Stay With You
Chapter 9
Calleigh turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open slowly. She didn't see any lights on when she drove up, so she figured either he was still in the study or he had simply gone to bed. She stepped into the foyer and saw the faint flickering of light as it came out of the vast living room. She walked forward, smelling something that immediately awakened her appetite and she made a quick turn to the kitchen where she saw a hand written note:
Eat, then come join me in the living room,
H
Calleigh felt her hunger subside as she turned to walk out seeing another note stuck to the wall. She smiled as she took it down and read it:
You really need to eat, you're going to need it.
" Wow, I like the sound of that," Calleigh said humorously.
She then turned back into the kitchen and grabbed the plate out of the oven. She sat at the breakfast nook and tried to eat as fast as she could, her mind racing at the thought of what her husband may have had planned for her. She finished in ten minutes and placed the dish in the dishwasher then heading for the living room. On the wall, she found yet another note:
On second thought, join me in the bathroom. You need to unwind.
Calleigh felt the sides of her mouth curl up in a devilish smile as she quickly went up the stairs. The first thing she noticed was the rose petals that were scattered on the floor. Instantly, she thought, When did he have time for that?
As if reading her mind , Horatio stepped up behind her and spoke into her ear, " When my wife needs attention, I give it."
Calleigh spun on her heels and came face to face with Horatio and smiled. He smiled back at her as he took her hands inside of his and guided her to the shower. Methodically, he undressed her and set the temperature slightly below scalding. He then motioned for her to step in.
" You aren't going to join me?" Calleigh asked coyly.
" No, this is your time to unwind. Take your time, we have all night. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."
Calleigh nodded as she stepped in and let the stinging streams of hot water melt her stress away. When she finished almost thirty minutes later, she felt like a different woman. She dried herself off quickly and headed back downstairs to join him. As she walked down the stairs, she silently thanked Tim for his momentary crisis. He had inadvertently provided Calleigh with the motivation to make changes, starting with calling Horatio. She smiled to herself as she rounded the corner, seeing the atmosphere that Horatio had set for her. There were numerous candles that flickered throughout the vast living room, giving it a warm feeling. Calleigh could hear the soft music as it played faintly from the sound system , further setting the mood. She crossed the floor to the couch silently, not seeing him. There were more petals there and she sat down gently, waiting.
"He's outdone himself this time," Calleigh said as she sat back. This was the most relaxed she had been in weeks. She soon felt herself dozing slightly. Quickly , she snapped herself out of her lull, and saw him as he gazed at her lovingly. " How long have you been there?"
" Fifteen minutes," he replied lightly.
" Fifteen minutes? And you let me continue to sleep?"
" You looked peaceful."
" I feel tons better. Thanks for all of this, Horatio."
" Oh , you might want to save that thanks," he quipped as he inched closer to her. He held her gaze for an intense moment before his lips found hers.
The slightest touch ignited a dormant passion, and soon they were enveloped with in their smoldering desires. He caressed her face lightly as he continued to kiss her, then let his hands maneuver themselves down to her shoulders. He felt the terrycloth robe that she had on and frowned slightly as he pulled away from her. Their gazes never dropped as she reached up to untie the garment, letting it hang loosely. Horatio ventured again with his hands, and felt Calleigh respond rapidly.
He put a hand up and smiled at her, " We have all night, my dear. Let's enjoy it."
Calleigh nodded and relaxed more as she felt his love in each touch. This is what she needed.
S/S
Tim woke up early the next morning so that he could drop off Sascha before going to the hospital to see Sam. He found himself giddy, yes giddy, with excitement as he prepared for the day, humming cheerfully to himself. Sascha heard him as he passed her going into the kitchen, peering at him as if he had lost his mind.
" Hey, where's my dad, and what did you do to him?"
Tim turned back to her and smiled broadly, " What? I can't be happy?"
" Dad, you never hum," Sascha retorted sarcastically.
" There's a first for everything," Tim said as the phone rang. Hoping that it was Sam, he picked it up quickly and spoke into it, " Hello?"
" Son,... Well you sound chipper today," Thomas Speedle said into the phone.
