A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and a big big Thank you to Ace47 for beta-ing my story!!!
Chapter 26
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Willows." The psychologist extended her hand to Catherine, who accepted it, before turning to Sara. "Ms. Sidle, I'm Dr. Waters. Mary Waters. My sincerest apology. All this should have never happened. When Mrs. Willows came to me this morning I couldn't believe what I was hearing … but I knew George, so I agreed to her plan." She offered Sara her hand. The brunette reflexively extended her right hand, only to stop when she remembered that it was injured. Shyly she offered her left hand to Dr. Waters.
The doctor accepted it understandingly and continued. "I promise you, that Dr. Albert will be held responsible for his actions. I will make sure that he loses his license. I know that this is probably just cold comfort after what you had to go through yesterday. Mrs. Willows only gave me a few examples, but I'm already shocked."
Sara nodded, not really sure what to say. "Thank you, Dr. Waters. I appreciate that." Then something hit her. "Wait, did you say that Albert wasn't the head of this seminar?"
Dr. Waters confirmed that. "Yes, that's true. It came to an unfortunate argument on Saturday at the last staff meeting before the seminar. I really don't want to go into the details, but he lost his position to me."
Shaking her head, Sara turned to Catherine. "He lied to us all the time. We could have easily walked away yesterday." It was a sad realization. When your emotions get the best of you and fear influences your judgment, then you stop thinking logically, even when you normally do that for a living. How could they be so stupid to let it get out of hand like that? "That's just fucking great." Sara threw her hands up in desperation, but lowered it immediately as a sharp pain shot through her injured one. That earned her concerned looks from Catherine and Dr. Waters.
It was her co-worker who spoke up. "Are you okay?"
Sara gritted her teeth. Damn, that hurt! "I'm fine" With that she turned away from the two women, unwilling to admit her weakness. After a few deep breaths she turned back around, addressing the psychologist. "What are Albert's chances of getting away with that?"
Dr. Waters shook her head. "Don't worry. I promise you that there is no one who could save him from his destiny that time. It will be a board of fifteen psychologists who'll decide about his future. There might be one or two of them who would normally act in George's defense but after this incident, and Dr. Seldon's and my testimony in front of the board, even they will realize that if they support him they risk their own carrier – and that's something they won't do."
Catherine looked at her puzzled. "What about our testimony? Won't we be heard, too?" She really wanted to get back at Albert in all possible ways.
"Well," Dr. Waters started "That board will only accept other psychologists as witnesses, but I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. We'll take care of George. A lot of people would be glad if he could never get near a patient again." The woman smiled apologetically at Catherine, before continuing. "As head of this seminar you'll understand that I want to keep the damage as small as possible."
Before she got any further Catherine interrupted her. "That is totally understandable, Dr. Waters, but I won't be satisfied if he just loses his license."
The psychologist sighed. She'd feared that this wouldn't be an easy discussion. "I understand your anger. I really do."
Again Catherine interrupted her before she finished. "That really great, Doctor. Then I'm sure you'll understand that we will take legal measures." She paused. "Anyway, if you knew before what kind of person he was and how SICK he was, why did you allow him to stay here?" The blonde CSI suddenly felt angry. There was no way in hell that she would let Albert get away so easily. And if that nice doctor in front of her thought she could just calmly talk her out of it then she didn't know Catherine Willows. That ass hurt them both, above all he hurt Sara and he had to pay for that. And if Dr. Waters was somehow responsible too then she would also pay.
The psychologist ran a hand through her hair and started to slowly walk back and forth in the small room. "As I said before: George Albert has powerful friends. Believe me, I tried to send him home, but he made it clear to me that if I wouldn't allow him to stay, he would make sure I also have to go."
Catherine snorted. "Great. Who cares about the psyche of some law enforcement officers when their own job is on the line."
"With all due respect, Mrs. Willows. It was impossible to knew that he would do something like this. He was never that extreme."
"Maybe he was and you just didn't hear about it."
Dr. Waters sighed. She wanted to do damage control. There had to be way to talk the CSI out of her plans or the reputation of the seminar and probably her own could suffer hard. "Look, I totally understand your anger, but right now you need to calm down and think logically."
That wasn't really improving Catherine's mood. "Don't shrink me! You have no idea what we went through!"
Sara stayed silent throughout the discussion.
The psychologist tried again to convince the blonde CSI. "I'll personally take care of Albert. He will never ever get near a patient again. As I said before, Dr. Seldon and I heard enough to testify and the board can't overrule facts. George catapulted himself in a position where no one can save him. So you don't have to worry about anything."
Catherine nodded. "That sounds really good, but we are still going to take legal measures. This isn't about you or your great seminar, Dr. Waters. It's just about Albert."
