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Horatio felt something against his head as he started to wake up. He moaned low and opened his eyes; whoever he saw it was too blurry to make out and he blinked. A few seconds passed and the picture became more clear, when he recognized the man looking down on him his eyes widened in surprise.
"Finally you wake up, I was almost about to call a nurse and have her help me." Patrick smirked, "Feeling any better since last time we talked?"
"Patrick, whatever you think-"
"Oh, spare me the moral crap, I am going to kill you and then I'm going to kill your boyfriend over there."
Horatio looked over towards the door, but couldn't see anyone. The bed was too far up to see Ryan on the floor.
"Oh, that's right, you can't see him." Patrick chuckled, "I forgot about that. Well, he's on the floor with a bleeding nose and what I believe to be a black eye."
Horatio licked his dry lips. He still had an infection from the gunshot wound so nicely given to him by Patrick. His fever had gone down some, but not enough for Horatio to be feeling anywhere near okay.
Patrick pulled the guest chair closer to the bed with one hand, while the other hand held the gun aimed at Horatio's temple. Patrick knew that even as sick, Horatio was quick and if he lost his concentration for even a second the redhead would take control of the situation. Patrick didn't doubt the lieutenants shooting ability even when he was feverish.
"Nice night, huh?" Patrick asked, "Right...you haven't been outside yet. Enough with the small talk I guess; I'm here for a reason."
"Patrick, listen to me."
"I'm done listening to you. Last time I did that I ended up spending 15 years with all the psychos and crazies; 15 years away from my daughter." Patrick growled, "If I listen to you now, I'll be arrested and sentenced to death, but not before the FBI will extract every piece of information they need from me, whichever way they want."
"It's your own fault." Horatio said tiredly.
Patrick glared at the redhead and stood up. Clearly Horatio had triggered something inside him and it was exactly what he wanted. Maybe it would give his team enough time to get to his room or enough time for Ryan to wake up. It could, of course, also make Patrick kill him quicker, but it was a risk he had to take.
"My fault? It's my fault that I was locked away?"
"You took the deal."
"You persuaded me."
"But it was always your own free will to do so. I didn't force you." Horatio said and then coughed, "And it could have been worse."
"Oh really?"
"You could have still been in jail. You chose to take the deal and for that you got a lesser sentence." Horatio said.
He was so tired; completely exhausted and it took all his will power just to stay awake. Surely, somebody would have to know that Patrick was here by now.
"Alright... good point. But that doesn't change the fact that you ruined my life." Patrick said, "If it wasn't for your fucking deal I would have been in jail, yes, but not considered crazy. And my parents wouldn't have been so disappointed that they didn't tell my daughter who I was."
"It's not my fault. You pretended to be schizo." Horatio said, although he blamed himself for what had happened.
He knew how hard it was to live a life and have a child that didn't even know you. His situation with Kyle had been different, yet similar in some ways to Patrick's.
"Say you're sorry." Patrick said.
"What?"
"Say you're sorry and I will let you live."
"No, you won't." Horatio said, starting to feel dizzy.
The room was spinning and he just wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. If he did, then he couldn't keep an eye on Patrick; at least by looking at him he could read the other man's face and tell what he was thinking to some degree.
A psychopath like Patrick wasn't interested in hearing Horatio say that he was sorry (he just wanted to know that he had made a man like Horatio say it), or even interested in his daughter. The only reason Patrick wanted his daughter to know who he was, was because he could then control her. Horatio had no doubt that if Patrick's child got to live with him then he would use her for his illegal affairs.
"Say it or pretty boy dies." Patrick growled and aimed the gun at Ryan.
Horatio swallowed hard and closed his eyes just for a second. Patrick grinned and walked to the foot of the bed. He aimed at Ryan and Horatio's pulse started beating faster.
In the meantime, while Patrick was busy looking at Horatio, Ryan stirred. He heard voices and recognized them as his lover's and Patrick. Opening one eye, Ryan could see a gun aimed at him and Horatio awake in the bed.
Carefully Ryan reached to his back with one hand; he had a gun there and if he could just get it without Patrick knowing, then he could shoot him.
"Say it or Wolfe dies and this time he will really die." Patrick said.
-I-
"Run Walter!" Kyle exclaimed.
He looked back over his shoulder and saw the CSI panting as he ran after him. They had to take the stairs to Horatio's room because all the elevators had been shut off. When it had become clear, and it had been quickly, that Patrick had used the fire alarm to gain access to Horatio, all elevators had been shut off and as police searched thoroughly every floor of the hospital (just in case Patrick was trying to escape). Kyle and Walter were on their way to the redhead's room.
"Kid, I don't usually run in stairs." Walter panted.
"Come on, you can do it!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming."
Walter was a quick runner, but he hated using the stairs. As they reached the fifth floor where Horatio's room was, Walter pulled Kyle behind him and got his gun out of his holster. From the stairwell they could see the two officers outside Horatio's room; they were both lying dead on the floor.
"He's already in the room." Kyle said.
Walter felt a rush of panic as he realized that Patrick would have already had enough time to kill Horatio and Ryan and leave the floor. He moved quickly but quietly towards the room; Kyle staying close behind him.
