"Catherine." Jim smiled faintly as the CSI emerged from the elevator. "How's
the investigation coming?"
"Warrick's checking out the site, Nick's got the SUV, dogs have a scent but
they haven't found the driver yet." She shrugged. "Business as usual." Her
expression turned grave. "How's Sara?"
"Touch and go."
"Grissom?"
"Hasn't left her side since he got here."
The silence between them was thick and pained, both wishing there was
something that could be done for their friend.
"Hard thing to realize something when you may not have it anymore."
Catherine nodded. "Deep down he knew, I think...he just...couldn't." She
paused then added. "Have they moved her yet?"
"Half hour ago." Brass affirmed. "I tried to convince Grissom to eat
something while they were settling her in..."
"But no dice." She smiled wryly. "Calling him stubborn would be making the
biggest understatement in history."
They shared a chuckle then silence reigned again.
Finally Catherine lifted her head. "I should go talk to him."
"You should." Her friend agreed. "He might listen to you."
She snorted. "Not likely but we can dream."
-------
A soft knock and Catherine's murmured, "Gil?" drew his attention away from
Sara's face.
"Hi."
"Hi." She smiled slightly, moving forward slowly, as if reluctant to intrude
on the air of intimacy that seemed to hang around the woman on the bed and
the man sitting at her side. It was as if the walls that always seemed to
surround Grissom had been extended now to include Sara. No others need apply.
"Any change?"
He shook his head. "Any word?"
She shook her head. "We'll find him."
And they would. There was simply no other option.
"Keep me posted."
"Got your cell?"
He nodded.
"Then you'll be the first person we call." She affirmed. "Gil..."
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time you ate something?"
He thought. "I don't remember. Lunch maybe?"
It was the most logical choice. He hadn't had time to eat anything
for dinner.
Lunch...
He'd had lunch with Sara.
Not that he'd had much choice. He'd been working in his office when she
burst into the door bearing take out and smiling at him.
**"You missed lunch."
"I did?"
"Uh huh." Her hair moved with the nod. "Close up the file and make room."
He gave her a knowing look. "Missed lunch too?"
She flushed. "Guilty."
He grinned. "What have you got?"
"Pita bread stuffed with wild rice." She replied immediately, tugging a chair
closer to the desk and setting things out.
"A what?"
"It's good." She assured him. "I love 'em. There's this great place a few
blocks away that makes them."
With a skeptical look on his face, he reached out to pick it up...
"I got you the Bug Special." Sara informed him absently as she reached for
her soda.
"The what?!"
A wicked grin touched her features. "I'm kidding!" She gestured about them.
"I know you'd never be able to betray your friends."
He chuckled. "Very funny, Sara."
Her smile just widened. "Yes: It was."**
"You have to eat something." Catherine intruded into his thoughts with a
concerned look then forced a smile. "If you don't, Sara'll give you hell for
days about it."
He laughed slightly, intensely grateful for her choice of words. He was sure
it was deliberate. "She will." He looked back at Sara. "Give me a minute?"
"Sure." Catherine replied softly, inwardly cheering that she could at least
offer him a moment's distraction. Sara would want it. Him sitting alone at
her beside constantly would prove to be too much, even for Grissom. A moment
or two away could make all the difference. "I'll go outside and call Nick,
see how things are going."
"Ok." He replied absently.
When the door closed behind her, Grissom looked down to where his hand held
Sara's tightly. "I won't be gone long." He promised. "But we both know they
won't leave me alone until I go out for a minute or two." He sighed. "I'll
ask Jim to come in, spend some time...." He stood, still unable to let go of
her hand.
He chuckled wryly. "I should probably let go, hmm?"
A realization hit him and he looked down at her face through seemingly new
eyes. "I don't want to." He swallowed. "Ever."
The sound of Catherine's voice outside the door drew his attention and,
after a moment's listening, he knew she was almost done with her conversation.
"I'll be right back." He vowed then...after a long moment, Grissom leaned
over to kiss Sara's forehead. "I promise."
