Chapter Five: Roll With it
By the time lunch rolled around the next day Speed was well aware that Delko wasn't talking to him. And if he was correct, it went beyond a simple game of silent treatment. It almost looked like Delko was doing everything he could to actually avoid coming into contact with Speed. Of course, Speed found himself trying to make sense of a problem that really didn't make sense to begin with. Why would Delko be so mad at him for leaving the club without saying anything? It's not like he hadn't done such things before. They'd gone out clubbing numerous times before and if they got separated Speed would often just go home. Not once had his best friend gotten mad at him for it. Instead he would have to endure at least an hours worth of time listening to his buddy talk about his exploits the night before. The fact that his own friend wouldn't talk to him only made matters worse.
Here he was sitting in the break room nursing a soda on a Sunday afternoon. The case with the triple homicide had been joined by the murder of the missing father. Calleigh and Jake had been searching for the family's second car which had also gone missing. Little did they know that when they found it they would also find the father, stuffed in the trunk with a bullet in his head. Now the mayor was even more adamant that the case get solved as quickly as possible. Speed knew that his boss would have a nice, calming talk with the mayor about following the evidence and never rushing the results for fear of making mistakes. Apparently the conversation had worked because the mayor let up the pressure a bit. But how long would it last? How long before he was once again pressuring them to catch a killer that had left behind very little evidence of himself?
He sipped his now warm soda, his mind going back to the conversation he had with Horatio the day before. Now that his best friend wasn't talking to him it kind of made it easier to decide what he wanted to do. He wanted to go home, even if it was only for a visit. He wanted to get out of Miami and away from everyone else. It had been quite a few years since he'd been home to New York. Maybe it was time that he packed his bag and left this place in the dust. But what would he find waiting for him back home? He knew that his parents had a lot more free time since they'd both retired. But would they have time for him or would his brother be there? That one thought was enough to put him back on the fence on whether or not he should leave. His brother was thirteen years younger than him and they didn't have one damn thing in common. Hell, when they were younger they tended to avoid each other, much the way that Delko was avoiding him now.
And then there was the issue of his friend. His deceased friend, the one that he failed to help. Those memories would only make him miserable as he made his way around Syracuse.
"Have you made a decision yet?" Horatio asked, leaning against the door frame, his sunglasses in his hands. He wasn't looking at Speed but down at the floor.
"I…" Speed wasn't sure what to say. He'd been ready to head home but the thought of his brother and the haunting memories. Maybe it was what he needed. "Yeah, I think I'm going to head home."
That got Horatio's attention. He looked at the younger CSI. "For a visit or permanently?"
"For a visit," Speed replied. "At least, that's what it's going to start out as. I haven't been back to New York in years. I don't even know if I like the place anymore."
"You have a week," stated Horatio. "After that…it's out of my hands. You either come back or you leave. The people in charge have been keeping an eye on you. Whatever choice you make know that you always have family down here, Tim."
"I will," he said, not noticing the hurt in Horatio's blue eyes.
--
Horatio had left Speed in the break room with his thoughts. He was worried about his younger friend. Something was clearly bothering him, something that made him feel that it would be better off if he went home. And Horatio knew that there was more to it than the shooting. A part of him wanted to sit down with the young scientist and get him to share all his worries and secrets but he knew that forcing Speed to talk wouldn't help. Not to mention the fact that the state already had Speed visiting with a therapist at least once a week until they felt he was capable of doing his job; leaving for a week in New York would make matters worse. As much as Horatio wanted Speed to be happy he couldn't let the CSI leave the state or take anymore time off. Tim wasn't aware of it yet but Miami was his home, it was where he belonged in the long run and if he went back to New York he would only be miserable. As he walked down the hallway he tried to figure out what it was that fueled Speed's decision to leave. Then he walked by Delko, busy at work.
It was time to take a detour. He pushed open the door. "Eric, I need to have a word with you."
Delko turned to face his boss. "Sure, what's on your mind, H?"
"Have you talked to Speed lately?"
After a moment Delko shook his head. "No. We had a bit of a disagreement the other day…"
Horatio smiled knowingly. "Do you realize that our friend is thinking of heading back to New York?"
"He should visit his family," Delko said, misinterpreting what his boss was saying.
"A permanent visit…"
Delko frowned. "He's thinking of moving back to New York, why? So what if I haven't been talking to him? It was only a small disagreement and I wanted him to know that it upset me when he left the other night without a word. It's not like I don't care about him anymore. He just got back on the job. The lab finally feels like home again. If he leaves…."
"Have you told him?" Horatio asked in a hushed voice.
"No." Delko's answer was equally as hushed, his shoulders slumping. "How do you bring up something like that, Horatio?"
"Carefully and at the right moment," explained Horatio. "I think you need to sit down and have a talk with him. Let the flow of conversation take you where it will. Either it will come out on its own or…"
Delko crossed his arms over his chest. The idea of losing Speed again made him feel numb. "You…you'll be fine with…if…." He could find the words to say what he wanted.
"Tell him, Eric," was all that Horatio said in reply before he put on his sunglasses and headed back out into the hallway. He was due to meet with Calleigh and Jake.