Finding Kate

Chapter Twenty: Nothing Else Matters

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters

Metallica was serenading him as he sat at the desk, his fingers playing over the dials on the microscope as he peered through the lens. The song was an appropriate choice, today was the day. He checked his watch for the third time in five minutes. There was only ten left in his shift and he was dying to cut loose and leave as soon as possible in case the doctors started without him.

Something caught his eye and he rose his head to see Horatio lingering in the door way. The older man was leaning against the door frame his arms crossed over the front of his crisp navy coloured suit. There was a small smile on his wrinkled features, and Speedle found himself returning it as he removed his head phones and turned off his Discman.

"Today's the big day." Horatio beamed from his position.

Speed set his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands together, knotting his fingers. His eyebrows were furrowed and Horatio understood the younger man's worried expression. There were so many doubts, too many things the doctors couldn't predict. He could tell Speed was excited but he understood the nerves too. Kate may wake up different from the way they remembered and they had to be prepared for that.

"She'll be ok Speed." He assured the younger man.

Speedle rose to his feet and began to sort his evidence into piles to be secured.

"I know...You'll visit later?" his dark eyes met Horatio's questioning.

"Of course."

"How are we going to tell her..." he trailed off pursing his lips together and exhaled deeply as his thoughts strayed to the incident itself.

"One step at a time Speed. Let's just take it one step at a time."

There was light, it was blinding and I couldn't see. It was too bright, and it was stinging my eyes. Heaven, I was in Heaven, that was the only explanation. I had no idea how I'd gotten out of purgatory but that didn't matter now; all that mattered was that I was in Heaven. I'd been hanging in the balance so long that I was mortally surprised by the fact everything was so gleaming and bright.

There was a shadow, a blurred face in my vision; I could make out a patch of facial hair, a goatee maybe.

"God?" I croaked, my throat parched.

I didn't recognize my own voice; the word came out rasping, followed by a familiar, deep chuckle as I closed my eyes to shield them from the light.

That laugh pieced my ear drums, striking some cord in my memory before his name left my lips.

"Tim?"

I wasn't dead; I couldn't be dead because I knew Tim wasn't dead. Hospital... I could tell from the consistent beeping that was filtering through to my sluggish brain.

I tried to sit up and found myself crippled with fresh agony. The air rushed out of my lungs choking me and leaving me to gasp. The shriek that had left my mouth echoed through out my room as I struggled to breathe through the pain, I could feel heat rushing down my face and it took me a moment to realize that they were tears. A hand was on my shoulder, avoiding my chest as it guided my backwards gently until I was lying back again, panting and whimpering amidst the movement around me.

I was panicking, I'd never felt anything like this, my chest was on fire, I could feel my lungs heaving against the pain.

"She's going into shock." There was shouting around me as my heart pounded against my rib cage and it felt so heavy.