Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters; they are the property of the creators and producers of CSI. I only borrowed them.
~*~
The smell of gin was strong, Nick sat at the end of a smoke laden bar. He was on his third shot of Vodka when Warrick entered the room. He walked towards his peer and sat in the stool beside him. Nick didn't flinch, he sat there staring straight ahead, contemplating taking another shot.
"You shouldn't be here," Warrick began.
Nick scoffed, "oh yeah? Well then, tell me where I'm supposed to be." Warrick looked at his trouble friend and responded,
"You should be there. Instead of drinking the pain away, why don't you try to help her? Talk to her."
"That's rich, telling me what I should be doing," Nick responded hurtfully. He took another sip of Vodka.
"Just tell her," Warrick finally concluded. He patted Nick's shoulder as he proceeded out the door.
Nick sat there, confused; all his emotions in a twist.
~*~
Grissom stood outside the room, not wanting to go in, to sit in a chair beside her. It pained him, the tubes and the wires were too much, and she suffered too much. He looked, as Sara's fragile body lied in bed, eyes closed. He couldn't imagine the things that this woman had gone through, enough to knock the life away from her body. He always saw the pain that parents went through when they lost a child, 'this is as close as I can get' he thought to himself. Tears were ready to cascade down his cheeks when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, he smelled vanilla and knew who was standing beside him. The vanilla made him feel at ease, reminding him of happier times.
"I knew I'd find you here. How is she?" Catherine questioned. She too looked through the glass window that parted them from Sara's room.
"She's fighting," Grissom answered.
"Have you talked to her parents?" Catherine continued to question.
"Not yet, but I did receive a copy of her living will," Grissom answered quietly. He handed her a piece of paper.
He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a way to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall.
"She's requested that in the event of her death, she wants to donate her body to science." Grissom placed his glasses back on his nose and glanced at Catherine.
"And you signed it, as her witness," Catherine concluded. She looked up momentarily at Sara, then at Grissom.
His face was worse than it was the last time they talked, it was evident that he hasn't slept in days; she stared at his usually relaxing eyes. She wanted to do something for him; to comfort him during this time.
"Don't beat yourself up over this, it was her choice. We just have to honor it when and if it happens," a brief pause passed.
"Listen, you look tired and I'm sure that you're hungry, why don't you come over?" Catherine offered.
"You can't do this to yourself, there's nothing more you can do. It's not up to us whether she lives or dies. Fate can tell, and time will know," she continued. She placed the palm of her hand on his rough cheek and looked at his tired eyes. He was empty, void of any emotion that can be expressed, nothing.
He looked into her blue eyes and searched, searched for something to hold on to. Grissom knew that he was losing faith, and losing his mind. It was through her eyes that he seemed to find warmth and understanding. He half-smiled.
"I'll be ok," he finally said. "You go home to your little girl, I'm sure that she wants to see you," he whispered.
She looked up at him, and cupped his face; she stood on her tiptoes and placed a warm kiss on his forehead. She smiled and stared into his eyes as she placed her feet flat on the ground.
He was surprised, he didn't know what to say, or even, if to say anything at all.
As she reached over to hold his hand, she looked straight ahead at Sara's motionless body; she knew that Sara was a fighter. She was going to fight.
He took her hand and held it, knowing that they both needed someone. He too looked straight ahead, praying that she would soon wake up.
Both of them stood there for a moment, staring at the colleague they missed; they stood there, not saying a word but feeling like they had listened to each other's thoughts.
He was glad that she wanted to keep him company, but at the same time, he also knew that it was rude and selfish of him to exclude himself from her. He saw and felt her concern, her eyes never lied.
"How about we get some coffee," he offered with comfort, as he ushered her towards the exit. She smiled, but was glad that he was taking time to care of himself for once. Both of them glanced back at Sara; she'll be alright, both thought, she's a fighter.
~*~
St. Luke's Hospital
Las Vegas, Nevada
The hospital was calm, especially the Intensive Care Unit, the nurses huddled around the nurses station. Soft voices raced the intercom system, paging doctors and specialist. The dark cold night gripped the hospital, but Nick sat there, just staring at Sara.
His heart physically hurt, but he felt somewhat empty. Empty, all faith and hope slipping from his grasp. For hours had he sat in the same chair, not knowing what he wanted, expecting something, but knowing that it was hopeless.
