Chapter 4 (Meeting the Mrs.)

A/N: I'm still WOW over all the response I get for my fics (especially this one). Thanks. But you know what else has come up. Now I have a serious case of fear that you might not like where this is going. But I'm happy with the way the story goes and just have to remind myself of that.

Please bear in mind that this is fiction and I don't mean to offend anyone through mistakes I might have made.

xxxxx

Sara walked down the corridor. It was a typical hospital corridor – sterile, colorless and uncomfortable. She was in Santa Monica, California, hoping to find Grissom.

After debating with herself about the morals of her action, she had read his last email. It had been a mail to his mother, written after he had left her in the lab. He was coming home and he was having surgery there. Her heart had broken at the vulnerability that shone through his words. He had thought that there was nothing left for him in Vegas. He didn't want to come back after his surgery.

She had to talk to him. That had been her only thought. And now she was here in the hospital.

Already standing at the airport, she had called the lab to arrange for some time off. They were not pleased, but she had made it clear that a no was not an option. In the end, they had complied, not wanting to risk losing another CSI in one week.

When Sara reached the ENT-ward she asked a nurse about him, but the nurse told her that he was in surgery and nothing else could be divulged to her since she was not family. She had tried to argue with her, but the other woman stood firm. When Sara turned to go into the waiting room, hoping that she could argue with the doctor later, the nurse called her back. "Oh, by the way, you might want to talk to his family. I think his mother is in the waiting room. Then she turned back to her work, forgetting about Sara.

Sara moved again in the direction of the waiting area. An elderly woman looked up when she entered the waiting room and before Sara even reached her, the woman was out of her seat. "You must be Sara," she smiled and held out her hand in greeting.

Sara was totally perplexed. She had never met this woman, whom she guessed was Grissom's mother, or even talked to her, but she seemed to know her. Had Grissom talked about her and shown his mother a picture of her? But where would he get one? She was so different, so open and affectionate. If this was the woman who raised him, then why was he so drawn back?

"How... how do you know who I am?" Sara was still stuck on the first question. Then she remembered with dismay that Mrs. Grissom probably couldn't hear her.

But the woman surprised her and answered anyway. "Gil talks about you a lot." She must have seen the confusion on Sara's face and spoke again. "I am Harriet Grissom. Sorry, I should have introduced myself first. And yes, I am deaf, but quite adapt at reading lips. So don't worry. As long as you look at me while talking we should be fine."

Sara realized now what Grissom had been doing for the past year when he was staring at people's faces - her face. How could she have missed all the signs?

"How much has he told you?" She was scared that she was the reason he had given up the job he loved so much.

"He told me he made the biggest mistake in his life," Sara nodded thinking about his career, but was shocked when Grissom's mother went on, "by hurting you." Sara's eyes went wide as she took in what the older woman had said. Her knees where threatening to give out.

Harriet Grissom must have caught that, because she said, "Come on, let's go sit over there. We will be here for a while." She led Sara over to the seats like a little child, but at that moment she was too stunned to protest.

"You know, when Gil told me how beautiful you are, I thought it was just love talking out of him, but know I can see he didn't exaggerate."

Sara's head began to swim and she had started hyperventilating. Love? Grissom loved her? And then that word again, beautiful.

"Honey, put your hand over your nose and mouth or you'll pass out." Mrs. Grissom held Sara's hands up and she did as told. "I'm sorry I scared you. I shouldn't have said that, but it's a bad habit. I say what's on my mind without sugarcoating it. That's why I prefer sign language, my mouth can't get away there. It's much more deliberate."

When her breathing had slowed again and the black dots started to disappear from her vision, Sara looked at the woman sitting next to her. This was Gil Grissom's mother? The woman who had raised such an immensely private man? It was hard to believe. Yet, there was something about her that made Sara feel connected. Something that she usually attributed to Grissom.

"Why don't I just shut up for now and let you talk?"

Sara looked at Grissom's mother once more, trying to decide what to ask, what to say. "Did he tell you why he came here?"

Harriet Grissom shook her head, "No."

"He left without telling anyone. I... I think it was my fault." Sara bent her head not being able to look her in the eyes. Then she felt a soft hand on her chin, turning her head up again. She was mortified that she had already forgotten that Mrs. Grissom couldn't hear her. "Sorry."

Mrs. Grissom only nodded. "Why do you think it's your fault?"

Sara desperately wanted to look away again. If she told his mother what she had done she probably would get angry with her for hurting her son. "You can tell me."

She had such a nice soothing voice and Sara found she couldn't keep the heartache inside any longer. She did something she had never done before. She opened herself to practically a stranger and told Grissom's mother everything that happened between them since she had come to Vegas.

xxxxx

Two hours later they still sat in the waiting room, but now in comfortable silence. Sara felt somewhat lighter after having told someone. Mrs. Grissom had only interrupted her when she couldn't read something or when Sara was talking to fast, but otherwise she seemed to 'listen' raptly. She didn't judge Sara for what she did.

Only when Sara was finished, did Harriet Grissom say, "Don't worry Sara, it wasn't your fault. My son had already so much on his mind. It would have happened sooner or later."

And then they fell into silence, waiting for results from the OR. Sara had started wondering what she should do once Grissom was out of surgery. Would he even want to see her? Would he forgive her for the violation of his privacy?

She knew that he wouldn't be able to hear for a while. One of the articles she read stated that it could take even up to a month if surgery was successful. But she needed to talk to him and she didn't think she could wait a whole month. And what if he didn't regain his hearing? No, she didn't want to go there.

Even if they couldn't talk right away, she wanted to see him – if only to assure herself that he made it through surgery just fine. She would go in there even if he didn't want that. Her resolve strengthened... right up until a doctor made his way towards them.

Mrs. Grissom stood up and was anxious to hear about her son's condition. The doctor was very optimistic that Grissom would regain most of his hearing and stated that they only wanted to keep him for the night to make sure that the anesthesia wore off well and that there would be no primary infection. "You can see him in about thirty minutes, when we've got him settled," he told the two women and then headed down the hall to another patient.

Sara couldn't help the small smile that lightened up her face. She was so relieved that everything would be all right for Grissom. Well, not everything. She had to find out why he left Vegas.

His mother looked equally relieved. Turning to Sara she said, "Now he just needs to heal... in more ways than one."

She gave the younger woman a smile that gave her hope. Maybe she wouldn't have to give up. Maybe she just needed to fight a little bit longer. She just hoped she had enough strength left.

TBC