Sara closed her eyes until the wave of nauseating pain left her body, leaving slight tremors shuddering inside throughout her limbs and chest. She could feel Grissom's closeness as he gently stroked her fingers with his. The soft reassurance lulling her into a deep sense of security.
Opening her eyes slowly, she focused on his deep blue depths, feeling a wave of relief wash over her heart. Opening her mouth she tried to speak, but no words would come. Taking a slow breath she tried again, this time slowly. " Where…how?"
He smiled down at her tearfully, clasping her hand in his protectively. " It's okay. You're in the hospital," he lowered his voice reassuringly as he tried desperately to control the emotions in his voice. The words seem to drag on his lips however, as if the intense pressure from the last few days was finally taking its toll on his heart. Tears of relief flooded over his cheeks and he closed his eyes to try and stop the flow, but his emotions once more refused to be silenced.
His tears caused a surge of shock to run rampage throughout Sara's body, bringing with it the deep feelings that had embedded themselves inside her heart so long ago. She needed him to know that having him here, sitting beside her, hands enfolded meant everything to her.
Licking her dry lips, she squeezed his fingers, urging him to look at her. Holding her breath, she watched as his eyes fluttered open to reveal his beautiful eyes.
" Lindsey?" she whispered hoarsely, her voice croaking against the dryness inside her mouth. As she tried to focus, images flooded her mind. Images of the room crumbling around her as she fought to protect the little girl against the forces which had every intention to claim them. Flinching hard, she squeezed his hand in hers as she tried to banish the nightmare from her mind.
" You're in pain," he gasped, his voice a mere whisper. Loosening his fingers, he tried to disengage his hand from hers, but she clasped him tighter. " Honey, let me get the doctor?"
" No," she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears as she held on to him desperately. " Lindsey? Is she…"?
" Sara," he started, his voice shaking with tears ", she's fine. She got out alive because of you."
His words washed over her soul to crumble the walls of worry that had built a barrier around her heart. Closing her eyes, she whimpered softly as more tears consumed her body, freeing her at last from the guilt that had eaten away at her for so long.
" I have never been so scared," he whispered as he closed the short distance to plant tiny kisses into her hair. " I thought I had truly lost you this time." Reaching around behind her head with his other hand, he threaded his fingers through her hair while he laid his head next to hers on her pillow. She turned her face to rest against his, their tears mingling together as they both sought comfort from the other.
Lindsey woke up with a scream, her eyes searching the room in fear. The haunting images inside her mind returned with a power that left her shaken and wide eyed. " Mommy?" she whimpered, her eyes darting from the wall to the slightly open door, which filtered light in through the room. When she heard no response, she climbed out of her make shift bed and ventured outside into the hall. " Mommy?" she called again, her distress causing her to shake.
From the kitchen, Greg almost jumped from his chair when he heard her cry. " Lindsey?" he called as he walked towards her voice almost colliding with her coming the other way.
" Where's my mom?" she whimpered, " I want mom."
" Hey it's okay sweetie," he smiled, reaching out a gentle hand to coax her closer to him. "Your mom and Warrick had to go into work for a few hours. But she said you could call her when you woke up."
Lindsey watched him cautiously, as she wrapped her arms around her waist protectively. " I had a bad dream."
" You did?" he asked softly as he held out a hand to her. " How about you come and sit down with me and we'll see if we can make it go away?"
Watching him carefully, Lindsey slowly nodded her head. Edging closer to him, she untangled one of her arms from around her small frame and took hold of his hand, walking the short distance towards the coach to sit down. He smiled at her warmly before coming to sit down next to her, waiting patiently for her to talk.
" I was dead," she whispered tearfully, the images still embedded inside her mind creating a tidal wave that shook her small body in memory. " Sara was asleep and I couldn't wake her up." As she spoke, her tears turned to sobs that wracked her body as nightmarish remembrance poured her small body.
" Hey," he whispered shakily as he closed the short distance to pull her into a gentle embrace " you were so brave and everyone is so proud of you."
" But Sara died," she wailed mournfully, her small arms clinging to him as she sobbed ", she wouldn't wake up."
" Oh sweetheart, she didn't die. Sara's in hospital getting better because of you."
Lindsey shook her head against his chest, trying to will the images away from her mind, but the bleak gray surroundings of her concrete prison reared up to claim her again.
" Shh," he whispered softly ", it's all right now, you're okay and so is Sara. You're both safe. That's all that matters now."
