Disclaimer: Of course I still don't own CSI...if I did we all know Ecklie would be gone ;).
Aftermath
Chapter One
A few days after the team had been split, the new graveyard shift was understandably stressed out. Grissom, Sara and Greg had to take on a case together. Grissom hadn't wanted to use three people on one case, it was a relatively simple case, but Greg needed Grissom's supervision and Grissom would need experienced help from Sara. It helped that it was a slow night and there was an easy case for Sophia to work solo. There had been a hit and run on the strip, a portion of the street was roped off as the trio of CSIs arrived on the scene. The usual crowd of curious onlookers, most likely tourists, were gathered around the edges of the scene. Grissom shook his head, he could never understand why common people were so fascinated with crime scenes. It was part of the slowing down to look at a car accident phenomenon, but he never quite grasped what people saw in it. Of course for him, it was a part of his job, but these were people on vacation wasting their time to stare at a bloody street. The victim had already been whisked away to the hospital. All that was left was a bit of broken glass, blood and hopefully some further evidence that would help them out.
"Greg, you start taking photos, Sara, look for evidence," Grissom directed, already certain that this was going to be a long night. He gazed warily at the crowd surrounding the crime tape and wished they all had something better to do than to stare at him and his fellow CSIs as they worked.
"Hey Gris, come look at this," Sara called from behind Grissom.
"What have you got?" Grissom asked.
At that moment, a shot rang out into the night. Grissom and Sara both jumped up and scanned the surrounding area quickly. The police officers present at the scene pulled their weapons and tried to figure out the source of the gunfire. The crowd just stood, like deer in headlights. Another shot rang out and this time Sara sprang into action.
"Everybody get down! Hit the ground," she screamed at the gawking crowd.
Grissom joined her, "Everyone, hit the ground!"
They both dove to the pavement as several more shots broke into the night. From behind them they heard a sort of strangled yelp. Suddenly, they both realized that Greg was behind them, and they whirled around to find him laying on his back, visibly pale already. Sara's hands began to shake as she carefully crawled toward him, realizing he had been shot. Grissom reached Greg's body first, noting two bullet holes in his chest. Judging by the location of both shots, they were close to his heart, and had likely pierced the young man's lung.
"He's got a pulse, weak, but there," Grissom started.
"His breathing's raggedy," Sara stated, her voice shaky.
"That officer over there already radioed for help," Grissom hugged the pavement as another bullet pierced the night.
"God, what's happening?" Sara whimpered from the other side of Greg.
"I don't know," Grissom sounded a little frightened himself.
Greg sucked in a shaky breath, then spoke in a tiny, pain-filled voice, "What happened?"
"Greg," Sara sat up cautiously, "you were shot twice, help is on the way."
Greg moaned, "It hurts…to breathe."
"Just lay still, don't speak," Grissom instructed.
Greg nodded his head weakly and closed his eyes. A gurgling sound came from inside Greg's throat and blood started to come out of his mouth.
"Oh my God," Sara breathed.
Grissom quickly rolled Greg on his side, explaining to an alarmed Sara, "He'll choke to death if I don't."
All the while, police officers had massed and ran across the street to a parking lot. They had determined the source of all the shots was a darkened parking lot across from the crime scene. Ambulances arrived on the scene and Greg, Grissom and Sara were all separated and examined. Grissom kept trying to tell the paramedics that he was unharmed, it was not his own blood on his hands. They insisted on checking him over anyway. They released him and he spotted Sara standing by herself, looking very upset.
"Sara, are you okay?" Grissom asked.
"Physically I'm fine," she answered, "I'm just scared. I've never been shot at before."
Grissom stared into her eyes, they reflected deep fear and worry, "I'm calling Sophia to help me on this crime scene."
"What about me? I'm still here, I can help you," Sara was confused.
"Sara, listen to me, you are not in the right frame of mind to be out in the field right now. The best place for you to be is at the hospital. I want you to go there and be there for Greg if he needs someone. I'm not up for argument on this one, I want you at the hospital," Grissom said calmly.
Sara looked slightly angry, but said, "Okay. If that's what you want."
"And Sara," Grissom called as she had turned to leave.
"Yeah," she turned back.
Grissom pulled her into a quick hug, a move that caught her off guard. He was not the hugging type, particularly not in public.
"I just wanted to try and comfort you, I can tell you're very upset," Grissom said awkwardly.
"Thanks," Sara whispered quietly.
Grissom watched as Sara walked away. Lately, it almost felt as the entire world was testing him somehow, trying to see how much he could take before he broke down. His team, the team that had been together for years, was split up. Now, his lab-tech turned CSI-in-training had been shot at a crime scene. They didn't even know where the bullets had come from. It was a chaotic moment, several bullets ringing out into the dark night. No one quite sure where they were coming from. Grissom couldn't believe how calmly he was reacting. He knew he should be more upset than this, but he wasn't. He wasn't sure what was going on with himself anymore.
A/N: I actually started writing before Mea Culpa, but changed the beginning a little bit. I had no idea what to call this story, so the title may or may not change. Also, this week is finals week for me, I don't have one tomorrow, so I'm not skipping studying right now or anything ;). But don't expect another update until probably this weekend. Then I'm home for a month.