Slowly, he leaned closer to Sara's face, studied every line, eyelash and crease in her lips.
He reached for hand, and held it between his. The frailty of her fingers had surprised him. But he looked at her, still pained by the sight of tubes, wires, and monitors.
"Sara, I know that you want to go, but you're a fighter Sara; fight, this isn't your time. Despite what you think, you're not ready to go... I'm not ready for you to go," he paused.
"Stay, I'll be here...I'm here Sara." Tears were fighting to break free.
Nick held her hand, and rested his head beside her, staring up at her solemnly.
~*~
A tall woman walked past the rows of ICU rooms, briefly stopping at one in particular, SARA SIDLE, the name on the door read. She looked at the patient, then realized that the woman was active, she had just moved her head. Quickly, she moved towards the nurse's station.
"Call Dr. Foster. Sara Sidle has just woken up," the nurse requested.
~*~
Her vision moved from darkness to light, her eyes were tired and heavy. She reached for the warm hand that had held hers, but there was nobody there. Slowly, the silence in her head slowly dissipated, and now she began to hear the sounds of the hospital, the beeps, occasional page, and soft voices of nurses across the hall. The light was overwhelming, and in turn, she turned her head away from the window to her left, instead she faced the table full of bouquets 'Get Well Soon Sara' one balloon inscribed. Also, there was a chair, several magazines and empty coffee cups. She continued to blink, trying to gain as much focus on her surroundings as soon as possible.
~*~
Las Vegas Courthouse
Preliminary hearing of Mark Wallis
9:04 am
'BANG' 'BANG'
His world went dark.
The body of Mark Wallis lied dead in a pool of red blood. His mother stood there, with a gun in her hand, tears streaming down her face.
~*~
St. Luke's Hospital
Las Vegas, Nevada
9:15
The team had just arrived, along with presents; Grissom held a small plant, Catherine with a bear and a note from Lindsey, Warrick gripped a fruit basket, Greg too, had sent a chocolate bar.
They just arrived to witness the nurse disconnect several tubes from Sara, some wires still connected to her arms. She smiled at the sight before her, she was glad to see them.
She smiled. 'Where's Nick?' She questioned to herself, looking beyond the group in hopes of finding him. He wasn't there.
"Nick's on his way," Catherine answered, as if reading Sara's thoughts. The blonde woman walked over and handed Sara the note and picture that Lindsey had insisted on giving Sara. Sara accepted the note and read it. She smiled and soon handed it Warrick for inspection. He too smiled;
GET WELL SOON.
- Lindsey
Grissom at on the chair while Catherine leaned against the chair's arms. Warrick stood by the window. Sara simply looked at them, speechless; the days she spent in that trunk had made her reflect on her life. For one thing, she reflected on her work, on her colleagues; she feared not being able to hear her mother's nagging or her father's constant plea to visit. All her emotions consisted of fear, fear of not being able to do things, or say things; one simple resentment that plagued her mind. She regretted knowing that her last encounter with Nick ended in an argument. She always hated clichés, hearing them, and never really listening to them. But she resented the saying "its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" knowing full well that she's loved only two people, but always never got the chance to tell them. David Wallis, was her first love, the one that changed her look on life, who pushed her to become whatever she wanted. He died in a surfing accident before she could even tell him. It had been a while that she started to have feelings for her Texan, fun loving, and caring colleague, Nick. It was a gradual progression from a friendship that blossomed into something different. She hesitated making a move, she knew his track record with women, and she feared getting hurt. She tried many times to ignore her emotions, even taking different travel routes around the lab to avoid him. She didn't want to get involved, she didn't want him to hurt her before anything even began. It was the day when she did encounter him that she realized she couldn't hide. The relationship she had patched together with Hank, the paramedic, was a shattered, and Nick was there for a shoulder to cry on. She hated being rescued, and she was embarrassed that she was saved. Until that day at the baseball game confirmed what she dreaded, she was indeed in love. The jealous rage that took over her body at the sight of Traci was her wake up call.
Nick walked the room and smiled at Sara. Their eyes locked for more than a few moments, each other's heart beating faster. The ECG that was connected to Sara confirmed it. At this point in time, Catherine glanced over at Grissom, knowing that it was their cue to leave.
"Hi Nick," Catherine greeted while she gently tugged at Grissom's arm.
