28.

It was much later in the afternoon, and about half an hour after he had called Frank, when Horatio approached Schell's room at the hospital. A policeman was still standing guard, to his relief, and Dr. Alcalá was just coming out of the room, holding her ever present notepad. She smiled as she saw who was coming, but stopped him from entering the room. He was carrying a small overnight bag in one hand.

"Lieutenant Caine..." she greeted, as he removed his sunglasses and looked at her curiously.

"Dr. Alcalá?" he asked, sensing something was up.

"Oh, please!" she said with a laugh, "Everyone calls me Dr. Yadi. Short for Ydira, my first name."

Horatio ducked his head, smiled slightly and looked at her curiously with his brows raised in inquiry. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, no, no!" Yadi replied, "You can go in, but just be aware that we've taken out the IV, the catheter and weaned her off the pain machine. She's a little depressed. Especially when I told her she couldn't go home until after she used the restroom on her own, which she did, and was able to walk down to the end of the hall and back, which she couldn't."

"Couldn't..." Horatio started, looking alarmed.

"The after effects of both a car accident and the surgery, Lieutenant. She's in quite a bit of muscular pain. Very, very sore and she's terribly weak, which is understandable. I know she's on the way to recovery judging by how much she wants out of here, but she can't go yet. Maybe tomorrow afternoon, but for now? No way. Is it still your plan to take care of her?"

"By all means," Horatio said firmly.

"Good... but you? You look like you have something on your mind?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Horatio said. "Something has come up that could possibly put her, yourself and the hospital staff in some danger. I wanted to warn you, to take some measures for protection..." He paused at the look of alarm and indignation on the doctor's face.

"In this hospital!" Yadi snapped. "Now wait just..."

"Dr. Alcalá, someone is bent on killing your patient, and I am just as determined to keep her alive and safe. And I am even more interested in catching the person responsible. We can work as a team here..." Horatio replied.

The doctor eyed him suspiciously, "How?" she demanded.

A distinctly predatory smile appeared on the red head's lips. "I've got an idea..." he murmured.

Moments later he silently entered Schell's room. Propped up by pillows, she was laying on her left side, and he saw tear tracks on her cheek. Already the swelling of her lip was noticeably reduced, but that just left the bruising more visible. There was a crumpled up tissue clutched in her hand, and he thought she was asleep at first when he tried to move the chair closer to the bed. However when he looked at her again she was gazing balefully at him for a moment, until she realized who it was.

"Hey..." she murmured and gave him a slight smile.

"Hey, yourself..." he said, lifting the overnight bag, and setting it on the bed next to her.
"I got your things," he murmured, sitting down and looking at her with that deep compassion she remembered from Seattle. About to lose her composure again, Schell sniffed and looked at the bag, then glanced at him again.

"Thank you," she said, "And forgive me, I've got a bad case of the weepies..."

"I may have a solution for that..." he murmured to her, a sly smile playing across his lips as he watched her. She was gazing at the bag again, reaching over and pulling it closer.

"I think the only solution I could handle right now is getting out of here..." Schell mumbled, looking ashamed of herself. "I just want some decent sleep and my own bed." Looking abashed, she glanced up at him. "I'm sorry. Just ignore my complaining, Horatio. I hurt..."

"I understand..." he said, smiling, and reached up to take her hand in his own. "You don't have to apologize, either. I can promise you one of those things, but not the other," he added.

Schell paused and looked at him with a frown of puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"I've been talking to Dr. Alcalá... she's agreed to release you," he said softly. He thoroughly enjoyed the look of bewilderment, replaced by hope, that sparked in her pain-dulled eyes.

"She did...?"

"Uh huh," he murmured, reaching up to stroke her hair back off her face, "She's getting the release forms now and your prescriptions, though I did take the liberty of telling her not to prescribe you Oxycontin."

"Oxycontin...?" she asked and gazed at him in puzzlement.

"Just call it an old policeman's instinct. Oxy is the number one prescription drug stolen from patients who go to get it filled. I won't have that happening to you," he smiled gently, tucked his chin in and looked up at her.

Schell blushed a little, then squeezed his hand as she considered what he said before she glanced up, "But you're sure she said I could go home? She was adamant early about not letting me go."

"She was reluctant... but it's been well over 36 hours now since your surgery and you've had no complications."

