I've only got one shot.

Drabble- Out of time (Horatio Cain & Eric Delko)

Eric's been shot in the head, he has just had surgery.

A man steps into the overly bright white room, his mouth was too dry, his heart was hammering to fast, too loud in the quiet room. The hissing and the beeping mixed together in harmony, showing that there was life in the other man's body. He hadn't given up hope, he wouldn't.

Horatio swallows and moves over to the bed and rests his hand on the other man's, his hand was too cold, too pale, too still ,this wasn't the Eric that he knew, his Eric had so much energy, would hate to be so still yet this Eric was laying there, air forcing his chest into rhythmical movement. Up, hiss, down, beep-hiss. It was an oddly soothing sound.

"I know how hard you're fighting 'n' how easy it would be to slip away," Horatio says softly, hesitant to break the silence. "

I don't want to lose you too,I'm not ready. I'm not ready for you to" he tells his as he takes a seat in the uncomfortable hospital chair. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry" Horatio chokes out as he gently takes a hold of the pale hand.

"it's just that i..i..i lost her 'n' speed, you're all I got left, Eric. So I want you to do what we always do, I want you to fight " he tells him strongly, though his voice was barely audible outside the two of them. "That's what I need you to do, okay?" He practically begs him.

Horatio stands and leans down and whispers into Eric's ear "I'll be right here " he promises. "I'll always be right here Eric " he whispers as he ghosts a kiss to the foreheads' of the hospitalised man.

Horatio sighs and sits back down and takes a hold of his hand, he rubs the back of it as he settles into the chair. He starts to tell stories to Eric, stories of the past, of their past and stories that were his and then stories that he had been told, several of them were of Eric's childhood, he had gotten those from Marisol. He tells him about his own childhood with Ray, he tells him of his family and of his time in the bomb squad. Anything and everything that came to mind was told to him, hoping that if he talked for long enough Eric would wake and listen or cut in by giving him a look. It didn't happen. The hissing and the beeping were his only company, he tried to steer his thoughts, tried to think of work , of anything to stop himself from breaking down alone in a hospital with only demons to keep him company.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, staring at the white paint chipped wall. His thoughts screaming, only to come to a sudden stop when a loud shrill beep filled the air." No, Eric " he whispers as he takes a stand, he's quickly thrown out of the room by doctors who rush to Eric's side.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, pacing along the waiting room, hoping , praying that this was a nightmare and that he would wake up any moment and Eric would be at his house,safely asleep. He turns ,his ears picking up on the squeak of shoes on the shiny floor. His breath lodges into his throat as the doctor stands there, a look of defeat clear on his face.

"I'm sorry,Horatio," the doctor says. Two simple words. They left a bitter ringing in his ears, "we did everything we could " the doctor consoles " he didn't feel a thing " the doctor tells him, this was the part he always hated. 'He may not have but I am' Horatio thinks a little bitterly. First Speedle then Marisol and now Eric, the three most important people to him, and he couldn't save them, couldn't protect them. Steeling his shot nerves the best he could, he looks at the doctor, " I need to call the rest of his friends then may we see him?" Horatio manages to get out as his blue eyes filled with tears. He didn't want to think about how the team would react. How Alex , Natalia and Calleigh would break out in tears, how Ryan and Frank would look lost, how he himself would choke up every time something reminded him of the one person he considered family since his had left him behind. The doctor nods his head somberly "of course, I'll make arrangements " he tells him as he turns on his heel and leaves the man to grieve on his own

It takes a few long minutes before Horatio steps outside and makes the dreaded phone calls, he calls his team and tells them they need to get here, he didn't need to tell them that Eric had died, his desperate tone and wavering, trembling, unsteady voice clued them in, but when the words finally slipped from his lips,he heard their pained reactions. He heard the cries and the quiet pleas that it was untrue, even if none were said allowed. He could feel the pain from his team. With a definitive snap of his phone, he heads straight back to where the nurse was waiting. She took him down the maze-like corridors to the room that now held Eric's body. With fear and unease curling into his stomach he steps in and up to the bed, Eric's body was mostly covered, but you could clearly see his face. So pale, so cold, so unmoving, all the life and will to live were gone. An empty shell lay still on the bed. Just like his still heart. His cold soul. Horatio stares silently as a lone tear trickled down the side of his face and onto the pale hand.

"Oh, Eric " he whispers as he steps closer " I should have done something more," he tells him. "I should have been the one to be hit with the bullet. I should have protected you better " his voice cracks, as does his facade. He grabs his hand " I won't ever forget you...I love you.Brother"