Chapter Three for your enjoyment. Thanks for the reviews so far - keep them
coming! - *You will review my work...you will review my work* Everybody
now! *You will review my work.*
*****
Chapter Three - Roads To Dead Ends.
Catherine walked into the lab to see Nick standing over Greg who was looking into a microscope.
"Right, what have we got?"
She asked, getting right to the point. Nick and Greg both looked up.
"How's Gris?"
Nick asked. Catherine breathed deeply for a moment before she spoke.
"He's stable for the moment...But it doesn't look good."
"Oh man."
Nick said quietly to himself.
"Which is why we have to catch this man. What have we got so far?"
"Not much. Sara is processing the evidence and information for the murder Grissom was investigating, and I'm checking through any evidence from the second crime - the dead officer for one. We're hoping that if we can solve one of them, we can get the other solved."
Catherine nodded.
"Makes sense. Some criminals like to come back to the scene of the crime. Anything of interest yet?"
"Actually yes. Grissom's gun had a bullet missing."
"Grissom got a round off."
Nick smiled, nodding.
"We haven't found the bullet yet so there's every chance it hit the suspect, we're processing all the blood now to see if any doesn't belong to any of the victims."
"What about the building? Who's named as the owner?"
"No-one. It's been on the market since the owner died about four years ago. The place was pretty much left as he left it - nothing in the main warehouse section and a couple old pieces of furniture in the back office room. We have some fingerprints and we've got the bullets from both the officer and Grissom, which Brass brought in. Oh, and we also found some unusual white powder on the desk - could be nothing, could be everything."
Catherine nodded again.
"Keep at it. I'm gonna go check on Sara."
"I think she's down in the autopsy room."
"Thanks."
Catherine said walking out. She headed down to where Dr. Robbins resided to find the both of them leaning over a table with a dead male laying on it.
"Hey."
She said. Again, both of them looked up at the voice and immediately Sara asked about Grissom. Catherine told her and her face fell. Catherine saw the expression and moved closer.
"Come on Sara I need you here to work this crime scene. You with me."
Sara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
"We, uh...were just going over what Dr. Robbins found."
She paused. Catherine waited for someone to continue.
"Well...What did you find?"
She urged.
"To be honest not a lot." Dr. Robbins said. "He's aged between 25 and 30, average height, average weight, brown hair and eyes. There's no scars or 'anything' which can make him stand out of a crowd."
"Great."
Catherine said. Sara continued.
"But we did notice that he was pretty smartly dressed for someone in an old run-down building. We also found some sort of powder under his fingernails which I'm about to get processed."
Sara said holding up a small envelope.
"White powder?"
Sara nodded.
"How did you know?"
"Nick said he'd found some as well."
"Really? Great."
"Keep working at it. I'm gonna be in Grissom's office sorting out some of his other cases if you need me." Sara nodded and turned back to Dr. Robbins as Catherine marched out.
*****
The next few hours were the worst in Jade's life. She didn't remember the last time that she felt such pain. Where there wasn't pain, there was an emptiness that she didn't think could ever be filled. The last time that she felt this way, even though she could barely remember it, was when her parents died.
Sitting by Gil's bedside she went though the events of the past hours and how things had changed so quickly. Life was so precious and short, she'd learnt that five years ago but she hadn't thought about it since, until now.
Dr. Martin - Jack. Her old friend. She hadn't seen him since school and now he was the one telling her that Gris probably won't make it. Replaying the images of the conversation they had had mere moments ago, she sighed and forced back the tears.
Twenty Minutes before...
Jade was standing outside Gil's room with Jack, Warrick had just gone to get some more coffee. Jack was trying to tell her how serious the situation was but her mind had forced her to think positively.
"He's in a coma, the prognosis isn't good."
The doctor said.
"I don't accept that."
Jade said defiantly.
"He's not breathing on his own, the machines are doing it for him."
Jack replied.
"That's why you have them, to keep people alive - that's what you do here."
She insisted.
"But there's a difference between being alive...and living."
Jack said gently.
"I won't give up on him. He never gave up on me."
Jade said sternly.
"Neither will we, but what we want isn't the issue, it's what he wants. Does he have a living will?"
Jack questioned carefully.
"I'm his living will!" She said in surprise. "I want you to take every measure necessary no matter how extreme to keep him alive - I'm not going to let him die!"
She turned and marched back into Grissom's room. Jack sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with her.
