DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. None of this is mine. This font? Not mine.
Please don't sue me, k?
A/N: Spoilers? Yup! Mostly from Season 4's "Butterflied."
CH.12:
Brass and Sara sat in the hospital waiting room, awaiting news on Grissom. Sara stared down at the floor. This whole day had been a nightmare. She felt almost overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions. On the one hand, she had done the only thing possible to save Grissom. On the other hand, Grissom wouldn't have been in that situation if not for her. Trumping all was the fact that she had taken a life. A man who had recently been breathing, feeling, walking around was now dead. It didn't matter that the man was as twisted as they come. She had taken a life.
"Sara?" Brass could see Sara was beating herself up. "You had to shoot him. You know that right? It was a righteous shooting. No one's gonna deny that."
Sara looked over at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired. She looked and felt like hell. Before Brass could say any more, a doctor approached them.
"Are you two here with Gil Grissom?"
"Yeah. That's us." Brass spoke up eagerly.
"He's doing fine now. He said to make sure you knew that." The doctor looked at Sara knowingly. "He's heavily sedated right now, but he's been asking for 'Sara'?"
Sara looked up upon hearing this. Grissom would be fine. . . Wait. He was asking for her?
"He was asking for me?" Sara stood.
"Are you family?" The doctor enquired, checking his notes.
"No." Sara said with a hint of sadness.
"I'm sorry. I can only let family in when he's moved."
"Well, I'm his favorite cousin, and she's with me. Any problems?" Brass stood in front of the doctor glaring at him.
"No. None, Sir. It'll be about half an hour before he's moved up to his room. I'll have someone come get you when he can have visitors." The doctor left quickly, glad to be away from the menacing, badge-wearing 'cousin.'
Sara looked over at Brass. He shrugged. It was the best he could think of, and it worked.
"Sit tight. He's fine. You want some coffee? I'm getting some anyway?" Brass offered.
Sara shook her head, and watched as he went in search of the vending machines. She pulled her cell phone out, and walked outside to call the rest of the team. By now, news would have gotten back to the labs about the attack, and subsequent shooting.
"Stokes."
"Hey, Nick."
"Sara! Man! Are you ok? Who got shot? We're diein' here."
"I shot Vincent. He's dead." Sara took a deep breath after the words left her mouth. The admission didn't relieve any of the fear and guilt she harbored. "He stabbed Grissom, and was about to stab him again, so I shot him." Sara leaned against one of the large, concrete pillars outside the ER.
"Is he ok? Are you ok?"
"He's going to be fine."
"And you?" He knew she was hedging. "How are you holding up? You want somebody to come over and wait with you?"
Sara could here Warrick and Catherine asking Nick what happened in the background.
"Gimme that. . .Sara?" Catherine's voice was full of concern. "How is he? And how are you doing? Nick just told us you shot the rat bastard. Is Brass there with you?"
"Grissom's going to be fine. They'll probably have him out in a day or two. I'm fine. Brass just went to get some coffee." Sara yawned. She'd been up for three days straight, and with everything else going on she was beat.
"Well, tell Brass to give me a call. Dayshift has been demanding the case." The resentment in Catherine's voice was evident. "Ecklie's gonna be asking for any evidence you guys may have collected at the crime scene."
Sara was silent for a moment too long.
"Sara? Did you find anything?"
Sara weighed her options. The photos showed that Lurie had been stalking her, and that he had videoed her without her knowledge. They also showed her in bed with the man she'd just murdered. She sunk down the pillar to the ground, and banged her head against it in frustration.
"Sara? You ok?" Catherine's voice was barely heard from her cell phone in her hand.
"I found pictures. They're in my case."
Catherine's eyes widened at this. She cringed at the idea of one of the dayshift guys ogling over any explicit photos of one of their team. They let nightshift run Nick's stalker case because it stemmed from a case they were already working. How is this any different?
"Sara, the Marlin case was our team's case. I'll talk to the sheriff. This case should be ours too. I'll try to convince him. Meantime, I'll come get your case. The sooner we log any evidence you found the better. I won't let it out of my sight."
"Thanks." Sara hung up, and walked back inside.
"There you are. Ya had me worried." Brass greeted her at the rows of seats in the waiting room.
"Here. I know you said you didn't want any, but humor me." Brass handed Sara a paper cup of coffee.
"Catherine's on her way over to collect any evidence we found at the crime scene. She said Ecklie's trying to get assigned to the case."
"Yeah, I'll bet he is. Tough. Nightshift has the Lurie case. It's tied to the Marlin case. I'll speak with the sheriff myself." Brass knew the sheriff wouldn't hesitate to listen if he thought there was risk of a scandal getting out to the press.
