Title: Not Quite Myself
Author: Roxanne Kowalchuk
Feedback: roxettemts.net
Category: Romance/Humor
Pairing: S/G (Sara/Grissom)
Disclaimer: I don't owe anyone.
Spoilers: IE. Just the Job.
Summary: Sara is having a bad day.
Notes: No flames. Please keep them to yourselves.
An Extra Big Thank You: To Kelly, my beta reader.
Archived: Yes, please!
Feedback is welcomed.
....................

Her head throbbed, a finger on each hand was sporting deep paper cuts and
she broke the heel on her favorite pair of boots all in one day. But it
wasn't just this day that was bad. It was the week, no the month. Everyone
seemed to be against her.

"Sara?"

Closing her eyes for a minute, Sara then looked up. "Yes Grissom."

"How's the case?"

"Good."

"How can it be good if you're here and all the evidence is everywhere else
in the lab," Grissom snapped.

Putting her hands on the edge of the table, Sara pushed her chair back.
Standing up, she collected the file next to her and left a bag, that had
been in front of her, on the table.

"You forgot something," Grissom told her.

Walking pass him, she stopped at the door and turned around. "No, I didn't.
You see I was about to have my lunch, since I haven't eaten anything since
about one yesterday but you know what I don't have an appetite anymore. So
please, be my guess and eat my lunch, because I don't care."

About to open his mouth, Grissom didn't have time to say anything. She was
gone. Turning back to the table, he retrieved the bag and placed it back in
the fridge. Maybe she'd get hungry later and eat it.
..........


Walking into a lab, Sara was greeted by Nick. It was an unfriendly greeting.

"Come on Sara, clean up after yourself," Nick snapped. "I'm not your maid."

He didn't give her enough time to answer. All she could do was watch him
walk out. "Wasn't my mess, Nicky." She mumbled as she walked over to a stool
and sat down. "But please if it's easier to blame me, that's fine."

She felt like crap. She felt as if everyone was turning on her. She kind of
felt like she felt when she had first started working at the lab. Taking a
deep sigh, she got on with her work. Or so she thought.

"Sara?"

Turning around on her stool, Sara turned to the door. "Yes Catherine?"

"I needed Greg to run my evidence first, and he knew that," Catherine
snapped at her. "Next time, just wait like the rest of us."

She didn't have time to answer her either; she was gone before she could
reply. Turning back to her work, she didn't even bother mumbling a response.
It just wasn't her day, week or month.

Just as she got back to reading her file, her beeper went off. Taking it out
of the clip, she read it. Jumping off the stool, she gathered her file and
headed out of the lab. But just as she made it to the locker, she got
stopped again.

"Sara?"

Letting her shoulders drop, she turned around. She didn't say a word.

"Did you remove a disk from the computer?"

"Disk? Computer?" Sara repeated. "What are you talking about, Warrick?"

"Nick said you were the last person using the computer," Warrick explained.
"Oh, never mind. I'll find it myself."

Watching him walk off, Sara just shook her head. Walking into the locker
room, she got her jacket out of her locker and headed out of the lab. She
had an officer to meet so they could serve a warrant.
.........


She hurt. It burned. Her whole right side burned. She couldn't feel her arm
or her side. She hurt. The burning wouldn't stop. Opening her eyes, all she
saw was a clear blue sky, and then suddenly it went dark.
..........


Sticking his head into Grissom's office, Brass spoke. "Grissom, we need to
talk."

Looking up from some reading, Grissom answered. "Come on in. What's up
Brass?"

"Um..." he started. It was always hard to tell a friend and co-worker these
things. "It's Sara."

Straightening up in his chair, for he had been slouching, Grissom answered.
"Great, now what did she do. Walk in with her gun drawn?"

Shaking his head, Brass spoke. "No, not exactly."

"Brass, what aren't you telling me?" Grissom finally caught on.

"She was out serving a warrant with a deputy."

"And?"

"And the suspect turned a gun on them," Brass explained as he watched
Grissom's face drop. "He fired a shotgun."

"What?" Grissom couldn't believe it.

"The deputy shielded her the best he could, but she took some of the shot in
the right side," Brass told him.

"The deputy?"

"His vest saved him."

"Sara?"

"LVGH."

"In?"

"Stable condition."

Getting up, Grissom walked pass Brass and out into the hallway.

