Chapter Thirty Seven:

Losing a Life

She took Caleb for a walk in the stroller that evening.

It was a nice day.

She left the front open in order to return the stroller to the garage.

She gasped when she found Vincent holding Caleb.

"He still remembers me," he said as he patted the child's back.

"We just went for a walk," she said trying to remain calm. "He's probably tired. Give him to me and I'll put him down for a nap."

He handed the child to Sara and she was relieved to get him.

"Vincent, I think you should leave."

"I want to talk with you."

"There's nothing to say…please…leave."

"I was angry when I heard about the amnio results…I was so sure…the baby was mine."

"I don't want to discuss this."

She attempted to step back to the door but he blocked her.

"You see I thought you might have been screwing around…but then I remembered Bill….what he did to you."

"You knew?"

"Not at first…but then recently Dian paid me a visit. She wanted another dinner date at the house….said Bill enjoyed himself with you."

She stepped back when he took a step toward her.

"Why did you let that bastard touch you?"

"It wasn't my fault! You drugged me! You left me tied to the bed…I couldn't get away. I couldn't even remember what happened until weeks later and then….it was too late. I was already pregnant."

"I made the bastard pay. You'll never have to worry about him hurting you again."

Sara clutched Caleb close to her.

"Sara, come back to me," he begged. "It will be different. I promise."

She shook her head.

"Look, I know I lost my temper a few times but it won't happen again. I'm not angry anymore. I know I should have given you more time. I just wanted you…so bad and you wouldn't…"

He clenched and unclenched his fists, "I know it wasn't your fault but it wasn't mine either. I told Bill we weren't into that kinky shit but he…touched you anyway….and he thought his whore wife was an equal swap for you."

Vincent gritted his teeth. "I crammed his dick… I'm sorry did I say something to upset you? Sara, you look a bit pale…green actually."

"Vincent, leave."

His eyes turned dark.

Sara swallowed.

His anger had never left and it was about to erupt.

She tried to run to the door, opening it but he grabbed her, pushing her hard against the wall.

Caleb shrieked.

"Don't…scare him, Vincent. Please!"

He stepped back as if he were going to sit down on the couch and she attempted once more to run, hurrying to the kitchen with Caleb in her arms.

He caught her arm, sending all three to the floor.

Caleb screamed.

Sara gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

"I should have let you miscarry that night…then we would have been rid of it. Now we've got two bastards to deal with."

Vincent lunged toward Caleb but she grabbed his leg, causing him to fall once more.

Caleb ran down the hall to Grissom's room as Vincent yelled at him.

"Vincent!" pleaded Sara.

He whirled around and struck her forcibly on the cheek.

He got to his feet as he yanked Sara up with little effort.

She shoved him hard, sending him over the chair.

She ran to the kitchen, scrambling for the knives but he followed, blocking her from escaping to any part of the house.

"This is how you repay me for everything that I've done for you!"

Sara reached behind her back and grabbed a knife.

"Vincent…please…stop. Don't make me…" she doubled over from the pain in her abdomen.

He lunged at her.

The knife cut through her hand as he twisted it from her grasp.

She grabbed for another one, stabbing him in the leg and he screamed.

He glared at her.

Caleb appeared in the entry way.

"Come here Caleb," Vincent said calmly.

Sara panicked as she looked around for a means to protect the small boy.

The front door was cracked open. "Caleb! Find Sandra! Go find Sandra…run!"

The small child wavered but then took a step toward them.

"That's it Caleb. Good boy. Come to me," urged Vincent.

"Caleb, no! Bad boy! Go to Sandra now!" she yelled.

The boy burst into tears as he ran.

Sara sobbed as another cramp doubled her over.

Vincent plunged the knife into Sara's chest.

She gasped when he pulled it out, watching her blood drip onto the floor.

Caleb returned to the entry way. "Momma?"

She felt her body falling to the floor, her eyes pleading with the small child to stay away.

"Caleb come here. Momma has a boo boo," called Vincent as he bent over Sara's body.

Sara stabbed the knife at Vincent, slashing his neck.

