July 24

Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida

"Carlos, please…please wake up."

Carlos frowned as he found himself in a dark fog, still deeply shaken over what he had done to Bernard even though a gun had been against his skull. He had never intentionally helped anyone die; people died as part of the job, but he hadn't helped them. He didn't know if he deserved to survive what happened.

"Carlos, Holly's talking to you," Carlos heard Doc say in a calm voice. "She wants you to come back."

Carlos sighed as Doc came through the fog, "Doc, I killed a guy on purpose," he spoke shakily.

"I have too, but it doesn't give reason to stop living," Doc replied calmly. "I get it, Carlos."

Carlos gave Doc a look, "You've never euthanized anyone, Doc," he replied in a confused voice.

"I have," Doc replied softly, seeing tears in Carlos's eyes. "I euthanized Lieutenant Johnson."

Carlos gave Doc a confused look, "Lieutenant Johnson was badly burned and begging for relief after he and Alex were hurt in that explosion," Doc explained calmly. "He begged me to help him at the hospital and I had to listen to his suffering and his wife's pleas. They both finally convinced me to help them."

"I never knew," Carlos replied quietly. "Was that one of the reasons you had…your breakdown?"

Doc nodded and placed his hands on Carlos's shoulders, "I didn't have a lot of close support to deal with everything because everyone was hurting, or that's how I saw things at the time," he explained in a calm voice, knowing Carlos was frightened. "You've got support waiting for you if you choose to go back."

"I…I can choose?" Carlos asked in a shaky voice. "I thought I was dead from all the morphine."

Doc shook his head and released Carlos's shoulders, "It's only your time to be dead if you choose it, but you're still young and you have a family," he replied softly. "You have people that care about you."

Carlos looked uncertain, "Life is that way, Carlos," Doc spoke softly, pointing off into the distance. "It's up to you if you want to go keep living it.

Swallowing hard, Carlos nodded, turned, and began to walk through the darkness alone. He needed to go back for both others and himself.

A gentle hand squeezed his hand and Carlos managed to squeeze back, "Carlos?" he heard a voice ask.

Carlos allowed his eyes to open and he saw Holly sitting by the right side of the bed with his hand in her own while Ty sat in the corner of the room. He tried to talk, but he felt a tube down his throat.

"You've got a tube down your throat, Carlos," Holly spoke softly. "I need to call the nurse."

Carlos sighed, disliking the tube, "It's okay," Holly breathed, gently stroking Carlos's face as Ty got up and left the room to find a nurse about Carlos. "It's okay, honey. Just relax…you're safe."

Deeply shaken by what had happened and by his conversation with Doc, Carlos felt tears welling up in his eyes, "Carlos, shh," Holly spoke in a gentle voice, gently kissing his face. "It's all right; I'm here."

Downtown Miami

"There you go, young man," Dr. Ramirez, one of the area's top audiologists, said in a calm voice as she gently finished putting a brand new hearing aid in Jason's left ear. "How does it feel?"

Jason Wolfe sighed shakily, still weak and tired from spending three days suffering through intense withdrawals under medical supervision at a hospital. He felt grateful, but found himself unable to look up from the floor. Ryan, however, sighed patiently and exchanged a concerned look with Natalia.

"It feels better," Jason finally spoke shakily, scared to look up. "My mom will have to work overtime…"

Natalia sighed, "After you were admitted to the hospital, your mom reached out to Victims' Assistance for help and the organization's paying for the hearing aid," she explained softly. "It's covered."

Jason nodded, but still didn't look up and Ryan silently walked over to the exam table, sighing gently as he pulled Jason into a gentle embrace, "…I'm so sorry," Jason whimpered, sobbing into Ryan's shoulder.

Ryan sighed, "Take a breath, say thank you, and we'll go get you some lunch and meet up with your sister," he said in a calm reassuring voice, releasing Jason. "Your mom said she'll be home later…"

"Thank you for the new hearing aid," Jason spoke in a shaky voice, gazing at Dr. Ramirez.

Dr. Ramirez nodded and Jason got off the table, his steps shaky enough that Ryan quickly put an arm around him as they left the audiologist's office and walked down the street to a nearby fast food place, "Sit here," Ryan instructed, sitting Jason at a booth near the window. "Natalia will sit with you."

