Chapter 3: Friday

Sunday 22nd June

17:54

"Chloe."

"What?"

"Her name's Chloe." Horatio looked slightly better, as though the news had lifted his spirits. He leaned forward, so that he was close to Chloe's ear.

"Chloe, can you hear me?" Calleigh held her breath for a minute. There was a groan.

"That's it sweetheart; open your eyes for me, Chloe." Horatio smiled as a blue eye suddenly came into view. "Can you remember who I am, sweetheart?" Chloe nodded. "Good. Chloe, I am going to stay here with you, is that alright? And maybe my colleague here will do too sometimes." Chloe nodded and again and blinked. Her other eye opened. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and a doctor came in.

"Hello, Lt Caine."

"Dr. Grant." Horatio murmured his smile fading. Calleigh was looking perplexed.

"You know, it should be the girl's parents here, not a copper." Dr. Grant said. Horatio stood, grabbed the doctors' arm and heaved him out into the corridor.

"That girl has no parents! They were murdered two nights ago and she was involved in the attack. She has no other family. So, while I'm here, consider me her guardian, is that alright with you, Dr?" Horatio hissed. Dr. Grant suddenly seemed less confident and shrank a little.

"Of course." He said quietly.

"Good." Horatio retorted and he released his grip on the doctors' arm. He walked back in and stood by Chloe's bed, glaring continuously at Dr. Grant.

"Right, um, I'll need to check her bandages before going into the operation." Horatio suddenly felt Chloe jump beside him and saw her wince with pain. He knelt down, gave a death glare at the doctor to stand outside for a moment and turned to Chloe.

"Don't worry sweetheart. It's just a small op to get a bullet out of your leg. I'll be outside waiting for you." Horatio said comfortingly. Chloe still looked scared, but she nodded once more. "That's a good girl." Horatio gripped her hand suddenly. Calleigh smiled at him. Dr. Grant came back in, looking surly and irritable.

"Right. Let's get this over with then."

Monday 23rd June

09:13

"You're certainly going to look the part in sports." Calleigh said to Chloe, who smiled. Her black hair reached to the top of her shoulders as she turned her head.

"Yeah, like someone who messed around in the sharps division." She replied. Her voice was gruff because she had slept again until this morning.

"I can tell you like him."

"What do you mean?" Chloe grinned as Calleigh blushed.

"You like Horatio, don't you?" She said.

"Maybe." Chloe laughed, but ended up coughing. Calleigh suddenly sighed.

"I'm sorry about having to do this, Chloe. But I have to ask you what happened on Friday." Calleigh said. Chloe leant back on her pillows.

"Do I really have to?" She asked.

"Sorry, Chloe." Chloe let out a long sigh and sat up, though she hissed in pain.

"I think it was about eight when he came. Mum and Dad had been worried, since it was at least an hour earlier than we had expected. Mum was worried, because she thought that something wasn't right. Dad wasn't so sure either. But they still went to the door and opened it." Chloe's eyes glazed over, but she blinked and carried on. "I wasn't there at the time, but I heard the guy say he was Horatio Caine and then heard Dad say to shown them his ID. But I realised that it was wrong and ran out. Mum suddenly screamed while Dad was stabbed in the shoulder. I tried to get him off Dad, but his partner shot me twice in the arm. They took me for dead and kept on stabbing Dad." Calleigh saw how painful this was for Chloe, but she still carried on writing. "I had run to get at the guy with the knife when he went onto Mum, but Mum got in the way and…" Chloe let a tear roll down her cheek. "But he killed Mum and pushed her into the bath. Then both of them chased me until the got me and, well." She raised her arms slightly. "I was out after that, but then I heard the front door open and thought it was them, so I hid under the bed. Can't remember anything after that." She murmured the last. It looked as though she had gone completely. But suddenly she snapped out of it.

"You two are in danger." She said in a low hushed voice.

"Why are we in danger, Chloe?" Calleigh whispered back. Chloe gulped and scanned the widow outside before saying in an even quieter whisper, "I can't tell you. He'll find out and kill you both."

Horatio was standing in the bloodstained bathroom when he received the phone call. Wolf had look at him for just a second when he realised there was something wrong.

"Stay there, Calleigh, we'll be right there." He said quickly.

"H, what's up?" Wolf asked.

"Not here, come on; you're coming to the hospital with me."

They had both gotten into the Hummer and had driven at speed, at which time Horatio had explained about Calleigh telling him about Chloe's warning.

"Do you think she's right, Horatio?" Wolf asked.

"Chloe has been attacked many times before, I think she call tell if we're in danger or not." Horatio replied, looking sterner than ever.

"Yeah, but the guy should know she's with the CSI, why would he risk it if he knew that we're there?" Wolf asked again.

"Because Chloe's the only one who knows certain things for him and us. Us being around her is no obstacle, that's why Calleigh's scared." Horatio muttered, turning sharply into a parking space. He locked the Hummer and walked briskly inside. Wolf was half jogging to keep up with him.

"But why do you need me?" Wolf asked suddenly when they were in the lift.

"Because Chloe is going to run for it."

I am really getting evil with these cliffies. Hmm, naturally. Right, I am sorry that this chapter is shorter than teh others, but I needed to get started on this one. Trust me, the next chapter is good. ;)

From TheNextTitan