Disclaimer: Do I really need to do one of these?
Summary: Lost time is never found again. This is the first in a series of vignettes focusing on various moments in time and place.
Author's Note: So this is just a story that's been niggling at me for a while. The good news: if you don't like a particular character and/or pairing, you can skip their story, because no one story has any bearing onthe other. Enjoy!
Friendship is a special kind of love.
-Unknown
Catherine was crouched idly on her living room floor, half-heartedly struggling to determine what was wrong with the cable wiring, when she felt a sharp pain deep in her stomach, and almost keeled over in surprise.
Eddie was out on the town, on some seemingly lucrative business venture that was ultimately going to result in nothing. They had been struggling to make ends meet for a while now, ever since she was forced to temporarily take some time off of work.
She winced now, clenching the coffee table painfully as the sensation came again. A minute later, her water broke.
Catherine squeezed her eyes shut tightly, taking a moment before whoosing a deep breath, and hoisting herself clumsily to her feet.
She was alone. Of course she was alone. Her neighbours were at work, and they didn't like them much anyway. She hobbled slowly to the phone, hesitating as she placed the receiver to her ear, the dial tone offering a dull buzzing in her ear.
Then she made an almost reflexive decision, and punched in the number of the one person she knew she could rely on.
"Grissom".
She breathed in a sigh of relief at her friend's monotonous greeting.
"Gil, it's Catherine".
She could hear the distraction in his voice, and she assumed he was working on something. When wasn't he working? "Oh, hey Catherine. I already asked Cavallo if you could help in any active cases, and you know what he said, so I can't—"
"This isn't about that", she cut in impatiently, clasping her stomach strongly. "I think I'm having the baby".
She could practically see him blink. "Oh. Well, congratulations. If there's anything I can do…"
She rolled her eyes at the inanity of his response. Did he really think she was calling up for a chat now?
"No, I'm having the baby NOW, Gil!" she yelled. "I need—" She paused as another sharp contraction went through her body. "—A ride to the hospital!"
She heard him swallow. "Where's Eddie?"
"I don't know", she said, somewhat helplessly. "And I'd call my sister but she's halfway across town—"
"Okay!" he said quickly. She swore she heard a hint of panic is his normally placid tone. "I'll be there as soon as I can".
He hung up, and she replaced the receiver, grimacing painfully. She carefully breathed in and out, vaguely wishing she had attended at least one Lamaze class instead of just assuming they were stupid.
She slowly leant against the armrest of the sofa, willing the flutter her heartbeat to slow. She couldn't afford to panic. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. Her husband was supposed to be here right now with her, soothing her as she got into the car and she actually had the assurance she was on her way to imminent medical attention.
She closed her eyes. It was less than ten minutes when Grissom knocking hurriedly on the door, before stumbling anxiously inside. His blue eyes were wide and worried, and she wondered how many speeding laws the usually stoic man had broken to get there so quickly.
"Cath. Are you—?"
"Just get me in the car. Please".
He immediately came forward, taking one arm as he guided her along. He quickly fastened on her seatbelt, adjusting it to fit her wide girth, and ran around to the driver's side. The tyre's squealed as he swerved onto the road, and she clasped the side door tightly.
"Grissom, I said I want to GET there, not DIE doing it!"
"Sorry", he exclaimed, slowing marginally on the gas.
She drew in a few deeper, calming breaths, not really going in any sort of rhythm, and narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "Geez, who's more worried here, you or me?"
He wisely chose not to answer her question, and glanced at her sideways as she hissed from another sharp stab of pain. "Are you okay?"
She clenched her teeth. "If this part is this damn bad, I can't wait for the real thing".
Grissom made the turnoff for Desert Palms, knuckles white from their clutch on the steering wheel. "We're almost there…"
She took the time to study him, and for a brief second, she wondered what her life would have been like if she'd married Grissom. A hell of a lot easier, that was for sure. She knew she could rely on him, definitely more than Eddie. They had known each other for about three years now, and she felt like she could trust him in a way she had never allowed herself to trust another man before. But there was passion between her and Ed. Sure, it was sometimes bad, but when it was good, it was really good. That flame just wasn't there with her and Gil, and it never would be. She had never looked for safety and security in a relationship and maybe that was her flaw. She always went for the passion.