" Well, dad, I am getting married in four days."
" She's that special, is she?"
" What is that supposed to mean?" Tim asked as he frowned slightly. He had no idea why everyone was making a big deal with his happiness.
" Tim , I've never heard you this chipper this early in the morning. I want to definitely meet this young lady." Thomas returned . Tim heard commotion on the line and figured that his mother was trying to wrangle the phone from his father.
" Tim, Timothy, this is your mother," Sophia Speedle said. Tim could hear his father in the background grumbling.
" Hi, ma."
" Timothy, I want to know why Kieran said that he wasn't coming."
" That's something you are going to ask him, ma. He said something about it being my second wedding, and he had seen how it all went down the first time," Tim replied sighing. The chipperness had subsided greatly, and he now found himself holding his head.
" He's your brother, Timmy. He has to be there," Sophia intoned in a stern motherly voice.
" Kieran is a big boy, ma. He can make his own decisions. It's cool with me either way about it."
" Timmy,..." Sophia said before being cut off. In seconds his dad returned to the phone.
" Tim, I'm sorry about that. You know your mother. I was just calling to let you know that we will be in Miami on Thursday evening."
" What time?" Tim asked with a hint of relief. He could only take but so much of his mothers mothering.
" About five o'clock. Check in is at three, but I have arranged for a hold on the room."
" Good. Hopefully, Sam will be out of the hospital and maybe she could pick you guys up from the airport."
" Son, why is Sam in the hospital?" Thomas asked almost out of breath.
Tim didn't want to get into it over the phone, especially after he heard his mother start up again in the background. He decided to wait until they got here and explained it to them then. He looked at his watch and noticed that his time was slipping from him. He didn't want to miss Sam.
" Dad, it's a long story, but I promise to tell you as soon as you get here. I gotta go, I'm late as it is."
" Alright, alright. Is Sash there?"
" Yeah, hold on a minute," Tim said as he handed the phone to Sascha. He gestured to her to speak quickly as he glanced at his watch again. When she was finished, he took the phone again and said, " Okay dad, I really gotta go now. Kiss mom for me."
" Okay, Tim. Be careful and we'll see you Thursday," Thomas said as he hung up the phone.
Tim replaced the phone and clapped his hands together, " Alright, Sash, you ready?"
" Yeah, dad."
"Well off we go then," he said as he grabbed his keys. The morning air helped his good mood return and soon he was humming again. Sascha glanced at him and shook her head. Saturday couldn't get here fast enough for her. She wanted her smug sarcastic father back.
S/S
Sam turned around to see a bouquet of roses that had been laid on her table. Instantly , she knew that he had been there. She picked up the flowers and saw the note that accompanied it:
" You were sleeping, so I just watched you. These are for you. I love you,
Tim
ps my parents are already starting to bug me
Sam let the smile cross her face as she smelled the roses. She had almost lost him last night, and she was grateful to whatever it was that had changed his mind. It was him that she thought about when she saw the door open and watched the doctor come in. His expression alarmed her and she put the flowers down, focusing her attention on him. He tried his best to smile at her, but she sensed that it was a little more than he could give her at this moment.
" Glad to see that you are up," he said as he came to her bedside. " I saw your fiancé here earlier, is he still here?"
" No, he had to go to work. What is it doctor?"
" Well, your tests came back and we've found something," the doctor said hesitantly.
" What did you find?" Sam asked now frightened. How she wished that Tim was there to help her through this.
" When we did the EKG , I saw something that struck me as odd. Your heartbeats were out of sync and sometimes skipped a beat. Then I made the connection. Your breathing problems weren't stemming from your respiratory system, it was the result of heart disease."
" Heart disease?" Sam said as she dropped her mouth open. She couldn't remember if any one in her small family had heart disease.
" Yes, Wolfe Parkinsons White Disease to be more correct. The irregularities in your heart are caused by this disease which not many doctors know about . It is rare and for the most part, the patient can live a normal life. There will be something's that you will not be able to do anymore, which would be, vigorous cardiovascular exercises and prolonged lifting that would put a strain on the heart."
" So I can't run anymore? Is that what you are saying?"
