Ovarian Grievance

Pairing: Sara and Nick

Sara has her pre-surgical examination. Catherine and Nick are there for support and comfort.

A/N: This is based loosely on what happened to me the past three months.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sara, Nick or any other CSI character. If I did own the show, the final scene from 'Way to Go' wouldn't exist. I only own my original characters and this story plot.

The Examination

"Sara, I am going to take your blood pressure," Dr. Calabrese's nurse said as she wrapped the cuff around Sara's arm. "You're 120 over 80, that's pretty good."

"Nick, take you hand off your eyes," Catherine said as she gently tried to pry Nick's hand off his face. "Dr. Calabrese's nurse is only taking Sara's blood pressure."

"I don't want to see her get an internal exam," Nick winced as he resisted Catherine's pull.

"Dr. Calabrese isn't here yet," Sara insisted. "Nick, don't be an immature idiot!"

Nick slowly removed the hand over his eyes and saw Sara wearing an examining gown. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll stay until the doctor starts poking around you," he told Sara.

"Nick, you are staying here," Catherine meant business. "You are going to support and comfort your fiancée in her ordeal. I am here to help you and make sure you don't run out screaming like a lunatic and scare the patients."

"Dr. Calabrese will be here soon," the nurse told Sara.

Sara nodded and the nurse left the examining room. She looked at Nick with an expression that told him that she wanted to speak to him.

"Nicky, I know you don't want to be here," Sara whispered in his ear. "I also know that Catherine dragged you here and she's making sure you don't escape."

"Sara, I would have rather sit in the waiting room and not see you go through an internal exam," Nick whispered back. "I don't want to see you suffer like that. However, I am here and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you calm. Also, Catherine has become a fire breathing dragon."

"I won't tell her that," Sara whispered and chuckled.

"Tell me what's so funny?" Catherine asked.

Nick and Sara knew that they were busted, but Sara thought of a very innocuous response.

"Catherine, it was just an inside joke between Nick and me," Sara smirked while she winked at Nick with great subtleness.

"I never knew you had any inside jokes," Catherine chuckled.

Nick gave Sara a smile thanking her for not telling Catherine about her becoming a fire breathing dragon. Sara smiled back telling him not to worry about it. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Calabrese entered.

"Hello Sara, how have you been?" Dr. Calabrese asked.

"I'm doing okay," Sara replied. "I have the occasional pain, but it's very minor."

"Just as long as it's not severe enough for you to stop your daily life," Dr. Calabrese said. "I would worry a little bit about it. If the pain is so severe that you can't do things, you need to go immediately to Desert Palm for emergency surgery."

Sara felt a little relieved and hoped that her diseased ovary wouldn't give her grief until the moment that she's wheeled into the OR.

"I forgot to ask about Nick and Catherine," Dr. Calabrese noticed the two other people. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Nick gave a small smile. "I'm just worried about Sara."

"I am okay," Catherine sighed. "I am also concerned about Sara."

"She will be fine," Dr. Calabrese reassured them. "We'll take excellent care of her. Now, I'll begin the total examination. Sara, I am going to listen to your heart and lungs. You will feel some cold, but that's the stethoscope."

Dr. Calabrese listened to her patient's heart and was happy that she didn't flinch or complain about the cold metal. She then asked Sara to take deep breaths so she could listen to her lungs. She smiled when both Sara's heart and lungs sounded good. She also felt around Sara's throat and did a breast examination.

"Now Sara, I want you to lie down," Dr. Calabrese said. "I will feel around your abdomen and do an internal exam."

"Oh, now the torture really begins," Sara joked.

"Sara, how about if I distract you," Nick chuckled.

"You can in a little while," she smiled.

"Excuse me, Nick," Dr. Calabrese interrupted the couple. "I have to examine your fiancée's abdomen. It'll take about a minute."

Nick sat back down next to Catherine while Dr. Calabrese did the abdominal exam. Sara winced a little when the doctor touched the area of distress. Nick looked on with concern, but he knew it had to be done. Catherine gently patted him in the shoulder to express how proud she was of him.

