So I am back to write this story after a very long hiatus. My only focus now is this story and I will try to keep to my regular routine of updating once a week. Also, you have probably noticed that the title has changed from "I love and need you" to "Ryan and Horatio".
-I-
Horatio was on his way home after working late; he and Frank had finally found enough evidence to arrest Frank's daughter's neighbor for having a chop-shop in his garage. The case was almost closed, all they had left was to interrogate some of the neighbor's associates.
A car going the other way drove past him and it looked like it had recently been in an accident. Horatio frowned and called dispatch; he told them about the car and he was told that someone would check it out. Horatio continued driving home; he knew Ryan would be waiting for him with some dinner and his stomach reminded Horatio how hungry he really was.
Then he saw some smoke coming from a ditch and he drove towards it. The moment he saw that it was car that had tipped over he stopped the hummer and got out. He rushed over to the car and recognized the license plate as Roger's. He took his phone out of his pocket and called for an ambulance while he approached the car.
"Help!" Someone called out.
Horatio recognized the voice immediately; it belonged to Charles Wolfe. Horatio went to the driver's side, where Roger was was, and peeked inside. If Charles was angry to see him he didn't show it, of course he was probably more concerned about being in a car that was lying on its roof and with smoke coming from the engine.
"What happened?" Horatio asked and checked for a pulse on Roger; he found one.
"Someone crashed into us." Charles groaned, "Get me out."
"I need to get Roger out first, he's unconscious." Horatio said, "Can you manage a few more minutes?"
"Yeah."
He felt that since Charles was awake and still alert he would be able to stay in his seat for just a minute or two. Roger was non-responsive and Horatio knew that he needed help fast. Horatio supported as much of Roger's body as he could, (so he wouldn't limply fall down when the seatbelt loosened and risk getting more injured), before trying to get the seatbelt off him; it didn't work.
"Can you see a knife or something else that is sharp?" He asked.
"Here!" Charles said and reached for a knife just under his head.
He grabbed it and handed it to Horatio. The redhead quickly cut the seatbelt and carefully pulled Roger out of the car; as far as Horatio could see he had no broken bones and he even stirred slightly as Horatio dragged him up from the ditch and on to the road.
Suddenly the car caught on fire and Horatio carefully laid Roger down on the floor before going back to the car. He went to the passenger side and kept Charles as steady as he could as he cut off the seatbelt. Charles slumped down in Horatio's arms and Horatio helped him out of the car.
Just as they got on to the road the car exploded and the force momentarily knocked them down on the ground.
"Are you okay?" Horatio asked as he stood up.
"I'm fine." Charles said, but swayed suddenly and put a hand to his head, "Just got a headache."
"You got deep gash behind your ear." Horatio said, "You need to go with Roger in the ambulance."
"I'm just a little dizzy." Charles said.
"Get checked out, Charles." Horatio said, with a tone that meant he wasn't having a discussion about it.
Charles nodded and was relieved to hear the sirens of the ambulance as it came closer to them.
-I-
Horatio waited in the waiting area for Ryan and his mother, Melinda, to show up. Roger was still unconscious and Charles was still being examined. Horatio had found out that the car he had passed on the road just before arriving at the crash site, probably was the car that had hit Roger and Charles. It seemed to be a hit and run and not something more complicated; the other driver wasn't confessing to anything yet, but Frank had said that he would make him talk; in the meantime the team was processing the car.
Horatio looked up as he heard the footsteps of someone running and saw Ryan round the corner. The younger man went to Horatio and the redhead embraced his lover.
"Do you know how they are?" Ryan asked, as he and Horatio sat down.
"Roger is unconscious and Charles is being checked out now." Horatio said, "I'd say Charles is in the best shape; he is been awake the whole time."
"You saved them." Ryan said.
"I was just lucky to pass by at the right time."
"This is going to be awkward." Ryan sighed, "Mom is on her way, right?"
"Yeah."
Ryan nodded. He hadn't spoken to his mother or Charles in months since they couldn't accept him or Horatio. Charles had even disowned Ryan; saying that no son of his was gay. Then Ryan had found out that he wasn't Charles's biological son; although for him, Charles was still his father since he had raised him. Roger was also his father even though they hadn't known each other very long. Roger was like an older version of Ryan; they seemed to be alike in every way, both in personality and appearance.
"Why where they meeting?" Ryan asked.
"I don't know; I tried to ask Charles earlier but he said it was private."
"You don't think Roger is homophobic do you? I mean he's not secretly friends with Charles and secretly hates us?"
"No, never." Horatio said, "It was probably Charles that wanted to meet. Maybe Melinda can tell us why."
