The phone calls… By ishotsherlock.
A/N: All I own is my imagination and if they want that I would be glad to work with them, lol.
Summary: An urgent phone call has Sara running out of the diner for the third time that week. For this story Gil had the op for his hearing but it failed a few months before this story takes place and he has been kept on staff as a consultant.
It had been at the end of a very busy shift when Cath cornered Sara and dragged her out of the lab without an explanation. "Cath, I am really tired and just want to get home and sleep."
"Well you can do that, but first we are all having breakfast together and Jim is coming as well today, and hope that this time you can make it all the way through. You still haven't told us what had you running out on us Monday and Wednesday." she said as they pulled up next to Nick's truck in front of the diner.
Looking through the window Sara had to laugh as she saw Greg bouncing around in his seat and looking like a complete fool. Next to her Cath sighed and said "You can't take him anywhere." then joined in the laughter as they got out of the truck and headed inside.
Once they were all seated and had ordered the chatting started and Sara knew it wouldn't be long before the talk got around to her or Gil. And just after the food had arrived Nick started the questioning.
"Does anyone know where Grissom disappeared to last week."
"No, I was told he was handing out assignments to the day shift crew, got a call and then left without a word to anyone." Greg said "What is with the other shifts, that they can't keep the staff. I mean look at us we have been together for years with minimal changes, and day and swing shift went through fifty four people in six months."
Cath swallowed the bite of food she had in her mouth before answering "I was told by Ecklie yesterday that Gil had a family emergency and had to go home. The reason we are still together is that we are a team, friends and most importantly a family and the other shifts don't even try they are always trying to beat our solve rate and most of them burn out and the rest just can't hack it."
"Wow I didn't even know he had a family out side of work, he never talks about them." Warrick said
"Hey, Sara what's with the phone calls that have had you leaving early, is everything okay." as he asked Jim slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah everything's fine." she hoped they believed the lie "It's just my elderly neighbour and .." she was interrupted by her phone ringing. She got her phone out and looked at the number she immediately answered "Millie what's the matter."
On the other end of the line Sara's neighbour answered "Sara, he's doing it again." she sounded worried.
"How many times." Sara asked as she tried to get out of her seat, but was trapped by Cath.
"seventy two… sorry make that seventy three , he's just started it again… I think you need to get home now, I also keep hearing a banging on the wall."
"I'm on my way, I'll be there in ten minutes okay." Sara said as she finally managed to get past Cath, then ran to the parking lot and looked for her car, but not seeing it "Shit where the hell did I put the car."
"I drove remember." Cath said behind her, making her jump.
"Cath I need to get home now." Sara said, and Cath could hear the panic in her voice.
"Okay get in I'll drive you home." Cath said and indicating to the others to follow them.
As Cath was about to pull out of the diner's parking lot Sara spoke "Cath do you know where I live."
"No." Sara told her the address and along the way gave directions for getting there quicker.
When they arrived Cath took in the neighbourhood, it was a nice road with two storie houses with spacious yards and a lot of kids playing in the street. She got out of the car as an elderly woman ran over to Sara. The quiet was shattered by loud music as Johnny Cash's Hurt started playing.
"Sara, thank god you're here." the old lady shouted over the music.
"Apart from this what is he playing." Sara didn't realise that the rest of the team had gathered behind her as she walked towards the front door.
"Everybody Hurts, Imagine, In my room and Ten thousand miles. He just keeps playing them over and over and then the thumping started, Sara it seems like it getting worse."
"Yeah we know, he's got an appointment with his doctors later on today, I think they're gonna request counselling . Why don't you go home and I'll call round later okay."
"Okay, let me now how he's doing." Millie squeezed Sara's arm then walked back over to her house next door.
Sara took a deep breath and unlocked the door then walked in, not even bothering to close it behind her and she didn't see or hear the others following her into the house.
She walked into the living room and over to the stereo , turning it off. From her right she heard the thumping and looked over to where a crying Gil was sitting on the floor with the stereo speakers face down on either side of him, he was rocking back and forth and hitting his head on the wall every time he leaned back. As he rocked forward again Sara saw a bloody patch on the wall behind him. It took her three steps to get to him, she kneeled down in front of him and when he rocked forward she grabbed and held on to him so he could not rock back.
Slowly, when he realised Sara was holding him, his arms circled her body as he continued to cry "I miss her so much Sara." he said in between sobs.
"I know Gil, it will hurt for a long time but eventually it will slowly get better." she signed to him then began slowly rocking them, as a mother would an upset child. She looked up and noticed for the first time that the rest of the team were watching them, all looked upset and Cath had tears in her eyes about to fall. She had started to stroke the back of his hair when she felt a wet patch, when she looked at her hand it was covered in blood. "Jim in the kitchen above the fridge is a medical kit, can you bring it in please. " Sara said just above a whisper as Gil had started to fall asleep in her arms. "Guys can you go with Jim please I would rather Gil not see that we have an audience and can you tell Jim to leave the kit at the top of the stairs in five minutes I'm gonna try and get him to sleep." they all nodded and headed for the kitchen, when they had gone Sara gently woke Gil and signed to him "Gil, honey I'm going to take you upstairs okay." Gil only nodded as Sara helped him up and they made their way up the stairs.
A/N Hi everyone I'm back and with a new short story. If anyone would like to take over writing Changing for love let me know as I am putting it aside for now. Hopefully I will have the second part of this story up tomorrow (because work is very slow at the moment I get to write most of the night). Please let me know what you think of the start of this story .
Amanda :D