"I can hardly walk at the moment..." she said, with a note of bitterness.

He smiled, "She told me that. She was happy you made it to the end of the hall. So here is what you need to do..." he nodded at the bag. "One of my detectives is going to stop by here shortly, and while I talk to him and move the Hummer, you get dressed. Dr. Alcalá will have everything ready by then and I'll take you home," he said. "How does that sound?"

The look on her face was answer enough for him...

Frank arrived a short time later, looking a bit confused when he spotted an officer still standing watch by Schell's door, but not Horatio. He nodded at the young policeman, saw a buzz of activity behind a curtain in the room, and looked around perplexed.

"You see where Lieutenant Caine went?" he asked --in a mild form of his normal bark-- to the policeman.

"Said something about moving the Hummer, sir, said he'd be right back..." he added. Frank's ears heard the ringing of the elevator door, and he turned to see Horatio walking out of the car.

"You sure as hell set off a flurry of activity in the lab," he remarked as Horatio approached him.

"Excellent," he replied as Frank put his hands on his hips and looked at his boss. Horatio leaned over, casting a glance into the room then looked back at Frank.

"What's up?" Frank growled, seeing the look of the predator all over Horatio's face.

"Plenty. I need you to set some things up for me here, while I move our victim to a safer place. Here's what's happening..." he said and began bringing Frank and the young policeman up to date. A gleam of delight lit a fire behind Frank's penetrating hazel eyes and he smirked as Horatio laid out his plans.

A moment later, the nurse, Greta, was wheeling Schell out of the room in a wheelchair, followed by Dr. Alcalá. Schell had donned the jumper Horatio had brought to her, brushed her hair and was sitting with the overnight bag and several others in her lap.

"Ready?" Horatio asked as Frank did a double take, looking over at her.

"More then ready! Right?" Dr. Alcalá joked, gently patting Schell's good shoulder. Her other arm was strapped to her body in an immobilizing sling. Horatio noticed that Schell was nearly grey with the effort of getting ready to leave.

"More then ready..." Schell murmured, looking up at Horatio and casting a curious glance at Frank.

"Schell, this is Detective Frank Tripp," Horatio said, making the introductions. "He's going to take you down to the Hummer, while I talk with Dr. Alcalá a moment, all right?" Horatio handed Frank his keys.

"I am?" Frank asked suddenly, causing Schell to duck her head in amusement at his stunned look. Frank was just reaching down to shake her hand.

"Only to the car, Frank, I'll be right there," Horatio said, with the faintest hint of amusement towards Frank.

"Okay, then I will see you again the day after tomorrow... " Yadi replied, smiling at Schell as Greta moved forward. "So what else did you need, Lieutenant?" She asked as the three moved towards the elevator.

"What I need you to do is this..." Horatio replied.

Having made full use of the brass pass, Horatio was parked directly in front of the doors, when Greta, Frank and Schell emerged.

"My driving days are done..." Greta said with a smile as she came to a stop just outside the entrance. "Miss Demereau, you get lots of rest, and take good care of yourself," she said. "Oh yeah, and what happened yesterday?" she said and winked conspiratorially at her. "Good aim..." She left them there with Frank looking decidedly awkward as he reluctantly began pushing the wheelchair towards the Hummer.

"Good aim?" Frank asked as he reached up to open the passenger door. "Here, let me get those..." he muttered, taking the bags from off her lap. Setting them on the floorboard, he looked at her curiously as she reached down to set a brake.

"I was a little sick after surgery yesterday," Schell said and looked up at him apologetically. "Can you give me a hand?" She asked.

"Oh, pardon me!" Frank said, suddenly serious as he took in what she said and played connect the dots with what he knew. Giving her his arm, she stood up with a moan of pain, and he was all attention. He very carefully helped her into the Hummer, aware from the small noises that she was one hurting soul.

She sat back into the seat with an enormous sigh of relief, closed her eyes, and relaxed.

"Thank you, Detective Tripp."

"Oh, to hell with formalities, Miss Demereau, just call me Frank."

She opened her eyes and smiled wanly. "Then call me Schell," she replied.

Frank chuckled, nudging the wheelchair away. "Rather call you Bullseye... was that Rick Stetler you happened to get sick all over?" he asked as he reached across her and very carefully helped her buckle in, loosening the seatbelt significantly.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Schell said, stiffening slightly, trying not to flinch at the seatbelt.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!" Frank chuckled, buckling the belt in with a metallic snap.

