The Search by SLynn
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.
Spoilers: Everything up to 'Nesting Dolls' in Season 5 although I doubt seriously I drag all that up.
At the Hospital
Sara and Nick sped down the hallway where the nurse had directed them to only to find a waiting room occupied by half the crime lab. Hustling over to where Brass and Catherine stood they immediately asked what was happening, what was known.
"Calm down," Brass said holding up his hands to them both in an effort to slow them down. He'd been explaining and re-explaining the situation every five minutes as someone new would show up. It was becoming exhausting. "They're fine just being looked over."
"When can we see them?" Sara asked.
"It'll be awhile," Catherine answered, "The doctor was just here, said Gil's in good condition. A little dehydrated, sunburned, and has a touch of the flu but otherwise good. They're still checking him out but he should be able to leave tomorrow."
"And Greg?" Nick asked.
"Greg is," Catherine started and her smile faltered, "He's going to be fine."
"Going to be," Sara echoed.
"Yeah," Brass picked up, "Doctor Garrett says he's got full blown pneumonia. Leg isn't as bad as we thought, it isn't broken at least or infected. He's also pretty burned and dehydrated but otherwise okay."
"Good," Nick said feeling relieved because it really could have been much worse.
Sara and Nick joined the rest of the lab in the chairs but didn't join in the conversation. Everyone was excited, talking rapidly and eagerly. Anxious to see them both, relieved it was over.
But the wait was long.
It wasn't until after six that morning that they were given another update. Sara had fallen asleep, as had most everyone on and off during the night, and Nick had to gently shake her to gain her attention.
"Come on," he whispered, not wanting to wake anyone else.
She looked up and saw Warrick and Catherine standing near the entrance to the ward and got up and joined them as quickly as she could.
"How long was I asleep?" she whispered to Nick.
"An hour tops," he answered with a smile, "And FYI, you drool."
Sara looked at his shoulder and nearly laughed.
"Sorry about that," she said and made a half hearted attempt to wipe it off making him laugh as well.
"Quiet," Catherine atoned, "We don't want to wake everyone up."
"Where are we going?" Sara asked as they strode down the hall.
"Gil's up," Catherine answered. "They're releasing him at eight. Thought we'd sneak in ahead of everyone else."
Sara and Nick both smiled at that.
They reached the door and Catherine tapped on it lightly before cracking it open.
"Come in," they heard from just inside the room but it wasn't a voice they recognized. Grissom's voice, normally smooth, sounded shredded.
"Hi stranger," Catherine said forcing a smile onto her face as she made her way across the room.
"Catherine," he said as best he could, sitting up a little further and clearing his throat. "Isn't anyone at the lab?"
"Not tonight," she said with a chuckle.
"How're you feeling?" Warrick asked next coming over and sitting down in the nearest chair.
"Honestly?" Grissom asked with a small smile, "Bad. Really bad."
"But you're okay to go home?" Nick questioned.
"I'm fine," Grissom contended, "How's Greg?"
"Dr. Garrett said he's sleeping," Catherine answered.
"Pneumonia?" he questioned now looking at her for confirmation.
Catherine nodded before continuing.
"Not too serious."
Now Grissom nodded, he'd guessed that much given Greg's symptoms while they'd be out.
"So what happened?" Warrick finally asked, they'd all been dying to know.
Grissom cleared his throat and shifted again in the bed. Catherine poured him a glass of water from the pitcher sitting near the bed. He took it from her with a smile and thanked her before starting.
"We got lost."
"That's it?" Nick asked with his own smile.
"No that's not it," Grissom said wryly, "We were at the scene, Greg saw something shiny…"
Warrick and Nick both laughed at this. For the first time even Sara cracked a smile.
"What?" Catherine asked.
"Nothing," Warrick said waving her off, "Sorry. Just that Nick owes me twenty bucks."
"Well, it wasn't Greg's fault," Grissom started again, "Once we realized we weren't on the right trail he wanted to stay put but I kept us going."
They all nodded slightly at that.
"How far did you track us?" Grissom asked curious now at where they'd gotten too. They seemed to have at least known their starting point.
"Found the house yesterday," Warrick answered.
"Nick and I found your campsite at the end of the road," Sara offered as well.
Grissom nodded.
"We saw the helicopter twice."
"You were that close?" Nick asked in shock.
"Not exactly," Grissom returned, "We were just far enough away to see it, but nothing more. Did you find the creek?"
"And your directions," Nick answered with a nod of his own, "What happened there? I mean, we know Greg fell in right?"
"Not fell, no," Grissom said before stopping and coughing harshly.
