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 hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Two

Brutal

Boy this scene was brutal. He couldn't believe how much so. There had been blood everywhere. He hadn't seen the kid in three weeks and when he got his bill and realized the only room service she'd ordered was a burger and fries, he wondered if he would see her again. While he hadn't been actively looking for her like he told her he wouldn't, he'd still hoped he'd see her appear from nowhere.

Jumping into the front seat of the hummer, he started the truck and stopped when he heard something. Turning the key into the off position, he listened, and heard it again. A tiny and extremely weak voice from behind him. "Duracell."

Turning to look behind him, the kid was in the floor, barely hanging by a string, blood covering the shirt and jeans he'd bought her. "Watson?"

Breathing in with difficulties, she coughed. "I need...some place safe." she rasped. Then she looked down. "Shit."

"What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath holding it for a moment. "I'm bleeding." she replied weakly. "All over your carpet."

She sounded like she was about ready to cry. She had to have been seriously injured. "What happened, sweetheart?"

Her eyes started to close. "I didn't learn fast enough." and she swallowed. Breathing in again she raised herself off of the side of the door and cried out when she pulled herself forward. "Please...I need..." and her voice trailed off as her body slumped across the door again.

Turning around in a hurry, he started the truck and peeled out quickly. "Hang on Watson." he said, raising his voice above the engine sound. Getting to the hospital quickly, he killed the engine and carefully opened up the back seat door. He wasn't prepared for what he saw when her body rolled out.

She'd been stabbed at least twice as well as a couple of bullet holes and seemed as if her essence was draining as the blood did. "Come on Watson. Don't you quit on me. You came to me for a reason."

Her eyes didn't open as he carried her into the hospital doors. Slamming through, he screamed with authority. "Someone get me a stretcher! I need a doctor, and now!"

"Yes sir!" he heard from his left. Turning, he was met with a gurney, as he laid her unconscious body down, then stayed by her side as they rolled her back.

Instantly there were monitors, followed by four nurses running around her to get an assessment. "What's her name?"

Stopping, he answered. "I don't know."

Instantly they started fishing through her pocket for identification, finding a wallet in her back pocket, with a library card. "Chase Turion."

"Chase? Honey? We're going to take really good care of you sweetie. Hang in there for us."

Chase. No one called her that. They must have found her identity. Did the guy leave it on her? Surely he must have. She knew when she started asking questions she might pay for it. But he looked so tired looking over the crime scene again, trying to find some sort of clue. She had to try for him. It was so hard to respond to their questions, but there was something about the touch on her hand, that screamed safety and security.

She felt something helping her breathe and she was so grateful for that. Lord she hurt, unmercifully. She knew when he came after her that she was going to regret asking around. She'd felt the cold steel entering into her stomach and shoulder, then heard a man from the side yell to back up and when her body was left there, she felt the immense burning in her leg and stomach. She heard voices yelling and one stood above the rest.

"That's it Watson. Fight sweetheart. Hang in there."

How could he tell she was fighting? She was, she wanted to live and was damned determined to do just that. But how could he tell?

The kid was struggling. She was giving it her all. Her will was strong for sure. She had cried out a couple of times while they'd been pushing and prodding, and even though her eyes weren't opening, he could tell she was still consciously working to keep it together.

The next couple of hours blurred and dragged as they cut her clothes off of her, getting a full assessment and rushed her back to surgery for bullet removal. When the doctor came and got him and let him back in the room, he started to give him an assessment.

"She's been raked over the coals, for lack of better term. She was stabbed twice and shot twice. Thankfully nothing hit any major arteries but the bullet wound to the stomach nicked one of her kidneys and we're keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected. She is by no means out of the woods yet, but I'll tell you, she's a fighter. She doesn't like to be down. She regained consciousness a few minutes ago and asked for you...I think...if she calls you Duracell."

Horatio nodded.

He smiled softly. "Well that's a good thing. Admittedly though, I'll be surprised if she is still awake when you get there. Don't expect much. It's going to be touch and go for a little while until we know for sure if her kidney is going to get infected."

Nodding once more, he entered the room and saw her there, eyes barely open, but still open. "Duracell." she rasped out.

"Hey sweetheart. Don't try to talk."

Closing her eyes she nodded her head and laid back. She swallowed hard and opened her eyes once more. "Tried to find out...brutal..." and she swallowed again. "You looked so tired."

His heart sunk. She'd been trying to get information about the murder. She'd been there. That's how she'd gotten in his car. "Who did this to you?"

Her eyes closing again, she shook her head. "I don't...know." she whispered, before fading out.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed Calleigh. "I need you at the hospital. I need you to process something for me."

"Okay?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Room four sixteen."

When she got there, she looked at the girl in the bed and her heart cried out for her. "What happened?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he leaned against the sink in the room. "She was trying to find out who our killer is."

"On our current case?"

He nodded.

"Did you ask her?"

He shook his head and glanced back at Chase. "She said I looked tired."

"She was attacked?"

He nodded once more. "Shot twice and stabbed twice." and he handed his CSI the bag that contained her clothes as well as the container holding the bullets that they were able to extract from surgery. "They had to cut them off of her and I have no clue where her back pack is that had all of her clothes. She wears size three. Can you pick up some more jeans and a shirt before you come back up here? Her shoes are in there too. I think they're a size six."

She nodded.

"Also, I need you to process my truck and see what you can get off of it."

"Your back seat?"

He nodded. "She climbed in the hummer while we were at the scene."

