Appendicitis, Chapter 2

Emily walked slowly from her Hummer to their latest Crime Scene, one arm crossed casually over her stomach. It still hurt very badly, and nothing was helping.

"What do we have, Calleigh?" She asked the blonde CSI, who was busy taking pictures of blood spatter on the wall.

"Looks like a B&E with a homicide. Victim is Casey Woodmann. She was killed by two gunshot wounds to the chest," Calleigh replied as she snapped some more pictures from her camera.

Emily set to work right away, not trusting herself to open her mouth and talk to Calleigh for fear that she would puke and contaminate the Crime Scene.

She was printing the table when a particularly sharp stab of pain in her right side hit like a gunshot. She doubled over, unable to bite back the gasp that escaped her as she held her stomach.

Calleigh looked up with a start. She saw Emily doubled over.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she walked over and put her hand on the youngest CSI's shoulder.

"Yeah," Emily managed to gasp. "I'm just not feeling that great right now. I think I'm going to head for the lab."

Calleigh nodded. "If you feel sick, go home okay? I don't want you wearing yourself into the ground."

Emily managed a half-hearted smile. "I'm fine, I'll just hang around the lab. I'll get better soon enough."

Emily made her way back to the car. She slid into the front seat, putting her kit in the seat next to her. She closed the door and sat still for a minute.

She let out a muffled sob when another sharp stab of pain hit her hard. She rested her head on the wheel trying to control her ragged breathing.

After a minute she slowly sat up straight. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and started the car.

She drove to the Crime Lab, gritting her teeth against the pain.

Later that day she was working on some trace for Calleigh, her stomach still bugging her. She had thought the pain could not get any worse, but it had. She had just taken the results from the printer when the worst stab of pain yet hit her.

She let out a muffled groan and dropped to her knees on the floor, grasping her sides tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut against, gritting her teeth as she willed herself not to throw up.

Ryan chose that moment to walk in.

"Oh my God! Emily, what's wrong?"

Emily's only response was to throw up all over the floor of the Trace Lab.

Ryan cursed to himself as he rubbed her back gently, looking for someone to help him. It was obvious that Emily was in bad shape and needed medical attention now.

Just then he saw Horatio walk by.

"Horatio!" He yelled.

Horatio turned and walked into the Trace Lab. He took one look at Ryan kneeling next to Emily and the vomit on the ground and rushed over.

"What's going on here?" He asked as he knelt on Emily's other side.

"I don't know, I found her like this. She needs medical attention now. Should I call an ambulance?"

Just then they heard Emily mutter.

"No ambulance. Please. I don't want to make a scene."

"You've already made a scene," Ryan said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, they were filled with concern for his friend.

"Okay, Emily," said Horatio. "But I want Alexx to check on you. If she orders an ambulance I want you to go without any complaints. Got it?"

Emily managed a nod.

"Can you stand?" Horatio asked.

Emily tried to get to her feet, but as soon as she was nearly there she moaned in pain, clutching her stomach, and swayed alarmingly. Ryan caught her and picked her up.

"Take her to my office," Horatio said quietly. "I'll get Alexx…and a janitor," he added as an afterthought as he noted the vomit on the floor.

Ryan hurried to Horatio office, ignoring the curious looks he got from his co-workers at the Lab. He walked in, put Emily on the couch carefully, and shut the door.

He turned back to Emily. She was curled into the fetal position and shaking, her arms clasped tightly around her stomach. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the pain, and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.

He walked over and sat on the free end of couch, rubbing Emily's back gently.

Suddenly Horatio burst into the office, a very worried looking Alexx trailing him.

Alexx rushed to Emily's side, quickly taking mental inventory of the youngest CSI's condition.

"Emily?" she called softly as she knelt by the girl "Emily? Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Came the soft moan of a reply.

"Okay, sugar," Alexx said softly as she took out her stethoscope. "Turn over on your back for me."

Emily complied, stretching out slowly. Suddenly an involuntary spasm of pain shuddered through her. She gasped as she convulsed slightly, and tried to curl up again.

"No sweetie," Alexx said softly. She motioned for Ryan to hold Emily down. "I need you to tell me where it hurts."

"My stomach." Emily moaned.

"On any particular side?" Alexx asked as she began feeling for any irregularities.

"My right side." Emily managed.

Alexx began carefully feeling the right side of Emily stomach. She pressed down gently a little to the right of Emily's belly button.

Emily let out a yell and struggled against Ryan's strong hands, trying desperately to push Alexx away.

"Don't!" She rasped.

Alexx stood and turned to Horatio, motioning for him to come outside. Horatio nodded.

Once outside he turned to Alexx, tilting his head and putting his hands on his hips.

"What do you think?"

"Call for an ambulance, its appendicitis, and it's bad. You need to get her to the hospital for emergency surgery as soon as possible."

Horatio nodded and pulled out his cell phone. Alexx went back into the office to monitor Emily.