Caving Under Pressure – Part 8
Relief Tent
1:20 p.m.
Carrie walked Sara into the tent and plopped her down at a table.
"Oh great," Sara, in her Valium fog, groaned when she saw who was alone at the next table. "Of all the relief tents, in all the world, why did he have to walk into mine? Ugh. Carrie…I'm sitting next to my ex-boyfriend, Hank. His full name is, Hank how could I forget to mention I had a serious girlfriend Peddigrew."
"Uh…" Confused, Carrie smiled at the rescue worker. "Hi, I'm Carrie Blake, Sara's friend."
"Well, unfortunately, Sara's introduction of me is accurate, but I'm also with the rescue team." Pointing at Sara, he asked Carrie, "Could I have a minute here?"
"Is that okay, Sara?"
"Sure, I'm easy," She remarked in an airy voice. Then she cracked up. "But I'd bet, Hanky Panky thinks otherwise!" Slouching in her seat she recalled one occasion in particular…
"I can't believe you put all that together and figured out the end of the movie," Hank said while swinging Sara's hand and walking to her apartment door.
"Well there were so many signs in Signs, it was easy." When they reached her door, she leaned against it. "I mean, you don't have the characters talk about half empty glasses of water, baseball bats and asthma the whole time and not expect them to come into play at the end."
Shrugging, he replied, "Well now that the movie is over, I see that."
"Despite it being predictable and trite, I enjoyed the symbolism sprinkled throughout."
"What symbolism?"
"Well, like the whole plot with the aliens was simply a fulcrum to get to the deeper issues of the characters."
"Oh." He pondered he statement for a second. "Is that why they didn't bother making the aliens look less cheesy?"
Continuing her analysis, she rambled on, "But what I really liked, was the concept of nothing in life being a coincidence. Imagine if every moment, every action, is a part of our fate…guiding us somewhere. And even if we don't really know where we want to be, if we pay attention to the signs around us and realize that nothing is an accident, we'll eventually get to where we need to be."
Finally Hank heard something he could use. "So the fact that we're standing here in front of your apartment door is fate." Stepping closer, he smoothly slipped his arms around her waist. "I guarantee you this is no accident, Baby," he declared in a husky voice before capturing her mouth in a hungry kiss.
As always, she was flustered and confused by his affection. Maybe there was a reason Hank was in her life, she mused. Maybe he's here to snap me out of this twisted hold Grissom has on me. Hell, I've been waiting since the day I've moved to Vegas for Grissom to make a move and it's time I realized it's not going to happen…there are no signs it's ever going to happen. Oh god, Hank's moving his big strong hands under the back of my shirt. It's been years since I've been with someone and my body is begging me to finally let this happen. Maybe it's a sign we saw Signs, so that when we came here and stood at my door, I would pay attention to what hunky Hank and my bothered body are telling me. "Uh…do you want to come in?"
Hank eyed her with caution. "We've tried this too many times, Sara. I'd rather not come in if you're not going to let me stay."
"I...I want you to stay." Shoving her hand in her purse, she fumbled for her keys.
Hank wasn't ready to sing the Hallelujah chorus just yet. Every time they got close Sara either balked or was called into work. "You gonna turn off your pager?" He asked as soon as he stepped inside her apartment.
The mere mention of her pager sent her careening off course. "Why?"
Surprised she had to ask, he guffawed, "So your boss, Grissom, doesn't interrupt us for the twentieth time. He has this knack of paging you every time we get close."
"Oh." He had to mention Grissom's name! Ugh! Wait…maybe it's a sign or some kind of symbolism. He's asking me to turn off my pager and the pager represents Grissom…by turning off the pager I'm turning off the idea of Grissom ever giving me the time of day, which he's never going to do. I'll finally be accepting the cold hard truth. "Sure, I'll turn it off." Reaching into her purse, she pulled it out and with flair, shut it down."
"Finally." Hank was pleased to see she was serious and for once he anticipated not leaving frustrated.
"Want a beer?" Sara asked with a hint of tension in her voice. A little liquid courage for before the act to ensure the prevention of cold feet!