Dr. Waters was ready to argue back, but suddenly Sara spoke up. "NO!" The two older women looked at her surprised. Whereas Dr. Waters surprise soon turned into satisfaction, Catherine didn't understand anything anymore.
"No? Why not? Sara, you know as well as I do that he had no right to treat us like that."
Sara just shook her head. "I'm not going to make a testimony in a court."
Catherine wanted to argue back when she realized what Sara's point was. "We don't have to recall everything that happened word by word, Sara."
At that the brunette let out a dry laugh. "Really? And you know that because? If he has such influential friend then I'm sure he'll get a damn good lawyer. And then everything will start all over again. I'm not going to listen to all of that a second time and I definitely also won't tell a judge and God knows how many other people what exactly he said to me that was so inappropriate. And it will finally end like that."
Catherine sighed. Okay, she didn't think of that – at least not as extremely as Sara. But her co-worker was exaggerating, right? Right? Damn it. Of course she couldn't be sure, but she couldn't let him get away like that. "Sara …"
"No, and that's my last word."
There it was again. The pain in Sara's face. The same pain Catherine witnessed yesterday with Dr. Albert and last night. She didn't want to see that again or at least she didn't want to cause her co-worker such pain. That meant just one thing – that she had to give up. "Fine." But she wouldn't be Catherine Willows if she couldn't find another way to get back at him. Surely she could figure something out.
Dr. Water voice broke her train of thought. "Ms. Sidle, I'm really sorry for yesterday and for what George did to both of you. I know that probably all you want to do now is going home and try to forget that it has ever happened, but I want to make a suggestion. I want you to finish this seminar."
Catherine and Sara looked at her like she just grew a second head, so the psychologist continued. "Listen first. I know talking to a psychologist is probably not what you have in mind, but they are not all like George. The others here are really professional. And they help people dealing with emotions, with their past on a daily basis. What happened obviously not just affected every one of you but also your relationship and if you walk away now you'll let him win. The damage has to be repaired soon or it will get bigger until it is irreparable. Don't let it go so far. I offer you a week with a professional psychologist, who can help you deal with things."
Dr. Waters words had the effect she had hoped for. Both CSIs looked like they were seriously thinking about her offer. "I think, I also know the perfect replacement for George. I'll have to rearrange the schedule but I think it will work. You just have to say yes." Expectantly she looked at both of them.
Catherine was the first to react. She nodded slowly. "That's sounds fair."
Dr. Waters smiled, then she turned to Sara who still looked skeptically. "How about that. You accept my offer for today and see how you get along with the new psychologist. And if you still want to leave tonight, then you'll have my blessing. And of course I'll personally make sure that this seminar as absolutely no effect on your jobs, so you don't have to worry about that."
Sara was fighting an inner battle. Nothing here was like it was supposed to be. Catherine knew almost everything about her and she most likely wasn't going to lose her job which meant that she would have to face the blonde everyday at work. In order to avoid that, she would have to quit her job, but quitting meant that she would let Ecklie win after all and she really didn't want that either. But could she handle the situation with Catherine?
Catherine looked expectantly at Sara, silently praying that her co-worker would accept.
After a few seconds, Sara sighed. "Fine. Let's try it." Maybe that psychologist could really help her and if not then she would be out of here very fast.
Dr. Waters smiled at her relieved. "Good. Thank you. I'll not disappoint you this time. Why don't you go to the restaurant and enjoy a cup of coffee or tee until I find a suitable doctor for you?"
With that the psychologist left the room, leaving the two CSIs alone. As soon as the door was closed, Catherine turned to Sara. "I truly think it's the best for us if we stay here. We'll work this out, Sara."
The brunette still didn't look totally convinced, but nodded anyway. Then she turned away from Catherine. "Look, Catherine, I'm sorry about the legal measures. But I just can't…"
"That's okay." Came the reply. "I understand. I'm just sorry that I didn't think of that before. Albert just pissed me off to no end. I just want to hurt him as much as possible."
Sara turned around and nodded with a serious expression. "In that case, we have to kill him… but right now I need a coffee." And with that Sara left the room.
Catherine blinked. Sara and her dry humor. That was an example of Sara humor, wasn't it? Quickly the blonde caught up with her co-worker. She was still trying to figure out if Sara was kidding or not, when the brunette spoke up again. "I mean, come on. We are both CSIs. We know how to not leave evidence behind. I'm sure we'll get away with it."
Catherine was shocked. "You are kidding, right?" She took a close look at Sara's face, but the brunette still looked damn serious. "Sara?"
A/N: Sara? Would she really do something like that? Time (or the next chapter) will tell us ;-)
HAPPY EASTER to all of you!