Issues
By: Kuroi Neko-kun
Summary: One of their CSIs return to day-shift and since Speed's death, everyone notice that she has changed.
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami. Though the severely depressed character, Alena Richardson, in the story is mine. And the story itself.
Warning: Um… there's an OC? Oh, spoilers to Lost Son. And I haven't watched it yet. My country's still stuck in season 2. I'm not complaining though. Though I apologize for Ryan's OOC (if any). I don't know him yet.
A/N: My first CSI OC fic ever! This just came to my head. I wonder why?
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Chapter 3: Coming to Terms
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She managed to last an entire week of work without being totally annoyed by Ryan. Few times, they did have actual conversations but she couldn't bring herself to become a friend to him. The whole reason he was in the crime lab as a CSI is the one reason she couldn't accept Ryan as anything else but a person he had to work with. She dealt with it like how she dealt with her previous supervisor. Though at times, she wanted to scream at the CSI for trying to be friendly. She wished that she would bite back the snide remarks she threw him. She sighed and stared out the window of her apartment. She had just got off a case with Horatio who had told her to get some rest. She resisted the urge to snort at that. H knew that she wasn't sleeping and he was worried about her. He would constantly call when she was going on or off a case. She was touched with his concern for her but she felt that it was slightly obsessive at a point. All the same, she dealt with Horatio's concern, feeling bad about lying to him sometimes. Her fingers toyed with a bottle of sleeping pills prescribed by Dr Gerald a long time ago to get her to fall asleep.
Maybe it's about time I got some…she thought, but H might need me on call. After spending time deciding whether she wanted sleep, she decided that one more night wouldn't hurt… As the thought escaped her, her phone rang.
"Richardson," she answered.
"Ah, Alena, how have you been?" said the recognizable voice on the other line.
"I'm fine, Dr Gerald. What makes you call at this hour?"
"I was checking on you. Clearly, you have not been taking the sleeping pills I gave you." Alena couldn't help smiling.
"Sorry, doc but I'm staying awake because there might be a call."
"Your shift is technically over. You should get some rest, Alena."
"Thanks doc. I'll do that," she lied. It seemed to have satisfied the psychiatrist.
"You do it, Alena." With that the doctor hung up and Alena went back to her seat and stared out her window again.
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There were times when Ryan noticed Alena a little more than usual. He would notice that she would do something to her hair or how she looked good in a skirt. This time he noticed that she was paler and she was so tired she would collapse. He wanted to bring this up but the way Alena would act when he was around made him back off. He kept it inside, hoping someone else noticed it. Horatio did but he was doing the extent to what he could. He knew that Alena was not sleeping, one of her 'symptoms' of depression but she was on two feet, alert as ever when she was on case. Ryan could tell she had practice to doing so. Now, he watched Alena walk through the halls of the crime lab, munching on an apple while looking over a file. It was then he noticed. She stumbled slightly as her eyes drooped. Before anyone else noticed it, Alena straightened herself and continued walking. He sighed as she walked passed the layout room they were supposed to work in. He was about to go and call her but she had backed up and went into the room.
"Anything new?" she asked looking down at the evidence Ryan had been working on: A piece of shirt.
"Fibers and hairs. Sent all the samples already," he said, turning to Alena," Have you been sleeping?" Alena gave him a look.
"Have you?" she asked, stating her point.
"Well, I meant even after cases," Ryan said. Alena let out a huff.
"Wolfe, in the best interest of your health, stop trying to be concerned about me," she said.
"Well, in the best interest of yours, I should."
"Why do you do this?"
"Because I may not be a friend to you but I still care."
"I don't need—"Alena didn't continue as she collapsed to the floor.
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"Another collapse of fatigue," Horatio muttered as he stood at the foot of Alena's bed," She's been lying to me." Calleigh patted his arm before taking a seat that was next to Alena's bed.
"She's been lying to all of us," she pointed out as she watched Alexx playing with the tuffs of Alena's hair.
"And we didn't notice too. We all thought she was making progress," the coroner mumbled.
"She is, Alexx. But it wasn't as fast as we expected," Horatio commented. Eric came into the ward, sighing heavily.
"I just got off the phone with Dr Gerald. He said he'd be coming over. How could this happen, H? We all saw her progressing," the Cuban asked, looking over at the unconscious Alena.
"She is," he repeated," The progression is slow, Eric."
"We couldn't prevent this," Eric muttered. They all fell into a small silence as Eric's words sank into them. Calleigh looked around before turning to Horatio.
"Where's Ryan?"
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The coffee in his hand was getting cold as he sat outside the hospital. He panicked when she collapsed before his cop side told him to check on her and call up emergency. He fell into operating procedures soon after. Horatio had come into the layout room at one point as Ryan was holding Alena in his arms in a cradling manner. The shock of what happened only came when Alena was being brought into the hospital. Ryan was sitting in Horatio's Hummer when he looked at the supervisor in mute shock. Now, he could only contemplate on what happened.
"Ryan." He didn't turn to the person who called his name. That person took it as cue to sit beside him. "The coffee's getting cold." Ryan placed it aside instead.
"How long will she be out, Horatio?"
"A few days. Her body is recovering from her fatigue," the supervisor explained.
"This happened before?"
"Three months ago."
"How did her body survive not resting?"
