I would like to thank my new beta reader Anansay. Thanks so much. :)
Chapter 26
Catherine arrived later that day, and asked Grissom to step out. Sara sat up straighter at the other woman's request. As Grissom was leaving the room, he offered Sara a small smile which set her confidence. She turned to face Catherine.
Catherine sat down in the chair that Grissom had just vacated. She moved it to a decent distance from the bed and then turned to Sara. "Hi, Sara. Are you feeling any better?"
Sara tried to look past the cover up, the nice talk, looking deeply into Catherine's eyes, but found nothing useful. She answered. "Yeah, a little, thanks. Grissom said that they might release me tomorrow, or even today if I'm really good."
Catherine smiled. She was glad that Sara was getting better, and this was her opportunity. "About Grissom- - -" She saw Sara tense. Every muscle in her body stiff, ready for the attack. "Well, what I said before, I. . . ." Catherine looked down upon her hands clasped tightly together.
"You told the truth Catherine. There's nothing wrong with that. I understand, everyone must feel that way."
Catherine looked into Sara's dace and saw into her soul. The ragged tatters loosely patched together. The shattered pieces of her heat at the very bottom. The ball of courage that a month before had been a fiery, glowing, sphere of energy, but was only but a firefly's glow.
"Sara, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I had no right to say what I did. It was so horrible of me. We're friends, but I acted like the worst enemy possible. . . We're still friends right?" Catherine pleaded with Sara's eyes. The other slowly nodded.
"I'm not going to punish you for speaking your mind. It was right for you to say that Grissom and I will make a good tin couple." We would made a very..good...couple tin or not..."
Sara's eyes shone with unshed tears. Could she trust Catherine now? Tell her why she had nothing more to live for? Why she had been so sullen, so nasty to work with for the last couple of months? She could, but should she? Should she bare her whole soul to this woman? This woman who had shoved her head-first into the icy water of reality just a couple of weeks ago? This woman who just said she was her friend? This woman that had gone through abuse, divorce, and even the death of her husband? This woman that was left with a child and friends, and nothing else in the world? Should she really trust her? The tears were brimming, readu to fall at any time. 'What the hell? She's going to figure out anyway. In a couple of minutes I'll be bawling my eyes out, and she'll know. She's smart enough. Maybe...maybe she can even help me...'
Catherine could see Sara's struggle, and she had actually admitted that they would make a good couple, that had to stand for something. And now, she witnesses Sara's eyes darting back and forth, as though saying yes or no, yes or no, yes or no, yes or no. . . Catherine didn't like this. It was her only chance. If Sara decided 'No.' to whatever that she was considering, Catherine might loose her forever. She had to make Sara decide the right choice, the 'Yes.' choice. She had to. Sara's pain was obvious. And Catherine wasn't oblivious, she'd seen the downcast eyes in Grissom's presence. Saw the pained expression when day after day he spoke the words. "Sara and Warrick, you got a dead body." Nick and Sara, you have a suicide. Catherine and Sara, you have a bombed car. Sara, you're solo, spousal abuse." Never did Catherine hear the words, "Sara, you're with me today." Now that Catherine thought about it, Grissom hardy said that anymore at all. The last time had to have been months ago. Now, little by little Catherine began to understand. The turned backs, the forceful, "Good mornings." Everything that people do to avoid each other. How could she have been so blind? And she just said that they would make a fine tin couple a little while ago. No wonder Sara had gotten so upset at her. No damn wonder. . .
Sara finally made up her mind. "Catherine, you don't understand. Griss. . . he's. . ." a tear finally slipped down her cheek. "He's...so stubborn. I know he likes me. I know it, why else did he call me here? Why else did he buy me that plant? Why else?" The tears were coming faster now, and Catherine sat motionless, waiting for Sara to finish."I would give anything, absolutely anything to get a chance with Grissom. Anything Catherine... I, I" She sighed deeply and looked down, deep in thought. 'Should I?'
Sara finally raised her tear stained dace to Catherine's, "I love him." With those words. The last of Sara's wall came tumbling down as though it were mere jelly. Crumbling all around her, the wall that had protected her for so many years finally lay at the depth of her soul, alongside the broken pieces of her heart. Her small, frail, body shook with such force it scared Catherine. The tears wouldn't stop coming and Sara feebly tried to cover her face.
Catherine reached over and tried to take Sara's hands in her. It was the least she could do. "No, no, stop it. Honey, please stop. You're gonna get worse, and then the doctors won't even think about releasing you today. And they'll kick me out of here for sure! Please, Sara, stop crying. Don't. Why don't you just ask him out? He'll probably jump right out of his lab shoes to get a chance to go out with a woman like you."