Pushing herself away, Lindsey wiped the tears away from her face. " I want my mom."
Greg found his own emotions raging inside his heart. He knew that Catherine would want to be here with her instead of working. Reaching over for the phone, he picked it up and started to dial her number.
Warrick stood beside Catherine, worry shining clear from his eyes. As soon as they had arrived at the now destructed lab, the memories had started to filter through the pair of them. Only a few hours ago their lives had been ripped apart in more ways than one could fully comprehend.
" You feeling all right?" he whispered as he draped a hand over her shoulder in reassurance. He felt her tense beside him and moved to pull his hand away, but she stopped him by reaching up to clasp his hand with hers.
" Don't…please.."
" Hey it's okay," he whispered, pulling her into his body trying to give her some of his strength to get through this.
" Where's Grissom?" Cavallo snapped behind them as he rallied the staff like sheep in a pen. " I am not happy about the situation any more than you people are, so let's try and at least get some organization around here. So, I ask again, where is Gil Grissom?"
Catherine pulled away from Warricks chest to stand defiantly on her own. " He's at the hospital."
Cavallo glanced over towards her, then looked down at the clipboard in his hands. " According to my list, he wasn't among the injured in the accident."
" He's with Sara," she told him, her breath catching inside her throat as she realized her mistake. " Sidle," she corrected, He's with Sara Sidle and Nick stokes. They were hurt pretty bad."
" Well that's all very comforting, but he's needed here if we're to salvage some of this mess. So I would appreciate you calling him and asking him to make an appearance." Turning away from her, he addressed the rest of the night shift with unwavering resentment. " Not all of the lab was damaged. There was a major collapse in the break room and surrounding areas, but from the fire departments report, we still have access to many of the undamaged labs."
" That's good and all," Warrick spoke up, " but how are we supposed to carry out our work when the building's not even safe?"
" I was coming to that," Cavallo started, his eyes piercing Warrick with a scrutinizing stare " Brown right?"
" Yeah," he nodded ", I was inside when the accident happen."
" Well as for your first question, the building has been made safe. For now everyone will use the fire exit to enter and exit (from) the building. All areas from the break room through to the DNA lab are out of bounds until the investigation is complete and the building work commences." His eyes left the small crowd to look down at his clipboard again. " We recover what evidence we can, and by that I mean we work fast. That's all people, let's get to work."
Catherine sighed heavily, she knew the torment of the explosion would return to haunt her as soon as she stepped a foot inside the wrecked lab. She almost lost her daughter in here, and that was something she would never be able to forget.
Her cell phone had started to ring loudly, its vibration sending a pulsating rhythm down her side. Reaching inside her purse, she pulled out her phone and placed it next to her ear. " Willows."
" Where were you last night?"
Catherine's heart thudded inside her chest as she gasped in a deep breath. Reaching out to Warrick, she grabbed a handful of his shirt, clutching at him desperately. " I… who the hell are you? Why are you doing this?"
Beside her, Warrick's eyes grew wide in alarm as he reached over to take a hold of her hand, pulling her with him as they quickly made their way into the police department.
" Oh I'm hurt," the man chuckled. " You really don't remember me do you?"
Catherine tried to keep her voice calm as she hurriedly walked beside Warrick as he pulled her towards Brass' office. " I don't. I'm sorry, should I know you?"
" Think of the date bitch," he spat angrily. " Or maybe you need another demonstration."
" A demonstration?" she gasped ", look I don't know who you are, if you tell me then maybe I will remember." As she spoke, they moved inside Jim Brass' office causing him to spin around in his chair. Standing up quickly, he opened his mouth to speak but Warrick held up a hand to silence him then pointed to the cell phone over Catherine's ear. Nodding slowly, he came to stand beside her, writing something on a piece of paper, to hold it up to her. ' Keep him talking.'
Reading it, she nodded. Rubbing a hand over her eyes she took a deep breath. " You said I should know the date, August 3rd right?" When the mystery voice failed to answer, she tried again. " Look how am I supposed to know the answers if you won't tell me what I need to know?"
" You should remember, after all you're the one who helped to put him away," he drawled. " Think about it." The phone went dead suddenly, the caller ending this conversation.
" Oh god," she gasped tearfully, her arms reaching out to Warrick who stepped a little closer to ease her trembling body with his warmth. " He said I should remember the date. He said I should remember because I was the one who helped put him, someone else, away. Oh God this can't be happening."
TBC…..
