Chapter Eleven
"Gil, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?" Catherine grabbed her keys and followed him, shutting the door after her.
"That was Nick. Sara and Nick have been in an accident, they are at the hospital." Grissom was about to get into his car when Catherine took his keys from him.
At his angered face she told him. "I'll drive." He relented and got in the passenger side. Catherine started the engine and backed down the drive. They were at the hospital in ten minutes.
Nick was pacing the waiting room when Grissom and Catherine walked in. "Griss." Nick squeaked out.
Grissom walked up to him and stopped his pacing. He put his hands on his shoulders. "Nicky, it's ok. What happened? Where's Sara?"
Nick looked at Catherine, then at the floor. "She's in surgery." He looked up at Grissom with sad eyes. "I went round Sara's so we could go grab a bite to eat, you know? Get her to spill about you guys, but when we stopped at a red light, a truck came out of no where. Out of no where Griss. How can that happen? One scratch on me, just one god damned stratch and Sara get's surgery. I don't get it-"
Sitting Nick down, Grissom turned to Catherine. "Cath, can you get him something to drink?" She nodded and left the room. Grissom turned back to Nick. "Nicky, tell me how bad it is. Is she going to be ok?"
Nick shook his head and at Grissom panicked look said. "I don't know. The doctor said he'd be out soon. She was driving Griss, but it didn't look that bad, really. The truck hit and afterwards we both looked at each other and then all of a sudden, Sara started coughing. Jesus Griss, she was coughing up blood. There was so much blood." Nick started to cry as Warrick walked in.
"Hey guys, I just heard. How is she? Nick, you alright?" Warrick sat next to Nick, recieving a nod.
Grissom filled him in with what he knew. "We just got here ourselves and the doctor hasn't been out yet. Nick, are you sure you're ok? Did someone take a look at you?"
Nick nodded and sat with his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry guys."
"Hey, it wasn't your fault. Let's wait and see what the doctor says, ok?" Grissom rubbed Nick's shoulder.
Catherine came back with coffee. "I knew you would all need one. Here, Warrick. I'll get another one." Catherine handed him her cup.
"No thanks Cath, you have that one. I'll get myself one." Catherine nodded and Warrick left to get a coffee for himself using the time to be strong for his friends.
Hours went by and still no doctor. Warrick was becoming restless. Nick had fallen asleep on the small couch. Catherine was reading a magazine and Grissom was looking out the window. He hadn't said a thing since Warrick came back with his coffee.
Warrick got up and left the room. He went in search of a nurse that could help and found the doctor halfway down the hall heading towards him.
"I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting, but the surgery took longer than expected." The doctor closed the waiting room door behind him and took a seat.
Nick sat up and Catherine put the magazine down. Warrick stood behind Catherine and squeezed her shoulder for reassurance. Grissom stood looking, waiting for the doctor to continue.
"Firstly, My name is Doctor Peters. I operated on Miss Sidle. She had some internal bleeding from the collision with the truck, but she will be fine in the long run. She will need to take it easy for a few weeks, but no heavy work for a few days. From what I've been told about your jobs, I think paper work duty is safe enough for now, but no more." Nods were received from everyone. "Well then, now that's settled, you can see her, but she will be a little groggy from the anaesthetic for a while yet. She's on painkillers so she shouldn't feel too uncomfortable. I've already explained the light work to Miss Sidle and she understands. Just make sure she sticks to taking it easy for a while until she fully recovers." The doctor led them down to Sara's room and left them.
"Griss, why don't you go in and we'll see Sara after shift. I'll square it with Mobley that you're taking a sick day." Catherine said turning to Warrick and Nick who both nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure?" Grissom had his hand on the door handle.
Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, we'll see her after shift and tell her that we're all thinking of her."
"Ok. Thanks Nick. Oh, and take it easy will you? You were in the crash too. Warrick, keep and eye on him, ok?"
"Will do Griss. See you later." With that Catherine, Warrick and Nick left the hospital.
Grissom opened the door and walked in. Sara was lying still with lines coming from her left hand and arm. The bleep of the monitors could be heard from the hallway. Grissom walked around the bed to her right side and sat in the chair that had been put there by a nurse. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss on her palm before raising it to his cheek. He held it there for a while returning it to the bed.