"Sure." He took a seat on the couch and eagerly awaited her arrival.
"Here you go." She handed him an Amstel and took a seat next to him.
After a few swigs interspersed with suggestive smiles, Hank placed his bottle on the coffee table and then removed Sara's from her hand, setting it next to his. "You look great in that red shirt."
"Thanks." As he slid closer she heard her body singing the praises of his large muscular physique. Fully committed to moving forward with her life, she reclined against the couch pillows, ready for him to break the Grissom spell and relieve the pent up sexual frustration which had been building inside of her for years. "That's nice," She whispered as he trailed kisses down her neck.
Just as Hank was snapping open the button of Sara's Levi's, he heard her cell phone ring. "Don't answer that."
"Okay," she breathed out in a heated gasp, while trying desperately not to think about who could be calling.
After five rings, the cell phone stopped and Hank knew without a doubt he'd be spending the night. "Baby, I've waited so long for this," He growled in her ear just before her house phone rang.
"Stop." Panting, Sara gently pushed him away. "I have to…"
"Don't answer it, Sara," He warned.
"What if there's an emergency?"
"Baby, you work with corpses, what could be urgent?" Grinding his Levi's against hers, he whispered in her ear, "Relax…you're right where you need to be."
Unable to block the ringing, she squealed, "The lab could have an emergency!" Sliding out from under him, fastening her jeans, she headed to the kitchen.
"Dammit!" He smoothed his rumpled hair. "Don't answer it!"
Grabbing the cordless, she saw it was Grissom calling from his cell and thought…it's a sign! Hank asked me to turn off my pager, but he didn't tell me to turn off my phones. "Hey, it's Sara, what's going on? Is something wrong?" She turned her back on her ticked off date.
Stuffing his shirt tails back in his jeans, Hank shook his head. "Unbelievable."
When Grissom softly spoke the words she longed to hear... Sara, I need you with me tonight, she thought…it's a sign! "I can be there in twenty minutes!" She didn't even care that after his lengthy pause he finished his sentence with… because I just got another DB and we're tapped.
As soon as she hung up, Hank snapped, "I can't believe you! How much am I supposed to put up with, huh? Last month we're having a great time in Pahrump and you make us leave so you can go to work on your day off. Then you don't want to see me for a few weeks but tonight you were all excited to go out. At your door I told you not to ask me in if you didn't want me to stay! Make up your mind! I mean what the hell, Sara? I'm all for doing a good job when I'm on the job, but you are always on the job. You call Grissom back and tell him it's your night off and he needs to find someone else! If he doesn't like it, then remind him you're entitled to have a life outside work!"
"I can't do that." Fixing her hair and adjusting her shirt, she replied, "I'm the one he needs, that's why he called."
"You have a problem!" Marching for the door he grumbled. "You're a workaholic!" As he walked through the door, he huffed, "I've seen the signs, Sara, so I'm walking out the door."
Sighing, she picked up her pager from the counter and turned it on. There were no missed pages. That's odd, she thought. Why did Grissom try my cell and my house phone before my pager? It's like he knew how he needed to get to me. Suddenly her lips spread into a smile. Even if we don't really know where we want to be, if we pay attention to the signs around us and realize that nothing is an accident, we'll eventually get to where we need to be. Tossing her purse over her shoulder, she grinned and headed for the door.
"So what is it that you want to say to me, Hank?" Sara relaxed in her seat. "Because you already said you were sorry and didn't know what else to say. Are you going to tell me how your trip to Tahiti was, or how your girlfriend puts out?"
"Uh, she's not my girlfriend anymore." He moved his chair closer. "As of last December, she's my ex-wife."
"Trade her in for a new model?"
"Actually, she traded me in for a guy who doesn't cheat on her. She uh…came home one day and found me in bed with this nurse."
"Shocking!" She replied in her best Jim Brass impression.
