Title: Barely Existing
Author: Cindy Ryan
category: angst, Xover
pairings: Jack/Sam, Grissom/Sara
Summary: After 'Play with fire' Sara vanishes, Grissom calls in a favor
Notes: See part one. Thanks for the feedback. :)
"Mr. Grissom?"
Everyone waiting in the waiting room started at the female voice. Grissom looked up to see a brown haired doctor approaching.
"How is she?"Grissom asked as he walked toward the doctor. Catherine close behind.
"Sara's severely dehydrated has a few bruised ribs, concussion and several lacerations. I want to keep her sedated for the next twenty four hours so we can get fluids back into her. All and all she's doing remarkably well considering what she's been through."
"Can we see her?"Sara's mother asked anxiously.
The doctor shook her head. "Not today. Tomorrow you can. I'll make sure your names are added to the visitor's list."
"Thank you, doctor."Catherine acknowledged.
*********
One thirty the next afternoon was the soonest anyone could visit Sara. Grissom walked into Sara's hospital room carrying a bouquet of red roses in a crystal vase. He hadn't left the hospital the night before and had only left early that morning to grab a shower and change of clothes.
"Those are beautiful."
Grissom's head jerked toward the bed surprised that she was awake. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Sara smiled. "You didn't. I'm glad to see a familiar face."
Grissom returned her smile as he set the vase down on the small side table next to the bed. "They wouldn't let us visit you until now. The others are waiting impatiently in the hall. But I thought one at a time would be easier on you."
Sara nodded. "Thank you."
Grissom pulled a chair up next to Sara's bed watching her closely. Her skin was pale making her numerous bruises stark against it. There was also a large gash against her left wrist where Grissom guessed the bracelet had been ripped away. It was now covered with a bandage. There were red marks mixed with bruises around Sara's neck showing where Caton had made initial contact. IV tubes ran into her left arm.
Sara saw Grissom's gaze tracing each of her injuries and reached out to cover his right hand with hers. "I'll be okay."
Grissom nodded. "I know."
"How did you find me?"Sara asked her voice quiet. "I asked but the doctors didn't know many of the details only that the FBI was involved."
Grissom cleared his throat. "Nick was the first to notice that you were missing. He found your apartment door unlocked when he came to pick you up for breakfast. I called in a favor with a friend who runs the missing persons unit of the FBI in New York. They flew in that afternoon."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "You have friends with the Feds? Thought you hated them."
Grissom shook his head. "I don't hate them. I hate the non-cooperation between departments."
Sara leaned back against the pillow her new found strength suddenly fading. Tears began to form as she said. "I'm glad you decided to trust them anyway. I don't think I could've held out much longer. The air was getting stale, there wasn't any water....."
Grissom reached forward and squeezed her hand to comfort her. Silence hung between them for a moment.
"You scared the hell out of me, Sara."Grissom stated in a trembling voice."I've been able to rely on you for years. To trust and count on your friendship and to suddenly have a void.....I had no idea what to do without you."
Sara saw the stark emotion on Grissom's face and swallowed hard. She couldn't deal with this right now. The awkwardness between them the last few weeks had been hard enough.
"Gil....."
Grissom met her gaze and saw the unshed tears. He didn't want to cause her any pain. But this had gone on too long. He needed to get his feelings out even if they could never be returned.
"Sara, let me finish."Grissom replied softly.
Sara nodded and leaned back against the pillow.
"When you disappeared it gave me a lot of time to think. A few weeks ago you asked me to take a chance and I was too afraid to be hurt if this thing between us didn't last."
Surprised at his words Sara opened her mouth to speak but closed it when Gil placed a hand on her arm.
"I know I've hurt you and if after all this you want to transfer I won't stand in your way if that's what you really want."Grissom paused and took a breath."But I do care about you a great deal, Sara. I always have.
You know I'm not good with people.....with relationships. I'm better with science, with experiments that have a controlled start and end.
I do know that the void I've dealt with over the past thirty hours is something I never want to experience again. I do treasure the part of my life that you hold. If you decide you want to give us another chance.....once you've healed.....once you've considered everything we're risking. I'm more than willing to try to define this thing we have."
Tears clogged Sara's throat so she couldn't speak. Never had she expected to hear such words of emotion from Grissom. Sara thought he had dismissed her to nothing more than an employee.
Grissom took her silence as an answer and slowly stood. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead.
"I'll let you rest a few minutes before I sent your parents in."
Sara snagged Grissom's right arm as he turned to leave. "Gris...."
