It had taken the best part of the day, but finally, Cheryl and Eric had finished processing the scene. Cheryl was never normally bothered about processing anything, but after taking over four hundred fingerprint lifts, she was a little tired, especially as she knew that about three hundred and ninety of them would not come to anything, and even then, that was being hopeful. She wiped a bead of sweat of her forehead. It was sweltering in the room.
'Hot, isn't it?' Delko said, as he peered in the bathroom at her. She was on her knees, her head by the toilet bowl, trying to extract a fingernail which had become wedged between the floorboards. 'Someone had the clever idea of turning the air conditioning off.'
'Who had that bright idea?' She muttered, as she tugged at the nail.
'I don't know, but they're not short-listed to win a high IQ award. Are you ready to go?'
'I'm nearly done,' she told him, as she pulled it loose.
Eric grimaced, 'there are times when I never want to go on vacation.' He told her, as he watched her bag it.
'Did you bag the bed sheets?'
'There are times when I really never want to go on vacation!'
'How did you fare with your time off?' She asked him, getting to her feet as gracefully as possible in a skirt.
'Now I know why you and Calleigh never wear skirts,' he said.
Cheryl glared at him.
'I was bored out of my mind, and I'm never going to complain again. But then again, I think I was better off than Horatio.'
'Why's that?'
'Simple. He only had Speed off our shift. You and I were in hospital, and Calleigh was suspended, so the team had to be bulked up with some of the swing-shift. The swing-shift and Speed,' he chuckled, 'I bet H was amused.'
Cheryl nodded, following him back to their kits. 'IAB are a pain. I tried hard not to get Calleigh in trouble. At the end of the day, she saved my life. There was nothing else she could have done.'
'Cheryl, you saved her job. The only reason she's still got it is because of you, and the only reason she got suspended is because of Rick and his vendetta against H.'
'You've noticed that too.' Cheryl bent down and grabbed her kit and a handful of evidence, Eric mimicking her. 'This is going to take forever to process,' she grumbled.
'You got plans tonight then?' Asked Eric, as he signalled an officer to give them a hand, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
'Eric Delko, you have a nasty mind. Do you really think any of us are going to get more than a couple of hours sleep tonight whilst this case is ongoing?'
'Who said anything about going home to get sleep? You're only young once. And you've got to remember that you've got a few more years in you than Speed has.'
Cheryl elbowed him playfully as they stepped into the elevator. 'You are a pain sometimes.'
'Actually, he's probably got a few more years on you these days, what with your ability to attract bullets.'
'Oh, ha ha. You're going the right way to attract a few of your own bullets!' Came her indignant response. They stepped out of the elevator and across the foyer, and started to walk down the steps out back to where their cars were parked.
'Excuse me?' Cheryl and Eric stopped and turned around. It was Cole.
'Can we help you?' Asked Eric.
'I was wondering if I could have a word with Detective Carter, actually.'
Cheryl frowned, 'I can't disclose anything about the case,' she said to him.
'It's about something else.'
She looked at Eric, who shrugged. 'Okay,' she told him, heaving her kit and the evidence into the back of the Hummer. 'I won't meet be long. I'll see you back at the Lab,' she told Eric, jingling her own keys at him.
'Just be careful,' he warned her.
She nodded and walked off in the direction Cole had gone. He was waiting outside by the pool. Despite the sunny weather, the area was deserted.
'What can I help you with, Mr. Tuner?'
'Cole, please. Oh, excuse me.' He leaned over and his hand into her hair.
Cheryl took a step back, 'Excuse me?'
Cole held up a leaf, 'sorry, this was in your hair,' he explained, holding the leaf out to her.
She took it off him and examined it, 'oh, sorry.'
'I wanted to ask you something.'
'As I've already told you, Mr. Turner, I cannot discuss anything pertaining to the case.'
'And as I have already said, this isn't anything to do with the case. I was hoping you would have dinner with me.'
Cheryl stopped and stared at him, 'this is an ongoing case, and technically, you're a suspect. It would be completely inappropriate, and unethical.'
'How about when this unfortunate incident has been cleared up?'
'Firstly, Cole, two young women have been found dead, in your room. It's hardly an unfortunate incident. Secondly, I am seeing someone anyway.'
Cole shrugged. 'Okay.' He turned around and left, leaving a very bewildered Cheryl staring after him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cheryl entered the Crime Lab, heading towards the print lab, bumping into a familiar face, 'Hey Suzie. What brings you to our neck of the woods? How's my little sister?' She asked, referring to Madison. Strictly speaking Madison was her half sister. Cheryl knew about Madison, and she also knew about Ray Junior.
And that's where it got complicated. Yelina, Raymond Senior's wife, and Raymond Junior's mother didn't know about Cheryl. She did know about Madison, but she assumed that Madison was Horatio's daughter. Suzie knew about both Cheryl and Raymond Junior, and also the fact that Yelina thought Madison was Horatio's. Although nothing had ever been said about Cheryl's father, or Yelina's relationship to her, Cheryl and Horatio both assumed Yelina thought the same about Cheryl.
Tim, Calleigh and Maxine Valera, the DNA, analysist knew about the relationship between Horatio and Cheryl but none had said anything about it to anyone, at both Cheryl and Horatio's request. In fact, it had been Valera and Calleigh who had found this fact out, and Tim who had pushed Cheryl into getting to know her uncle, much to her initial reluctance.
Suzie smiled thinly, 'Is Horatio around? I need his help with something.'
'Yeah,' said Cheryl, pointing down the hall to Horatio, who had clocked them, and was heading in their direction. 'Look, I'm really sorry, but I've got to go. Suzie, if anything was wrong, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?'
Suzie gave her small smile again, and Cheryl, knowing there was something wrong, carried on in the direction she had been heading, hoping it wasn't as bad as the million of worse-case scenarios going through her head.