"Yeah…you were right about me…I was an asshole. I've turned over a new leaf though, and have been monogamous with my new girlfriend for three months. But that's not what I wanted to discuss." Suddenly he leaned closer. "So, now that I know who your husband is, it's all pretty clear. The whole time we were seeing each other and we kept getting interrupted by Grissom…you were cheating on me. I never suspected that. I mean, I knew you flew out the door every time he called, but I thought you were sucking up to your boss not, hooking up with him. Anyway, it's cool. Not harm, no foul. We're even. Things worked out best for everyone involved. It's like that movie we saw together…Signs…eventually, we all end up where we need to be."
"Whoa." Sara sat staring at Hank's face while having an epiphany. Hank was lying to me about his girlfriend. I was lying to Hank that I wanted a relationship with him when I really wanted one with Grissom. Grissom wasn't telling me his true feelings and was constantly yanking me by the tight leash he kept me on. Wow. Hank's girlfriend was the only non-warped one in the bunch. "I wascheating on you, Hank! Well…I was mentally cheating on you! Because I wasn't having sex with either of you, so it's not the same kind of cheating you did. But I bet if I did have sex with you back then, I would have been thinking about Grissom, which would have been dishonest, not to mention creepy. Wow…this has been very enlightening."
Carrie returned with an apple and a bottle of cold water. "How we doing?" Sara looked truly blissed out, which seemed odd considering she was conversing with her rat-bastard ex-boyfriend while her husband was trapped under a pile of rubble. Then she remembered the effects of the Valium.
"We're great!" Hank stood up smiling. "Sara, don't you worry about Grissom and Catherine, we'll have them out in no time."
Harper House Basement
2:15 p.m.
As Catherine placed her balled up coveralls behind her head, she grumbled, "Really the only time I ever want to be a man is when I have to pee and there isn't a bathroom. You guys can just unzip, whip out the one-eyed wonder and piss three feet away."
"It is one of the many perks," He replied with his face still in his hands.
"You can look now. I'm done and the evidence has been tossed." Stripped down to her tank shirt and khakis and sporting an empty bladder, she felt a lot more comfortable. "Nice job spying that old tin can just outside our little nest."
He lifted his head. "I noticed it sticking out when we were giving recon to the rescue guy."
"What are you staring at?"
"I'm still amazed you got out of those coveralls off with so little space to maneuver."
She laughed. "Honey, I used to make a living getting out of my clothes efficiently. I'm a pro."
"I always say every past experience will come in handy one day." He laughed with her.
"If you want, I can help you get your coveralls off." She snickered, "I've got plenty of experience in that area as well. One time I got a three piece suit off a man in a bathroom stall without wrinkling it."
After gaping at her for a minute, he calmly replied, "I'm fine, thanks."
Laughing harder she said, "Okay then, mind if I ask your opinion on something?"
"As luck would have it, I'm available for consult."
"Do you think I'm too domineering with men?" Pushing her sweaty hair off her face, she continued her train of thought. "I think Warrick may think I'm too controlling. You remember Lady Heather, right? We processed a case at her domination dominion a few years back."
After wondering, if I had more wanton sex over the years, would I be hearing all those women's names constantly referenced, or is there just something about this one woman that makes people keep bringing her up? He nonchalantly answered, "Ah…vaguely…yes, I remember her."
"She told me I would make a fantastic dominatrix."
"Well…I'd take whatever she says with a grain of salt." Because she told me a few things that night that I know were exaggerations!
"I think I'm too domineering with Warrick." She released a guilt-laden sigh. "It doesn't help that he moved into my house. On the way to work, he told me he feels like a guest. And then there's his relationship with Lindsay. I love him helping me with her but whenever he disagrees with me or sides with her, I kind of yank the rug out from under him and tell him he's not her parent." Glancing over at Grissom, she whined, "I'm a self-centered, domineering bitch who has emasculated her man."
Not sure what to do with any of that information, he said, "You expect me to help you with a relationship problem?"
"You're the only person here and you're a guy. Surely you can relate to the ego portion of the issue." She rolled her eyes. "I know you have an ego."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh like you don't like being 'top lab guy' or 'top bug guy' or 'on top of Sara guy'." She laughed. "Sorry…couldn't resist adding that last part. Seven hours and I'm getting punchy. It's all true though…you act casual about all those things, but they all pump your ego. Ever since this whole marriage scandal broke you've been walking taller down the halls at work. You love the whole I've got a pretty young thing who adores me angle and don't try to deny it."
