"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."
John Lennon
"It's gonna be ok." Sara whispered to the child just as Brass came running to the door. Ignoring that it was an active crime scene, Brass flip the light on and walked over to Sara who was still crouched next to the child. At the sight of the burly man, the little girl curled into a ball into the corner of the chest.
"Hey kiddo, it's ok, I'm a police man, I'm here to help you." The little girl looked up but made no motion to move. "Why don't we go downstairs and have the paramedics check you out." Brass added hoping that the little girl would show some response. Carefully the little girl looked at Brass then back to Sara. The little girl scooted over towards Sara and stared at her with her big brown eyes. Brass noticed that there was obviously some sort of connection between the two and suggested that Sara take the little girl downstairs to see the paramedics.
Sara looked at Brass slightly confused and stated, "How?" But before he could answer both adults turned to see the little girl place her hand on top of Sara's that had been idly lying on the edge of the chest. The little girl stood up and got out of the chest still holding on to Sara's hand. Sara looked at Brass and Brass just replied with a shrug. Sara took the little girl's hand and led her downstairs and outside to the ambulance.
"Hey Sara, stay with her, call us when you need a ride back." Grissom stated. Sara frowned wondering why she always had to play the babysitter, remember back to her first year in Vegas when there was a quadruple murder and she had to play babysitter to a girl not much older than Sadie. She would have put up more of a fight to stay with the case and send Greg to the hospital with the child since she out ranked him, but the similarities of this case and her own childhood, if you could call it that, were already weighing heavily on her.
Sara and Sadie climbed into the ambulance with Sadie refusing to let go of Sara's hand. The ambulance was small and crowded with the paramedics, Sara and Sadie so Sara ended up sitting next to Sadie on the cot. Sara looked at the small girl, not knowing where to begin. "So…. My name's Sara, and I'm guessing your Sadie?" Sara asked the girl. The girl just barely responded with a nod.
"So Sadie, my name's Kerri and I'm a paramedic, and I'm gonna help take care of you. This is my teddy bear, do you want to hold him for me? Do you have any boo-boo's or ouchie's?" The paramedic said calmly. Sara was relieved that at least someone knew how to talk to the child. Sadie took the teddy bear but didn't respond. Instead she just looked back to Sara. Sara was confused and asked the child.
"So do you.. umm.. have any boo-boo's or ouchie's?" Sara repeated the question, with the words feeling foreign to her. Sadie shook her head no, and shimmed closer to Sara. Sara just sat there not knowing what to do.
With Sara's help, the paramedic was able to get a basic set of vitals for the child. The paramedic would slowly explain what she was going to do first showing Sadie by using the teddy bear, and then she would do the same to the child, but the Sadie looked to Sara each time. Sara tried uncomfortably to encourage the child but ended up physically helping the paramedic take the child's blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, pulse, and respirations. By the time the ambulance had reached the hospital, Sadie was practically in Sara's lap.
As the entered the Emergency Room, they were greeted by a flurry of activity. People getting a head start on the holiday weekend were already beginning to stream through the doors of the ER. Sadie, with Sara close in tow, was triaged and escorted to a quiet room. Sadie sat on the hospital bed with the teddy bear that the paramedic had given her in one hand, while still clutching Sara's hand with the other. After a while, a young doctor came into the room. He introduced as Dr. Rogers, and looked at the girl and said, "You know, like Mister Rogers?" Sadie looked at him with a blank stare but received a slight nod from Sara. The doctor thoroughly examined Sadie, and told Sara that she seemed to be in good physical condition, despite being short and underweight for her age. Thankfully, there were no physical signs of abuse one the child. The doctor explained to Sara that DCFS would be down to speak with her, however it may be a while, seeing that it was the holiday weekend and they were more short-staffed than usual. Sara looked at the child and said, "I'm going to make a phone call, but I'll come right back." The little girl looked at Sara with soulful eyes and said.
"Stay."
Surprised by the quietness of the little girl's voice, she reluctantly stayed in the room, reaching for her phone to call Grissom. Sara explained what the doctor had said, being careful not to say too much in front of Sadie. She also told Grissom about the delay with DCFS, and that she didn't know what time she would need a ride back to the lab. Grissom told Sara that they had found the knife that was most likely used and it was looking like Mrs. Motts was the sole eradicator.
After she had gotten off the phone, Sara looked at the child and asked, "Do you know what happened tonight?" Sadie didn't say anything but the fear that flashed before her big brown eyes was enough to let Sara know that the child had scene what had happened. Sara felt sick. Sick for the child, and sick for herself. Somehow the very privet side of Sara came out, as she quietly whispered to Sadie, "I know how you feel." And with that, Sadie climbed into Sara's lap and cuddled up against her. Sara felt incredibly awkward, but as time went on, she began to relax.
Two hours and twenty-five minuets later short African-American woman came into the room. She introduced herself as Rene and explained to Sara that they were in the process of trying to locate an emergency home for Sadie until she could be sent to a group home after the holiday. Sara cringed; she knew what Sadie would have in store for her. Rene excused herself and told Sara that she would return shortly. It was already well after midnight, and Sadie had long since fallen asleep still sitting in Sara's lap.
Another two hours passed and Grissom had sent Greg to find Sara who was still at the hospital, waiting for Rene to "return shortly." Greg smiled as he walked into the room and saw the child asleep in Sara's lap. Sara was not a person who would seem maternal, but she also didn't seem all that uncomfortable. Sara was relieved to see Greg, at least it was better than counting the tiles on the floor for the tenth time by now.
"I see you made a friend," Greg smiled at her.
