Chapter 20

She had no idea for how long she had slept, but she was awaked. Somebody stroke through her hair. She kept her head down on the bed and her eyes shut. She was totally overtired and wanted to proceed sleeping. Who could that be? She knew that Speed wanted to visit Horatio when shift was over. "Seeming he is already there" she thought.

"Tim would you please let me sleep a little bit longer?" she muttered. There was no response, but the person stopped stroking her.

"Tim?" she heard a voice asking, which didn't belong to Speed. Suddenly she was awake and sat up.

"Oh my God." Once again she cried. "You're awake. You're right back."

Horatio smiled. She hugged him intimate.

"I was away?" he tried to say, but his voice was just a caw. She handed him a glass of water which he took thankfully.

"I'm so happy that you're awake finitely. Don't ever occur to scare me once again." She looked at him reproachfully.

"To be honest I can't remember nothing at all. The last thing I can remember is that there was a shot. After that, I have no idea."

"You were wounded and it was not sure if you…" she didn't finish the sentence.

He took her hand. "Oh, I understand. But now I'm here again, right?" He tried to look down on himself to have a look where he has been wounded.

"Ehm Calleigh, where have I been wounded?"

"In your stomach, for that reason it was so dangerous Horatio."

"Does it look serious?"

"I have no idea."

"No? You haven't been here before?" he sounded disappointed.

"Yes I do. Every day."

"And you didn't have a look?" he sounded astonished.

"Well.. yes.. you just wear this lovely hospital gown and nothing else. And if I had looked after your wound, I would have seen…" she blushed a little bit. He looked at her and smiled.

"Well, there would be nothing that you haven't seen from me before." She threw an angry look at him so he continued. "But, we're no couple any longer, so far as I recall, so I can understand you. I'll have a look at it sometime." For a while there was silence. She looked to the wall and he had a long close look at her. Something was different, but what?

"Aren't you tired Horatio?"

"Oh well, since I slept the last days, I'm pretty fit." He tried to sit up, but this wasn't a good idea. You could see the pain in his face.

"Maybe you should stay laying Horatio."

"Yes, a very good idea."

"Yelina asked me to give you nice regard from her." She said this without any emotion.

"From Yelina? Thank you." He had no idea what to say, after all, the dispute concerning Yelina was still in his mind.

"I'll call the others, especially Tim, who wanted to visit you tonight."

"No Calleigh, please wait a moment. I really want to talk with you."

She remained seated. Certainly she could imagine about what he wanted to talk, but she didn't say something.

"Ok. Kick off." She smiled at him knowing. Somehow this made him insecure, but what he wanted to say had to be said. Maybe she had scruple to strike him here in the hospital, in particular because he was already injured.

He was able to feel her last outburst of fury at home for days. He took a deep breath.

"So" he started "it's about us, or better about the thing that we have been." He took a break to wait for the counter-reaction, but there was none. A trifle bemused he went on.

"I think there were many misunderstandings between us. All I can say is that there wasn't something, isn't something and will never be something going on with Yelina." He prepared himself for an outburst of fury, but again there was none.

Instead of that there was just a calm "I know".

Now he was totally confused. "You know?"

"Yes. I talked with Yelina while you were sleeping."

"Oh."

"She explained me everything. She told me about your conversation with Stetler and the conversation between you two. She told me everything."

"Everything?" He felt uneasy.

"Don't be afraid. She told me nothing about the topic of your conversation."

His tenseness seceded. "So you aren't angry with me any longer?"

"I am still angry."

"Brilliant. What have I done wrong already again?" he asked himself. "And why?"

"Because you didn't tell me. Why didn't you tell me about your feelings for Yelina?" she sounded sad and that hurt him.

"I wish I could explain that to you Cal and I really ask myself why I haven't told you. There was no reason to lie to you, but nevertheless I did it. I was… scared about what you would think about me, because I fell in love with my sister-in-law. Furthermore I was scared that you would think what you have thought. Namely that you are my second choice. Because you aren't…. you weren't and you won't be my second choice. I hope you trust me Cal."

She just looked at him. His eyes reflected two emotions. On the one hand that he was embarrassed by talking about his fears, on the other hand there was this honesty which showed her how serious he was.

"I trust you, Horatio. But if you were honest to me in the past, everything would have gone a lot easier."

"I know that. But I can't turn back time, as much I'd like to do that. And you've been here every day?"

"Yes every day. The nurses asked me if I'd like to have a bed for my own." She laughed and that was the first time that she laughed for days. Even Horatio couldn't deny himself of smiling. She made her hair to a ponytail. Something got his attention.

"Cal.. you changed your mind?"

"About what?"

He took it in his hand. "This."

"Oh I see. Yes I did. Besides you mind that."

"No, no I'm happy that you wear the H again."

"As long as you want to."

"Oh then you have to wear it a long time." He shut his mouth as he realized what he had said. She just smiled, stood up and walked to the window.

"And again a beautiful day in Miami is over."

He looked at her a long time. He loved her, for him she was still the most wonderful woman in the world. He took all his eggs into one basket.

tbc

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Sorry for this small cliff hanger. Thanks to theshowpopper and hotchner for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. Hope you can relax now hotchner… grin