"Is there a specific question you were going to ask me?" He droned.
"What can I do to help Warrick feel more equal in the relationship! I've got the house, the stash in the bank, the kid, the seniority at work…it's all stacked against him. Any ideas other than marriage, because I'm never going down that road again?"
Thinking like a man who likes to fix problems, he stated the obvious. "Sell the house and buy a new one together. That way, no one is a guest."
"But how do we handle the money without him feeling awkward and making things worse? Obviously I have more in the bank thanks to Sam."
"As long as Warrick contributes, I don't think you have to focus on the percentages to feel equal."
"How much did Sara contribute when you guys bought the house?"
"A dollar." He laughed at the memory…
Sitting in the realtor's office with the contract in front of her, Sara glanced over at the agent. "I'm sorry, but would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
"Certainly." The woman quickly left her office and shut the door.
"What's wrong?" Grissom asked, with concern building on his face. Was she getting second thoughts about living together?
"I feel weird that my name is on the contract when I haven't contributed any money. It's really just your house, not ours."
"Oh." Relieved she wasn't backing out, he ordered, "Grab your wallet."
Not sure why he was asking, she obliged.
"How much cash do you have?"
Yanking it open, she saw she only had a dollar. "A buck." She pulled it out and waved it.
After snatching it from her hand, he smiled, "Thank you for the contribution to the house fund." He handed her a pen. "Now start signing because I can't wait to live with you in our house."
Taking the pen, she leaned in for a kiss. "Thank you."
The happy memory triggered his emotions. And now that he wasn't preoccupied with calming Catherine down, he started slipping. "I can't wait to hold her," He softly said as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the safe. "I can't wait to go home with her. I…"
Catherine placed her hand on his knee. "Hang in. It won't be much longer." Then trying to pull him back from the brink, she said, "Hey, what kind of bug is that over there? Looks pretty creepy."
His eyes snapped open and searched the area. "Where?"
"Made you look!"
At the Police Tape
2:32 p.m.
From his position in the crowd, Pete finally saw someone who fit the standard serial killer profile…white male, 20-30's, loner-fringe type. Since they had such limited case information it was the best place to start. And after two hours of waiting, he was grateful to have anything to check out.
He knew the killer had a penchant for prostitutes and took great care in symbolically bringing them to the old brothel. Quite possibly he was a goal-oriented killer, someone who thought they were doing the world a favor by getting rid of the immoral. Like Sara said, the killer didn't want to get caught…he had a purpose, and now he would be irritated that his mission was interrupted.
As Pete approached, he noted the man looked about twenty-six, stood at five-nine and wore a black t-shirt with Lucky Bucky's Shirt Shop printed on the back. "Hey," Pete acknowledged the guy. "Pretty screwed up that a building just collapses one day, huh?"
"Yeah." He continued to intensely stare straight ahead. "They said a woman drove her truck through the wall. How stupid do you have to be to drive your truck into a two-story brick building? That building stood for seventy years until she came along. I bet she's a real brainless bitch."
"Probably." Pete opened his mental notebook and jotted…knows the building details, hostility toward a woman he doesn't know and hasn't impacted him personally. "I couldn't help but notice the logo on your shirt. You work there at Lucky Bucky's?"
"Yeah."
Pete's eyes gravitated toward the ground and the man's boots…could be a perfect match. "Where's the shop?"
"Fremont and sixth."
"Bet you see a lot of drunks and hookers working over there."
"All the worst, all the time." The man finally turned to look at his fellow bystander. "This building used to be a whore house."
"Really?" Pete feigned ignorance.
"They used to keep them in buildings but nowadays the whores troll the streets."
Pete glanced through the crowd to Nina and scratched his ear…their agreed upon signal. "I like your boots. I need a new pair. What kind are they?"
"Doc Martens…Black Eros."
Perfect match! "Do they have good tread?"
"Yeah." The guy lifted his foot and showed off the bottom. "I've had them for a while, but you can't tell."
"Looks like you got something on the boot though…what is that?"
"What?" He glanced down.
