Troubled Waters
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.
Calleigh awoke with a start as the door flew open and light flooded the room. Scared that Schneider had come back for more, Calleigh recoiled and turned away from the door.
"Baby, are you okay?" She heard Tim's voice and thought for a moment she was imagining it. Maybe she was still asleep and this was just a dream. Strong arms enveloped her in warmth and Calleigh sobbed with relief as she realized it really was him. Tim cradled her in his arms, so happy to see her alive.
He was disturbed by her appearance though, and knew she'd been through hell in the last 27 hours. She wasn't wearing her blouse and Speed saw it lying ripped on the floor. Calleigh stopped crying but couldn't stop trembling.
"You're safe now, okay?" Calleigh looked back at him and nodded shakily as Speed took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. Lifting her up off the bed, he carried her out of the room, where a relieved team waited for them. Calleigh buried her face in Tim's neck, not wanting to face anyone right now.
The shame was too great and she hated being the victim. She inhaled his comforting scent, wishing she could stay like this forever and never have to deal with everything that had just happened to her. Tim carried her to the waiting ambulance and put her down on the stretcher.
"Don't leave me." Calleigh said, uttering the first words since he'd found her. Tim grabbed her hand and knelt down beside her.
"I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead and gently stroked her cheek. Reassured, Calleigh closed her eyes. Horatio and Eric came over and told them they would meet them at the hospital. Speed nodded and turned back to Calleigh. "I love you and am so glad you're safe." Calleigh gave him a weak smile and he squeezed her hand.
"You're very dehydrated so we're going to hook you up to an IV to get some fluids into you, okay Hon?" The EMT told her kindly. Calleigh nodded and didn't break eye contact with Tim as the woman went to work on her. The other attendant closed the door and the ambulance started moving.
Calleigh fell asleep on the way and didn't wake up until they started rolling the stretcher into the hospital. Tim held her hand and she wished she could just go home and pretend none of this had happened. She still felt like she was dreaming and couldn't believe that she was actually out of that room.
"Schneider. Where is he, Tim? How did you find me?"
"He's in jail, baby. They caught him at his daughter's school earlier this evening. They think he was trying to sneak in there so he could hide out until tomorrow and grab her when she showed up for class. His ex-girlfriend gave us a few clues as to where he might have been hiding and that's how Horatio found you." They came to a stop inside a hospital room and Tim leaned down, kissing her forehead.
"We're going to examine you now, honey." One of the nurses said to her, handing her a gown to change into. Calleigh looked at Tim. "He can stay if you want him to." Calleigh nodded. She knew this was going to be hard and having Tim in the room would give her something to focus on while she was being poked and prodded.
Tim tried not to let the horror he was feeling register on his face as he looked at the bruises on Calleigh's body. She had her eyes locked on him and he wanted to be strong for her. He held Calleigh's hand in one of his and clenched the other into a fist as he looked at the damage Schneider had inflicted on her.
Pictures were taken of every bruise on her body and while Calleigh felt shame burn her cheeks she knew that the worst was yet to come. Already sore from the violence she had endured, Calleigh winced in pain as she underwent an internal examination. She squeezed Tim's hand and he smiled at her reassuringly. She could see the pain in his eyes though.
When they were finished, Calleigh and Tim were left alone in the room so that Calleigh could put her clothes back on. After she got dressed, Calleigh looked at Tim and felt her knees go weak as he put his arms around her.
"Will you take me home?" She asked him in a small voice. "I just want to have a shower and sleep for a few weeks."
"I think that can be arranged, Love." Tim said, willing to give her anything she wanted at this point. He still felt so guilty over her abduction and couldn't believe what she'd had to go through. There was so much anger in him but he knew he needed to focus on Calleigh right now. She needed him to be there for her. There was a knock on the door and the doctor came into the room.
"I've got some good news for you, Calleigh. While there was some vaginal tearing and bruising, no internal damage was done." Calleigh sighed with relief. She had been afraid because she had been bleeding after Schneider had raped her the second time. "We're going to test your blood for pregnancy and STDs. I'd also like to prescribe you the morning after pill." Calleigh nodded, knowing this was standard procedure after a rape.
Tim held her tighter, glad that she was okay but wishing that she didn't have to go through this at all. If only there was a way for him to make this all go away he would do it in a heartbeat. Calleigh asked the doctor if she could go home and he agreed that she could, provided she get lots of rest and nourishment.
He also stipulated that she shouldn't be alone and gave her the name of a rape counselor that she should meet with as soon as possible. Calleigh took the card from him, knowing that was another part of her ordeal she would have to face. Tonight was not the time to start though. Tim took her by the hand and out into the waiting room where Horatio, Eric, and Hagen were all waiting. Calleigh clung to Tim's side but smiled at all of them, glad for their support.
"We're so glad you're okay, Calleigh." Eric grabbed her hand and Calleigh thanked them all for their help. If it wasn't for all of them who knew where she'd be?
"Calleigh, I know this is a bad time but if you're up for it would you mind giving me your statement? We want to press charges against Schneider right away." Hagen asked her gently. Tim was about to insist that it could wait until tomorrow but Calleigh agreed.
"I just want to get it over with." She said.
"Okay. There's no one else here so we can do it right now if you like." Calleigh agreed and she and Tim sat down with Hagen on the couch. Horatio and Eric left each telling Calleigh they would talk to her the next day. Calleigh recounted her story, carefully avoiding the details of the rape. She knew the evidence would speak for itself.
She avoided Tim's gaze as she told this story, knowing she couldn't bear seeing the pain this caused him. Seeing Hagen's reaction was bad enough and he had professional detachment on his side. Tim had no such luxury. Hagen thanked her and offered them both a ride home. They accepted the offer and Hagen dropped them off at Calleigh's apartment.