"I never saw anyone around your truck Horatio. Where did she come from?"

"Ghost." the small voice came from the bed.

Glancing at her, then nodded, and looked back at Calleigh. "She's a ghost." and he shrugged.

"I'm sorry...about...your clothes and car." she said softly.

"Hey, you know what?" he started softly. "I don't want you to worry about any of that right now. Just focus on resting."

She nodded and drifted off again.

"How is she?"

His head shook from side to side, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the poor girl. "I don't know. The doctor said she's not out of the woods, but he's never seen someone fight as much as she has. Her kidney was hit and they've stitched it up but it's going to be a couple of days before he knows if it's set up infection or not. And then it's a matter of making sure it doesn't get into her blood if it does."

Calleigh looked at Chase. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He nodded. "I'm not leaving if I can help it."

Nodding in understanding herself, she grabbed the paper bag tighter and headed out the door. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything." and she was gone.

Looking back at the girl who was finally still for a moment, he sat down and took her hand. "Hang in there Watson. I'm sure as hell not giving up on you. Don't give up on yourself."


It was two hours later when she opened her eyes again. "Duracell." she said weakly.

Leaning forward, he grabbed her hand. "Hey, sweetheart."

Eyes barely open, she blinked a long blink. "I don't feel good."

"Well I would imagine not."

"No." she whispered. "Somethings wrong." and she swallowed again. "I can feel it."

Standing up, he reached his hand out and noticed she didn't even flinch when he put his hand on her forehead. "You're burning up."

She lifted her chin to try and relieve the pain in her back. "Somethings wrong." she repeated quieter.

"Hang on Watson. I'm going to get a nurse." and instead of waiting for a call, he put her hand back down and stepped out her door. "Excuse me, I need a hand in here please." he said loudly, and was pleased to see two nurses appear from either side.

"What's wrong sir?"

He headed through the door. "She just woke up and said something was wrong. She's running a fever."

"Let me check it out for you." and the red headed nurse washed her hands before grabbing the thermometer. Noticing that the girl was struggling to stay awake, she put it under her tongue. "It'll take just a second hon."

Not sure if she actually nodded or if she just thought she did, she closed her eyes. She needed to stay awake. She needed to find out what was wrong with her. She heard the nurse hit the button and tell them that her temperature was a hundred and four, and then she started to phase out.

Not sure what took over her, she reached out. "Duracell." She felt a hand in hers.

Her voice was drifting. "I'm here Watson."

Shifting again but squeezing his hand as hard as she could, which admittedly was barely strong enough to squeeze ketchup out of a packet, she hurt. She was disgusted that a tear rolled down her face as she shifted again to try and stop the pain. "It hurts."

"I know, sweetheart. They're working on it."

Holding her breath, she nodded.

"You need to breathe Watson. Don't hold your breath."

"Can't...help it."

"I know. But try for me. Okay?"

She caught herself holding her breath again and let it out slowly. "I'm trying."

"I know. Good job. They're bringing you something for the pain."

"Don't...want...drugs."

"You have to have something. You're running a very high fever and being in pain isn't helping."

She knew he was right. She knew that he wouldn't lie to her, though at the moment she wasn't sure why, and it didn't matter. "Okay." she whispered, giving in to his request, if she could call it that. Feeling her body go weak, she was unaware of anything around her while it went dark.

Leaving as nurses flooded the room, he walked out of the hospital and drove to the lab after Calleigh called to let him know they were interviewing a possible suspect.

Walking into the interrogation room, he looked over at the man. He'd been pretty well known around the force, being arrested several times for domestic disputes and fighting. "Mark Sanford."

"Horatio Caine."

Slapping the folder down in front of him, he opened it. "Seems you had a run in not to long ago with one of my murder victims."

Knowing how to play it, he shrugged. "I have run ins with a lot of people. How am I supposed to know which of them wound up dead?"

"How indeed, Mr. Sanford. Does the name Richard Dickson mean anything to you?"

Intentionally acting like he was thinking, he shook his head. "Sorry Caine, can't help you there. Don't think I recognize it."

Grabbing one of the photos of the murder scene, he slid it across the table. "Recognize that?"

"Are you trying to get me to confess to something I didn't do? Surely you know that's not the case."

"What about the name Chase Turion?"

"I'm sorry, who?"

Nodding, he figured that would be the response. "Shot twice..."

"Oh surely you know, that's not my style Lieutenant."

"And stabbed twice."

"Shot and stabbed? That must have been painful." then he held his hands out. "How does this involve me?"

"That's what I want to know Mark."

"I don't see how I could possibly..."

Slamming his hand down on the table he got in the man's face. "There is a seventeen year old girl, in Dade General right now, fighting for her life, from a nick to the kidney, when someone with their friend roughed her up for asking questions! That's how this involves you."

He was nervous. Definitely nervous. Lifting his chin, he glanced up. "Can you prove it?"

"Not yet. But stick around. I'm full of surprises." and he stood up and walked out of the room. Stopping at Calleigh he closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "Hold him. For as long as we can. I'm going to prove that he stabbed her and killed our vic."

She nodded. "We're working on proving it."

"I know you are. You're doing a good job."

"How is the girl?"

"I got kicked out because of complications."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Not literally. There's something wrong and they were flooding the room with nurses and doctors. So I let them do their job, without someone in their way. I'm on my way back up."

"You want company?"

He smiled and shrugged. "If you should so choose?"

Nodding, she smiled back. "Give me ten."