"Looks like blood." Pete let his eyes rest on the guy's. "Cut yourself with a box cutter at the T-shirt shop?"
"Why do you care?" The man's eyes narrowed.
He knew he hit a nerve. "Awful hot to be wearing a black T-shirt when you're planning to stand outside and watch a rescue operation. Maybe you weren't planning on coming out here. Maybe you rushed out here. Why did you come out here?"
"Are you a cop?"
"No." Pete smiled. "You have a problem with cops? Bad place to have a problem with cops, because there are so many around. I mean if a guy did something wrong…or suddenly felt the need to escape he would really be in the wrong place if he were here."
"Who the hell are you?" He barked.
"A guy in the crowd." Pete kept pushing. "A guy who is wondering if maybe that's not your blood on that boot. That black shirt is hot isn't it because you're really starting to sweat. That is why you're sweating, right? It wouldn't be because you have a secret and you're afraid I know what it is. Wait…I think that could be it because now you're not only sweating, you're breathing harder. Is it getting hotter out here or are you getting more nervous. Which is it? Whose blood is on your boot? Is it yours or could it belong to a Fremont Street hooker?"
Suddenly the guy shoved Pete aside and bolted.
"He's on the move!" Shouted Pete as he took off after him.
Racing through the crowd, the suspect knocked a woman to the ground in his haste to escape. "Out of my way, Bitch!"
In a flash, six uniform cops swooped in restraining the man to ask him why he was running and mowing people down at a crime scene.
Nina and Trey rushed to Pete's side. "Think that's him?" Nina asked in a hopeful tone.
"I'll be shocked if it's not." Pete shook his head as he watched the cops lead the suspect away for what he assumed was at a minimum, disorderly conduct. "Unbelievable. Nina, while Trey and I head back to the station to work this, you tell Sara what's going down. I'll call you and keep you updated."
"Got it."
Rescue Operation Command Tent
2:46 p.m.
The Commander called for an emergency briefing minutes ago and now that the dozen required personnel had assembled, he began disseminating information.
Nick, invited as the CSI in command, brought Sara and Warrick along so they could hear the news first hand.
"As of 2:40 p.m., we've suspended overhead debris removal."
"What?" Sara blurted before Nick could cover her mouth.
He sternly warned her. "No talking, remember."
"Sorry, Commander."
After flashing a warning glare, he resumed his briefing. "We've suspended debris removal because we feel it is no longer necessary. We were able to insert a fiber optic camera through a large void that was unearthed and from the pictures we reviewed, we think we see a decent path to the trapped CSIs."
Sara grabbed Warrick's arm and hoped for more good news.
"Because of the limitations of the equipment, we can only see two-thirds of the distance but we believe we have a good shot of manual extrication." He pointed to the Chief. "Take over."
"While we continue to shore the site, we'll send in our extrication specialist to check the path and manually create clearance." He pointed to Hank. "I need you to gear up."
Without a word, Hank left the tent to don the necessary equipment.
"I have our communications specialist conveying the plan to the CSIs, so they will be prepared to move if Hank is able to reach them. If this plan doesn't pan out, we'll proceed with a manual dig until we achieve the necessary clearance. That's it for the high level details and now I'll meet with each task leader."
Nick led the way out of the tent with Sara and Warrick right behind him.
"So now we have to hope there really is a decent path," Warrick stated while trying not to get too carried away. "And that it's big enough for them to fit through without requiring too much digging because digging can cause a further cave in."
Sara answered in an upbeat tone. "Catherine will definitely be small enough, and if Hank can fit on the way in, then Grissom can fit on the way out, because Hank's shoulders are broader and he's three inches taller."
Nick gasped and froze in his tracks. "Good thing Grissom didn't hear you say that. No guy wants to be physically compared to his woman's ex."
Warrick winced. "Hell no."
Sara glanced up at him. "Oh please, like you ever had to worry about feeling small."
Nick and Warrick stood stunned.
"What!" Then Sara realized they misunderstood. "I was referring to height."
Happy to find them all together, Nina hustled over to the group. "Just the people I needed to see."
They turned and were shocked to see Nina smiling.