TBC
the investigation coming?"
"Warrick's checking out the site, Nick's got the SUV, dogs have a scent but
they haven't found the driver yet." She shrugged. "Business as usual." Her
expression turned grave. "How's Sara?"
"Touch and go."
"Grissom?"
"Hasn't left her side since he got here."
The silence between them was thick and pained, both wishing there was
something that could be done for their friend.
"Hard thing to realize something when you may not have it anymore."
Catherine nodded. "Deep down he knew, I think...he just...couldn't." She
paused then added. "Have they moved her yet?"
"Half hour ago." Brass affirmed. "I tried to convince Grissom to eat
something while they were settling her in..."
"But no dice." She smiled wryly. "Calling him stubborn would be making the
biggest understatement in history."
They shared a chuckle then silence reigned again.
Finally Catherine lifted her head. "I should go talk to him."
"You should." Her friend agreed. "He might listen to you."
She snorted. "Not likely but we can dream."
-------
A soft knock and Catherine's murmured, "Gil?" drew his attention away from
Sara's face.
"Hi."
"Hi." She smiled slightly, moving forward slowly, as if reluctant to intrude
on the air of intimacy that seemed to hang around the woman on the bed and
the man sitting at her side. It was as if the walls that always seemed to
surround Grissom had been extended now to include Sara. No others need apply.
"Any change?"
He shook his head. "Any word?"
She shook her head. "We'll find him."
And they would. There was simply no other option.
"Keep me posted."
"Got your cell?"
He nodded.
"Then you'll be the first person we call." She affirmed. "Gil..."
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time you ate something?"
He thought. "I don't remember. Lunch maybe?"
It was the most logical choice. He hadn't had time to eat anything
for dinner.
Lunch...
He'd had lunch with Sara.
Not that he'd had much choice. He'd been working in his office when she
burst into the door bearing take out and smiling at him.
**"You missed lunch."
"I did?"
"Uh huh." Her hair moved with the nod. "Close up the file and make room."
He gave her a knowing look. "Missed lunch too?"
She flushed. "Guilty."
He grinned. "What have you got?"
"Pita bread stuffed with wild rice." She replied immediately, tugging a chair
closer to the desk and setting things out.
"A what?"
"It's good." She assured him. "I love 'em. There's this great place a few
blocks away that makes them."
With a skeptical look on his face, he reached out to pick it up...
"I got you the Bug Special." Sara informed him absently as she reached for
her soda.
"The what?!"
A wicked grin touched her features. "I'm kidding!" She gestured about them.
"I know you'd never be able to betray your friends."
He chuckled. "Very funny, Sara."
Her smile just widened. "Yes: It was."**
"You have to eat something." Catherine intruded into his thoughts with a
concerned look then forced a smile. "If you don't, Sara'll give you hell for
days about it."
He laughed slightly, intensely grateful for her choice of words. He was sure
it was deliberate. "She will." He looked back at Sara. "Give me a minute?"
"Sure." Catherine replied softly, inwardly cheering that she could at least
offer him a moment's distraction. Sara would want it. Him sitting alone at
her beside constantly would prove to be too much, even for Grissom. A moment
or two away could make all the difference. "I'll go outside and call Nick,
see how things are going."
"Ok." He replied absently.
When the door closed behind her, Grissom looked down to where his hand held
Sara's tightly. "I won't be gone long." He promised. "But we both know they
won't leave me alone until I go out for a minute or two." He sighed. "I'll
ask Jim to come in, spend some time...." He stood, still unable to let go of
her hand.
He chuckled wryly. "I should probably let go, hmm?"
A realization hit him and he looked down at her face through seemingly new
eyes. "I don't want to." He swallowed. "Ever."
The sound of Catherine's voice outside the door drew his attention and,
after a moment's listening, he knew she was almost done with her conversation.
"I'll be right back." He vowed then...after a long moment, Grissom leaned
over to kiss Sara's forehead. "I promise."
TBC