Chapter 6: Eruption
Grissom absently watched Catherine scroll through the shoe prints in the database. With any luck the muddy shoeprint he found earlier would be in the database and the case would get a major pick-me-up. His eyes were on the screen but his mind was on Ecklie. How did it ever get this far? His cell phone rang pulling him away from the computer screen and his thoughts. "Grissom."
"Hey it's me." Sara said somewhat distracted.
Grissom didn't notice; he was too busy savoring her voice. He hadn't spoken to her all day. After Ecklie's attack on his job capability he needed a friendly voice to rely on. "Brass."
Sara forced a laugh. "You could have picked someone else. I hardly see myself as Brass."
He wanted to laugh with her. She was most definitely better looking than Brass, but he didn't laugh because Catherine was looking at him. He kept his tone calm. "Yeah I know. Catherine's right here."
"Don't blow our cover Gris." She teased in a secretive tone. "Can't have Catherine finding out."
"Thanks for the update. I'll be by your office later."
Her tone became serious. "Good because we need to talk. I think we are in trouble."
His heart stopped and he blinked. What happened? She said 'we' are in trouble.
"Grissom? You still there?" Sara asked.
"Thanks again Brass." He said finally.
"What's wrong?" She was getting worried. He could hear it in her voice.
"Listen I have to go. We are running those prints now."
She sighed. "Okay. See you when you get done."
Grissom waited for her hang up before closing the phone. He wanted so bad to talk longer but he was afraid Catherine might catch on. Conversations with Brass were never long. He needed to see her now. Something happened. "Brass didn't get anything yet." He said finally.
Catherine eyed him suspiciously. "What did we ask him to check?"
He ignored her. "Call me when you get the prints. I have to check something out." He rushed from the room.
"Right." Catherine called after him. It wasn't odd that Grissom run with an idea but that was too strange for her liking.
~ * ~
There was a knock at Sara's apartment door. She struggled to get up from her laying position on the couch. She was trying to read but her thoughts were with Grissom. She knew him too well to know that everything was okay. The first thing that entered her mind was that he was having his hearing spells again. They subsided for the past ten days but he explained to her that they come and go without warning. If he was having trouble it was going to be hard to tell him about Ecklie. She didn't want to add to his discomfort. She peeked through the peephole and a smile spread across her face.
"Hey." He said when she opened the door.
"Come on in." She smiled. "That was quick."
"I'm on call."
"Grissom you are always on call." She joked.
He ignored her light attitude even though it was better than her quiet demeanor that she had earlier. "What did you mean on the phone?"
She sighed. "Ecklie called me in for more questioning. It wasn't about the attack, it was about you. Do you think he knows about us?"
He rubbed his temples somewhat relieved it wasn't something major. "No. He questioned me too and it's not about us. It's about me."
"What?" She moved over to him pulling his hands away from his face but not letting his hands go.
"He blames me for what happened to you and officer Tally. I can't say he is just fishing. I shouldn't have let you go."
"What? Grissom there is no way you can blame yourself for that psycho attacking me and killing Tally." She said reassuringly.
He turned away from her. "It's not that simple. He assured me that he wasn't going to file anything formal, but he did mention a possible inquiry of my supervisor abilities."
"Can he do that?"
"He isn't doing it. A Preston McFadden would be the one conducting the investigation. They have a lot of ammo and they have the right to use it." He removed his glasses as the stress began to take hold. It was getting far worse a lot faster than he expected. He looked at Sara. She seemed tired, and then he remembered what Ecklie told him. "Nine hours Sara? Jesus how is that possible?"
Her brows knitted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"He said that you only got nine hours of sleep over three days because of that case. Why would you go that long without sleep?!" He didn't realize his voice was rising until she yelled back.
"Wait. You're mad at me?!" She threw her hands in the air. She didn't even know how Ecklie found out how many hours she got. It sounded accurate though. She only caught an hour here and there, but that wasn't what was making her angry.
All the frustration of the day and the situation came out. "Sara you were too exhausted to realize Jarod was in the house!"
"So it is my fault now?!"
His eyes widened in fear. "No! That's not what I am saying. I should have known. I should have stopped you. I should have slowed you down. It's my fault."
Sara crossed her arms across her chest. "I told you it wasn't your fault. No one blames you but I don't think yelling at me is fair." She turned away from him to calm herself but she was too angry to stop. She spun around to face him again. "Did you know that I thought something was wrong when you didn't answer me? I thought it had to do with your hearing. God do you know how bad you scared me?!"
"There is something wrong or haven't you been listening again!" His pulse was up there now. He calmed his breathing and started in a low tone. "Why are you so hard on yourself? It's just a case Sara. You're going to get sick."
"Grissom if this is your way of showing you care, it's not working."
He erupted. "You can't keep doing this. It's abuse Sara!"
"Abuse?! Yeah I wanted to get my ass kicked. I wanted to have my wrist cut. Bleeding to death was always so appealing!"
"Don't say that!"
She held her ground. "I can't believe this!" She shook her head. "If your job means that much, we shouldn't be seeing each other to begin with."
His pulse was now at 120. "I hate it when you put words into my mouth! You know damn well Sara that's not why I am here. I didn't rush over here because I was worried about me. This is about you! It's always been about YOU!" It was true. He was afraid if an investigation was put forth then her work habits would be put in the spotlight. She could lose more than a position; she could lose her job in Vegas. If she left him for San Francisco he would just...
"Then why are you so worried? I am fine!"
"You are not fine! Getting nine hours of sleep over three days is not fine. Did you even eat?"
"Yes I ate." She shot back.
"Thank God." His hands found their way to his temples again. He could no longer ignore the blood rushing through his body. His cell phone rang breaking the next wave of harsh words. He looked down at his belt. "It's Catherine. She probably has something." He said knowingly without answering it. It continued to ring. He didn't want to leave Sara this way. He recalled the last time they left this unresolved.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Sara asked coldly.
"She can wait."
"Grissom answer the phone or I will."
He still saw the fury in her eyes. He was mad too, that he could not deny. She wanted him to go, he wanted to go. He didn't like to fight and it seemed that's all they were doing. He unclipped his phone and put it to his ear. "Yeah Cath. Sorry I was busy. Good, I'll meet you and Brass there. Okay." He hung up and looked over to Sara. It was quiet. "I have tomorrow off."
"I know."
"I have some paperwork to finish."
"I have a doctor's appointment."
"Okay."
"Okay."
That was it. The shortest conversation that passed between them since they started dating. He went to work and she went to her bedroom with a loud slam of the door. This was proving to be harder than either one thought.
tbc...