"We were just on our way out. We have a lot of work to catch up on," Grissom spat out professionally. Both hurried out the door and waved as they closed the door behind them.
"How are you?" he asked timidly, a little grin creeping up on him. He handed her a bouquet of flowers. His appearance today was a lot better than the last couple of days, for once he has actually gotten more than an hour's sleep. And for once in the past week, he actually smiled. His smile radiated onto Sara, and she too smiled.
"Exactly how I felt like after my first drinking party," she joked. Her pale cheeks had lent themselves to a light pink shade. Nick laughed too, he was happy that she was all right. The tubes and wires that covered her body have since been removed, leaving Sara free to move. As he stood there studying her, he noticed that she too commenced on studying his face.
She looked wonderingly at Nick, who was just standing at the foot of her bed, he was dress casually, sporting a Texas Rangers t-shirt and jeans. He didn't look like himself today; his eyes looked tired and faded, his laugh lines almost neglected. She wondered, 'I hope you're all right Nick.'
"So, how are the Rangers doing?" She asked, trying to both change the subject and sound cheery.
"They've been on three game losing streak," he drawled confidently.
"Oh, and before I forget, I brought you a present." He smiled handing her a pretty navy blue bag. She looked at him for a moment, hesitant as to receiving a strange package from Nick, she eyed him with suspicion and surprise,
"Should I be scared," she teased. He just looked at her, waiting for her to make a decision. And a decision she made, she opened the package carefully,
"An mp3 player," she paused and gave Nick a 'are-you-crazy-what-were-you-thinking-buying-me-an-mp3-player' look.
"Well, in case you get bored, I compiled about 92 songs; from Norah Jones, I heard she's really big, to Garth Brooks," he smiled smugly. Her face was filled with horror, but she smiled, 'that's pretty cute.'
"God, I knew there was a reason to live," she smiled. He laughed too.
There was silence that invaded the room, Nick stood calmly at the foot of her bed, while she lied semi-comfortably on the bed.
'I should say something, I should tell her. I love you Sara' he said in his mind. 'Tell her,' it yelled again. His heart ached, knowing that three simple words could speak volumes. To relieve himself of the pain and worry that he had gone through, to have all his emotions exposed.
'Say something, it was about time you said something. Quick, he's looking at you. Oh, he's walking over, say something.' Her mind was devising random sentences.
At this time, he finally reached her side, he held her hand and smiled. 'System overload' her mind screamed. 'Say something' it continued.
"Thank you for being here last night, thank you for telling me to fight," she stared at his brown eyes, honesty, and gratefulness flowing from her heart.
He too smiled, 'This is your chance, say something.'
"I'm glad that you decided to stay," there was an awkward pause.
"I just came by to see how you were doing, to say hello. But you need your rest, it was nice to see you Sara," he finally said. 'Coward!' His mind retorted.
He bent down to kiss her forehead, and he turned to start walking out the door.
"Nick?" Sara beckoned. 'That's right, say something.' her subconscious agreed. He turned around.
"Thanks. I'm glad I stayed," she grinned. '...and...' her mind urged, disappointed at the abruptness of her formulated sentence.
He smiled, and continued on his way out. 'I should have said something,' his mind reminded him.
'I should have said something,' her mind noted.
~*~
The sunset was beautiful, as always, and today Sara witnessed it in the comfort of her own bed, she lied in the hospital bed. She was exhausted, and she craved sleeping early that night. She turned on her side, there, her eyes landed on the navy blue package that Nick had brought earlier. With her right arm, she reached for it, then, she took out the silver mp3 player. With care, she slid on the headphones and pressed play. She adjusted the volume and made herself comfortable. As she shifted on her back, she heard a familiar voice resonate from the headphones.
"Hi Sara," the voice drawled.
"See, I knew you'd be curious to listen to Garth Brooks; just kidding. I'm happy that you're listening to this, and don't worry, I didn't actually put any Garth Brooks songs on here. Wow, what can I say, it's been a long and crazy ride, we're all happy to have you back. I just wanted you to know that if you ever need anybody, that I would be there for you. You must be wondering why I made this for you," there was a pause.
"I made this because...well, I guess you'll see or…hear soon enough,"
Pause.
**
L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you can adore
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you
**
Sara couldn't help but smile, 'that's so corny' she thought. But her smile showed that although it was corny, it did touch her heart. Her heart was full, she was so happy. The events that have led up to this were now a distant memory, she was living in the present. The cheeks that once were covered with tears were now covered with radiance and love, heart hear overflowing with emotions. 'Say something' her mind screamed yet again.
