I sat at the table in the meeting room at the lab while everyone around me talked about the case. The smell of food made me feel worse as I leaned my head against my hands rubbing away the headache.
"Sara?"
A faint voice became louder.
"Sara?" Grissom called
I opened my eyes looking over at him. The others looked at me.
"Oh….the prints were inconclusive." I said
He watched me silently as if I were a bug in a jar.
"You okay." Catherine asked, next to me.
"Yeah, just a headache." I said, avoiding everyone looking at me.
Grissom came over to find me sitting in the dimly lit computer room holding my head as I scrolled down a web page.
"Sara?" He said. I moved looking at him.
"What's up?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." I said
He turned on the light seeing I was sweating. I watched him come around and touch my head.
"Honey, your burning up." He said
"I can work."
"You need to go home."
"Is this why you came?"
"Nick said you were sick." He said
"I'll leave after shift."
"Let's go." He said
I looked at him ready to argue, but the expression on his face told me that I should just keep my mouth shut. I stood after closing down the computer then I walked to the locker room sensing him following me. We came out of the locker room and Sophia came over.
"Grissom can we talk a minute?" She asked, glancing at me.
"Can this wait?" He asked
"No."
"Okay, Sara I'll just be a minute." He said, walking past me with Sophia to his office. I leaned against the wall noticing that my vision was becoming blurred. People walked by laughing muffled. I swallowed gripping the wall as I tried to walk seeing everything go around. I let go of the wall stumbling to the other side. Grissom heard a thud as he stopped talking to Sophia. Walking out he saw me on the floor.
"Sara?" He called, kneeling down touching my head and pulse.
"Is she all right?" Sophia asked
"I have to get her home. Tell Catherine I had to leave."
"Okay."
She ran off as Grissom locked his office door coming over to me picking me up in his arms. He walked out as people watched. I moved my head feeling movement. Car horns outside made me winch as I opened my eyes seeing blurry shapes.
"Sara?"
I moved my head seeing a shape.
"I am taking you home."
I closed my eyes again. Grissom parked the car getting out coming over to my side. He opened the door undoing my seat belt picking me up to take me to the front door. I moved as he laid me in the bed touching my head.
"I'll be right back." He said, leaving the room. I sat up looking around. Grissom came back in seeing me trying to stand. "Lie down."
"We…have to clean…up the mess." I said
"It's been cleaned." He said, worried as he put me down on the bed.
He laid me down watching as I moved around. He later put cold clothes on my arms, legs and head. He heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. Catherine stood outside.
"Hey." She said, as he let her in. "How's Sara?"
"Her fever is high, but I think in a few hours she'll be fine."
They heard the bedroom door open. I came out holding onto anything to hold me up.
"Sara, you need to lie down." Grissom said
"Why are you here?" I asked, looking at Catherine.
Catherine looked at Grissom then at me.
"Sara." Grissom said
I looked at him.
"You told me you were done with her!"
"Sara, its Catherine." She said, looking at me.
"I told you never to bring Lady Heather into this house! Get out!" I screamed
Grissom held me trying to lead me into the bedroom.
"Get out! Get out!" I screamed, feeling the bed again. Grissom held my arms waiting for me to stop.
"Sara, that is not Lady Heather, it is Catherine."
I stopped struggling looking at him.
"I saw her."
"You saw Catherine."
I blinked looking at him.
"Catherine?"
"Yes."
I laid back closing my eyes then opening them looking to the side. Grissom felt my head then he walked out seeing Catherine looking worried.
"Sorry." He said
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah."
I tossed and turned in bed dreaming of a case long ago. Grissom came in putting down a glass of water and some toast on a plate. He sat on the bed touching my hand. I sat up breathing fast looking around glistening with sweat.
"Ssh, it's okay." He said
"Grissom?" I said
"Yes?"
I sighed swallowing as he touched my head.
"Your fever is down."
"I was dreaming about that night we were caught in that rain storm." I said, lying back down. "You were swept away."
"That was only a dream. I brought you some water and toast."
