A/N: Sorry for the delay. Xmas means I'm super busy at work and now I'm just super tired :P Well, I hope this was worth the wait. Big day ahead for Grissom… If he can make it that is.

My forever thanks for your thoughts and reviews and as always to calim for the great beta :D

On we go….

Chapter 3

His foot twitched as an itch spiraled up his ankle. Then a soreness became evident in his arm. Quietly groaning, Grissom smacked his lips together. Boy, was his mouth dry. It almost felt like he'd been eating sand. Then he heard her voice and frowned.

Opening his eyes, he tipped his head towards the window to see Sara sitting by the window, looking through the slightly opened blinds, talking to someone on her cell.

"I wasn't totally sure but I gave him the injection," he heard her say as she listened to some replay then nodded.

"No," she said next. "No bad reaction. He just went right to sleep." She nodded again. "Okay I will. Thanks. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, a quiet sigh left her lips.

"Who were you talking to?" Grissom called over to her.

Jumping, she turned in the seat and got up, heading his way. "Hey," she whispered, moving to his side and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey," he said back, his eyes closing briefly as her fingers found his hair and when they reopened, they just stared at each other, a slight uncertainty in the air.

"How are you feeling?" she asked hesitantly.

His teeth nipped down on his lip before he answered. "Okay. My arm's a little sore."

Sara's right eye twitched. "Do you remember what happened?"

He nodded then paused. "Well," he began, his head tipping from side to side, "I remember the injection but not much else."

She brushed through his hair again. "Buddy woke me up giving me all the signs you we're going to have a seizure."

Grissom looked over the side of the bed to the dog who immediately got up and barked at him before wagging his tail.

"Doggy alert, huh?" he deadpanned.

Sara snorted. "Something like that. I was just talking to Donald. Remember he told us to call him the first time we used the medication?"

"Yeah, I remember. What did he say?"

Her lips pursed, surprised at his calmness but glad for it.

"He asked how you reacted and if there were any side effects. I was to let him know how you were when you woke up." He nipped down on his lip again before nodding. "Do you have a headache or anything?"

He shook his head. "Not really. Still feel a little tired but no pain. Well…apart from the soreness in my arm."

Reaching for his arm, Sara carefully rolled up his sleeve and inspected the small injection mark. Seeing a small bruise, she dipped her head and placed a soft kiss upon it.

"Better?" she asked softly and was so happy to see the smile he offered in return of her gesture. It really wasn't often he smiled lately.

"Thank you," he said tenderly, sincerely.

She smiled back. "That's why I'm here."

His eyes flicked to Buddy. "And thank you."

Buddy barked again before panting, spinning in a circle and lying back down.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Sara questioned.

"Hmmm," he mumbled. "Oddly. We're there any signs that the seizure was coming?"

Sara shook her head, lying his hand in hers. "No. I just had Buddy very eagerly trying to get my attention and then he made it very obvious you were having or about to have a problem. When your head started shaking and you moaned, I didn't want to take the risk. If he was doing his job then he was warning me. And I think he was right on the money."

"Well, at least we know the medication works."

Although Sara knew it wasn't always guaranteed to work, she just nodded, not wanting to bring any negativity into the conversation.

"Yeah. Do you recall any nightmares last night?"

His brow furrowed and he shook his head.

She knew he didn't always remember his dreams in the morning but she figured that was the cause. But, when he sighed, Sara frowned.

"What?" she asked.

He cleared his dry throat before averting her gaze, looking back at Buddy. "Nothing."

Placing a hand against his cheek, she tipped his head back her way so they had eye contact again.

"Tell me," she pled.

"I, um…did have a lot on my mind when…I went to sleep," he admitted. "Well…more than what's become the usual."

Her eyes worked in a circle. He always had a lot on his mind and then it struck her. "You were worrying about your appointment, weren't you?"

He hesitated a moment. "Maybe."

Letting out a soft sigh, she gently rubbed her thumb across his. "I know this is easy to say but please try not to worry too much."

Surprised at her response to his admission, he blinked. "No telling off?"

She shrugged. "If I could control your emotions, babe, then we'd be in a much easier position but I can't. All I can do is ask that you try and stay as calm as you can and just know I'm here."

Forcing him into going wouldn't work, she knew that would stress him out more. Encouraging him was a better route.

"I really don't know what I'd do without you," he said sincerely.

A warmth radiated through Sara's heart.

"And I don't know what I'd do without you," she replied with a smile. If only this mood could last all day then she'd be a happy woman. Sadly, she doubted that was going to happen.

"How about a bath before breakfast?" she suggested. "Jim will be here around 11am." His lips twitched but he didn't say anything. "You're feeling okay to go still, right?"

