Chapter Thirty Four:

Grissom didn't know what to think when he woke and found that she was missing.

He frantically checked the house over and over but there was no sign of her.

He ran to the creek, rechecking the barn several times before returning to the house, out of breath and out of his mind with worry.

She didn't leave…

She didn't take anything…

She took very little last time…

How did she leave?

He opened his phone and called Brass.

"Jim, it's Sara. She's gone," stated Grissom.

"What do you mean she's gone?" he griped.

"She was gone when I woke. Do you know where she is?" he frantically asked.

"No."

What the hell did you do Grissom?

Grissom's pulse began to race as he glanced at the clock.

Brass relaxed when he caught sight of Sara with Greg.

"Jim…"

"If she wanted you to know where she was going she would have told you," he said as he waved at them.

"Yes…but…."

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see if she's coming back," stated Brass as he hung up, not letting Grissom respond.

"Hey kiddo. What brings you to the lab?" he asked.

"Greg. I need to go home but he insists on dinner so we thought maybe you would like to come. Nick is meeting us at Frank's."

"Franks huh? What's one more heart attack dinner," he teased.

When they arrived at Franks, Nick already had a table for them.

His phone went off but he ignored it.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Brass.

He leaned in and whispered to Brass. "It's Grissom."

"He's looking for her…she didn't tell him about her little excursion," whispered Brass.

"Good for her," replied Nick.

"Good for who?" asked Sara as she sat down.

"Good to see you out again," grinned Nick.

"Yeah, well. I had a doctor appointment that I couldn't cancel and…"

"Grissom wouldn't take you?" griped Nick.

Sara looked shocked that Nick would even think that lowly of her husband.

"Yes, Nick, he would but he worked a double and was exhausted so…"

"If my wife needed to go to the doctor, I would have taken her…even if I worked a triple," stated Nick.

"He didn't know about the appointment. I didn't tell him."

She sipped on her tea.

Conversation began about the menu choices.

Their orders were taken as small talk began.

Sara glanced at her watch.

"Got some place else to be?" asked Brass.

"I snuck out while Grissom was asleep on the couch," she said. "I'm surprised he hasn't called me by now. "

Greg took a gulp of his water.

"He'll be fine," said Greg.

"You had a doctor appointment. Is there something wrong?" asked Nick.

Sara glanced at Greg whose cheeks were turning red.

She returned his grin. "Greg is still blushing from being around pregnant women…it seems when he agreed to take me he didn't bother to ask what kind of appointment."

"Oh…that kind. Good thing you asked him and not me. I get nervous around pregnant women," joked Nick.

"Yeah, like you're waiting for them to accuse you of being the father," teased Greg.

Nick frowned. "I practice safe sex, I have you know."

Brass chuckled as he eyed Sara.

"So it was just…an annual?" asked Brass.

Sara didn't reply as she took another sip of her tea.

"If the waitress returns, could you tell her I need a refill?" stated Sara as she headed toward the bathroom.

Greg's phone went off.

He glanced down at it.

"It's Grissom," he announced.

"He's probably searching for Sara," said Nick. "If she had wanted him to know then…"

"She did but I sort of forgot to leave the note," admitted Greg.

Greg started to answer his cell but it stopped.

Sara returned, holding her cell.

Greg swallowed, fearful he was about to get a tongue lashing.

"My cell is dead again. I just charged it the other day. I need to let Grissom drop it off to have it serviced," she whined.

The food arrived as Greg and Nick glanced at one another.

"What?" asked Sara.

"Nothing. We better eat cause shift is going to be starting soon," stated Nick.

Brass's phone went off and he glanced at it.

Grissom

He started to answer it but then changed his mind.

I'll call him back in awhile…

Grissom forced himself to take deep cleansing breaths as he drove like a mad man toward the lab.

It had been hours since he'd last seen her.

Christ, I just fell asleep for an hour and she disappears…

Where could she be?

Does she hate me that much to not answer her phone?

The guys don't answer their phone…

Brass wasn't even worried…

He slammed on his brakes as he spotted the team vehicles sitting at Franks.

He jumped out of his vehicle and rushed inside but halted when he saw them at a table.

Laughter erupted from one of Greg's jokes.

Sara turned and saw him.

His face was ashen.

"Hey, I got out of my doctor appointment early and so we decided to grab a bite to eat," she offered as he looked confused.

"You did get the note? I told Greg to leave it…"

Grissom glanced at Greg and then the other guys.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Did you sleep? Of course not," she huffed. "Gil, your list of things can wait. I don't know what you're trying to prove but…Gil, is anything wrong?"

"No. I…I thought I…since you weren't there…" he cleared his throat, feeling rather sick to his stomach and not sure what to make of it. "Since you weren't home, I thought…I would…"

His mouth felt dry, his thoughts jumbled.

"Go into the lab early?" she finished for him, not liking the way he looked.

"Yes," he replied.

He turned to leave but then she stood.

The others did also.

"Hey, have you eaten?" she asked as she went to him.

"Eaten?"

"Gil, are you alright?" she asked softly for his ears only.

"Yes," he said as he cleared his throat. "You have a ride home?"

She glanced at Greg. "Yes, but…"

"The doctor appointment. Did it go okay?" It was obvious he was hurt that she'd gone without him.

"Yes."

He felt foolish and awkward as he stood there interrupting their meal.

He swallowed hard as he whispered, "Night."

He took a look at the others, pain riddled on his face.

The guys were deafly quiet as they watched Grissom exit the restaurant.

Sara followed after him.

"Man, he didn't look good," whispered Nick.

