Author Notes: Sorry it's been so long. On top of being busy with work, summer stuff and my recent engagement to my awesome boyfriend of three years I've also been at a loss on what to write on this story. All my ideas lately have been for my other story In The Line of Fire and my new story I haven't published yet (Should I publish it?). However, I'm going to finish this story. I just have so many idea and no one to bounce them off who knows CSI: Miami story line and the characters. I need a CSI: Miami fan fiction confident. Anyways enjoy and please review, I love reviews
6. Déjà vu
Calleigh's head was pounding, her memory was playing hide and seek with her mind and the disorientation wasn't helping either. Her senses were playing tricks on her. She scanned her surroundings. She was in a hospital bed. The room was spinning and there was this beeping noise which seemed to be getting louder with each beep. It was confusion.
"Wait, What? Am I dreaming again? The same dream?" She thought as she lifted herself from the bed she was laying in. As she tried to stand a wave of nausea hit her, almost making her stumble to the floor. She braced herself on the bed trying to gulp back her breakfast that was threatening to make an appearance. Just then someone walked in. Calleigh slowly turned to face her visitor praying it wasn't Eric, but of course it was. "It was him the last time" she thought.
"Great" She mumbled under her breath.
"Hey there" Eric said walking over to Calleigh side. "Whoa, what are you trying to do injure yourself even more?" He helped her back into bed and tucked her in. Begrudgingly she complied, sitting on the bed. "I'm glad you're awake" he said "I hope you don't mind I brought-"
"Nope, Nope, I do mind if you brought a visitor. I don't want anyone seeing me like this." She said quickly.
"Well you are in luck because I'm alone and I only brought you some geraniums. I know you don't like when people bring you gifts when you're in the hospital, but I thought you'd like them." He smiled at her. "Good, maybe I'm not dreaming?" she thought.
"Why would I bring a stranger to visit you at the hospital? That would be so rude, plus I'm sure as soon as you were better you would kill me." He laughed as he placed the flowers down on the table.
"Well um, I" she stammered. Again there was no way she was telling Eric about her dream. Definitely not after how she acted at the scene she didn't want him to think she was anymore crazy than he probably already thought she was. "No reason" she finally managed after long moment of stammering.
"Sure" he said hesitantly as if he didn't believe her. "So how are you feeling?"
"My head is killing me and I'm not sure if I'm going crazy, but otherwise I'm good." She smiled.
She still didn't understand what really happened this morning, but she found focusing on it made her headache hurt even worse. However, she had to convince Eric she wasn't going crazy.
"Eric about earlier, I know I sound crazy and there is no reason you should believe me but I know what I saw and-" she rumbled.
"Hey, of course I believe you." He said with a serious tone as he set down on the bed and brushed her hair back out of her face looking straight into her eyes. "I'll always believe you." He said sweetly caressingly her cheek
He smiled at her and she smiled back and for a moment they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Eric leaned into toward her, but the moment was interrupted by a phone ringing. Calleigh felt a vibration from Eric's side pocket that was then followed by a ring. He quickly removed himself from the bed and he pulled out his phone. He looked at the screen and grimaced.
"Hey, I'm going to have to take this" He said and walked out of the room as he answered the phone.
"Ok" Calleigh replied, but he was pretty much out of the room, leaving Calleigh to be tormented by her thoughts. "Why didn't he just let it ring; I'm in the hospital for goodness sakes. It can't be Horatio because he would have said so, he normally did. It must be Nadia; why else would he leave the room. Apparently she takes precedence to my well being. My God what is wrong with me? Why I acting like this? I need to get it together, there are more important things like the fact that I saw a crime happened and then all the evidence vanished. What is wrong with me?"
Her thoughts however were interrupted by someone entering the room.
"I feel so loved, but you're going to have to stop visiting me like this, baby girl." Alexx said as entered the room, computer tablet in hand.
Calleigh smiled when she saw Alexx's face, it pulled her from the negative thoughts.
"Well you're not the only reason I'm visiting. My frequent patient card was full, so this visit is free, I couldn't resist that." She joked.
