Author: Manigault
Rating: R
Category: CRGS
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They are the property
of CBS, Atlantic-Alliance, and Anthony Zuiker.
The next two weeks revealed no new leads on Jane Doe. There were no missing persons reports, the fingerprints and DNA matched no known person. The team had other cases, other victims to listen to and investigate. With the exception of calling to inquire on the condition of their only witness, Grissom had apparently shelved the case, or so it appeared to Sara. Each time that she brought up questions concerning Jane Doe or the previous victims, he would give her a funny look and change the subject. In his own private way she knew that the victims touched him very deeply and she wished that he would open up with her the way he did with other subjects. The FBI had sent two agents to collect the evidence they had collected and without much fanfare they had exited. Taking her cue from Grissom, Sara kept her visits to Jane Doe private, swinging by the hospital before each shift for an hour or two. Asking the staff not to mention the visits had raised a few eyebrows, but so far Grissom had not found out and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She hoped.
Sara would sit and stare at the woman, at times talking to her, always wondering what the effect of having your baby forcefully taken would have on the woman when she realized what happened. If she survived this ordeal. Sara knew that she was making this personal, but she couldn't help identifying with the woman on some level. Checking her watch, Sara stood, making her way to the door when a sound made her turn around. A small sound, a groan, carried from the hospital bed. Rushing back to the bedside she leaned over the rail and spoke softly.
"Can you hear me?" Sara asked as the black lashes fluttered open, revealing confused violet eyes. Confusion swept over the woman's face as she tried to assimilate her thoughts.
"Who are you?" Jane Doe asked. "Why am I lying here?"
"You are in a hospital. You've been unconscious for two weeks." Sara watched as realization flashed in the violet eyes and confusion transformed into terror.
"My baby! Where is my baby? Is she okay?"
Sara knew that she was out of her league and quickly told the woman she would find a doctor. Pressing the nurses call button she glanced nervously at the woman who was desperately touching her stomach and becoming more frantic by the minute. Wild eyes flew to Sara's face and she demanded to know where Valerie was.
"Valerie?"
"My baby. Valerie. Where is she?"
"We don't know where she is." Sara replied, moving out of the nurses way as she hurried in the room. "We are trying to find her for you."
The nurse glared at Sara while trying to calm the hysterical woman. "Your baby is fine, dear. You need to relax."
"Then why did that woman tell me they are trying to find her?" The fear was still there but so was hope. The doctor rushed in with a quick glance towards Sara, who now hovered in a corner. Within minutes they had given the patient something to help ease her pain.
"What happened to my baby, doctor? You performed a C-section?"
The doctor glanced at Sara then back at the woman. "Can you tell us your name?"
"Erin Monroe." The woman whispered her name, her eyes shutting briefly before they struggled to open. "Where is Valerie?"
The door opened and Grissom breezed into the room, Catherine on his heels. He didn't see Sara who moved back further into the corner. "The guard phoned us to let us know she is awake." Grissom said, his eyes registering disappointment when he saw that the guard was wrong.
"She was awake." The doctor informed them. "She was hysterical so we gave her something to help her rest."
Grissom gave him a hard stare. "You couldn't have given her something to help her relax without sending her back to sleep, so we could ask a few questions?"
"You can question her when she wakes up."
"When will that be?"
. "When she opens her eyes." The doctor shot back, causing Grissoms jaw to tighten. Softening his expression, the doctor offered one tidbit. "She did give her name. You can ask your colleague that is hiding behind the door." With that he was gone, closing the door with a click.
"Arrogant bastard." Sara fumed beneath her breath. She held her chin up and faced Grissom and a very amused Catherine. "I got here before you did, I guess."
Grissom made no reply, so Catherine suggested that the guard must have paged her on her way to work. When Grissom still didn't say anything, Sara threw her hands in the air. "I stopped by here, Grissom, is that what you want to hear? I was leaving when she opened her eyes."
Catherine wasn't sure if she had ever seen Grissom so upset with Sara as she watched his jaw tic with uncontrolled anger. Deciding she needed to discharge the atmosphere she asked Sara what they needed to know. "What information did she give you Sara? A name?"
"Valerie." Sara said without thinking, then shook her head. "No. It's Erin. Erin Monroe. The babies name is Valerie." Sara looked past Grissom towards the bed. "I told her that we were trying to find her baby. I guess that was the wrong thing to say."
"She didn't say anything else about who did this?" Catherine asked.
Sara shook her head and looked back at Grissom, who finally spoke. "I would like for you to go back to the lab and run a check on that name. Then call me."
"You are going to wait here to speak with her?" Sara had a hard time keeping the longing from her voice. Grissom glanced at Catherine then the patient.
"You better be going."
Sara turned at the door and stated with determination.
"I was here on my own time and I won't apologize for that." She left before
Grissom could say anything.