It was another hour before Sara came round again. The only thing reassuring Catherine was that Nurse Jennifer had explained that her body was still weak, and the slightest exertion would exhaust the brunette's body, but after another half day on the drip, her body would start to regain its strength.

'Hey' Catherine whispered her voice gentle as Sara started to come around once more.

Burying her head further into her chest, Sara closed her eyes tightly, her hand tentatively reaching out for a moment, before she pulled it back, and hide it under the covers.

'I'm sorry for bringing you here Sara…'

Sara nodded her head slightly, but neither had the energy or the inclination to speak right now.

Sighing Catherine ran a hand through her hair, it was hard to know what to do for the best. She'd been waiting for two days for Sara to come around, and it was more painful than the days she had waited to be acknowledged the last time they were here. 'Sara…' she paused yet again, lost for words. In all her life Catherine had always known what to say, but these past days two weeks with Sara had her struggling with words more often than not.

'Sara, I know you don't want to be here… it's just another day ok, then we can go… we don't want to lose you Sara, I don't want to lose you… Please eat, just a little… Please…' Standing up Catherine placed a kiss on Sara's forehead, and then forced herself to walk out of the room, unaware of the silent tears that had slipped from Sara's eye.

Xxx

Sara tore her attention away from the book she was trying to read, although she'd had trouble focusing on it, when she heard a knock at the door

'Come in' she called out weakly, her voice a little hoarse.

'Hey…' Greg shuffled in, a small bag in each hand

Sara smiled weakly, but didn't say anything else, placing her book down she gestured to the chair, inviting Greg to sit down.

Reaching for the glass in front of her, Sara took a sip of the water, then another, and another, until the glass was empty. Setting it down, she tried to reach for the jug to refill I, but Greg beat her to it 'Here, let me'

'Thanks' she mumbled after finishing the second glass.

Leaning back in the chair, Greg opened one of the bags and took out a bunch of grapes, and started to eat.

Sara looked at him, frowning a little, but neither of them spoke. After he had finished half of the bunch, he set them down on the table, before opening a second bag and taking out some blueberry flapjack. Ripping it in two, he ate one half and placed the other half on the table, still without saying a word.

Another ten minutes of silence filled the room, before Greg spoke 'We had an interesting case this week… ' he picked up another grape 'A young couple got food poisoning, and wrecked their car… a few scrapes and bruises, one bent lamp post… anyways, we were trying to figure out what made them so ill, you know?' he reached for another grape 'Anyways, we tracked the food they'd eaten, burger van out the back of industrial… ' another grape 'the vendor cut his finger chopping red onions, and because of a previous burn flipping burgers… well, he didn't realise how bad it was' he picked up another grape, then another, and then furrowed his brow, before speaking again. 'Anyway, sorry, that's probably the last thing you want to hear…'

'No, go on…' Sara nodded her head a little, absentmindedly reaching for a grape herself

'Well, let's just say the food hygiene wasn't that great to start with, and then… our couple were inadvertent cannibals, who reacted badly to the traces of cat hair that had found their way into the food, that had been on the man's hand…'

'No way?' Sara smirked, despite herself, picking up another few grapes without realising it

'Way. Makes you glad to be a vegetarian, right?'

'Yeah' Sara smiled, then frowned a little when she realised she was close to putting a grape in her mouth once more. Sighing she put it down, looking at the bunch on the table with interest.

'I've been awful…' Sara admitted at last, her eyes darting around the room, before landing on the grapes once more

'Yeah, you have' Greg stated, almost as if it was a fact.

Sara's eyes darted up to him almost in shock

'What? I'm not going to sugar coat it Sara. You have been awful. But now we move on'

'We move on?' Sara almost shouted 'How? How do we move on?'

'One day at a time… one hour, one meal, one bite, at a time…' Greg stated simply, pushing the grapes towards her

'It's not that easy' Sara mumbled, turning her head away

'Says who?' Greg countered, before another silence settled over the room.

'Are you mad at me?' Sara asked at last, fiddling with the blankets

'Yeah, a little, but it doesn't really achieve anything… I don't think I'll be playing Chess again anytime soon, but what does that matter, it's just a game'

'Greg…'

'If you want to start making amends Sara, you need to start eating, and it's not me you need to apologise too'

'I know…' Sara mumbled 'I'm trying…'

'No, you're not. If you were trying you wouldn't be in this hospital bed. You were trusted to try and make changes, to try and eat… you knew what the deal was, you knew what the options were, but you ignored them Sara…'

'Greg…' Sara choked out, tears slipping down her face

'Sometimes the truth is hard to hear Sara, but whatever this is, whatever you're going through, this isn't the answer. We thought you understood this. I know you've gone through some shit in your life, with your brother, with your dad, but what is starving yourself achieving?'

Greg paused, collecting himself 'You need to stop letting yourself be consumed and controlled by your past Sara… your body can't take much more of this, and if you keep doing this, your body will just, give up, and there won't be any coming back this time. Keep up, and you'll be dead within months.'

Sara turned her head away, her jaw set, a heavy silence filling the room 'Perhaps that's for the best' she mumbled at last

'Excuse me?' Greg gasped, to angry and shocked to shout

'Dying… perhaps it's for the best' Sara repeated.

Greg sighed 'Ok… if that's what you want… I won't stop you' Greg stood up, and moved some things about on the table, removing some items, and placing a new one down. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on Sara's forehead 'I miss you, I'll miss you' he mumbled before leaving the room.

It was a long time before Sara turned her head, her eyes falling onto the table.

On it lay three items.

A glass of water

A half bunch of grapes

A small switch blade, open, glistening.

Inviting.

Sara reached out shakily.