"How are you feeling, baby?" Alexx said walking over to her and opening her arms to embrace her.
Little did Alexx know, but that was a loaded question. She wasn't feeling too great either emotionally or physically right now and she wanted to let it out. Alexx was always a good listener, but now wasn't the time especially with Eric just outside the door. She looked at the door watched to see where Eric was. She spotted him through the glass of the door, pacing the hallway as he talked on the phone. She looked back at Alexx and answered her question, nonchalantly.
"I'm ok; I just have a little headache. I'm more shaken up than anything really." She said.
"Yeah, you're suffering from a mild concussion. You lucky it wasn't worse I heard you fall on concrete. You were out cold when you came in, but other than a few circular shaped bruises on your torso you were otherwise unharmed. We want to keep you overnight just as a precaution, ok babygirl?" Alexx said in a doctor mood. Calleigh nodded.
Alexx looked at her; though Calleigh had nodded at her words she could tell she wasn't hearing them. She saw how she looked at Eric before she answered. She had a feeling whatever was up involved more than headache. As much as she wanted to pry, she was on the clock and had other patients and if experience had taught her anything it was that drama between those two was a long winded story.
"Well I have to make my rounds with my other patients and then head back to the ER, but I have my lunch at 2:30pm. I'll swing back by and eat with you. We can talk if there is ANYthing, you want to talk about ok?" Alexx said in a motherly tone, which to Calleigh meant they were going to talk if she liked it or not.
"Sure" Calleigh replied looking at her this time with a weak smile.
Alexx smiled and patted her on the shoulder lightly, then walked to the foot of the bed and started making notation on her computer. Just as Alexx was finishing up Eric walked back into the room.
"She all yours" Alexx said walking towards the door. "I'll see you two later" she smiled then exited.
For a there was an awkward silence as Eric made his way back to the bed. When he reached it he just stood at her side, but he still hadn't said a word. She looked up at him and he just stood there with his hands in his pockets and his lip tucked in mouth as if he was in deep thought, not saying a word. The silence was driving Calleigh crazy. He was the one who exited the room, he was the one who got an important call and he was going to come in here and act like nothing happened. He wasn't even going to give a lame excuse about who it was or nothing. She smiled at him awkwardly and he smiled big back, obliviously. She couldn't look him any longing without it being weird so she started to shift her eyes back and forth awkwardly. The silence was getting too loud for her to bear and she spoke.
"Who was on the phone?" she blurted before she could catch herself. However Eric had spoken at almost the same second her.
"What did Alexx say?" he had asked.
Both of them were so wrapped up in their own question they didn't really hear what the other had said.
"Huh?" Eric said
"What?" Calleigh said in close recession of Eric.
Realizing Eric may have not clearly heard her, Calleigh really wanted to take her question back. However, she couldn't judge how much of the question he made out or if it was an "I heard you, but did you just ask that" huh.
They both started babbling to clarify, but they were still talking over each other. They both simultaneously would offer the other to go first, but both were unsure who expected first and would start talking over each other again. They stopped this charade seeing that it wasn't working and it was followed by a short silence. This was followed by a nonverbal conversion of hand motions and eye contact which they somehow communicated that Eric was going to go first or possibly because Calleigh wanted to delay re-asking the question she regretted asking in the first place and refused to speak.
"Sooooo" Eric asked slowly and when he was sure he was the only one talking he proceeded "What I asked was what did Alexx say?"
"Oh um she said it was just a mild concussion and that they were going to keep me overnight for observation." She replied.
"Good, that is great, but I'm glad they're keeping you. I don't ever want a scare like last time even if you incise that you are fine." Eric said
He placed his hand on hers and softly caressing it. However, involuntarily her body pulled away. She was feeling an awkwardness around him that she had felt in a long while. She couldn't explain it, but she was feeling so conflicted. He said he couldn't live without her and wanted to be with her, but who was this other woman and why hadn't he mentioned who she was yet?
