A/N: Direction, direction I had a moment on a bus today where I decided what direction this story is going to take. Hopefully this means quicker chapters. For all of you that have reviewed it means a lot to me, so a big thanks. Any things not right in this chapter let me know!
Alex hadn't heard Horatio say two words except a short spell of instructions to Eric and Ryan over the phone when they first started off, he sat there just staring at his hands deep in thought. They had reached the city pretty fast but the traffic at this time of morning was terrible at the best of times. Horatio shifted in his seat for the fifth time in as many minutes, she could tell he was getting restless.
"We're only five minutes from the hospital Horatio, she's in good hands" Alex tried to reassure him.
"She was so frail Alex, I've never seen her look so weak, what he had done to her" Horatio started to turn his head to look out the window and cover his emotions.
"She's a fighter, you have to remember that, the fact that she got so far on her own, shows how strong she is" Alex tried to comfort him as she pressed on through the traffic seeing the hospital up ahead.
"That's the point Alex she shouldn't of needed too, if I'd sent her home when I had the chance if I'd chased Mark all those years ago, she didn't deserve this" Horatio replied
"No one does honey, now lets go see how she's doing" Alex requested as she opened her door to walk towards the emergency entrance.
Alex and Horatio both approached the desk at a fast pace.
"Calleigh Duquesne where is she?" Horatio asked in a curt tone.
"I'm sorry sir who?" the receptionist replied.
"Blond, petite, would have been brought in by medivac about 20 minutes ago" Alex interjected.
"That would be Dr Simons patient, I believe he's still with her, I can get him to come and find you when he's ready" the receptionist replied turning back to their computer monitor.
"Thank you honey we'll be right over there" Alex motioned to the seats adjacent to the receptionist desk.
Alex had to distract Horatio before he started to dwell on the result of the last 2 hours.
"Did Eric and Ryan say they were coming down?" Alex asked
"They're checking out the boat, Eric wanted to come straight away but we need to catch him Alex, in fact I should be at HQ right now" at this statement Horatio went to get up.
"You're not going anywhere mister, who's going to wait with me" Alex answered trying to give Horatio a purpose he was craving for.
"Anyone here for Ms Duquesne?" A tall doctor with brown peppered hair asked as he ventured into the reception area.
"Doctor, I'm Doctor Alex Woods and this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine, we're with the Miami Dade Police department and also work with Calleigh" Alex announced before Horatio could comment.
"Please have a seat" Dr Simons indicated as both Horatio and Alex had stood up at his question.
"Do either of you know what happened to her?" Dr Simons asked directing his question towards Horatio.
"She was kidnapped two days ago, I believe she must have escaped at some point we found her walking down a road in the everglades" Horatio answered not letting himself think about what he had just said.
"That would explain some of the injuries. Ms Duquesne is severely dehydrated, hypothermic, has several lacerations to her feet and face, her left thumb has been dislocated, two bruised ribs and the amount of bruising on the rest of her body is something I usually see in domestic violence or rape cases, she's lucky to be alive the amount of bruising around her neck indicates someone was very close to killing her, we've had to put her on a ventilator to keep the airway open. I understand you will need to take pictures, a nurse took some preliminary photo's and a SART kit in the ER and we've bagged what was left of her clothes but can I ask you to wait a couple of hours until we have her settled before processing her, we need to make sure her body temperature has bee brought back up to normal." The doctor requested.
Horatio's jaw had tightened at the mention of how close she had been to death. He started thinking about Mark and what he had done to her.
"Can we see her?" Alex asked
"Of course I'll have a nurse take you to her room, I hope you find the man who did this, now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to the ER" the doctor replied before leaving them to digest what they had just been told.
"If you'd like to follow me" a nurse with raven hair requested as she turned toward the elevator.
The trip to Calleigh's room was silent, with Alex steeling glances a Horatio trying to figure out what was going on in his head. As they reached the doorway Alex noticed he faltered as if having second thoughts about crossing the threshold into her room. Alex slowly grabbed his hand and helped him take that step into the bright sterile room that lay beyond.
Both of them knew it was going to look bad, but neither Horatio nor Alex was fully prepared what lay in front of them. Calleigh was surrounded by various machines doing their programmed jobs, if anything she looked worse than before almost blending in with the crisp white sheets of the hospital bed except for the vivid bruising that marred her features. Horatio let go of Alex's hand and made his way towards the bed. He pulled up the available chair taking her free hand being careful of the IV's and placed it in his own giving it a small kiss as he did so.
Alex turned to give him the privacy that he needed, as she slowly made it back to the door she turned to see his shoulders start to shake, it was at that point she realized that she was witnessing something that she had never seen before, there before her was Horatio Caine crying.