They all sat around the table just staring up at the TV screen on the wall.
"How do they find out so quickly" Ryan asked, shaking his head.
"You should know, Ryan." Eric teased.
Frank's phone rang and he was updated on the search for the suspects.
"Frank anything yet?" Eric nodded his head asking.
"No, nothing yet Eric but we'll find em." He answered, running his fingers along his mouth.
"Calleigh, honey you ok? Alex inquired softly; she could tell Calleigh was in a fog.
Ryan put his hand on Calleigh's shoulder and she jumped. "Sorry Calleigh, just wanted to make sure you were ok."
The phone rang, they all checked but it belonged to Alex. All eyes and ears were on Alex now, she answered it.
"Yes, ok doctor, were on our way now." She closed the phone.
"He wants to talk to us now; we have to meet him in the surgical waiting area."
The sound of chairs moving and they were up. "Did he say anything Alex?" Calleigh questioned.
"He said he's in critical condition and he needs to speak with us."
They stepped into the elevator, each thinking to themselves, not a word was spoken. The doctor was talking to a nurse when they arrived.
"I want to know if one vital sign changes, do you understand me?" He said in a stern voice. "If his temperature goes up one point, I want to know about it, beep me, page me, I don't care, I want to know about it. Are we clear? He asked the nurse, sternly now.
"Yes doctor, we are clear." The nurse answered him nervously.
"Let's keep a close eye on him, ok Maria?" His tone lowered and he nodded his head to her and gave her a smile.
"Thank you Maria."
She smiled back at him now "Your welcome Dr. Gannon" She answered him, feeling lighter now.
"Doctor" Alex spoke first. "How is he, how did the surgery go?"
He took a look at the group and said "Why don't we sit down." He led them over to some chairs in the waiting area. Alex and Calleigh sat down with him and Frank, Eric and Ryan stood standing.
He leaned toward Alex and Calleigh sitting on the edge of his chair.
"Ok, I am going to be straight with you all, he's lucky to still be alive. Right now he's in critical condition and we're keeping a very close watch on him. We had to put him on a ventilator to help him breath. He has a punctured lung and pneumonia, so the ventilator will be a big help to him right now. He also has a concussion and broken ribs; we have to get him stabilized before we can do more testing. We were able to stop the internal bleeding, which is good. The hypothermia saved him you know, slowed his heart rate, he's lucky."
His eyes stood locked on Alex and Calleigh, trying to reassure them but also trying to prepare them at the same time. He could see how worried they were and he didn't wish to make things harder for them. He hoped he could truly tell them that Horatio would be ok but he had his doubts.
"If Lt Caine can make it through….."
"What do you mean if? Can I see him?" Calleigh snapped and cut him off. Alex looked at Calleigh and started to say something, when the doctor's beeper went off.
He examined his beeper and jumped up "I have to go, it's another patient, I'll be back to talk with you." As he back up down the hall, turned and went through the doors in a hurry.
They were all holding their breath and sighed with relief, when the doctor said it was not Horatio.
About 20 minutes later Dr. Gannon came through the doors, they all looked over when the doors began to open. He swiped his surgical hat off his head with one hand and gripped it tightly in frustration. He seemed angry and walking past the group, he put his hand up and looked at Alex and said "Give me a minute please, I need to see someone first."
His voice was low and steady. His shirt was wet with sweat and his hair was damp, he walked down the hall and stopped right before he reached the surgical waiting room, he look down to the floor and shook his head. He took in a deep breath and entered the room.
About 5 minutes later he came out with his arm around a woman. She was crying hysterical and he was trying to comfort her. She was with a younger man who was also very upset. He sat them down and talked with them for a while, they seemed to be in shock. They stood up and the younger man put his hand out to the doctor and he shook it. The woman gave him a hug and began crying again.
"I am so sorry." He said, unable to make eye contact now.
