I sat at the diner with Greg and Nick after a long shift. Looking out the window while hearing their conversation in the distance.
"Sara!" Greg yelled, making me jump.
"What?"
"Why aren't you eating?" He asked, pointing to my omelet in front of me.
"I don't have much of an appetite." I said
"You haven't had one for a few days now. What's going on?" Greg asked
Nick ate some toast looking at me.
"I don't know. It just seems like there is nothing going on."
"You just need a night out with the guys." Nick said
"Maybe." I said, looking at them.
I sighed looking outside again.
"There he is!" Nick said, as Grissom came to sit beside me.
"I see you ordered." He said
"Sorry man, we were hungry." Nick said
I looked at Grissom as he looked at me then he picked up a menu choosing what he wanted. He sipped some hot coffee in a cup then he talked to Greg about work. I played with my food only half listening to the conversation. Nick and Greg got up putting money on the table disappearing to go home. I sat silently glancing over at Grissom as he ate. He looked at me looking at my plate.
"Not hungry?" He asked
"No."
"Hmm." He said, eating some eggs.
I sighed sitting back in my seat looking out at the traffic in the street. Grissom wiped his mouth with a napkin looking at me.
"Sara?"
I turned looking at him.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to talk to you about something."
"What?"
"Well I have noticed you have numerous vacation days and you never take them."
"I don't need to." I said
"That's just it, you do need them." He said, he said cutting his toast in half. "You are burning out."
I looked down as he looked at me. The waitress took my plate away as Grissom sat back letting his food digest. I played with some straw paper not wanting to move.
He looked at his watch then he looked at me seeing I was distracted with the straw paper.
"Sara, why don't we talk?"
"What about?" I asked
"What is bothering you?"
"Nothing is bothering me."
"Look at me." He said
I looked at him.
"I can see something in your eyes."
I searched his as he did the same to me.
"Talk to me." He said, gently.
I felt myself moving slowly over to him. His lips looked so inviting. He watched me move without an objection. I was so close feeling his breath hit my face.
"Here's your check." The waitress said, making us move back.
"Thank you." Grissom said
I felt my heart race as I got up almost toppling my chair. Grissom watched me climb over his seat then face him.
"I….I have to go." I said, giving him money then running out. He watched me leave then he quickly got up putting money out before running out to catch me.
"Sara!" He said
I fiddled with my keys as he walked over in-between the cars. I looked at him as he walked over closer.
"What's your hurry?"
"Nothing, I…I just have to go home."
"You're shaking." He said
I swallowed as he stepped closer touching my shaking hand.
"Why are you shaking?"
"I….."
"Your hand is cold." He said, raising it up blowing warm air on my fingers. I shuddered looking at his lips blowing out air.
"Grissom." I said
"What?"
I opened my mouth then closed it feeling him rub the warmth back into my hand. He watched me as I shook mesmerized by his touch.
"I….have to go home." I said, not wanting him to stop.
"Me to." He said
I watched him lower my hand looking at me before walking away.
The next shift I walked down the hallway when I felt very dizzy. I slumped against the wall taking some deep breaths. I put my hand to my head closing my eyes.
I suddenly heard Catherine and Grissom talking in the hallway and I knew if Grissom saw me then he would make me go home. I stood back from the wall shaking my head at the dizzy feeling going away. Grissom and Catherine rounded the corner nodding to me then they kept on walking. I took a breath walking away.
I leaned over a car trunk later as I cut into the felt. When I stood I jumped seeing Grissom standing nearby holding a file.
"Sorry, how's everything going?"
"Fine, what's up?" I asked, leaning back over to cut another spot.
"I am going to a meeting and wanted to see how you were."
"Oh, well like I said I am fine." I said
He stayed where he was as I stood looking at him again.
"Anything else?"
"No." He said, leaving. I shook my head getting back to work.
It was time to leave and I still hadn't noticed. I sat inside the trunk looking at the top. Nick appeared looking at me inside.
"Aren't you going home?"
"Is it time to?"
"Yes."
"I still want to work." I said
"Well don't work to much longer. Grissom will yell." He said
"I am not afraid of him." I said
He shrugged his shoulders walking out. I sighed looking at the top again seeing nothing out of the ordinary. I moved to get out but my shoe caught something and I screamed falling head first to the ground. I laid there feeling my head spilt in two. Slowly, I moved winching as the throbbing. Sitting up, I reached up touching my head with my gloved hand.
"Sara?" Grissom called
I desperately grabbed the car getting up.
"Where are you?" He called
"Here." I said, shaking my head letting go of the car.
Grissom appeared seeing me.
"Sara, it's time to go home."
"I know, I just wanted to work just a…few minutes more." I said
He noticed some blood on my right temple.
"Sara, you're bleeding."
I reached up touching my head then I lowered my hand seeing blood. He turned my head seeing a bruise forming.
"What happened?"
"I fell out of the trunk." I said "It hurt, but I didn't think I hurt it like this."
"I think you should go to the hospital."