Author: Cindy Ryan
category: angst, Xover
pairings: Jack/Sam, Grissom/Sara
Summary: After 'Play with fire' Sara vanishes, Grissom calls in a favor
Notes: See part one. Thanks for the feedback. :)
"Mr. Grissom?"
Everyone waiting in the waiting room started at the female voice. Grissom looked up to see a brown haired doctor approaching.
"How is she?"Grissom asked as he walked toward the doctor. Catherine close behind.
"Sara's severely dehydrated has a few bruised ribs, concussion and several lacerations. I want to keep her sedated for the next twenty four hours so we can get fluids back into her. All and all she's doing remarkably well considering what she's been through."
"Can we see her?"Sara's mother asked anxiously.
The doctor shook her head. "Not today. Tomorrow you can. I'll make sure your names are added to the visitor's list."
"Thank you, doctor."Catherine acknowledged.
*********
One thirty the next afternoon was the soonest anyone could visit Sara. Grissom walked into Sara's hospital room carrying a bouquet of red roses in a crystal vase. He hadn't left the hospital the night before and had only left early that morning to grab a shower and change of clothes.
"Those are beautiful."
Grissom's head jerked toward the bed surprised that she was awake. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Sara smiled. "You didn't. I'm glad to see a familiar face."
Grissom returned her smile as he set the vase down on the small side table next to the bed. "They wouldn't let us visit you until now. The others are waiting impatiently in the hall. But I thought one at a time would be easier on you."
Sara nodded. "Thank you."
Grissom pulled a chair up next to Sara's bed watching her closely. Her skin was pale making her numerous bruises stark against it. There was also a large gash against her left wrist where Grissom guessed the bracelet had been ripped away. It was now covered with a bandage. There were red marks mixed with bruises around Sara's neck showing where Caton had made initial contact. IV tubes ran into her left arm.
Sara saw Grissom's gaze tracing each of her injuries and reached out to cover his right hand with hers. "I'll be okay."
Grissom nodded. "I know."
"How did you find me?"Sara asked her voice quiet. "I asked but the doctors didn't know many of the details only that the FBI was involved."
Grissom cleared his throat. "Nick was the first to notice that you were missing. He found your apartment door unlocked when he came to pick you up for breakfast. I called in a favor with a friend who runs the missing persons unit of the FBI in New York. They flew in that afternoon."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "You have friends with the Feds? Thought you hated them."
Grissom shook his head. "I don't hate them. I hate the non-cooperation between departments."
Sara leaned back against the pillow her new found strength suddenly fading. Tears began to form as she said. "I'm glad you decided to trust them anyway. I don't think I could've held out much longer. The air was getting stale, there wasn't any water....."
Grissom reached forward and squeezed her hand to comfort her. Silence hung between them for a moment.
"You scared the hell out of me, Sara."Grissom stated in a trembling voice."I've been able to rely on you for years. To trust and count on your friendship and to suddenly have a void.....I had no idea what to do without you."
Sara saw the stark emotion on Grissom's face and swallowed hard. She couldn't deal with this right now. The awkwardness between them the last few weeks had been hard enough.
"Gil....."
Grissom met her gaze and saw the unshed tears. He didn't want to cause her any pain. But this had gone on too long. He needed to get his feelings out even if they could never be returned.
"Sara, let me finish."Grissom replied softly.
Sara nodded and leaned back against the pillow.
"When you disappeared it gave me a lot of time to think. A few weeks ago you asked me to take a chance and I was too afraid to be hurt if this thing between us didn't last."
Surprised at his words Sara opened her mouth to speak but closed it when Gil placed a hand on her arm.
"I know I've hurt you and if after all this you want to transfer I won't stand in your way if that's what you really want."Grissom paused and took a breath."But I do care about you a great deal, Sara. I always have.
You know I'm not good with people.....with relationships. I'm better with science, with experiments that have a controlled start and end.
I do know that the void I've dealt with over the past thirty hours is something I never want to experience again. I do treasure the part of my life that you hold. If you decide you want to give us another chance.....once you've healed.....once you've considered everything we're risking. I'm more than willing to try to define this thing we have."
Tears clogged Sara's throat so she couldn't speak. Never had she expected to hear such words of emotion from Grissom. Sara thought he had dismissed her to nothing more than an employee.
Grissom took her silence as an answer and slowly stood. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead.
"I'll let you rest a few minutes before I sent your parents in."
Sara snagged Grissom's right arm as he turned to leave. "Gris...."