Thank you for the great response to the first chapter. J
Chapter 2
Catherine awoke to the sound of screams nearby. It took her a moment to work out what was going on but when she did she started to panic. There was someone near her head telling her that she was okay and that an ambulance was on its way but she was only part registering what he was saying. Most of her focus was on the body of her co-worker. Although she wished she didn't she knew healthy working bodies couldn't bend that way. Despite the protests from her body and the hands of concerned onlookers Catherine tried to reach out towards Sara.
"Come on Sara, wake up". There was no response.
"Sara! Open your eyes sweetie," there was still no movement. "SARA, OPEN YOUR EYES! TALK TO ME!" Catherine screamed. Sara's eyes flickered much to Catherine's delight. The look in Sara's eyes though scared the older women. There was none of the Sara she knew, only agony and fear. As quickly as the eyes opened they shut again.
Catherine's heart broke. She wished she could help Sara but she knew there was little she could do. The paramedics shortly arrived and got to work but Catherine wasn't aware of this. Her screaming fit at Sara had provoked internal injuries and she was now coughing up blood. It wasn't long until she fell unconscious.
...
Grissom was incredibly bored. Ecklie had walked in half an hour ago with a large pile of paper work and left shortly after with a smug grin on his face. Grissom often wished he could be one of his employees again, off in the field doing the exciting work and solving puzzles more often and not having to worry about form upon form about budget expenses or employee overtime.
He was distracted from the paperwork and his self pity when his phone started to ring.
"Grissom" he answered assuming it was one of the team.
"Dr. Grissom, My name is Emma Gibbs; I'm a nurse at Desert Palms Hospital. Do you know a Catherine Willows and Sara Sidle?"
Grissom's stomach twisted.
"Yes, I'm their supervisor. Why are you asking?" Grissom answered hoping the obvious answer to that question was not the one he was about to receive.
"I'm sorry; they were brought in a few minutes ago following an accident. We found your name as an emergency contact in their files."
"Oh god" Grissom part cried and part yelled. He shot up from his seat quickly gathering his jacket, "How are they?"
"I'm sorry Dr. Grissom but I can't tell you much over the phone but I think you should come down here as soon as possible." She told the distraught man.
Grissom hung up quickly and hunted down the remaining members of his team. He found Nick and Greg in the break room reviewing files.
"Guys, come with me." He requested in an urgent tone.
"But Grissom this is the Johnson case you were nagging me to get finished this morning."
"Greg you have my permission to ignore it now please we have to hurry."
Neither man missed the urgency this time. They followed Grissom hastily out of the room.
"Grissom, what's going on?" nick asked worriedly.
Grissom hesitated in his reply but decided there was no use in hiding this from them. "Sara and Catherine have been in accident. I don't know how bad it is but the nurse on the phone insisted we got there quick."
Nick let out a low sigh and ran his hand through his hair. The news made his heart drop. This couldn't be happening. Not again.
Greg quickened his step in a panic. He was scared. No, he was terrified. He couldn't lose either of them, not his mentor or his acting mother.
All three men were quickly on their way to the hospital. From the car Nick phoned Catherine's mother. She lived closer to the hospital than they were at the lab was so she told them she would get Lindsey and meet them there. Nick also phoned Brass who promised them he would be there immediately.
Greg asked Grissom if he should phone Sara's family but Grissom replied with a short and curt no. Neither of them thought into this odd behaviour assuming Grissom would deal with Sara's family later seeing as he knew her better.
Somehow Grissom managed the twenty minute journey in less than ten. Nick was the first one to the reception and luckily the lobby was quiet so there was no queue in front of him.
"We are looking for Sara Sidle and Catherine willows. They were brought in earlier. They were in an accident." Nick rambled quickly.
The nurse behind the reception gave him a cold stare, annoyed that he was so loud and flustered, and asked harshly, "Are you family?"
"Yes," Nick lied smoothly.
The nurse nodded to a younger nurse next to her indicating that she should take them along to the waiting room. This nurse was much kinder. She showed them to the relatives waiting room and let them know where the cafeteria was if they needed it. She promised to go and check on Sara and Catherine and to find out what she could for them.
Moments later Catherine's mother Lily arrived followed by Lindsey and Catherine's sister Nancy. Grissom filled them in on the little they knew and the three women joined them on the uncomfortable hospital chairs.
Shortly after the Willows women, Brass arrived. He didn't need filling in as he had used his badge to get past the reception and gather some information on his friends. He knew no more than the others did though. All seven sat down and prepared themselves for a long night.
Sooner than they were expecting the nurse from earlier came in to the room.
"Are you the family of Sara Sidle and Catherine Willows?"
Everyone rose to their feet and nodded eager to hear how their family members were doing - whether they were blood related family or not.
"Unfortunately both women have suffered severe injuries and trauma. Miss Willows has several fractures including her leg, ribs and small ones in her skull. However she is relatively stable so once we have finished tending to her injuries she can be moved to a room and it'll be down to her to bring her self out of unconsciousness."
Lindsey who was standing closest to the nurse stood stiff in fear. She managed to pipe up, "is my mum in a coma?"
The nurse sighed, "no but it is a possibility. Her head injury looks severe."
Lindsey let out a small whimper and her knees weakened. Lily quickly took her granddaughter into her arms and held her tight, trying to console the teenager.
Grissom looked over at the pair feeling immense sadness, both for Catherine's situation and the pain her closest loved ones were enduring.
Although he wasn't sure he was ready for an answer Grissom then asked the nurse, "how about Sara?"
The nurse's professional façade faltered for a second, "I'm sorry, Ms. Sidle received much worse injuries. She is still alive but is very unstable. She will be taken down to surgery as soon as we can but it doesn't look good. I'm truly sorry."
The nurse then left the family to deal with their bad news. She really hated this part of her job.
Nancy had now joined the other two Willows women in their embrace, each needing the others for comfort. Lindsey especially looked torn apart. she had already lost one parent and she was scared to face the world with out the other.
Greg felt faint at the news; he had taken a seat in the nearest chair he could find. This couldn't be true. What used to be a team of six looked as if it could soon be three. Why did this always happen to them?
Nick left the room almost immediately. He didn't know where he was going but he needed out of there. Eventually he found his self in a small court yard at the back of the hospital where he broke down.
...
Elsewhere Sara opened her eyes to see the last person she ever expected to be standing in front of her.
...
AN. The next chapter is where things get interesting. It's been quite predictable to this point.
Sorry this has taken so long. I had exams and stuff.
