CHAPTER TWO

AN: thank you for the reviews.

Hours passed without news on Eric's condition. That was a good thing Calleigh told herself. No news is good news… But the longer it took, the more nervous she became. She was grateful, she wasn't alone. Everyone, with the exception of Yelina who was still at the crime scene and Alexx. Otherwise she'd have gone crazy with if there wasn't anybody to tell her he'd be okay. She still hadn't fully recovered from Speed's death, she just couldn't handle another loss.

Somewhere she felt guilty for thinking she couldn't live without Eric, when she seemed to be doing well without Speed but that was because she felt differently about the two men. Speed was a good co- worker and a very good friend but Eric, Eric was something more. He was her buddy, her best friend, the one person she could tell everything to without ever being judged, besides Horatio of course. There were just so many emotions going through her mind she couldn't think clearly anymore.

She buried her head in her hands, when she felt a hand rubbing her back. She looked up to see Alexx. She had just finished the autopsy on Kate Harrison. "I came as soon as I heard. Are you okay?" Calleigh said she was, but Alexx knew she was lying. Alexx sensed there was something going on between those two lately. She knew they weren't dating or anything but there just was something about the way they behaved around each other.

After another 30 minutes Calleigh politely asked if anyone needed a soda or a coffee before she left the room. Actually she didn't want a soda, but she wanted to escape that room for some time. The waiting was driving her crazy. Horatio noticed that and followed her to the vending machine. There he let his hand rest on her shoulder. Without looking Calleigh knew it was Horatio. She turned to him and said "He's going to be okay, I know he is."

Horatio nodded and responded "Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?" Calleigh smiled.

Calleigh broke out in tears when she told what happened to Horatio. She told him what she did when she heard the heard the gunshot, how she tried to keep the pressure on the wound…

Horatio tried to comfort her by telling her she did everything she could and that she was not to blame. It was hard for Calleigh to believe that but somewhere she had to admit he had a point. She couldn't have known the killer would return. She nor Eric was to blame. She froze when Alexx interrupted and said the doctor was waiting for them.

Calleigh spotted the doctor in the room but she was to nervous to enter. She felt her heart skip several beats. "I'm with you Calleigh" she heard Horatio say and together they entered.

"Although we lost him once on the table, the operation was a success. We still need to do some tests when he regains consciousness but he'll probably make a full recovery." "Can we see him?" Horatio asked with a sigh of relieve in his voice. "Only one person for now"

Horatio nodded and told Calleigh to follow the doctor and she had to say hey to Eric from the others. She said she would and followed the doctor.

Calleigh entered the room where Eric was sleeping. She first gave him a kiss on his forehead, then she sat down on the chair next to his bed and grabbed his hand. "Everyone said hey" She whispered in his ear.

Outside the room and looking at them through the window was Horatio. Eric being shot brought back memories he thought he had come to terms with: the death of Speed. He felt terrible and he desperately wanted to talk to someone, only he didn't want that someone to worry about him. She had done that enough in the past. She never said anything, but he could read it in her eyes. She felt sorry for him because he had to deal with his brother's, speed's death alone.

"Hey, you okay?" Yelina asked concerned and let her hand rest on his shoulder. "I'm okay, so is Eric. The doctor said he should make a full recovery." Yelina said that it was good but she knew he was lying about the okay part. He had that same look in his eyes when Speed was killed. She knew he blamed himself in some way. She also noticed his eyes were a bit watery, like he wanted to cry.

Yelina took his hand in hers and squeezes it. He turned to her and smiled, she gave a smile back.

"You sure, you're okay?" She asked concerned again. "I am now" He answered her. They looked in each others eyes like they used to, before there was any Rick in their life. The moment was interrupted by Yelina's cell phone. He let go of her hand and she answered the phone. Horatio heard her say she was on her way.

"That was Frank, they spotted someone matching Thomas Harrison's description. You coming?" Horatio shook his head and said he'd meet her at the lab, where she was taking him for questioning. She nodded and left for the exit. In the middle way she stopped, turned around and said " If you need to talk or want company or anything you know where I live." Horatio said thanks, followed her outside and watched her leave with running sirens.