Blood spurted across the cabinets as he tried to cover the wound with his hand.

He stabbed at Sara once more, sinking the blade into her chest.

He staggered, attempting to grab a towel that sat on the counter but he slipped on the pooling blood and collapsed onto the floor.

His body lay inches from Sara's as soft footsteps could be heard.

Darkness began to engulf her as she lay there looking up into bright blue eyes.

"Momma?"

"Momma loves you, Caleb."

He knew something was wrong when Brass drove up to the crime scene.

"Gil!"

He felt himself running to the vehicle.

"You need to get in. There's been…it's Sara."

He dove into the vehicle, leaving Greg with the scene.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I just got the call. The police should be on the scene by now. Neighbors said they heard screams…Caleb was seen outside the house."

Grissom gripped the seat as he forced himself to remain calm.

Maybe Sara went into labor….

Is she…Mikayla…

Caleb…

As soon as they arrived, he ran toward the house ignoring the crowd or the flashing lights of the cruisers that blocked the street.

The paramedics were already inside and an officer stood at the door.

Small bloodied footprints were found on the front porch area.

A familiar cry pierced the air but he was drawn inside the house.

As he stepped into the entry way he halted, his breath came in ragged breaths.

There were small bloody footprints throughout the house.

He saw the medics in the kitchen and he rushed inside, halting when he caught sight of the blood.

A man lay face down with a sheet over his head. The sheet was already crimson red.

Sara lay beside it.

"Oh God," he gasped.

"Victim is a 35 year old female with multiple stab wounds to her chest. She is unresponsive. Woman is six to seven months pregnant…not sure if there is a fetal heartbeat."

Brass pulled Grissom away.

"Gil, let them work," he advised.

"Caleb…where is Caleb?" he asked.

"A neighbor has him outside."

Grissom rushed outside, finding the child in Sandra's arms.

He grabbed the shrieking child, trying to comfort him.

"Dada!"

"Dada is here," he soothed.

"Momma boo boo," he wailed.

He hugged the child tight.

He was wrapped in a blanket.

"I didn't know what to do…he had blood all over him," Sandra cried. "I saw the bodies…I called the police. I didn't think Sara was still alive."

She offered to take Caleb but Grissom refused to release the child.

Caleb clung to Grissom's neck.

"Jim…he's going to need…clothes. I can't…go back…in there."

Brass hurried inside and grabbed the child's bag that sat near the door.

The medics rushed out with Sara's body as Grissom tried to follow but he was not permitted to get inside the ambulance.

"Come…I'll take you to the hospital," said Brass.

Grissom sat in the back seat of the car.

They did not bother with the car seat.

It was doubtful he could have gotten Caleb to release his neck in order for him to be strapped into it.

He opened the blanket, trying to see if the child had been injured.

"No…wounds…just…" he couldn't finish.

The child must have tried to wake Sara, getting the blood on his clothes and body.

By the time they arrived, Sara had already been whisked into surgery.

There was nothing to do but wait.

He sat with the child as one of the on-call doctors examined the child, finding no injuries.

Caleb screamed when one of the nurses attempted to take him from Grissom in order to remove the stained clothes and wash the blood from the child's body.

"I'll do it," whispered Grissom.

He talked softly to Caleb, reassuring him he was safe.

Gently he removed the clothes, disposing of them into evidence bags.

Once cleaned, he put on clean clothes.

"We can give you another blanket," offered the nurse.

Grissom placed the blanket inside another evidence bag as he juggled with Caleb in his arms.

Grissom wrapped the blanket snug around Caleb's body.

The boy snuggled into his chest, still hiccupping from the latest episode of tears.

"Dada is here," he soothed. "I love you Caleb."

"Momma, Dada. Want Momma Dada," he sniffled.

He kissed the boy on the cheek as the small child's eyes fluttered shut.

There was nothing more to do except sit in the waiting room.

Brass was still there and Catherine had arrived.

She extended her arms, intending to take Caleb but the child whimpered turning his body inward as he clutched at Grissom's shirt.

Caleb's eyes pleaded with Grissom.

He clutched his son close to his body. "It's okay, Caleb. Dada won't let anyone….hurt you."

