Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

AN: Chess isn't something I excel at. The game played in this chapter is something I borrowed. It isn't mine.

"Pawn to d4."

I sigh and lean my head back on the pillow. He can't be serious. Wait… Zach. He's always serious. He honestly wants to play chess at one in the morning instead of letting me sleep. Why did he have to make himself my attending? I'm not delusional; I know he doesn't really give a damn about me. So why the hell is he doing this? He's told me countless times that I'm not worth annoying excessively.

"Knight to f6," I spit out. He could at least let me move my own pieces. 'You might tear your stitches'. Right. I was actually starting to fall asleep before he barged in here. Sometimes I really hate my non-friend.

"Sara, don't bother acting upset. When's the last time you've fallen asleep on a bed? At worst, I saved you from a night of pessimistic contemplation. Pawn to c4."

"The bastard has a point."

Why couldn't Catherine have been the one to disturb my thoughts at one in the morning? At least she cares about me. She would have been a welcome disturbance. She would've just sat with me until I managed to fall asleep. She wouldn't want to play chess; she wouldn't ask me dozens of questions to make sure that I was all right… she would just be there. Even Amy would have-

Wait- what? …Amy would have talked to me… she would have gotten me to enjoy talking back… I-I liked it when she got be to open up. Why…?

"Just concentrate on the game, Sidle."

"Pawn to e6." I got shot. Catherine stayed with me for hours. Of course I want the comfort she gave me back. I love Amy, but right now she can't make me feel better. Just because I wish Catherine were here… It's no big deal. It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything.

"So what was with you letting that blonde woman stay in your room for hours on end? Knight to c3."

Of course he wants to talk. He could hijack some first-year med student wandering the halls if he just wanted to play chess. Just because chess is our thing- God. We aren't even friends, and we have our own 'thing'. Why can't I just have a normal relationship with another human being? Would that be so horrible? Even Amy and I didn't really have what one could call a 'normal' relationship.

"Riley said that she looked like hell, so I saw her after him to make sure she was okay. We just sort of lost track of time after that. I probably should have seen Greg, too, but you made sure that 'end of visiting hours' meant 'end of visiting'. Bishop to b4."

Zach opens his mouth, and judging by the way he snaps it shut again, he just decided against making a cutting remark. Not that whatever he says instead will be any better, but at least he's showing signs of some restraint. That's something.

"You're an idiot. You know why she was so upset? Pawn to e3."

"I thought he hated stating the obvious."

I hate it when says I'm an idiot. He says it a lot, and it's always painful to hear. You would think that I would've gotten used to it by now. I haven't, though. Still a receptive target for the jerk.

"How am I an idiot? Pawn to c5."

Zach gives me a pitying look and shakes his head before moving his bishop. "I could tell you, but then you would panic. And as removed from your life as I am, I would never deliberately ruin a chance for you to be happy. So I won't tell you. Bishop to d3."

Why did he even bothering mentioning it, then? I really should just give up on trying to understand him.

"Pawn to d4."

Zach moves my pawn and removes his from the board. "The police are going to want your statement soon. Pawn to d4."

I've avoided thinking about getting shot until now. At least, I've avoided thinking about the specifics. It's been impossible to not think about it. I hate hospitals. The searing pain in my chest is preventing me from leaving. The searing pain was caused by a bullet shot from a gun.

"I'll deal with them when I have to. Pawn to d5."

"Pawn to d5."

"Knight to d5."

Zach looks up and does his impression of smiling. "Where are you going to stay after you're released from the hospital? Amy's obviously not available; Riley lives in California; you don't trust your colleagues enough to let one of them take care of you. Well, maybe you do, but you wouldn't want them seeing the state you're in. Knight to e2."

I haven't given it much thought, honestly. I can take care of myself. Besides, by the time Zach's willing to let me out of the hospital, I'll probably be cured. "I can take care of my self, Zach. Knight to c6."

