Title: Vanished
Summary : Two missing person's cases. Victims never found. One
suspect found, but could not be tied to the actual disappearances.
Exactly A year after the first and second missing persons case. Two
more go missing. Gil is faced with having to find his wife and
daughter knowing that it may never happen. Catherine and Lindsey
have vanished.
Disclaimer " I don't own anything.
VANISHED chapter 13
Gil paced back and forth inside the waiting room. Two hours ago they had brought Catherine to the hospital and he still hadn't heard anything about her condition.
Gil was ready to approach the reception desk when his name was called out.
"Mr. Gris..Grissom?"
Gil turned to see a young man in a white lab coat approach him. Assuming he was Catherine's doctor he asked immediately how she was.
Dr. Monroe exhaled and flipped through her chart. " Well, Mr. Grissom your wife is suffer from extreme cold shock, you see when...-"
"I know ..what cold shock is doctor" he cut him off " Is she going to be okay?"
Dr. Monroe shrugged " Sir..Mr Grissom. usually when an individual is subjected to these temperatures the first thing we do is attempt to raise their body heat back to it's normal temperature. In Catherine's case we have yet to stabilize her."
Gil shook his head " What..What do you mean?"
"I mean that her body temperature is still dropping when it should be rising, it's been two hours and she's getting worse, not better, all we can do know is attempt to keep her warm, but we can't do anything else for her, if she makes it through the night then I can guarantee a good outcome, but if we don't get her body heat back up...I'm sorry Mr. Grissom but.."
"What?" Gil replied as the doctor's tone changed
"Right now she's in an unconscious state. Her body temperature is currently sitting at 86ºF and it's going down still. When she body hit the water she was almost instantly out, she panicked like any normal person would. At this point all her physical ability is diminished and her mental capacity has begun to deteriorate."
Gil sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had finally got his family back and Catherine was slowly slipping away. " Can I see her?"
Dr. Monroe sighed " I don't know if that's a good idea...is...sure." he finally decided " Not for long though."
Gil nodded and followed behind him. " I'll leave you alone for a minute or so."
Gil nodded and waited until the doctor was gone before approaching the bed.
Gil sat next to her. There she laid covered with thick blankets, and yet her body was still trembling.
Gil watched her wanting so bad to take her hand in his and just feel her, But he couldn't all he could do was watch.
"Oh..Cath.." he whispered " Can you hear me?"
He waited for a moment thinking..praying he would get a response but she was out.
"Lindsey's okay hun, she's fine, were going to get her checked out" Gil paused as a tear rolled down his cheek " Please come back to us. I need you..Lindsey needs you, we can't lose you. can't go through this again. Please. Can you hear me?"
Before he knew it the Dr. Monroe had returned " Mr Grissom? Detective Brass is waiting out here for you."
Gil turned to the door and nodded. Wiping his last stray tear he leaned over her sleeping figure and kissed her forehead " I love you so much.." he whispered as he turned to leave.
"What's going on Brass?" Gil greeted him
Brass peered behind him through Catherine's hospital door.
"How is she?"
Gil shrugged " Not good."
Brass sighed "I'm so sorry, I m' sorry that.."
"Not your fault, we found them..all we can do is wait.." he paused " How is Lindsey?"
Brass nodded " That's why I'm here, she's shaken..obviously, she wants to see her dad, she's scared and she won't let anyone near her, I told her that I would bring you back with me, she doesn't trust anyone right now, badge or no badge."
"I can't leave" he replied " I can't leave her"
"Gil? Brass was a little upset " What are going to gain by sitting around and waiting?"
Gil shrugged and waved his hand around signify he didn't have time for a lecture from Jim Brass.
"I won't do that to Catherine, I won't let her wake up and me not be here."
Brass sighed " Gil, I understand, Catherine would understand, you can come back, but right now you can't do anything for her,Right now you have to think about Lindsey. Catherine's her mother, your her father. She's petrified and he wants you Gil, she needs you."
Gil shook his head " I can't leave her again, We wouldn't be here if I had went in that store with her, I wouldn't have lost six months, she wouldn't be lying in there hanging on by a breakable thread if I had just gotten out of my vehicle and went with them. I left her, I let her down Brass and I won't do it again."
"Fine" he snapped " What do you want me to tell your daughter, she lost six months too, she was there along with Catherine, you want to blame yourself fine, let's blame you then, you left her too Gil, you left her, you let her down, and you're doing it again now." he paused to see if he was making a difference " What would Catherine say if she found out you didn't think of your daughter, you know Catherine puts Lindsey first and you know she would want you to do the same Gil,"
Brass waited for a response, but didn't get one
" Right." he whispered " Whatever."
Brass turned and headed out of the hospital. Gil stood still where Brass left him.