Swallowing hard, Jason looked at the table, "How am I not in jail?" he asked, gazing at Natalia.

Natalia sighed and Jason turned to see Ryan standing near the food counter, talking quietly with Jenny, who had her arms around Emilio while Tony lingered nearby waiting for food, "I'm surprised that CSI isn't hanging around here waiting to beat on me," Jason admitted. "His name's Tim, right?"

"Officer Speedle's aware of the situation, but he's not going to beat you up," Natalia replied softly.

At the food counter, Jenny sighed softly, "Uncle Ryan, Jason doesn't look good," she mused. "I can't believe that our dad would mess with his hearing aid and let some strange lady give him drugs."

"He's still coming down from the steroids, but he's well enough to be out and about," Ryan replied in a quiet voice. "I haven't told him that your mom went to the jail to serve your dad divorce papers."

Jenny nodded, "Tony's mom wants to talk to Jason when he's ready," she spoke softly. "She's a social worker and she's seen a lot of abuse victims like Jason. She wants to help him work through it."

"Daddy, come play in the ball pit!" Ryan suddenly heard James call out. "It's really fun!"

Ryan turned and was surprised to see James sitting in the play place's ball pit while Tim sat on a nearby bench with his phone at his ear, "Hey Emilio, wanna go play in the play place?" Ryan asked kindly.

"Go with Uncle Ryan, Emilio," Jenny replied kindly, quickly recognizing Tony's big brother.

Ryan sighed as he walked Emilio over to the play place and Emilio started climbing the structure, "Speedle," he said in a confused voice, gazing at Tim as he hung up the phone. "What are you…?"

"James didn't do well in the summer preschool program and Emily and I have been taking turns spending one-on-one time with him in so we can try kindergarten in the fall," Tim replied calmly. "Bernard treated him so badly that James might have permanent disabilities, but we're managing it."

Ryan nodded, "I'm sorry I haven't been over to visit much since your dad helped me find a new apartment," he replied quietly. "Doctor Higgins thought having my own space would help…"

"Don't start with the guilt stuff," Tim replied quietly. "Emily warned me you would try to apologize for doing what Doctor Higgins said by giving yourself a space where you can decompress privately."

Ryan nodded, "I just got a call from that Lieutenant Davis guy who's been down here sitting with Carlos Nieto's wife," Tim said in a quiet voice. "Carlos woke up and he's currently being extubated."

"I'm looking after Jason today til his mom gets back," Ryan replied quietly. "I can't…"

Tim nodded, "Horatio is on his way over to Mercy Hospital right now," he spoke calmly as he put his phone away and climbed into the ball pit with James. "He wants this situation handled delicately."

Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida

"Drink it slowly, sweetie," Holly spoke gently as she watched Carlos drink from a straw that was in a glass of apple juice provided by a nurse. "Your throat might still be a little sore from the tube."

Carlos nodded and slowly finished the juice, relieved when Holly put the glass back on the table because he felt too weak to even sit up, let alone hold a glass of juice, "Am…Am I going to jail?" he whispered.

"No, you're not," a calm voice spoke from the doorway. "There won't be any charges against you."

Carlos frowned, "Who said that?" he asked in a faint voice, unable to push himself up because his left arm and wrist had been re-set and re-casted before being put in a clean sling. "If you're a reporter…"

Holly silently adjusted the bed controls and Carlos frowned when he saw Horatio take a seat in a chair beside his hospital bed, "I think you were there when I…" Carlos rasped weakly. "Am I under arrest?"

"Mister Nieto, there is video evidence that proves you euthanized Bernard Marquez after prolonged torture with forced doses of morphine and you had a gun at your head when you did it," Horatio replied in a calm voice. "The District Attorney said that it was done in self defense, so you're not in…"

Carlos sighed tiredly, "You still need to talk to me, though," he replied in a shaky whisper.