Catherine realized at once they were the wrong words. Sara was almost hyperventilating and the machines around her began to increase their annoying beeping.
"No, Cath, you don't get it. I DID."
Catherine was lost, Sara did what?
The beeping kept increasing, becoming a frantic pitter-patter of Sara's emotional state. It would only be a matter of minutes before the nurses came rushing in to see what was wrong. Just a matter of minutes before catherine would be booted out of the room. There's wasn't much time left.
"Sara, you did what?"
Sara's mood didn't change. The tears we forming wet stains on the bed sheets and the brunette was having trouble breathing.
"I asked him out cath." Her voice was but a whisper, barely heard among the discord of the machines. She watched as Catherine's eyes widened in amazement until they looked immensely out of shape. She began forming the words–What– but Sara cut her off. "He said no. No. He must hate me, because he said no. He must dislike me so much, think I'm arrogant, like a highschool student with a first crush. I managed to ruin our friendship, and he wouldn't even go out with me. He hates me, he hates." A machine began to beep dangerously quick but Catherine gathered Sara in her arms nonetheless. "He hates me. He ignores me. He said no. I have noting to live for anymore. Absolutely nothing. Nothing Catherine. . ."
Catherine tried to soothe Sara but it was useless, a couple more machines began to add dangerous alarm tones and soon a nurse rushed in. "Oh my goodness, what happened? Miss. Sidle was so stable, so good, what happened here?" She turned to Catherine who reluctantly shook her head, "Love." she whispered, but hung onto Sara.
The nurse was not amused, what kind of answer was that? "I'm afraid you are going to have to leave." Catherine turned toward the nurse, "I can't leave my friend. Not now!" She earned a hard glare from the nurse who was running from one machine to another, checking vitals and trying to calm Sara down. All this time Sara kept on crying and calling out to Catheirne.
"Catherine? Catherine.....Cath....please....Catherine..." The older woman finally turned away from the scolding nurse and fixed her attention on the brunet.
"Yes, Sara, what is it?"
A couple doctors rushed in and one of the grabbed Catherine's arms. "Ma'am, you're going to have to leave. Then, he began to forcibly pull Catherine from the room, and a second before Catherine's body disappeared behind the open door Sara responded. "Catherine, please, help me." That was all Catherine heard before she was standing in a hallway with a very irate doctor scowling at her.
"What?!? If that was your friend in there, you would've done the same thing." The doctor showed no emotion. "That was enough for us to ban you form Miss. Sidle's room." Catherine stared in astonishment at the doctor. Surely he sympathized with her, surely he understood. She opened her mouth in argument but nothing came out.
"But, you are right. I would have done the same thing." He winked at her quickly and disappeared into Sara's room.
Catherine was left standing alone in the hallway, dazed. Finally, it seemed so clear to her. And Sara's plea rang in her ears, "Help me, help me, help me," She shook her head, trying to detach that pleading voice from her brain but it did no good. It repeated over and over and over again. "Help me, please, help me, help, help, help," tears welled up in her eyes. Who had cause this pain to her friend? No other than Gil Grissom himself.
She checked her gait, and with furious speed started walking towards the waiting room where Grissom was certain to be. All the while thinking. The man she had known for so long The man that had helped her through so many troubled times. The same man that almost destroyed Sara.
She made an extravagant entrance and fixed the man sitting in a corner reading TIME magazine a deadly stare.
"Gil Grissom!" Half the waiting room turned her way, as did Grissom.
"Cath?"
He looked up, confused. Catherine looked ready to kill. Was this finally the time she was going to explode on him about the whole taking her off the case deal? Surely not, he hoped. He got up, hoping that would lessen Catherine's voice a little bit. Walking over to her, he whispered, "Catherine? What's the matter?"
Catherine stared at Grissom, her eyes growing wide. Her heart beat in her chest as she tried to control her rising anger and frustration. She couldn't understand how he could be so calm when Sara was in danger of completely losing what little she still had. Her eyes shot daggers at her friend and she was ready to bury him in fire. But, before she could spit out the whole problem she thought of Sara. She had finally confessed, but only to Catherine. No one else knew about the whole deal except Grissom. Catherine knew that Sara would never forgive her if she threw that knowledge into Grissom's face. It was hers and hers alone this time. So, she swiftly changed her tactic.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Her hand whipped up from her hip and slashed across Grissom's furry cheek.