Present
She knew she'd been harsh, but she had to. It was the only way to keep going - to concentrate on Grissom waking up and getting better. If she didn't she wouldn't be able to cope, she'd fall apart even with everyone's support.
She absently rubbed her stomach where the scar from the knife wound resided and took a deep breath.
"Come on Gil. You can pull through this. Cos if you...How am I suppose to let you go...I don't think I can..."
Her voice went and she stopped talking to stop the tears flowing. A few moments later Catherine entered the room. Jade took a deep breath to get rid of the lump and stood, giving Catherine a smile. Catherine knew straight away that something was wrong.
"Jade?"
She asked concerned.
"Hey Cath - how's the investigation going?"
She palmed off her friends concern off. Catherine decided to let it drop for now.
"It's getting there."
Catherine lied, sitting down opposite Jade. She knew that they weren't having much luck trying to find the suspect. Jade lowered herself back into the seat, her hands on the arms rests.
"It'll work out. You'll catch him. You have to."
She said making it sound like a command as she looked at Gil, whose only movement was his chest moving gently up and down, and up...and down...
Catherine stared into Jade's determined eyes. She was so sure that they would catch him, but Catherine knew different. 10 years on the job told her that things were slowly going down the drain. The evidence just wasn't working for them this time. She inhaled slowly and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"Jade..."
She sounded like she was about to confess something and Jade looked up straight away.
"Catherine? What is it?"
Catherine watched the concern on her face and couldn't tell her.
"Don't worry. We'll find him. Just concentrate on Gil, okay? Don't worry about the case. We'll sort it out."
Jade smiled, relieved that it wasn't something more serious.
"I know you will."
Catherine nodded, a fake smile on her face.
"So, has the Doc said anything else?"
"He um...he...doesn't think Gil is likely to wake up. But he will. I know he will. I have to believe that...if I don't..."
Her voice went. Her eyes didn't leave Gil's body and her hand reached out and took his hand again. Catherine knew she was trying to stay strong, trying to stay positive. She stood.
"I'd better get back to the lab. Call us if...if anything, okay?"
Jade just nodded, and as soon as the door had closed on Catherine Jade let her head drop and she took a very shaky breath.
"You have to get him Catherine...please...for Gil. Someone has to pay for his...this crime."
Well? I know it's been a while since I posted but you can't rush a muse! Comments could help though ;-)
*****
Chapter Three - Roads To Dead Ends.
Catherine walked into the lab to see Nick standing over Greg who was looking into a microscope.
"Right, what have we got?"
She asked, getting right to the point. Nick and Greg both looked up.
"How's Gris?"
Nick asked. Catherine breathed deeply for a moment before she spoke.
"He's stable for the moment...But it doesn't look good."
"Oh man."
Nick said quietly to himself.
"Which is why we have to catch this man. What have we got so far?"
"Not much. Sara is processing the evidence and information for the murder Grissom was investigating, and I'm checking through any evidence from the second crime - the dead officer for one. We're hoping that if we can solve one of them, we can get the other solved."
Catherine nodded.
"Makes sense. Some criminals like to come back to the scene of the crime. Anything of interest yet?"
"Actually yes. Grissom's gun had a bullet missing."
"Grissom got a round off."
Nick smiled, nodding.
"We haven't found the bullet yet so there's every chance it hit the suspect, we're processing all the blood now to see if any doesn't belong to any of the victims."
"What about the building? Who's named as the owner?"
"No-one. It's been on the market since the owner died about four years ago. The place was pretty much left as he left it - nothing in the main warehouse section and a couple old pieces of furniture in the back office room. We have some fingerprints and we've got the bullets from both the officer and Grissom, which Brass brought in. Oh, and we also found some unusual white powder on the desk - could be nothing, could be everything."
Catherine nodded again.
"Keep at it. I'm gonna go check on Sara."
"I think she's down in the autopsy room."
"Thanks."
Catherine said walking out. She headed down to where Dr. Robbins resided to find the both of them leaning over a table with a dead male laying on it.
"Hey."
She said. Again, both of them looked up at the voice and immediately Sara asked about Grissom. Catherine told her and her face fell. Catherine saw the expression and moved closer.
"Come on Sara I need you here to work this crime scene. You with me."
Sara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
"We, uh...were just going over what Dr. Robbins found."
She paused. Catherine waited for someone to continue.
"Well...What did you find?"
She urged.
"To be honest not a lot." Dr. Robbins said. "He's aged between 25 and 30, average height, average weight, brown hair and eyes. There's no scars or 'anything' which can make him stand out of a crowd."