"I was wondering if you happened to remember anything from what wasn't caught on tape," Horatio said in a calm voice. "We know that a man named Dimitri dosed you and beat you with a baton…"

Holly's eyes filled with tears and she gently squeezed Carlos's right hand, "Did Dimitri ever take his mask off when the camera wasn't running?" Horatio asked softly, sighing when Carlos nodded. "Can you…?"

"He was Russian, I think," Carlos replied in a faint voice. "I hear so many different accents on the job."

Horatio nodded, "He kept…kept going on about how his son killed the men he sent after Ryan," Carlos replied in a faint voice. "He said that Ryan was supposed to come and make me give in sooner."

"And when that plan failed, Dimitri used the baton," Horatio concluded. "I'm sorry, Carlos."

Carlos sighed softly, his throat sore enough that he started coughing, "I'm still…coming down," he spoke in a shaky voice, looking horribly exhausted from the effort. "I…I should get some rest…if I can."

Holly lowered the bedrail and laid down next to Carlos, sighing as he slowly shifted closer to her, "I doubt the hospital will get angry about this if it will help you be able to rest," she spoke softly. "Close your eyes."

"If you need anything, there will be a bodyguard detail outside," Horatio spoke as he stood up.

Holly nodded and gently stroked Carlos's face and hair as he drifted off against her, knowing that she was his sole comfort at the moment because Ty had gone to where Bosco was being put up until he was cleared for travel back to New York. Nodding at the two of them, Horatio silently left the room.

Victims Assistance Safehouse

The sound of a mug being set on the table prompted Bosco to jerk his eyes open in fright, frowning when he saw Robert standing beside a portable table where a hot drink sat, "Easy there, Bosco," Robert spoke calmly, looking his former partner in the eye. "You're all right. Just take a slow, deep breath."

"I…I'm sorry," Bosco apologized, setting his hands down on the blanket that was covering him while he rested on the couch after taking his daily antibiotics. "I thought Sully and John had gone shopping…"

Robert nodded, "They did and I believe Davis is due over soon," he replied calmly. "Breathe."

Bosco exhaled softly as Robert moved over to the window, "Have you looked into any sort of counseling, Bosco?" Robert asked as he opened the curtains to reveal a beach view. "Your blood poisoning is going away, as is your pneumonia, but I'm concerned about the emotional trauma you suffered over…"

"Danielle suggested the same thing, but it doesn't happen to a lot of guys," Bosco replied quietly.

Robert sighed softly, "It happened to me," he spoke quietly. "Do you remember Amanda?"

Bosco looked surprised, "Amanda was mentally ill and that's why she thought what she did to me was right," Robert explained calmly. "I go to this support group for abused spouses once a week and I also go to a support group for people who have been assaulted. I know you're supposed to stay indoors as much as possible and rest, but I brought you a book and some pamphlets from the groups since they both met last night. My brother-in-law is kind enough to watch my sons while I go seek support."

"How are books and pamphlets going to fix what happened?" Bosco asked quietly. "It won't fix it."

Robert gave Bosco a look, "It can't take it away," he spoke quietly. "It can be dealt with, though."

"What if that crazy doctor shows up with a kid next year?" Bosco asked shakily. "I can't…"

Robert sighed and silently sat down in a chair, "That kid who drove you and Carlos around was being controlled through his hearing aid and forced doses of steroids that made him forget all common sense," he explained calmly. "He witnessed what Doctor Price did to you and he said she admitted to looking for some fun with a good looking stranger since she's not able to have kids of her own."

Bosco frowned, "The kid's name was Jason Wolfe," he replied. "He looked out of it and scared."

"He was abused and controlled by his father into doing some bad things and his father's associates messed with his hearing aid and dosed him because he was scared," Robert replied softly. "Jason is only 18 and got the hearing aid when he was 16 after losing most of his hearing in his left ear to trauma."

Bosco sighed, "I don't suppose I could talk with this Jason Wolfe kid?" he asked softly, unable to help feeling sorry for the kid because he understood child abuse. "Maybe he can help me find closure."

Robert nodded and got his cell-phone out, "Drink your tea and I'll call to see if I can arrange a meeting," he replied in a calm voice as he moved into the kitchen so Bosco could have time by himself.

Bosco, however, ignored the tea and eyed the book and pamphlets that Robert had left on the table.

