Part III: The Hospital
"What happened?" the doctor asked blandly. He was bored stiff. Nothing exciting had happened the night before and his shift wasn't even close to being done.
"I was dusting for prints at a crime scene and the suspect attacked me. My head must have banged into the corner of a wall."
"I see." The doctor finished writing his addition to the notes that the nurse filed, and then moved his stool closer to Catherine so he could examine her head wound. The short description of what happened to her tore at Grissom. He knew Warrick was kicking himself for not being there in time. But he was feeling guilty about not being there at all and for not even realizing that something had to have happened for Catherine to take a long time filling out paperwork on an open and shut case.
Catherine sensed his mood and squeezed his hand reassuringly. She had a feeling that he was starting to feel really guilty, but the doctor prevented her from saying anything by shining a light into her eyes. The doctor had her stand and close her eyes then try to touch her nose as if she were taking a sobriety test. She wavered a bit at first, but quickly recovered her balance.
"Well, Ms. Willows, you're showing the classic signs of a mild concussion," the doctor said noting his diagnosis and treatment in her file. "But to rule out anything more serious I want to have a CT done."
"A CT? Are you sure that's necessary?" Grissom asked, his worry showing in his words.
"It's just a precautionary measure, Mr. Grissom. I'm sure there's nothing wrong, but with head injuries we just want to be sure."
"Gil, it's okay. There's nothing to worry about." Catherine placed her hand on his arm to reassure him. Sometimes that was all it took to calm him down, but not this time. Although he nodded his head to tell her that he was okay, she could still see the worry on his face.
Forty-five minutes later they were talking with the doctor again. "The CT was clear, but I don't want you to sleep for more than a few hours at a time today. Have someone stay with you for the next day or two." He paused to make sure that she understood his directions before continuing, "Make an appointment to see your personal physician if the dizziness doesn't go away in two days. Do you have any questions for me?"
Catherine didn't. She knew the drill from a few of the times that her ex had gotten really physical with her. Grissom, however, did have one question. "Will she be able to work in the field tonight?"
"I would rather if she had the night off, but as long Ms. Willows isn't left on her own, I don't see why not."
"Thank you, Doctor," Catherine replied harsher than she had intended. Grissom was being overprotective and she hated that. She gathered her purse and started to leave when she noticed that her ride wasn't following her. "Grissom?"
"Coming. Thank you, Doctor." Grissom wanted to know what he should look out for in case the head injury grew worse, but Catherine's summons distracted him. Her wound was now bandaged and she looked very irked with him.
Grissom followed the irate woman out to the car. When he caught up to her, he asked, "Cath, what's the matter?"
"'What's the matter?' Grissom, I know what I'm doing. Don't you trust me enough to tell you if I thought I couldn't do my job?"
"I'm sorry, Catherine. I... It's... I don't know what to do. I never thought I would have to deal with you being hurt on my watch and I guess I'm over reacting. This whole situation is affecting more than you." That was the closest he could come to telling her that he was scared about losing her. Catherine looked at her friend. He looked dejected and lost. She had seen both emotions on his face before, but never together.
"I know," she said softly. "I can't have both you and Warrick hovering around me like mother hens. Oh God."
"What? Catherine, what's wrong?"
"Warrick. I told him I would call to let him know I got home okay."
Grissom held out his cell phone to her. "Here. Call him while I take you home."
Catherine accepted the proffered phone and dialed Warrick's number as she got into the car.
"What happened?" the doctor asked blandly. He was bored stiff. Nothing exciting had happened the night before and his shift wasn't even close to being done.
"I was dusting for prints at a crime scene and the suspect attacked me. My head must have banged into the corner of a wall."
"I see." The doctor finished writing his addition to the notes that the nurse filed, and then moved his stool closer to Catherine so he could examine her head wound. The short description of what happened to her tore at Grissom. He knew Warrick was kicking himself for not being there in time. But he was feeling guilty about not being there at all and for not even realizing that something had to have happened for Catherine to take a long time filling out paperwork on an open and shut case.
Catherine sensed his mood and squeezed his hand reassuringly. She had a feeling that he was starting to feel really guilty, but the doctor prevented her from saying anything by shining a light into her eyes. The doctor had her stand and close her eyes then try to touch her nose as if she were taking a sobriety test. She wavered a bit at first, but quickly recovered her balance.
"Well, Ms. Willows, you're showing the classic signs of a mild concussion," the doctor said noting his diagnosis and treatment in her file. "But to rule out anything more serious I want to have a CT done."
"A CT? Are you sure that's necessary?" Grissom asked, his worry showing in his words.
"It's just a precautionary measure, Mr. Grissom. I'm sure there's nothing wrong, but with head injuries we just want to be sure."
"Gil, it's okay. There's nothing to worry about." Catherine placed her hand on his arm to reassure him. Sometimes that was all it took to calm him down, but not this time. Although he nodded his head to tell her that he was okay, she could still see the worry on his face.
Forty-five minutes later they were talking with the doctor again. "The CT was clear, but I don't want you to sleep for more than a few hours at a time today. Have someone stay with you for the next day or two." He paused to make sure that she understood his directions before continuing, "Make an appointment to see your personal physician if the dizziness doesn't go away in two days. Do you have any questions for me?"
Catherine didn't. She knew the drill from a few of the times that her ex had gotten really physical with her. Grissom, however, did have one question. "Will she be able to work in the field tonight?"
"I would rather if she had the night off, but as long Ms. Willows isn't left on her own, I don't see why not."
"Thank you, Doctor," Catherine replied harsher than she had intended. Grissom was being overprotective and she hated that. She gathered her purse and started to leave when she noticed that her ride wasn't following her. "Grissom?"
"Coming. Thank you, Doctor." Grissom wanted to know what he should look out for in case the head injury grew worse, but Catherine's summons distracted him. Her wound was now bandaged and she looked very irked with him.
Grissom followed the irate woman out to the car. When he caught up to her, he asked, "Cath, what's the matter?"
"'What's the matter?' Grissom, I know what I'm doing. Don't you trust me enough to tell you if I thought I couldn't do my job?"
"I'm sorry, Catherine. I... It's... I don't know what to do. I never thought I would have to deal with you being hurt on my watch and I guess I'm over reacting. This whole situation is affecting more than you." That was the closest he could come to telling her that he was scared about losing her. Catherine looked at her friend. He looked dejected and lost. She had seen both emotions on his face before, but never together.
"I know," she said softly. "I can't have both you and Warrick hovering around me like mother hens. Oh God."
"What? Catherine, what's wrong?"
"Warrick. I told him I would call to let him know I got home okay."
Grissom held out his cell phone to her. "Here. Call him while I take you home."
Catherine accepted the proffered phone and dialed Warrick's number as she got into the car.