Moments of Silence
It was a peaceful afternoon. Crime in Las Vegas was at a standstill. Gil Grissom had left his office twenty minutes before and was enjoying a sun-laded walk. He was enjoying it until the emptiness of silence was thrust upon him.
Grissom could hear the birds speaking their native language. The sounds of traffic echoed off the glass tinged buildings. He could hear his footsteps on the sidewalk. Then it all ended, the sound left. There were no birds, no traffic, no footsteps.
It had happened before of course. Moments of silence entering his world although this time it was lasting longer. He must look like a fool, he thought, standing there waiting for his hearing to return. It seemed like an eternity- where was his hearing? He looked at his watch- had a minute passed? He waited willing the sound to come back. Ten minutes had passed. It was the longest he had lost his hearing.
Grissom's other senses had gone into overdrive. He could smell the hot dog stand clearly from across the street. He could see all the people passing him and staring. He could feel the sweat forming on his forehead. He could taste the sheer dryness of his mouth. But what he couldn't do was hear. Fifteen minutes had passed. When was it going to come back?
Somehow Grissom found his way to a bench. He sat and waited. Worse than not hearing was the fear rising inside of him. Nearly an hour later he took out his cell phone and dialed the one person he needed- Sara Sidle.
Sara was busy scraping the ice from her freezer. It wasn't what she had planned to do on her day off but her other plans had fallen through. Her friend, Hank, had invited her to a basketball game. Sara wasn't one for organized sports but she did have fun with Hank. At first she thought romance would blossom but alas their first kiss ended abruptly with no spark. When she had touched Grissom's face a year ago the electricity felt between them could have lit up all of Las Vegas. Hank had agreed to be "just friends" although Sara had sometimes wondered if he wanted more. If not a romantic relationship then a physical one. Sara was unsure why she spent time with Hank and more unsure why she let people think they were dating.
She had hoped towards the middle of this year that something was going to happen between her and Grissom. Since she had threatened to leave, he had treated her with more respect professionally. He had also become freer with her: putting his hand briefly on her back, complimenting her, going arm and arm across the street. Of course there were also those four important words that he spoke, "Since I met you." It still amazed Sara. She knew for Gil Grissom that was the equivalent of saying "You are special to me." Then Movie Boy's evidentiary hearing stalled out whatever was happening to them. Grissom had found out about Hank and believed it to be a relationship. Sara had lost her tongue and was unable to say anything on the matter. Every time she tried to tell him she found herself talking procedure and evidence instead- safe topics.
Sara had scraped most of the ice from the freezer when the phone rang- her cell phone. She picked up on the third ring.
The word "Hello" crept to Sara's throat. Someone was saying her name over and over on the line: Gil Grissom.
"Grissom? What's the matter?" Worry entered her every pore.
"Sara, Sara. I hope you can hear me." A pause. "I need you to pick me up at Devone Street next to the small park. Oh, God I hope you answered your phone," his voice wavered at the last part.
It hit Sara suddenly. At the trial Grissom had asked Movie Boy's lawyer to repeat her question three times. She couldn't understand why then but now it made perfect sense: he couldn't hear her.
"Grissom, I'll be right there," she said even though she knew he couldn't hear her. As she turned off the phone, he was still talking. Sara grabbed her keys and ran out the door leaving her frozen foods scattered on the table top to defrost.
Traffic was intense as Sara's anxiety grew. She needed to get to Grissom. Finally she was on Devone Street. The park came into view and there on one of the benches sat the only man she truly cared about. His ashen face seemed to brighten as he saw the Tahoe pull up next to him.
Grissom's fear subsided as he saw Sara jump out of the SUV and run to him. Even if he could never hear again he would be all right as long as he had Sara in his life. If he was ready to open his heart again. Maybe this was a good time to take a leap of faith. After all he did love rollercoasters and wasn't love the greatest rollercoaster of all?
Sara bent to Griss's seated level. "I'm here," she said slowly.
He read her lips and nodded his head to let her know he understood.
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
"No," he replied looking into her brown eyes and chancing a leap, "Would you just give me a hug?" God, I sound like a child, he thought.
Sara could hear her heart in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Her head was pressed against his curls. The heat from his body was subduing her goose bumps. The spark was intense, more than she felt with any other man.
Grissom felt the same. How could he deny the pleasure of her touch ever again? A line had not been crossed but shattered. To hell with him being older than her, or the boss, or that he was going deaf. He knew then he must have Sara in his life.
The embrace ended and smiles appeared on both of their lips. As suddenly as it left him, his hearing was back. He could make out the birds, the traffic, and most of all Sara's nervous gulps.
"My hearing...it just came back?"
"You can hear me?"
"Yeah." What should he do now?
"Come on," Sara said extending her hand to him.
"Where?"
"To my Tahoe."
"Where are we going?" Grissom asked.
"I don't know, we'll have to figure that out."
Grissom took Sara's hand and let her lead him to the Tahoe. He knew that they had to talk about many things. He also knew their relationship was forever changed. This he didn't mind as much: he was beginning to like the feeling of being in love.