They thanked him and began to slowly walk away, down the hall. He watched them leave and the moment the doors closed behind them, he collapsed back down into the chair exhausted. He leaned forward and put his head in both hands.
It never gets any easier, he thought to himself. No matter how many times you have to tell it. He took a deep breath and said, "Let's go, back to work Joe, snap out of it." He told himself and looked up.
He saw her standing alone near the restroom, just starting out the window, lost in thought. He hadn't noticed before how beautiful she was and it caught him off guard now. He laughed to himself, all work and no play!
She had beautiful green eyes and long blond hair. She had an aura of sexiness about her, he thought. A killer body, petite, with very nice curves, he thought staring now. Her stance told him she was confident and... now he realized he was gawking and looked away.
He spotted Alex. He looked back to Calleigh and saw the tears in her eyes, he stood up and walked over to her, she was oblivious to him.
"Excuse me, are.. you.. ok?" He asked her and put his hand on her shoulder.
Calleigh jumped, "What!" She said surprised.
She realized it was Horatio's doctor. "Sorry I …she looked down to the floor.
"It's ok, really" he said, smiling to her now, knowing he spooked her.
He stood next to her now and also stared out the window, he crossed his arms, like hers and said, "You know, they say, if you stare like that for to long, you could end up stuck that way forever."
He leaned his head forward and peeked at her now. He was immediately rewarded; Calleigh blushed and let a small smile come through.
"See that wasn't so bad, was it?" He smiled at her now.
"Is he going to be ok?" She whispered.
He looked down to the floor for a moment and then back up at her. He smiled and said "C'mon." He put one arm around her shoulder and walked her back to where the team was.
Alex looked surprised when they turned the corner together. "There you are?" She said.
Before any one had a chance to speak, he asked "You want to see him?" He looked at Calleigh and did not wait for her answer.
"C'mon lets go see him." And he led Alex and Calleigh through the doors. Alex turned to Eric, Ryan and Frank and said "I'll be right back with an update." relief in her voice.
Calleigh was first to the bed and in an instant she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
"Hey, I'm right here Horatio." She whispered to him. "Hang in there, you're gonna be ok."
The nurse looked up at Calleigh and told her she could not be here right now. She didn't see the doctor behind her and he gave the nurse a nod, letting her know it was ok.
Alex began talking with the doctor and one of the monitors began to beep. The doctor looked up immediately and walked over to Horatio's bedside. His blood pressure was 80/40 since the surgery, now it just jumped up to 90/60. He examined him and the monitors closely.
"What is it?" Calleigh asked worried now.
"Its ok honey, his blood pressure just got better." Alex smiled to Calleigh now and back at the doctor.
"Horatio you hear that, your doing better, just keep fighting ok? I know you hear me Horatio."
"Beep, beep, beep…"What in the world…" The doctor began to say and Alex cut him off.
"Honey, you should have let her in here a whole lot sooner." Alex laughed now to the doctor.
"All his vitals are going up Dr. Gannon!" The nurse said, with a smile.
"Yes, I can see that Maria, thank you." He said smiling back now, in awe.
"Yes, it seems you're right Dr. Woods, I should have let her in here sooner." He smiled.
He walked over to Calleigh's side and told her, "Just keep doing, whatever it is you're doing….it's working." He smile to her and patted her back.
"Can I stay… Please?" Calleigh asked him almost begging with her big green puppy dog eyes.
"Well, I really see no harm in letting you stay, he seems to be responding to you and doing better, I may add. One condition, ok? If there are any complications, you need to listen to Maria and do what she tells you. Deal?" He smiled at Calleigh now.
"DEAL!" With a big beautiful smile, she agreed.
He was taken back by the sparkle in her smile and lost track of what he was saying. She's gorgeous he thought, beautiful green eyes and a smile that could….."
"Ummm….Ok, Umm.. a couple of things, first here is my card, my phone, beeper and cell numbers are on it. Don't hesitate to call me…anytime, ok, ummm...