Sucking on his lip, he nodded. "For now."

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

A knock, sounding at the door just before 11am, didn't distract Buddy from chasing after the ball Grissom kicked. Thankful once again for Buddy's ability to lower her husband's stress levels, Sara headed toward the door and pulled it open knowing who it was.

"Hey, Jim," she greeted.

He smiled at her. "Good morning. Ready to roll or do I get a late breakfast?"

Sara snorted. "If you hurry."

Laughing, he quickly looked over her shoulder to see if he could spot Grissom. "I'm pulling your leg. Is he coming today or…"

"Yeah, he's coming. Just playing with the dog. Come in."

Nodding, Brass stepped inside. "Do you think he'll get out of the car this time?"

"I really hope so," she replied as they headed for the kitchen. "Okay, playtime is over," she called, grabbing Buddy's service jacket from the table and whistling. "Here boy."

Pausing in mid-chase of his ball, Buddy skidded around and happily ran to Sara. As she put on his awareness coat, Grissom got up.

"Hi, Jim," he said softly.

Brass knew Grissom hadn't been the chattiest of people lately so knew he had to tread with caution. "Hey," he said, bending down to pick up Buddy's ball and throwing it up into the air. "Keeping you busy, is he?"

Grissom half smiled. "Yeah. He does like to run around, inside or out."

Sara looked up and smiled, sliding the last clip on the coat into place. The coat, red in color with the words 'seizure alert, do not pet, do not distract,' written on it, sat across his back and clipped underneath and around the front. He did look cute in it and then she remembered just how important it was trying to get the message that Buddy did indeed need to run around across to her husband.

6 days earlier

Typing in an answer to Catherine on her laptop, Sara glanced over at her husband, staring blanking at the TV. She'd been doing her best to entice him into doing something, anything since he'd come home from the hospital but, since his mobility was minimal, there wasn't much he could do or wanted to do.

Feeling a knock against her leg, she looked down to see Buddy dropping his chin onto her knee. He then stood back, barked and plonked his butt down, tail wagging.

"What?" she asked then smirked as Buddy barked again. After checking the time, she glanced back at the dog. "You wanna go out?"

Jumping to his feet, Buddy's tail went crazy, his tongue hanging out his mouth on a healthy pant.

Pursing her lips, Sara looked back over at Grissom and then typed a quick 'Gotta go, doggy potty, TTYL' to Catherine before closing her laptop.

Getting up, she approached her husband with one purpose in mind. Sensing her, he tipped his head to catch her eyes but then frowned as she held out her hand.

"Come with me," she requested.

"Where?" he questioned after a moment.

"We're going to take Buddy for a walk." His eyes darted around before shooting back to her. "Please, Gil," she begged. "You haven't left the house since we got home and Buddy needs exercise. He can't keep doing his business in the garden and he can't be away from you so if you don't come then he can't go anywhere. And, one of the conditions of us having him is he gets looked after. And that includes taking him for walks."

Breathing deeply, he just stared at her.

"I know you're nervous but you need to get out. Please?"

Looking away, he stared at the wall for a moment and Sara bit down on her lip. She knew this would do him good. Being in the house 24/7 was not healthy. He needed a different environment even if just for a little while.

Swallowing hard, he looked her way again. "Where do you want to go?"

Was he considering it?

"Wherever you want," she said quickly, "as long as you feel comfortable and Buddy can run around."

"We could, um…go to the rec area," he suggested quietly. "I like the lake there. Peaceful."

Sara smiled and swiftly nodded. "Okay," she said softly. "Sounds good."

And it was good. Well, when she did finally manage to get him to step out of the house.

Although anxious at being back in the open, Grissom seemed reasonably happy. He'd sat on a bench at the lake and watched while Sara threw Buddy's ball around, much to the dog's excitement. She'd even caught him smiling. It didn't last long but had been there and she delighted in it. Even the smallest gesture was progress in her book and the only way from there was up.

She hoped.

Present day

Smiling a bit at the memory, Sara clipped Buddy's leash to his collar noting Brass looking at his watch.

"Well, we should, um, get going just in case there's any traffic," he said.

"All ready," Sara said, tucking her arm under Grissom's, watching as Brass looked the dog over.

"Do you have a jacket for Gil, too?" he teased getting a bark from Buddy and a narrowed eyed look from Grissom.

Laughing, Sara leaned over to pet Buddy on the back. "Stop teasing, Jim. It saves us time having to explain why a dog is in the building. Isn't that right," she asked as his wagging tail hit her arm.

Smirking as Grissom continued to glare at him, Brass pointed towards the door. "I'll meet you at the car."

He stepped away and Grissom worked his jaw.

