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As he impacted with the water he knew he would have no energy to swim back to the surface. If Ryan wasn't awake, if he wasn't still conscious in the wooden crate then Horatio would die too. His only hope was that Ryan had enough strength to get them both back up; and that his team would see the smoking cargo container and save his son.
As he swam down to the sinking crate Horatio accepted that maybe he would die after all; his lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen, his mind screaming at him for air. He needed to breathe. Needed to get back up, take a breath and go down again. But he couldn't, if he did Ryan would be dead by the time he got under the surface again... if he even did go down again.
Horatio only had one chance to save his lover and it was now. It killed him on the inside to know that while he was saving his lover his son was dying. Even though Kyle had told him to go after Ryan it was burning like acid on the inside. It seemed like Ryan just got further and further down the ocean, closer to the bottom, deeper and far away from the surface.
The crate was sinking faster and deeper. Horatio went after it. The closer he got to the crate the further he got from ever seeing his son again. Getting closer to the crate meant closer to death. He could feel his body giving up; his body getting tired, so tired.
As his last reserve of oxygen left his body he could feel his heart pounding harder in his chest and his vision getting blurry.
-I-
The team arrived at the harbor and immediately started searching for their lost friends. Horatio's cell phone was on the ground and a blood trail leading towards the ocean, but also away from it.
"Where did he go?" Natalia asked and then saw something that made her bones freeze.
She ran towards the smoke coming from a cargo container and was followed by the others CSI's, while Frank waited by the hummers for the ambulance and backup. They heard something yelling for help inside the container and recognized the voice as Kyle's.
"Kyle! We're here, we're coming to help!" Natalia yelled, "Get the bolt cutters."
Eric, being the fastest runner of them, ran back to the hummer to get the bolt cutters. They could hear Kyle coughing and gasping for air and knew he wouldn't last long.
"Where's your dad, Kyle?" Natalia asked.
"In the ocean! Ryan's in a wooden crate in the water and I told dad to help him first." Kyle said and then coughed.
"He's what!" Walter exclaimed, "Shit, I'm going in after him!"
Walter ran away as Eric came back with a perplexed looked as to why Walter was suddenly leaving.
"He's going after H; he's in the water looking for Ryan." Natalia explained, before Eric cold even ask what was going on, "Go after him."
Eric practically threw the bolt cutters to Natalia before running after Walter. Natalia quickly cut the lock off the cargo container and immediately when she opened the door smoke blew right into her face. The heat was unbearable and that's why it was a miracle when Kyle jumped out unharmed. Except for a gash in his head from where Patrick had hit him, he seemed fine.
Natalia lead him back to the hummers where Frank was waiting with the paramedics.
"Why did Eric and Walter just jump into the ocean?" Frank asked.
"Horatio's in there looking for Ryan." Natalia said.
-I-
Horatio finally reached the crate and resisted the urge to swim backup to the surface to breathe. He found the lock, but to his despair it was a chain around it; just like the cargo container. He reached for his gun, but then remembered that he had been forced to kick it away and then he hadn't thought of picking it up once Patrick had ran away.
He felt an arm on his shoulder and turned around to see Walter. With the little strength he had left he tried to fight Walter off him as the bigger man dragged him towards the surface. He couldn't abandon Ryan now that he was so close to him. He then saw Eric and the younger man pulled at the chains as Walter dragged Horatio away. They got closer to the surface and Horatio had no strength left in him to fight with. He was aware of hearing a bang, a gun shot, before he blacked out.
When Walter finally emerged from the ocean he was carrying Horatio in his arms. The paramedics rushed towards him and took over. Frank and the others could only watch as they tried to wake the redhead, but he was out cold. Frank handed Walter a blanket.
"He's barely got a pulse." One of the paramedics said.
Frank and the others watched as the paramedics cut off Horatio's shirt and revealed the gunshot wound. It looked hideous and it was bleeding heavily. Kyle had already left in his own ambulance and was not doing so well either according to the last thing Frank had heard before the ambulance doors had closed before him.
Suddenly they heard someone coughing and gasping for air. The water splashed as Eric came swimming towards the harbor, with Ryan against his chest. Frank and Walter helped Eric and Ryan up on the ground and gave them both blankets. Ryan threw up some water and then saw the paramedics load his lover into the ambulance.
"Wait!" He called out and the coughed, "I-I have to-"
"He's going with you." Frank said to the two men.
The paramedics nodded and helped Ryan inside the ambulance to sit next to Horatio. Ryan grabbed his lover's hand just as the doors closed and they drove away. Eric sighed and sat down on the ground; trying to gather his thoughts and start thinking about how to solve the case and help their friends.
"This has been one hell of a day." He muttered, "Do we even know who did this?"
"Kyle said Patrick Yates did it." Frank said.
"Patrick? But he's not capable of this, is he?" Walter asked shocked.
