Disclaimer:  This is solely for the enjoyment of the readership.  There is no intent to infringe on characters owned by CBS.

Rating:  PG

Sharpshooter – 2

The chopper blades had been swinging slowly through the air as Horatio had been loaded into the air ambulance.  The paramedic turned over his patient to the care of an emergency doc and her nurse.  Calleigh had slipped in just before the door rolled shut.

The nurse looked up with mild surprise at the presence of the detective.  Calleigh smiled as if she knew what she was doing.  The prop wash began to kick up a dust cloud out of the gutters of the city street.  Calleigh could see the officers shielding their eyes and bending the suspects over to afford them modest protection from the sand and dirt as it flew in swirls a few feet above the ground.  The prop spun ever more quickly, and the chopper defied gravity and lifted slowly away from the pavement.  It went straight upward, and then rotated back toward the center of town.  That is when Calleigh realized this trip was not going to be any fun at all.

The physician kept a close eye on Horatio as she cut away the remainder of his shirt.  She started a second IV in his other arm, placed heart monitor patches on his chest, and checked the O2 flow to the mask that covered his nose and mouth.  Calleigh kept her eyes on Horatio as well.  However, the nurse noticed that Calleigh was not doing too well.  He reached into a small drawer in the side of the cabinet.  He pulled out a patch and stuck it on her neck just behind her ear.

"Here, this will help," he told Calleigh over the engine noise that filtered into the compartment.  "Motion sickness is no fun!  And I don't want you puking in my ambulance either," he joked with her now.

"Thank you," Calleigh called back, ever the proper Southern lady.  Then she wondered out loud, "How'd you know?"

The nurse gave a rough laugh, "The odd shade of green you're turning."

Calleigh offered only a weak, polite smile as she refocused on Horatio's motionless form that lay before her.  Within fifteen minutes, they had traveled the same distance that she and Horatio had traveled in forty-five minutes earlier in the day.  The view of the skyline was imposing and dizzying from this vantage point.  There was also a measure of comfort in seeing it as they approached from the south.  Calleigh could not hear the cockpit conversation since she was not wearing the flight helmets that the crew used.  Still she knew that they were close to the hospital.

Much to her horror, the chopper turned suddenly on its axis again, orienting itself into the prevailing winds.  A lesser wave of nausea flooded her senses.  She reached out to steady herself against the side bulkhead.

"You know, I think this thing," pointing to the patch, "Is working.  Thank you again!" she offered the nurse.

He smiled at Calleigh, "Usually does."  He continued, "Don't worry about your friend here, he'll be okay.  If they get off the chopper alive, these guys downstairs are pretty good at keeping them that way."

Calleigh nodded and smiled.  She could not wait to get back on the ground again.  The chopper eased down onto the flight deck atop the building.  It gently rocked back and forth one last time as the blades decreased in speed.  Calleigh could see another crew of hospital staff waiting for them with a gurney for Horatio.  The chopper touched down and the wave of discomfort was replaced by bit of fear.  The door slid open and the crew hustled their gurney out and transferred their patient to the hospital's.  Calleigh was the last one out and trailed well behind Horatio.  An orderly stopped long enough to hold the door open for her as she heard the chopper's blade begin to pick up speed for the next life flight.

The gurney and attending medical staff along with Calleigh descended the elevator into the ER.  Calleigh could hear the cacophony of miserable people in both the ER and the Waiting Room just outside those doors.  She followed along as they went through a maze of corridors.  At last the gurney came to a stop against the wall where the bottled O2 was swapped out for the hospital's supply.  Again, they moved Horatio's motionless body onto the ER bed.  A large man in teal scrubs looked at Calleigh who smiled back up at him.

"Leave, young lady," he commanded her.

She hesitated before saying to Horatio, "I'll be here when you wake up," she stroked his lower leg hoping that her touch would encourage him to fight.  "Don't you give up on me; I won't give up on you."

"Nice sentiment, but go, now!" the doctor repeated his command.

Calleigh looked up at him one more time, turned on her heels and replied, "I was just leaving."

The desk clerk called out to her, so she wheeled around sending a wave of nausea back across her being.

After Calleigh recomposed herself, "Yes, can I help you?"

"I hope so.  I'd like to get your friend into the computer.  Can you help me out?"

"Sure.  Let me try," Calleigh offered as an orderly brought her a paper bag with the remnants of Horatio's clothes and personal effects.

Calleigh pulled out his wallet from the mix of cloth and blood.  She found it hard to keep her tears under control.  God forbid that she, the model of the strong Southern woman, cry in front of a perfect stranger.  Upon finding the wallet, the rest of the bag dropped quietly to the floor at her feet.  She began to ruffle through the contents of the wallet, hunting for the group insurance card.

"Here.  This is Horatio's insurance card.  It should have all you need on it," Calleigh said in a hushed tone.

The clerk was delighted, "Perfect!" she exclaimed as she began putting his data into the computer.  "Is he going to want to be on the hospital register?"

Calleigh was turned back around facing the area where Horatio lay, "Yeah, that'll be fine, I guess."  She turned back, "Where's the Ladies Room, please?"

The clerk glanced up and pointed down the hall.

"Thanks.  I'll be right back."

Calleigh struggled to the restroom.  She flicked on the light quickly.  She dropped Horatio's wallet as she leaned over the sink and threw up.  The combination of horrendous event plus the ride in the chopper finally overcame her abilities to keep it all in check.  Once the offending breakfast came out, she felt marginally better.  Sweat beaded across her forehead and neck as she leaned against the door trying her best to remain in an upright position.  Tears slid uncontrolled down her cheeks.  Calleigh kept her breathing measured and even as she could.  Finally, she drew in one tremendous heaving sigh.  Her head stopped pounding and swirling as she sank to the floor in absolute dejection.  Quite by accident, her hand found the wallet.  She picked it up again and began to look through it.  On the one hand, she felt as if she was violating her friend, and yet on the other hand, she wanted to know more about this man who had literally just moved her to tears.  She wiped her eyes so she could discern its contents more reliably.

The wallet contained few truly personal items.  There were a few credit cards, his driver's license, his photo ID for the department, and about $30 in cash.  At the very back were the three photos that he kept with him.  Calleigh paused as she looked into the eyes of each person.  The first photo was of Horatio, Ray, and Yelena on Ray's graduation from the Academy.  It was all smiles as she expected.  She'd met Ray once or twice.  What she knew of Ray was purely speculative, rumour, and gossip.  Her feminine intuition had told her that there was something sad about Ray, but she never was able to put her finger on it.

The next photo was of Horatio and Ray, Jr.  Ray, Jr. was dressed in a Little League uniform.  There was some kind of trophy he was proudly displaying for all to see.  Calleigh smiled as she ran her fingers across the faces and trophy.

She murmured, "So you do have a soft heart after all.  I knew you did; you just don't show it very often…"  Her voice trailed off as she turned to the next photo.

It stunned her.  Calleigh could not remember exactly when this photo had been taken.  It was of her…at a party.  She vaguely remembered the party.  It was shortly after she'd arrived in Miami.  She forced herself to recall that it was somebody's going away party.  She had been completely unaware of Horatio with a camera in his hands.  She assumed that it had been he who took this photo since she could not see him anywhere in the picture itself.  Slowly, she closed the wallet and held it just a little closer to her chest.

"Dear Lord, Horatio, is this how you feel about me?  Am I family to you?" she whispered softly.