Not mine, don't own. My thanks to Gooniegirl3333 for beta-reading this for me. Any remaining errors are mine.

Horatio Caine eased himself behind his desk with a barely perceptible wince. Damn, I'm getting old, he lamented, feeling the creaks and pops of various joints reminding him that, once again, he had done far too much before noon. He had just settled into his chair, grabbed a pen, and lifted the first of many requisition forms to sign when there was a timid knock at the door.

"Horatio?"

"Come in." The brunette stood in the doorway hesitantly, as if unsure whether to stay or go. As usual, she was impeccably dressed, in a silk shirt with linen pants. The gold belt matched her pumps and highlighted the hoop earrings she wore. It was in all, Horatio thought, a nice picture, and one he might have pursued if the girl in question was about ten years older. As it was, Horatio felt fatherly toward her, and that feeling was amplified by the unsure cant of her shoulders.

"Am I interrupting something?" Natalia shifted her weight from one heel to the other, unconsciously playing with a long strand of hair.

Horatio fought not to smile at her uncertainty. Am I that intimidating? he wondered.

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring look. "Not at all, Miss Boa Vista. I was catching up on paperwork. Truth be told, I welcome the interruption." He set the form down, deliberately placing the pen aside, and folded his hands on his desk. "What can I do for you?"

She stood there, studying him, an odd mix of emotions crossing her face. "Well, uh," she began, clearing her throat. "I wanted to bring you this. It's the results of my annual hearing exam." She handed him a thin folder.

He took the paperwork and indicated that she should close the door and take a seat. Given her hesitancy, this conversation might be a delicate one. Careful to mask his unease, he opened the file. What he read there made his eyes widen ever so slightly.

He locked eyes with the girl across the desk from him. "This is good news."

"I know, right? Who knew that with the right hearing aid, I'd hear even better than before the explosion?" A genuine smile flashed across Natalia's face, lighting up her eyes, and Horatio found himself returning the grin, albeit with not quite as much enthusiasm.

So what's the problem? H wondered, but he forced himself to wait it out. She would tell him if he gave her enough time.

As expected, the smile faltered and burned itself out, and soon she was back to sputtering at him. "I ... uh ... I never realized that I had a hearing problem before the explosion. It was ... uh ... slight, I guess, and um ..." She swallowed, uneasily, and Horatio wished he had a glass of water to offer her. Clearly, whatever she had to say was difficult for her.

She slid a glossy business card across the desk at him. "Walter referred me here and they do really good work. I highly recommend them." She bit her lip and crossed her arms.

He took the card and tipped his head at her, puzzled. "Why are you giving this to me?"

She sighed heavily and her words came tumbling out. "Horatio, I think you might have hearing loss. I don't know if you realize it, but you're always tipping your head to one side when you listen closely to something. I think you should get tested. There's a lot of good technology out there."

Staring at the card in his hands, he tried to process what she had said without revealing just how shocked he was. Was it possible? Could he have lost some hearing without realizing it?

Just how many explosions have I been in, anyway? And then you add concussions and sirens and gunfire ...

Horatio looked up, bewildered, at the concerned face of his young CSI. "I can go with you if you want," she offered softly.

He smiled at her then, regaining his composure, and placed the card in the pocket of his dark blazer. "I don't think that will be necessary, Natalia, but I do appreciate your concern."

Thankfully, there was a knock on his door, saving him from any more of this awkward conversation. Tripp poked his head in without waiting for a response. "You ready for lunch? Oh, sorry, Horatio. Didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's okay, Frank."

Natalia rose awkwardly from her seat. "I need to get back to work." Averting Horatio's gaze, she tried to slip quietly out the door.

Words from her boss stopped her. "Thank you, ma'am."

She turned to meet his eyes, and for the briefest of moments, they shared a smile. Then she was gone.

As soon as Natalia had disappeared down the hall, Frank quirked an eyebrow at his old friend. "What was that all about?"

Horatio gave the balding man a wry smile with a slight shake of his head. When it became apparent that H wasn't going to answer the question, Frank rolled his eyes. "Come on, then. You ready to eat?"

Horatio fingered the card in his pocket, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I am, but I need to place a phone call first."

When I was doing a bit of online research for this, I stumbled onto a number of articles about the high rate of hearing loss among police officers. Some agencies actively discourage their police force from wearing hearing aids when needed, or force them to retire when they admit that they need one. I don't know if it was the intent of the writers of CSI: Miami to draw attention to this problem with Natalia's storyline, but I think it's a step in the right direction.