"Momma….Momma…Momma," he cried.

He kissed his son's cheeks. "I know Caleb. The bad man is gone. He can't hurt Momma or…you."

"Vin…Vin bad," he cried.

It startled Grissom that he was able to partially say Vincent's name.

They chose a corner of the room and sat down.

Catherine rubbed the small boy's back. "Baby must have seen it."

"Who's working the…scene?" Grissom asked.

"Nick and Warrick are there. Greg should be there soon. Ecklie told them to pass all other cases to the other shifts. He said you would want our team to handle this."

The small child whimpered in his sleep.

Grissom kissed him, pulling him closer.

"God, Catherine. Caleb's footprints are…throughout the downstairs….as if he were hunting…for me. He finally went outside…to Sandra's house. He was covered in blood."

"He must have tried to wake Sara…when she didn't respond, he…tried to find someone…good thing he knew the neighbor's house. It probably saved Sara's life."

"I don't know how he got the door open…unless it was left open…when Vincent…" he took a deep breath.

"You knew…the man?" she asked.

Grissom nodded.

Hours passed as they waited.

With each whimper, Grissom talked softly to Caleb, holding him taunt against his body.

The surgeon stepped into the waiting room.

"The family of Sidle?" he asked.

Grissom stood immediately.

"Are you Sara Sidle's family?"

"Yes...Gil Grissom….we…she's my fiancé. I have power of attorney for medical purposes."

"Mr. Grissom. I'm sorry to…inform you…we couldn't save the baby. Sara is still in critical condition. I'm not sure how she survived with the amount of blood loss."

Grissom nodded numbly.

"Sara had already gone into preterm labor due to her injuries. There wasn't much we could do. By the time she arrived there was no fetal heartbeat."

He waited a moment, letting the news sink in before proceeding.

"We have a priest…who can…if you would like."

Grissom nodded.

"We'll also need to know if Ms. Sidle had named the baby…for the death certificate."

"Mikayla…Mikayla Grissom."

"I'll notify a nurse. She can take you to see the baby."

He nodded slipping back into his seat, not caring for the tears that fell.

Catherine stood next to him.

He quickly grabbed her hand pulling her down beside him.

Caleb clung to Grissom fearful Catherine was going to take him.

She patted his back while speaking softly to him.

He listened but kept his hands firmly entangled with Grissom.

His small hand touched Grissom's face as if to wipe away a tear.

Grissom kissed his palm. "It's okay, Caleb," he managed to get out.

"Momma?" he asked.

He wanted to tell him that soon he would see his mother but he had no idea.

He could not bear the thought of losing Sara.

He waited until Caleb slept, passing him gently to Catherine.

"I need to see Mikayla," he choked.

Catherine nodded in understanding.

When he walked into the room there was a small bundle inside a clear bassinet.

His trembling hands held the baby, trying to memorize her tiny face.

His lips kissed her forehead as the priest prayed softly.

"I love you Mikayla…daddy loves you," he cried.

He slumped down in a chair, holding the baby.

It felt too familiar and fear swept over him as he prayed silently that he would not lose Sara as well.

Oh God, how is she going to deal with the loss of Mikayla?

He held the tiny hand, marveling at the tiny fingers.

Gently he placed a kiss in the tiny palm.

"We wanted you so much," he choked. "I don't know how we're going to let you go."

He cried softly as the priest spoke softly to him, offering encouragement.

The words did little to comfort him.

Twice, he had lost a daughter.

The pain was excruciating as he rocked back and forth, humming the same tune he'd heard Sara sing to Caleb.

"You would have loved your brother. We've been telling him about you. He's been waiting…like us. You were loved Mikayla…so very loved."

An hour passed and then a nurse appeared.

He was irritated that they would return so soon.

He wasn't ready to give her up.

Grissom was reluctant to return her to the bassinet but a nurse finally came to his side reaching for the baby.

"Sir, your son needs you," she said softly. "I promise I'll take good care of her."

He kissed her once more, handing her over as he made his way back to the waiting area.

Note from author:

What a way to start a week….

Take care!