Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but I LOVE them all. Hope you are all enjoying these chapters and please, feel free to review, good or bad. Need all your input.
ACID BATH
CHAPTER 7
Horatio Caine sat quietly watching the slow, rhythmic up and down of Brina's chest as she slept. The doctor had extubated her not more than an hour ago and he was relieved to see her breathing on her own.
His eyes moved to her burned and distorted face. She would need major reconstructive surgery. He wished he could get involved in the investigation, but it was not his jurisdiction. Besides, Grissom had promised to keep him in the loop.
Detective Brass wasn't too keen on that idea, though. In fact, he didn't seem too happy to see Horatio there at all. Was it just concern for a friend or could there be something deeper happening? Bree had mentioned the detective, but only in passing and only regarding his being a witness in her courtroom once in a while.
He looked up at her eyes and smiled. The hazel orb, which was visible, stared back at him. He had waited anxiously for her to awaken. Now that she had, he could think of nothing to say. He gripped her hand between his, stood and sat gently on her beside.
"Hello, there," he whispered. She stared at him, confusion tugging at her forehead and shining through her eyes.
"H---?" she raped through her sore throat. "---what?"
"Take it easy, Bree," he reached to brush her hair away from her eyes. She looked into his ice blue eyes and attempted a smile, raising a hand to his cheek.
"H. Is it really you?"
He closed his eyes for a moment at her touch, then opened them. "Yes. I'm here. Couldn't keep me away." The look of confusion grew as did the painful grimace on her face. "You don't know what happened, do you?" She shook her head."What's the last thing you remember?"
"Shower. I was going to shower before Brass and I went to dinner."
"Oh," Horatio looked down for a moment.
"He was guarding me from a stalker. I had plans for dinner, so he was to accompany me." She explained. Horatio searched her eyes for a moment and nodded.
"Okay. What happened next?"
"I remember stepping into the shower and then tremendous pain. That's all."
Horatio nodded, taking her hand in his once more. It was going to be terrible for her to hear, but it would be better coming from him, if not from Grissom. With a deep breath, he began explaining what they had found at the crime scene. "They're still testing the substance in the bathtub," he finished.
Dr. Cowen entered quietly behind Horatio. He stood back while the couple continued their conversation. "Tell me the truth," Brina whispered. "How bad is it?"
Horatio looked deep into her pain-filled eyes. He caressed her cheek lightly before he replied. "You were assaulted with hydrofluoric acid, Miss Grissom," Doctor Cowen spoke as he came up alongside Horatio. Horatio looked at the doctor questioningly. "We just heard from the CSI lab. It was a 14.5 solution."
The gasp that involuntarily escaped Horatio's lips shook Brina. She squeezed his hand for comfort. "What does that mean," she asked.
Horatio's fear shown in his pale blue eyes as he looked at her. It means he meant to kill you." his eyes grew moist with the tears he fought to hold back. "
"And he nearly succeeded." It came out more as a croak than a whisper.
"Your lungs were filled with fluid," the doctor went on. "We thought you might not make it. You have burns over a good portion of your left side as well as facial burns and lacerations."
"My eye," she asked, reaching to touch the patch over her left orbit.
"We aren't sure of the extent of the damage, yet. The cornea was lacerated and the lid was badly burned. That's why we have the patch on it. As for your face and other skin…" She touched the gauze bandage that covered the left side of her face. "You will need facial reconstruction and probably skin grafts on your trunk and extremities. It's going to take quite a while to heal."
"I want her to have the best Plastics has to offer," Horatio spoke.
"Understandable. We have good men here."
"But Miami has the best---and she'd be treated by people who have known her for a long time."
"She couldn't be alone, Mr. Caine. Would she have someone to stay with her?"
"You bet she would," Brass spoke from the doorway. Horatio turned and eyed him, a hint of mistrust in his gaze.
"Of course she would. She'll stay with me."
"And who's gonna care for her while you're at work," Brass countered.
"If needed, I can get a nurse to stay with her."
"Nursing is all right for her physical needs, but whose gonna protect her from this nut job?"
"I suppose you have someone in mind?" Horatio questioned.
"Darn right I do." Brass thumped his chest, coming into the room and to the other side of Brina's bed. "Me."
"You've got a job, too," Horatio countered.
"Well, don't you worry your skinny red head about that. Got lots of time on the books. I'll talk time off as soon as she is fit to travel."
"Guys," Brina interrupted. "Stop it!. We can work this out peaceably in the next few days."
"That's right," Dr. Cowmen agreed. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse us for a minute, I'd like to examine my patient."
Horatio and Brass reluctantly left the room, heading down he hall to the waiting area. They sat across from each other, continuing their conversation. "Tell me why I should trust her safety to your hands," Horatio began.
"You think you could have done a better job," Brass contested.
"You should have had the house thoroughly checked."
"And I suppose you would have examined the shower heads? Nobody has ever been attacked in that fashion. It came from left field."