Then, as she continued to listen, she occasionally heard Nick's voice comment on certain songs. She was happy, she was glad that she stayed.
Now she knew.
~*~
He was tired, after leaving the hospital, his day had turned horrendous. His muscles ached, not to mention the headache that he was currently suffering. He walked into the kitchen and took out a bottle of water, he looked at the time, 8:00. 'I wonder what's on TV' he questioned himself. He looked around the room and saw the flashing red light of his answering machine. '2 messages' it read. He smiled, pushed the button, and made his way towards the fridge.
"Hi Nick, it's mom again. I hope you're all right, I've been trying to get in touch with you for days. Anyway, I have some news to share, please call me when you can." He wondered as to what the news was; nonetheless, he took out some leftover lasagna from the fridge. He heard a familiar voice fill the air,
**
L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you can adore
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you
**
Sara's voice sang over the phone. He nearly dropped the plate he was holding; his heart jumped. He laughed, blushing, full of love and happiness. The day's events had melted away, the present was where his mind was at.
Now he knew.
~*~ FIN ~*~
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
A/N – I know nothing about ECG's, and I'm pretty sure that they don't really indicate a heart jumping, but that's ok. I thought it was cute, just pretend.
I have nothing against Garth Brooks, he's a very talented musician.
The song, L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole was, I must admit, corny. And that is usually not my style, but I think that at least now it's blatantly in Sara's face that Nick does 'love' her. Sometimes having a flashing sign in front of you is exactly what you need. I don't own the rights to L-O-V-E, I simply just burrowed it. Litigation is not necessary.
I hope that the ending is sufficient, happy endings are always best. I've left it like it is so you have the option to paint a post-ending tale that suits your taste.
Writing Saving Sara has been a blast, and I am absolutely thankful and happy that everybody enjoyed it as well. I couldn't have imagined the copious amount of feedback that I have received, it has truly pushed me to write again, after neglecting to do so in years.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who has read and reviewed my project, hugs and kisses all around.
Again, for the last time: love it, loathe it, and review it. - oceanwave
~*~
The smell of gin was strong, Nick sat at the end of a smoke laden bar. He was on his third shot of Vodka when Warrick entered the room. He walked towards his peer and sat in the stool beside him. Nick didn't flinch, he sat there staring straight ahead, contemplating taking another shot.
"You shouldn't be here," Warrick began.
Nick scoffed, "oh yeah? Well then, tell me where I'm supposed to be." Warrick looked at his trouble friend and responded,
"You should be there. Instead of drinking the pain away, why don't you try to help her? Talk to her."
"That's rich, telling me what I should be doing," Nick responded hurtfully. He took another sip of Vodka.
"Just tell her," Warrick finally concluded. He patted Nick's shoulder as he proceeded out the door.
Nick sat there, confused; all his emotions in a twist.
~*~
Grissom stood outside the room, not wanting to go in, to sit in a chair beside her. It pained him, the tubes and the wires were too much, and she suffered too much. He looked, as Sara's fragile body lied in bed, eyes closed. He couldn't imagine the things that this woman had gone through, enough to knock the life away from her body. He always saw the pain that parents went through when they lost a child, 'this is as close as I can get' he thought to himself. Tears were ready to cascade down his cheeks when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, he smelled vanilla and knew who was standing beside him. The vanilla made him feel at ease, reminding him of happier times.
"I knew I'd find you here. How is she?" Catherine questioned. She too looked through the glass window that parted them from Sara's room.
"She's fighting," Grissom answered.
"Have you talked to her parents?" Catherine continued to question.
"Not yet, but I did receive a copy of her living will," Grissom answered quietly. He handed her a piece of paper.
He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a way to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall.
"She's requested that in the event of her death, she wants to donate her body to science." Grissom placed his glasses back on his nose and glanced at Catherine.
"And you signed it, as her witness," Catherine concluded. She looked up momentarily at Sara, then at Grissom.
His face was worse than it was the last time they talked, it was evident that he hasn't slept in days; she stared at his usually relaxing eyes. She wanted to do something for him; to comfort him during this time.
"Don't beat yourself up over this, it was her choice. We just have to honor it when and if it happens," a brief pause passed.
