Chapter Thirty Four:
"Are you ready to walk down the aisle?" asked Brass.
"I can't. I have to see him first."
"Sara, the wedding is about to start."
"I need to explain something."
"You can explain it after the wedding," said Brass as he took her arm and tried to lead her out the door.
She stopped.
"I cheated on him."
Brass smiled at her.
"Did you hear me? I cheated on him."
"Sara, I'm not a priest…"
"I need a priest," she said as she began to hyperventilate.
"I'll get one."
He turned and grabbed Catherine's arm as he was walking out.
"I'll get Grissom. Stay with her."
Catherine nodded.
Grissom felt his arm being pulled and soon he was being led to the door of the women's room.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Sara's hyperventilating. She's a bit nervous. Look Gil, she asked for a priest."
"A priest? She's not Catholic!"
"She has a confession she wants to make before you two get married."
"What?"
"She cheated."
Grissom felt a knot form in his stomach.
"I think you need to talk with her."
He stepped inside.
She sat there with her head in the bag as Catherine instructed her to breathe in and out.
He walked up and motioned for Catherine to leave.
She did so.
He stared at her.
"Are you okay?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Brass told me….he said you confessed to him and then asked for a priest."
"I cheated on you."
"I see."
"I'm sorry."
"When did you….cheat on me?" he asked.
"I cheated with Hank."
He smiled.
"It's okay."
"It's okay?"
"I cheated with Heather."
"With Heather?"
"It seems we cheated at the same time."
"Same time?"
"You were with Hank so I slept with Heather…a couple of times."
"A couple of times?"
"Ten or fifteen times…I didn't count…okay so I did. I had sex with her every day for a month."
"Sex?"
"You were dating Hank."
"But I only slept with him once."
"I didn't know. You dated him for a long time."
"You had sex with Heather?"
"Yes.
"But you said sex without love was sad."
"It is but then I was already sad because of you."
"Me?"
"Yes, you make me sad."
"Sara?"
"Sara?"
She felt herself being shaken as she jumped up from the couch.
"Are you okay?" asked Catherine.
She gasped trying to catch her breath.
"Stay put. I'll get Doc," said Catherine as she rushed out.
"It's just a dream…don't…" as she continued to hyperventilate.
Catherine was gone.
She decided it was a good time to progress to the panic stage.
Doc was sent to the women's room.
"You're hyperventilating," he said. "Take deep breaths."
She nodded.
"Any better?"
She shook her head.
He handed her a bag.
She refused to take it.
"Sara, it will help."
She refused.
"Why?"
She didn't have enough air to explain.
Doc pulled Catherine aside.
"Get Grissom."
He came.
He looked at her as she refused to use the bag.
"Sara?"
She gasped for air.
She was headed for a full blown panic attack.
He grabbed the bag.
"Breathe in."
She sat back on the couch.
"Sara, listen to me. You have to use the bag. Breathe in slowly. You're giving yourself a panic attack."
He placed the bag to her face and forced her to breathe in.
"That's it," he said.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded.
Grissom was pulled over to the side by Doc.
"You better get back out front. She's going to be fine now."
"You don't think there's anything wrong with the baby?"
"It's nerves…nothing more."
He glanced once or twice and then left.
Sara felt very embarrassed.
"I'm nervous."
He nodded in agreement.
"I mean churches make me nervous."
He nodded handing her a bag to breathe into.
"I mean we're here in a church before you know God and…we're getting married."
He patted her hand.
He handed her something.
"Take this."
She did.
He leaned over to Catherine.
"Just a little something to calm her down."
"Thank God!" whispered Catherine.
Doc chuckled.
"I'll be back to check on her."
He returned twenty minutes later.
"Feeling better?"
She nodded excitedly.
He thought it was odd.
"Is he nervous?" she asked.
"No."
"Is he happy?"
"Yes…very happy Sara."
"Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"That's bullshit. He's marrying me."
Doc stared at her.
"Are you okay?"
"I need to sit….no…I need to stand….no…I think I'll walk….I could walk down the block a few times."
Doc leaned over to Catherine.
"I think she's having a reaction to the medication I gave her. Get Grissom."
He felt his arm being pulled once more.
He stood there in the doorway of the women's room and watched as she hiked up her dress and headed toward the door.
She halted the moment she saw him.
"I was going to go for a walk," she said in her defense.
"In a wedding dress?" he asked.
"I need a walk," she said.
"Sara? Are you okay?"
"Yes….of course. I'm fine. Ijust thought it would be good to take a walk. I mean I didn't jog this morning. I couldn't find my shoes….do you think Hank might have taken them? They're usually in my closet….okay sometimes I leave them under the bed but I looked there this morning… I think…"
"What's wrong with her?" asked Grissom.
Catherine glanced at Doc.
"I gave her a sedative," he said. "It was supposed to make her relax."
Grissom frowned. "It didn't work."
"Apparently," said Doc.
"I'm fine really," she said heading toward the door again.
He blocked it.
"Let's get married first and then we'll take a walk," he offered.
"Gil, I can't get past you," she said.
"That's the idea," he said.
"I need to leave."
"Why?"
"A walk would be good," she said.
He glanced at his watch.
"Five minutes…okay?" he said.
She nodded.
He grabbed her by the hand.
She stopped.
"I need a walk too," he said.
Catherine and Doc stared at one another.
"Gil, the wedding…"
"Five minutes," he said holding up his hands.
They left.
They stared at one another.
"I need a drink," said Catherine.
"I need a sedative," said Doc.
They chuckled.
They walked.
They walked around the block.
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" asked Grissom nervously.
"Second thoughts?"
He stopped walking.
"Do you want to be married to me?" he asked.
"Yes."
He was glad there was no hesitation.
Good cause we are…
Still married…
This is just for our friends…
And you….
He smiled.
"Then let's go get married," he said as he started to pull her back to the church.
"I uhm…"
He stopped again.
"Sara, what is it?"
"Do I make you happy?"
"You make me very happy. I love my life with you, Sara."
She smiled.
She needed to hear that.
She stopped just as they were to enter the door.
"You go ahead. I have to go find Brass."
"I'm right here," he said as he opened the door.
They did it.
They said their vows and then "I dos."
The reception was nice.
They danced.
She fell asleep as they were to exchange a piece of wedding cake.
He didn't care.
Dessert would follow soon enough.
Note from author:
See…I was nice….no run away bride….just a little jitters…leave a review. Take care, Penny