Jay pulled Claudia aside and told her he would be back in a little while with the surprise. He went back over to Horatio and told him to behave.
"Be good now, we don't want to knock you out again lieutenant; we want you wide awake for this!"
Horatio just watched as Jay kissed Claudia and said, "Be right back Sweetheart!"
With the slam of the door, he left. Horatio's stomach turned, he wanted to puke! They're both insane, he thought to himself.
Claudia walked back over to Horatio and eyed him up and down, "You're not going anywhere are you? Of course you're not!"
She said laughing, walking out the door to the room. Horatio took in a deep breath, he was exhausted. He tried to look around and examine his surroundings. His head dropped down and his eyes began to close again….
Back at the lab- Eric, Calleigh and Ryan were processing the evidence; Alex walked into the lab and went over to Calleigh.
"Anything yet?"
"No, AFIS is checking the prints now; hopefully we get a hit soon!" Calleigh answered.
"What about the needle? Did you find out what was in it yet?" Alex asked Ryan.
"No, still checking though, something definitely foreign. I found several properties and compounds that would include anticoagulant, vasilodilatory and cardio-vascular. Not sure what that means yet. The weird thing is that it's similar to bee venom but it is 1000 parts per million. I don't think it's bee but it is defiantly some kind of venom. I think It's mixed with something else, I'm close, I'll figure it out."
"Bee?" Alex asked, shaking her head.
"What Alex?" Ryan questioned. Calleigh and Eric had both turned to look over to Alex,
"What is it Alex?" Calleigh asked concerned now.
"Horatio had an allergy to bees." She stated, looking down and wondering how this could get any worse.
"What!" Calleigh quickly responded, shocked. "Wait, you said had, what does that mean?"
"How do you know Alex?" Ryan continued.
"Sugar I worked with him a lot longer than you, trust me… I know ok."
Eric spoke, "We have to keep focus here, let's keep working the evidence, like H would tell us."
Thinking to himself the whole time, that it was someone who knew H and his background. He was getting more worried by the minute. He told Ryan to keep at it and when he looked over to Calleigh he knew she was about to bust, she had tears welled up in her eyes. Eric looked to Alex, who took his cue, she went over to Calleigh and rubbed her back.
"Calleigh, How about a cup of coffee honey?"
"No, its ok Alex I really need to work…" Eric cut her off and told her to take a break. "Calleigh it will do you good, refresh your mind and give you more energy." He forced a smiled to her. "Besides I'm going when you get back, so you better save me some ok?" Smiling, trying to convince her.
She nodded to him and forced a small smile back, she knew he understood. Alex rubbed her back and they walked out together to the break room. Alex tried to reassure Calleigh they would find Horatio but Calleigh's mind just kept running away with her. They were not positive thoughts she was having, how could she, after all this.
"Tell me about his allergy Alex" Calleigh asked her, sitting down with her coffee. Turing the cup round and round with her hands.
"Well, a while back he was stung and it almost killed him, we rushed him to the hospital where he was told of the allergy. The doctor said he was lucky. I remember we were talking one minute and the next, he passed out on the floor. We had no idea what had happened till the doctors in the hospital found the culprit inside his shirt, it was a bee. He was chasing a suspect and one thing lead to another and he tackled him into some bushes, they were fighting it out on the grass. Horatio got control and cuffed him and that was that. He seemed fine, wasn't even breathing hard after the struggle. A few minutes passed and he started having trouble breathing, sweat was rolling off his forehead and he began to turn pale. I asked him if he was ok, and well, you know Horatio. He said he was fine "Out of shape" I believe were his words to me and he began to walk away. Sugar, he dropped like a ton of bricks. We didn't know what happened, his pulse was racing at 200 bpm and he was unconscious. We didn't know what to think with the way he just passed out on us."
"I didn't know that." Calleigh sighed, sadly
"How would you?" Alex answered, now taking hold of her hand.
"I should have told him how I felt Alex… he doesn't even know." Calleigh whispered.
"Oh honey, I think he has the same feelings you do and trust me baby, he knows. That man has it bad for you, when you came into post yesterday he practical undressed you with his eyes and when you left,.. huh,.. sugar,.. I had to snap my fingers to get him back to the here and now! He was caught in the Calleigh Trance, the trance You, put him into." Alex said laughing.
"He couldn't wait to get out of there and go chase you down. He did find you didn't he,….in the break room, umm.. having coffee?" Alex asked her now smiling, knowing the answer already.
"How did he know where I….."
"A little birdie told him." Alex said laughing. "He was leaving and I told him he seemed distracted today. Well you know Horatio, he just sort of looked down and back up with his puppy dog eyes. At first he took it wrong, he had that guilty look." Alex laughed, thinking about it.
"Then when I told him that a certain ballistics expert would be in the break room having coffee now, and how I thought a nice cup of coffee with her would help his distraction. Well girl, he laughed, looked away but finally got my message. Did one of his Mmm's and walking out the door mumbled "Coffee it is! Thank you Alex." Baby, he was purring."
I thought he was acting strangely in the break room yesterday." Calleigh said smiling and blushing now.
"Really, why?"
"Well when he walked in he had this goofy grin on his face and you could tell he was thinking about something funny. So I asked him what was so funny. He just looked at me and said "What do you mean?" With the tilt of his head and all, Like he had no clue what I was talking about."
"I just rolled my eyes and thought to myself, "men." Then he made himself a coffee and came over and sat down on the couch across from me."
"So what's so strange about that?"
"Well the few years working here and I've never seen Horatio sit down on the couch, he always sits at the table or stands for that matter. Then he asked me how I was doing. When ever we talked before it was always about the cases we were working on, never personal I mean. He even asked how my dad was and I think, I kinda almost choked on my coffee. I did notice something though," Calleigh smiled to Alex now. "He seemed really relaxed, I mean, he sat back and just… I never get… I mean… he just…his eyes and…."
"Calleigh, earth to Calleigh?" Alex pulled on her hand and smiled to her.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm ok, Just, crazy about that man, ya know?"
"I Know!" Alex chuckled.
"You're both just afraid to take the first steps. It will happen Calleigh, trust me. If the sea were between you two, all you'd have to do is look at each other, and it would part faster than it did for moses." Alex said laughing now.
Calleigh also laughed and was smiling now, Alex succeeded, she cheered her up a bit and knew she would be better now.
"I think I am going to get some fresh air before I head back to the lab."
"Thanks Alex" and she gave her a big hug.
"Anytime Calleigh, you know I am always here for you honey."
Calleigh was standing on the steps in front of HQ. She took in a deep breath and tried to focus herself. All her thoughts were on Horatio and what Alex just told her. She questioned herself, Why didn't I tell him? She was zoning out when her phone rang and a male voice asked,
"Do you want to see him alive again?"
TBC...