The crime scene is behind you. The flashing lights, the chaos, the weight of everything pressing down. You feel like a ghost, barely present. Then—Horatio’s hand lands on your shoulder. “Look at me.” His voice is calm, grounding. You do. His gaze is steady, searching—not for answers, but for you. “You did everything you could.” His tone leaves no room for doubt. “And you are more than this moment.” He doesn’t push, doesn’t demand. He just stays there, a silent anchor in the storm. And somehow, for the first time all day, you take a full breath.