"I guess I should have told him as soon as I saw her but…" Brass didn't finish.

"I was going to leave the note," whined Greg. "Why didn't he rat me out?"

"He probably didn't want Sara to be angry with…us," sighed Brass.

Sara got detained at the door by one of the techs on another shift.

By the time she stepped out, Grissom was already driving away.

She sighed as she started to step back inside.

She halted just as she heard the screeching of tires and then the loud crash.

The team rushed out of the diner.

"What happened?" yelled Nick.

"Some guy just got hit…pulled out in front of another vehicle," called out an officer as he headed toward the accident scene.

"That's Gil's car," panicked Sara.

The guys rushed to the vehicle.

Brass pulled Sara back.

"Grissom!" yelled Nick as he tried to assess the man's injuries.

Nick glanced at Greg. "He's unconscious…make sure an ambulance has been called."

"Nick!" called Sara.

"He's okay, Sara. Air bags went off…probably saved his life," he said. "We'll be able to move him as soon as the ambulance arrives."

Nick and Greg were forced to move away as the officers on the scene cleared the area for the E.M.T.s to take over.

Within minutes, Grissom was on a stretcher and Sara was relieved to see that he was talking to one of the men.

Grissom's hand shoved the oxygen mask away as he tried to get up but the attendants refused to let him move.

"I'm alright," he assured them.

"Sir, you're going in. You were unconscious. Do you remember what happened?"

The last thing he remembered was starting the vehicle.

"Sir, did you know you pulled out in front of another vehicle?"

"No…I must not have seen it," replied Grissom.

"Did you pass out?"

He didn't remember and it bothered him.

He struggled again, trying to convince them to let him up but they refused.

"Is there anyone we should call?" asked the attendant.

"No!" he said quickly. He didn't want to concern Sara.

"Sir, there's a woman over here. She's says she's your wife."

"I'm not going in. I have the right to refuse medical attention," he said as he tossed off the blood pressure cup, and struggled to his feet.

"I have a few bruises…from the air bag…nothing more," he said as he struggled to catch his breath.

"You could have some cracked ribs from those air bags," warned the medic.

Brass convinced the officer to let them through and Sara rushed to his side.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Grissom said.

"Your vehicle is totaled," she spat.

"Yes, it would appear so," he admitted. "It seems the dummy passed the crash test," replied Grissom trying to make light of the situation.

Greg tried to hide a smirk.

The tension seemed to ease a bit as Grissom stood there, directing the officer where to have the vehicle towed.

He pulled out his license along with his insurance card.

"This is going to cost you," muttered Brass as he stared at the vehicle.

"Imagine the paperwork if it had been the Denali," Grissom replied.

Brass actually chuckled.

"Yyyou think this is fffunny?" asked Sara as she glared at Grissom.

"No…but it's over," he said quietly, not liking that the incident had upset her.

"Gil, wwwhy didn't you see the truck?" she asked.

"I didn't look?" he responded.

She shook her head as if she didn't believe him.

"I've had enough," she grumbled.

His face paled as he took a step toward her. "I'll call the insurance…this will be cleared in a matter of days. I'll get a rental until…"

"Stop!" she yelled.

The guys looked shocked at her reaction.

"I mean it. I've had enough," she warned under her breath.

Grissom's face drained. "You don't mean that…just because…"

Brass stepped in, intending to help Grissom. "Look Gil, maybe…"

"Stay out of this! All of you…just want to convince her…to leave again."

"Leave?" Sara asked incredulously. "Iiiiss that it?"

Nick didn't like the way either of them looked.

Nick took Sara by the arm. "Sara…"

Grissom slapped Nick's hand away.

It angered Nick. "Griss…cool off."

"You promised," whispered Grissom as he stepped away from Sara.

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized he'd misunderstood what she meant.

I didn't mean I'd had enough of you!

I know something is wrong and I want to know what it is

She started toward him but halted when Grissom's knees buckled sending him to the hard pavement.

"Grissom!"

Medics rushed over as Sara cradled his head in her lap.

"Gil!"

The medic cursed as he checked for a pulse, yelling for his partner.

"What's wrong? He was talking and then just collapsed," grieved Sara.

"His pulse is tacky," he advised. "Miss…I'd feel better if we had him in the hospital."

She nodded, fearful of his lack of response to the medic.

He woke in the ambulance, not sure how he'd gotten there.

"Mr. Grissom, can you hear me?" asked the medic.

Grissom nodded.

"We'll be at Desert Palm in just a few minutes," he advised.

He nodded as he closed his eyes once more, too tired, to deal with anything further.

Sara leaned forward when Grissom seemed to lose consciousness again.

"I just gave him something to help him relax. He's doing much better. It was probably a panic attack."

Her hand gripped his, bringing it to her cheek as she felt its warmth.

"It won't be long," the medic assured her.

He woke in the emergency room the moment the on call physician began to examine him.

There was a barrage of questions once more as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

The physician waited a moment and then asked, "Mr. Grissom, you had a panic attack after your car accident. Do you remember?"

He nodded.

"Your blood pressure has me a bit concerned. Have you been feeling ill?"

Grissom almost laughed.

"I spoke briefly with your wife. She's concerned it may be heart related. Your father died of a heart attack. Is that right?"

"My wife?"

"Yes….Sara Grissom."

"She's here?"

"She's in the waiting room."

He closed his eyes, angry that he'd been brought in.

She only stayed because of this…

"Would you like for me to get her?"

"No….you can tell her she can leave…me."

Note from author:

Yeah….what a way to end the chapter…

Take care!