Disclaimer: You know how it goes. I don't own anything to do with CSI.
Rated: T
A/N: This story is in response to a challenge at CSIForeverOnline. The prompt is Grissom and Sara go through some kind of change. It can be a story or a poem. Must be kept under 1,000 words. I chose to do a story. All mistakes are mine.
Summary: Grissom and Sara's lives are changed by an automobile accident. Grissom takes it especially hard.
Roll With It
"So what do you want to do for dinner?" Sara asked as she and Grissom headed home, Grissom behind the wheel. Grissom applied pressure to the gas pedal as the light turned green.
"Well I was thinking of whipping us up some…"
*BAM!*
The rusting blue pickup truck plowed into the driver side of their Denali, pushing the vehicle clear out of the intersection.
Grissom wavered slightly in his seat stunned, fighting to bring his doubled vision back into focus and clear his clouded mind.
"Sara" he mumbles.
He turns to look at his wife. Sara was leaning against the passenger side of the car. Her head sticking through the shattered glass. Blood trickled down the remaining glass. A blank, empty stare in her eyes.
"NO! NO! SARA! NO!"
Grissom panted frantically as he bolted up in bed, his eyes wide with terror. He whipped his head to his left to find Sara breathing deeply as she left. As his breathing slowed to normal he realized he was not sitting up as it had felt, but instead was still on his back. The harsh reality of the accident four months earlier coming back to him.
Knowing he wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep that day he decided to get up. Propping himself up into a sitting position, he reached for wheelchair next to the bed. He maneuvered himself into the chair, glanced one last time at his sleeping wife, and rolled out of the room.
He attempted to read an entomology magazine, but after reading the same page for the tenth time and not remembering what he had just read, he put the magazine down. He attempted to do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper, but his mind just wouldn't focus. His stomach started to grumble. Maybe something to eat would help. Grissom wheeled his chair into the kitchen.
"Damn it" he muttered.
Ever since he got home Sara had been preparing all their meals and the majority of the food was up in the cabinets, out of his reach. "Maybe just an apple" he thought. The fruit basket was on the counter. He should be able to handle that, right? He rolled up to the counter and reached for the piece of fruit. "Damn it" he muttered again. The basket was just barely out of reach. He stretched as hard as he could. With one last wack he caught the edge. The basket tipped on its side and sent the fruit flying onto the floor. "Damn it!" He spoke louder.
It had been a month since he came home from the hospital and he felt like a stranger in his own home. Nothing seemed to be in its 'proper' place even though in reality nothing had been moved. Everything felt higher or farther then he remembered. While before he could easily pick things up, now he often had to stretch to reach items.
He bent over and reached for the apple. "Come…here…you…little…" Grissom muttered as she stretched for the fruit. "DAMN IT!" Grissom finally yelled as he sat up and slammed the palm of his fist against the refrigerator door.
"Whoa. Take it easy huh? What did the fridge ever do to you?"
Sara tied the sash of her robe.
"I'm sorry I woke you."
"Its ok. Wanna talk about what the fridge did to make you angry?"
"The fridge didn't do anything. You just have a useless husband now."
"Gil you are not useless. Why would you think that?"
"Look at me Sara. I can't even reach a damn piece of fruit without help. I can't do my job anymore. What if a burglar broke in? How could I protect you? What would I do? Roll over him?"
Sara fought back the urge to chuckle at the last comment.
"Face it Sara. I'm useless now. You'd be better off divorcing me and finding a real man."
Sara sighed softly. They'd had these chats before. She had told him countless times he was not useless but every time he would just shut her out and roll off into the living room and mope as he stared out the window.
"Get out"
"What?"
"I said get out Gil. Take Bruno and go to the park. The fresh air will do you good."
"But?"
"GO"
Sara helped him dress and reluctantly Gil headed off for the park.
As Bruno bounded around the field, Grissom couldn't help but notice a teen in a wheelchair shooting hoops.
Wanna shoot?"
"What?" He noticed the teen looking at him.
"You wanna shoot?"
"How? I'm in a wheelchair"
"So am I, but why should that stop me? My arms still work", He shot another basket.
"Here", he tossed the ball to Grissom. Gil caught the ball, aimed at the basket, and shot. The ball hit the rim and bounced away.
"See, just cause you can't walk doesn't mean you can't play. Roll with it."
"What happened to you?" Grissom asked.
"Drunk driver. You?"
"Same….doesn't it frustrate you?"
"At first it did. But then I realized I was alive, I had my family, my brain still worked. So why should I feel bad? Ramps were put in my house where needed. I have my service dog Charlie", he pointed at the black lab lying on the grass, "I have special tools to help reach higher objects. As Stella said in Silverado 'The world is what you make of it friend. If it doesn't fit. You make alterations.".
Suddenly Grissom felt foolish for the way he'd been thinking. The boy was right. His body may not work like it used too, but his mind still did.
"Thanks, I gotta go."
As Grissom headed off with Bruno he paused and turned around.
"Hey what's…"
"Kyle."
"See ya Kyle"
Kyle pulled out his cell.
"Hey Sara…..yeah he's on his way home….he's gonna be fine" he smiled into the phone.
The End
A/N: So what do you think? Hope it was alright for a 1,000 word limit. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
~Neelloc12~