"We have a suspect in police custody," She excitedly reported. "Sara, looks like your hunch might be right. Pete and Trey are heading back to the station to help question and hopefully, once we get a warrant, process the guy's boots and his residence. He'll call me when he has updates."
Nick beamed with pride. "Excellent work." Finally his team was coming together. "Keep me posted as you get information."
Psyched that they could have a suspect in custody, Sara said, "I can't wait to tell Grissom that I set this in motion."
"Look at you…still trying to prove you're the best CSI to Grissom." Then Warrick reminded the group, "Our vics are no longer available to us so it's going to be harder to nail him."
Nick countered, "Because it's a triple homicide, after Gris and Catherine are rescued, they'll switch focus to completing the dig and recovering the evidence."
The chief's bullhorn squawked and grabbed their attention. "We're moving in fifteen."
Warrick glanced over at Sara. "Home stretch." Although he was painfully aware it was also the most dangerous part of the operation, he felt a current of optimism running through him.
Nick checked his watch. "There's something I have to take care of quickly. I'll be back before they start." Without further explanation, he took off.
Media Containment Area
When he reached the KTBC news van, Nick pounded on the window.
"What the?" Ana dropped her Cosmopolitan magazine and opened the door. "What's with the pounding, caveman? Oh, it's you."
In a sharp tone, he replied, "A little while ago I got a call that you're running tape of Sara at four. The snippet you already showed contained very personal information. How much more do you have?"
Grinning she said, "The wife waxed nostalgic a few times. Like I told you before, I got her agreeing to talk to me on tape, so I'm in the clear."
"You people really love capitalizing on other people's trauma."
"It's called a human interest story." She tossed her wavy black hair off her shoulder. "And if they're interested, it's my job to give them details. Besides, it's not like she said anything bad. She just gushed like a school girl."
Which was exactly what Nick was afraid of, so he took a different approach. "How about this? You lose that tape and I promise you an exclusive after the rescue."
Her ears perked. "An exclusive?"
"Because let me tell you…there's something about this rescue operation you don't know, and it has a great human interest angle and if you get it first…." He flashed her a Texas Longhorn smile. "…you'll be the envy of every one of these news hacks."
Extending her hand, she said, "I'll kill the Sara tape."
Nick accepted the deal. "You'll get your exclusive."
"Nice doing business with you, Cowboy." Ana winked. "Maybe sometime we could do a little pleasure?"
"Thank ya, ma'am but…sorry." He replied in a drawl as he backed away. "I've already got me the most wonderful gal in the world."
Harper House Accident Site
3:15 p.m.
As they had done many times throughout the day, Nick, Sara, Warrick, Greg and Nina lined up at the caution tape and fixed their eyes on the pile of rubble and debris. Unlike the first time, the pit wasn't overflowing, it was significantly cleared, and instead of a crane lifting something out, Hank Peddigrew was climbing in.
So they could listen to the operation, the chief had given Nick a radio for the group. "You guys hearing okay?"
They nodded in silence and kept their eyes planted on the scene.
The effects of the Valium starting to wear off, Sara felt her body tense for the first time in hours. "How long do you think this will take?"
Before anyone answered, over the radio they heard Hank and quieted to listen to the exchange.
"How's the visual? Over."
"Looking good. Over."
"I'm moving forward. Over."
Harper House Basement
3:20 p.m.
Having been briefed through the two-way microphone, Grissom and Catherine knew help was on the way. Although they had been trapped for over eight hours, these minutes since the briefing felt exponentially longer.
When he saw Catherine getting antsy, Grissom urged, "Remember, this part can be very dangerous. You need to promise me you're not going to pull another stunt like you did when you were trying to rush up the stairs as the ceiling was collapsing. We're not going to be running out of here, understand? You'll have to go slow."
"Yes, yes, I know."
He continued the lecture. "Because this time, you won't only be jeopardizing our lives, you'll be putting the life of the rescue worker on the line."
"Didn't I already give you my word?" She snapped while knowing he was justified. "Sorry…I'm getting edgy."
"By you snapping at me and telling me you're edgy, aren't you making my point?"
A smile found her lips. "You sound like Warrick."