A few hours later, Sara shifted and grimaced in pain. She tried to lift her right hand, but couldn't. She turned her head and saw Grissom's head lying on the blankets holding her hand. When Sara managed to get her hand free, she brushed back his curls around the top of his ear and ran the back of her hand down his cheek. He stirred and lifted his head. "Hey." She managed with a dry throat, but started to cough.
Grissom sat up quickly at the sound of her voice and reached for the glass of water on her bedside. He assisted in lifting her head to drink from the glass, then let her head sink back into the pillow. Replacing the glass, he sat and took her hand in his. "You ok now?"
She looked him in the eyes and saw the deep concern. "Yeah, just got a dry throat. I'm better now that you're here." She smiled and squeezed his hand.
He squeezed her hand in return. "How are you feeling?"
Sara shifted, but stopped when pain shot through stomach. "Ow!" She grabbed his hand as he stood, to stop him. "It's ok Griss." She reassured him. "I'm feeling better than I was. Painkillers seem to be wearing off is all."
He nodded tiredly and sat down again. "So.you were going for food with Nick, who is fine, so don't worry. He's with Catherine and Warrick. Anyway you were going to tell him about us."
Sara smiled, but stopped herself from laughing because of the pain that was ready to errupt. "I was not."
He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah right, try saying that without the grin this time." She smiled and closed her eyes "You should get some more sleep. I'll be here when you wake up, promise."
Sara opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Tell Nick that when I see him, he will suffer for telling you why we were going out to eat." She closed her eyes, but continued speaking. "Anyway, Nick is to me, what Catherine is to you. So don't lecture me. I bet you'd tell Catherine if you got the chance."
"Actually..." Sara's eyes flew open and Grissom chuckled. "She stopped by the house earlier and asked me. She pretty much figured it all out, but whatever you do, don't tell he we did it in the Dry Room, it'll drive her crazy for weeks." Grissom laughed at Sara's shocked expression. "Get some sleep, the others will be by at the end of shift."
With that Sara closed her eyes and drifted off the sleep. The nurse came in a short time later and topped up the painkillers before moving onto another patient.
"Gil, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?" Catherine grabbed her keys and followed him, shutting the door after her.
"That was Nick. Sara and Nick have been in an accident, they are at the hospital." Grissom was about to get into his car when Catherine took his keys from him.
At his angered face she told him. "I'll drive." He relented and got in the passenger side. Catherine started the engine and backed down the drive. They were at the hospital in ten minutes.
Nick was pacing the waiting room when Grissom and Catherine walked in. "Griss." Nick squeaked out.
Grissom walked up to him and stopped his pacing. He put his hands on his shoulders. "Nicky, it's ok. What happened? Where's Sara?"
Nick looked at Catherine, then at the floor. "She's in surgery." He looked up at Grissom with sad eyes. "I went round Sara's so we could go grab a bite to eat, you know? Get her to spill about you guys, but when we stopped at a red light, a truck came out of no where. Out of no where Griss. How can that happen? One scratch on me, just one god damned stratch and Sara get's surgery. I don't get it-"
Sitting Nick down, Grissom turned to Catherine. "Cath, can you get him something to drink?" She nodded and left the room. Grissom turned back to Nick. "Nicky, tell me how bad it is. Is she going to be ok?"
Nick shook his head and at Grissom panicked look said. "I don't know. The doctor said he'd be out soon. She was driving Griss, but it didn't look that bad, really. The truck hit and afterwards we both looked at each other and then all of a sudden, Sara started coughing. Jesus Griss, she was coughing up blood. There was so much blood." Nick started to cry as Warrick walked in.
"Hey guys, I just heard. How is she? Nick, you alright?" Warrick sat next to Nick, recieving a nod.
Grissom filled him in with what he knew. "We just got here ourselves and the doctor hasn't been out yet. Nick, are you sure you're ok? Did someone take a look at you?"
Nick nodded and sat with his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry guys."
"Hey, it wasn't your fault. Let's wait and see what the doctor says, ok?" Grissom rubbed Nick's shoulder.
Catherine came back with coffee. "I knew you would all need one. Here, Warrick. I'll get another one." Catherine handed him her cup.
