Chapter 7

State of Mind

Disclaimer: In the previous chapters. Mild language warning.

Chapter 7

Speed walked into the waiting room to face his friends. Something had gone horribly wrong after the birth of his daughter, and now the woman he loved more than life itself, was fighting for her life. It was evident to the others that something was wrong, and they gathered themselves around him. Alexx took him into an embrace as he let the tears fall.

" Timmy, what's wrong? Is the baby ok?" Alexx asked as she pulled away from him.

" Y-y-es the baby's fine , but..." Speed said as he became overcome with sobs again. Alexx did her best to calm him, but she feared that she was not.

" Speed, is there something wrong with Calleigh?"Horatio piped up. He moved in closer to Speed and Alexx.

Speed took a moment to gather himself and wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand. He sniffled as he tried to speak once more, " She had just given birth to this beautiful child... And just like that, she flat lined. The doctor couldn't tell me what was going on. I-I can't lose her, Alexx. Not now."

Alexx again pulled him closer to her and soothed him by saying, " And you won't . Tim, she's going to be fine. Tell me about my god daughter! Who does she look like and what are you going to name her?"

Speed let a small smile creep onto his face as he turned to look at his friends. He was glad that they were here.

" She's fine. She is healthy and she is beautiful. Cal- Calleigh said she has my curly hair," Speed said hesitantly.

" Name?" Eric asked throwing his friend a smile. " Erica maybe."

Speed gave a half chuckle and nodded his head, " Sorry Delko. We came up with a name while we were still in the Carribean. Kaitlyn Elizabeth Speedle. We like it for its simplicity. Katie for short."

Alexx laughed and hugged him tightly. She then noticed his hand.

" Timmy , what happened to your hand?"

" Calleigh grabbed it while she was in labor. I wasn't thinking straight. The doctor had told me not to do it , but before I knew it she had it in a death grip."

" Looks pretty bad, man. You need to go get it looked after," Eric said as he gestured to it.

" I'll get it looked after when I find out what's going on with my wife," Speed said .

" You'll go get it done now. The more you wait , the worse it's gonna be. You don't want to be out of work do you?" Horatio said as he looked Speed in the eyes.

" No, but I-I can't leave..."

" I'll stay here, Timmy. You go get your hand taken care of. Alright?" Alexx returned. Her demeanor had turned from comforter to authoritive in seconds flat.

Speed nodded his head in acknowledgment and started to the door. He really didn't want to leave , but he knew that they were right. He had to take care of himself in order to take care of the most important people in his life now.

S/C

The elevator doors opened silently and he got off, glancing in every direction noticing that the hallway was deserted. He smiled to himself and began to walk to the maternity ward. This is just too easy, he thought. The nurses were off attending to their duties and he exploited the chance to get information.

"Calleigh Speedle, room 214," he said as he read the flow chart. " Just too easy."

He walked the corridor quietly until he got to the room he was looking for. Inside he could see her lying still in the bed, the only movement he saw was the steady motion of her chest rising and falling with each breath. He placed his hands on the door and turned the knob slightly. The door opened softly and he slipped in, closing the door behind him. The room held a faint glow of the television that was playing silently and the images danced across her face making him unhinged with happiness. He would finish what Therrin could not, he would take Calleigh.

Moving with purpose he crossed the room and came to rest next to her. He touched her skin, feeling the softness, and traced her face with his finger. Something so beautiful, he remembered him saying. At the memory , he stopped tracing and grabbed the IV readying himself to snatch it out of her hand. A noise from the bathroom gave him pause and he moved quickly behind the curtain that divided the room. He saw as a woman opened the bathroom door and walked out. Her long dark hair swayed gently behind her as she turned to walk towards the bed. He studied the woman and admired her beauty. He hadn't come for her, and she threatened to spoil everything.

He inched out from the curtain slowly and reached into his pocket and brandished a small rope. He didn't want to kill this beautiful woman, but she stood between him and his purpose. He continued to walk twisting the rope around both hands, tightening his grip. His heart raced at his intentions and sweat started to bead on his brow. This would be his first kill .

As if hearing something , the woman turned to face him with horror in her eyes. He moved quickly, putting the rope around her neck as she tried to block with her hands. She struggled more and he tightened the grip, making bright red marks on his hands. When he felt her strength dwindling , he eased up on the rope and watched as she slid on to the floor, motionless. Panic arose in him and he stumbled over the her body, knocking over the water pitcher on the table. He then caught himself on the railing of her bed and heard a voice over the intercom; he had buzzed the nurses station.

" Yes?" the nurse said sweetly.

He stared at the button and stayed quiet. If he didn't answer , maybe they would forget about it.

" Mrs. Woods, is there anything you need?" the nurse asked, her voice beginning to betray her attempt at being civil.

He looked at the body on the floor and wondered if she was Mrs. Woods.

" Mrs. Woods?"she said simply. He heard the audible sigh of the nurse as she switched off the intercom. He figured he had a minute or less before they came down the corridor.

Opening the door to the room, he spied a laundry basket on the opposite wall. He grabbed the basket and pushed it inside. Diligently ,he took out the IV and lifted her off of the bed , placing her in the basket. He covered her with the sheets and pushed the basket into the hallway, closing the door behind him. The corridor had come to life within seconds and he held his head down as so not to be seen. He pushed the laundry basket to the freight elevator and heard as the nurses entered the room screaming at the sight of a body on the floor. Getting on the elevator, he chuckled to himself and pressed the button for the basement. It didn't go as planned, but he had her. Avery MacKenzie was going to finish what his brother had started.

TBC...