"Great."
Catherine said. Sara continued.
"But we did notice that he was pretty smartly dressed for someone in an old run-down building. We also found some sort of powder under his fingernails which I'm about to get processed."
Sara said holding up a small envelope.
"White powder?"
Sara nodded.
"How did you know?"
"Nick said he'd found some as well."
"Really? Great."
"Keep working at it. I'm gonna be in Grissom's office sorting out some of his other cases if you need me." Sara nodded and turned back to Dr. Robbins as Catherine marched out.
*****
The next few hours were the worst in Jade's life. She didn't remember the last time that she felt such pain. Where there wasn't pain, there was an emptiness that she didn't think could ever be filled. The last time that she felt this way, even though she could barely remember it, was when her parents died.
Sitting by Gil's bedside she went though the events of the past hours and how things had changed so quickly. Life was so precious and short, she'd learnt that five years ago but she hadn't thought about it since, until now.
Dr. Martin - Jack. Her old friend. She hadn't seen him since school and now he was the one telling her that Gris probably won't make it. Replaying the images of the conversation they had had mere moments ago, she sighed and forced back the tears.
Twenty Minutes before...
Jade was standing outside Gil's room with Jack, Warrick had just gone to get some more coffee. Jack was trying to tell her how serious the situation was but her mind had forced her to think positively.
"He's in a coma, the prognosis isn't good."
The doctor said.
"I don't accept that."
Jade said defiantly.
"He's not breathing on his own, the machines are doing it for him."
Jack replied.
"That's why you have them, to keep people alive - that's what you do here."
She insisted.
"But there's a difference between being alive...and living."
Jack said gently.
"I won't give up on him. He never gave up on me."
Jade said sternly.
"Neither will we, but what we want isn't the issue, it's what he wants. Does he have a living will?"
Jack questioned carefully.
"I'm his living will!" She said in surprise. "I want you to take every measure necessary no matter how extreme to keep him alive - I'm not going to let him die!"
She turned and marched back into Grissom's room. Jack sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with her.
Present
She knew she'd been harsh, but she had to. It was the only way to keep going - to concentrate on Grissom waking up and getting better. If she didn't she wouldn't be able to cope, she'd fall apart even with everyone's support.
She absently rubbed her stomach where the scar from the knife wound resided and took a deep breath.
"Come on Gil. You can pull through this. Cos if you...How am I suppose to let you go...I don't think I can..."
Her voice went and she stopped talking to stop the tears flowing. A few moments later Catherine entered the room. Jade took a deep breath to get rid of the lump and stood, giving Catherine a smile. Catherine knew straight away that something was wrong.
"Jade?"
She asked concerned.
"Hey Cath - how's the investigation going?"
She palmed off her friends concern off. Catherine decided to let it drop for now.
"It's getting there."
Catherine lied, sitting down opposite Jade. She knew that they weren't having much luck trying to find the suspect. Jade lowered herself back into the seat, her hands on the arms rests.
"It'll work out. You'll catch him. You have to."
She said making it sound like a command as she looked at Gil, whose only movement was his chest moving gently up and down, and up...and down...
Catherine stared into Jade's determined eyes. She was so sure that they would catch him, but Catherine knew different. 10 years on the job told her that things were slowly going down the drain. The evidence just wasn't working for them this time. She inhaled slowly and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"Jade..."
She sounded like she was about to confess something and Jade looked up straight away.
"Catherine? What is it?"
Catherine watched the concern on her face and couldn't tell her.
"Don't worry. We'll find him. Just concentrate on Gil, okay? Don't worry about the case. We'll sort it out."
Jade smiled, relieved that it wasn't something more serious.
"I know you will."
Catherine nodded, a fake smile on her face.
"So, has the Doc said anything else?"
"He um...he...doesn't think Gil is likely to wake up. But he will. I know he will. I have to believe that...if I don't..."
Her voice went. Her eyes didn't leave Gil's body and her hand reached out and took his hand again. Catherine knew she was trying to stay strong, trying to stay positive. She stood.
"I'd better get back to the lab. Call us if...if anything, okay?"
Jade just nodded, and as soon as the door had closed on Catherine Jade let her head drop and she took a very shaky breath.
"You have to get him Catherine...please...for Gil. Someone has to pay for his...this crime."
Well? I know it's been a while since I posted but you can't rush a muse! Comments could help though ;-)