It was a peaceful afternoon. Crime in Las Vegas was at a standstill. Gil Grissom had left his office twenty minutes before and was enjoying a sun-laded walk. He was enjoying it until the emptiness of silence was thrust upon him.
Grissom could hear the birds speaking their native language. The sounds of traffic echoed off the glass tinged buildings. He could hear his footsteps on the sidewalk. Then it all ended, the sound left. There were no birds, no traffic, no footsteps.
It had happened before of course. Moments of silence entering his world although this time it was lasting longer. He must look like a fool, he thought, standing there waiting for his hearing to return. It seemed like an eternity- where was his hearing? He looked at his watch- had a minute passed? He waited willing the sound to come back. Ten minutes had passed. It was the longest he had lost his hearing.
Grissom's other senses had gone into overdrive. He could smell the hot dog stand clearly from across the street. He could see all the people passing him and staring. He could feel the sweat forming on his forehead. He could taste the sheer dryness of his mouth. But what he couldn't do was hear. Fifteen minutes had passed. When was it going to come back?
Somehow Grissom found his way to a bench. He sat and waited. Worse than not hearing was the fear rising inside of him. Nearly an hour later he took out his cell phone and dialed the one person he needed- Sara Sidle.
Sara was busy scraping the ice from her freezer. It wasn't what she had planned to do on her day off but her other plans had fallen through. Her friend, Hank, had invited her to a basketball game. Sara wasn't one for organized sports but she did have fun with Hank. At first she thought romance would blossom but alas their first kiss ended abruptly with no spark. When she had touched Grissom's face a year ago the electricity felt between them could have lit up all of Las Vegas. Hank had agreed to be "just friends" although Sara had sometimes wondered if he wanted more. If not a romantic relationship then a physical one. Sara was unsure why she spent time with Hank and more unsure why she let people think they were dating.
She had hoped towards the middle of this year that something was going to happen between her and Grissom. Since she had threatened to leave, he had treated her with more respect professionally. He had also become freer with her: putting his hand briefly on her back, complimenting her, going arm and arm across the street. Of course there were also those four important words that he spoke, "Since I met you." It still amazed Sara. She knew for Gil Grissom that was the equivalent of saying "You are special to me." Then Movie Boy's evidentiary hearing stalled out whatever was happening to them. Grissom had found out about Hank and believed it to be a relationship. Sara had lost her tongue and was unable to say anything on the matter. Every time she tried to tell him she found herself talking procedure and evidence instead- safe topics.
Sara had scraped most of the ice from the freezer when the phone rang- her cell phone. She picked up on the third ring.
The word "Hello" crept to Sara's throat. Someone was saying her name over and over on the line: Gil Grissom.
"Grissom? What's the matter?" Worry entered her every pore.
"Sara, Sara. I hope you can hear me." A pause. "I need you to pick me up at Devone Street next to the small park. Oh, God I hope you answered your phone," his voice wavered at the last part.
It hit Sara suddenly. At the trial Grissom had asked Movie Boy's lawyer to repeat her question three times. She couldn't understand why then but now it made perfect sense: he couldn't hear her.
"Grissom, I'll be right there," she said even though she knew he couldn't hear her. As she turned off the phone, he was still talking. Sara grabbed her keys and ran out the door leaving her frozen foods scattered on the table top to defrost.
Traffic was intense as Sara's anxiety grew. She needed to get to Grissom. Finally she was on Devone Street. The park came into view and there on one of the benches sat the only man she truly cared about. His ashen face seemed to brighten as he saw the Tahoe pull up next to him.
Grissom's fear subsided as he saw Sara jump out of the SUV and run to him. Even if he could never hear again he would be all right as long as he had Sara in his life. If he was ready to open his heart again. Maybe this was a good time to take a leap of faith. After all he did love rollercoasters and wasn't love the greatest rollercoaster of all?
Sara bent to Griss's seated level. "I'm here," she said slowly.
He read her lips and nodded his head to let her know he understood.
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
"No," he replied looking into her brown eyes and chancing a leap, "Would you just give me a hug?" God, I sound like a child, he thought.
Sara could hear her heart in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Her head was pressed against his curls. The heat from his body was subduing her goose bumps. The spark was intense, more than she felt with any other man.
Grissom felt the same. How could he deny the pleasure of her touch ever again? A line had not been crossed but shattered. To hell with him being older than her, or the boss, or that he was going deaf. He knew then he must have Sara in his life.
The embrace ended and smiles appeared on both of their lips. As suddenly as it left him, his hearing was back. He could make out the birds, the traffic, and most of all Sara's nervous gulps.
"My hearing...it just came back?"
"You can hear me?"
"Yeah." What should he do now?
"Come on," Sara said extending her hand to him.
"Where?"
"To my Tahoe."
"Where are we going?" Grissom asked.
"I don't know, we'll have to figure that out."
Grissom took Sara's hand and let her lead him to the Tahoe. He knew that they had to talk about many things. He also knew their relationship was forever changed. This he didn't mind as much: he was beginning to like the feeling of being in love.