"I know how you two like to joke. He's only playing with you," she said, releasing her husband and grabbing his coat.

"He could play somewhere else right now," Grissom grumbled.

"You're taking it the wrong way."

Grissom sighed. "Alas my sense of humor seems to be on vacation."

"Really?" she mocked with a grin. "I never noticed. Arms up."

Doing as asked, he put his arms out and Sara slipped on the coat, zipping it up. "Let me know if you get too hot but I know it's chilly out there."

"Yes, Mom."

"Watch it," she warned. "But you have reminded me that you must talk to your mother later when we get back."

After Basderic's death, Betty quickly returned to Vegas to support her son only to discover that Grissom didn't want to be around anyone. Despite that she'd made a point of talking to him at least every other day. Well, she tried. He'd not said much during their conversations but both Betty and Sara hoped that would improve with time.

"You should let her come visit," Sara said, straightening the collar on his coat. "She misses seeing you."

"Maybe," he breathed. "Let's see how we go today, huh?"

Sara's lips twitched. Maybe? Well, that was progress. Last time it was a flat-out no.

She smiled. "Okay. Ready to go?"

Grissom nodded. "I guess."

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

Making small talk with Brass as they made their way to the clinic, Sara watched Grissom out of the corner of her eye then shifted her gaze to Buddy. His position closest to the door and the slightly opened window enabled him to stick his head out. Apparently, it made him happy if the smile on his face was a determining factor. She'd never understood why dogs liked to be smacked in the face with wind (Hank loved it) but she'd always thought it was cute.

She grinned then held her husband's hand a bit tighter. Today would be a good day, she decided.

Reaching the clinic, Brass pulled up near the front entrance just like he had done the first time they'd tried this. Sara, not wanting to dally, quickly got out and hurried around to the other side of the car, opening the door and grabbing Buddy's leash.

"Come on, boy, out you get," she guided.

Buddy jumped from the seat, sitting down next to Sara and having a good look around. Looking at her husband, she gave him a smile, doing her best to hide the nerves she felt inside. They'd been here before and she wasn't 100% sure this wouldn't be a repeat of their last visit.

Attempting to swallow the building lump in her throat, she held out her hand. "Ready when you are."

Closing his eyes, Grissom inhaled deeply. After a few seconds, he held out his arm for her to grab. She took hold and gave him the support he needed to get out of the car. Once he was on his feet, he looked at her.

"Okay?" she asked tenderly, feeling him tremble.

Eyes flicking to the main entrance as the door opened and a couple exited, Grissom felt his gut tightening.

Spotting his jaw twitching, Sara gently touched his cheek. "You can do this," she encouraged. "I'll be right by your side."

He nodded nervously and Sara retook his arm, holding him close.

"I'll park and wait in reception for you," Brass said through the window.

"Okay," Sara said.

As Brass drove away, Sara guided Grissom towards the door hoping he wouldn't just stop. Thankfully, he kept going and they stepped inside and head toward the reception area. A woman standing behind the desk, looked up then frowned at the sight of Buddy only to relax when she spotted his jacket.

"Good afternoon," she greeted with a smile. "Can I help you?"

"Gil Grissom," Sara said. "He has an appointment with Dr. Whitlock."

The receptionist tapped at her computer. "Can you confirm your date of birth for me please, Mr. Grissom?"

"August 17, 1956," Grissom said quietly.

"Thank you," she said appreciatively, getting to her feet and pointing to their left. "Dr. Whitlock's office is down this corridor. Take the first right then the second left. The waiting room is just at the end. You'll be called when he's ready for you, okay?"

"Thanks."

She was glad they'd sorted out all the paperwork beforehand. It certainly saved any delays or extra pressure.

Guiding Grissom down the corridor, she noticed him constantly looked around. "Try and relax," she urged lovingly, stroking a hand down his arm.

Vaguely nodding, he tried not to notice the eyes upon them only to realize they were looking at Buddy.

Seeing Dr. Whitlock's name on the sign attached to the wall, they headed into the waiting room. The room itself was peaceful and looked comfortable with two sofas and half a dozen soft chairs situated around a table covered in magazines. A vending machine stood in a corner with a water cooler next to it. There were only three people in the room and they were all looking at Buddy.

Turning to Grissom, she nodded at one of the chairs. "Sit," she requested softly, taking the seat beside him when he complied.

"I'm very proud of you," she whispered as she dropped her hand onto his knee and gently rubbed.

"Why?" he breathed. "You haven't gotten me into that office yet."

She was wasn't sure how to react to that. His tone was so flat she didn't know if he was fooling around or if he was about to run for the exit. That thought was cut short though as Dr. Whitlock stepped into the room.

If he was going to run, he had to do it now.

A/N: Will he run?