A doctor rounded the corner and the two lovers stood up. He was smiling so he probably had good news.
"Are you family of Roger Dobson?" The Doctor asked.
"We are; I'm his son." Ryan said.
"I have good news; Mister Dobson has a concussion and was unconscious for a while, but he is awake and asking to see you and someone named Horatio."
"That's me." Horatio said.
"He will need to stay for observation, but he is a lucky man after being in a car crash and still be able to walk away without any serious damage." The doctor smiled, "I'll take you to him."
Ryan sighed in relief and he and Horatio followed the doctor. They walked past a room that a nurse suddenly rushed into and she called for a doctor. The doctor that Ryan and Horatio had spoken to rushed into the room and as the door opened Ryan saw Charles lying on a bed, convulsing.
"Charles is in there!" He exclaimed.
Another nurse entered the room and as the door opened Ryan and Horatio saw the doctor perform chest compressions on Charles. Ryan grabbed Horatio's hand and squeezed it tightly as he listened to the flat line on the heart monitor through the door. After what seemed like an eternity there was finally a beeping sound and within minutes the doctor came out again.
"I know him, that's my dad." Ryan said.
"I thought you said-"
"It's not my biological father, but he raised me." Ryan said, "Is he going to be okay?"
The doctor nodded for Horatio and Ryan to sit down with him; not a good sign according to Ryan.
"His brain has swelled a great deal." The doctor said, "He went into cardiac arrest and he has a massive concussion. He is stable now, but if we can't get the swelling of the brain down soon, then he will probably not make it."
"How can that be?" Ryan asked and then turned to Horatio, "You said he was awake the whole time you were with him."
"He was." Horatio said.
"These kind of injures can sometimes remain unnoticed for a while." The doctor said, "He probably felt that something was wrong but didn't say anything about it."
"And now he is critical condition." Ryan said quietly.
"He would have needed immediate medical attention, but since he was very alert when he arrived we had no reason to suspect brain damage." The doctor said.
"I want to see Roger Dobson now." Ryan said and stood up.
Horatio knew it was a lot for his lover to process and he silently followed the younger man as the doctor led them to Roger's room. He wondered if he could have done anything differently. Charles had been fine; he hadn't been the one that was unconscious and Horatio couldn't have known that his brain was swelling. Somehow, he knew he would be questioned about it anyway.
The doctor opened the door for Ryan and Horatio; Ryan rushed to his father and hugged him. Horatio went to the other side of the bed and nodded a thank you to the doctor as he left them alone.
"Hi son. Relax, I'm fine." Roger said, "I feel banged up, but I'm fine."
"I'm glad you're doing okay." Ryan said.
"All thanks to Horatio." Roger smiled and looked at the redhead, "Thank you."
"Charles helped. I wouldn't have been able to get you out of the car in time without some help from him." Horatio said.
"What happened?" Roger asked, "I don't remember much."
Roger and Ryan listened intently as Horatio told him what had happened from the moment he had arrived at the crash site. When he was done Ryan smiled at his lover. He knew that if Horatio would have been able to know that Charles was probably in a worse condition than Roger, even though it didn't appear so, then he would have given Charles more help. Even the EMTs hadn't noticed the ongoing brain swelling in Charles.
"How is Charles doing?" Roger asked.
"Not so good." Ryan sighed, "His brain swelled and he's unconscious now."
"I thought you said he was awake." Roger frowned.
"He was until about ten minutes ago." Horatio said, "I didn't know he had ongoing brain swelling at the crash site."
"You couldn't have known." Ryan said.
"What were you and Charles doing anyway?" Horatio asked.
"He wanted me to get Ryan to meet with him." Roger sighed, "He said he wanted to have contact with you again."
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"That's what he said." Roger shrugged.
They heard a female shriek coming from outside in the hallway and Horatio and Ryan went to the door. Ryan saw his mother sitting on the floor with the doctor as she tried to calm herself and he rushed to her side; Horatio followed him. Melinda saw her son and stood up; they hugged.
"He's in a coma." She cried, "His brain swelled."
"I know." Ryan said sadly.
Melinda then saw Horatio and threw her purse at him. Ryan held his mother back as she tried to attack his lover.
"Mom!" He exclaimed, "Calm down."
"It's your fault! You should have helped him first!" Melinda yelled at Horatio, "Because you left him in the car he's in a coma."
"He was fine when I was there." Horatio said, "I needed to get Roger out first. Charles was fine."
"He wasn't fine, but because you didn't help him I may lose him now!" Melinda growled, "You may have killed my husband!"
"Mom! It's not his fault!"
"Murderer!"
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