"Don't make any bald moves, Kyle." Walter whispered, "Let me handle the situation."
Kyle nodded. Walter knew that if he got the chance Kyle might try to be a hero, but Walter had no intentions of letting the young man risk his own life.
Suddenly a shot was heard and Walter pulled Kyle behind a corner. His gun aimed in front of him. They had heard someone fall to the floor, but then nothing reached their ears but silence.
"We have to go, what if he shot my dad!" Kyle whispered.
When he tried to move passed the big man, Walter pushed him back against the wall.
"Don't move." He said sternly.
Walter walked towards the room, keeping his gun steady. He saw the handle of the door turn and he stopped. The door opened and Ryan peeked outside, his nose bloody and one of his eyes swollen shut.
"What took you so long?" He asked.
"What took me so long? Are you crazy?" Walter asked, as he put his gun away, "I had to run up the stairs to get here with Mister-I-am-a-fucking-marathon-runner over there."
Kyle peeked out from behind the corner and when he saw Ryan he rushed towards the room. Ryan opened the door wider and nodded an okay for Kyle to see his father. Walter guided Ryan towards the bench outside the room and called for a nurse. He heard the elevator move and then people running towards them.
"Wolfe!" Eric exclaimed, as he came running towards his friends, "What happened?"
"Patrick kicked the door open in my face." Ryan said, "I shot him in the leg and then kicked him in the head, he's inside, unconscious."
"And H?" Eric asked.
"He's fine. Except I think he's falling asleep."
"Yeah, the fever is taking its toll on him, of course." Walter said.
Eric entered the room to find Kyle hugging his father. Horatio looked tiredly at Eric and smiled a small smile. Eric went to check that Patrick was still alive. Within seconds the room was swarming with doctors and nurses; checking over both Horatio and Patrick. Eric went with the doctors as they wheeled Patrick to the OR to operate on his leg.
"He killed Officer Llaga and Martinez." Ryan sighed.
A nurse had put two sheets over the two officers. Walter sighed sadly; Llaga and Martinez had been on the force for over twenty years.
"They didn't even have time to grab their guns." Walter said.
"Thank you for saving my dad." Kyle said and gave Ryan a hug.
"I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do it." Ryan smiled, "Now, I seriously need someone to check if my nose is broken."
"You look like hell." Walter said.
"Why thank you Walter, I can always count on you to be so kind." Ryan snorted.
"Anytime man, anytime." Walter grinned and patted his friend's back.
-I-
"It's not over, Kyle." Ryan sighed.
Ryan and Kyle were sitting at Horatio's bedside, waiting for Penny and Roger to show up. It was already a new day and after spending the whole night by the redhead's side, as his fever had taken yet another turn for the worse, they were now looking forward to Roger and Penny taking over. Nobody wanted to leave Horatio alone yet.
"I can't wait to get back here though." Kyle said.
"Let's get a shower, a change of clothes and some sleep in a real bed first." Ryan yawned.
Kyle nodded. Patrick had been operated on and was now sedated and handcuffed to a bed in a room on another floor. He had four cops watching him and the FBI waiting to interrogate him. The team had finished the case and it seemed like everyone could finally take a break. The only cloud on the horizon was Horatio's fever and infection, as well as the coming trial for Patrick; although that wouldn't start until a few months.
"What happens to Patrick now?" Kyle asked.
"He'll be kept in custody and interrogated by both the MDPD and the FBI." Ryan said.
"Will he be able to make a deal with the FBI and be set free again?"
"No, he's too big a risk for that. Besides, MDPD wouldn't let them do that." Ryan said, "You know what his biggest mistake was today when he tried to shoot H?"
"That he didn't count on you?"
"No; greed. He was greedy when it came to time; he thought he had all the time in the world to do it." Ryan said, "He thought he had enough time to talk to your dad, kill him and escape."
"And he didn't think about all the cops swarming the building or you waking up." Kyle smirked, "I must say I'm glad he was greedy."
"Me too; it reminds of all the ifs in life. If only he hadn't wasted time doing nothing, if only he hadn't wasted time with forcing Horatio to choose between us." Ryan said, "A lot of criminals are like that; they waste time putting together the most elaborate plans they can think of, only to realize that it was the simplest task that could have made them successful criminals."
"My dad told me that once; he said not all well-thought-out plans are smart, sometimes the smart thing is to take the easy way." Kyle said.
"Well, it's true." Ryan yawned again.
There was a knock on the door and Roger entered with Penny. The young woman gave her boyfriend a kiss and when Roger and Ryan went "Ooo", Kyle blushed.
"Are you okay to stay here for a while?" He asked.
"Sure. Me and Roger can talk about all the embarrassing stuff you and Ryan did before I knew you." Penny grinned.
"What stuff?" Ryan asked.
"Nothing." Roger and Penny smirked.
"Go along now and come back when you're well rested. Calleigh and Eric said they would be by in a few hours, so we can come by the house then." Roger said.
"Alright, see you then." Ryan said.
Kyle gave Penny a goodbye kiss and then left. Horatio opened his eyes when the door closed.
"So what are those embarrassing things you're talking about?" He asked with a tired smile.
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