Downtown Miami

James Speedle smiled as he chomped down on a burger that Tim had bought him after spending time in the ball pit together, counting the balls as part of developmental therapy that had been recommended, "This is good, Daddy," he spoke quietly, smiling at Tim as he sat next to him. "You eat too?"

Tim sighed and bit into his burger, knowing that James would listen easier if he himself was doing what he asked James to do. James smiled and the two ate their meals in silence, happy to be with each other.

"All right, James, why don't we go home and work on your reading or some puzzles?" Tim asked kindly as he gathered the garbage together and put it on a tray. "Mommy's working until later and she'll get Julliet from preschool and we'll all have dinner at Grandpa's restaurant later on, okay?"

James nodded, his eyes bright at the mention of puzzles as Tim threw the garbage away before offering his hand, "Come on, kiddo," Tim said, smiling as James got out of the booth and took his hand tightly.

As Tim led James out of the play area, he noticed that the restaurant was mostly empty except for Ryan, who was sitting at a table with Jason and a half-eaten tray of food, "…I'm sorry, Uncle Ryan, I can't eat anything else," Jason spoke shakily, frowning when he saw Tim nearby. "Officer…Officer Speedle…"

Tim sighed as he approached the table with James, "I'm not going to beat you up and I'm not even angry at you," he spoke calmly. "You were under the influence against your will and what happened isn't…"

Jason suddenly gagged and Ryan silently grabbed his hand, "Take a deep breath and swallow," Ryan ordered firmly, knowing that his oldest nephew was having a reaction to eating a decent amount.

Slowly doing as he was told, Jason sighed, "I'm stressed cause I know what Mom is doing," he rasped.

Ryan frowned, "I just want to go home and lie down," Jason spoke anxiously. "I'm tired of being out."

Manhattan, New York

The apartment was large and was filled with furniture, something that caused Danielle to pause as she stood in the small foyer, "How'd you get all the furniture over here?" she asked softly, gazing at Kim.

"Jimmy talked to the 55 and the Bed Stuy firehouses while you were recovering from your hysterectomy and everyone took turns moving your stuff over from your old place as well as stuff Bosco bought for the babies as a surprise to you," Kim explained as she walked up beside Danielle. "He also told your dad."

Danielle sighed softly, wincing as she felt twinges from her healing abdomen, "I should probably sit down," she replied in a tired voice. "I'm supposed to watch how long I'm on my feet."

Kim nodded and helped Danielle over to the couch, sighing when Danielle eyed the wedding and new family pictures on the wall above the bookshelves, computer, and television, "Jimmy brought David and Ellie by here yesterday and they've picked their rooms," she explained softly. "Do you need anything?"

"What I need you can't get me, Kim," Danielle replied softly, frowning as her cell-phone buzzed.

Kim sighed as Danielle answered her cell, "Hello Maurice," Danielle spoke warmly, hearing her husband's tired voice on the phone and listening as he asked about support groups and literature available in New York for men who suffered sexual assault. "I can certainly look into it for you."

Danielle listened as Maurice explained that his former police partner in New York had gotten him literature from a Miami support group to tide him over until he got home and how he had heard that his assault had been made public on the news. Danielle sighed softly, as she too had heard that and had been getting excessive amounts of mail from the public who wanted to offer emotional and financial support to the Boscorelli family. Since her new address wasn't known, the mail had been showing up at NYPD and the firehouse and after the mail had been screened for harmful things, Danielle had gotten it.

Maurice continued by saying that what happened between Carlos and Bernard had also been made public and Miami police were receiving letters from people who supported the death of a sociopath and murderer, but nobody knew where Carlos was. He then said that he was tired and needed sleep, apologizing profusely for not asking about the babies lately while struggling with yawning.

"Maurice, Michael and Emily are fine, as are David and Ellie," Danielle replied. "I love you."

There was a silence on the phone and Maurice sleepily said that he liked the names before hanging up, too emotionally spent to talk longer.

