A/N: I do not own CSI Miami or any of it's characters, affiliates...etc. This is just my imagination running with it! I googled all of the medical terminology and what not so hopefully it all makes sense! I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Three

He's The Real Deal

Walter showed up at the hospital as they were giving her a room and the doctor appeared. "We need to know what she overdosed on. It's a depressant of some sort based on her lack of respiratory functions, but if I give her the wrong thing to bring her around, it could kill her."

Looking up at the man who had come to stand beside him he nodded at the doctor in understanding. "Get to that house. Arrest both parents and find out what they have in the house. My bet is she took something there."

"There's something else." the doctor told him, while leading him to where she was. "Someone has called child services and has them on alert. We ran a kit like you asked. She's been sexually assaulted and we sent the results to the lab, but I've done enough to know you're going to find multiple donors."

Looking at the girl in the bed now, it was damn near impossible to keep his rage in check. He was ready to kill someone as it was, but it kept getting worse. The innocent soul laying there deserved so much more. He sat down and grabbed her hand, turning her arm over and looking at the lines etched into her skin. "Hang on Lee."

It was a mere fifteen minutes later when Walter called him back. "Xanax. Mom's got six missing pills. Mom and dad are both in custody. Figured you'd want first crack at them."

"Thank you sir. I'll be there shortly." Slipping his phone back in his pocket, he placed her hand gently across her stomach before he set off in search of a nurse. There was one outside of her room directly. "Let Doctor Baker know that it was Xanax that she took."

"Did she wake up?"

"No. One of my guys talked to the parents. I've got to go. Please let me know if there's any change."

She nodded. "Yes sir. Your number is right here."

"Thank you." and he headed down to the lab, trying to keep his anger at bay. Every time he thought about the kid laying in the hospital though, it came back to the forefront. Pulling up to the lab, he didn't even park in a spot, just putting the Hummer in park in front of the steps, the irritation boiling.

The man looked pompous sitting in the interrogation room, and his wife looked equally irritated that they'd been pulled from their party. They both looked up as he walked in. "What is this all about? I told you this afternoon, I didn't have anything to do with Jessica."

His wife sneered as she sat up straighter. "You pulled us away from our party to talk to us about Jessica?"

"Jessica, is the least of your worries."

"What's this about then Lieutenant?"

"Do you know where your daughter is?"

The seriousness in Jeremy's face was replaced by irritation. "She should be back at home in her bedroom. She's been entertaining at the party all night tonight. Why? What's she done now? You don't think she had anything to do with Jessica's murder do you?"

He shook his head. They just didn't get it. They had no idea.

"Is this about my missing Xanax? Is she selling them? Is that what this is about?"

Taking a deep breath and barely holding it together he glanced up. "What kind of 'entertaining' was your daughter doing tonight Mr. Hartford?"

"What are you insinuating Lieutenant? You might want to carefully consider your next words as I am a highly paid and highly recognized attorney in Miami."

"Ah." he replied calmly. "So that's how you've gotten away with it for so long. You think because you have a whole bunch of money and you're an attorney, you can do whatever you want, to whomever you want, and all you have to do is threaten legal actions to someone if they get in your way. Is that it?"

"I don't have to threaten anything. I'm still not sure what this is about. I wish you would hurry up and get to the point."

"The point, Mr. Hartford, is that your daughter, is fighting for her life, from a drug overdose tonight at Dade Memorial hospital." he said, his voice rising as he struggled to control it. Calming slightly, he continued quietly. "And I, don't scare." and he turned and started to walk out.

"How do you know she's in the hospital?"

"Because I'm the one that took her, after she called me. They ran a sexual assault kit on her at the hospital. I would tell you what the results are going to probably turn up, but you already know. Don't you? I want a list, of every man that's going to come up on that screen!"

"You can't do that! As an attorney, I'm not at liberty to discuss my clients business with anyone. You're not allowed to run one of those kits unless there's a parent or legal guardian is present or gives permission." Jeremy started to yell. "You had no rights..."

"Unless said parents are unfit in which case law enforcement does have the right to make that decision."

"Not without a warrant!" he shot back.

Reaching in his pocket, he withdrew a small set of folded papers and dropped it on the table. "You mean, like this one?"

Pepi looked over at him and didn't say anything. Though Horatio could tell she wanted to. "Something on your mind Mrs. Hartford?"

She shook her head. "I told you, you were going to get caught. But you kept on, didn't you?"

"You're the one who said she wasn't smart enough to get into the cops pants! I just helped her out with a few..."

Slamming his fist on the table loudly, causing both of them to jump, he raised his voice. "Excuse me!" and they both looked at him. "Since you obviously have zero regard for your daughter's well being, you probably don't care that they don't know if she's going to make it. Or that child services has been called in and they're taking over. You're never going to be able to touch her again."

"You just wait. I'll have her back in my custody by the end of the month. I've got friends in high places and she'll probably testify that she was a willing participant." then he shrugged as if it was nothing. "You see, she has problems Lieutenant. She likes the attention. I try not to feed into it, but I just try to give her what she wants."

Leaning across the table, he looked directly in the man's eyes. "You expect me to believe she actually puts herself out there? You expect me to believe she likes it? Yeah. She likes it enough to try and kill herself. Luckily for her Mr. Hartford, I have friends in high places too." and he stood up and walked out. He glanced at Walter who was shaking his head after watching the interview from behind the mirror. "I'm on my way back to the hospital. I want to be there if she wakes up."

