It was when they alighted from the plane that Annamaria began to feel sick. She'd gotten a headache towards the end of the flight, but as soon as she'd stepped outside, it'd intensified. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.

"Are you okay?" It was Horatio. As soon as she opened her mouth to answer, a crippling plain shot across her stomach and she dropped the ground, shocked, gasping. Everything was spinning, and people were beginning to stare. Annamaria rocked until her head touched the cool gravel of the ground. She felt like screaming. Clenching her teeth against a sudden wave of nausea, she wondered if Stefan had poisoned her, and if she was going to die.

"Ria! You, go get ibuprofen," Horatio shouted at the agent, who just stood there and stared, "Now!" Annamaria barely heard him; she was trying not to pass out. Horatio sat her up, and with a cry, she doubled over again at the pain streaking through her abdomen. She felt him yank up her shirt sleeve. She knew that he saw her track marks; if she hadn't been worried about dying, she would have been ashamed. Annamaria knew he was disappointed in her.

"What are you taking, Annamaria?"

"H-her-" she couldn't get the rest of it out; it'd been clear enough, apparently. When Higgins returned with the medicine, Horatio shook out two of the pills and cast the bottle aside.

"Ria, listen to me, okay? Just listen for a moment. Nod if you hear and understand me." Annamaria managed to stop shaking enough to nod sharply. She found the low buzz of his voice in her ear soothing.

"I'm going to give you two pills. I need you to take them for me, okay? Then you can relax. I promise." Annamaria knew it wasn't true; it wouldn't be over..she appreciated the lie, though. She took the pills in her trembling hands and looked at them a moment before swallowing both of them at once. The last thing she saw was Horatio's concerned face, obscured by his sunglasses.

--

Annamaria woke up feeling like she was moving, but she wasn't. Or maybe she wasn't but she was. Either way, it made her feel sick. She'd woken up with a headache worse than one she'd ever known. For a moment she thought she was going to be sick, and ducked her head between her legs. It passes and she slowly sat back up. Horatio was watching her with a mixture of concern and disappointment. Annamaria looked down, ashamed.

"You didn't tell me," he said in a low voice, removing his glasses, "That you were using again." When she didn't answer, he sighed.

"Why, Ria?" She looked up at him before dropping her gaze.

"C-can we please talk about this later?" Her voice was hoarse in her ears. He watched her for whats seemed like an eternity before he nodded.