"And none of us would have thought of that," Grissom spoke from the hallway. "So why don't you two quit beating your chests and start working together? Bree needs us to work as a team, not at each other's throats."
JJJJJJ
Nick and Greg entered the cabin together, turning on their individual flashlights to search every crevice of the building. They scoured the kitchen and living room separately, ending at the bathroom door together. Their flashlights illuminated the room totally, as they looked over the ventilation system and light fixtures. "You know," Greg finally spoke, "Sara thought that the was being watched in here, but she thought it was that cat."
"Yeah. I wonder if they've processed her yet."
Greg flipped open his cell phone and waited for the call to ring through. "Mia," Greg asked, "did we get that DNA from the cat that Sara brought in?"
He waited a moment, a question covering his face. "You didn't get it? Did the cat get to the lab?" After a moment he thanked her and rung off. "The cat never made it to the lab."
"Better call Animal Control and see if they have her," Nick said, picking up his own phone while pointing toward a light fixture in the corner. "Why don't you check out that light."
While Nick called Animal Control, Greg stood up on the commode in order to get a good look at the light in question. He slowly removed the cover, placing it on the back of the commode. Slowly, he took a pair of forceps out of his pocket and pulled on an odd wire within the lip of the cover. He recognized it immediately, and jumped down to the floor to show it to Nick. "Look at this," he started. Seeing the look on Nick's face, he stopped cold.
"The cat never made it to Animal Control."
"That can only mean one thing…"
"Yes. The killer has a uniform and is willing to use it to get what he wants. We better tell Brass."
KKKKK
Warrick pulled up at the Marriott house, checking his information once more. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but knew he didn't want to give it over the phone either. A face to face was the only way to give this kind of news.
He stood at the door, looking to make sure Mrs. Marriott's car was there. She was definitely inside. He could hear what sounded like water running.
He took a deep breath, rubbing his palm across the nape of his neck. As he reached for the doorbell, a scream pierced the air.
LLLLL
Catherine stood in the bathroom at Brina's house, getting a good visual inventory of her surroundings. To her left was the vanity, then the commode. At the far back wall stood the shower/bathtub with its broken doorway. On her right were the folding doors to the linen closet. "Now, she murmured. "Where would someone put cameras in here?" There was only one vent, directly above the commode. She closed the lid and stood on it, extracting a screwdriver from her kit to open the vent.
Turning her flashlight on the dark space, she slowly searched every crevice. The light flickered against a small, bulb-like, glassy-appearing object at the side of the ventilation shaft. She pulled out her tweezers and grasped the object, bringing it down to full light. A small box dangled from a wire attached to the bulb. She reached for her kit as she dismounted, dusting the object for prints before placing it into an evidence back.
She then dusted the vent cover, giving a sigh when she discovered no prints on either object.
Studying the room again, she reasoned, "This explains the video from here, but---" she moved into the bathtub, "the angle in the shower footage was directly overhead. That means…"
She looked up at the light above the bathtub. A rumble, crash and Sara's scream of agony from the bedroom stopped her in her tracks.
MMMMM
His breath came in short gasps of excitement as he watched from the doorway, guarding her from intruders. He shook his head as he continued to survey her busily checking every crevice for devices. A smirk stole over his lips. She would never find the equipment he had so carefully placed throughout the bedroom and bath. The pieces were so small they could fit anywhere, and did so gracefully.
The dark haired one was eyeing a lamp on the bed stand. Did she see it, he wondered. As she started to pull the shade off the light, he reached behind him for the baton he wore. He clasped his hand around it as he scanned the outer rooms for any other policemen. He then stole his way into the room behind her.
She was so intense in her work that she hadn't noticed his movement into the room. He raised the baton above his head. As he began to swing, she turned toward him, raising her hand in defense. He heard the glass lamp shatter and felt the baton hit its target.
NNNNNN
Brina lay soaking in the bath, her first luxury since that fateful day. She hummed a quiet tune as the bubbles wrapped around her weary frame.
It seemed like only yesterday that she had awakened to the wonderful sight of Horatio at the hospital. How she managed to get home so soon was beyond her. The sounds of pans clashing in the kitchen made her feel secure in the fact Horatio was there. She wouldn't want to be alone right now.
An orchestra somewhere in the distance was playing a Beethoven symphony. She smiled again. Horatio knew her all too well. This was her comfort music and she was sure he was fixing her favorite comfort food --- teriyaki chicken skewers --- as well. What a joyful way to spend a day at home.
But with all this, something seemed out of place. It was as if she was being watched. She looked around the bathroom. Nobody was there, yet the uneasiness built. She slid deeper into her pool of bubbles, trusting them to relax her.
Suddenly, strong hands gripped her shoulders and pushed her head under the water. She scratched and clawed at the unseen menace, realizing the "Bathtub Killer", as the media had dubbed him, was back to finish the job.