"Listen, you look tired and I'm sure that you're hungry, why don't you come over?" Catherine offered.
"You can't do this to yourself, there's nothing more you can do. It's not up to us whether she lives or dies. Fate can tell, and time will know," she continued. She placed the palm of her hand on his rough cheek and looked at his tired eyes. He was empty, void of any emotion that can be expressed, nothing.
He looked into her blue eyes and searched, searched for something to hold on to. Grissom knew that he was losing faith, and losing his mind. It was through her eyes that he seemed to find warmth and understanding. He half-smiled.
"I'll be ok," he finally said. "You go home to your little girl, I'm sure that she wants to see you," he whispered.
She looked up at him, and cupped his face; she stood on her tiptoes and placed a warm kiss on his forehead. She smiled and stared into his eyes as she placed her feet flat on the ground.
He was surprised, he didn't know what to say, or even, if to say anything at all.
As she reached over to hold his hand, she looked straight ahead at Sara's motionless body; she knew that Sara was a fighter. She was going to fight.
He took her hand and held it, knowing that they both needed someone. He too looked straight ahead, praying that she would soon wake up.
Both of them stood there for a moment, staring at the colleague they missed; they stood there, not saying a word but feeling like they had listened to each other's thoughts.
He was glad that she wanted to keep him company, but at the same time, he also knew that it was rude and selfish of him to exclude himself from her. He saw and felt her concern, her eyes never lied.
"How about we get some coffee," he offered with comfort, as he ushered her towards the exit. She smiled, but was glad that he was taking time to care of himself for once. Both of them glanced back at Sara; she'll be alright, both thought, she's a fighter.
~*~
St. Luke's Hospital
Las Vegas, Nevada
The hospital was calm, especially the Intensive Care Unit, the nurses huddled around the nurses station. Soft voices raced the intercom system, paging doctors and specialist. The dark cold night gripped the hospital, but Nick sat there, just staring at Sara.
His heart physically hurt, but he felt somewhat empty. Empty, all faith and hope slipping from his grasp. For hours had he sat in the same chair, not knowing what he wanted, expecting something, but knowing that it was hopeless.
Slowly, he leaned closer to Sara's face, studied every line, eyelash and crease in her lips.
He reached for hand, and held it between his. The frailty of her fingers had surprised him. But he looked at her, still pained by the sight of tubes, wires, and monitors.
"Sara, I know that you want to go, but you're a fighter Sara; fight, this isn't your time. Despite what you think, you're not ready to go... I'm not ready for you to go," he paused.
"Stay, I'll be here...I'm here Sara." Tears were fighting to break free.
Nick held her hand, and rested his head beside her, staring up at her solemnly.
~*~
A tall woman walked past the rows of ICU rooms, briefly stopping at one in particular, SARA SIDLE, the name on the door read. She looked at the patient, then realized that the woman was active, she had just moved her head. Quickly, she moved towards the nurse's station.
"Call Dr. Foster. Sara Sidle has just woken up," the nurse requested.
~*~
Her vision moved from darkness to light, her eyes were tired and heavy. She reached for the warm hand that had held hers, but there was nobody there. Slowly, the silence in her head slowly dissipated, and now she began to hear the sounds of the hospital, the beeps, occasional page, and soft voices of nurses across the hall. The light was overwhelming, and in turn, she turned her head away from the window to her left, instead she faced the table full of bouquets 'Get Well Soon Sara' one balloon inscribed. Also, there was a chair, several magazines and empty coffee cups. She continued to blink, trying to gain as much focus on her surroundings as soon as possible.
~*~
Las Vegas Courthouse
Preliminary hearing of Mark Wallis
9:04 am
'BANG' 'BANG'
His world went dark.
The body of Mark Wallis lied dead in a pool of red blood. His mother stood there, with a gun in her hand, tears streaming down her face.
~*~
St. Luke's Hospital
Las Vegas, Nevada
9:15
The team had just arrived, along with presents; Grissom held a small plant, Catherine with a bear and a note from Lindsey, Warrick gripped a fruit basket, Greg too, had sent a chocolate bar.
They just arrived to witness the nurse disconnect several tubes from Sara, some wires still connected to her arms. She smiled at the sight before her, she was glad to see them.
She smiled. 'Where's Nick?' She questioned to herself, looking beyond the group in hopes of finding him. He wasn't there.