" Yes. Prolonged activity could further damage the heart, and up your chances of having a heart attack. So for exercise I would advise you to walk more so than run."
" What about the pregnancy? Work? My sex life? All of these have the potential to cause strain,"Sam said as she felt herself getting upset. This couldn't be happening to her.
" You can still lead a normal life, Samantha. You just have to be more aware of what you do. This disease has the potential to be deadly, but I've read cases of people surviving this way into their sixties."
" Doc, I'm forty," Sam replied indignantly.
" Samantha, I can understand what you are going through, but with enough knowledge and change, you can beat this thing."
Sam nodded and sighed deeply. She didn't know what to do or how to think. She was on the verge of starting a new life with him, and now she gets the news that this new life could be abbreviated. Gazing out into the bright Miami day, she thought about what this could mean to them. The doctor saw her reflective mood and moved to get up. Sam stopped him by lifting up her hand.
"Could you be here to tell Tim when he gets back? I don't think I can," Sam said quietly. She still had trouble dealing with it herself.
"Sure. Just notify the nurses when he gets here and they will page me, okay?"
" Okay. Thank you , doc."
" You're going to be just fine, Samantha. I'm going to release you later on today with a prescription. It took some work , but I found one that wouldn't have an effect on your pregnancy. But this goes without saying, take it easy."
" Easier said than done, doc. I'm getting married in four days," Sam replied lightly.
" Just know how far you can go. Believe me, the body will let you know if you are pushing it too far," he said as he glanced at his watch. " I have to get back to my rounds now, but call me if there's anything you need, Samantha."
" I will," Sam said as she laid her head back on the pillow. There was a lot to contend with now, and the only thing she wanted at that moment was to hear his voice.
S/S
Tim walked into the lab with a smile on his face, prompting everyone to stare. He ignored them as he made his way to the office, thinking only of her. She had been sleeping when he got there, so he just left her a note and the flowers. If he could get a moment for lunch, he would swing by there to check in on her.
He was about to bound up the steps when he saw Calleigh enter from the side, her green eyes sparkling and her face glowing radiantly. It was a marked change from the Calleigh he had seen in the firearms lab the night before. She stopped and looked at him, noticing his demeanor as well, crinkling up her nose.
" Oh my god, I don't believe I've ever seen you this happy, Tim. Did Ducati sell you a piece of their stock or something?"
" Cute, Cal. No, they did not. Why is it that everyone is freaking out about my happiness. First Sascha called me out on humming, then my father cracks one on me about being so perky so early in the morning..."
" You were humming?" Calleigh said as he mouth dropped open.
" Um... Yeah... Why?"
" Tim, you never hum."
" You know , that's just what our daughter said to me. Now that's freaky."
Calleigh laughed as she saw unknown faces come up to the labs and walk into them, prompting the lab techs to depart their respective labs. She stopped laughing and turned to Tim , who was looking on with a certain look of disdain.
" Tim , what's going on here?"
" I forgot to tell you, the mayor ordered an independent investigation into the lab. We are to have nothing to do with it," Tim said as he saw Belmontes walk away from the trace lab in a huff.
" What! When did this happen?"
" Yesterday. I had a meeting with Stetler and he basically threatened me with my job if I covered for anyone."
" Anyone meaning Horatio, right?"
" My thoughts exactly. This is nothing more than a glorified witch hunt aimed at Horatio," Tim returned as he saw one of the investigators open the door and motioned for him to come. Tim acknowledged and turned to Calleigh, " Well I'm on. Tell Horatio that we need him back as soon as possible."
Calleigh nodded as she watched him disappear into the lab, surrounded by black lab coats. She put her hands hastily on her cell phone and dialed his cell. He would be just getting into therapy, but she knew that this was something that he should know about , quickly.
TBC...
A/N: the leaving of the letters in the previous chapter was inspired by a story I had read over in CSINY. It's called It Could Happen to You, by Zelda49. It's quite awesome if I may say so .
A/N#2: Wolfe Parkinsons White is a very real heart disease. My grandmother passed with it, and she did have a good life, living until she was sixty three. Just to let you guys know that I didn't just pull it out of thin air...