Chapter 14

Zoë closed her eyes as she exhaled, she opened them as they softened looking into his eyes.

"Thank you Horatio." She said sincerely and quietly, they both heard the beeping of the machine slow down a little.

Horatio pulled back slightly as he said "Don't worry about it sweetheart." He smiled at her and let go of her neck.

"Really, thank you." She said with a small smile growing. Horatio gave her a nod and smile.

"Now, put that back on." He said as he pointed at the oxygen mask with a cheeky boyish smile, once she put it on, he walked over to the window. His phone rang.

"Horatio" he said as he answered it

"Hey Horatio, how's Zoë doing? Sorry I haven't called – this DB is really messed up." Alexx said with her voice dropping a little lower.

"She's doing really well thanks Alexx. Don't worry about it, I understand. How's the case coming along?"

"Eric's already closed it – it was an open and close case." Alexx said with a grin on her face as she picked up her jacket.

"Well done to him then!" Horatio said with a smile, happy to know that they were doing well.

The door opened and Ryan walked through looking over to Horatio, Horatio turned and gave him a nod and Ryan came in fully. Horatio turned back to the window and carried on talking with Alexx.

Ryan walked over to Zoë's bed.

"Ryan!" She said with a wide smile.

"Not pretty boy?" He asked with a grin.

"Are you complaining?" She said as she sat up a little more.

"Not at all" Ryan said as he stepped closer.

"Come here." She said as she reached out to hug him. Ryan moved closer and gave her the hug she wanted.

As they hugged Zoë said "I'm so sorry for earlier Ryan." They broke from the hug and Ryan looked at her with caring eyes.

"Horatio told me about it." She quietly said as she glanced over to Horatio who was still on the phone.

"Don't worry about it Zoë, I understand." Ryan said with a smile, happy to know that she was okay. She gave him a small shy smile.

"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked as he crossed his arms across his broad chest.

"A lot better thank you." Zoë replied as she relaxed a little with a sweet smile. Ryan smiled at her admiring her. She leant over to sort out the blanket over her feet and Ryan got a full look down her shirt. 'Holy shit.' He thought to himself at he looked up to the ceiling.

"I'm just going to visit the restroom." Ryan quickly said to excuse himself as he rushed out Zoë looked up and saw the door slowly closing behind Ryan.

"Okay, see you then. Bye Alexx" Horatio said as he snapped his phone shut.

"Where did Ryan shoot off to?" Horatio asked curiously as he turned around.

"He said he had to go to the rest room…" Zoë said looking at him confused herself.

"He does know that there is a restroom there, doesn't he?" Horatio said with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does." Zoë said looking up to him and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well." She said with a grin.

"Alexx is going to nip over in a little while." Horatio said as he fiddled with her badge in his pocket, she looked up at him and gave him a nod with a smile. Ryan had just gone for a little walk actually; he needed to cool himself off as he was getting hot from what he saw. 'Have some control man!' Ryan said to himself as he paced a little.

Nathan walked back in. "Hey, just come to take some of your blood again, sorry." Nathan said as he pulled out the kit.

"I'm not going to have any left if you carry on like this." She said with a wide smile as Ryan came back in. Horatio looked up at Ryan who had a bit of a flushed face as he walked over to stand by Horatio.

"Sharp prick" Nathan said as he put the needle in and drew blood. He placed a cotton bud over the needle site to stop the bleeding.

"I'm thinking if this comes back good, you'll be allowed to leave in a few hours." Nathan said with a smile as he put the needle in the sharps bin.

"Fantastic" Zoë said with a big smile. Nathan gave her a nod as he walked out.

"Are you okay Ryan?" She said looking at his slightly flushed face.

"Yes, I'm good." Ryan said with a smile trying not to think about what he saw.

"You know there's a loo in there, don't you?" Zoë said as she looked over to the bathroom. Ryan smiled at her and nodded. Zoë gave him another suspicious look.

"Anyway, I should be off, I'll see you later Zoë." He said to her with a small sweet smile. She smiled back and gave him a nod.

"H, can I talk to you please?" Ryan asked turning to him.

"Certainly" Horatio said looking at Ryan. "I'll be right back Zoë." Horatio said with a smile at her as the both of them walked out.

"H, I've got nothing on Mason Owen, neither has Frank. I don't know what else to do. We can't find anything on the judge either. They've just disappeared!"

"Okay, thank you Mr Wolfe, I want… I want you to keep looking, there has to be something. Once Zoë's out of here, I'll be looking as well, there must be something." Horatio said with his hands on his hip tapping slightly at his ID badge thinking.

"Okay H, give me a call if you need anything." Ryan said as he began to turn away.

"Mr. Wolfe, ring me if you get anything." Horatio said looking at him with his body facing Zoë's door. Ryan gave him a nod as he walked away. Horatio looked down at his feet for a moment then looked back up as he entered through the door.

"Everything okay?" Zoë asked.

"Everything's good." Horatio said with a smile at her as he walked over to the window. Zoë coughed a few times and Horatio looked over to her.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to call Nathan?" Horatio said growing concerned.

"No, I'm fine, I just coughed." Zoë said with a small chuckle.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Horatio said walking over to the bed.

"I know honey." She said softly looking up at him with a smile.

Nathan walked back in "Hey, well your blood work is a lot better, I'll give you a few hours before I release you, try and get some rest now though." Nathan said with a smile.

"Can I take the oxygen off now then?" Zoë asked.

"No, certainly not. I'll have to do some more bloods in about 2 hours, then you can possibly take it off."

"Well, can I go to the loo then?" Zoë questioned.

"I can have a catheter fitted for you?" Nathan asked.

"No, I want to go to the loo." Zoë said a little more forcefully.

"Okay, but you keep the door unlocked. I'll wait outside. Then you get back into bed and rest, okay?"

"Deal" Zoë said with a smile as she pulled the oxygen mask off and pulled on one of the ECG wires.

"Hey, let me take those off." Nathan said as he stopped her pulling the wires. Zoë let go and Nathan began to undo her top as Horatio turned around again and looked out the window as he gently unclipped the leads. Zoë quickly done her shirt up and Nathan pulled the safety bar down as Horatio turned back around. Zoë swung her legs over the bed and slowly got up. Nathan placed his hand on her lower back as she began to walk over to the en-suite. Zoë closed the door behind her as Nathan leant against the wall. The door opened and Nathan straightened himself out, he reached out for Zoë.

"Nathan, I'm fine. I can walk on my own." Zoë said with a small smile.

"I just wanted to make sure." Nathan said raising an eyebrow as Zoë made her way to the bed and got back in. Nathan placed the mask back over her mouth and nose and said "You need to get some rest now; I'll be back a little later." Nathan said as he walked out. Zoë relaxed back into the bed as a nurse called Nathan over.

"You heard him Zoë, get some rest. I'll be right back." Horatio said as he made for the door, he waited for her approval before he left. She nodded at him and he left. He went and got himself a coffee as Zoë relaxed and quickly fell asleep. He returned and entered the room quietly and stood by the window leaning against the wall. He sipped his coffee and fell into his deep thoughts, until the whimpering of Zoë dragged him back, he was thinking for about 30 minutes. He looked over to her and he felt sorry that he couldn't help her. He really wanted to, but he knew just how she felt. As he watched the various expressions cross her face it brought back memories of his own. He took a few steps closer to her.

"No! Get away from her you monster! No please!" She muttered in her sleep, Horatio's heart ached for her as her words opened the gates to his own feelings.