Strength: A CSI MIAMI Fanfic

Author’s Note:

This is a sample of a story that I wrote a long time ago.  It’s fan fiction for CSI Miami, but it’s pretty darn good, and I had once been a writer on Miami Heat which was a fan-fiction site for the show. 

This story got GREAT reviews.  I’ll admit, it was a bit intense, and the original had a bit of language in it, so, this is an edited version.

 

Strength (A CSI Miami Story)

By: Cindy Miller

 

CHAPTER 1

She knew her lip was bleeding.  She grabbed the tissue box and put a tissue to the wound.  She heard the garage door shut.  Finally, he was gone.   She took a breath and got out her phone, calling a very familiar number.  It rang twice.  She had gotten a suitcase and was filling it with clothes and personal effects.  Then she heard his voice.  “Delko.”

               “Eric…” She couldn’t help but start to cry again.  He must have recognized her voice although she’d only said one word. 

               “Cal, what’s wrong?”

               “H-he… Can you come over?  I think I need some help.” She said slowly, head throbbing. She was trying to pull it together. 

               “Sure, Calleigh… I’ll be right there.” He sounded concerned.  They both hung up.  She had been crawling to the bed and the tissue box.  She thought her legs were probably sprained from when she hit the floor.  She’d made him angry.  She didn’t know why.  He got so upset when he’d been drinking.  She now knew that she made a big mistake when she married him.  The first month had been great.  He’d buy her flowers, flatter her, buy clothes for her, and remember every anniversary of anything they’d ever done… But then it all ended.  That’s when he started drinking.  She never could explain why.  She had never done anything but try to be a good wife and make him happy.  After work, he was knocking back mimosas and beers, coming home afterwards and taking out his aggression on her.  She had been in shock the first time he hit her.  And it wasn’t the last.  Every time, she tried to get away.  But every time, he caught her.  She thought she could make it this time.  Calleigh got to her knees, wincing in pain.  She reached in her underwear drawer and got some socks, and other undergarments, stuffing them in a pink bag.  She heard the front door open.  “Calleigh, where are you?” Eric’s concerned voice asked.

               “In the bedroom.”

He came in and saw her on the ground.  “Oh my God!  Are you alright?”

               “Not really.” Her eyes clouded.

               “What happened?”

               “I was supposed to have dinner ready… But I got home late.  He thought I was going out with another guy and he got mad.  Furious…  I told him it wasn’t true, and that he needed to calm down.  He called me a slut and hit me.  I said I was sorry that dinner wasn’t ready.  I’d get right on it.  He wouldn’t listen. He said he wasn’t hungry.  ‘you need to eat something.’ I said.  ‘Don’t talk back to me!  If I don’t want to eat, I don’t want to eat.  Mind your own freakin’ business! You need to mind me, woman!’ He was glaring at me and then his jaw clenched and he hit me again and I fell on the floor, I think I sprained my ankle.  I was crying.  He told me to shut up. He grabbed my arm and twisted it, pushing me against the wall and it hurt so I kept crying.  ‘SHUT UP SHUT UP!’ he kept yelling at me.  And I couldn’t.  He kept hitting me and it busted my lip.  I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong.”

               “Jake did this?”

               “Yeah.  He does stuff like this all the time.  I wanted to leave…”

               “But you couldn’t.  I understand.  Let’s get you out of here.  I’ll take you to the hospital and when you get out, you can stay at my place.  At least until you know what you want to do.”

               “Thank you, Eric.”

               “It’s not a problem.  What do you need to take with you?”

               “Some of those dress outfits in the closet.  And the shoes.  The Mary Janes, and the stilettos.”

               “The boots?  Or the heels?”

               “Oh, just put both of them in there.  I already packed some PJ’s and my makeup.  I’m gonna need it.  That’s really all though.  I already took my pictures and put them in my suitcase.”

               “Ok.” When they were done packing, he carried her out to the car.  He took her to the hospital, not caring that she was bleeding all over his seat.  She told him that her stomach hurt from inside where he hit her, so he thought there might be some internal injuries.  He took her to the ER.  When he walked in, the doctor must have thought Eric was the one who beat her up and then felt guilty about it and had brought her in.  The doctor gave him a stern look.  Calleigh put a bruised hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “Not him…”

               “What?” He hadn’t heard her.

               “It wasn’t him who beat me.  It was Jake.  My husband…  Eric here is my best friend.  I called him to help me.”

               “Oh.” The doctor said, looking apologetic. 

               “It’s ok.  When any guy comes in with a beat up girl, it must look pretty bad.  So, what’s the damage?  What did he do to her?”

               “Her ankles are sprained, lip is busted, wrists are bruised, could be some internal bleeding.  I won’t know for sure until we examine her more closely.  Should I call a CSI in to scrape under her fingernails?”

               “No.  I’ll do it.”  Eric showed him his badge.  “I just got off when I got the call.”

               “Ok.”

               “I have to go get my kit.  I’ll be right back, Cal.” He put a hand on her shoulder, gently, and kissed her cheek, as if to let her know that he’d be right back as soon as he could.  When he left the room, the doctor told her, “He’s a nice young man.” 

               “He is.”  Her eyes looked fearful.  Her breathing quickened. She was afraid now that he was gone.  The doctor put a hand on her’s.  “Calm down.  He can’t hurt you anymore.  You’re safe here.” 

She nodded and calmed down.  He looked at her again.  “If you don’t mind me saying, ma’am, that young man would have been a much better choice for a husband.”

               “Don’t I know it.”

               “He loves you.”

               “I love him too.”

               “Well, good then.”

 

Chapter 2

Eric came back into the room soon enough.  He scraped under her fingernails and as soon as he could, took the samples to Valera at the lab.  She was curious as to what it was about: why it was so urgent.  Eric told her that Calleigh was hurt, and that was all she needed.  She asked who to run the DNA against. 

               “Try the husband.”

               “Jake?  He was beating her?”

               “Yes.  We just need proof to make sure he gets punished for it.”

               “Am I keeping this on the D.L. (Down low)?”

               “Yes.  You know Calleigh.”

               “Yes.  She doesn’t like to be the victim.”

 

Calleigh was told that she might have some internal bleeding, so they were going to monitor her closely.   They gave her a CT scan and an MRI as soon as they could.  While she was doing her CT scan, Eric called Horatio so that he knew what was going on.  He came right down before the end of the test. 

               “How is she?” He asked.

               “She’s pretty beat up.  Both physically and mentally.  Jake really did a number on her.”

               “So you know for sure that it was Jake?”

               “That’s what Calleigh said.  And she doesn’t lie.”

               “I believe her.  He seemed pretty agitated before he left yesterday.”

               “That he did.”

               “I’ll stay with you until we know something.”

               “Thanks, H.”

               “You’re welcome.”

After a few of the tests, the doctor came out with a sad look on his face. 

               “What is it, doc?” Eric asked, concern obvious on his face. 

               “A number of things…  She had numerous bruises; both old and new on her abdomen and back.  Her arm is dislocated.  Both ankles are sprained.  Her jaw is swollen.  But there is something that is even worse than that…Something that she won’t want to hear.”

               “What’s that?” Eric asked.

               “The young lady is pregnant.  About three months.”

Both Horatio and Eric looked sad for her.  They knew that that would make the situation worse for her. 

When she woke up, Horatio and Eric went in to see how she was.    She only stayed awake for a little bit.  The day had taken its toll on her.  She fell back asleep.  Eric stayed with her all night.  Usually, the hospital wouldn’t allow that, but every time he left, Calleigh would become afraid; so, they let him stay.  In the morning, he would tell her the news.