DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here. Please don't sue me.
Chapter 16:
Nick stood in the doorway to Sara's room holding a vase of coral roses.
"Hey there, Tough guy." Nick called to her, bringing a broad grin to her face.
"Hey. Wow!" She spotted the roses as he meandered over to her dresser. "Those are amazing."
"From me, Warrick and Greg. How ya feelin'?" Nick gently set the flowers down, and scooted a chair up closer to her bedside.
"Better today." In truth, she felt like hell. The slightest movement brought a grimace of pain, but she didn't like the idea of being drugged to the point of numbness. She needed to feel something, and if pain was what it took to realize she was alive, then so be it.
"O'Riley really ripped those cops a new one at the site, from what I heard." He shook his head. "Brass has Braun in for questioning right now."
Sara edged herself up into a sitting position. Her pain was evident.
"Whoa there, Sar'. Here." He worked her second pillow in behind her for support. "Grissom is in with Brass for the interrogation." Nick took a deep breath. He wasn't certain how to continue without upsetting Sara, but any witness against Sam Braun had a habit of winding up dead. Grissom had asked Nick to stay with her until his return. Sara wasn't liable to accept a babysitter without a fight. Nick had requested a buddy of his on the force to guard her room personally. He knew he could trust Officer Roberts. The two cops from the site were under investigation as well, and Nick wasn't taking any chances.
"They don't know how, but someone leaked to the press that you were up and naming names." He clinched his jaw, and frowned.
"Great." Sara groaned more from the situation than from any pain.
"I've got a guy posted outside of your room, and I'm here till Gris gets back. Go ahead and complain now 'cause we're not leaving you alone for a second until this case is closed and Braun's behind bars." He folded his arms authoritatively, expecting an argument.
"Ok. When did Grissom say he'd be here?"
Nick was momentarily speechless.
"Uh, well that depends on how the questioning goes. Prolly in another few hours."
"How's Catherine doing?" Catherine was the only one of the group who hadn't yet been to see her. She understood why. She would feel guilty given similar circumstances too, but it wasn't Catherine's fault. The only person Sara blamed was Sam Braun.
Nick shrugged.
"She's been doing the paperwork, and running tests. She's really worried that her past relationship with Braun could cause trouble. I'll tell her you're doing fine. She should be here tomorrow. We decided to take shifts."
"What? With me? That's crazy." She was beginning to get agitated now. She didn't want the whole nightshift standing guard over her sickbed. "There's an officer right outside the door. That's overkill as it is."
"Sara. This is non-negotiable." Nick stood firm.
"I could always sign myself out." She rose up a bit too suddenly in anger only to come crashing back to the bed in agony.
Nick shook his head, and sighed. Sara was one stubborn woman, but she wasn't invincible. Neither was he. If he allowed her to go off on her own, Grissom would have his hide.
"It's just for a few days." He carefully gave her shoulder a pat.
"So you guys are forced to spend hours with me here in this little room?" Mortification was beginning to sink into the very depths of Sara's stomach.
"I can think of worse assignments. Yeah, and be warned. . .Greg said something about shaving cream and duck tape if you tried to make a break for it." Nick chuckled at her as she pouted. "Is there anything I can bring you? Any contraband food, or magazines? Books?"
A panic-stricken expression came across Sara's face as she suddenly remembered someone of the fuzzy persuasion.
"Oh, no! Nick! My kitten! He's been all alone for like three days now!" She looked ready to leap up again, as Nick held up his hands in a 'calm down' gesture.
"Relax. Catherine's been taking care of the little guy. She's been watering your plants too." He grinned.
"Thank goodness. I can't believe I just thought about him. I'm a horrible pet owner." Sara raised her hand to attempt to rub away her tension headache.
"I wouldn't say that. I think being unconscious kinda puts you in the clear Karma-wise." Nick was pleased to hear Sara in true 'Sara' form; arguing her point, being stubborn. He didn't like dwelling on the 'what-ifs' of the past week.
They chatted about a few older cases, and about the night at the pub the previous week until Grissom arrived a few hours later. He stood outside the door, and took in a deep breath.
"Ok, Nicky. My turn at the wheel." He smiled at the two of them as he entered, and pulled a small bundle of books from his briefcase.
"Later, Guys." Nick winked at Sara, and took his leave quickly.