"Then I can confidently say, Warrick sounds like a very rational guy."
Harper House Accident Site
3:25 p.m.
Sara's fingers curled around the caution tape blowing in the hot breeze in front of her. "Do you think we're getting weather?"
Nick checked the sky. "I don't think the storm will hit until they're out." Summer storms weren't daily occurrences but when they hit, they hit with a vengeance…high winds, torrential rains and deadly lightening.
Finally they heard some chatter between Hank and the chief.
"I need some more slack on the safety line. Over."
"Copy that. Try it now. Over.
"Moving forward. I've got a heat source straight ahead but I'm blocked. What's the distance? Over"
"Monitor shows five feet between your transmitter and the heat source. Over."
"I'm establishing communications. Will confirm when complete and provide an update. Over."
Harper House Basement
3:30 p.m.
"I definitely hear something, "Catherine stated. "The guy is getting close."
A second later a probe slipped through one of the cracks in the rubble encasing them.
"Grissom and Catherine…I've got you on visual. Now confirm…can you hear me?"
"Yes," They both answered.
"Excellent. You're looking good in there. This is Hank Peddigrew, by the way." Through the wonders of fiber optic visual equipment, he was treated to watching their reaction.
Catherine and Grissom exchanged dumbfounded glances and then Catherine said, "Sara's cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend is saving our asses? I love it! You only see this stuff happening on TV!"
"I heard that," Hank reminded her as he surveyed the situation from his side. "Don't worry, Sara and I had a talk earlier today and we're cool."
Grissom finally spoke. "Here's something I never thought I'd say. I'm happy to have you around, Hank."
They heard him chuckle through the microphone and then say, "I look forward to laughing more about this later but, right now I need you to move as far to your left as possible. I have to clear some debris. I'll re-establish communications as soon as I'm done."
Catherine quipped, "We'll be here."
Harper House Accident Site
3:45 p.m.
Warrick checked his watch. "It's been a half hour since they started this."
Nick focused on the pit. "It takes more time to clear a path and get them out than it does to guide them out. The hardest part is done. Hang in."
"So it shouldn't be much longer!" Sara tapped Nina on the shoulder. "Can I have some more of that hand sanitizer?"
"Sure." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the travel size bottle. "Keep it."
"Send in my back up because we're ready to move it out. Over."
"Copy that. Scott is following your safety line right now. Over."
"We're so close!" Sara screeched as she rubbed the sugar cookie scented gel on her forearms.
Nick threw his arm around her shoulder. "Minutes, Sara, minutes." And while he was holding her he asked, "What's that stuff you're wearing? Damn that smells good."
Harper House Basement
3:48 p.m.
As Hank finished securing the neck brace on Catherine, she grumped for the third time, "I really don't need this. I'm fine."
"It's protocol for a closed head injury."
Grissom shook his head. "Catherine…you really are too controlling. He's a trained rescue worker and you're telling him what to do."
Hank chuckled, "It's amazing that she's survived working for you because, as I remember it, every time you said jump, Sara said how high."
Catherine couldn't let that one go. "Yeah well…Sara had a different agenda than me. I definitely wear the pants in my relationship with Grissom."
Scott, Hank's equally cocky partner, showed up in the cleared pathway. "Nice rabbit hole you cleared, Peddigrew. Almost as good as what I would have done."
"And now you get to lead the way and get the glory," Hank quipped. "Cause I'll be leading the feisty Ms. Willows up last to make sure she doesn't get out of control."
Grissom grimaced. "She has to go before me."
"Chivalry, while not dead, isn't always the best option in a rescue operation," Hank explained. "You are uninjured, so Scott leads you up and out quick. Catherine needs to go slower. If she knows you're behind her waiting to get out and see Sara, she'll want to rush. Besides, we've already established she's impulsive and controlling. Once Scott has you to the top, he comes back down and he and I will flank her, making it impossible for her to go faster than we allow."
Catherine snipped, "I'm right here while you're talking about me."
"I really don't feel right about leaving her here while I get out," Grissom countered.