"Nick's on his way," Catherine answered, as if reading Sara's thoughts. The blonde woman walked over and handed Sara the note and picture that Lindsey had insisted on giving Sara. Sara accepted the note and read it. She smiled and soon handed it Warrick for inspection. He too smiled;
GET WELL SOON.
- Lindsey
Grissom at on the chair while Catherine leaned against the chair's arms. Warrick stood by the window. Sara simply looked at them, speechless; the days she spent in that trunk had made her reflect on her life. For one thing, she reflected on her work, on her colleagues; she feared not being able to hear her mother's nagging or her father's constant plea to visit. All her emotions consisted of fear, fear of not being able to do things, or say things; one simple resentment that plagued her mind. She regretted knowing that her last encounter with Nick ended in an argument. She always hated clichés, hearing them, and never really listening to them. But she resented the saying "its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" knowing full well that she's loved only two people, but always never got the chance to tell them. David Wallis, was her first love, the one that changed her look on life, who pushed her to become whatever she wanted. He died in a surfing accident before she could even tell him. It had been a while that she started to have feelings for her Texan, fun loving, and caring colleague, Nick. It was a gradual progression from a friendship that blossomed into something different. She hesitated making a move, she knew his track record with women, and she feared getting hurt. She tried many times to ignore her emotions, even taking different travel routes around the lab to avoid him. She didn't want to get involved, she didn't want him to hurt her before anything even began. It was the day when she did encounter him that she realized she couldn't hide. The relationship she had patched together with Hank, the paramedic, was a shattered, and Nick was there for a shoulder to cry on. She hated being rescued, and she was embarrassed that she was saved. Until that day at the baseball game confirmed what she dreaded, she was indeed in love. The jealous rage that took over her body at the sight of Traci was her wake up call.
Nick walked the room and smiled at Sara. Their eyes locked for more than a few moments, each other's heart beating faster. The ECG that was connected to Sara confirmed it. At this point in time, Catherine glanced over at Grissom, knowing that it was their cue to leave.
"Hi Nick," Catherine greeted while she gently tugged at Grissom's arm.
"We were just on our way out. We have a lot of work to catch up on," Grissom spat out professionally. Both hurried out the door and waved as they closed the door behind them.
"How are you?" he asked timidly, a little grin creeping up on him. He handed her a bouquet of flowers. His appearance today was a lot better than the last couple of days, for once he has actually gotten more than an hour's sleep. And for once in the past week, he actually smiled. His smile radiated onto Sara, and she too smiled.
"Exactly how I felt like after my first drinking party," she joked. Her pale cheeks had lent themselves to a light pink shade. Nick laughed too, he was happy that she was all right. The tubes and wires that covered her body have since been removed, leaving Sara free to move. As he stood there studying her, he noticed that she too commenced on studying his face.
She looked wonderingly at Nick, who was just standing at the foot of her bed, he was dress casually, sporting a Texas Rangers t-shirt and jeans. He didn't look like himself today; his eyes looked tired and faded, his laugh lines almost neglected. She wondered, 'I hope you're all right Nick.'
"So, how are the Rangers doing?" She asked, trying to both change the subject and sound cheery.
"They've been on three game losing streak," he drawled confidently.
"Oh, and before I forget, I brought you a present." He smiled handing her a pretty navy blue bag. She looked at him for a moment, hesitant as to receiving a strange package from Nick, she eyed him with suspicion and surprise,
"Should I be scared," she teased. He just looked at her, waiting for her to make a decision. And a decision she made, she opened the package carefully,
"An mp3 player," she paused and gave Nick a 'are-you-crazy-what-were-you-thinking-buying-me-an-mp3-player' look.
"Well, in case you get bored, I compiled about 92 songs; from Norah Jones, I heard she's really big, to Garth Brooks," he smiled smugly. Her face was filled with horror, but she smiled, 'that's pretty cute.'
"God, I knew there was a reason to live," she smiled. He laughed too.
There was silence that invaded the room, Nick stood calmly at the foot of her bed, while she lied semi-comfortably on the bed.
'I should say something, I should tell her. I love you Sara' he said in his mind. 'Tell her,' it yelled again. His heart ached, knowing that three simple words could speak volumes. To relieve himself of the pain and worry that he had gone through, to have all his emotions exposed.