Sara eyed the books with great curiosity.
"What'd you bring me?"
"Who says these are for you? Maybe I didn't want to be bored." He tried to hold his deadpan voice, but the last words quivered with held in laughter, and his eyes couldn't hide his smile.
"Right." She smiled. "Seriously. What'd you bring me?"
"I've got 'The Catcher in the Rye,' 'Murder by the Numbers,' 'Deception Point,' and my personal favorite. . .'Circle of Friends." He grinned, and handed over the books. "It's the best the gift store had to offer."
"They had 'Catcher in the Rye' at a hospital gift shop?" Sara laughed out loud, causing her to wince.
Grissom just smirked, and sat down beside her.
"You're not going to discuss the interrogation with me, are you?" She accused.
"Hadn't planned on it." He grasped her hand, and began massaging it again with his thumb.
"Gris, I'd like to know what's going on. We should have plenty of evidence to link Braun to the site, and my eyewitness account should make a huge difference to the courts. You've got the bullets. All we need is to find the gun."
"Oh, is that all?" He tried not to sound condescending. He hadn't wanted to upset Sara. Especially not while she was obviously still in so much pain. "Problem is, Braun already admitted to being at the scene. He's claiming he never saw you there, never shot any guns, and that he was too busy chasing down some guys trying to steal his dead son's body. He has credible witnesses backing him up."
Sara could feel her head starting to pound, and her vision getting blurry. She leaned back against her pillow, and took deep breaths. She thought they had him. She had seen this kind of thing before in cases, and it always made her furious what money and a big name could buy you in Vegas. This time, however, it was her at the receiving end. She closed her eyes as she spoke in a low and shaken voice.
"What about the two cops? They were there. They had to have seen a car peel out of there. They had to have seen something!" Her eyes remained tightly closed as she continued to try to calm the roar in her ears, and the blur of her sight. Grissom noticed, and checked her monitors.
"Hon, it'll be ok. We will find something. There's always something left behind. No one's perfect." He gently caressed her arm, and leaned his head against her shoulder on the pillow. He could feel her start to relax gradually. She drifted off to sleep as he leaned down, and placed a single kiss on her forehead.
TBC
Chapter 16:
Nick stood in the doorway to Sara's room holding a vase of coral roses.
"Hey there, Tough guy." Nick called to her, bringing a broad grin to her face.
"Hey. Wow!" She spotted the roses as he meandered over to her dresser. "Those are amazing."
"From me, Warrick and Greg. How ya feelin'?" Nick gently set the flowers down, and scooted a chair up closer to her bedside.
"Better today." In truth, she felt like hell. The slightest movement brought a grimace of pain, but she didn't like the idea of being drugged to the point of numbness. She needed to feel something, and if pain was what it took to realize she was alive, then so be it.
"O'Riley really ripped those cops a new one at the site, from what I heard." He shook his head. "Brass has Braun in for questioning right now."
Sara edged herself up into a sitting position. Her pain was evident.
"Whoa there, Sar'. Here." He worked her second pillow in behind her for support. "Grissom is in with Brass for the interrogation." Nick took a deep breath. He wasn't certain how to continue without upsetting Sara, but any witness against Sam Braun had a habit of winding up dead. Grissom had asked Nick to stay with her until his return. Sara wasn't liable to accept a babysitter without a fight. Nick had requested a buddy of his on the force to guard her room personally. He knew he could trust Officer Roberts. The two cops from the site were under investigation as well, and Nick wasn't taking any chances.
"They don't know how, but someone leaked to the press that you were up and naming names." He clinched his jaw, and frowned.
"Great." Sara groaned more from the situation than from any pain.
"I've got a guy posted outside of your room, and I'm here till Gris gets back. Go ahead and complain now 'cause we're not leaving you alone for a second until this case is closed and Braun's behind bars." He folded his arms authoritatively, expecting an argument.
"Ok. When did Grissom say he'd be here?"
Nick was momentarily speechless.
"Uh, well that depends on how the questioning goes. Prolly in another few hours."
"How's Catherine doing?" Catherine was the only one of the group who hadn't yet been to see her. She understood why. She would feel guilty given similar circumstances too, but it wasn't Catherine's fault. The only person Sara blamed was Sam Braun.
Nick shrugged.