"No thanks Cath, you have that one. I'll get myself one." Catherine nodded and Warrick left to get a coffee for himself using the time to be strong for his friends.
Hours went by and still no doctor. Warrick was becoming restless. Nick had fallen asleep on the small couch. Catherine was reading a magazine and Grissom was looking out the window. He hadn't said a thing since Warrick came back with his coffee.
Warrick got up and left the room. He went in search of a nurse that could help and found the doctor halfway down the hall heading towards him.
"I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting, but the surgery took longer than expected." The doctor closed the waiting room door behind him and took a seat.
Nick sat up and Catherine put the magazine down. Warrick stood behind Catherine and squeezed her shoulder for reassurance. Grissom stood looking, waiting for the doctor to continue.
"Firstly, My name is Doctor Peters. I operated on Miss Sidle. She had some internal bleeding from the collision with the truck, but she will be fine in the long run. She will need to take it easy for a few weeks, but no heavy work for a few days. From what I've been told about your jobs, I think paper work duty is safe enough for now, but no more." Nods were received from everyone. "Well then, now that's settled, you can see her, but she will be a little groggy from the anaesthetic for a while yet. She's on painkillers so she shouldn't feel too uncomfortable. I've already explained the light work to Miss Sidle and she understands. Just make sure she sticks to taking it easy for a while until she fully recovers." The doctor led them down to Sara's room and left them.
"Griss, why don't you go in and we'll see Sara after shift. I'll square it with Mobley that you're taking a sick day." Catherine said turning to Warrick and Nick who both nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure?" Grissom had his hand on the door handle.
Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, we'll see her after shift and tell her that we're all thinking of her."
"Ok. Thanks Nick. Oh, and take it easy will you? You were in the crash too. Warrick, keep and eye on him, ok?"
"Will do Griss. See you later." With that Catherine, Warrick and Nick left the hospital.
Grissom opened the door and walked in. Sara was lying still with lines coming from her left hand and arm. The bleep of the monitors could be heard from the hallway. Grissom walked around the bed to her right side and sat in the chair that had been put there by a nurse. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss on her palm before raising it to his cheek. He held it there for a while returning it to the bed.
A few hours later, Sara shifted and grimaced in pain. She tried to lift her right hand, but couldn't. She turned her head and saw Grissom's head lying on the blankets holding her hand. When Sara managed to get her hand free, she brushed back his curls around the top of his ear and ran the back of her hand down his cheek. He stirred and lifted his head. "Hey." She managed with a dry throat, but started to cough.
Grissom sat up quickly at the sound of her voice and reached for the glass of water on her bedside. He assisted in lifting her head to drink from the glass, then let her head sink back into the pillow. Replacing the glass, he sat and took her hand in his. "You ok now?"
She looked him in the eyes and saw the deep concern. "Yeah, just got a dry throat. I'm better now that you're here." She smiled and squeezed his hand.
He squeezed her hand in return. "How are you feeling?"
Sara shifted, but stopped when pain shot through stomach. "Ow!" She grabbed his hand as he stood, to stop him. "It's ok Griss." She reassured him. "I'm feeling better than I was. Painkillers seem to be wearing off is all."
He nodded tiredly and sat down again. "So.you were going for food with Nick, who is fine, so don't worry. He's with Catherine and Warrick. Anyway you were going to tell him about us."
Sara smiled, but stopped herself from laughing because of the pain that was ready to errupt. "I was not."
He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah right, try saying that without the grin this time." She smiled and closed her eyes "You should get some more sleep. I'll be here when you wake up, promise."
Sara opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Tell Nick that when I see him, he will suffer for telling you why we were going out to eat." She closed her eyes, but continued speaking. "Anyway, Nick is to me, what Catherine is to you. So don't lecture me. I bet you'd tell Catherine if you got the chance."
"Actually..." Sara's eyes flew open and Grissom chuckled. "She stopped by the house earlier and asked me. She pretty much figured it all out, but whatever you do, don't tell he we did it in the Dry Room, it'll drive her crazy for weeks." Grissom laughed at Sara's shocked expression. "Get some sleep, the others will be by at the end of shift."
With that Sara closed her eyes and drifted off the sleep. The nurse came in a short time later and topped up the painkillers before moving onto another patient.