Miami Correctional Facility – Miami, Florida

Tommy Wolfe scowled as he studied the stack of papers on the table in front of him before glaring at Diana, who was sitting on the other side of the prison table with Kenwall Duquesne while Warrick hung back silently, ready to act if there was trouble, "Diana, what is this?" he asked in a cold voice.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out about you hiring a tech expert to mess with Jason's hearing aid?" Diana snapped angrily. "I had the police examine the hearing aid and it was altered to make Jason hallucinate in response to certain sounds. Tommy, it was bad enough what happened to Jenna, but you and your buddies messing with Jason after you beat him badly enough to need the hearing aid…!"

Tommy gave Diana a look, "This is my attorney, Kenwall Duquesne, and he will be representing me in our divorce proceedings," Diana replied coldly. "It should be fairly easy, considering what you did to your brother and the new charges you are getting since Jason agreed to press charges against you."

"A divorce based on abuse is fairly straightforward," Kenwall cut in calmly. "These papers state that your ex-wife will get half your money, your property, and full custody of your youngest with the option of deciding whether or not your older two are allowed contact with you due to your abusive nature."

Tommy scoffed and glared at Warrick, "Who's the punk dude with the badge?" he asked gruffly.

"Warrick Brown, Victims Assistance Crisis Representative," Warrick replied calmly. "Hi."

Tommy swore, "I suppose my dearly demented brother paid for a new hearing aid," he hissed.

"Just sign the papers," Kenwall replied calmly. "Your hearing for your new charges will be soon…"

Tommy scoffed, "That CSI lab where Ryan works has leaks and that's where I got my help with Jason's hearing aid," he spoke smugly. "You might wanna tell the PD that their techs are also criminals."

Warrick frowned as he came over to the table, "I don't have the technological knowledge to rewire a hearing aid, so I hired someone," Tommy replied calmly. "Someone who also works at MDPD."

Frowning, Warrick silently moved away from the table and asked a guard if he could use the phone.

Miami-Dade Police Department/Crime Lab

Grateful that Ty had shown up to the safehouse so quickly and that Sully and John had come back from shopping before he left, Robert silently entered his small office and sat at his desk. He felt the need to talk to someone after his visit with Bosco, but Emily was off-site helping Eric with his rehabilitation. The Delkos had been very careful to shield Eric from everything that had happened unless Eric started remembering things himself, as watching distressing news could disrupt his very slow recovery.

Deeply shaken by the fact that a Dimitri with a Russian accent had been in the footage of Carlos's torture and Bernard's death, Robert dug into his desk and began looking through one of the books that he had gotten from his support groups. As Robert read, he failed to hear footsteps approach his office.

"Robert, do you have a moment?" Robert suddenly heard a gentle voice ask. "We should talk."

Sighing, Robert looked up and saw his uncle lingering in the doorway, "Uncle Horatio, come in," he spoke in a tired voice as he set the book aside. "I just got done visiting with Officer Boscorelli."

Nodding, Horatio closed the door and took a seat in a visitor's chair, "I left Bosco with some literature and some words that I hope will help him heal," Robert spoke quietly. "I just needed a moment…"

Horatio sighed, "I know my father helped torture Carlos Nieto," Robert spoke quietly. "I saw the tape and I already sent a uniform over to my house to keep an eye on BJ, Adam, Rick, and Lenny."

"I just needed a moment to compose myself before I went to see if I could arrange a supervised meeting between Officer Boscorelli and Jason Wolfe," Robert spoke quietly. "Bosco wants to talk to him and he understands the circumstances, but I know that Jason's still very much recovering from what his…"

Horatio sighed gently, "And so are you," he replied softly. "I know hearing about Dimitri affected you."

"How could it not?" Robert asked quietly. "I saw him murder my mother and he tried to kill me."

Horatio nodded, "I sent an email request to the department psychologist for a counseling session, but Emily's off-site today helping Officer Delko," Robert stated softly. "I might go home early today."

Robert stood up and sighed sadly, "All this has made me realize how much I miss my mother," he spoke in a shaky voice. "Even after Maggie's death, I didn't think about my mom as much as I have been…"

"I think about Adria every day," Horatio replied calmly, sharing his nephew's sorrow as he stood up and came around the desk.

Robert nodded and allowed pent up tears to fall from his eyes, sighing when his uncle gently drew him into an embrace.

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