Note: I know several of you had requested an E/C moment in this chapter, but RaceTheWind sort of inspired me to do some exploring and deepening of the friendship between Calleigh and Natalia. I think it's only a natural thing since I understand that the actresses are actually very good friends in RL. Enjoy!

More Complications

Calleigh pushed with everything in her but couldn't seem to move a muscle; her leg refused to move. "I can't. It won't move. What's going on?"

Maria tried to keep her face impassive, remembering Calleigh's struggle with her leg strength when she first came down with the meningitis. "I'm not sure. Let's try your right leg."

Maria laid the left leg down and bent Calleigh's right, telling her to push. She watched Calleigh strain to make her leg obey her. It never moved against Maria's hand and with a resigned sigh, she realised that she had been somewhat afraid of exactly what was happening.

"Maria, just what the hell is going on here?" Calleigh demanded, fear coloring her voice. "I can feel them, but why can't I move my legs?"

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Gabe came to stand at the bedside and exchanged a look with Maria before he spoke. "Is it a full sensation or just partial?" he asked, watching his patient struggle to remain calm. That's when he realised that she hadn't actually heard him. "Calleigh, is it normal sensation or less than that?"

"It's totally normal. I just can't move them. Why can't I move them?" Calleigh replied, fighting to keep her voice calm

"This can be a side effect of the medication or a lingering effect of the meningitis; right now I don't know, luv," Gabe said. "Let me put in a call to my friends at the CDC and see if they have any information for me. In the mean time, Maria, can you run a series of neurological tests and see if it's not related to her earlier muscle weakness?"

"So you just expect me to sit tight and do nothing while you poke and prod me and hold teleconferences?" Calleigh said sharply, instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Calleigh. You must be pretty frightened right now and I would be, too," Maria said soothingly. "I promise we'll get to the bottom of it all as soon as we can. This could very well be temporary. I've seen it in other meningitis patients before. It usually fades in a day or two."

"You know, I don't like it when you doctors say "I don't know"," Calleigh said unsteadily, unconsciously squeezing Natalia's hand. She was far more shaken than she was willing to let show at the moment. Natalia squeezed back, understanding.

"The sooner we get to work, the quicker we'll know what's going on," Gabe said, walking to the door. "I'll let you know what I find out from my colleagues."

Maria stood and smiled gently at Calleigh. "I'm going to get those tests set up and then I'll be back to check on you. I know it's hard, honey, but try not to worry."

As Maria left, Natalia sat on Calleigh's bed, facing her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Calleigh looked down, shaking her head. "No. I'll be alright; really. It was just a bad shock. I'm fine."

"You are not fine, Calleigh. Don't think you're going to sit there and lie to me after I heard exactly what you've heard. If it were me, I'd be freaking out and absolutely terrified that I could be-"

"Yeah, well I'm not you!" Calleigh exploded angrily. "So don't presume to know how I'm feeling."

Natalia was not going to be thrown off by a display of the much famed but hardly witnessed Duquesne temper. "You're angry and frustrated and terrified. You know how I know? I know because of how you just responded to me. Calleigh, right now and in this instance, what you're feeling isn't a weakness; it's normal. You're just dealing with it differently. I'd be a shaking, crying mess. That's me. You get angry and defensive and try to put up a brave front when all you want to do is collapse and let it all out. You want to scream and cry and rage at the world for it's uncertainty and lack of fair play. But, right here and right now you won't. I can respect that, but I know that you're still not okay and even if you won't let it out, you can still lean on me because I'm your friend and I care about you."

Calleigh nodded, knowing that Natalia was completely correct in her armchair assessment of her emotional state. The knowledge that Natalia could read so much about her unnerved her somewhat. "Okay," she whispered, emotions raw in her voice. Still, she refused to cry. She didn't cry. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"That's fine," Natalia replied.

"And I don't want a word of this even whispered at the Lab, especially not to Horatio. He already feels guilty about me getting sick. If he knows that I'm-that I'm having difficulties right now he'll blame himself for it. I can't have that," Calleigh said determinedly. "Promise me that you won't say anything."

Natalia hesitated before answering. "Calleigh, Horatio is our Lt.; he has every right to know."

"No."

"You can't hide it forever. You know either Maria or Gabriel will tell Alexx sooner or later. Then she'll mention it to Horatio and how do you think he's going to feel in not hearing it from you first?" Natalia reasoned. She was terribly worried about her friend. She wasn't making rational choices and that scared Natalia badly. Calleigh was the most rational person she had ever met. "Calleigh, listen to me, you have to let him know."

Calleigh shook her head, fighting the moisture building in her eyes. "I can't. Just not yet. What if it's just temporary like Maria said? If I tell Horatio now and it turns out that I'm fine in a couple of days, I'll have caused him grief for nothing. I don't want to do that to him. He's had enough on his plate since he found out about Kyle." Her lower lip trembled and she looked down, struggling for control.

"And..." Natalia coached softly, understanding that there was something more to it than Horatio's emotional well being. She moved closer to Calleigh, knowing that the other woman needed extra support at that moment.

Calleigh fought desperately for any semblance of control, but it was a losing battle. Her resolve crumbled. "I'm scared," she whispered so softly that she could barely be heard.

Natalia reached out to her and drew her into a gentle hug. "I know, I know," she murmured into the trembling woman's hair. "It's okay, you know. You get to be scared and anything else you're feeling right now. You have a right to acknowledge it and express it."

Calleigh sniffled and pulled away. "Thank you; I really needed that. I'm sorry, it's just really huge and I'm having a hard time getting my head around it."

"That's understandable. Alright, I won't say anything until all the tests are done, but that's the end of it. If you haven't regained the use of your legs by then and the test come back inconclusive or negative, you have to tell Horatio. It's only right. He'll have to make adjustments in the ballistics lab and on the range for you. You have to give him time to do it," Natalia said.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but I don't want to be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, Nat. I don't think I can- I mean if that'll be the case-" Calleigh broke off as another burst of moisture invaded her eyes. She wiped at them in irritation. "I don't know."

"I do and you'll still be a damn good CSI and the best shot in a five state area. That's not going to change. But let's not dwell on what ifs until all the facts are in, alright?" Natalia soothed. Her heart was aching to see her friend so lost and frightened. Calleigh was someone that she, like just about everyone on the day shift, had come to count on as a solid rock of stability, no matter what else was going on around them. But over the last near month Natalia had come to see the other, less advertised, side of Calleigh; the overwhelmingly human, intricately flawed and uncertain side that did nothing to diminish the respect she felt for the ballistics expert, but only served to make her a much more dear friend.

Natalia's pager went off. She glanced down at the read-out. "I don't want to, but I have to go. I'm needed on a crime scene. I'm sorry."

Calleigh shook her head, indicating her understanding. "Go; that vic needs you more than I do right now. I have a voice, they don't. Go be that voice; I'm not going anywhere.

Natalia was stunned. Even in her grief and pain, Calleigh could still put the needs of a victim over her own. What depth of compassion did she really possess? "Alright, Calleigh, I'm going. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No. I'll be alright. Natalia, keep your powder dry and watch your back. I don't need a roommate in here. You got me?" Calleigh said, the authority of a senior CSI and the second in command ringing in her voice.

Natalia embraced her one last time. "I promise. Do you want me to ask Alexx to stop by at all?"

"Yeah, that would be great; after the post," Calleigh said, giving Natalia a shooing gesture. "Go; you're needed."

She watched as Natalia reluctantly left. Once the door closed, Calleigh let out a pent up sob, "What am I going to do?"