"Mind over matter," Horatio offered as explanation," Her mind was balancing her emotional state with her need to rest."
"She was having nightmares," he deduced.
"And there lies reason for not sleeping." Ryan looked at the redhead.
"Does she blame herself?"
"Yeah, she does," H said.
"You do too."
"I do too," Horatio confirmed.
"Why did you take me as a replacement?"
"We needed a CSI." Horatio's reason was too simple. Ryan could tell there was something more than that.
"You needed to convince yourself that you could move on," he said. Horatio didn't deny the statement. "But not everyone could. I don't think you did move on, H."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because no one can do that. You came to terms with his death. You hired me as a symbol that you did. You never moved on."
"Ryan…"
"Horatio, the way everyone treated me at first was saying that they had not come to terms with his death. Slowly, it degenerates to something. It was a sign that everyone did. But Alena came along and day by day, she would treat me like dirt. I knew that she would never come to terms with his death. But I tried to be a friend anyway. Because even if she treats me the way she does everyday, I'd have her back." The redhead looked at his subordinate before sighing.
"You'd do that?"
"I will."
"Good, we need someone who'll watch over her while we're gone," H said, standing up.
"Why? Where are you going?"
"I need my CSIs and ME to get back to work. We still have work to do."
"I do too."
"You're officially off the case. I'm assigning it to night-shift. You've got the week off too."
"H…" Horatio patted his back.
"Take care of her for us, Ryan."
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The bright lights of the room made he shut her eyes again, groaning slightly as the pain to her sight was back up with the pain to her head. She tilted her head slightly and opened her eyes slowly. It was then she found a familiar face sitting at a chair in the corner of the room, fast asleep.
"Wolfe…" she whispered, realizing her throat was too dry for her to speak. Her eyes quickly checked her surroundings. She found herself in a hospital room.
"Shit…" she hoarsely cursed. The only reason she found herself in a hospital room was that she fainted from her lack of fatigue. She turned slowly and closed her eyes. Her body felt strangely refreshed. Before she could dwell into her own thoughts, she heard Ryan waking up.
"Alena? You're awake!" Instead of saying anything, she pointed to the water flask. Understanding her, Ryan fetched a glass of water for her. Alena took a long draught, realizing how dry her throat was.
"Everyone has been really worried about you."
"How long have I been out?"
"Four days. Doctor said that if you didn't wake up in another day, you'd be in a comatose state," Ryan said. Alena placed the glass down and turned to him.
"What are you doing here, Wolfe?"
"You fainted in front of me. Naturally, I'm worried."
"You don't have to be," she muttered.
"Well, I want to," he said," And I'm not trying to suddenly invade you with the want of being your friend or anything. I just care, okay?"
"Why would you?"
"Because I have your back, Richardson."
"You want me to do the same?"
"No, just come to terms with me." Alena looked at Ryan before sighing.
"Okay." Ryan gave her a half smile.
"Okay."
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Glad to return back to work, Alena walked down the crime lab halls, almost bopping every time she took a step from her sudden burst of energy. She stepped into the locker room, where most of the CSIs, namely Eric and Calleigh, were gathered during start of shift.
"Good morning," she chirped, smiling. Eric looked at her before turning to Calleigh whose grin mirrored her friends.
"You should take rests more," the blonde pointed out. Alena blinked before shrugging.
"Okay, this is weird," the Cuban said," What happened to you?"
"Just feeling lightheaded."
"You're still on the drugs the doctor gave you, aren't you?" Eric asked. Alena nodded. "Al, you shouldn't even be here!"
"But I'm bored to death. Even with the Playstation 2 Ryan loaned to me!" she said, in a slightly whiny voice that could only come out from the CSI when she was drugged.
"H isn't going to like this," Eric muttered before frowning, "Wait, did you say, Ryan? As in Ryan Wolfe?"
"Yeah, it's his name, right?"
"You always called him Wolfe, Al," the Cuban pointed out.
"I like wolves," she said, giggling. Calleigh and Eric raised eyebrows in unison before looking at each other.
"Just what were you given again?" Before Alena could answer, Ryan stepped into the locker room.
"Guys, I lost Alena! I was heading to the grocery store and she was supposed to be home—"He stopped and looked at his surrounding. "I'm having a sense of déjà vu."
"Did you give her drugs or anything?" Eric asked.
"Yeah… her antidepressants," Ryan answered.
"Antidepressants aren't supposed to make her go all… Happy."
"As opposed to making her feel…?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow. Eric tilted his head to one side.
"Not in an endorphin high sort of way," Calleigh pointed out.
"We can do a drug test…" Eric suggested. Alena patted her shoulder before chuckling.
"I'm fine. Just wanted to scare the two of you for a bit," she said," Officially, my medical leave ended today."
"But you're on light duty," Ryan reminded her.
"You know, it's bad enough that mama hen mother hens me, Ryan," she scoffed mockingly.
"There she said 'Ryan' again," Eric pointed out. They ignored him.
"Well, you're a bit of a workaholic, Alena," Ryan pointed out. Eric and Calleigh nodded in agreement.
"Okay. Light duty. Lab work. No running in the hallways…"
"Go home when it's time to clock out," Ryan added.
"Yes, rooster boy," she huffed before smirking at him.
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To be continued
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