At his own place, Gil was trying to digest the news that he would become a
father in less than eight months.
Catherine was not young, already in her early-forties, and it had been more than a decade since her last baby. Gil was worried about her health and that of the baby. He had heard about the complications that could arise with these so-called high-risk pregnancies where the mothers were above the age of 35.
Gil got up and went to do some research about pregnancies over forty. He did not like what he found. The more he found out, the more worried he became.
'Hey Gil,' Catherine said as she opened her door to him when he came to pick her up for work.
She had put a hand on his arm and was leaning in to give him a kiss when Gil spoke.
'Cath, do you think keeping the baby is a good idea?' Gil shot out without thinking.
'What?' Catherine's hand pulled away abruptly as though she had been burned.
Catherine could not believe what she had just heard. Her boyfriend, if you could call him that, had just suggested that perhaps she should get rid of the child, their unborn baby? She would have expected that from Eddie, but not Gil.
'Cath, what I mean is that there could be complications in pregnancies such as yours. I'm not saying that I do not want this baby, but we have to think about the possible consequences as well.' Grissom said as he tried to explain to the distraught woman standing opposite him, staring at him as though she did not know who he was, what he was doing in front of her house.
'I have read about the complications that could arise in pregnancies over forty Cath. There are higher chances of birth defects and Down syndrome. You could also have high blood pressure and a weak placenta which could not only cause a miscarriage, but would also lead to hemorrhaging as well, which puts the mother's life at risk.'
'Those are not the only problems Cath. Perhaps it would be better if you.' Gil did not have time to complete the sentence before Catherine went back into her house and slammed the door shut.
'Cath? Open the door please? I didn't..'
'Go away Gil and leave me alone. I'll make into the lab on my own later.' Catherine managed to say before bursting into tears.
Gil heart wrenched as he heard Catherine sob. He never meant to hurt her. He hadn't meant to burst it out like that. He was supposed to approach the matter calmly and slowly, to go through the alternatives with her, but look what had happened. I really need to brush up on my communication skills Gil thought.
Not wanting to leave her alone at a time like this, Gil decided to call Sara. The two female CSIs had gotten closer over the past year and Gil knew that Sara would be able to help.
'Sara, it's Grissom here. Listen, I need you to do me a little favor..'
'You what? Grissom! How could you? How could you even suggest such a thing?' Sara practically screamed down the line at him.
'Of course I didn't mean it like that,' he said, frustrated, hurting, sorry beyond anything else that he was hurting Catherine.
'I'll see what I can do, but it sounds like you have done a lot already. Better not expect us to show up for work tonight. Yeah, I'll call you later.'
'Cath, open the door please. It's me, Sara.' Sara pleaded with Catherine after her insistent knocking at her friend's door went unanswered. She was getting worried when the door opened to reveal a weary-looking Catherine. It was obvious that she had been crying. The normally vibrant Catherine was gone, leaving a totally different woman in her place.
'Oh Sara.' Catherine muttered before falling into the younger woman's arms. She did not cry, not because she didn't want to, but because she had no tears left.
Sara didn't know what to say. She had never seen the other woman like this before, not even when she had lost her ex-husband.
'I'd rather lose my life than take the life of a child.' Catherine said after they had settled down on the couch. 'I can't believe that he actually suggested that I .' Catherine couldn't go on.
'Cath, he is just worried about you. He cares too much to let anything happen to you.'
'Yeah, but I can't do it Sara. I want this baby so much. It's already a part of me. I can't just get rid of it like that. What if I am able to carry this baby to term safely without any complications? It's not impossible to have babies in your forties anyway.'
'If he doesn't agree with me, that's too bad. I can do it on my own.' Catherine said firmly.
Sara could hear the resolve in the older woman's voice. She did not doubt that Catherine would do anything in her power to keep this baby. Sara knew how much she loved children.
A/N: Sorry if I made any false assumptions about the risks for pregnant women over 35. I also apologize if Grissom's reaction to the baby seemed a little extreme and over the top, but I needed something to explain the cause of a sudden friction in their relationship. Do tell me what you think!