In fact why were the guys she liked so cryptic? Could she just come out and ask him? Normally she didn't have to do that, he would just tell her that was how their relationship is or that was how it was. She didn't know where she stood with him at this current moment. Were they a couple? Because if they were shouldn't he be more forthcoming? Or was she just blowing this way out of proportion? He didn't away tell her everything, to think of it he had been so cryptic even before the Nadia came into the picture. Her head was pounding from the overload of thoughts and it was making the concussion worse.
"Sorry ouch" she said placing the hand she withdrew from him to her head, which functioned as an unintentional cover up for her pulling it away "My brain really hurts, sorry" she said.
"It's fine, can I get you something to help? Water? The doctor?" he asked concerned.
"Yeah I some freaking answer would be great." She thought, but she couldn't be that blunt.
"No, I'm fine. I can't stop thinking about this morning. I wish I could explain it. I can't help but feel like I'm losing it" She said instead.
"Yeah" He distractedly said looking down at his phone, then back at her.
"What is going on? He is not his normal self." She thought. She looked at him with doe eyes. This was driving her crazy, she need something, anything.
"OK, I'll tell you." He sighed, he saw her look at him with those eyes and he could never say no to those eyes.
"Yes, finally" She thought.
"I'm sorry for being so secretive" he started
"Yes, finally some answers" she thought.
"But I was trying to avoid you prying about my recent phone call," He continued "Yet, I knew you would ask. I know not working this case is killing you, but I was instructed not to update you by Horatio so you would relax, but we both know that wasn't going to happen. You've pulled my leg." He said
"What? The case? You think this is about the case? My God you have to be kidding me." She thought,
"I'm sorry I hid this from you, the team just didn't push yourself too far like you did they last time, they were really worried about you. After we left they did a more thorough search of the port and Ryan found a dog cover in blood hiding under a porch a few houses over. Their investigating the area for yachts in the surrounding area to match the description you gave. You're not crazy, so relax now please." He smiled at her.
"Oh my God, he is totally oblivious" she thought.
Of course she was worried about the case and was very pleased to find out that she just hadn't had an extremely elaborate dream, but this Eric thing was really getting under her skin and he didn't even seem to notice it.
"Great, that is just great Eric." She said forcing a smile. He smiled back.
"But this has to be our secret; I know how much you don't like not being in the loop. I'll keep you updated and all you have to do is stay here til they give you the ok to get back to work, deal?" He said.
"Really? He knows I don't like being out of the loop? Really?" Calleigh thought frustrated.
She was so preoccupied by the happening in her personal life that she had really even given the crime scene proper thought. She didn't mention the circular marks on her back. That was evidence in the case, it needed to be documented.
"This Eric thing isn't important, Well it is but not as important as this case. There could be a dying man out there and I'm worried about my love life" she thought then went right into work mode.
"Deal, speaking of the case Alexx mentioned that I had some circular shaped bruises on my torso. I'm not sure if I was hit with something, it still kind of blurry, but maybe it could help and should be photographed. Natalia could do it." She said in an all business tone.
"Natalia?" Eric asked, confused at the request. He was at the hospital and he had his camera. It was just her torso. He wasn't sure why she didn't want him to do it; this was never a problem before.
"She's on the case right? Calleigh asked, seeing the confusion on his face.
She knew since he was at the hospital he was the obvious pick, but she couldn't be around him let alone have him touching her bare skin. She wasn't going to let him drive her crazier than he already had today, now she was turning the tables on him. Plus it was her departmental right to request an female officer for such a situation like this and this time she was taking advantage of that.
"Yeah she is" he replied his confusion apparent from the farrowing of his eyebrows and the way he voice replied when he answer.
"Yeah then Natalia can do it" she said back firmly.
"OK, if that is what you want I'll get her here" He said still very confused.
"Thanks" Calleigh said smiling, he smiled back, but she could see it was forced. He wasn't sure why she asked for Natalia and she could see it was bugging him. It made her feel a little bit remorseful, yet couldn't help but think "Eric, welcome to my world."
Hope you liked it- Quitethefangirl