IX. Shattered
Sara threw a thick file down on Grissom's desk.
"Read and weep," she commanded.
"What is this?" He asked in his unfaltering polite manner.
"A break in the case of the four missing girls, the dead one at Discovery Zone, and Stacy Hamlin," Sara explained.
Grissom leaned forward and opened the file. He looked through it then he exclaimed, "San Francisco 1999!?"
"Look Griss, calm down," Sara said. "Listen to me. When I was in Frisco, I worked on this case with an Arthur Stanhope. It was a long case, and now I think we put the wrong guy in jail for those murders. I have reason to believe that the guy we're looking for resides here in Las Vegas."
"Look Sara, I know you're eager to solve this case, but you can't bring in four year old case files and make the evidence work the way you want it to," Grissom said firmly.
"How dare you accuse me putting things into this case!" Sara said, her anger boiling. " Look Grissom, there are five girls dead, one has been raped, and another missing girl has just been reported this morning! I have every right to believe that the bastard who's doing this is Catherine's boyfriend Vincent Mortenson."
It would figure Catherine just happened by his office.
"What did you say?" She asked Sara in a rage.
"You heard me Cat," Sara yelled. "Your boyfriend is a fucking psycho!"
Catherine didn't know what came over her. She was so angry that she stepped out of her body and witnessed her hand smack across Sara's face. Sara looked at her in shock.
"Catherine!" Grissom shouted. "Warrick get her out of here. Nick take Sara. You both need to cool off for a while."
Sara and Catherine gave each other withering looks as they were led in separate directions. Warrick had to practically drag Catherine out of the lab before she hurt someone.
"What is the matter with you?" Warrick asked. "Sara is seven months pregnant and you slapped her?"
"She deserved it," Catherine said, her voice full of hatred. "Sara's out of her mind. She's been blaming those murders on Vincent the whole time!"
"Cath, you need to calm down, okay? You've been acting real strange lately," Warrick said sitting her down on a bench. "Just take a breather."
Catherine was breathing hard then she threw up. Her dinner was now sitting in a puddle on the pavement. She threw up again. Warrick grimaced at her vomiting.
"Oh God," she whined as she leaned over and threw up again. Her whole body went forward as she threw up a steady stream of vomit.
When she looked like she was done, Warrick helped her up. She leaned against him to stop her dizziness. Her stomach lurched again and she threw up on his shoulder.
"Sorry," she said.
"Nasty," he said. He rushed her to the ladies' restroom. He saw her about to throw up again. "Cover your mouth! Hold it in!"
She threw up into her hand and it spilled through her fingers. They entered the bathroom and went into the first stall available. Warrick took off his jacket and put it in cold water then he assisted Catherine.
She threw up for ten minutes before she was better. She was pale and she felt gross. She began to cry.
"Sorry about your jacket," she wailed. "I've never been this upset before. Why does everything have to be so hard and frustrating? Why can't I have what I want? Sara has everything she wants and it was so easy for her," Catherine said bitterly. "I-I've been through it all! Why can't anything be easy for me? I love you, I love Vincent. Lindsay hates me. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm sick of everything!"
"Cath, will you get a grip?" He commanded. "Never have I seen you feel sorry for yourself, and you're not going to start now. What you're going to do is apologize to Sara."
Warrick and Catherine walked to the break room where Sara was holding an ice pack to her face, which had bruised. Nick was at Sara's side checking if she was okay. Catherine didn't realize the error of her way until she saw Sara's belly. It was then that she remembered what was in there and how much Sara loved it. Sara could have fallen over right on her belly, or she could have lost her footing and hurt her back. If it happened, it would be Catherine's fault.
Nick and Warrick left the two women. Sara and Catherine had finally faced off after three years of growing disrespect for each other. It finally came to a head. And now that it did, the women had no idea what they were fighting about or what their discontent was. Catherine just sat next to Sara, lost in thought, her eyes distant as Sara's, and broken.
