Chapter Ten â€" The Hospital

Sara never did go over to Gil's to check out the scene of the crime.  She spent all her spare time at the hospital waiting for him to wake up.  She would also make visits to Jenna's room to check on her. 

She wasn't worried about Jenna as there was always someone from the Shelter by her bedside.  The staff and residents had made a commitment that someone would be at her bedside 24 hours a day.  They also committed to having someone at Gil's bedside so that he was never alone.  The girls felt that given all that Jenna had done for them, this was the least they could do to say thank you. 

While Sara sat by his bedside, Gil would wake up and try to talk.  He really wasn't fully conscious so most of what he said did not make any sense.  What his visitors were able to determine, from his mumblings, was that he was reliving the events that put him in the hospital. 

Three days after being admitted, he started to awake to a more conscious awareness of his surroundings.  It started out slowly.  He realized he was in the hospital.  He saw the figure of a woman dozing in a chair next to his bed.  He called out to her, "Jenna, Jenna wake up."  

His world crashed when the sleeping visitor woke up and said, "Hey Gris, how you doing?  It's me, Sara."

"Sara?  Where's Jenna?"  He wanted to know.

"She's here.  In the hospital."  Sara answered.

"How is she?" 

She avoided answering that question.  "Listen Gil, take it easy for a few minutes.  I'm going to go let the nurse know you're awake."  She left his room quickly.

A few minutes later a nurse arrived.  She checked his IV and blood pressure.  She made a few notes in his chart and told him that she would call his doctor and let him know that he was awake.  Gil wasn't interested in any of that.  He asked the nurse if she knew how his friend was.  She was sorry, but she did not.

"If Sara is still out there, send her back in, please," he instructed the nurse.

What was taking her so long, Gil wondered to himself.  He got tired of waiting and decided he would go and find Jenna, on his own.  He was attempting to put down the bed rail when Sara finally came back in. 

"What are you doing?" she called out in a panic.  She rushed over to the bed and forced the bed rail back up.

He struggled to put it down again.  "I have to go find Jenna."

"Gil your going to hurt yourself now lay back."  She said as she attempted to gently, but firmly push him to lie back in bed. 

He grabbed her by the wrist and yelled at her,  "leave me alone.  I got to find, find her, I going to go find Jenna."  Even though he was still weak from his injuries he was able to push Sara away from him and start to roll out of the bed.

"Stop it, Gris," Sara yelled and again attempted to restrain him.

"Whoa!  Whoa!  What's going on here."  It was Warrick Brown. He ran and stood between his two battling co-workers.

"He's trying to get out of bed.  He's not strong enough. He'll hurt himself."  Sara said trying explain what was going on.

Warrick turned to address his boss.  "Good to see you awake, Gris." 

He had finally laid back on the bed, exhausted and in pain.  He looked at Warrick like a man who was drowning and pleading for a life jacket.  "Please, I have to go find Jenna.  I have to see her."  He said as he grabbed Warrick by the arm. 

"Okay, Gris. If that's what you want.  Lay still and I'll go find a wheelchair and take you to her.  Okay?  Just relax."

"I will."  Gil let loose of his grip and laid back.  He finally found someone willing to help him.

Warrick started to walk out of the room, to find a wheelchair, when Sara came running after him.  "What the hell do you think your going to do?"  She demanded. 

"He wants to go and see her, so I'm going to get a wheelchair and take him to her."  Warrick answered her.    

"He's not strong enough to get out of bed," she insisted.

              

"He wants to see her, Sara.  Now you can either help him get ready or you can leave."  She just stared at him knowing that this was one argument she wasn't going to win.

"What did you tell him about her condition?"  Warrick asked.

"Nothing," she answered.

Warrick just shook his head and left to find the wheelchair.

When Sara turned back, she saw Gil reaching for the robe that was at the foot of his bed.  Without a word to him, she walked over and helped him put it on.    

It took Warrick about 10 minutes to reappear with the wheelchair.  He had to argue with the nurses on why he wanted it.  Like Sara, they didn't think he was strong enough to be moved.  Warrick promised

Grissom that he would take him to see Jenna.  He wasn't going to let anyone stop him. 

When he finally returned to the room.  Gil was lying back on the bed with his eyes closed.  He opened them when he heard Warrick return.

         

He struggled to get up.  Warrick helped him put the bedrail down and to swing his legs over the side of the bed.  Gil cried out silently not wanting anyone to know how much physical pain this was causing him.  As his right knee was hurt, Warrick did not want him putting any weight on his leg, so he had Gil place his left arm around his neck so that he could get his balance standing on his one good leg.  He then guided him into the wheelchair. 

Once Gil was settled, Warrick felt that he needed to know the specifics of Jenna's condition, before he saw her.  He knelt down to put Gil's feet onto the footrests of the wheelchair.  Once that was done he looked up at Gil, unsure of how to tell him what he needed to know.  Warrick stopped, wondering who was this man he was looking at?  Just a few days ago he was happy and joking with the crew, something he had never done before.  But now, there was no color in his face or light in his eyes.  The gray in his hair that use to make him distinguished looking, was now making him look old.  "Gris, before we go, there's something you need to know."

"No," Gil cut him off before he could say anything more.  He looked Warrick straight in the eye and repeated, "No, I`ll see for myself when I get there.  Just get me there, please."

Warrick knew he should prepare him for what was to come, but he realized that no matter what he told him, he would not believe it until he saw for himself.  "Okay Gris.  Lets go."

Warrick looked at Sara, "Sara will you bring this?" he said pointing at the IV stand that Gil was still connected to. 

Sara stood where she was and looked at Warrick.  She was so angry with him.  Warrick looked back at her with signs of the impatience he was having with her.  Sara grabbed the IV stand and followed the

two men out of the room and to the elevators.  No one said a word.