of others. He knew that he didn't have the energy to fight his friends as well as his ailing body, something had to give. "I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to be their leader" he told Frank, dejectedly.
"Accepting help doesn't make you weak, Horatio. It'll take some time but you'll get back on your feet, if you let us help you"
"I'm scared Frank" Horatio admitted, "What if this is the best it's going to get? What if end up some weak old cripple who can't even wipe his ass without help?" the look of sadness in his eyes shocked Frank.
"Not likely" Frank huffed, "I've never met anyone as stubborn, pig headed and single-minded as you. And those are just your finer points" he smirked, raising a slight smile from the other man. "You're not going to give up, Horatio. We won't let you"