I have managed to find time for two chapters today:
He was woken by the sound of trolleys being pushed up and down the corridor; he raised a hand to his face and winced when it came into contact with his bruises. Opening his eyes slowly he took a minute or two to focus on anything, his head was still pounding and his body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Twice. All of his belongings had been removed when he was brought in and there was no clock he could see, he realised that with the artificial lighting in the room he had no idea whether it was day or night. His stomach rumbled but he couldn't face the thought of trying to eat anything, he wasn't sure his swollen mouth would let him let alone his bruised and aching abdomen. "Just lie still and don't move," he told himself as he closed his eyes and prayed for the welcoming blanket of unconsciousness to envelop him again.
He had managed to drift off into a peaceful slumber for a while before he felt a soft kiss being placed on his cheek. Opening his eyes he found himself face to face with Robin, she gave him a watery smile before sitting in the chair next to his bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she took his hand in hers.
He responded with as firm a squeeze as his battered body would allow, "I'm doing ok," he tried to reassure her. He didn't want to unduly alarm her; the woman had just lost her husband before embarking on a relationship with him. If he were being honest with her he would have told her how awful he really felt, her husband had died and the last thing she needed was to go worrying about her new lover.
"Have they said when you'll be getting out of here?"
He frowned in response, "The doctor said next week, probably. I'm getting bored in here." It was a lie but he didn't want her to worry, the truth was he could hardly move without being in agony. As far as he was concerned, the longer they kept him here pumped full of morphine, the better.
She looked at him worriedly, chewing on her bottom lip. "John, I need to tell you something," she began before lowering her head.
He tried to lean forward to be closer to her but groaned as his ribs protested, "What is it, Robin?".
She hesitated, "The last couple of days, I don't know if I'm being silly…." she trailed off, glancing at his concerned expression she continued. "I got the feeling that someone was following me, watching me."
His heart thumped wildly, the Malucci brothers had threatened to go after his friends and family. He knew he couldn't protect all of them indefinitely, as much as he hated it maybe the FBI agent was right. He realised he would be stuck in a no-win situation, to go undercover and go against everything he stood for as a police officer or risk his loved ones getting hurt. He was torn, whatever he choice he made someone would get hurt, maybe not physically but would he be able to live with himself betraying those closest to him, would they ever understand why he had done it?.
He was disturbed from his thoughts by Robin placing a hand on his cheek; she looked at him in concern. "John, are you ok?".
He shook his head as if to clear it and wished he hadn't as white light pierced his vision, "Did you see them? What did they look like?" She smiled at him as he shifted into 'cop mode'.
"I didn't see them, as such. I just got a feeling that I was being watched, it's probably nothing," she tried to reassure him as he became agitated.
"Robin, if you see anyone or you think you're being followed call Andy, we'll get a squad car parked outside your apartment building." He looked at her intently as he spoke.
"John, it's probably nothing."
"Promise me, Robin," he was insistent and becoming more agitated by the second, his breath came in short gasps. "Promise me."
The knock on his motel door was insistent; he lay back on his bed and tried to ignore it turning the TV up in an effort to drown the noise out. Still the knocking continued, he got up with a growl and stalked over to the door. "If it's that damn Cuban again I'm gonna knock him on his ass!" he told himself. "You, again. What do you want?" the flight from New York to Miami had been a long one and he was in no mood for pleasantries.
"You need to come back to the hospital." Eric urged him as he stood in the doorway.
"And why would I want to do that?"
"Because he needs you, you're meant to be his friend."
He visibly bristled at the remark, "Well maybe John should have thought of that before he crapped all over our friendship."
"Please, he doesn't remember what he's meant to have done." Eric knew he sounded desperate but he didn't know what else to say to get the other man to understand.
"Look, you seem like a nice kid but John's got you fooled. If you believe that crap about memory loss then that's up to you. You obviously don't know him as well as you think you do."
"Maybe it's you who doesn't know him as well as you think you do," Eric countered as he stood his ground, "Let me in and I'll tell you just what kind of man your partner is."
The stood glaring at each other, neither willing to give ground to the other. Andy's gaze narrowed, "Come in, say your piece and then go. I've got a flight back to New York to catch."
Eric nodded and headed into the sparsely furnished motel room, spying a worn armchair with fraying fabric he sat down, leaning his elbows on his knees. He took a deep breath before he began, not really sure where to start, "The man you know as John Kelly, I know him as Horatio Caine."
Andy snorted derisively, "What kind of crappy name is that?" he taunted as he sat on the bed and lit a cigarette.
Eric ignored him and carried on, "I've known him for over ten years, there's no one I'd trust more with my life."
Andy eyed him warily, "Well then you're a fool."
"We've been in more life and death situations than I can remember and he's always had my back. He's as straight as they come, he's taken down more criminals here than any other officer I know."
"You sure he wasn't making a bit on the side, kid?" Andy took a drag of his cigarette.
"No, never!" Eric felt his anger rise, how dare this man accuse Horatio of being anything less than a loyal and dedicated police officer. "He has absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who cuts out of line under his command. He's a great boss, we'd walk through walls for him and we know he'd do the same for us."
"John's your boss?" Andy asked, amused by the statement.
"He's our lieutenant and a damn fine one he is too." Eric replied indignantly, offended by the other man's tone.
Andy smiled at the thought of his partner rising through the ranks; he knew John had been a damned fine officer. Hell, John had virtually carried him most of the time they were partnered together, if things hadn't turned out the way they had he knew John would have climbed up the ranks in the NYPD, he was meant for better things than being stuck with an old guy like him. The guy was smart without being too cocky about it; he was good looking and charismatic. The perfect poster boy for the precinct, his arrest record was one of the best in the squad. The John he thought he knew was a kind and caring man who took those less experienced under his wing. He remembered the time he had mentored young Officer Martinez and turned him into a promising detective. The young man had idolised him and took it particularly hard the day John had been arrested.
"You need to come back and give him the chance to explain, he needs you right now. You're the only one who can help us find out who's after him." Eric stopped talking as his cell phone rang; he pulled it out absent-mindedly and answered it, "Delko."
"Eric, it's Frank." The voice was terse, no time for pleasantries.
"What's up Frank, I'm kind of in the middle of something here."
"Dispatch has had a report of a B and E down on Coral Grove."
Annoyed at the interruption Eric snapped, "Take Ryan or Natalia. I'm busy here."
"No, you should be here. The address is 3562 Cedar Drive."
Eric felt his heart skip a beat, his face fell as Frank's words sank in. "That's Horatio's house. Give me ten minutes, I'll be there." He ended the call and looked at Andy, "You need to come with me, whatever differences you have, this bigger than both of you."
Andy locked gazes with the younger man; he scowled and picked up his jacket from the bed before heading for the door.