It was actually to pick up the engagement ring Eric has found and Calleigh helped pick out. It was very special and Eric wanted to get it engraved. His cousin in Tampa Bay helped him out with that as a favor.
a short fix-it of sorts, during the events of season eight, episode twenty, "backfire", just a little twist to the scene for my boys.
tumblr — @ericdelko
another short little twist for my boys, also cause i was wondering who called eric about this. probably the show could hint that eric was probably calleigh's emergency contact or something like that, but i thought this might work in my favor.
(/ = time skip)
day three and it has led to this, hope you all enjoy!
Ryan watches in horror as Calleigh struggles to breathe, the paramedics loading her up in the ambulance.
He struggles to dig his phone out of his pocket, blindly dialing the one number he knows by heart.
Waiting for the pick up, Ryan is already dreading what he's about to say. He's saved from his thoughts by a voice.
"Hello? Ryan? What's up, aren't you at work?" Eric's voice flows out of the phone and Ryan can feel his jaw loose by a millimeter.
"Eric. Sorry, but something happened, Calleigh's headed to the hospital."
Ryan's ears perk up at the sound of a curse and for a second there's silence. He thinks either Eric didn't hear him or the call has dropped, when Eric's voice returns, more rough and lower.
"What?!?" Eric demands and Ryan already feels a headache coming over him.
Eric repeats himself, louder, "What?!? Are you ok, what happened? Is Calleigh okay? Where are you? I'm coming back now!"
Ryan looks over his shoulder and then walks to a quieter place. "There was a fire this morning and Calleigh and I ran in when there was a boy stuck in there. I got out first but Calleigh got stuck trying to help an officer. Being in there too long is causing her lungs to act out."
"Listen, I'm heading back right now, I'll go meet her at the hospital, you go back to work as long as you're okay."
"I'm fine, though I wish I could switch places with Calleigh."
"Don't, she'll be fine, okay Ryan?"
Ryan breathes in and lets it out. "Right, you're right. Text me when you get there and be careful."
Hanging up, Ryan heads back as he spots Walter and Jesse pull up to the scene.
/
Eric's finishing up a text to Ryan as he steps into the hallway when he notices Jesse and Natalia come out of the elevator.
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he jogs towards them, following as they make their way to Calleigh's room.
The adrenaline burning in his veins disappear, fear filling the void instead when he catches a sight of calleigh. Still and quiet, she lays in the hospital bed, peaceful and stress free.
It's much later when she's awake and after Eric's delivered her case solving to Horatio that he shows Calleigh.
The whole reason why he was in Tampa Bay wasn't a work trip like he told Ryan.
It was actually to pick up the engagement ring Eric has found and Calleigh helped pick out. It was very special and Eric wanted to get it engraved. His cousin in Tampa Bay helped him out with that as a favor.
At least he was able to pick it up before Ryan called and he raced back.
Eric knows that this isn't the right time yet, what with everything going on at the state's attorney and them getting back together, but he had planned this even before the shooting incident.
Hopefully Eric will find the right time to propose, but right now it's just good enough he has Ryan back.