"Oh, he sure is. He's been pretending to be schizophrenic for 15 years to fool the FBI and keep his daughter safe." Frank said, "The FBI has no idea that the big time crime boss Liam Everett is Patrick's half brother and nowhere near a crime boss. They've fooled everyone."
"It's time to talk to the feds then." Natalia said, "And put out a BOLO for Patrick."
"He's armed and dangerous." Frank said, "When I get my hands on that son of a bitch I am going to tear him to pieces."
"And he told Kyle everything?" Walter asked.
"He told both Ryan and Kyle everything; including details of how the smoke and the water was going to kill them." Frank said.
"Let's find the bastard before he tries to kill them again." Eric growled.
-I-
"Kyle Harmon! You get back in that bed or so help me god!"
Kyle blushed and got right back under the sheet. Alexx Woods stood in the doorway glaring at him with a look only a mother could have. For the last four hours Kyle had been in the hospital waiting for news about his father and Ryan. Four hours and two different doctors had examined him. Only Penny and Roger had been allowed to visit him, but they had gone for coffee now and he had thought he could sneak out to just find a doctor for some information.
"I just wanted to check how dad and Ryan are doing." Kyle said.
Alexx's look softened and she sat down in the chair next to the bed. She had waited for news too, and finally a doctor, who was also a friend, had told her about the status of the Miami Lieutenant and his CSI.
"Ryan is fine; a little roughed up, he has a concussion and he feels a bit sick because of the water he swallowed." Alexx says.
Kyle nodded and sighed in relief. He had concussion as well and had to stay in the hospital a while because of the smoke he had inhaled, but other than that he was fine.
"And dad?" He asked.
"In surgery. The bullet didn't do any serious damage except tearing up some abdominal muscles, so he'll be in pain for a while and it might be permanent. He lost a lot of blood, but will in time be fine."
"Thank god." Kyle mumbled.
Alexx gave the young man's hand a squeeze and he smiled at her. She could see the tears in his eyes and knew that it had been a bit too much for the young man to handle so quickly. Not only had he almost lost his beloved father, but almost his own life as well. Kyle had been in the army, but quit months ago. Still, almost dying in the hands of a madman and forcing his father to save his lover first was straining on such a young mind. Kyle didn't regret his decision of having his father go after Ryan; he knew he had had a bigger chance of lasting longer than the other man.
"Will you tell me when I can see dad?" Kyle whispered.
"Of course." Alexx smiled.
The door opened and a bed was wheeled in. Kyle saw Ryan sleeping in it and he smiled. At least now he wouldn't be alone and he could make sure Ryan was okay; he was family after all. Entering after the bed with Ryan was Penny and Roger. The old man saw Kyle as the closest thing he had to a grandchild and sometimes even referred to the boy as just that. Having his son and Kyle in the same room meant he could keep an eye on both of them at the same time; to also make sure that they were okay.
"You should sleep too, Kyle." Penny said and sat down on the other side of the bed.
"I don't think I can until I see my dad."
"Sure you can, I have the perfect good night story too." Roger smirked.
"What?" Kyle asked.
The young man groaned when Roger pulled out an economical magazine from his pocket. Kyle had once read that magazine and thought it was so boring words could not describe it.
"Oh, great." He muttered.
Roger sat down on a third guest chair and started reading; knowing it would make Kyle so bored and probably then also tired enough to fall asleep.
Fifteen minutes later the young man was sleeping like a rock.
-I-
He heard someone talking... no, two people talking. His eyelids felt like they weighed tons. However, he struggled to open them. His vision was blurry, but at least now he could recognize the voices as that of Ryan and Kyle.
"Hi dad!"
He felt a weight against his chest and then finally his eyes adjusted and he could see his son. Horatio hugged his boy and then Kyle pulled away. Ryan was in a bed to his left and Kyle in a bed to his right. Ryan got out of his bed and grabbed the redhead's hand.
"They put us in the same room." Kyle grinned, "And Alexx said that if you don't rest she will handcuff you to the bed and keep you here for a week."
"I can talk her out of that." Horatio smiled.
"Your charm doesn't work on her; she's immune." Ryan reminded and then bent down to give his lover a kiss on the cheek.
Horatio felt tired and knew that it was because of the painkillers he had received.
"Did the team find Patrick?" He asked and then yawned.
"Dad, don't worry about that. Just rest." Kyle smiled, "Roger is coming by later and if you rest you can be awake for that."
"The team has everything under control." Ryan said and watched as Horatio's eyes closed.
His soft snorting was soon heard and the boy and the younger man breathed in relief. If Horatio found out that Patrick had yet to been found he would explode and demand to be released.
The team was working on finding Patrick, but so far they had no leads. At least he couldn't get to them in the hospital. There were two officers outside their room and even some civilian cops in the hallways.
They were safe.
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