Title: A Clear Vision
Author: Evidence
Chapter: 5
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Thanks again for the reviews, especially because they come from writers I admire! Yes there will be more cliffhangers- can't help myself.
The pain was massive but Grissom moved his body closer to Sara's. Her color was gone replaced with a mass of snow- white paler that framed her face. Sweat had formed in small droplets on her forehead.
"Sara, I'm here." He couldn't stop his voice from shaking. He used his right arm, the one he could move, to wipe the sweat from her head. "Hold on."
"Grissom," her voice was beginning to falter. She closed her eyes. She was on some speeding roller coaster heading to death. She felt strangely removed from her body as if she was watching the scene from above. "I don't think I can hold on."
Grissom picked up her head with his right arm and brought it so it was touching his own. "You can hold on to me." Tears streamed down his face wetting hers. He was going to lose her. This was worse than not being friends because a relationship ended; he would never see her again. "I'm sorry, Sara." He held her tight to him, praying for the first time in years.
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"I'm telling you now, just let us off here!" Catherine Willows's voice had reached a fevered pitch.
Lt. Riller pointed a finger at her. "Damn it, I told you we are turning around, the winds are too severe."
"Turn around, that's fine, but let Mr. Stokes and myself off."
"Do you want me to just drop you off? Fine, jump. Good luck."
"You ass, you know darn well what I'm saying." Catherine was not about to take this crap.
"They're dead, get that in your head!" He spat back.
"Gee, I thought rescue workers never gave up. Guess I was wrong you're just a bunch of wimps scared of the wind."
Suppressing a word, Lt. Riller yelled to the pilot, "Head to the crash zone."
"But sir…"
"That's an order!" He turned so he didn't have to look at the CSIs.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sara's breathing had been raspy for quite some time but then suddenly it stopped all together.
"God, Sara, no!" Grissom began blowing air into her mouth. He couldn't perform CPR correctly with his shattered shoulder.
Memories filled his head: Sara at work, flirting with him, meeting her at a seminar so many years before, seeing her smile. He had a clear vision of what he should have done. He should have told her how he felt. He should have held her in his arms. He had been afraid to lose her, to get hurt. Now he was experiencing the worst pain of all- losing someone you love to the Grim Reaper.
A whirling sound filled his ears. Grissom could see a helicopter approaching. They were saved. Would Sara survive?
"Do you see anything?" Nick asked, his vision obstructed by the smoke.
"It is a fireball." Catherine put her hand to her head.
"We'll land and check out the area. Chopper 2 with your pal is on its way." Riller yelled back at them.
The helicopter found a nice grassy patch of land to set itself. The crew members left the craft.
Nick and Catherine walked forward a few feet when they saw two familiar figures. "It's them! Over here!" Catherine yelled as the whole rescue crew ran for the two survivors.
"God, Griss," Nick said, the first to reach them. His face was a mixture of joy and shock. "Sara?"
"She's not breathing." Grissom looked up at Nick.
The EMTs quickly went to work giving her CPR and then oxygen. Grissom watched in despair. Catherine was saying something to him but he couldn't comprehend the words. Warrick's helicopter landed and joined the party.
"Griss, man you're okay." Warrick shook his head. "Man, I thought you two were goners."
"Sara's not good, Warrick." Grissom looked at Warrick. "I don't know if she'll make it."
"Who said something like: "The moderns of the medical world are miracles waiting to happen." He was doing his best to keep Grissom's spirits raised.
"I don't know," Grissom said, his mind a throbbing, cluttered mess. This was what life was like without Sara: confusing, empty, deprived of meaning.
The EMTs carefully lifted Sara onto a stretcher. She was breathing on her own but her eyes were still closed.
"Sara?" Grissom called to her but no response was given.
Grissom watched as they took her away to one of the helicopters. Catherine rode with her acting as the mother figure.
"Sir, we are going to assess your injuries and then Mr. Brown and Mr. Stokes will occupy you to the hospital, okay?"
He thought he shook his head, "yes".
"Where there any other survivors?" Lt Riller asked.
"No, only Sara and myself. Marie, Jason and the pilot are all deceased." He kept his vision trained on the helicopter that was disappearing out of sight.
Nick and Warrick helped the EMTs load him into the helicopter on a stretcher that resembled Sara's. One EMT kept asking him about his pain. But you can't take a pill when you're broken hearted. Soon with an image of Sara in his head, he felt himself drift away.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grissom woke up some time later in a hospital bed, tubes attached to him. It seemed like a hospital, that familiar vinegar order with a side order of death. His eyes focused on the two figures sitting in chairs beside his bed.
"Catherine, Jim…" he managed to say.
"Hey, Gil, you're going to be fine." Brass reassured with a slight smile.
"You've been out for a few hours but they fixed your chest wound and after some surgery your shoulder will heal. The elbow is back into place perfectly." Catherine pulled the blankets up closer to his chin.
"How's Sara?"
Brass and Catherine exchanged a look.
"Oh, God what happened…"
To be continued…