"No you can't. Look at what's happened to you without Amy monitoring your every action. Short castle."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath through my nose. He's trying to annoy me. He's doing an excellent job. There's really no point telling him that he crossed a line; he'd disregard my words and throw restraint out the window.

"Go to hell, Zachary. Short castle."

Zach rolls his eyes and taps the board. "Wow. That wounded me. Really. Grow up. Bishop to e4."

I hope Riley decided to stay at my apartment with Jacob. He should know by now that I don't mind him being there when I'm not, but he's still Riley. He has plenty of justifications for staying at a hotel instead. His favorite is that he doesn't want to disturb anything in my living space. But he cares a lot about Jacob, and might be willing to interfere with my living space if it will make his son more comfortable.

"Bishop to d6."

Zach sits quietly for a few minutes, completely ignoring the board. Then he tilts his head and moves his queen, still staring into space. "You could stay with me. Queen to d3."

I'm not going to stay with him. He knows me better than anyone else alive, and he likes to use that knowledge as a weapon. Grissom's probably going to force me to take at least a month off of work. There is no way I can deal with Zach for a month. I don't think any sane person could.

"And you're just the personification of sanity."

"No, I couldn't. I'd go crazy. Knight to f6."

He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "From what I've seen, you already are crazy. I wonder… it's been thirteen months and twenty some days, right? Huh… I suppose you can't be completely insane yet. You're still doing your job. Making mistakes like letting seventeen- year-old brats shoot you, but you managed to connect the dots and shoot back. Bishop to f3."

My fists clench and I fight back the desire to take a swing at him. He's too far away. I really would tear my stitches. I am more than capable of moving chess pieces no matter what Zach says, but punching someone would probably cause some damage. The last thing I need is to give him more reasons to keep me in the hospital.

"Crazy or not, I'm not staying with you. It wouldn't be emotionally healthy. Pawn to e5."

Zach rolls his eyes and sighs. "So I use what I know about you to annoy you; so what? The only person who knew you better than me was Amy, and she's no longer alive. There are some definite positives to staying with me, even if you won't acknowledge them. Pawn to d5."

He does know me. He misuses his knowledge, but it's still comforting that he's so aware of me. He's a doctor. My attending. If I stayed with him, he wouldn't make me go to the hospital for a follow-up appointment. He'd just examine me at his house. But he'd also talk to me. In another year, that might be therapeutic. Right now, there's no way I can handle it.

"I'm not staying with you. Knight to e7."

Zach grins and moves my knight. "I think you'll find that your recovery gets a jumpstart if you do. Knight to g3."

I'm not dignifying that with a response. "Knight to e8."

"Poor Sidle. Has to stay cooped up in a hospital for the rest of her life. Knight to b5."

We both know he can't do something like that, but I snap at him anyway. "Why do you want me to stay with you anyway? Are you that hard up for entertainment? Pawn to f5."

"I can't just want to keep a weather eye on your recovery? Anyway, you aren't that entertaining, Sara. It's just that it's been over a year, and even re-runs are acceptable after such a length of time. Queen to b3."

He has got to be the only person I know who enjoys having the same argument over and over again. Well, he doesn't enjoy repeating the argument we had over my job, but that's the only exception. It doesn't matter that it's been over a year, really. It could have been only a week, and he'd still get a kick out of it.

"Knight to g6."

"Half of however long you'll be on paid leave? I'd let you invite your cop friends over. You could talk to Ms. Willows about spending the second half with her. Bishop to d2."

I blush at the thought of asking Catherine if I could spend half a month with her. She went on her first date with some guy not so long ago. I wouldn't want to bother her. Or Lindsey. Or interfere with the time she would've spent with Lindsey. It really isn't an option. Especially if I spend any length of time with Zach beforehand. I'd be insufferable.

"Draw. Could you get out of my hospital room now?"

Zach sighs and wipes the chess pieces into a plastic bag. "Fine. I'll even be nice and put you to sleep. But the conversation's not over, Sara. I really do want you to stay with me until you're healthy. I'm bored."

I close my eyes and sigh. "Good night, Zachary."