Candy Stripers
Catherine paused in the doorway, viewing the scene in Sara's hospital room with amusement. Gil had forsaken the crossword to read Shakespeare aloud to a still unconscious Sara, reading the lines with a dramatic flair and sense of timing that Catherine would have anticipated. MacBeth. Catherine shook her head at his choice. He couldn't have picked a comedy? Something a little lighter someone in hospital? Catherine guessed Sara should be lucky he didn't pick a book of Zen philosophy. She edged into the room, so Gil could see her, and he finished the monologue he had been reading. His eyes were bloodshot and his shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. "You ok?" Catherine asked as he took off his reading glasses to rub his eyes.
"Yeah. Sara's eyelids flickered a few times, but she didn't completely wake up, so I was reading so she had something to listen to." His convoluted logic made her smile softly; she had never seen anything shake Gil to the core like this night had. The change registered in his eyes, in the weary way he took everything in, as if he couldn't get his bearings. Lost. He looked lost, his faith in his decisions and course shaken in some fundamental way. The burden that Catherine had seen lifted from Sara's shoulders after she had made the decision to leave had settled firmly on his shoulders. He figured out what Sara meant to him after all, and Catherine was afraid it was too late.
"Gil, you look like hell. I'm going to get us a couple of cups of coffee," she said, reluctant to observe his pain.
He hoisted himself out of the chair and rotated his head on his neck "No, I'll go. I've been sitting too long – I need to stretch my legs." He stuck his head back in the room a second after he left to add, "Oh, and good work on the case."
Catherine settled into the chair he had just left, leaning up onto the bed to brush Sara's hair back from her forehead, lost in thought. It was amazing to her how someone could be so blind, and so cautious. Sara had been so devoted and so willing to do anything, and Gil did nothing with it; Catherine would have cheerfully given a limb for Eddie to been like that to her, considerate and caring. So lucky, and yet so blind, and he just realizes that now.
"Hey," Sara choked out of her parched throat. Catherine started; she had been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed Sara waking up.
"Hey you," she replied softly, still running her fingers through Sara's dark hair in a soothing gesture. She noticed Sara's eyes were actually focusing and she seemed groggy but alert. "How do you feel?"
"Ouch?" The word was barely more than a croak, but her dark eyes glittered with her characteristic wit, and Catherine smiled in response. "Ouch might be a bit of an understatement. You gave us quite a scare, young lady," she said, mock-lecturing. Sara tried to laugh, but ended up coughing. After getting her to drink some water, Catherine settled Sara back against the pillows again. Her eyes closed again and Catherine thought she was going back to sleep until she asked, "What happened?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"Bits, pieces" She rubbed her thumb on one of the bruises on her arms, obviously surprised by the defensive wounds. "Nothing like this" she said absently as she gazed at her arm, her expression clouded as she tried to remember.
"Some memory loss is to be expected," Catherine said gently. "You sustained some head trauma as well as injuries to your arms and body. You were actually very lucky," she stroked the bruise on Sara's cheek softly, "You have a spectacular bruise here, but your cheekbone wasn't broken, and none of the major organs were damaged. Concussion was bad, with some secondary swelling, but they didn't have to operate." Sara listened to the catalog of her injuries impassively, like the scientist she was, trying to put the experience into a rational framework. It seemed to work so long as she didn't look down at her arms and see the actual evidence. When she did that, she felt an odd rolling feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something was crawling around in her gut looking to claw its way out.
"Who? How?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know; it sickened her that someone had done something to her, had controlled her in some way, and she had no memory of it. A sudden fear swept her. Catherine watched her face pale, reading her sudden fear in the way her jaw clenched, cutting off her next question. "Sara, you weren't... you weren't sexually assaulted." The look in Sara's eyes showed Catherine guessed correctly, and the relief was evident in her face as she visibly relaxed. Catherine filled her in as quickly as possible, tactfully editing out her own involvement in the case for now. Catherine squeezed her hand in the ensuring silence; Sara's downcast eyes focused on the blanket near her fingers, lost in thought.
