Chapter 29
Catherine was sitting in the waiting room, a cast bandaged halfway up her arm. Warrick easily found her, slumped over in a chair in the corner. Slowly weaving his way around other patients and running children, he finally reached that special woman's chair.
"Hey, Cath, how are you?" Catherine raised her head to meet Warrick's soft eyes. She didn't say anything, she just analyzed his face. Taking in the small creases in his forehead where the last signs of anger were ebbing away. Softer features taking over as he looked at Catherine's tear stained face. Her head softly bobbed up and down. He seated himself into the chair next to hers and took Catherine's small hand into two of his.
"I'm so sorry Cath, I should've been there, to protect you. I'm so sorry." She focused her gaze on him, softly brushing his cheek with the tips of her fingers.
"No, no, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't. . . It was," she quietly debated and Warrick could actually hear the screws in her head turning over and over as she thought, "mine. It was my fault Warrick, I angered him." Catherine was slowly slipping away, burying herself in her past. But Warrick knew about Eddie. He knew everything about him.
"No, Catherine. Don't you ever say that again!" His sharp voice startled Catherine and she softly pulled away. Scrunching herself in the smallest corner of the hospital chair. Warrick quickly realized what he was doing and immediately changed his tone.
"Catherine," he edged closer, once again grabbing her hands. She didn't pull away. "It was not your fault. You know Grissom, he's just a little crazy right now. . .With Sara in the hospital, and the past couple of weeks have been complete hell. On all of us." Catherine was like a small child, getting cared for, reassured, helped. . .loved. She slowly crawled out of her small corner and leaned against Warrick's shoulder.
"What would I do without you?" Warrick put an arm around her, pulling her yet still closer to him. Savoring every sweet moment, the two CSI's, propped up against each other stayed silent. Waiting. Waiting for something. For anything.
Nick and Brass were standing in the hallway, a good ways away from Grissom, thought still keeping an eye on him. They were softly mumbling, Nick giving the Captain a full report on what happened.
"Well," Brass sighed deeply, "He'll apologize as soon as he's able. We both know that. . . I just want to know what caused to him to act like that. Catherine's his best friend. They've know each other forever. And now this." His voice trailed off, leaving room for Nick to make his own conclusions.
Later that evening, doctors finally piled out of Sara's room. Grissom immediately jumped up and ran over to the nearest person in a white suit.
"I'm sorry, but we are not allowing any visitors in Miss Sidle's room till tomorrow. Maybe even later." Grissom looked on in disbelief. "I'm very sorry Mr. Grissom, but Sara took a very big step backwards. Something happened in that room today, and she could've payed for it with her life. I suggest that you go home now, come back tomorrow, and I'll see what can be done. Good night." He nodded his head and walked away to join his colleagues, leaving Grissom standing in front of the closed doors. When he finally managed to make his limbs move in the right direction, the others had already left. Warrick driving Catherine home, and Nick and Brass in their own cars. Everyone's mind was heavy, they had a lot to think about. Sort out their priorities, some more than others. Warrick dropped Catherine off, promising to return early in the morning and take her to the hospital. Before disappearing into her house, Catherine gave Warrick a hug and whispered a heartfelt, "Thank you," into his ear. The other, stunned, drove away in a daze. Grissom got to his apartment all right. That is he didn't collide with anyone, as he had predicted. He crawled into his apartment, locked the door and threw himself onto the couch. Trying to block everything out. All of the pain, the confusion, the regret, the heartache. Lying there, trying to forget, Grissom tried to fall asleep. Nick and Brass went their separate ways, getting home safely, and setting their alarm clocks a few hours back. Everyone had forgotten about work. The lab must be so understaffed, but it never occurred to the worried CSI's. The morning hospital trip took up all of their thoughts, overcrowding everything else.
Catherine was sitting in the waiting room, a cast bandaged halfway up her arm. Warrick easily found her, slumped over in a chair in the corner. Slowly weaving his way around other patients and running children, he finally reached that special woman's chair.
"Hey, Cath, how are you?" Catherine raised her head to meet Warrick's soft eyes. She didn't say anything, she just analyzed his face. Taking in the small creases in his forehead where the last signs of anger were ebbing away. Softer features taking over as he looked at Catherine's tear stained face. Her head softly bobbed up and down. He seated himself into the chair next to hers and took Catherine's small hand into two of his.
"I'm so sorry Cath, I should've been there, to protect you. I'm so sorry." She focused her gaze on him, softly brushing his cheek with the tips of her fingers.
"No, no, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't. . . It was," she quietly debated and Warrick could actually hear the screws in her head turning over and over as she thought, "mine. It was my fault Warrick, I angered him." Catherine was slowly slipping away, burying herself in her past. But Warrick knew about Eddie. He knew everything about him.
"No, Catherine. Don't you ever say that again!" His sharp voice startled Catherine and she softly pulled away. Scrunching herself in the smallest corner of the hospital chair. Warrick quickly realized what he was doing and immediately changed his tone.
"Catherine," he edged closer, once again grabbing her hands. She didn't pull away. "It was not your fault. You know Grissom, he's just a little crazy right now. . .With Sara in the hospital, and the past couple of weeks have been complete hell. On all of us." Catherine was like a small child, getting cared for, reassured, helped. . .loved. She slowly crawled out of her small corner and leaned against Warrick's shoulder.
"What would I do without you?" Warrick put an arm around her, pulling her yet still closer to him. Savoring every sweet moment, the two CSI's, propped up against each other stayed silent. Waiting. Waiting for something. For anything.
Nick and Brass were standing in the hallway, a good ways away from Grissom, thought still keeping an eye on him. They were softly mumbling, Nick giving the Captain a full report on what happened.
"Well," Brass sighed deeply, "He'll apologize as soon as he's able. We both know that. . . I just want to know what caused to him to act like that. Catherine's his best friend. They've know each other forever. And now this." His voice trailed off, leaving room for Nick to make his own conclusions.
Later that evening, doctors finally piled out of Sara's room. Grissom immediately jumped up and ran over to the nearest person in a white suit.
"I'm sorry, but we are not allowing any visitors in Miss Sidle's room till tomorrow. Maybe even later." Grissom looked on in disbelief. "I'm very sorry Mr. Grissom, but Sara took a very big step backwards. Something happened in that room today, and she could've payed for it with her life. I suggest that you go home now, come back tomorrow, and I'll see what can be done. Good night." He nodded his head and walked away to join his colleagues, leaving Grissom standing in front of the closed doors. When he finally managed to make his limbs move in the right direction, the others had already left. Warrick driving Catherine home, and Nick and Brass in their own cars. Everyone's mind was heavy, they had a lot to think about. Sort out their priorities, some more than others. Warrick dropped Catherine off, promising to return early in the morning and take her to the hospital. Before disappearing into her house, Catherine gave Warrick a hug and whispered a heartfelt, "Thank you," into his ear. The other, stunned, drove away in a daze. Grissom got to his apartment all right. That is he didn't collide with anyone, as he had predicted. He crawled into his apartment, locked the door and threw himself onto the couch. Trying to block everything out. All of the pain, the confusion, the regret, the heartache. Lying there, trying to forget, Grissom tried to fall asleep. Nick and Brass went their separate ways, getting home safely, and setting their alarm clocks a few hours back. Everyone had forgotten about work. The lab must be so understaffed, but it never occurred to the worried CSI's. The morning hospital trip took up all of their thoughts, overcrowding everything else.