Trey searched through every possible place he could find for a parachute. The clock was ticking and for the first time in his life he panicked. He could die within seconds if there was no parachute on the plane. He wasn't down low enough to just jump out. When he didn't find one he took another look at the bomb. Thirty seconds left and then he was a dead man. He hadn't gone through all this trouble just to die because the cops had managed to fool him. They would get a taste of their own medicine after this. Trey decided to take the plane down low enough for him to just jump out. When he saw the ocean he sighed in relief and then put the plane on auto-pilot again and went to the door. He had twenty seconds to jump. He opened the door and smirked as he jumped down in the water.

"Damn, I forgot about the sharks." He growled.

As far as he could see there was no shark close by. He watched as the plane flew further and further away and Trey frowned when instead of the plane blowing up, it went down in the ocean. Trey could see the plane and he realized that the bomb had been fake all along. When he heard the engines of boats behind him he sighed in defeat. The coast guard was on their way to pick him up and they already knew where he was so there was no point in diving to avoid being seen.

"You didn't really think we'd waste a bomb on a scumbag like you?" Frank smirked when he and the coast guard surrounded Trey with their boats.

"That thought crossed my mind." Trey growled.

"The bomb was designed to simply knock out all the power in the plane, forcing it to crash land in the ocean." Frank said, "You panicked, which was exactly what we had hoped for."

"I still win. Chief Caine will die and so will Lt. Wolfe." Trey smirked as he was pulled up from the water and cuffed.

"Wolfe is in the hospital. We traced your phone call dumbass. For being smart enough to spend a year to prepare for your revenge you really have moments when you're very stupid." Frank said.

Trey growled. He had lost. He hadn't managed to kill anyone. Not Chief Caine, Lt. Wolfe or anybody else in the rooms in the basement. He had made a fool of himself and pulled his daughter down with him.

"Oh and just so you know, you're execution has been moved for tomorrow." Frank smirked and winked when he saw Trey's shocked expression.

-I-

"Ryan James Wolfe! Get back in that bed!" Alexx growled when she saw Ryan trying to get out of the bed.

Ryan had been in the hospital for five days. His wounds were healing and since he had regained the strength to walk he had been trying to leave his room to see Horatio. It's not that Ryan wasn't allowed to visit, but he wasn't allowed to leave without his doctor's permission either.

"Alexx, nobody will tell me how H is doing." Ryan whined, "I ask everybody who visits me and they all ignore the question. Is he um… is he dead?"

Alexx sighed. She had been the one to tell the team not to tell Ryan how Horatio was doing. She knew that Ryan would only blame himself and he needed to rest and not worry.

"He's in a coma. The bullet has been removed and he's not paralyzed as far as we can tell." Alexx said, "He may still become blind, deaf or lose his sense of smell. He may still be in constant neck pain and have headaches, but we won't know that until he wakes up."

Ryan sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. A part of him still blamed himself for what had happened to Horatio, but the other part of him knew that it wasn't his fault and that things could have been a lot worse.

"Can I see him please?" Ryan asked.

"Okay, I'll take you to him." Alexx said.

She went to get a wheelchair and left Ryan a moment to just think. Trey had been executed and Rebecca was in jail. The streets of Miami were a lot safer with those two gone. But Ryan would never forgive himself if Horatio wouldn't be able to come back to work.

"Still blaming yourself?" A female voice asked from the doorway.

"Natalia?"

"Yeah, I told Alexx I could take you to Horatio." Natalia smiled, "Come on Wolfe-man, get in the chair."

Ryan chuckled and sat down in the wheelchair. He didn't like being pushed around in it since he could walk, but it was hospital procedure. Natalia told Ryan that Horatio was still in critical condition and in the ICU. The closer they got to the ICU the more nervous Ryan got. Although people had told him that Horatio would never blame him for what had happened, he wouldn't believe it until Horatio told him that himself.

"Ready?" Natalia asked as they stopped outside Horatio's room.

Ryan nodded and Natalia opened the door. Ryan wheeled himself inside and stopped when he saw the man on the bed. Tubes ran from him to machines and he looked like he was asleep. Ryan wheeled closer and grabbed Horatio's hand. It was so strange to see Horatio hurt. It had been last time Horatio had been shot too.

"He's been shot twice in only one year." Ryan whispered, "And this time he got hurt trying to save my life."

"He did exactly what you would have done for him." Natalia said.

She sat down on the other side of the bed. It was hard for the whole team to see their boss and friend injured, unresponsive and neither improving nor getting worse.

"How are Calleigh and Zoey?" Ryan asked.

"They're doing fine. As fine as any of us can do with two of our friends in the hospital." Natalia said.

