Chapter Three

Desert Palm Hospital…

An hour had passed since Sara was separated from the wreckage and removed from the scene. No one objected to Nick's accompanying her to the hospital. Well maybe, the trauma nurses if they had known Nick would be so much trouble ahead of time. He knew he was being impatient and demanding but he couldn't help it. Upon arrival to the ER, he had barely gotten a glimpse of her before Sara was whisked away to surgery. Watching her motionless form in the ambulance had been hard but at least he had the constant beep of her heart monitor to assure him that she was alive. But he was once again filled with dread and helplessness as he watched her lifeless form rushed through the double gray doors that lead to the operating room and swing shut.

Shelby's Steakhouse…

"Can they move any slower?" Warrick complained as he, Catherine and Brass watched the firemen manually clear the remains of the restaurant. The bodies of the two police officers clearing the scene had already been recovered and removed by David. The heavy equipment would not be used until Grissom was found.

"You know, our crime scene is ruined." Catherine deadpanned.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the nightshift was removed from the case."

"Very intuitive of you, Captain Brass." Carvello cut in.

"You can't do that! The original case was ours!" Warrick argued.

"Warrick, he's right. We don't have the manpower right now."

Warrick stared at Catherine in disbelief. "I can't believe you let him take this case." He started after Carvello walked away to join Ecklie and the still arriving dayshift CSIs.

"I know, but think about it, Warrick. Sara's probably in surgery right now and needs our support. And Grissom's not…what if he's…gone? The last thing I want is to compromise the case against the bastards who did this because I can't think straight."

Warrick pondered her words. "You're right. Grissom and Sara need us right now. I'm gonna call Nick and see how Sara's doing." He glanced back at the scene with sad but hopeful eyes, before turning away with his cell phone.

The explosion had captured much attention. Now there was a large accumulation of police officers, rescue workers, media and onlookers.

"If this many people showed up to vote, we'd have a different Sheriff." Brass reflected in disgust.

Below the surface…

It was difficult to breathe and Grissom felt like he was coughing up fur balls. What in the hell was talking so long? It was only a two story building for Pete's Sake! He shifted around again, seeking a more comfortable position against the rubble. Then he felt something crawling on his neck. Catching the creature between his fingers, he unsuccessfully tried to identify the bug before he squashed it. It felt like a beetle, Grissom deduced. A carpet beetle maybe? But why would it be there? Had he been down there longer than he thought and they were coming to feed on his body already? Oh God! This was an entomologist's worst nightmare! Being eaten alive by the very insects we treasure. It's one thing to die un expectantly - but to see it coming or to feel it coming was literally downright creepy!

Okay, calm down. He was losing his mind! Of course, it wasn't a carpet beetle. There hadn't even been any larvae, maggots or blow flies yet and he doubt if they would be able to survive the dust either. The dark and silence, aside from the occasional of falling debris, was making him claustrophobic. He needed to hear something anything. At this point the would even welcome the sound of Greg's music.

What he wanted more than anything was to hear Sara's voice. He needed to hear Sara's voice, even if it was her "pissed with Grissom' voice. Hey, why didn't he think of it before? Squirming for several minutes, Grissom laughed out loud in relief when he fished out his cellular phone from his jacket. Without a second thought, he pressed number one on speed dial, Sara's cell number, then enter. The small phone lit up blue, illuminating the area, only to display a disappointing message of 'no signal.' Oh well, he knew it was too much like a movie moment to work. However, he did now have enough light to properly examine his confined quarters. Just as he suspected, the building had caved in. No shocker there. Eventually, the light blinked off along with his hopes that he had been dreaming. Feeling melancholy, Grissom touched the keypad, making the phone once again light up. Where did he drop that bug?

Outside…

"It could be a while before they find them." Brass stated unnecessarily.

"A while? I bet it didn't take this long to build the damned building." Catherine complained, then turned to an approaching Warrick. "Any word on Sara?"

"None. Nick's going crazy, said they took her to surgery and no one's talking."

"You should go wait with him." Catherine suggested.

" I will, after I see Grissom. I'm waiting for Grissom. I'll ride with him."

"Warrick," Catherine started gently. She knew that Grissom was a father figure to him and knew he would be devastated if Grissom wasn't found alive. Shit, she knew she would be. "Warrick, I think -"

Suddenly, the activity and energy tripled. People started yelling and running into the now gaping hole in the restaurant's structure. Catherine, Warrick and Brass ran as far as they were allowed.

"I see him!" Someone called out.

"Is he alive?" Catherine yelled.

"I need a pulley! Get that crane ready!"

"Is he alive?" Catherine asked again, but her question went unheard as the men worked frantically to dig through the unstable wreckage.

Catherine was hanging onto Warrick and Brass for dear life when she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned to find that the owner of the hand was Ecklie. Her first reaction was irritation but she suppressed it quickly when she met his genuinely concerned eyes.

"We got him!"

"He's alive!"

Everyone let out a collective sigh.