Chapter 26
Catherine arrived later that day, and asked Grissom to step out. Sara sat up straighter at the other woman's request. As Grissom was leaving the room, he offered Sara a small smile which set her confidence. She turned to face Catherine.
Catherine sat down in the chair that Grissom had just vacated. She moved it to a decent distance from the bed and then turned to Sara. "Hi, Sara. Are you feeling any better?"
Sara tried to look past the cover up, the nice talk, looking deeply into Catherine's eyes, but found nothing useful. She answered. "Yeah, a little, thanks. Grissom said that they might release me tomorrow, or even today if I'm really good."
Catherine smiled. She was glad that Sara was getting better, and this was her opportunity. "About Grissom- - -" She saw Sara tense. Every muscle in her body stiff, ready for the attack. "Well, what I said before, I. . . ." Catherine looked down upon her hands clasped tightly together.
"You told the truth Catherine. There's nothing wrong with that. I understand, everyone must feel that way."
Catherine looked into Sara's dace and saw into her soul. The ragged tatters loosely patched together. The shattered pieces of her heat at the very bottom. The ball of courage that a month before had been a fiery, glowing, sphere of energy, but was only but a firefly's glow.
"Sara, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I had no right to say what I did. It was so horrible of me. We're friends, but I acted like the worst enemy possible. . . We're still friends right?" Catherine pleaded with Sara's eyes. The other slowly nodded.
"I'm not going to punish you for speaking your mind. It was right for you to say that Grissom and I will make a good tin couple." We would made a very..good...couple tin or not..."
Sara's eyes shone with unshed tears. Could she trust Catherine now? Tell her why she had nothing more to live for? Why she had been so sullen, so nasty to work with for the last couple of months? She could, but should she? Should she bare her whole soul to this woman? This woman who had shoved her head-first into the icy water of reality just a couple of weeks ago? This woman who just said she was her friend? This woman that had gone through abuse, divorce, and even the death of her husband? This woman that was left with a child and friends, and nothing else in the world? Should she really trust her? The tears were brimming, readu to fall at any time. 'What the hell? She's going to figure out anyway. In a couple of minutes I'll be bawling my eyes out, and she'll know. She's smart enough. Maybe...maybe she can even help me...'
Catherine could see Sara's struggle, and she had actually admitted that they would make a good couple, that had to stand for something. And now, she witnesses Sara's eyes darting back and forth, as though saying yes or no, yes or no, yes or no, yes or no. . . Catherine didn't like this. It was her only chance. If Sara decided 'No.' to whatever that she was considering, Catherine might loose her forever. She had to make Sara decide the right choice, the 'Yes.' choice. She had to. Sara's pain was obvious. And Catherine wasn't oblivious, she'd seen the downcast eyes in Grissom's presence. Saw the pained expression when day after day he spoke the words. "Sara and Warrick, you got a dead body." Nick and Sara, you have a suicide. Catherine and Sara, you have a bombed car. Sara, you're solo, spousal abuse." Never did Catherine hear the words, "Sara, you're with me today." Now that Catherine thought about it, Grissom hardy said that anymore at all. The last time had to have been months ago. Now, little by little Catherine began to understand. The turned backs, the forceful, "Good mornings." Everything that people do to avoid each other. How could she have been so blind? And she just said that they would make a fine tin couple a little while ago. No wonder Sara had gotten so upset at her. No damn wonder. . .
Sara finally made up her mind. "Catherine, you don't understand. Griss. . . he's. . ." a tear finally slipped down her cheek. "He's...so stubborn. I know he likes me. I know it, why else did he call me here? Why else did he buy me that plant? Why else?" The tears were coming faster now, and Catherine sat motionless, waiting for Sara to finish."I would give anything, absolutely anything to get a chance with Grissom. Anything Catherine... I, I" She sighed deeply and looked down, deep in thought. 'Should I?'
Sara finally raised her tear stained dace to Catherine's, "I love him." With those words. The last of Sara's wall came tumbling down as though it were mere jelly. Crumbling all around her, the wall that had protected her for so many years finally lay at the depth of her soul, alongside the broken pieces of her heart. Her small, frail, body shook with such force it scared Catherine. The tears wouldn't stop coming and Sara feebly tried to cover her face.
Catherine reached over and tried to take Sara's hands in her. It was the least she could do. "No, no, stop it. Honey, please stop. You're gonna get worse, and then the doctors won't even think about releasing you today. And they'll kick me out of here for sure! Please, Sara, stop crying. Don't. Why don't you just ask him out? He'll probably jump right out of his lab shoes to get a chance to go out with a woman like you."