TBC...
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.
Calleigh awoke with a start as the door flew open and light flooded the room. Scared that Schneider had come back for more, Calleigh recoiled and turned away from the door.
"Baby, are you okay?" She heard Tim's voice and thought for a moment she was imagining it. Maybe she was still asleep and this was just a dream. Strong arms enveloped her in warmth and Calleigh sobbed with relief as she realized it really was him. Tim cradled her in his arms, so happy to see her alive.
He was disturbed by her appearance though, and knew she'd been through hell in the last 27 hours. She wasn't wearing her blouse and Speed saw it lying ripped on the floor. Calleigh stopped crying but couldn't stop trembling.
"You're safe now, okay?" Calleigh looked back at him and nodded shakily as Speed took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. Lifting her up off the bed, he carried her out of the room, where a relieved team waited for them. Calleigh buried her face in Tim's neck, not wanting to face anyone right now.
The shame was too great and she hated being the victim. She inhaled his comforting scent, wishing she could stay like this forever and never have to deal with everything that had just happened to her. Tim carried her to the waiting ambulance and put her down on the stretcher.
"Don't leave me." Calleigh said, uttering the first words since he'd found her. Tim grabbed her hand and knelt down beside her.
"I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead and gently stroked her cheek. Reassured, Calleigh closed her eyes. Horatio and Eric came over and told them they would meet them at the hospital. Speed nodded and turned back to Calleigh. "I love you and am so glad you're safe." Calleigh gave him a weak smile and he squeezed her hand.
"You're very dehydrated so we're going to hook you up to an IV to get some fluids into you, okay Hon?" The EMT told her kindly. Calleigh nodded and didn't break eye contact with Tim as the woman went to work on her. The other attendant closed the door and the ambulance started moving.
Calleigh fell asleep on the way and didn't wake up until they started rolling the stretcher into the hospital. Tim held her hand and she wished she could just go home and pretend none of this had happened. She still felt like she was dreaming and couldn't believe that she was actually out of that room.
"Schneider. Where is he, Tim? How did you find me?"
"He's in jail, baby. They caught him at his daughter's school earlier this evening. They think he was trying to sneak in there so he could hide out until tomorrow and grab her when she showed up for class. His ex-girlfriend gave us a few clues as to where he might have been hiding and that's how Horatio found you." They came to a stop inside a hospital room and Tim leaned down, kissing her forehead.
"We're going to examine you now, honey." One of the nurses said to her, handing her a gown to change into. Calleigh looked at Tim. "He can stay if you want him to." Calleigh nodded. She knew this was going to be hard and having Tim in the room would give her something to focus on while she was being poked and prodded.
Tim tried not to let the horror he was feeling register on his face as he looked at the bruises on Calleigh's body. She had her eyes locked on him and he wanted to be strong for her. He held Calleigh's hand in one of his and clenched the other into a fist as he looked at the damage Schneider had inflicted on her.
Pictures were taken of every bruise on her body and while Calleigh felt shame burn her cheeks she knew that the worst was yet to come. Already sore from the violence she had endured, Calleigh winced in pain as she underwent an internal examination. She squeezed Tim's hand and he smiled at her reassuringly. She could see the pain in his eyes though.
When they were finished, Calleigh and Tim were left alone in the room so that Calleigh could put her clothes back on. After she got dressed, Calleigh looked at Tim and felt her knees go weak as he put his arms around her.
"Will you take me home?" She asked him in a small voice. "I just want to have a shower and sleep for a few weeks."
"I think that can be arranged, Love." Tim said, willing to give her anything she wanted at this point. He still felt so guilty over her abduction and couldn't believe what she'd had to go through. There was so much anger in him but he knew he needed to focus on Calleigh right now. She needed him to be there for her. There was a knock on the door and the doctor came into the room.
"I've got some good news for you, Calleigh. While there was some vaginal tearing and bruising, no internal damage was done." Calleigh sighed with relief. She had been afraid because she had been bleeding after Schneider had raped her the second time. "We're going to test your blood for pregnancy and STDs. I'd also like to prescribe you the morning after pill." Calleigh nodded, knowing this was standard procedure after a rape.
Tim held her tighter, glad that she was okay but wishing that she didn't have to go through this at all. If only there was a way for him to make this all go away he would do it in a heartbeat. Calleigh asked the doctor if she could go home and he agreed that she could, provided she get lots of rest and nourishment.
He also stipulated that she shouldn't be alone and gave her the name of a rape counselor that she should meet with as soon as possible. Calleigh took the card from him, knowing that was another part of her ordeal she would have to face. Tonight was not the time to start though. Tim took her by the hand and out into the waiting room where Horatio, Eric, and Hagen were all waiting. Calleigh clung to Tim's side but smiled at all of them, glad for their support.
"We're so glad you're okay, Calleigh." Eric grabbed her hand and Calleigh thanked them all for their help. If it wasn't for all of them who knew where she'd be?
"Calleigh, I know this is a bad time but if you're up for it would you mind giving me your statement? We want to press charges against Schneider right away." Hagen asked her gently. Tim was about to insist that it could wait until tomorrow but Calleigh agreed.
"I just want to get it over with." She said.
"Okay. There's no one else here so we can do it right now if you like." Calleigh agreed and she and Tim sat down with Hagen on the couch. Horatio and Eric left each telling Calleigh they would talk to her the next day. Calleigh recounted her story, carefully avoiding the details of the rape. She knew the evidence would speak for itself.
She avoided Tim's gaze as she told this story, knowing she couldn't bear seeing the pain this caused him. Seeing Hagen's reaction was bad enough and he had professional detachment on his side. Tim had no such luxury. Hagen thanked her and offered them both a ride home. They accepted the offer and Hagen dropped them off at Calleigh's apartment.
TBC...