'Suzie,' greeted Horatio.
'Horatio,' Suzie returned the greeting quietly.
'Hey.'
'Hi.'
'What's going on?' He asked her.
'I'm sorry to bother you at work,' she started.
'It's no problem,' he told her.
'I need your help with some paperwork.' She told him, shifting on the spot.
'Paperwork?' He took the papers off her and looked them over, 'Suzie, these are claim forms. Is this about Ray's pension?' He asked, staring intently at her face.
'Don't look at me like that,' said Suzie, breaking his gaze.
'I thought we agreed I was going to handle the financial responsibilities?' He muttered.
'I'm sorry, okay,' she said, 'it's an emergency. I really need the money.'
'What's the problem?'
'It's Madison.' Suzie stated, trying to keep her voice even.
'What about Madison?' Horatio asked her.
'Doctors said its something called AML.' She started to explain.
Horatio did a double take, 'Suzie, AML is Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia.'
Suzie nodded, 'yeah, I know.' Tears were starting to form in her eyes, 'it's a blood cancer. The doctors explained everything and it's um,' she faltered, 'not good.'
'Where is she?'
'She's at the hospital.' Her voice broke. 'It's a $1000 a day. I can't pay for that!'
'I don't want you to worry about that right now, okay?' Horatio told her, resting a handon her shoulder.
'Horatio, I can't keep going to you.' She told him, her fists curling up into stubborn little balls.
'Suzie, we're family,' he told her, 'I don't want you to worry about it.'
Suzie looked over at him, 'how long are you going to keep paying for Ray's mistakes?'
Horatio looked away. 'Here's what I want you to do.' He told her, avoiding the question. 'Head back to the hospital and be with Madison. She needs you right now, alright?'
'Okay.' She told him, flinging her arms around his neck. 'Thanks for bailing us out again.'
Horatio hugged her back, 'now don't worry about it. Don't worry, you're okay.' Suzie stopped hugging and broke away. Horatio turned around to find Yelina with one of her unreadable expressions on her face, 'hey,' he greeted her.
'Hi.'
'You remember Suzie?' He asked her.
Yelina smiled, 'hi, how are you,' she said to Suzie.
Horatio turned his attention back to Suzie, 'I'm going to take care of these and talk to you later,' he told her, indicating to the papers in his hand.
'Ok, thanks,' said Suzie, as she headed towards the elevator.
'Is everything ok?' Yelina asked him.
Horatio smiled at her, 'yeah, just, just some paperwork.'
Behind them, the elevator dinged. 'Can you hold that?' Yelina called to Suzie as she got on. Suzie nodded. Yelina turned back to Horatio, smiled and entered the elevator. Horatio smiled back at both of them. As the doors closed, he let out a heavy sigh and glanced back at the paperwork.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'So what did the pop idol want?'
Cheryl flicked her head up, sending her hair cascading over her shoulders. She was about to start loading the prints into the computer, but had decided to remove her shoes first, as, not being used to heels, they were killing her feet. 'Not much really.'
'Not much, huh?' Said Eric, the scepticism lining his voice.
'He asked me out.' She turned her attention to the large pile of prints.
'I hope you told him no.'
Cheryl stopped, her hand mid-air with the first of many prints, 'of course I said no. What do you take me for?'
'Just checking. We don't want anything compromising the case.'
Cheryl rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to the prints.
'Besides, I wouldn't be a very good friend if I knew my friend's girlfriend was cheating on him.'
'Thanks for the concern, Eric, but Tim is the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.' Cheryl turned her attention back to the computer, settling down for several hour of immense boredom. Behind her, Eric left the room, a grin on his face.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Speed walked past the drinks machine and stopped. He headed over to it, stuck some coins in it and waited for the Hot Chocolate to pour. He wasn't partial to the stuff himself, but it was all Cheryl would drink. For some bizarre and twisted reason, she wouldn't touch coffee, the elixir of life for all police officials. She wouldn't even drink tea, which seemed to be the elixir of life for all English people. But that was just one of her many quirks he loved.
He headed to the print lab where Calleigh had told him she had buried herself in work. He stood in the doorway and watched her. She had kicked her shoes off and herbare legs were curled up underneath her. Working barefoot was another quirk of hers. As was working to some music. In this case, she was singing along to an appalling cheesy pop song. She had no discrimination to what she listened to, and in this instance it made for an unfortunate quirk. It was a truly dreadful song. He walked up behind her and slipped the drink on the table beside her.
She turned around and looked up at him. 'Thanks.'
He bent over and kissed her, 'my pleasure. I take it you're not ready to go home?'
'No, I'm going to finish uploading these prints so I can leave them running tonight.'
'How much have you got left?'
'I'm halfway. I'm going to be a while. Are you going back to mine?'
'That was the plan.'
Cheryl smiled, 'I'll be home as soon as I can,' she told him, stifling a yawn.
'See you later,' he gave her another kiss and headed off to the locker room, a wide grin on his face. He entered the room to find Eric in there, pulling a clean shirt over his head.
'You look like the cat that's got the cream.'
Speed grinned, 'have you seen what I'm sharing a bed with.'
Eric returned the grin, 'good point.'
Speed opened up his locker ad began gathering his things. 'I'm in love, Eric.'
Eric just shook his head.
'You can have that expression on your face all you want, but you'll feel the same about someone pretty soon.'
'That day is a long way off, I can tell you. I'm having far too much fun being single.' He shut his locker, 'see you tomorrow.' He left, leaving
Speed to gather up his things and do the same.
I'm trying something slightly different for me, here, and adding the viewpoints of the other CSI characters, instead of just Cheryl's. I think it works, but let me know if you think otherwise.
Thanks for continuing to read!