After taking a few sips of water he began again.
"When we came up on the creek it was dry. Greg had spotted that road from the top of a cliff earlier that morning…"
"So that's what he was doing?" Catherine cut him off shaking her head. "We knew you'd been there cliff side but we thought you started down a different trail. There was one right up there on top, clear as day."
"There was another trail?" Grissom asked and Catherine nodded. "How did you know we were there? That Greg was up there?"
"Indent marks under the overhang," Catherine answered, "Rectangular."
"The case," Grissom supplied.
"And we found Greg's notebook on top of the hill."
"You found his notebook?" Grissom asked sounding both surprised and pleased.
Catherine smiled and nodded.
"Good," he finished, "He'll be thrilled. He thought he lost it in the creek with his phone and wallet."
"No," Nick said shaking his head, "we got those too. Wallet showed up in a run off in town, phone was right there at the creek bed."
Grissom was silent for a minute, thinking it over.
"So the creek?" Warrick questioned again.
"Yes," Grissom started, "it was empty. The rain had started up again and we had to get across it in a hurry. I'd gotten out first and realized that Greg hadn't, he was still carrying his case and didn't want to leave it behind. So after throwing it up the embankment, he started to climb out himself but by then the water was already coming off the mountains quickly. Before he could get out he slipped, I tried to get a hold of him but…"
Grissom paused and cleared his throat again, obviously still a bit disturbed by the memory of it.
"He was lucky. Very lucky. I don't know if he hit the tree or caught it, I wouldn't be surprised if he caught it, but he was lucky. Got out with gash to his leg and nothing more."
They were all silent now, knowing how much worse it could have been. No one wanted to bring up the fact that the helicopter had been there as part of a body recovery mission. That at that point they'd pretty much assumed the worst had happened.
The rest of the time they kept the conversation light. They caught him up on the status of the cases, what had been happening in the office, those types of things. He asked a few more questions about Greg but not much else. He seemed content to hear what they had to say and not say much himself. Before anyone knew it a few hours had passed and Dr. Garrett stopped in. Asking everyone to step out momentarily he was only in the room with Gil for about ten minutes before leaving himself and inviting them back in.
When they re-entered the room Gil wasn't there but in the adjoining bathroom getting ready to leave.
"I take it you got your walking papers," Warrick said.
"And not a moment too soon," Grissom returned having changed into his regular clothes. "I don't suppose I can get one of you to drive me home, could I?"
"You don't want to walk?" Nick asked with a smile.
"I'd rather not," Grissom said with a smile of his own.
"I'll take you," Catherine offered and they all accompanied him to the nurses station and then to the car.
Everyone said their goodbyes, certain that they'd see Grissom that night at the lab. That he wouldn't be able to stay away for long.
Catherine and Gil drove in a fairly comfortable silence before she cleared her throat while they waited at a stoplight.
"Something the matter?" Gil asked turning to her.
"I'm going to have to call Greg's mother again," she sighed.
"Ah," he said in return.
"Did he tell you about his family?" she asked quite seriously.
"Some," he answered with a slight nod. Gil didn't want to betray any confidences by commenting further so instead he remained quiet.
"Some?" she questioned back, "His mother's a nightmare."
He laughed and she looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
"What?" she asked as he continued to shake his head.
"Greg said pretty much the same thing," he finally said, "I think next time you'll be both of our emergency contacts. Should make things easier."
"There better not be a next time," she returned, but her voice sounded lighter. She treated it like the joke she knew it was supposed to be, but honestly she was touched.
"Does his family know yet?"
"No," she answered, "I haven't gotten a chance to call. Really, I haven't had the heart to call. I don't think they care."
"Let me do it," he offered, "I'm responsible, I should be the one to tell them."
Catherine nodded silently and they continued on in silence until once more she cleared her throat.
"Greg's father called," she said evenly and waited for his reaction.
Gil looked at her with something like surprise on his face.
"Sara told me that they've never really met but I told him what was happening, what we knew at the time."
"I see," he said almost tightly.
"I'm going to tell Greg," she continued, "I'm just not sure how."
"Carefully."
Catherine nodded.
They pulled up to Grissom's townhouse and both got out.
"I've been watching your crawlies while you were out," Catherine said opening the door for him and ushering him inside.
"Thank you," he said quite sincerely. He'd honestly forgotten all about them for the time. Had other things to worry about while they were in the desert. Other things like staying alive.
"It's good to have you back," she said with equal sincerity. "Things weren't the same without you here."
Gil looked at her and smiled.
"It's good to be back."