"Now who is the control freak? To use your own words…I'm a trained rescue worker and you're telling me what to do?" He pointed at Scott waiting in the cleared space and smiled. "I'm the boss today and I say get moving, Grissom. Or, do you want me to tell Sara that you didn't rush out of here to see her when given the chance?"
As Grissom climbed through the opening to get to Scott, he said, "Catherine, I'll tell Warrick you're on your way."
Harper House Accident Site
3:55 p.m.
With his hands firmly planted on Sara's shoulders, Nick said, "Don't even think about running past this tape when you see them. You're still a little loopy from that pill and might fall in the hole."
"It would be typical for Grissom and I...story of our life…stuck in two different places when we want to be together."
When they saw Scott pop up out of the void and extend his hand, the group gasped with excitement.
"It's Grissom!" Nick shouted first. "Steady girl," He warned as he felt Sara getting ready to bolt. "For once you can let him come to you!"
"He's really okay." Her voice cracked with disbelief as she saw him being assisted up the ladder and out of the pit. By the time he reached the top, her tears of happiness were flowing, and when he turned toward the crowd, she lifted her trembling hand and mouthed, I'm right here.
Sore, dehydrated and covered in dust, Grissom, with the help of an EMT, slowly made his way to the tape and to the open arms of his emotional wife. As he approached, he sweetly asked, "Are you sure about want me in your arms, because I'm sweaty and filthy."
The rest of the gang and the EMT let them have their moment, and turned their attention back to the rescue area.
Sara answered the question by lunging for Grissom and throwing her arms around his neck. "I knew we weren't done yet. I knew it!"
"Not even close." Closing his eyes, he gripped her tight. "You really do smell like sugar cookies. I love that smell. I love you."
"There's Catherine!" Warrick exclaimed while grabbing his cell phone to dial up Lindsay because he knew it was the first thing Catherine would want to do. Ignoring Nick's advice to Sara, he went under the tape to meet her at the top of the pit.
Sara softly caressed Grissom's dirty face. "You could really use a bubble bath," she joked through her tears.
"They're making me go to the hospital first for fluids but, as soon as we're home, I'm there." He steadied himself by holding onto her shoulder.
Nick handed Grissom a bottle of water. "You must be thirsty. And you look like you're going to fall over, so let's get you to the ambulance."
"Yeah." He slugged down half the bottle as Nick and Sara helped him the fifty yards.
Meanwhile, Warrick raced to Catherine's side and once there, despite her wearing a neck brace, he lifted her off the ground, into his arms. "I'm not going anywhere, Baby. We'll work it all out because I love you, and there's no place I'd rather be than with you."
"I love you too and I'm sorry for being such a domineering bitch." Moved by the reunion, Catherine started to well up. "I'm selling my house so we can get a place that's ours."
Surrounded by rescue workers and a couple of EMTs standing next to a stretcher covered in a backboard, Warrick smiled, "I think maybe we should discuss the details later." He returned her feet to the ground and helped her over to the EMTs.
Once she was settled, Warrick held up his cellphone. "I have someone on the line for you."
In a full cry, she took the call. "Lindsay…I love you sweetie…I didn't want you to know until I was out but mommy was in the accident with Grissom, but don't worry, I'm fine." Taking Warrick's hand, she said, "We're all fine. I have to go to the hospital to get checked and I'll see you there. And before you ask…no, this experience did not change my mind about the camping trip."
As they approached the ambulance, Sara informed her exhausted husband, "You are going to get seriously pampered for the next twenty-four hours."
Nick jumped right in. "When you were trapped, Sara said she would be so happy to see you when you got out that she'd cook you a hamburger. You may want to hold her to that." He winked at Sara. "You do remember that, right?"
Grissom smiled, "Don't worry, Honey, it can be a vegetarian hamburger."
The EMT who had accompanied them jumped in the back of the ambulance. "Right this way." He helped Nick get Grissom inside and eased him onto the stretcher. "The wife can come along for the ride."
Sara leapt at the chance and flew to her husband's side. Taking his hand she said, "If we survived this, I know we can survive anything that comes our way!"
The story continues in: Repercussions - The 3rd series of Feasibility Study
Thanks,
Maggs