Budding
Chapter Twenty Three
Warrick was looking over some evidence in the layout room when he got a page. It was Catherine and he rushed out of work to the hospital.
"Catherine Brown," he said to the head nurse.
"She's in room seven twelve," the stout woman of about fifty told him.
Warrick went down the hall.
"Hey," he said as he walked in. He brushed a strand of hair from her face as he kissed her forehead.
"Hi," she said happily. "You're right on time."
After a few more moments of light kisses and touches, the doctor came in.
"Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Brown, I'm Dr. Castor," the woman said cordially.
"Hi," Catherine and Warrick said in unison.
"So, Catherine, how has your pregnancy been so far?" Dr. Castor asked.
"Good," she said with a smile. "I'm getting a little achy, but other than that, I'm fine," Catherine said, looking up at Warrick. "I've been stuffing my face and having cravings."
Dr. Castor laughed. "I remember those days," she said. "I had to have tomato soup twenty four seven."
"It's asparagus for me," Catherine said.
"Well, that's a good source of folic acid for the baby," Dr. Castor pointed out. "Have you experienced any sudden pains, any sharp pains deep in your belly?"
"No," Catherine said.
"Have you been dizzy, unbalanced from the weight?"
"No," Catherine said again.
"Well Catherine, you are doing very well, and it looks like you're going to deliver a very healthy baby," Dr. Castor said as she wrote the information Catherine gave her down. "Are you ready to see the baby?"
"Yeah," Catherine said with the widest smile.
"Okay, Mr. Brown, can I get you to step over to the other side of your wife for me please," the doctor asked as she moved to the other side of Catherine. "Now, Catherine can you lift up your shirt for me and lower the waistline of your pants please?"
Catherine did as she was told.
Dr. Castor felt around Catherine's smooth, round belly for the baby.
"Ah, there's the baby," she said with a smile.
She turned on the monitor and then squeezed some gel onto Catherine's belly. Warrick panicked a little when she flinched.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing," Catherine said. "The gel is a little cool."
"Sorry about that," Dr. Castor said with a slight chuckle.
The doctor placed the indicator onto Catherine's belly. Warrick was unprepared for the whole thing.
"Is that going to hurt her?" He asked.
"No," she explained. "It's just the indicator to help me see the baby. It acts as kind of like a camera."
"Relax," Catherine said, taking his hand. "It just tickles a little bit."
"And…there's your baby," the doctor said.
Catherine smiled up at Warrick as the baby appeared on the screen. It was very active and that was confirmed by the heartbeat.
"What's all that thumping?" Warrick asked.
"That's the baby's heartbeat," the doctor explained.
"Is it supposed to go that fast?"
"Yes, its normal," she said. "You have an excellently healthy baby. Would you like to know the sex?"
"Yes," Catherine said.
The doctor moved the indicator around a bit at the right spot to where she could reveal the gender.
"Congratulations, you're having a healthy baby boy," Dr. Castor said with a warm smile.
Catherine smiled up at Warrick who was in awe of the whole experience.
***
Catherine was on cloud nine at work, and everyone was happy for her. She showed everyone the pictures of the baby.
Warrick was equally happy and excited.
"Way to go man," Nick said. "So, I guess this means we'll have to go out and celebrate."
"Catherine wants a shower now that she knows for sure that we're having a boy," Warrick said. "She wants me to cook."
"Okay, that shouldn't be a problem," Nick said. "While the ladies are doting on your son to be, the men folk can go do their own thing. How 'bout it bro?"
"You bringin' the beer?" Warrick asked.
"Hell yeah!" Nick said as the shook hands.
All of a sudden, they heard someone clearing their throat from behind them. They turned and it was Catherine. She had her hands on the back of her hips and she had her head cocked to one side.
"Hey babe," Warrick said.
"What's this I hear about beer?"
"Nothing," Nick lied.
Catherine glared at him. "You are aware that the shower is going to be for women and men right?"
"Sure," Warrick said.
"So there should be no reason for you to go off somewhere else, right?"
"Right," Nick said, the fear evident in his voice because of her tone. "I'll see you later Warrick."
"He's a bad influence on you," Catherine said as she waddled up to Warrick.
He put his hands on her belly and leaned down and kissed her.
He kept his hands on her belly for a little bit longer and he felt a kick.
"Hey," he said. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah," Catherine said with a smile. "Feel over here."
She moved his hands to where the baby rolled over to.
"He's athletic," she said. "Ouch!"
"What?" Warrick asked as he inspected her form.
"He kicked me really hard that time," Catherine said. "You better behave in there," she said to her tummy.
The baby's response was to roll right on top of her bladder.
"Your son has a temper already," Catherine said.
"Just like his mama," Warrick called as she rushed to the restroom.
***
Sara strolled into Grissom's office.
"Hey," she said cordially as she came around the desk and placed a tender kiss on his cheek, which had a healing cut on it from Grissom's pow wow with the police.
"Hi," he said.
"Well, it's been confirmed," She said as she sat in his lap. "There is definitely going to be an Isaiah Thomas Brown."
"When is she due?" Grissom asked.
"Sometime in October," Sara said. "Catherine is kind of in her own world tonight, so try not to work her too hard."
Grissom rubbed Sara's lower back and sat back in his chair.
"Something's bothering you," Sara said matter-of-factly.
Grissom sighed before starting.
"Carvallo wants Catherine and Warrick to appear before a board of directors," he said looking straight forward. "He says that it's about 'unethical practices', but I know it's about them getting married and still working on the same shift. He's called my entire career into question, and he's threatened to demote me, and make Catherine and Warrick retire their positions as CSI level threes. He wants to put them on different shifts, and if the board allows him, he wants to transfer both of them."
"That's horrible," Sara said. "What are we going to do?"
"First, I have to tell them," he explained. "Then we tell Nick and then take things from there. I know that certain people will have our back, and some won't. We just have to ride this out."
Sara ran a hand through is salt and pepper hair and leaned down and kissed him.
"You're a good man, Grissom," she whispered. "I know you know how to handle all this. All in war with time, right?"
He looked up at her and grinned slightly. "You always know exactly what to say."
"That's not true," Sara said with a modest smile. "But I know that right now is not the time to give up. We didn't give up on us, so we shouldn't give up on Cath and Warrick."
"You should be a saint," Grissom said as he caressed her thigh.
"Santa Sara?" She tried jokingly. "Nah, it doesn't suit me. Besides, I'm no angel you know."
"You are to me," he said. "You've kept me from going down roads that I would have otherwise ventured down into."
Sara grinned and kissed him again.