"Catherine is already gone to the scene but she doesn't know it was Sara,"
Brass told him. "I'll drive you to the hospital."

All of a sudden, he felt like a jerk for yelling at her earlier. "Let's go."
..........


"Hey Warrick," Catherine greeted as she took photographs. "How's the
deputy?"

"Shook up," Warrick answered as he set his case down. "Who was the second
victim?"

"I'm not sure, was taken to the hospital before I got here," Catherine
replied.

"All right, let's work this crime scene," Warrick said as he opened his case
and pulled out a pair of latex gloves.
.........


Grissom didn't like waiting. He felt like he was back in the waiting room,
waiting on news of Holly. Of course, she hadn't made it but Sara would. He
knew it. Noticing a doctor coming towards them, he spoke. "Doctor?"

"Yes."

"How is Sara Sidle doing?"

"And you are?" The doctor asked as Brass came to stand with them.

"I'm her boss, Gil Grissom," Grissom introduced, totally forgetting about
Brass.

But the doctor figured as much as what Brass was. He had his badge hanging
off of his jacket pocket. "She's in stable condition," he started. "Shotgun
blasts can be very deadly. If it weren't for the deputy, she may not be
here."

"How bad is she?" Grissom asked.

"We checked out her abdomen and the pelts missed all her major organs,
although, she'll need some therapy for her right arm. The blast
embedded some pelts in the muscle in her arm."

"Not good," Brass mumbled. "Can we see her?"

"I know you may have questions to ask her, but I'm afraid she isn't up for
it. We gave her a lot of pain medication to keep her comfortable."

Grissom knew she'd need her rest. "Alright doctor, we'll be back later."

"Alright," the doctor said as he walked off.

When he was gone, Brass turned to Grissom. "Now what?"

"We find out why this happened."
..........


Noticing Grissom, Warrick stood up. "Gris?"

"Warrick, Catherine," Grissom greeted. "Where's the deputy?"

"Still with the EMT's," Catherine replied. "Why?"

"I'll go get him," Brass offered as he walked away.

"Grissom?" Catherine inquired. "What's wrong?"

"Sara was the other victim," Grissom explained as Brass and the deputy came
back.

"Sara?" Warrick repeated. "As in Sidle?"

"Yes," Grissom answered as he turned to the deputy. "You alright?"

"Been better," he said as let Brass hold him up. "What can I do for you?"

"Tell us what happen," Grissom told him.

"Okay, Sara and I were here to serve the warrant to the suspect on her case.
I rang the doorbell, we waited and a few minutes later, the door swung open
and I was face to face with the suspect and a shotgun. I pushed Sara behind
me and I took the blunt of the blast," he explained. "As I fell to the
ground, the suspect took off and that's when I heard Sara moan. I hadn't realized she had been hit. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, you saved her life," Grissom told him.

"I've got an APB on the suspect," Brass informed everyone. "We'll find him.
But right now, we need to get the deputy to the hospital."

"Okay," he said as the EMT's took him.

While he was being escorted away, Grissom began to speak. "Let's find out
why this guy did this. Catherine, you take the perimeter, Warrick and I will
be inside."

"Sure Grissom," Catherine answered but then stopped before she continued
taking pictures. "How's Sara?"

"She's in stable condition, she was lucky."

"Good to hear," Catherine said as she looked over at Warrick.

"Let's get to work," Grissom said as he and Warrick entered the house with
Brass in tow.
.........


She thought she was in pain, but then again, she wasn't sure. The only thing
she was sure about was that she was pumped full of drugs. But she knew she
was alive and in the hospital.

Noticing some one at the door, she spoke. "Who's there?"

"Billy."

"Hey," she greeted in a soft voice. "How you doing?"

"Good. Although I should be asking you that?"

"Doing peachy here," she answered. Billy was the deputy that had saved her
life.

"Drugs, huh?"

"Ya."

Smiling, he moved slowly to the side of her bed. "I can only stay a few
minutes."

"That will give me enough time to thank you."

"For?"

"Saving me."

"I was just doing my job."

"Still."

"Okay, your welcome."

Losing the battle with her eyelids, Sara drifted off to sleep.

Watching her, Billy smiled down at her. She was a good person and he was
glad to call her a co-worker. Leaving her sleep, he headed back out to the
nurse who was waiting for him.
...................


Feedback welcomed! :)