"Thanks." Sara drank her coffee, and tossed the cup in the nearest can.
After a few more tense moment, a nurse finally came for them. They followed him up to Grissom's room. Brass walked into the sterile, white room first, taking in the view. Grissom was very pale, but he didn't look too bad. The bandages on his collarbone stuck out through his flimsy hospital gown.
"Hey, Gil. How ya feelin'?"
Grissom was on pain medicine, but still fairly alert.
"Better. It's not as bad as it looks." He smirked, and looked past Brass at Sara. "How are you? He didn't hurt you did he?" His eyes were full of concern.
Sara was just so relieved to see him talking, and feeling better. The last time she'd seen him, he was covered in blood and stunned.
"I'm fine." She shook the images from her mind, and walked cautiously to the side of his bed. "Are you in any pain?" She looked at the bandages, and swallowed hard.
"Not really."
He reached out for her hand clumsily, not yet having the full range of motion. Sara grasped his hand in hers.
"I'm so sorry, Gris." She coughed to cover the catch in her voice, and blinked back tears.
"Honey, this wasn't your fault. No matter what, remember that ok?" He looked her straight in the eyes.
"Ah, yeah, well feel better, Gil. I gotta scoot. Got. . .stuff to do." Brass backed out of the room to give the two CSI's their privacy.
Sara ran her hand over Grissom's cheek. She could've lost him.
"Sara?" Grissom's other hand reach for the hand that had just been against his face. Sara feared she'd gone too far, and pulled her hand back like it had burned.
"I'm sorry. I'm always behaving wrong around you." She was loosing the fight against the tears she'd been holding back all evening. A few strays slid down her cheeks to her despair.
"Sara." Grissom pulled her closer. She was leaning next to him, closer than they had been in months. "There's nothing wrong about this." He squeezed her hand, and brought it to his lips.
Sara was stunned and confused, but somewhere in there was joy. The tears rolled freely, as she smiled a bit for him. She pulled away just long enough to drag a chair to the side of his bed. She leaned against him, resting her head carefully by his side. Sara drifted off into the first real sleep she'd had in days as Grissom ran his hands through her dark hair. Grissom fell into sleep with a small smile on his face. The words of Shakespeare echoing through his brain; "Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better."
A/N: Spoilers? Yup! Mostly from Season 4's "Butterflied."
CH.12:
Brass and Sara sat in the hospital waiting room, awaiting news on Grissom. Sara stared down at the floor. This whole day had been a nightmare. She felt almost overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions. On the one hand, she had done the only thing possible to save Grissom. On the other hand, Grissom wouldn't have been in that situation if not for her. Trumping all was the fact that she had taken a life. A man who had recently been breathing, feeling, walking around was now dead. It didn't matter that the man was as twisted as they come. She had taken a life.
"Sara?" Brass could see Sara was beating herself up. "You had to shoot him. You know that right? It was a righteous shooting. No one's gonna deny that."
Sara looked over at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired. She looked and felt like hell. Before Brass could say any more, a doctor approached them.
"Are you two here with Gil Grissom?"
"Yeah. That's us." Brass spoke up eagerly.
"He's doing fine now. He said to make sure you knew that." The doctor looked at Sara knowingly. "He's heavily sedated right now, but he's been asking for 'Sara'?"
Sara looked up upon hearing this. Grissom would be fine. . . Wait. He was asking for her?
"He was asking for me?" Sara stood.
"Are you family?" The doctor enquired, checking his notes.
"No." Sara said with a hint of sadness.
"I'm sorry. I can only let family in when he's moved."
"Well, I'm his favorite cousin, and she's with me. Any problems?" Brass stood in front of the doctor glaring at him.
"No. None, Sir. It'll be about half an hour before he's moved up to his room. I'll have someone come get you when he can have visitors." The doctor left quickly, glad to be away from the menacing, badge-wearing 'cousin.'
Sara looked over at Brass. He shrugged. It was the best he could think of, and it worked.
"Sit tight. He's fine. You want some coffee? I'm getting some anyway?" Brass offered.
Sara shook her head, and watched as he went in search of the vending machines. She pulled her cell phone out, and walked outside to call the rest of the team. By now, news would have gotten back to the labs about the attack, and subsequent shooting.
"Stokes."
"Hey, Nick."
"Sara! Man! Are you ok? Who got shot? We're diein' here."