Gil stepped in then, holding two cups of coffee, which he quickly set down to cross to the bed to take Sara's hand. Her gaze was unreadable, but certainly not the pleasure Catherine might have expected. She gave a wane smile and said, "I thought I heard you, like in my dreams or something." He picked up the book from her bedside and held up it so she could see the title, "I was reading to you." Sara's smile got a little wider and Catherine knew she shared her idea of the light reading he had chosen.
"MacBeth? Uplifting." She tried to sound normal, but her voice was weaker with each word and her eyes drooped.
He patted her hand. "It's forensic. The blood on the hands..." He caught her tired look. "I'll leave it here for you. I'm leaving for Vegas soon; I just wanted to see you were ok before I left." The relief was evident on her face as he beamed down at her. "You gave us a scare."
Greg cleared his throat from the door, and entered, bearing a large bouquet of flowers. "I heard Sleeping Beauty was awake."
Sara's confusion was complete. "Greg? What are you doing here?" The puzzle pushed the exhaustion back, just a little.
"Umm," Greg faltered, catching Catherine's look, "dropping off these flowers for you from Nick, Warrick, and I," he finished, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He set the bouquet on a table. "I'm glad you are ok." He glanced at his watch. "Catherine will explain the rest. Grissom, we need to get to the airport."
"Oh, right." He was reluctant to release Sara's hand. "Be well." He paused by the door. "I'll be in touch about the serial murder case,' and then was gone. Sara's gaze lingered on the spot where he had departed, her expression managing to look both relieved and sad. It was a long time before she glanced up at Catherine, as if she just realized she was still there. Then her eyes narrowed in puzzlement.
"Wait, why are you still here?"
Catherine sank back into the chair, briefly considering how she was going to explain taking her over team's case, and sighed. Honesty is the best policy, right? she thought to herself. "You ok for a couple more minutes?" she asked, not wanting to tire Sara. Sara's face was drawn and pale, but she nodded firmly. "So I, um, got myself assigned to your case. I ran your case, in fact." She explained her reasoning and how she got Greg there, and the results. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have stepped in, but I was running on adrenaline and while your CSIs are good, they are young and somewhat inexperienced." The sentence came out in a breathless gust as she tried to make Sara understand. "And with you out, nobody had the clout to take on the PD."
Hey eyes had closed again while Catherine was talking, and for a second she thought Sara had missed the entire explanation. She started to slip her hand out of Sara's when Sara's grip tightened, holding her in place. "Cath... thanks."
"No need for thanks. I'm just glad I was here. If I had been in Vegas and had just had to sit on my hands... "She let out a shaky breath, releasing the pent-up tension in her shoulders and stomach that had been driving her. "I was so glad I was doing something."
"Still, th..." Catherine's finger stopped Sara from completing the word. "I said 'no thanks,'" she said with a mock-threatening tone, "and I meant it." Under her finger, Sara's lips quirked into a smile, and Catherine felt a slight pressure, a faint kiss pressed there against her fingertip. "You should sleep," Catherine said in the resulting silence. She leaned in and gave Sara a light kiss on the forehead, a natural yet surprising gesture. "I'll be back later."
She walked toward the door, feeling Sara's eyes following her. "Cath, wait." She turned and leaned against the doorframe, wondering what Sara was going to say. It wasn't what she expected. "Where are you staying?"
Catherine shook her head, "I don't know. I'll get a hotel somewhere."
"Stay at my place. My keys should be around here somewhere."
"Sara, I couldn't....' Sara's glower was entirely too forceful for someone just waking up in the hospital. "I guess I could."
"Address is on my license, car's in the garage if you need. See you." Her words slurred off toward the end, and she was asleep before Catherine left the room. As soon as Catherine hit the pavement in front of the hospital, she turned her cell on and was surprised that it rang almost immediately.