I was about to say something when Brass walked in seeing Grissom.
"Grissom, there has been a robbery at the Vegas bank. I need you."
He looked at me then at Brass.
"Give me a minute."
"Okay." Brass said, before walking out.
"Sara, I want you to go to the hospital and get looked at. I will call you later."
I nodded watching him leave. Instead of going I went home laying down on the couch. Waking, I heard my phone going off. I sat up winching as my head throbbed. My phone was in my pocket as I reached to get it. I stood leaning over the coffee table my phone fell to the floor. I groaned sinking down to the floor to find it when I just gave out and laid down over it.
Grissom marched to my door knocking worried about me. He listened hearing nothing. Sighing he knocked again waiting. I laid still on the floor as he knocked one more time. He tried his phone then he looked around for anyone to help him.
An older lady next door answered her door seeing him.
"Hello, my name is Gil Grissom. I am Sara's boss. Do you know where she is?"
"She's not in her apartment?" She asked
"She isn't answering. I am very worried about her."
She looked at him then went back in her place coming back with a set of keys.
"This is her door key."
"Thank you." He said, going to the door unlocking it then returning it to the lady. He opened the door hearing nothing but silence. "Sara?"
He walked further in looking in the kitchen then he went to my bedroom.
"Sara, its Grissom."
He sighed not able to find me. He walked out looking in the living room seeing me lying between the coffee table and couch.
"Oh no!" He said, running over moving the coffee table pulling me up against his chest. "Sara?!"
He touched my neck quickly before getting his phone. He followed the paramedics as they loaded me in the ambulance.
I fought to stay in the safe place I was in, but someone talking to me caused me to be ripped away. I moved my head as Grissom reached over smoothing my hair from my face. He sighed as I breathed out moving my head a little.
"Gris…som?" I said, gently.
"Hey." He said, gently. "You're going to be all right."
"Where….are you?"
"I'm right beside you." He said
He kept smoothing my hair soothing me back to sleep. When I woke again he was not in the room. I took in my surroundings looking outside at the sun then I looked over at the heart monitor. The door opened and a doctor came in smiling at me.
"Miss. Sidle it is good to see that you're awake."
"Who are you?"
"I am Doctor Jensen." He said, checking my eyes. "You seem to be recovering nicely."
"The man that was here. Where is he?"
"Do you mean Mr. Grissom?"
"Yes."
"He had to leave, but he will be back. Now do you remember what year it is?"
"Ah it's 2014."
He was silent a moment as he checked ears.
"Do you remember where you work?"
"CSI." I said
Good."
"What day is this?"
He looked at me a moment.
"It is June 20th."
I looked at him confused.
"It's May." I said
"No, it's June."
"But…..I remember working at the lab yesterday!"
"Sara, calm down." He said "It is June. The reason you think it is May is because you were in a coma until two days ago."
I looked at him shaking my head not understanding.
"No!"
He moved to push me down in bed, but I struggled against him.
"Sara, lay still."
"You're a liar!"
Grissom came in seeing us.
"What is going on?" He asked
The doctor let me go walking over to him.
"I just told her it was June. See if you can calm her down and I'll have the nurse get her something to eat." He said, before leaving.
I sat up looking at Grissom as he came over to me.
"Grissom, he told me it is June!"
He sat on the bed looking at me.
"It is June."
"No, I know it is May."
He took my hand in his.
"Sara, its June."
I stared at him then I laid back looking at nothing.
"I've been in a coma?"
"Yes." He said
He watched me come to grips with the news.
"I was scared." He said "I thought you would not wake up."
"I heard your voice."
"I've been here every day." He said "I kept hoping that you would wake up."
I looked at him.
"Why?" I asked
"Sara, I wanted to tell you that I love you."
He watched me sit up looking at him in shock.
"You….love….me?"
He smiled nodding.
"Why didn't you tell me before now?"
"I wanted to, but I was debating whether it was the right moment."
He touched my pale cheek. I came closer to him.
"When I found you on the floor at your place I felt as if everything was spinning out of control. I was terrified that you would leave me."
I looked at his lips then at him.
"I'm here now."
He nodded looking at my lips.
"We could…kiss." I said
"I'd like that." He said, coming closer. We were almost at the point of no return when the door opened and the nurse came in carrying a covered tray. Grissom stood up as I blinked moving back in the bed as the nurse pushed the table over my lap opening the cover showing me the food.
Grissom thanked her then he looked at me. I stared at the food then at him.
"This looks good." He said
I pushed the tray away touching his coat pulling him over catching his lips with mine. He kissed me back with a hunger I had never experienced. I felt the safe place inside of him knowing he was the one. He tilted his head touching my cheeks moving his soft, irresistible lips upon mine. I moaned as he moved back looking at me.
"You should eat."
"Will you stay?"
He caressed my cheeks nodding.
I felt him let me go then he pulled the table back over sitting on the bed watching me take half of the cheese sandwich giving it to him then I ate the other half. He nodded chewing as I smiled at him reaching over touching his hand to mine.