"So I get the impression..." Schell replied, closing her eyes wearily, when he had finished. "I just wish he would have minded his own business," she sighed, and Frank could see she was wiped out.

"I'd like nothing more then five minutes alone with the ah..." he started to say, then caught himself. "With that north end of a south facing mule."

Schell snorted softly in amusement, winced, and pulled the shoulder strap away from her body.

"Sorry..." Frank mumbled, looking sympathetic. "I know it's gotta hurt to laugh right now."

"Laughter is the best medicine, right?" She whispered.

"That's what they say..." Frank said, hearing the doors of the hospital entrance opening, he glanced around and saw Horatio approaching. "Your chauffeur has arrived," he added and actually winked at her, standing up straight as Horatio joined them.

"All set?" he asked.

"Are you?" Frank shot back, his eyes sparkling with challenge.

"As soon as you are..." Horatio replied.

Frank started to chuckle as he stepped aside and grabbed the handle on the wheelchair. "Miss Demereau..." he said, by way of saying goodbye.

"Detective..." she replied, glancing at him and smiling. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, and if you want something done about..."

"If it involves a certain IA agent, Frank..." Horatio said mildly, but there was a hint of steel in his voice. He was checking to make sure Schell was settled in, before he stood back and shut the door to the Hummer.

"Dammit Horatio, you ruin all my fun," Frank grumbled, trying to pull the wheelchair and forgetting the brake was set.

"You'll have plenty of it in the next 24 hours."

"That's what you keep implying, but nothings happened yet!" Franks growled good-naturedly as he wrestled with the wheelchair a moment. He snapped the brake release, hearing Horatio chuckling as he walked around the front of the Hummer.

"If my hunch is right, it will happen sooner then later..." Horatio replied, then climbed into the vehicle. "Ready?" he asked Schell, looking at her with a bit of concern.

She nodded her head, lifting a hand to wave Frank a goodbye, as Horatio started the vehicle and pulled away from the curb. "More then you can ever know!" she sighed, closing her eyes wearily. "You're a miracle worker, you know?"

"Me?" Horatio asked, looking away from her as he pulled out onto the main road.

"You," she said. "When they took everything off me this morning? I just wanted to go home and go to bed, but they kept interrupting, and interrupting, then Dr. Yadi said no to going home and I just started feeling sorry for myself..." she smiled in self-mockery, looking over at Horatio. "Now here you are, springing me from that place... Home and bed and a shower. That's a miracle, considering what happened with the rest of this day."

"Hmmm," Horatio murmured, smiling mysteriously, "I said in the hospital that I could promise you one, but not the other. I think I can promise you two, but not one."

"What d'you mean?" Schell asked, sighing again, closing her eyes as she relaxed into the seat.

"I think you'll figure it out in about 30 seconds..." Horatio replied mysteriously. Schell frowned a little and opened her eyes.

They were already down Lincoln Boulevard, heading rapidly towards the ocean. For that matter, as Schell looked out the windshield, she could see her apartment complex rapidly approaching.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"Oh, a lot of things, " he replied vaguely, a hint of amusement in his voice. He cruised right past her place on Ocean Court and continuing down to Ocean Beach Drive.

Schell, seeing her apartment whisk by, started to say, "Uh..."

"Remember what I said..." Horatio smiled slyly. "I can promise you one, but not the other."

He came to the stop a block past her place and turned right.

"Where are we going?" she asked, sounding a little disappointed, as she watched her apartment shrink in the distance before turning to look at Horatio.

"Someplace where you can sleep in a real bed and shower, if you're up to it." He responded, cruising towards the southern tip of South Beach. The bigger and much more expensive condos, right on the sand, were clustered there. He slowed, signalling a left, in front of a sign announcing Casablanca South Beach.

Schell paused for a moment, looking at the back of his head as he was checking to make the left turn. "Oh, wait a second," she said as he took a chance with the traffic lightening up. "Oh, wait just a second, you mean to tell me..." she started.

Horatio only chuckled at her, pausing at the gate as the guard waved him on. He glanced at her, seeing the look of realization on her face, and he smiled.

"My place..." he said, "not yours."