Catherine paused in the doorway, viewing the scene in Sara's hospital room with amusement. Gil had forsaken the crossword to read Shakespeare aloud to a still unconscious Sara, reading the lines with a dramatic flair and sense of timing that Catherine would have anticipated. MacBeth. Catherine shook her head at his choice. He couldn't have picked a comedy? Something a little lighter someone in hospital? Catherine guessed Sara should be lucky he didn't pick a book of Zen philosophy. She edged into the room, so Gil could see her, and he finished the monologue he had been reading. His eyes were bloodshot and his shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. "You ok?" Catherine asked as he took off his reading glasses to rub his eyes.
"Yeah. Sara's eyelids flickered a few times, but she didn't completely wake up, so I was reading so she had something to listen to." His convoluted logic made her smile softly; she had never seen anything shake Gil to the core like this night had. The change registered in his eyes, in the weary way he took everything in, as if he couldn't get his bearings. Lost. He looked lost, his faith in his decisions and course shaken in some fundamental way. The burden that Catherine had seen lifted from Sara's shoulders after she had made the decision to leave had settled firmly on his shoulders. He figured out what Sara meant to him after all, and Catherine was afraid it was too late.
"Gil, you look like hell. I'm going to get us a couple of cups of coffee," she said, reluctant to observe his pain.
He hoisted himself out of the chair and rotated his head on his neck "No, I'll go. I've been sitting too long – I need to stretch my legs." He stuck his head back in the room a second after he left to add, "Oh, and good work on the case."
Catherine settled into the chair he had just left, leaning up onto the bed to brush Sara's hair back from her forehead, lost in thought. It was amazing to her how someone could be so blind, and so cautious. Sara had been so devoted and so willing to do anything, and Gil did nothing with it; Catherine would have cheerfully given a limb for Eddie to been like that to her, considerate and caring. So lucky, and yet so blind, and he just realizes that now.
"Hey," Sara choked out of her parched throat. Catherine started; she had been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed Sara waking up.
"Hey you," she replied softly, still running her fingers through Sara's dark hair in a soothing gesture. She noticed Sara's eyes were actually focusing and she seemed groggy but alert. "How do you feel?"
"Ouch?" The word was barely more than a croak, but her dark eyes glittered with her characteristic wit, and Catherine smiled in response. "Ouch might be a bit of an understatement. You gave us quite a scare, young lady," she said, mock-lecturing. Sara tried to laugh, but ended up coughing. After getting her to drink some water, Catherine settled Sara back against the pillows again. Her eyes closed again and Catherine thought she was going back to sleep until she asked, "What happened?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"Bits, pieces" She rubbed her thumb on one of the bruises on her arms, obviously surprised by the defensive wounds. "Nothing like this" she said absently as she gazed at her arm, her expression clouded as she tried to remember.
"Some memory loss is to be expected," Catherine said gently. "You sustained some head trauma as well as injuries to your arms and body. You were actually very lucky," she stroked the bruise on Sara's cheek softly, "You have a spectacular bruise here, but your cheekbone wasn't broken, and none of the major organs were damaged. Concussion was bad, with some secondary swelling, but they didn't have to operate." Sara listened to the catalog of her injuries impassively, like the scientist she was, trying to put the experience into a rational framework. It seemed to work so long as she didn't look down at her arms and see the actual evidence. When she did that, she felt an odd rolling feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something was crawling around in her gut looking to claw its way out.
"Who? How?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know; it sickened her that someone had done something to her, had controlled her in some way, and she had no memory of it. A sudden fear swept her. Catherine watched her face pale, reading her sudden fear in the way her jaw clenched, cutting off her next question. "Sara, you weren't... you weren't sexually assaulted." The look in Sara's eyes showed Catherine guessed correctly, and the relief was evident in her face as she visibly relaxed. Catherine filled her in as quickly as possible, tactfully editing out her own involvement in the case for now. Catherine squeezed her hand in the ensuring silence; Sara's downcast eyes focused on the blanket near her fingers, lost in thought.