They reached the Desert Palms ER, and he quickly aided her out of the car. Her contractions were a little further apart, but no less painful. She'd heard the first kid was always the worst.
Yeah, well, knowing my threshold for pain, it'll probably be the only one, too.
A nurse who looked more than a little like she might have once known Catherine in a professional capacity hustled her into a hospital gown and onto a stiff, hard bed.
That was what she loved about this town. A stripper by night might be instructing you on proper breathing and prepping you for labour by day.
Catherine took a while to realise Grissom was missing, and her eyes darted around frantically, as a sudden, unbidden fear gripped her.
"You husband's in the hall, ma'am", the pretty nurse informed her. "He's making a phone call".
Catherine blinked, realising they assumed they were together. It was probably easier a lot that way.
"Can you get him in here, please", she pleaded.
God, she was a wreck. She thought she'd manage through childbirth with her usual feigned control, but she was slipping fast, and she needed an anchor.
Grissom wandered tentatively into the room, looking extraordinarily out of place.
She reached for his hand, not caring if he was uncomfortable, because God dammit, she was the one having the baby, wasn't she?
"I tried to call Eddie", he said, barely concealing a wince at the force of her grip. 'I left a message with the recording studio".
She nodded, barely taking it in.
"All right, Mrs Willows", a cheerful male voice announced, upon entering the room. The doctor, whose nametag read Hopkins, wound his stethoscope around his neck, and snapped on his latex gloves. She took the time to marvel at the differences between her job and his. At least her patients were guaranteed to be silent.
"Let's get ready to push".
Dr. Hopkins went about checking if she were properly dilated and prepping the nurse, and Catherine leant back with her eyes closing, clutching Grissom hand the entire time.
"Okay", he announced. "Are you ready?"
Catherine studied the small, docile bundle wrapped securely in a pink blanket and nestled in her arms, unable to gaze away. The small life enthralled her in ways she had never begun to imagine. Oh, sure, the pian had been as bad as all hell, but it had definitely been worth it.
Grissom strode slowly back into the room, hovering by the bedside chair uncertainly. "Hey".
He glanced up, smiling slightly. "Hey, Gil".
"I called your mother, and your sister. They should be here soon".
"Thanks", she said, returning her gaze to the baby immediately.
Grissom looked similarly fascinated, though she was sure it was from an entirely scientific standpoint.
"I still couldn't get onto Eddie", he admitted apologetically.
She shrugged, ignoring the niggling of hurt inside. She was too tired, and nothing would destroy this moment. "That's okay".
He hesitated, lowering himself into the chair beside her. She allowed her gaze to drift up to his again, and she bit her lip. Their friendship was still reasonably new, and she knew she had asked a lot of him today. She hadn't really realised until now how much she valued his presence in her life. He had given her her job and her livelihood, but he had also resecured her self-respect and she was eternally grateful to him for it.
"Listen", she said softly. "I'm uh, sorry, I freaked out on you today."
He smiled slightly. "I think it's entirely understandable".
"Right. Well, you didn't have to be so good to me and stick around, and I just want you to know… I appreciate it".
He shrugged, but he looked infinitely more relaxed. She realised she had really worried him, and it gave her a strange, warm feeling inside. "It was nothing, Catherine".
"No, it was something, Gil", she insisted quietly. "For all the people who've abandoned me in my life, believe me, I would know".
He shrugged, embarrassed slightly at her praise. "What are you going to call her?"
She glanced down again, smile tugging at her lips. "Lindsey. It's what Eddie and I agreed to. After my grandmother".
A loud patter of footsteps sounded down the hall, and Eddie's tense, pinched features peered into the room. "Baby, I am so sorry! I can't believe I wasn't here!"
Catherine smiled, relief at the sight of him dispelling any anger. "It's okay, Ed. Come here and meet your daughter".
Eddie quickly came forward, and Grissom silently melded off into the background. By the time she realised he was gone; Eddie had gently swept Lindsey up into his arms, and was cradling her in a state of disbelieving bliss.
A small smile graced her lips, and she knew he hadn't gone far. It was how he would always be in her life, on the fringes, but there.
A.N. I'm assuming Cavallo had to work his way up in the lab somehow, so in this story, he is the nightshift supervisor.