"I shot Vincent. He's dead." Sara took a deep breath after the words left her mouth. The admission didn't relieve any of the fear and guilt she harbored. "He stabbed Grissom, and was about to stab him again, so I shot him." Sara leaned against one of the large, concrete pillars outside the ER.
"Is he ok? Are you ok?"
"He's going to be fine."
"And you?" He knew she was hedging. "How are you holding up? You want somebody to come over and wait with you?"
Sara could here Warrick and Catherine asking Nick what happened in the background.
"Gimme that. . .Sara?" Catherine's voice was full of concern. "How is he? And how are you doing? Nick just told us you shot the rat bastard. Is Brass there with you?"
"Grissom's going to be fine. They'll probably have him out in a day or two. I'm fine. Brass just went to get some coffee." Sara yawned. She'd been up for three days straight, and with everything else going on she was beat.
"Well, tell Brass to give me a call. Dayshift has been demanding the case." The resentment in Catherine's voice was evident. "Ecklie's gonna be asking for any evidence you guys may have collected at the crime scene."
Sara was silent for a moment too long.
"Sara? Did you find anything?"
Sara weighed her options. The photos showed that Lurie had been stalking her, and that he had videoed her without her knowledge. They also showed her in bed with the man she'd just murdered. She sunk down the pillar to the ground, and banged her head against it in frustration.
"Sara? You ok?" Catherine's voice was barely heard from her cell phone in her hand.
"I found pictures. They're in my case."
Catherine's eyes widened at this. She cringed at the idea of one of the dayshift guys ogling over any explicit photos of one of their team. They let nightshift run Nick's stalker case because it stemmed from a case they were already working. How is this any different?
"Sara, the Marlin case was our team's case. I'll talk to the sheriff. This case should be ours too. I'll try to convince him. Meantime, I'll come get your case. The sooner we log any evidence you found the better. I won't let it out of my sight."
"Thanks." Sara hung up, and walked back inside.
"There you are. Ya had me worried." Brass greeted her at the rows of seats in the waiting room.
"Here. I know you said you didn't want any, but humor me." Brass handed Sara a paper cup of coffee.
"Catherine's on her way over to collect any evidence we found at the crime scene. She said Ecklie's trying to get assigned to the case."
"Yeah, I'll bet he is. Tough. Nightshift has the Lurie case. It's tied to the Marlin case. I'll speak with the sheriff myself." Brass knew the sheriff wouldn't hesitate to listen if he thought there was risk of a scandal getting out to the press.
"Thanks." Sara drank her coffee, and tossed the cup in the nearest can.
After a few more tense moment, a nurse finally came for them. They followed him up to Grissom's room. Brass walked into the sterile, white room first, taking in the view. Grissom was very pale, but he didn't look too bad. The bandages on his collarbone stuck out through his flimsy hospital gown.
"Hey, Gil. How ya feelin'?"
Grissom was on pain medicine, but still fairly alert.
"Better. It's not as bad as it looks." He smirked, and looked past Brass at Sara. "How are you? He didn't hurt you did he?" His eyes were full of concern.
Sara was just so relieved to see him talking, and feeling better. The last time she'd seen him, he was covered in blood and stunned.
"I'm fine." She shook the images from her mind, and walked cautiously to the side of his bed. "Are you in any pain?" She looked at the bandages, and swallowed hard.
"Not really."
He reached out for her hand clumsily, not yet having the full range of motion. Sara grasped his hand in hers.
"I'm so sorry, Gris." She coughed to cover the catch in her voice, and blinked back tears.
"Honey, this wasn't your fault. No matter what, remember that ok?" He looked her straight in the eyes.
"Ah, yeah, well feel better, Gil. I gotta scoot. Got. . .stuff to do." Brass backed out of the room to give the two CSI's their privacy.
Sara ran her hand over Grissom's cheek. She could've lost him.
"Sara?" Grissom's other hand reach for the hand that had just been against his face. Sara feared she'd gone too far, and pulled her hand back like it had burned.
"I'm sorry. I'm always behaving wrong around you." She was loosing the fight against the tears she'd been holding back all evening. A few strays slid down her cheeks to her despair.
"Sara." Grissom pulled her closer. She was leaning next to him, closer than they had been in months. "There's nothing wrong about this." He squeezed her hand, and brought it to his lips.
Sara was stunned and confused, but somewhere in there was joy. The tears rolled freely, as she smiled a bit for him. She pulled away just long enough to drag a chair to the side of his bed. She leaned against him, resting her head carefully by his side. Sara drifted off into the first real sleep she'd had in days as Grissom ran his hands through her dark hair. Grissom fell into sleep with a small smile on his face. The words of Shakespeare echoing through his brain; "Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better."