Thanks to my reviewer CSI Ballistics.
Just one more chapter after this one, thanks to everyone that's stuck in with me this far.
As always, dedicated to Courtney, faithful as ever.
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It was a day she'd been dreading, but she knew it was coming. One of her friends was lying on the cold metal table, waiting for her. Deep down, she always knew it would be Speed.
She pulled on a pair of gloves and examines his hands closely. A tear runs down her cheek and she pats his face with a gloved hand before unbuttoning his shirt gently, revealing a jagged hole in his chest where the bullet ripped through his flesh. She struggled to keep control, but the grief wins and tears cloud her vision. She wiped her eyes, she was going to finish this autopsy.
She finished undressing him and folded his clothes for one of the CSI's to take. They already knew how and who shot him, but they had to be thorough. Turning on the water, she tenderly washed his body, cleaning off the dried blood caked to his shoulder.
Taking a cloth, she wiped his face, where blood spatter was mixed with stubble.
She glanced over to the examining booth where Horatio stood, silent tears running down his face, still stained with blood, as was his shirt. Speed's blood.
She let out a choked sob and opened the floodgates. She sat on a stool and cried. Her baby was gone and nothing was bringing him back.
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Alexx was nothing if not a good mother. So she kept it together for her kids. She read them stories at bedtime, and then, when they were asleep, she crept downstairs and sat with her husband and just talked. She talked about Speed and all the stupid things he'd done, and how he was always there for her.
And one night, she was ready to talk about his death, when the doorbell rang. As she was a mess, her make up running down her face, her husband answered the door.
He came back with a white envelope and a puzzled look on his face. 'Who was it sugar?' she asked, wiping her eyes.
'Sarah. She said this was a goodbye, but I don't recognise the handwriting.'
He handed it over. ALEXX WOODS was written on it in all too familiar handwriting. The tears started again. It was from her baby, from Timmy. She opened the letter, sinking into the couch cushion.
Dear Alexx,
I'm sorry. I know that's not good enough, but it's all I have really.
I sat down to write this letter, and totally panicked. How do you say goodbye to someone closer to you than your own mother, someone who took you under their wing when they didn't need to?
So I'm just gonna say it. Goodbye Alexx. You took notice of me when nobody else did. You were my shoulder to cry on when my brother died. I'm gonna miss you so much it hurts even writing this.
I have just one thing to say. Don't cry because I died, laugh because of how you remembered me.
Goodbye,
Your baby, Timmy
XXX
P.S. The CD (I guess I had two things to say after all)
She looked inside the envelope and tipped out the CD. She clicked it into the DVD player, and music filled the room.
Because I'm evil (and lazy), I'm accepting suggestions for the song that Speed would send Alexx, I'm fresh out of ideas.
The tears slowed, and she smiled. 'Oh Timmy,' she whispered. 'why'd you have to go?'
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I know it's short, but like the letter says, I sat down to write it and totally panicked.