"He shouldn't have opened the goddamn door." Ryan sighed.

"Ryan, he couldn't have known. You couldn't have known either. This isn't your fault." Natalia said.

"I need to hear it from him." Ryan said.

"I know and you will when he wakes up. Have faith in him. He's one of the strongest men we know and he will wake up."

Ryan nodded. Of course Horatio would wake up. But it could be weeks or even months before that day arrived.

-I-

Ryan left the hospital after only one week. As soon as he stepped inside his home he knew he couldn't live there anymore. He didn't feel safe there anymore. It didn't take long before he found an apartment that was closer to the lab and with the help of the team he moved there only three days later. He never regretted that decision. He felt safer and happier in his new apartment.

Natalia bought him a puppy named Kelso. A German Shepherd. Ryan had never wanted a dog before, but when he saw Kelso he couldn't say no. No matter how many shoes Kelso played with Ryan loved him. He understood why people got so attached to animals.

Ryan visited Horatio everyday and sometimes brought Kelso with him. Usually dogs weren't allowed in hospitals, but Alexx had fixed a special permission for Ryan to have Kelso with him. It seemed to do Horatio some good too. The team also visited Horatio in the hospital and Ryan in his apartment. Ryan had been ordered to stay home for a whole month. For Ryan the days passed slowly and one rainy day he had nothing to do.

"Maybe we can visit H today too, right Kelso?" Ryan asked as he lay on the couch.

The puppy was on his stomach resting and Ryan lazily scratched his head. Ryan not only brought Kelso with him to see Horatio, he also brought new papers was determined to tell Horatio about the news. He, as well as the team, believed that if they talked to Horatio he would be able to hear them.

"Let's go see the big boss." Ryan smiled and put Kelso down on the floor.

The happy puppy gladly went to the hospital with Ryan and in the car he barked at all the other dogs he saw. When they arrived at the hospital parking lot they managed to avoid getting soaked by the rain as they ran inside.

"Hey Alexx!" Ryan greeted as he came to the ICU.

"Hey I got great news! Horatio is awake." Alexx smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's asked for you." Alexx said.

"What's his condition?" Ryan asked, fearing for the worst, "Please tell me he is unharmed."

"I can't do that Ryan. He's deaf on his right ear and will periodically experience severe headaches." Alexx said, "But he's happy."

"He's happy about that?"

"Yeah, he said it could have been a lot worse and he's right, so stop worrying." Alexx smiled, "He'll still be able to do his job. He'll have to be home for a few more weeks and can't leave just yet, but he'll be able to work again when he's healed."

Ryan sighed in relief. He stood outside the door and took a deep breath before entering. Alexx left him alone in the room. Ryan smiled at his boss as he sat down on the left side of the bed.

"It's kind of weird not being able to hear on my right ear." Horatio chuckled, "But you know what? It's okay."

"Are you sure? I feel like this is my fault. If I hadn't gone home I wouldn't have been kidnapped and…"

"Life is full of ifs Ryan. I sent you home, remember?" Horatio said, "I think you had a conversation like this with Natalia last year."

"Yeah, I did." Ryan chuckled, "I know life is full of ifs, but…"

"You still blame yourself?"

"Yes."

"Don't. I don't blame you." Horatio said, "I see you brought Kelso with you."

"You heard me talking before?" Ryan smiled.

"Yeah, since two days back. I just didn't have the strength to open my eyes or stay awake long enough to let you know I could hear you. But I remember feeling him lying in the bed beside me and you called him Kelso." Horatio smiled, "And you read the news to me."

"Yeah, I did. Do you remember Eric telling you about how he surprised Calleigh on her birthday?"

"Yeah, she hit him with a broom because he scared her when he appeared out of nowhere with a birthday cake." Horatio chuckled, "I remember."

Ryan nodded and then none of them said anything for a while.
"H, what you did for me… thank you." Ryan said.

"You would have done the same for me." Horatio smiled.

"Yeah, I would have. But are you sure you're not mad?"

"Well I am a little mad about something…"

"Oh okay." Ryan sighed and expected the worst.

"Alexx told me I wasn't allowed to go home yet or flirt with the nurse." Horatio smirked.

"H! I'm not surprised you want to go home because you hate being a patient, but you're flirting with the nurse?" Ryan laughed.

"Yes, have you even seen her?" Horatio smiled.

"Yes, I think she's single too."

"Good, I should get her number." Horatio said.

"Why didn't Alexx allowed you to flirt with her?"

"She said I should focus on getting better instead of ogling the nurse's butt." Horatio shrugged.

Ryan just laughed. It was good to have Horatio back and in a good mood. Maybe now life could go back to normal.

The End!

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