Chapter 7
Staring into blackness was starting to become comforting. The weird thing was, though she couldn't see, she could feel the beam, only she knew it wasn't there anymore. It felt heavy and cold. She could only imagine what it looked like, as she never really saw it. She was tired, but couldn't sleep.
The door opened to her room, but she didn't move. The person stopped by the bed. It was Catherine. She knew. She would know that perfume anywhere. She was talking to her, but she couldn't hear any of it. Her thoughts were elsewhere. The bandages over her eyes were starting to itch, but it didn't matter, none of it did.
Catherine knew she was somewhere else. She'd been like that for two days. She hadn't spoken or acknowledge anyone. She didn't even ask about Grissom. It was something no one discussed. Squeezing her hand lightly, Catherine stood to leave.
The only words Sara heard from Catherine were. 'He's alive.' The tears wanted to come, but they couldn't and she turned away. Catherine left the room quietly to meet with the others. They were all worried, but pleased at the same time.
They had been told that Grissom was in intensive care and would most likely be there for a few weeks. No one knew when he'd wake up, but the breathing machine was removed a few hours after he was stabilised. The emergency room fought for hours to stop the blood and pump blood into his body. The concerns were his back. What Owen didn't explain was, where the blood was coming from. It seemed that Grissom's shoulder wasn't only the major injury, but Grissom's back was cut up badly from the impact of the explosion. He'd obviously caught the fragments of something and embedded themselves into part of his back. He lost consciousness and stopped breathing from the blood loss and the beam being removed started a flurry of blood to pump quicker out of his body, causing his body to shut down.
Sara was keeping to herself. She listened to her monitor as it beeped the familiar beep of her heart. She'd sleep, but only twenty minutes at a time. Her body didn't seem to want to let her rest. She was sore, ached and hurt all over. The doctors explained the painful back was from the plaster crushing her and wedging a rib in her left lung. Both were fixed and her eyes was operated on. Sight might come back, but there were no guarantees.
** **
Catherine sat with Grissom again. She'd stay for a few hours and then go upstairs to visit Sara. The others did the same, but neither spoke, only to let Sara know they were there and to tell Grissom to hurry up and wake up.
The nurse came round to check on the patients. Looking at Grissom's chart, she smiled at the progress he was making. Checking his monitors and lines, she left the two alone to continue her rounds.
Nick came onto the ward and hugged Catherine goodbye before taking a seat. Catherine went home to eat and sleep before she had to go in to work. Warrick was going to cover for Nick while two day shift personnel helped them out with cases.
After a few hours, Nick got up to go see Sara, when the bed moved slightly. He moved over to see Grissom's eyes squinting at the lamp. Nick pushed it out the way and smiled at the older man.
"Hey Griss."
Grissom blinked a few times to focus on the owner of the voice and smirked. "Hey." He weakly choked out.
Nick pressed the call button and waited for Grissom's doctor. "You feeling ok?" He asked concerned.
Grissom nodded. "Better than I was Nicky. Much better." Grissom took a small breath and closed his eyes.
Grissom's doctor stopped at the side of the bed and checked Grissom over as he spoke. "Glad to see your awake Mr. Grissom. It's been awhile. How do you feel?"
"Tired and achy." Grissom answered groggily.
The doctor smiled. "Ok, that's the medication we have you on, so just relax. My names Ben, Doctor Owen and myself operated on you when you came in. You had more severe injuries than was first thought." Ben explained.
Grissom nodded and turned his head a little. "How long ago was awhile?"
Ben checked his watch. "Four days, 6 hours and 32 minutes. It's been busy, you've kept us on our toes. We need to change your bandages later and then we'll talk some more. In the mean time, get some rest."
Grissom closed his eyes and fell back to sleep. When he woke up, Nick was still there. He was reading a book under the lamp. "Where's Sara?" Grissom asked quietly, but Nick jumped.