"Okay Sara, it's now time for the fun stuff," Dr. Calabrese calmly announced.

"I am looking forward to it," Sara was slightly sarcastic.

Nick got up from his chair and walked towards the examining table. He looked at Sara, but he wasn't facing Dr. Calabrese as she performed Sara's internal examination. He noticed Sara was getting slightly agitated.

"Whoa, that really hurts!" Sara hissed. "Nick, this is the torture that I have to go through every year."

"Okay, think about something pleasant or funny," Nick soothed her. "Think about our feline babies Sphinx and Nefertiti. What about the crazy shenanigans those guys you called Neanderthals did to one of the dorms you lived in?"

Who are those Neanderthals? Catherine thought. I should ask Sara about them when this is over.

"I can't believe you remembered my telling you about Brett, Dennis and Chad," Sara let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "I was their neighbor for a year and they were the biggest dumbasses I had ever met."

"Think of how one of them had a toy snake that looked too real," Nick smirked. "One day that thing went missing or someone stole it. That Neanderthal posted a flyer on your hall's bulletin board."

"That sign said 'Anyone seen this snake, her name is Sophia. There is a reward if you find her. Call 1-800-PET-SNAKES'," she beamed. "I also told you about how the manage to piss off one of the RAs. They needed a vacuum cleaner and asked one RA if they could borrow hers. These morons damaged the machine and returned it to her without an apology, not even an offer to buy her a replacement."

"I would love to print those guys, arrest them and make them buy that RA a new vacuum cleaner," he shook his head. "I was a college guy, but I would never do shit like Chad, Dennis and Brett did. I am pretty sure Greg was like them when he was in college."

"Nick, I don't want to know what our Greggo was like as a college student," she chuckled.

Catherine was laughing at the snake story. However, she thought about Lindsey when she goes to college. She hoped if her daughter becomes an RA that she keeps any of her things out of the irresponsible hands of future 'Neanderthals'.

"Sara, we're done here," Dr. Calabrese said. "Take care of your lab work if you haven't done so. Don't worry about getting an EKG and chest X-Ray. I'll see you on the 16th. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me."

A few seconds after Dr. Calabrese left the examining room, Nick and Catherine also left to give Sara a little privacy to change into her street clothes.

"I'm so proud of you," Catherine smiled. "I know that it was difficult for you to be in there, but you handled yourself nicely."

"Thanks, Catherine," Nick sighed. "I only looked at Sara, not at what Dr. Calabrese was doing to her."

"Nicky, that's fine," she said. "In the future, Sara will be in a delivery room or birthing center having your child. Are you going to stand by her or are you going to hang out at the waiting room?"

"I'll stand by her," he replied. "However, we don't know if she'll have the tumor removed or go through a total hysterectomy."

"Come on, Nicky," she hissed. "You can't think that way! She will just have the tumor removed and she can still have children. I wouldn't be surprised if you have the beautiful daughter and handsome son you always wanted. Do I have to smack the pessimism out of that head of yours?"

Before Nick could answer, Sara came out of the examining room dressed in her street clothes. The three CSIs went to the scheduling area to see if Sara needed anything else. The reception told her she was all set. Moments later, Nick, Sara and Catherine were outside of the building.

"Let's go to Ben and Jerry's for a treat," Catherine happily suggested. "It's on me!"

"Nick and I deserve it!" Sara beamed. "I think Nicky should get two scoops for doing something for me that I didn't think he'd do."

"Sara, I think you are right," Nick pulled her into an embrace and kissed her.

Catherine chuckled at the couple before her. After a brief moment they were in her Denali and on their way to the nearest Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shop.

TBC

A/N: We all know the Neanderthals were a species of human before us. When I was in college, I lived in the suite next door to some guys who I nicknamed the Neanderthals for an academic year. I won't go into detail about their totally obnoxious behavior (some of it is downright disgusting), but my story 'Slow Shift and Super Soakers' is based on an incident they were involved in. However, during finals' weeks, they provided entertainment for our fellow midnight screamers. By the way, the toy animal that went missing was a 'rat' named Mikey.