Breathe

Chapter 3

They sat in the Emergency Room bay for what seemed like hours. No one had known this man, but for some reason, they needed to know if he was going to be okay. By all accounts, he should've been dead and in the morgue cooler. They all sat quietly, their minds dwelling on the only person they could be thinking about at a time like this.

The doctor finally came out to report to the team, wiping his hands in a towel that he had with him. The surgery had been long and trying.

" Who's here for Trent Spaulding?" the doctor asked as he saw the three get up quickly.

Horatio stepped up and focused on the doctor's eyes, trying to read them, " We are doctor."

" Anyone family?"

" No, I don't think he has any," Calleigh offered. " We were with him when he was shot."

" Oh, okay , well here's where we are with him," the doctor said sighing, " he's out of surgery, but he's out of it. It was a hard one, he nicked an artery and was in danger of bleeding out. I was amazed at the amount of blood that he had already lost. This man should really be in a morgue somewhere. Whatever he is fighting for, I hope it's worth it."

Horatio looked at the doctor with disdain, sometimes, they didn't have the greatest bedside manner, " I appreciate that doctor, but he is still alive and still fighting."

The doctor stared at the red head with a pompous authority and shrugged his shoulders, " He is in ICU for right now, but he should be transferred possibly within the next day or so , to a regular room. You should be able to see him then."

" Thank you , doctor," Horatio said as he turned to his team. He saw the worry on their faces and wanted so much to console them. It had been merely two years since they had lost the biggest part of them, and here they were faced with the same obstacle , but with a total stranger. "There's nothing we can do ,today. So we go back to work and try to find the bank robbers."

They all nodded and started to make their way to the exit, except Calleigh. She lagged behind glancing at the doors to the hallway. She had to see for herself that he was okay.

"Calleigh," Horatio said gently as he noticed her hesitation. He couldn't imagine what she was going through at that moment.

" I have to see if he's okay," she replied as she put her hand up to her eyes. Horatio noticed for the first time that she was still wearing her wedding band. He nodded and walked out of the building. Calleigh walked out the opposite door and made her way to the elevators. She just had to see.

TS

Tim awoke suddenly , feeling confused. The last he remembered, he was in the cemetery after his funeral, cold and desolate and now he was lying in a bed with IV's protruding from his arm and an oxygen line under his nose feeling the warmth of his skin as the blood flowed through his veins. He tried to get up , but a overwhelming weight on his chest prevented that. He glanced around the room, his eyes trying to take in the setting. Then he saw him in the corner. It was Tony.

" Timothy, glad to see that you made a choice," Tony said with a smile.

" I thought you were a messenger?"

" I am, and since you have chosen to do this, I have some rules."

"Rules? Are you kidding me? I can barely get used to the fact that I have a body," Tim said sarcastically.

" Speaking of, rule number one, you are not Timothy Speedle any more."

"Come again? Did you just say that I am not Timothy Speedle? I'm right here," Tim said growing irritated.

" You might feel like Tim Speedle , but others won't see you."

" Okay, Tony, hold on. Others won't see me? I'm lost..."

" Let me try to explain, Tim. The guy whose body you have , was actually killed this morning in a bank robbery."

" Well that would explain why I am in a hospital bed," Tim pointed out.

" If you would let me finish,..."

" By all means."

" Good. So he was killed in a bank robbery and you took his place. Kind of like a trade."

" Why didn't he want a second chance?" Tim asked as he tried to reposition himself.

" I don't know, but if you would stop interrupting me, I can finish."

"Sorry."

" So, your soul transferred and you have taken over. But you won't look like you, you'll look like him."

" So what you are saying is that I am who I am but I'm not?"

" Yes , in a nutshell."

" Great! So who is this guy?"

" Trent Spaulding. He was , um excuse me, he is a negotiator with the Miami Dade police department. He's 33 and has no family."

Tim snorted at Tony as he closed his eyes, letting the nagging pain subside slightly, " Ironic, he works for Miami Dade and is the same age as I was. This is rich."

" Oh, rule number two, you cannot tell anyone who you really are. Not Calleigh, not Eric not Horatio, no one." Tony said as he got up and moved to his bed.

" Not even Alexx?"

" No one. They will be coming in to check up on you, but you are not to say anything about who you are. If you do, this whole thing folds."

" How will it do that?" Tim asked fearfully. He didn't like the way that this was sounding.

" Trust me, you don't want to find out," Tony said as he started to walk to the door.

" Leaving again?" Tim asked as he felt his eyes droop suddenly.

" I'll check up on you from time to time, but you're on your own now. Don't screw it up ,Tim."

" You mean Trent, right?" Tim replied as he grinned lazily. He felt the need to close his eyes.

"Right," Tony said as he disappeared quickly.

As he did, the door opened to the room and Calleigh walked in. She took in his sleeping form and felt the tears come to her eyes as she reached out to him. There was something in his eyes back at the bank, that called to Calleigh. She watched him for a moment longer then dropped her head, Don't do this to yourself, Calleigh. Tim's dead, and he's been dead for two years now.

Calleigh lifted her head and saw a faint smile come over his face and disappeared. No matter what her mind was telling her, she felt in her heart that her husband was still alive. Somewhere.

TBC...

A/N: sorry it's so short...