"Oh, um. she's on the 6 floor." Nick answered, putting the book down and moving closer. "She's not spoken to anyone."
"Why?" Grissom asked concerned and confused.
Nick sighed. "Griss, she can't see. She probably isn't even aware of anything."
"She's ok though, right?" Grissom asked panicked.
Nick nodded. "Yes. Punctured lung, bruised back, blind in both eyes. Her left is better than the right, but she still can't see." Nick explained the best he could and watched as the older man slowly laid back down in his bed, wincing at the sharp pain soaring through his back. "You ok Griss?"
He nodded and bit his lip. "Just moved." He squeaked out. Grissom closed his eyes again, feeling exhausted just speaking. Before drifting back sleep, he asked. "Nicky, don't tell her I'm awake. Tell the others. Wait until I can move and I'll go see her."
Nick didn't like that idea, but agreed. "Ok. I'll tell the others."
** **
Grissom was sitting up in bed three days later. His arm in a support sling and his back, padded with bandages and pillows. Catherine and Warrick were bringing him up to date with the lab and how behind they were
"You two really are the heart of the lab you know?" Catherine laughed.
Warrick nodded in agreement. "Sure are."
"Well, the sooner we get home, the sooner we can get back to work and sort the mess out." Grissom said confidently.
"That won't be for a few months, I'm afraid Mr. Grissom." Ben announced, suddenly appearing behind Catherine and Warrick.
Now Grissom had his own room, he could have more visitors. Ben, the doctor, would sneak in now and then to talk about his injuries or just to chat. Nick had gone to see Sara before going home to rest and told Grissom that she was doing fine. She was having the bandages off in a day and the doctors were discussing more surgery with her, but she didn't seem interested. Grissom had asked when he could see Sara and Ben said he'd get back to him and now, here he was.
"So?" Grissom asked, sitting up slowly.
Ben smiled. "Ok, just for a while. Maybe she'll speak to you. We're very worried." His smile faded as he approached Grissom. "A nurse will be here later to take you up. Just sit tight."
Staring into blackness was starting to become comforting. The weird thing was, though she couldn't see, she could feel the beam, only she knew it wasn't there anymore. It felt heavy and cold. She could only imagine what it looked like, as she never really saw it. She was tired, but couldn't sleep.
The door opened to her room, but she didn't move. The person stopped by the bed. It was Catherine. She knew. She would know that perfume anywhere. She was talking to her, but she couldn't hear any of it. Her thoughts were elsewhere. The bandages over her eyes were starting to itch, but it didn't matter, none of it did.
Catherine knew she was somewhere else. She'd been like that for two days. She hadn't spoken or acknowledge anyone. She didn't even ask about Grissom. It was something no one discussed. Squeezing her hand lightly, Catherine stood to leave.
The only words Sara heard from Catherine were. 'He's alive.' The tears wanted to come, but they couldn't and she turned away. Catherine left the room quietly to meet with the others. They were all worried, but pleased at the same time.
They had been told that Grissom was in intensive care and would most likely be there for a few weeks. No one knew when he'd wake up, but the breathing machine was removed a few hours after he was stabilised. The emergency room fought for hours to stop the blood and pump blood into his body. The concerns were his back. What Owen didn't explain was, where the blood was coming from. It seemed that Grissom's shoulder wasn't only the major injury, but Grissom's back was cut up badly from the impact of the explosion. He'd obviously caught the fragments of something and embedded themselves into part of his back. He lost consciousness and stopped breathing from the blood loss and the beam being removed started a flurry of blood to pump quicker out of his body, causing his body to shut down.
Sara was keeping to herself. She listened to her monitor as it beeped the familiar beep of her heart. She'd sleep, but only twenty minutes at a time. Her body didn't seem to want to let her rest. She was sore, ached and hurt all over. The doctors explained the painful back was from the plaster crushing her and wedging a rib in her left lung. Both were fixed and her eyes was operated on. Sight might come back, but there were no guarantees.