Gil stepped in then, holding two cups of coffee, which he quickly set down to cross to the bed to take Sara's hand. Her gaze was unreadable, but certainly not the pleasure Catherine might have expected. She gave a wane smile and said, "I thought I heard you, like in my dreams or something." He picked up the book from her bedside and held up it so she could see the title, "I was reading to you." Sara's smile got a little wider and Catherine knew she shared her idea of the light reading he had chosen.
"MacBeth? Uplifting." She tried to sound normal, but her voice was weaker with each word and her eyes drooped.
He patted her hand. "It's forensic. The blood on the hands..." He caught her tired look. "I'll leave it here for you. I'm leaving for Vegas soon; I just wanted to see you were ok before I left." The relief was evident on her face as he beamed down at her. "You gave us a scare."
Greg cleared his throat from the door, and entered, bearing a large bouquet of flowers. "I heard Sleeping Beauty was awake."
Sara's confusion was complete. "Greg? What are you doing here?" The puzzle pushed the exhaustion back, just a little.
"Umm," Greg faltered, catching Catherine's look, "dropping off these flowers for you from Nick, Warrick, and I," he finished, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He set the bouquet on a table. "I'm glad you are ok." He glanced at his watch. "Catherine will explain the rest. Grissom, we need to get to the airport."
"Oh, right." He was reluctant to release Sara's hand. "Be well." He paused by the door. "I'll be in touch about the serial murder case,' and then was gone. Sara's gaze lingered on the spot where he had departed, her expression managing to look both relieved and sad. It was a long time before she glanced up at Catherine, as if she just realized she was still there. Then her eyes narrowed in puzzlement.
"Wait, why are you still here?"
Catherine sank back into the chair, briefly considering how she was going to explain taking her over team's case, and sighed. Honesty is the best policy, right? she thought to herself. "You ok for a couple more minutes?" she asked, not wanting to tire Sara. Sara's face was drawn and pale, but she nodded firmly. "So I, um, got myself assigned to your case. I ran your case, in fact." She explained her reasoning and how she got Greg there, and the results. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have stepped in, but I was running on adrenaline and while your CSIs are good, they are young and somewhat inexperienced." The sentence came out in a breathless gust as she tried to make Sara understand. "And with you out, nobody had the clout to take on the PD."
Hey eyes had closed again while Catherine was talking, and for a second she thought Sara had missed the entire explanation. She started to slip her hand out of Sara's when Sara's grip tightened, holding her in place. "Cath... thanks."
"No need for thanks. I'm just glad I was here. If I had been in Vegas and had just had to sit on my hands... "She let out a shaky breath, releasing the pent-up tension in her shoulders and stomach that had been driving her. "I was so glad I was doing something."
"Still, th..." Catherine's finger stopped Sara from completing the word. "I said 'no thanks,'" she said with a mock-threatening tone, "and I meant it." Under her finger, Sara's lips quirked into a smile, and Catherine felt a slight pressure, a faint kiss pressed there against her fingertip. "You should sleep," Catherine said in the resulting silence. She leaned in and gave Sara a light kiss on the forehead, a natural yet surprising gesture. "I'll be back later."
She walked toward the door, feeling Sara's eyes following her. "Cath, wait." She turned and leaned against the doorframe, wondering what Sara was going to say. It wasn't what she expected. "Where are you staying?"
Catherine shook her head, "I don't know. I'll get a hotel somewhere."
"Stay at my place. My keys should be around here somewhere."
"Sara, I couldn't....' Sara's glower was entirely too forceful for someone just waking up in the hospital. "I guess I could."
"Address is on my license, car's in the garage if you need. See you." Her words slurred off toward the end, and she was asleep before Catherine left the room. As soon as Catherine hit the pavement in front of the hospital, she turned her cell on and was surprised that it rang almost immediately.