One Of Us 12/?
-------------------
7:30 A.M.
"Greg? Calm down... slow... talk slower, I can't understand you. Okay... Okay, I'll be there. No, I'm off shift, it's fine. Yeah, I was on my way home... Forget it, you're way more important, you know that. Fifteen minutes. Alright.... I'm on my way, kiddo. Hang in there, okay? Good. Bye."
---------------------
When Catherine arrived at the hospital she was stunned to find Greg not only on his feet but pacing up and back along the near side of his bed. It was obvious every shuffling step was causing him pain, but he pushed on. His expression radiated fury and frustration, but that didn't keep Catherine away. She immediately ran to his side and halted him, holding fast even when he tried to pull out of her grip.
"Greg! My God how did you manage to... does the staff know you're out of bed?"
"I don't care... I don't care, I don't care, I don't care..." he mumbled angrily, refusing to look at her.
"Greg, sit down."
"No! I can't... have to figure out what to do... have to think..." he insisted. His struggle continued until Catherine grabbed his chin and pulled his head around, forcing him to see her.
"Greg! Stop! Just for a minute... sit down and tell me what the hell happened..."
Finally, Greg tore his arm free, but he also acceded to his friend's request and dropped to the edge of the bed. She sat beside him, touching his hair and stroking his hands, hoping to calm him. "Better. Now... talk to me, baby. What's going on?"
"It's him... you have to tell him... make him understand..."
"Make who understand what?"
"Denson! He won't let me go to the interrogation! I tried to tell him I'd come back after, but... he says it's impossible. Bastard..."
"Did he give you a reason? Do you have a secondary infection, or..."
"Oh, no. That I could understand. He said I'm healing better than he thought I would."
"Then what's the problem?"
"He scheduled my second surgery for today... to reverse the colostomy. He says I'll be in no shape to go anywhere after that... that's not what pissed me off though. He says... once I've had a couple days to recover... he's transferring me upstairs. Got it all set up... thinks he can control me... thinks he can just say jump... son of a bitch has a surprise comin', that I guarantee..."
"Greg, I don't understand. What's upstairs?"
He gazed at her, anger slowly fading only to be replaced by apprehension and tears.
"The pysch ward... he wants to shove me in the freaking psych ward for a whole week... he can't just do that, can he, Cath? I didn't say he could do that..."
"No... no, I don't think he can... not if you don't want it." She reassured him as she wrapped one arm around him and pulled him close.
"Intensive inpatient therapy he called it... says I need to... talk to somebody. About what? I don't remember anything... the damn GHB took it all away..."
"I know... shhh. It'll be okay. I'll track him down and straighten this all out. We've got time... Brass won't even pick up Sawyer and Cimino until tonight. With your ID and the evidence from the rape kit... we've got more than enough to hold them until tomorrow. By then... we'll have figured out a way to get you out of here, even if it's only for a little while."
"I'll have the surgery... I know I need that, but promise me you won't let him lock me away... promise you'll help me protect myself... please, Cath. After they operate... I'll be so out of it... they can do anything they want an' I won't be able to stop it..."
Catherine's heart broke when she realized that, although he wasn't aware of it, Greg was talking about something deeper than being forced into therapy; he was unconsciously expressing residual fear about the rape. In response, she held him tighter and soothed him with quiet words and easy touches until he fell asleep on her shoulder. Gently, she laid him back in bed, covering him and tucking the blankets around him. As she left the room, some of the fury she'd seen in him began to stir in her as well.
"Nurse?"
"Yes, ma'mm. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, you can. Page Scott Denson for me. Now."
"I believe he's in with another patient..."
"I don't give a damn if he's flying the Space Shuttle. I want his ass down here! Page. Him." she hissed, producing her badge to reinforce the command. The younger woman blanched and reached for the PA receiver.
----------------------------------
"Miss Willows? Is there a problem?"
Catherine nodded her head toward a small lounge several yards away from Greg's door and stalked toward it. She knew she could end up shouting and she wasn't about to disturb her young friend's rest. Denson followed and when they reached the more secluded area, the smaller woman whirled on the doctor, fire blazing in her eyes.
"What the hell did you think you were doing making Greg think he had no choice but to enter counseling?!"
"I'm not sure I completely understand. Therapy is SOP in cases such as his..."
"SOP? Greg doesn't understand SOP! All he heard was 'I made the decision and you have no say'! Did you even stop to consider the loss of control he's already feeling? He's barely had time to process what happened to him... and you walk in and tell him he has to spend a week locked in a psych ward!"
"Locked? God, no. I never said anything about him being locked in. There's a whole group of unsecured rooms set up specifically for victims of severe physical and sexual assault. He'll be under close observation, of course...."
"Great, so he'll be able to come and go. That's not the point! You told him, you didn't ask him!"
"Miss Willows..."
