Disclaimer: I don't own CSI etc.

A/N: This is a 3-parter with an open end... If I get enough reviews I might even write some more ;)

For now, here's part 1. Reviews would be nice ;D

Part 1

The first thing the young woman realized was the terrible headache. Then the silence. There was no sound around her, only her unsteady breathing and the beating of her heart. When she opened her eyes, everything was blurry. Carefully she leaned back, but even that small movement caused her unbelievable pain. It wasn't only her head, it was more. She didn't know where exactly the pain came from, but it hurt so much it almost took her breath away. Blinking a few times – carefully, not to cause any more pain – she tried to clear her view. There was broken glass around her and... blood? She closed her eyes again, after another wave of headache had hit her and it took her a while to reopen them. A car, she was in a car. Was that good or bad? Outside, everything was even more blurred than in the inside of the car. She knew that she must have had an accident, that something terrible had to have happened, but other than that? What did she know?

She had no idea where she was, or what she had been doing before it had happened. She didn't even know her name. Desperate, she closed her eyes, hoping that maybe everything would disappear, that it was only some kind of bad dream and she would wake up in a warm, cozy bed, but nothing happened. Only helpless tears had started to roll down her cheeks.

She had to have dozed off, or maybe lost consciousness again, because when she opened her eyes again it was already getting dark. At least now she could see clearly to some degree. There was desert. It looked magical with the sinking sun in her back, but she couldn't enjoy it. Not like this; the pain was still there and it was - if that was even possible – stronger. She had a hard time breathing and it took her much strength to keep her eyes from falling close again. She knew it could end badly if she lost consciousness again. The nights in the deserts were cold and the car didn't give her much shelter.

She tried to sit up, to search for something she could call help with, but she was pulled back by a heavy dizziness that forced her to close her eyes again. The gravity of her eyelids overwhelmed her and it took some time before she started another attempt. Again she failed. Slowly the young woman began losing hope. It was getting later, darker and colder and she was all by herself in the middle of nowhere; a place where everything she was able to see were sand dunes.

A sigh escaped her lips and she turned her face away from the vastness in front of her. There was nothing she could do. She didn't see a cellphone and even if there was one, it probably wouldn't get any signal. So what was left for her to do?

Sitting and waiting for something drove her half crazy, simply because absolutely nothing happened. No car had driven by so far and the only action she could get was watching a few birds in the sky.

She hated to be helpless like that. Hated that there was no memory whatsoever in her mind. Tis mixed with anger and boredom was beginning to be even worse than the actual pain. At least now she knew where that was coming from. Her shirt was covered in a lot of blood around her stomach and one leg was definitely swollen, but the headwound she'd caught a glimpse of in a piece of her broken rear view mirror worried her most. Certainly, this was the reason of her amnesia.

At this, her mind began to wander again. Was there someone who waited for her? Who was afraid that something had happened to her? Did she have a boyfriend? A husband? Children? She closed her eyes, trying hard not to let more tears slip over her cheeks, but it was so hard – not to remember anything, just knowing herself as a stranger she saw in the broken mirror. She found herself staring at this woman again. She was pretty. In some kind, at least. You probably wouldn't say pretty, not at the moment, but her face was somehow... attractive? Interesting? The deep brown eyes were sad, somehow empty, with dark lashes surrounding them. She tried to smile, forced herself to, even if it hurt. She wanted to know who that woman was; who she was. For a while, her eyes were glued to the mirror, looking at herself, trying to read the things that were in her head – that had to be there, somewhere – but it seemed to be in vain. For her, it was like standing in front of a high wall, knowing that a secret garden, her life, would be behind it, only she didn't find the door to reach it.

After some time, she closed her eyes again. What good would it do when she couldn't remember anyway? Her leg was hurting more and so was her head. She didn't know how much time had passed since she woke up the first time; or since the accident itself. It had to be hours. Dawn was already turning into night and the imminent darkness scared her. Not one car had passed and her chance of being found was getting smaller and smaller. In the black of the night, nobody would see her and there was no way she could call attention on herself – not in her condition.

Desperation and pain had let her drift into sleep or unconsciousness again. The darkness felt good, like a soft blanket she was wrapped up in; it felt good to let go, just leaving the pain, the discomfort, the car, her forgotten life, just leaving it all behind. Some more time had passed when a distant ringing made her head hurt again and forced her to awaken again. At first she had no idea where the noise came from, but then she realized the only thing that could be the reason would be a cellphone. As she carefully leaned forward she was able to spot something shiny under the passenger seat, but even if this meant she would be saved, it would also cause her a lot of strength and pain to reach the phone and she didn't knew if she could bear it. On the other hand... if nobody would find her, she would pass out again, that time probably forever. The phone was her only chance to get saved.

She looked down on herself, her eyes fixed on the wound in her abdomen. It had stopped bleeding long ago, but it would probably rip open again if she moved, but she had to take the risk. The ringing could stop any minute. What was she going to do if it did? Even if she reached the cellphone after the caller had stopped trying, who was she going to call?

With one last, silent plea, she bit her bottom lip and slowly began to move. Trying to ignore the pain, she reached out for the small silver object that could be able to save her – if she reached it. She felt a soft tickle on her stomach that told her that the injury had opened again. The hand that wasn't outstretched to get to the cellphone flew instinctively to the wound, while the fingers of the other one could almost touch the smooth surface.

There were only a few centimeters missing now and if she – her teeth biting down on her bottom lip kept her from screaming out loud in pain; she could even taste blood with the tip of her tongue, but she had the phone in her hand and it was still ringing. With a faint smile of victory on her lips, she licked the iron taste of blood away from them, before she snapped the cell phone open with shaking hands.

„Hello?" She said, her voice cracking and insecure.

„Sara? Is that you?" Was the rather angry sounding reply she got.

Sara? Was that her name? It had to be... But who was the woman on the other end and why was she so angry? She took a deep breath, waiting for her caller to continue while she slowly lifted her left hand from the wound in her abdomen and stared at it, morbidly fascinated by the bloody red color it had assumed from the injury.

„Where the hell are you?" The voice at the other end of the line pulled her – Sara? - back to reality again and this time she could detect a hint of concern in the other woman's voice, although the anger was still there. „I couldn't reach you. I was really worried about you. You know, you really could've called me that you changed your plans. I mean, we still work on that case together, right? You said you were ok by yourself, but that doesn't mean... Sara?"

The words had passed her in some kind of daze and she only snapped out of it when she heard the name again. Her name. She had to stay awake. She couldn't pass out again – not now.

„Please, talk to me Sara? You're worrying me..."

She swallowed hard. What should she say? She didn't know where to be found... On the other hand, maybe the woman knew... „Could you... I..." Taking a deep breath she started another try. „There was an accident.. I'm losing blood... I think I need help..." With that, her sight turned black again and once more she had lost consciousness.

TBC