"She's been doing the paperwork, and running tests. She's really worried that her past relationship with Braun could cause trouble. I'll tell her you're doing fine. She should be here tomorrow. We decided to take shifts."
"What? With me? That's crazy." She was beginning to get agitated now. She didn't want the whole nightshift standing guard over her sickbed. "There's an officer right outside the door. That's overkill as it is."
"Sara. This is non-negotiable." Nick stood firm.
"I could always sign myself out." She rose up a bit too suddenly in anger only to come crashing back to the bed in agony.
Nick shook his head, and sighed. Sara was one stubborn woman, but she wasn't invincible. Neither was he. If he allowed her to go off on her own, Grissom would have his hide.
"It's just for a few days." He carefully gave her shoulder a pat.
"So you guys are forced to spend hours with me here in this little room?" Mortification was beginning to sink into the very depths of Sara's stomach.
"I can think of worse assignments. Yeah, and be warned. . .Greg said something about shaving cream and duck tape if you tried to make a break for it." Nick chuckled at her as she pouted. "Is there anything I can bring you? Any contraband food, or magazines? Books?"
A panic-stricken expression came across Sara's face as she suddenly remembered someone of the fuzzy persuasion.
"Oh, no! Nick! My kitten! He's been all alone for like three days now!" She looked ready to leap up again, as Nick held up his hands in a 'calm down' gesture.
"Relax. Catherine's been taking care of the little guy. She's been watering your plants too." He grinned.
"Thank goodness. I can't believe I just thought about him. I'm a horrible pet owner." Sara raised her hand to attempt to rub away her tension headache.
"I wouldn't say that. I think being unconscious kinda puts you in the clear Karma-wise." Nick was pleased to hear Sara in true 'Sara' form; arguing her point, being stubborn. He didn't like dwelling on the 'what-ifs' of the past week.
They chatted about a few older cases, and about the night at the pub the previous week until Grissom arrived a few hours later. He stood outside the door, and took in a deep breath.
"Ok, Nicky. My turn at the wheel." He smiled at the two of them as he entered, and pulled a small bundle of books from his briefcase.
"Later, Guys." Nick winked at Sara, and took his leave quickly.
Sara eyed the books with great curiosity.
"What'd you bring me?"
"Who says these are for you? Maybe I didn't want to be bored." He tried to hold his deadpan voice, but the last words quivered with held in laughter, and his eyes couldn't hide his smile.
"Right." She smiled. "Seriously. What'd you bring me?"
"I've got 'The Catcher in the Rye,' 'Murder by the Numbers,' 'Deception Point,' and my personal favorite. . .'Circle of Friends." He grinned, and handed over the books. "It's the best the gift store had to offer."
"They had 'Catcher in the Rye' at a hospital gift shop?" Sara laughed out loud, causing her to wince.
Grissom just smirked, and sat down beside her.
"You're not going to discuss the interrogation with me, are you?" She accused.
"Hadn't planned on it." He grasped her hand, and began massaging it again with his thumb.
"Gris, I'd like to know what's going on. We should have plenty of evidence to link Braun to the site, and my eyewitness account should make a huge difference to the courts. You've got the bullets. All we need is to find the gun."
"Oh, is that all?" He tried not to sound condescending. He hadn't wanted to upset Sara. Especially not while she was obviously still in so much pain. "Problem is, Braun already admitted to being at the scene. He's claiming he never saw you there, never shot any guns, and that he was too busy chasing down some guys trying to steal his dead son's body. He has credible witnesses backing him up."
Sara could feel her head starting to pound, and her vision getting blurry. She leaned back against her pillow, and took deep breaths. She thought they had him. She had seen this kind of thing before in cases, and it always made her furious what money and a big name could buy you in Vegas. This time, however, it was her at the receiving end. She closed her eyes as she spoke in a low and shaken voice.
"What about the two cops? They were there. They had to have seen a car peel out of there. They had to have seen something!" Her eyes remained tightly closed as she continued to try to calm the roar in her ears, and the blur of her sight. Grissom noticed, and checked her monitors.
"Hon, it'll be ok. We will find something. There's always something left behind. No one's perfect." He gently caressed her arm, and leaned his head against her shoulder on the pillow. He could feel her start to relax gradually. She drifted off to sleep as he leaned down, and placed a single kiss on her forehead.
TBC