'Say something, it was about time you said something. Quick, he's looking at you. Oh, he's walking over, say something.' Her mind was devising random sentences.
At this time, he finally reached her side, he held her hand and smiled. 'System overload' her mind screamed. 'Say something' it continued.
"Thank you for being here last night, thank you for telling me to fight," she stared at his brown eyes, honesty, and gratefulness flowing from her heart.
He too smiled, 'This is your chance, say something.'
"I'm glad that you decided to stay," there was an awkward pause.
"I just came by to see how you were doing, to say hello. But you need your rest, it was nice to see you Sara," he finally said. 'Coward!' His mind retorted.
He bent down to kiss her forehead, and he turned to start walking out the door.
"Nick?" Sara beckoned. 'That's right, say something.' her subconscious agreed. He turned around.
"Thanks. I'm glad I stayed," she grinned. '...and...' her mind urged, disappointed at the abruptness of her formulated sentence.
He smiled, and continued on his way out. 'I should have said something,' his mind reminded him.
'I should have said something,' her mind noted.
~*~
The sunset was beautiful, as always, and today Sara witnessed it in the comfort of her own bed, she lied in the hospital bed. She was exhausted, and she craved sleeping early that night. She turned on her side, there, her eyes landed on the navy blue package that Nick had brought earlier. With her right arm, she reached for it, then, she took out the silver mp3 player. With care, she slid on the headphones and pressed play. She adjusted the volume and made herself comfortable. As she shifted on her back, she heard a familiar voice resonate from the headphones.
"Hi Sara," the voice drawled.
"See, I knew you'd be curious to listen to Garth Brooks; just kidding. I'm happy that you're listening to this, and don't worry, I didn't actually put any Garth Brooks songs on here. Wow, what can I say, it's been a long and crazy ride, we're all happy to have you back. I just wanted you to know that if you ever need anybody, that I would be there for you. You must be wondering why I made this for you," there was a pause.
"I made this because...well, I guess you'll see or…hear soon enough,"
Pause.
**
L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you can adore
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you
**
Sara couldn't help but smile, 'that's so corny' she thought. But her smile showed that although it was corny, it did touch her heart. Her heart was full, she was so happy. The events that have led up to this were now a distant memory, she was living in the present. The cheeks that once were covered with tears were now covered with radiance and love, heart hear overflowing with emotions. 'Say something' her mind screamed yet again.
Then, as she continued to listen, she occasionally heard Nick's voice comment on certain songs. She was happy, she was glad that she stayed.
Now she knew.
~*~
He was tired, after leaving the hospital, his day had turned horrendous. His muscles ached, not to mention the headache that he was currently suffering. He walked into the kitchen and took out a bottle of water, he looked at the time, 8:00. 'I wonder what's on TV' he questioned himself. He looked around the room and saw the flashing red light of his answering machine. '2 messages' it read. He smiled, pushed the button, and made his way towards the fridge.
"Hi Nick, it's mom again. I hope you're all right, I've been trying to get in touch with you for days. Anyway, I have some news to share, please call me when you can." He wondered as to what the news was; nonetheless, he took out some leftover lasagna from the fridge. He heard a familiar voice fill the air,
**
L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you can adore
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you
**
Sara's voice sang over the phone. He nearly dropped the plate he was holding; his heart jumped. He laughed, blushing, full of love and happiness. The day's events had melted away, the present was where his mind was at.
Now he knew.
~*~ FIN ~*~
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
A/N – I know nothing about ECG's, and I'm pretty sure that they don't really indicate a heart jumping, but that's ok. I thought it was cute, just pretend.
I have nothing against Garth Brooks, he's a very talented musician.
The song, L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole was, I must admit, corny. And that is usually not my style, but I think that at least now it's blatantly in Sara's face that Nick does 'love' her. Sometimes having a flashing sign in front of you is exactly what you need. I don't own the rights to L-O-V-E, I simply just burrowed it. Litigation is not necessary.
I hope that the ending is sufficient, happy endings are always best. I've left it like it is so you have the option to paint a post-ending tale that suits your taste.
Writing Saving Sara has been a blast, and I am absolutely thankful and happy that everybody enjoyed it as well. I couldn't have imagined the copious amount of feedback that I have received, it has truly pushed me to write again, after neglecting to do so in years.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who has read and reviewed my project, hugs and kisses all around.
Again, for the last time: love it, loathe it, and review it. - oceanwave