After finishing upstairs Catherine came down with her evidence box.
"Hey Sara you almost fi..."
Loud pops and glass shattering stopped Catherine's inquiry. Sara instinctively took cover behind this closet door she just finished checking for prints.
The sounds ceased and she could hear tires screeching as a car gunned off. Sara peered out of her hiding spot to see the senior CSI laying at the foot of the stairs. Sara stared not quite registering what she was seeing. There Catherine was; just laying there; screaming. Trying to move each time collapsing back down. Sara finally snapped back to reality pulling her walkie off her belt.
"Officer down! I repeat officer down! I need a bus at fifteen twenty Grabels street! Shoots fired repeat shots fired, officer down!" Sara screamed into her walkie.
Catherine tried to pull herself up by the railing of the stairs, blood pooled around her, streaking along the floor with every move Cath made. The searing pain shooting through her thighs hips and abdomen was unrelenting.
Sara dropped to her knees trying to see the extent of Catherine's wounds.
"Cath I know it hurts. The EMTs are coming. Stay with me." Sara grabbed Catherine's hand stoping her from trying to get up.
"Honey look at me. A bus is coming hold on. Just hold on."
Catherine felt her eyes getting heavy. She wanted to close them. She felt Sara's hand in hers. She wanted to say something. Anything but it hurt too much. She looked up at the brunette. She saw the worry in her eyes. All the things she had ment to say to the younger woman and she may never get to say.
She grabbed Sara's collar.
"Sa. . . I. . ."
Sara settled the blonde down.
"Don't Cath you'll be fine. Dont strain yourself."
Catherine shook her head.
"Nneed... T... tell yoou..."
Sara felt tears burning her eyes. She pulled her walkie up to her mouth again.
"Damn it where is my bus!"
The garbled dispatch reply went unnoticed.
Sara felt Catherine's fingers moving along her palm. She looked at her noticing the determination on the blond's face. Just as she finished whatever it was she was doing her body started convulsing. Shock setting in and the blood loss taking its toll. Sara wrapped her arms tightly around the older woman.
"Hold on Cath a little longer they are almost here." Justas she finished talking the sirens sounded up to the house and two men were pulling Sara away from Catherine. They didnt even wait they put a body board under the blond and had her on a stretcher before Sara could blink.
"Ms. Sidle!" A man's voice snapped her back to the present. She turned to the young officer who was trying to ask her what happened. She couldnt hear anything. She looked down at the crimson pool at the bottom if the stairs and her knees buckled. She collapsed to the ground and cried. Clutching the hand Catherine was drawing on against her chest.
Sara could feel strong arms lifting her off the floor and building her to an SUV. She is put in the passenger seat and buckled in. It isn't until the door is closed that the silence snaps her trance. She pulls her hand away from her chest and stares at the blood drawn heart in her palm. She breaks. Drowns in her tears and heaving breaths. She drowns in the agony in her heart. Lost moments and stupid fights sending more tears and loud screams. Catherine's physical pain send her into emotional shock.
She cant breath she cant think. Nothing but what ifs and fear plaguing her mind.
"Sara hang on we are following the ambulance. Just breath sweetie. Breath."
She can hear Sofia but fucking hell if she knows what she's saying.
She stares out the window. Not moving or speaking and barely breathing.