** **
Catherine sat with Grissom again. She'd stay for a few hours and then go upstairs to visit Sara. The others did the same, but neither spoke, only to let Sara know they were there and to tell Grissom to hurry up and wake up.
The nurse came round to check on the patients. Looking at Grissom's chart, she smiled at the progress he was making. Checking his monitors and lines, she left the two alone to continue her rounds.
Nick came onto the ward and hugged Catherine goodbye before taking a seat. Catherine went home to eat and sleep before she had to go in to work. Warrick was going to cover for Nick while two day shift personnel helped them out with cases.
After a few hours, Nick got up to go see Sara, when the bed moved slightly. He moved over to see Grissom's eyes squinting at the lamp. Nick pushed it out the way and smiled at the older man.
"Hey Griss."
Grissom blinked a few times to focus on the owner of the voice and smirked. "Hey." He weakly choked out.
Nick pressed the call button and waited for Grissom's doctor. "You feeling ok?" He asked concerned.
Grissom nodded. "Better than I was Nicky. Much better." Grissom took a small breath and closed his eyes.
Grissom's doctor stopped at the side of the bed and checked Grissom over as he spoke. "Glad to see your awake Mr. Grissom. It's been awhile. How do you feel?"
"Tired and achy." Grissom answered groggily.
The doctor smiled. "Ok, that's the medication we have you on, so just relax. My names Ben, Doctor Owen and myself operated on you when you came in. You had more severe injuries than was first thought." Ben explained.
Grissom nodded and turned his head a little. "How long ago was awhile?"
Ben checked his watch. "Four days, 6 hours and 32 minutes. It's been busy, you've kept us on our toes. We need to change your bandages later and then we'll talk some more. In the mean time, get some rest."
Grissom closed his eyes and fell back to sleep. When he woke up, Nick was still there. He was reading a book under the lamp. "Where's Sara?" Grissom asked quietly, but Nick jumped.
"Oh, um. she's on the 6 floor." Nick answered, putting the book down and moving closer. "She's not spoken to anyone."
"Why?" Grissom asked concerned and confused.
Nick sighed. "Griss, she can't see. She probably isn't even aware of anything."
"She's ok though, right?" Grissom asked panicked.
Nick nodded. "Yes. Punctured lung, bruised back, blind in both eyes. Her left is better than the right, but she still can't see." Nick explained the best he could and watched as the older man slowly laid back down in his bed, wincing at the sharp pain soaring through his back. "You ok Griss?"
He nodded and bit his lip. "Just moved." He squeaked out. Grissom closed his eyes again, feeling exhausted just speaking. Before drifting back sleep, he asked. "Nicky, don't tell her I'm awake. Tell the others. Wait until I can move and I'll go see her."
Nick didn't like that idea, but agreed. "Ok. I'll tell the others."
** **
Grissom was sitting up in bed three days later. His arm in a support sling and his back, padded with bandages and pillows. Catherine and Warrick were bringing him up to date with the lab and how behind they were
"You two really are the heart of the lab you know?" Catherine laughed.
Warrick nodded in agreement. "Sure are."
"Well, the sooner we get home, the sooner we can get back to work and sort the mess out." Grissom said confidently.
"That won't be for a few months, I'm afraid Mr. Grissom." Ben announced, suddenly appearing behind Catherine and Warrick.
Now Grissom had his own room, he could have more visitors. Ben, the doctor, would sneak in now and then to talk about his injuries or just to chat. Nick had gone to see Sara before going home to rest and told Grissom that she was doing fine. She was having the bandages off in a day and the doctors were discussing more surgery with her, but she didn't seem interested. Grissom had asked when he could see Sara and Ben said he'd get back to him and now, here he was.
"So?" Grissom asked, sitting up slowly.
Ben smiled. "Ok, just for a while. Maybe she'll speak to you. We're very worried." His smile faded as he approached Grissom. "A nurse will be here later to take you up. Just sit tight."