I looked over at the water then I looked at him. He helped me drink then he sat me up to eat. I tried to eat but my stomach rebelled.
"You should go to work." I said, handing him the bread.
"The lab can do without me for a little bit." He said, calmly.
His hand smoothed my hair. I closed my eyes sighing as sleep enveloped me. Grissom worked at his desk later seeing the bedroom door open and I came out holding the doorframe looking pale and weak.
"Honey, you shouldn't be up." He said, getting up walking over.
"I feel better. Just let me move around." I said
He watched me walk over to the couch sitting down. I laid down as my dizzy head leaned sideways. Grissom put a blanket over me then handed me a remote.
"Would you like some hot tea?"
"Maybe later." I said
He walked back over to his desk getting his phone out. I flipped on the TV and watched a movie. A few minutes later Grissom walked over seeing I had turned to lay on my stomach. He began to rub the achy muscles hearing me moan.
"Your muscles are tense." He said
I winched as he touched me. He could tell after a few minutes that I went to sleep. He continued to rub my back then he sat down putting my blanket covered feet on his lap. The next day Grissom woke on the couch seeing I was dressed walking around the room holding a cup of coffee. I glanced at him sitting up on the couch watching me.
"We have an hour before work." I said
"Your not going." He said, standing.
"I feel fine." I said
He walked over touching my head feeling nothing.
"I don't care. I want you to rest."
"Grissom stop. I feel good." I said, walking past.
"Sara, I believe last time I checked I was the boss. I say you are staying home."
"Excuse me? You are not my boss at home." I said, setting my cup down in the kitchen sink.
"Your right about that, but if you step foot in the building I will put you on sick leave."
We stared at each other silently. I knew he would not negotiate, and he knew I would not stand down.
"Fine." I said
He seemed wise to my giving up to easily. I walked past him to the bedroom. I sat on the couch as he walked over kissing my head then he walked out. I sighed hearing the door shut. After five minutes I got up and ran to the door looking around outside then I went to my car and drove to the lab. I knew that he would be expecting me to be coming in. I slipped into the side door seeing Greg coming out of the locker room.
"Hey Sara." He said
"Hey, where are you going?"
"There's a body in lake mead."
"Can I go?" I asked, looking around.
"Grissom told us to look out for you. He told us that if we helped you that we would be suspended one week."
"He's just blowing smoke. Please take me." I begged. He started to relent till he looked over seeing Grissom walking to his office talking to Warrick. Greg looked over to where I was standing not seeing me. He looked around in surprise.
"Greg?" Grissom called
Greg looked over at him.
"I…I am going to work." He said, hurrying past. Grissom looked at him then he shook his head opening his office door. I went to the computer lab hiding out looking at something's. Catherine came in to Grissom's office smiling.
"Why are you so happy?" He asked, as he signed a paper.
"I am smiling because I just saw Sara."
Grissom looked at her putting his pen down.
"You must have known she would sneak in."
"I was hoping she would see sense. Where did you see her?" He asked, standing.
"In the hallway." She said, watching him walk by. He walked around looking at everyone. I saw him go by the computer lab and I ducked. He came in seeing me. I sat up looking at him seeing he was mad.
"I got in." I said
"After I said no."
"Grissom, I am all right." I said, standing. "What is the big deal?"
"The big deal is that you deliberately went against my orders."
"So what, I am suspended?" I asked
"I want you to go home and stay there." He said, before leaving.
I went home bored listening to the police scanner as I sat on the couch. Grissom came home looking around the house seeing me sleeping on the couch. He walked over staring at me wanting to be mad, but seeing me lying there caused it to fade. I moved when he kissed my head.
"Are you still mad?" I asked, without opening my eyes.
"No, do you forgive me?"
"Don't I always?"
He smiled looking at me. I opened my eyes looking deeply into his.
"You can come to work tomorrow." He said
"I know you are worried."
"I am, but I also know that I can't keep you in a bubble."
I leaned up kissing him making him forget everything.
