Chapter 5 (Waking up)

A/N: New chapter and here we go, sleeping beauty opening her (ehm I mean HIS) eyes. Notice that I've got nothing more to say. Oh yeah, besides thanks ITB!

xxxxx

When they entered his room, Sara was shocked. He looked so pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His head was bandaged making it look huge compared to the rest of him in the sterile white bed surrounded by machines. He was only attached to a heart monitor and an IV, but it still scared her.

His mother, though, seemed to take it all in stride. She lowered herself next to her son and took his hand without hesitation. "Sara?"

Sara's feet wouldn't move although she longed to touch him, to be with him.

"Sara?" Mrs. Grissom repeated again, sounding more concerned about her than about her son. But then, she had almost passed out in the hallway.

Finally she could get her legs to move and she went over to the other side of Grissom. She didn't dare to touch him, not knowing what would happen. Every time they touched some sort of electricity flowed through her body. She didn't know if she could handle that right now and she didn't want to disturb him anyway.

In silence, his mother seemed content to just sit there and hold his hand, while Sara studied him some more.

His face looked so different. It was slightly bloated and with the dark circles and the paleness he looked so much older than he was. Was that how he saw himself, she wondered, as old? She knew he had issues with their age difference. Maybe she perceived the age gap different, because she saw him differently. For her he was just Grissom and it didn't matter how old he was. But for him... maybe he only saw his age when he looked in the mirror. That was just one more thing they had to talk about.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the faint voice calling her name. "Sara?"

It sounded like Grissom. When she looked at his face again, she saw that his eyes were still closed. He seemed to be still asleep. His left hand was clenching and unclenching. Out of reflex her hand took his in an attempt to give him something to hold onto. His hand gripped hers tightly and he sighed. "Sara." It was as if he could feel her presence.

Sara didn't need to look up to know that Grissom's mother was watching her. She pushed this knowledge back into her mind and focused on Grissom again.

Now that their hands were touching the electricity was flowing through her and it made her feel more alive then she had in a while. She wanted him to wake up, but she was scared that he wouldn't want to see her and would send her away.

In his sleep he turned towards her warmth. Startled she looked at his mother afraid she would be hurt that her son was turning away from her. But all she saw was a smile.

"Sara, he wants you. He just doesn't know what to do when he's awake. If you don't believe me, believe this." She gestured to their intertwined hands.

At her words a sharp pain shot through Sara. Unknowingly Grissom's mother had used almost the same words he had only a couple of days ago. 'I don't know what to do about this.' Why couldn't he tell her what he wanted? Damnit Grissom!

xxxxx

Slowly his eyes fluttered open. He turned his head even further into Sara's direction. She swallowed hard, knowing that this was the moment of truth.

Her thumb traced circles on his hand. This motion soothed him, but also made him want to go back to sleep. Part of his brain reminded him that he was in a hospital, that he had surgery and that it was important that he woke up. He tried to open his eyes once more and was able to get them halfway open.

At first, the strong hospital lights blinded him, but his eyes adjusted fast and he saw a soft young female hand caressing his old speckled one. He would recognize that hand everywhere, but his brain told him it couldn't be, so he decided he must be dreaming. It was a nice dream, but definitely a dream.

He let his gaze wander from her hand up her arm to her neck – another part he would recognize everywhere. Her long slender neck was always calling out to him to caress it, to kiss it and play with it.

When his eyes finally reached her face he saw her lips quivering, although she tried to smile. Her eyes were swimming with tears.

But suddenly he noticed something else. Sara's eyes were alight with pain and fear. And both were there because of him. He had seen it before, but not with such clarity. He flinched when he took her pain on himself. "I'm sorry," he croaked. He knew now that it wasn't a dream. She was really here and she hurt. "I'm so sorry."

She tried to smile again and shushed him, but he wouldn't listen. He kept repeating his apologies until she let her fingers slide over his cheek and gave his hand a light squeeze. Her tears where falling now, but he could see that they weren't only from pain and sadness. They were also tears of relief.

"It's okay." She told him, making sure to speak slowly so he could read her lips. "You need rest. Sleep now, talk later." The sadness was receding from her eyes and a slight sparkle appeared. One he hadn't seen in a while.

He nodded at her in agreement to her postponement. His eyes were getting heavy again, when he saw her look over the bed. He followed her gaze and realized for the first time that there was someone else in the room.

Through their exchange Mrs. Grissom had sat in silence content to watch the interaction between her son and the woman he needed. "Mom." It sounded even more forced than before.

She quickly signed to him that everything would be ok and that he should rest. They wouldn't be going anywhere.

TBC