"Calleigh." She answered. She finished for him and put her hand out to him, "Calleigh Duquesne, nice to meet you."
He shook her hand and said "My pleasure, I just wish it could be under better circumstances."
That's when he saw her wrists; some blood had soaked through the bandages. He took hold of her hands and examined both wrists.
"What happened?" He said turning her hands with his, looking into her eyes now. Calleigh looked away and back to Horatio now. She gently slid her hands from the doctor and went and sat back down near Horatio.
Alex spoke to Joe "Long story doctor, tomorrows a new day." He understood Alex and dismissed himself. "So, you have my numbers, like I said, anytime, ok?"
"Yes, Thank you so much Dr. Gannon" C alleigh said, looking over to him.
"Alex same goes for you, anytime ok? He handed her a card also, smiling to her.
"What do you think Dr. Gannon" Alex started but he cut her off.
"Joe, call me Joe." He insisted. "Well tonight should tell us one way or the other, if he can get through tonight, I think his chances will be good. Then we can get him off the ventilator and the critical list…all in steps. Right now baby steps, but everyone forward is a good one." He said smiling to them.
"Beep, beep, beep." They all looked at the monitors again, everything was normal. It was the doctor's beeper, another emergency he was needed for. "Looks like I am gonna be here a while, so anything, like I said, just call me."
"Thank you doc.., Thank you Joe, thank you very much!" Calleigh said, with much appreciation.
"Yes" Alex said. "You are a wonderful doctor and we're all grateful to you. "Thank you doesn't even begin to express our gratitude."
Alex smiled to him and gave him a hug. Looking toward Horatio, she said to the doctor, "He's a very special man; we all love him very, very much!" Tears filled her eyes now.
"Yes, I can see that." He said and left them both smiling.
Alex went back outside to let the others know how Horatio was doing, she was smiling now. Thinking about how Horatio's Blood Pressure went up when Calleigh held his hand.
She thought to herself, if these two don't get together after this, I swear, I'll put them in a cell together and throw away the key myself!
Franks phone rang, he opened it.
"We found the van." A voice stated.
"Ok, I'll get the team there to process it."
Eric told Alex they would do the leg work on this one. Frank, Ryan, and Eric left the hospital and went to process the van. She would keep them updated.
Alex brought back some coffee for Calleigh.
"Mmmm" Thanks Alex.
"You welcome Calleigh, how's he doing? Still squeezing your hand?
"Uh huh" Calleigh smiled. "I know he hears us Alex."
"You can bet your job on that Calleigh, I know he does too." Alex smiled to her.
"Here let me clean up your wrists and re-bandage them, ok?
"It's ok Alex…"
"That's not going to work with me Calleigh, now give me your hands!"
Alex took some supplies from Maria and cleaned up Calleigh's wrists. She bandaged them with the gauze and made sure it was not too tight.
"You get hurt anywhere else Calleigh?"
"No..." She paused and said. "He did, they really hurt him Alex, I still can't believe it all. I just want him to be… ok, ya know?"
"I know sugar, Horatio's a strong man, have faith in him."
"You gonna be ok tonight here, Calleigh?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine as long as they let me stay with him."
"You look tired Cal. You've been through a lot and should probably get some rest yourself." Alex said to her.
"I'll be ok Alex; I need to be here with him."
"Ok Cal, but call me if anything, Anything, ok?
"Ok. We'll see you tomorrow Alex, Horatio and me, she said, smiling. "Thank you so much Alex."
Alex squeezed Calleigh's shoulder with her hand, saying goodbye now.
Alex left and the room was quiet again. The only sounds now were the monitors beeping and the ventilators whooshing sounds. It was helping to keep Horatio alive and breathing she thought. She closed her eyes and wished this was all a bad dream, she put her head down for a second on the bed next to his hand and fell into a deep sleep.
TBC...
I hope you all enjoy, I am making the chapters longer for you now!