Catherine realized at once they were the wrong words. Sara was almost hyperventilating and the machines around her began to increase their annoying beeping.
"No, Cath, you don't get it. I DID."
Catherine was lost, Sara did what?
The beeping kept increasing, becoming a frantic pitter-patter of Sara's emotional state. It would only be a matter of minutes before the nurses came rushing in to see what was wrong. Just a matter of minutes before catherine would be booted out of the room. There's wasn't much time left.
"Sara, you did what?"
Sara's mood didn't change. The tears we forming wet stains on the bed sheets and the brunette was having trouble breathing.
"I asked him out cath." Her voice was but a whisper, barely heard among the discord of the machines. She watched as Catherine's eyes widened in amazement until they looked immensely out of shape. She began forming the words–What– but Sara cut her off. "He said no. No. He must hate me, because he said no. He must dislike me so much, think I'm arrogant, like a highschool student with a first crush. I managed to ruin our friendship, and he wouldn't even go out with me. He hates me, he hates." A machine began to beep dangerously quick but Catherine gathered Sara in her arms nonetheless. "He hates me. He ignores me. He said no. I have noting to live for anymore. Absolutely nothing. Nothing Catherine. . ."
Catherine tried to soothe Sara but it was useless, a couple more machines began to add dangerous alarm tones and soon a nurse rushed in. "Oh my goodness, what happened? Miss. Sidle was so stable, so good, what happened here?" She turned to Catherine who reluctantly shook her head, "Love." she whispered, but hung onto Sara.
The nurse was not amused, what kind of answer was that? "I'm afraid you are going to have to leave." Catherine turned toward the nurse, "I can't leave my friend. Not now!" She earned a hard glare from the nurse who was running from one machine to another, checking vitals and trying to calm Sara down. All this time Sara kept on crying and calling out to Catheirne.
"Catherine? Catherine.....Cath....please....Catherine..." The older woman finally turned away from the scolding nurse and fixed her attention on the brunet.
"Yes, Sara, what is it?"
A couple doctors rushed in and one of the grabbed Catherine's arms. "Ma'am, you're going to have to leave. Then, he began to forcibly pull Catherine from the room, and a second before Catherine's body disappeared behind the open door Sara responded. "Catherine, please, help me." That was all Catherine heard before she was standing in a hallway with a very irate doctor scowling at her.
"What?!? If that was your friend in there, you would've done the same thing." The doctor showed no emotion. "That was enough for us to ban you form Miss. Sidle's room." Catherine stared in astonishment at the doctor. Surely he sympathized with her, surely he understood. She opened her mouth in argument but nothing came out.
"But, you are right. I would have done the same thing." He winked at her quickly and disappeared into Sara's room.
Catherine was left standing alone in the hallway, dazed. Finally, it seemed so clear to her. And Sara's plea rang in her ears, "Help me, help me, help me," She shook her head, trying to detach that pleading voice from her brain but it did no good. It repeated over and over and over again. "Help me, please, help me, help, help, help," tears welled up in her eyes. Who had cause this pain to her friend? No other than Gil Grissom himself.
She checked her gait, and with furious speed started walking towards the waiting room where Grissom was certain to be. All the while thinking. The man she had known for so long The man that had helped her through so many troubled times. The same man that almost destroyed Sara.
She made an extravagant entrance and fixed the man sitting in a corner reading TIME magazine a deadly stare.
"Gil Grissom!" Half the waiting room turned her way, as did Grissom.
"Cath?"
He looked up, confused. Catherine looked ready to kill. Was this finally the time she was going to explode on him about the whole taking her off the case deal? Surely not, he hoped. He got up, hoping that would lessen Catherine's voice a little bit. Walking over to her, he whispered, "Catherine? What's the matter?"
Catherine stared at Grissom, her eyes growing wide. Her heart beat in her chest as she tried to control her rising anger and frustration. She couldn't understand how he could be so calm when Sara was in danger of completely losing what little she still had. Her eyes shot daggers at her friend and she was ready to bury him in fire. But, before she could spit out the whole problem she thought of Sara. She had finally confessed, but only to Catherine. No one else knew about the whole deal except Grissom. Catherine knew that Sara would never forgive her if she threw that knowledge into Grissom's face. It was hers and hers alone this time. So, she swiftly changed her tactic.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Her hand whipped up from her hip and slashed across Grissom's furry cheek.