Ray sat beside his Uncles hospital bed almost like a statue. His eyes glued to the monitor that was steadily beeping. How could this have happened? Horatio was the best and to be almost taken out by a flying piece of metal. It was unbelievable. It caught him right in the side of the head. Chewing on his bottom lip, Ray couldn't help the tears that were slowly sliding down his perfectly tan face. A complection that he got from his Colombian mother. "You can't die, Uncle Horatio. You just can't." He reached down and held onto his uncles hand.

The doctor found him that way three hours later when he informed the young man that he might want to call any close family. The swelling on the brain had gone down but at this point in time his chances of living was fifty-fifty.

With a heavy heart the sixteen year old Caine left the hospital and drove home. Once there he began to look up numbers. The first being his mother. A mother he hadn't spoken to in over three years. He punched in the set of numbers and waited as it rang only to get an answering machine. He debated on if he should leave such a personal message on the answering machine and decided that it wasn't the right thing to do. "Hello Mom. It's me Raymond. I was just calling..." He stopped having become choked up. "I need you to call me as soon as you can. The number is 205-532-9084. It's an emergency." He hung up the phone and took a deep, calming breath. The doorbell rang and he went to answer it. There standing on the doorstep was a very distraught Madison.

"Nevada just called me, RayRay." Madison chewed on her lower lip as she began to sob. Raymond gathered her into his arms and held her. This wasn't something a ten year old kid should have to go through. RayRay was her nickname for Raymond. She called him that ever since they met and before they found out they were siblings. They had always been close cousins but two years ago Horatio decided that it was time for them to know the truth. He sat both children down and told them that they were half brother and sister. Raymond didn't want to accept it at first but Horatio explained everything about Raymond Sr. Ray accepted it after that.

"It's going to be ok, Maddy." Ray whispered as he held his little sister in his arms as she sobbed. "Uncle Horatio is a strong man. He's going to make it." The little girls sobs soon subsided and she stepped out of the embrace, wiping her eyes. "Thanks RayRay." She gave him a smile that only could come from a Caine. It was moments like this that Raymond knew for a fact that Madison was his little sister. "No problem. It's what big brothers do." He offered her the identical smile. "Where is your mother, Madison?" It was odd for her to be home during a school day.

"Mom isn't home again." Madison mumbled as she looked down to her white sneaker covered feet. "She said something about a treatment center in Canada that was sure to work." It was no secret that Susie was a junkie but only recently began to use again. She was trying to stop but that meant she had to travel to treatment centers without Madison. So she'd leave the youngster alone knowing Horatio was there, along with Ray, to take care of her while she was away.

Raymond nodded and moved out of the doorway. "Come on then." Madison had a room in the house that had been the second guest room but was converted to her likes. "Thanks RayRay." She entered and headed straight for the room, shutting the door with a soft click. Soon soft sobs could be heard. "You got to make it, Uncle Horatio. We both need you." His eyes moved over to the mantel where all the pictures were sat. He smiled at one in particular. It was a wedding picture. A wedding picture of Horatio and Gretchen.

They were married three years ago. She was a detective with the Los Angeles police department and fell head over heels in love with Horatio the first time she saw him. Lucky for her, he did too. They were so happy together. She adored Ray and Madison and always made them feel loved and cared for. She filled the void of their absent mothers. Then last year she was killed in a car accident coming home from a trial she was testifying at. It was discovered, later, that the man on trial had paid to have Gretchen Caine murdered. Horatio took it hard. As did the kids. But all of them were used to unmanageable situations and bounced back after the normal grieving time. But Horatio did pledge to dedicate his life to keeping that scum bag in prison.

Ray tore his eyes away from the picture and collapsed in a nearby chair where he also began to sob. He couldn't help it. Even boys cry or so his uncle always told him. And this was one occasion that he believed him.