Catherine was not young, already in her early-forties, and it had been more than a decade since her last baby. Gil was worried about her health and that of the baby. He had heard about the complications that could arise with these so-called high-risk pregnancies where the mothers were above the age of 35.
Gil got up and went to do some research about pregnancies over forty. He did not like what he found. The more he found out, the more worried he became.
'Hey Gil,' Catherine said as she opened her door to him when he came to pick her up for work.
She had put a hand on his arm and was leaning in to give him a kiss when Gil spoke.
'Cath, do you think keeping the baby is a good idea?' Gil shot out without thinking.
'What?' Catherine's hand pulled away abruptly as though she had been burned.
Catherine could not believe what she had just heard. Her boyfriend, if you could call him that, had just suggested that perhaps she should get rid of the child, their unborn baby? She would have expected that from Eddie, but not Gil.
'Cath, what I mean is that there could be complications in pregnancies such as yours. I'm not saying that I do not want this baby, but we have to think about the possible consequences as well.' Grissom said as he tried to explain to the distraught woman standing opposite him, staring at him as though she did not know who he was, what he was doing in front of her house.
'I have read about the complications that could arise in pregnancies over forty Cath. There are higher chances of birth defects and Down syndrome. You could also have high blood pressure and a weak placenta which could not only cause a miscarriage, but would also lead to hemorrhaging as well, which puts the mother's life at risk.'
'Those are not the only problems Cath. Perhaps it would be better if you.' Gil did not have time to complete the sentence before Catherine went back into her house and slammed the door shut.
'Cath? Open the door please? I didn't..'
'Go away Gil and leave me alone. I'll make into the lab on my own later.' Catherine managed to say before bursting into tears.
Gil heart wrenched as he heard Catherine sob. He never meant to hurt her. He hadn't meant to burst it out like that. He was supposed to approach the matter calmly and slowly, to go through the alternatives with her, but look what had happened. I really need to brush up on my communication skills Gil thought.
Not wanting to leave her alone at a time like this, Gil decided to call Sara. The two female CSIs had gotten closer over the past year and Gil knew that Sara would be able to help.
'Sara, it's Grissom here. Listen, I need you to do me a little favor..'
'You what? Grissom! How could you? How could you even suggest such a thing?' Sara practically screamed down the line at him.
'Of course I didn't mean it like that,' he said, frustrated, hurting, sorry beyond anything else that he was hurting Catherine.
'I'll see what I can do, but it sounds like you have done a lot already. Better not expect us to show up for work tonight. Yeah, I'll call you later.'
'Cath, open the door please. It's me, Sara.' Sara pleaded with Catherine after her insistent knocking at her friend's door went unanswered. She was getting worried when the door opened to reveal a weary-looking Catherine. It was obvious that she had been crying. The normally vibrant Catherine was gone, leaving a totally different woman in her place.
'Oh Sara.' Catherine muttered before falling into the younger woman's arms. She did not cry, not because she didn't want to, but because she had no tears left.
Sara didn't know what to say. She had never seen the other woman like this before, not even when she had lost her ex-husband.
'I'd rather lose my life than take the life of a child.' Catherine said after they had settled down on the couch. 'I can't believe that he actually suggested that I .' Catherine couldn't go on.
'Cath, he is just worried about you. He cares too much to let anything happen to you.'
'Yeah, but I can't do it Sara. I want this baby so much. It's already a part of me. I can't just get rid of it like that. What if I am able to carry this baby to term safely without any complications? It's not impossible to have babies in your forties anyway.'
'If he doesn't agree with me, that's too bad. I can do it on my own.' Catherine said firmly.
Sara could hear the resolve in the older woman's voice. She did not doubt that Catherine would do anything in her power to keep this baby. Sara knew how much she loved children.
A/N: Sorry if I made any false assumptions about the risks for pregnant women over 35. I also apologize if Grissom's reaction to the baby seemed a little extreme and over the top, but I needed something to explain the cause of a sudden friction in their relationship. Do tell me what you think!