Grissom watched as the paramedics continued to work on Greg as they sped towards the hospital. They had covered his wound with fresh bandages, and were giving him blood via a small needle placed in his left arm. By all accounts, Greg should have been dead by now. Something was keeping him alive. Grissom knew that Greg was a fighter. The chemist would work at something until he knew the answer or had solved the problem. This was apparent in both his lab work and field work. He had always been a dedicated and hard worker. Grissom looked hard at the young man lying on the stretcher. His face was very pale and was a stark contrast to the red bandages on his arm. Grissom had to tear his eyes away from the heart-wrenching scene. With some effort, he pulled his eyes away from Greg and looked out the window. He recognized the buildings and he knew that they were near the hospital. He hoped that Greg would continue to fight and continue to live.
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Catherine had never felt so helpless in her life. She watched as the paramedics worked on Beth, tending to her wound and giving her blood. She found herself crying all over again. She wished she had taken the time to ask Beth why she was leaving the party. She wished she had thought to go with her. Then maybe it wouldn't be Beth on the stretcher, it would be her.
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Both of the ambulances arrived at the hospital within a relatively short time span. The paramedics exited their vehicles and rushed their patients into the hospital, so that they could be properly cared for by surgeons and doctors. Greg and Grissom were the first to arrive. Grissom followed Greg's stretcher as far as he could until he was asked to wait in a designated room. Grissom watched as Greg was rolled into the ER, and then did as he was told, knowing that Greg was in good hands. He entered the waiting room and began to pace the length of the room.
Beth and Catherine arrived within a few minutes. Catherine entered the waiting room, tears streaming down her face. She found Grissom pacing up and down the room and she walked over to him. She tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned to see who had interrupted his thoughts, he found Catherine, crying. The two embraced, sharing an emotional connection born out of tragedy.
After a few moments, they released each other. "Gil, how do you think Greg is doing?"
"It's hard to say Catherine. He lost so much blood that he should probably be dead. But he's still holding on. He's fighting to live. He's a strong kid. If anyone could pull through this, it would be him."
"I hope you're right Gil."
"I'm assuming that you rode with Beth." Catherine nodded her head. "How was she doing?"
"She lost a lot of blood Gil, but I think she's going to make it." Grissom nodded his head and returned to his pacing. Catherine headed for a nearby chair and sat down. Soon after, an uneasy silence settled in over the room.
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Within fifteen minutes, the rest of the CSI team arrived at the hospital. Brass approached the front desk and asked where he could find Greg Sanders and Beth Morstan. "Excuse me miss, do you know where Greg Sanders and Beth Morstan are located?"
The lady looked at some charts and found the necessary information. "Mr. Sanders and Ms. Morstan are in the ER. I'm afraid that you can't go in there right now, but there is a waiting room just outside the ER if you would like to wait in there."
"Thank you." Brass had been to the hospital many times and knew exactly where he was going. Nick, Sara, and Warrick followed close behind him. When he approached the waiting room, he found Grissom and Catherine waiting inside. "What's the word?"
Catherine and Grissom looked at each other, and Catherine spoke first. "Beth lost a lot of blood, but it looks as though she'll make it."
"And Greg?"
This time Grissom answered. "Greg is still alive, but he's on thin ice right now. His situation could go either way."
The group soon settled into the room to wait for news on their injured comrades. There was very little conversation, as everyone was thinking about the possible outcomes of the situation.
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They had been waiting for over an hour and a half. Any conversation that had taken place was trivial. They could think of nothing aside from Beth and Greg. Grissom turned to Brass and whispered to him. "Brass, these guys need to go home. Could you give them a ride?"
"Sure. Call me as soon as something comes up."
While Brass was responding, Grissom stood. "Sara, Nick, and Warrick, I want you guys to go home and get some rest. It's been a long evening, and it's only going to get longer. Go home and shower, eat, do something. Brass will take you home while Catherine and I wait here. We'll call you if there are any new developments."
Nick was about to protest when Warrick came up behind him. "Nick, listen to Grissom. We're not doing anyone any good by just sitting here. Let's go home and take a breather. We can come back in a few hours."
Nick sighed as he finally gave in to Grissom and Warrick's advice. "I want you to call me as soon as anything happens, okay Grissom?"
"You have my word Nick." Nick slowly led the way out of the room. Sara, Brass, and Warrick followed, and Catherine and Grissom were left alone in the waiting room once again.
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