"Alright. I'll lock these two up."

Grabbing his phone, he held his breath as it came up that it was the hospital. "Yes?" then nodding, he blurted out "I'll be right there." then he turned back to his CSI. "Put them in general population and let the word out that daddy was pimping out his underaged daughter." and he walked out, anger seething through every aspect of his being.

When he arrived back at the hospital there was a flurry of nurses and doctors coming in and out of Lee's room. Stopping one mid step, he asked him. "What's going on?"

"We gave her flumazenil which counteracts the Xanax. She did good for the first bit, but she's relapsing. Too much of the Xanax was absorbed before we could pump her stomach and her blood pressure bottomed again. We're trying to get her breathing on her own again, but it's not looking good. I'm going to have to ask you to wait in there." he said pointing to the waiting room.

He nodded and asked that someone come get him as soon as they know she's alright, to which they agreed. They worked on her for another hour before she stabilized again. When he walked back into her hospital room, she was hooked up to a couple of new IV's and a ventilator now, where as before she was just on oxygen. She was withering away almost. It seemed like the more they tried, the worse she got. He knew that drug overdoses, especially mixing them with alcohol, were tricky at best, and didn't always end well. But dammit, this kid deserved more.

Reaching down to pick her hand up, he took it in both of his, folding her fingers around his gently. "Hang in there kid. I know it's easier to check out, but I want you to hang on. Okay?"

There was nothing. Only the sound of the ventilator and the monitors beeping on his side.

Where in the hell was she? And who was talking to her? Checking out? What was he talking about? She wasn't going anywhere. She didn't even know where she was! How was she supposed to go anywhere? What was that beeping sound?

She looked around but couldn't see anything but white...everywhere. Turning again, she heard a different voice call her name. Trying to see through the light, her eyes widened. "Simone?"

"Hey kid."

Simone had been her sister. She had died before Lee turned eleven. She was seven years older than her and was almost out when she remembered her and her father getting into a huge fight. She didn't know at the time, but it was over her. She wound up dying one night in her sleep and while she'd been too young at the time to consider it, she had since wondered what really happened.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I want to send you home."

"Send me home?"

"You don't belong here Lee Lee. Not yet."

"I can't do it any more Si. Dad...he's making me..."

"Believe me, I know what he's making you do. It's what we were fighting about the night I died. He wanted to turn you into me, and I didn't want him to. He was mad because I was leaving. I was eighteen. I could do what I wanted. I threatened to tell someone. So he shot me up with heroine between my toes, called in that I had drug overdosed and I was dead."

"No one ever told me."

"I know. Then of course, you actually do overdose yourself, on mom's Xanax of all things."

Lee closed her eyes and shook her head. Wrapping her arms around herself she looked at the floor. "I didn't want to remember." she whispered.

Stepping up and wrapping her arms around her sister, she held her close. "This cop, the one that showed up at the party?"

"Yeah?"

"You can trust him. He's a good guy."

"How do you know?"

She smiled. "He put dad in jail."

"No way."

"He's not scared of him Lee Lee. He's the real deal. He doesn't run away and he doesn't tell you one thing then do something else. He doesn't just talk."

"He said I called him. I don't even remember calling him." she said softly.

"Because I did."

Lee stepped back. "What?"

"It's complicated. You were in serious trouble and I was allowed to help. By the way, your phone is in the linen closet. I had to put it somewhere that no one would immediately find it, but it could stay connected long enough that he could track it."

"Track it?"

"Well come on Lee Lee. It's not like he had your number stored in his phone."

"Oh." That made sense.

"Now come on. It's time to go back. You need to wake up."

"Why?"

"Because the doctors are giving up on you. You can't let that happen. Besides, how long do you expect that guy to stay by your bed?"

"What guy?"

"The cop! Duh!" and she heard her sister laugh for the first time in years.

"I miss you Si."

"I know. But I'm always here. I'll always protect you when you get into trouble. You're my little sister. I love you."

"I love you too."

Horatio looked up at the girl who was squeezing his hand. "Lee. Open your eyes for me"

"Wait...Simone..." she whispered barely audible. Fluttering her eyes slowly, they did come open, if only just a little ways.

"Hey sweetheart."

"Who...who are you?"

"Easy. My name is Horatio Caine. I met you yesterday. Do you remember meeting me and my co-worker Walter?"

Studying him closely something struck her in the way he looked at her. "You're that cop."

Smiling gently he nodded. "I am."

Breathing in, she swallowed. "My throat..."

"They said it would be sore for a little while where they had to intubate you. They almost gave up on you."

"What...happened?"

"We can get into that later sweetheart. Right now, you should just rest for a bit and give yourself some time."

Closing her eyes she rested back. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Horatio stared for a long moment at the girl who was finally relaxed. She'd asked him the same question twice now. He wondered what she had been through and what this was going to do to her. Poor kid. Looking at her arm again, he knew it would be a long time before she was ever alright.

His phone rang and he answered. "Lieutenant Caine."

"Hey H." Walter said. "There's been a break in the murder case. I think you should see this."

"Alright, I'm on my way." and he stood up. Walking out of the girls hospital room he told the nurse once more to call him if something happened and told her that he would be back as soon as he could.