Before anyone could move, Sara muttered, "I'm ok." Her eyes didn't open, and she was still pale, but she was talking. "I think my blood pressure just jumped off a cliff or something. Blacked out for a second, but I'm ok." She heard Grissom's breath leave his body in a rush as he expressed his relief.
"In that case, Sara," the doctor noted wryly, "you might want to open your eyes and see your daughter." The baby had, surprisingly, quieted. Though she was still voicing complaints about the cold air, she was no longer screaming.
Sara opened her eyes.
********************
The group sat in silence. It had been nearly five hours since they'd arrived at the hospital, and no word had come from the delivery room, other than the one time they had been allowed to see Sara, which had been hours ago.
"Steve . . ." Amy Sidle's voice was nearly inaudible as she fought the worry that was close to overtaking her.
Her husband slowly swiveled his head around to face her, then rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and tried to smile. "These things take time, Am. You didn't exactly just pop Sara out on a sneeze, either, remember. If there were a problem, we'd know." He hoped he was right.
Nick tried not to move too much. Susan was dozing against his shoulder, finally tired out from her pacing and panicking, and he was loath to wake her. "She's fine," he thought to himself. "This is a hospital; Jen got exactly the care she needed when she had Laura in a similar place. They'll know what to do if something's wrong." Susan shifted her weight against him and her mouth came in brief contact with his shoulder. Nick smiled.
Warrick nudged Catherine, who was leaning against him, staring at the ceiling. "Look at Nick."
With a yawn, Catherine turned to look. Nick was sitting on the next set of chairs from them. He couldn't seem to decide what he felt; first his face reflected deep worry about Sara, then the next moment it relaxed into a smile as he looked down at the woman sleeping on him. "Love is in the air," she muttered. "Must be the female hormones flying around the maternity ward."
Warrick smiled dutifully at her joke, then sobered. "Do you think she's ok? It's been a long time." His eyes drifted back toward the hallway they'd spent the hours staring at and he sighed.
"Yeah, War, I think she's fine. I think if she weren't, all hell would be breaking loose, and it's not." She shrugged lightly. "Call it my woman's intuition, but I'm not going to start worrying just yet. Well . . . worrying much, at least."
Greg snored indelicately as he stretched out across the row of chairs nearest the coffee machine.
********************
"Guys!" All heads turned at the sound of Catherine's voice. "He's coming, and he looks like he's so happy he's about to bust."
Forgetting Susan entirely, Nick jumped up to follow Catherine's line of sight. When she woke up after hitting the back of the chair, Susan did the same, giving Nick a dirty look on the way up. Catherine was right – Grissom was coming, and he looked ecstatic.
"Well?" Nick demanded.
Grissom grinned. "Everyone's fine. We have a daughter."
Whistles and cheers greeted this pronouncement, and not only from the group that had gathered for Sara. Other families in the room had been watching the small band of people try to contain their fear, and they welcomed this news as evidence that the women they were worrying about would come out "fine" also.
Catherine ran to hug Grissom, then repeated, "Well?" When Grissom blinked in confusion, she clarified. "Tell us everything. What does she look like, how's Sara feeling, was there any trouble? Spill, come on!"
"Umm . . ." He attempted to gather his thoughts, but was completely unable. "I don't know, Cath! I just had a baby!"
Warrick grinned. "Don't let Sara hear you say that 'you' had a baby, or you won't be having another one!"
Grissom tried to frown at him, but was unsuccessful. "Come on . . . you can see Sara. If you all behave, maybe you can even see the baby." He gestured toward the hallway. "But I'm warning you: I'm serious about behaving. She's completely exhausted, so no upsetting her unless you want me to boot you out."
Nick and Susan were in the lead as the group trailed Grissom down the hallway, followed by Sara's parents, then Greg, Warrick, and Catherine bringing up the rear. They obediently followed him until he stopped at a bank of elevators.
"Uh, Gris?" Greg ventured.
"What?"
"Isn't she somewhere down" – he gestured toward the hallway they'd just walked through – "there?"
"No," Grissom said over his shoulder as he led them into an elevator. "She's in a regular room on the fourth floor now – and trust me, you don't want to go into the other room. It looks like a torture chamber." He could feel the smile still splitting his face, but was unable – and, really, unwilling – to wipe it away.
He tapped on the doorframe before leading their friends into the room. "Sara? Up for some visitors?" When she smiled and nodded, he motioned them in.
********************
Sara's mother hugged her again. "We'll leave you to sleep now, sweetie, but we'll be back tomorrow – and we want to see our granddaughter then!"
Sara smiled weakly, fighting to keep her eyes open. "Ok, Mom. I'll see you then." She watched as Grissom ushered the group out of her room, still smiling. Everyone had been at the hospital for hours, waiting for news of her and the baby. It was a good feeling, knowing that so many people cared about her.
Grissom dragged his chair toward her bed. He'd never seen Sara look so . . . serene. Tired, yes, but it was more than just fatigue. She looked satisfied, he decided. As though she'd just done something important, and, of course, she had. "How you feeling?" he asked in a near-whisper, running a hand over her hair.
"Good." She pulled his hand from her hair and held it, staring at it like it held the secrets of the world. "My god, Gil . . . we have a baby. A daughter."
He smiled. "I know. I can't believe it either. The two of us . . . probably the last two people anyone would have expected to have a child. I'm only just now realizing that even though I would have agreed with those people a year ago . . . this is exactly what I did want. I just didn't know it."
Sara's eyes fluttered closed, but her mouth quirked into a soft smile. "I know. I feel the same way. I have you, and I have our baby . . . I have everything I've ever wanted." She paused, opening her eyes again to look directly into his. "I love you."
