Chapter 2

Hearing the shots Warrick and the uniformed officer quickly rushed into the house, their weapons drawn. They stopped short as they saw Catherine standing there still holding the gun, and then looked down at the floor, their worst fears coming true.

"Catherine what have you done?" Warrick said as he rushed to her, taking the gun from her hand.

"I stopped him," she answered calmly, almost too calmly it seemed to Warrick.

"Ambulance to 342 Oak Street, officer down," The deputy said tersely into his walkie-talkie as he checked on Gil's condition.

"How is he?" Warrick had joined the deputy to check on Grissom now that Catherine was disarmed.

"He's alive for now." The officer's tone was sober as both he and Warrick looked back up at Catherine.

"What?" She had to ask, not understanding the accusatory looks. "It was self-defense."

"Cath, you shot Gil." Warrick stated disbelievingly.

"What?" She didn't believe him as she walked over to them. Looking down and seeing the still face of her best friend. Her eyes traveling down to the blood spreading and then watching as it slowly dripped and started to pool on the floor, her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out as she fainted, crashing onto the floor at Gil's feet.

"Better take her too." Warrick nodded at her when the EMT's entered the room moments later, one team having already left with Grissom. Warrick numbly wiped the blood off his hand from where he had checked for a pulse. Hating it as he pulled out his cell phone and made the call to Ecklie, and then calling Brass.

Catherine started to slowly revive. Shuddering for a moment at the feeling that she had had a particularly terrible dream before looking around, realizing she was in a hospital room.

"Ms. Willows, are you ok?" A nurse asked her, trying to get her focus.

"What, oh yes," Catherine said as she realized she was not hurt and quickly stood up heading for the door, knowing that she had to see Gil even though she wasn't quite sure why the sense of urgency.

"I'm sorry, you can't leave." The nurse said sympathetically, yet firmly. "We were waiting for you to wake up, there's a Detective Brass waiting to talk with you." She said as she opened the door and made a motion down the hall to indicate that Catherine had come to.

TBC