Visiting Hours

"I go see mommy?" Chloe Delko said for about the hundredth time that morning.

Eric was getting his daughter dressed for the day. And yes, she was going to see her mom. After four days Calleigh had been moved from the constant care unit to a regular room. That meant he could bring Chloe to see her. Because Calleigh had been in the ICU Chloe hadn't seen her mother or even heard her voice in four days. Eric couldn't imagine how long that had felt to Chloe.

"Yes, princesa, you're going to see mommy," he replied, smiling. Eric didn't, he couldn't get annoyed by the child repetition of the same phrase. He knew how excited she must be "You know what? Mommy missed you just as much you missed her."

Eric knew it would be useless to try and get Chloe to sit and eat breakfast so before they went to a café to pick up breakfast. Eric knew Chloe was going to get hungry and she would definitely eat with Calleigh. At the Hallmark store next to the café Eric stopped to buy his girlfriend a card and flowers. He decided to let Chloe get her mom something too; her choice, something that always made her feel better; a beanie baby and a bundle of lollipops. When they reached the hospital Eric noticed Calleigh's doctor near the nurses' station and the two spoke for a moment. But Chloe couldn't wait any more. Calleigh's room was right behind the nurses' station, less than two feet away. She walked away from her father and to the room door, turned the handle and pushed it open. Just before the child opened the door Calleigh had been poking at the hospital breakfast, scrambled eggs that seemed to jump when she poked them with her fork. It turned her stomach. She knew Eric would bring her breakfast when he came in.

Calleigh heard the handle of the room door click and saw it opening slowly. "Mommy? Are 'ou in 'ere?" She heard a small voice call out.

Calleigh laughed. That was her daughter, all right. No doubt Eric had stopped to talk to someone and Chloe got impatient.

"Yes, sweetpea. I'm here."

"Mommy!" Chloe screamed excitedly, running to the bed.

Eric heard that and looked to his side. No Chloe.

"I guess your lil' one didn't want to wait," the doctor said.

Eric smiled. He stepped into the room seconds behind his daughter, lifting her onto the bed so she could hug Calleigh. He watched as the little girl wrapped her arms and legs around the woman he loved, putting her small palms on her mom's cheeks, placing tiny kisses on Calleigh's nose and lips. Calleigh held the child tight.

"I missed you, baby girl," Calleigh whispered to Chloe.

Calleigh was released from the hospital two days later. She would be off work for another six weeks and when she returned to work go on "ease back" for a month. Before Chloe came along and she and Eric admitted they were two people in love with each other, having to be off work for six weeks would have drove her insane, then when she got back to work, having to do another round of proficiency tests because of the accident would have annoyed her to the hilt. Now none of that mattered, raising Chloe had made Calleigh realize there were things in life not worth getting upset over. She had survived something that others may not have, having to wait to go back to her job was insignificant. Chloe wouldn't be going to daycare while Calleigh was home. She was looking forward to spending quality time with Chloe in those weeks.

Horatio dropped in to see the three the first night Calleigh was home. The two knew that no doubt Horatio dropped by to say hello and see Calleigh but they also knew he most likely had something to tell them. They knew their supervisor had been to Georgia to hand-deliver the letter of extradition to the Atlanta district attorney. Nobody said anything in the presence of Chloe. As fair as the child knew what had happened to her mother was just that, an accident, not a plot of a jealous former detective.

"Let me guess," Calleigh said when Eric was tucking Chloe into bed. "Jake is fighting extradition."

Horatio nodded. "On the grounds he won't get a fair trial in Florida 'because all the departments have turned on him.' He ironically also says that he didn't commit any crime in Georgia so they have no right to hold him. Therefore, he should be released."

"You have to be kidding me," Calleigh muttered.

"He's just stalling, Calleigh. No judge would ever grant either motion."

Calleigh knew that but it only served to hate Jake Berkley more.

I've decided to bring back Speedle! I'll post the next chapter ASAP!