"No. You listen for a minute. You didn't see him. When I walked in there he was furious and terrified... begging me to help protect him. You probably had good intentions. Maybe you were distracted thinking about your next patient, maybe you were just in a hurry. Whatever it was, you screwed up. I know you really wanna help him... but he doesn't. Not yet anyway."
"I have some time now. I can go explain it to him more fully..."
"No. He's sleeping. Besides, he's really not pleased with you at the moment."
Denson produced a grim, rueful smile.
"That bad?"
"He called you every name in the big book of English curse-words. Then he added a few that sounded Scandinavian." Catherine replied more calmly, most of her anger slowly draining as she realized Denson acknowledged and regretted his mistake.
"I'll spend some extra time with him before his surgery." Denson assured her, turning to go.
"Yeah, about that... you're sure it can't be postponed?"
"The schedule is really full. As it is, I had to fight to get them to squeeze him in. Also, we don't want to leave the colostomy much longer. There could be serious complications."
"Of course. This is just so important to him. The ones that hurt him are being arrested tonight and interrogated tomorrow. He really needs to be there... to confront them."
Denson looked thoughtful for a long moment.
"Is there any rule that says they have to be questioned in a police station?"
"No...not that I'm aware of."
"Then I see no reason why it couldn't happen in his room. There will have to be precautions taken, of course. Both men will need to be handcuffed and the hospital will insist on adding our own security to whatever the LVPD provides..."
"Yeah. Yeah, of course. You sure you can make it happen?"
"I think I have a major error in judgment to make up for. Let this be my way of doing that. You handle the logistics on your end, I'll set things up here."
Catherine nodded as Denso walked off then pulled her phone out and dialed Grissom's voice mail.
"Gris, it's Catherine. I'm at the hospital. Greg's had a really bad morning. He needs company, so I'm gonna make use of the extra bed in his room instead of going all the way home. Oh, and I need to discuss the interrogation with you. Talk to you tonight, okay? Bye."
------------------------
11:30 THAT NIGHT
"Would you stand still, man? You're makin' me crazy. I swear I've never seen you this hyper. You're usually cool as a cucumber when it comes time to slap the cuffs on." Warrick commented, his concern evident in his expression.
"Yeah, well this is different, ain't it." Brass replied. "This ain't about some DB or victim I don't know from Adam. It's for somebody I see everyday... somebody I have to answer to if it goes south."
"It can't. We've got the warrants, the ID, the evidence. No way this sack of shit's gettin' away."
"I know. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Nothin'. Let's do this."
Warrick considered pushing the issue, but he knew he'd get nothing more out of his stoic, fiercely self-protective friend, so he dropped the subject and followed Brass and the accompanying officers up to the door. A powerful knock brought an almost immediate response.
"Yes? What can I do for you?"
"Brett Sawyer?"
"Yes..."
"Then you can step outside and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest."
"What?! Under arrest... what for?!" the young man protested as he was dragged out and handcuffed.
"Rape and assault and battery." Warrick intoned darkly. "Get him out of my sight."
The officers towed the still screaming and struggling suspect to a car and shoved him into the backseat while Warrick snapped on a pair of latex gloves. Brass read his expression and questioned him.
"You are worried."
"No. Skeptical. He was easy to find. That usually means they don't think they have anything to worry about, even if the law does catch up to 'em. I may not find anything significant."
Brass held the taller man's gaze firmly for several seconds, spoke briefly then turned to leave.
"Try really hard."
-----------------------------
THE STATION: A FEW MINUTES LATER
"I don't see any problem with it, Cath. You'll have to clear it with the lawyers, the prosecutor and the PD, but I can't imagine they'd throw up any roadblocks. As long as there's enough security to protect Greg..."
"Denson said the hospital would add their guards to whoever we send."
"Okay. As soon as you get all the necessary approvals, it's a go as far as I'm concerned. In the mean time..." he said, handing her the info for her new case. Just as she turned to go, Gil's phone rang and Catherine hang back to hear the news, if there was any. "Uh-huh. Good first, always. Great. Yeah, the DA already promised us a twenty-four hour hold.... Damn. No trace at all? Okay. No, I understand. Half is better than none right now. You did everything you could. .... you won't stop 'till you find him. I know. No, when he finishes with the house, tell Warrick to call me, whatever he finds or doesn't find. Okay. Thanks, "
Catherine looked a question at him with a raised eyebrow. He sighed quietly then gave her the bad news. "Cimino's in the wind. Brass thinks they missed him at his apartment by a few minutes at most."
"Sawyer?"
"On his way in."
"That's something anyway."
"It is. You'd better get going on that." He advised, nodding at the folder in her hand. "Unlike you, crime scenes don't age well."
"Excuse me! Is that supposed to imply I'm getting old?"
Gil gazed up at her, mildly confused.
"It was supposed to be a compliment."
"Keep working on it."
---------------------------------
TBC........