"She uhh… just kinda… climbed into my lap. I didn't know what to do, you know I'm bad with kids." Sara mumbled. But Greg still smiled. "The lady, Rene, from DCFS said she 'return shortly' two hours ago, which means I've been sitting her for four hours and twenty-five minuets. They're looking for and emergency home to put her in, and then after the weekend to a group home." Greg saw the sourness that was on Sara's face as she said the words 'group home'.
"Hey Sara, can I ask you a question?" Greg asked tenativly.
"Does it look like I'm going anywhere?" Sara said as she rolled her eyes.
"So, why didn't you put up a fight when Grissom made you go with Sadie to the hospital. I mean, you're a level three and I'm only a level one, I thought I was suppose to do all the grunt work." Greg asked hoping that by making fun of himself that Sara wouldn't get flustered.
"I don't know," Sara quickly replied, know that it was probably because Grissom knew what had happened to her as a child, and this was an immaculate replica, but nobody else knew her past, and she wasn't about to expose herself. "Maybe because it was a pretty clean cut case. Mrs. Motts confessed even before we got there, so maybe he was just getting you more experience." Sara replied hoping that it sounded genuine.
There was a knock at the door, and Rene walked in. She introduced herself to Greg and looked fearfully at Sara. She didn't know the woman, but she guessed she'd be the type of person that didn't like to wait.
"Well Miss. Sidle there is a bit of a problem," Rene began, "Because of the holiday weekend, the majority of the emergency families, are on vacation. We're having trouble finding somewhere to place her, even if it's just for the weekend. It may be a while longer till we can find anything. And especially at this hour." Rene spoke, as she quickly made sure she was arms distance away from Sara.
Sara was not amused, and Greg could tell, but before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Hey Sara, since you're off this weekend, maybe you could take Sadie? It's not like you have any plans other than reading The Journal of Forensic Science" Greg swallowed as he realized what he just said, but was surprised to see Sara more shocked and confused than ready to kill him.
"Well, Miss. Sidle, if you are free as your coworker says, I don't see why we couldn't get that to work. It's obvious Sadie already feels comfortable with you or she wouldn't be sleeping in your lap." Rene hoped this maybe encouraging.
"But, what if I did have plans?" Sara said, still recovering from the shock of what Greg had said.
"Oh come on, you know you don't!" Greg quickly said, and receiving the look of death from Sara now that some of the shock had worn off.
"Miss. Sidle, it would only be the weekend, it really wouldn't be that bad, and I'm sure Sadie would like it." Rene tried to encourage with a fake smile plastered on her face.
"But I don't know the first thing to do with a kid!" Sara quickly retorted.
"Does anyone at first?" Greg replied with a smirk. Sara sat there and thought about it for a few minuets. It's true she didn't have anything to do this weekend. But what was she going to do with a child? It's not like a dog where you can leave it outside for a few hours when you need a break. But the little girl did feel oddly comfortable sound asleep in Sara's lap.
"But I still have to work till eight, if I was to take her for the weekend, what am I going to do with her till then?" Sara asked hoping that there might be an out somehow.
"I'll call Grissom, it was dead enough for him to send me in search of you, I'm sure he'd let you go home early." Greg said with a smile on his face. Somehow, he felt that this child should be with Sara. The child looked enough like Sara to be her own child, with big brown eyes, just like Sara's and loosely curled brown hair just like Sara. And the way the child was curled up in Sara's lap just motivated Greg to try. Greg quickly called Grissom and explained what was going on. Though Grissom was shocked that Sara might be willing to take the child for the weekend, he was willing to let her go. Maybe it would be good for the both of them, there seemed to be a kindred spirit between his CSI and the child, and maybe that was a good thing. Plus it would keep Sara from trying to come in on her weekend off, she was already leading the OT record. Grissom told Greg to drive Sara and the child back to the lab and then home as long as Sara came in to check with him first. Greg relayed the message and almost saw a faint smile on Sara's face, yet it was as big as the gaping one that Rene displayed.
"Oh, this will be a good thing. And I'm sure you'll be fine. Now I'll just be ten minuets with the paper work, and you three can get on your way." Rene said as she bounced out of the room.
Greg looked at Sara and asked, "You really going to do this?"
Sara looked at him, and replied, "Yeah, I guess so. But I think it'll be at least another two hours before Rene comes back." And they both laughed.
Surprisingly, Rene was back within a half an hour with paperwork for Sara to sign and information for Sara to fill out. Sara would keep Sadie until Tuesday morning when the DCFS office opened, well at least until Monday night, where she had to go into work, but Greg willingly offered to take Sadie on his night off.
As the left the hospital, Sara carried Sadie out to Greg's car. Sara got a full understanding of how underweight Sadie was. Sara remembered that her car was still back at the Bed and Breakfast but Greg told her it was safely back at the lab. As fear flashed in Sara's eyes, Greg quickly replied not to worry because he only put a few dents in it on the drive back. Sara was fuming till she realized Greg was just joking, but she made a mental note to take a careful look at her car in the morning. Sara placed Sadie in the back seat and buckled her in, as she climbed into the passenger seat. She was too tired by now to fight with Greg as to who was going to drive. Greg just smirked as he climbed into the driver's seat and they were off to the lab.
Once they got back to the lab, Sara balanced, the still sleeping child on her hip as she made her way to Grissom's office. She received quite a few strange looks from the lab tech's that were not only shocked to see Sara with a child, but one that looked so much like her. In Grissom's office Sara laid the child down on the couch and sat across the desk from Grissom whom had been carefully observing Sara's actions.
"Well, Sara, I've got to say, this is very surprising of you." Sara looked at Grissom confused. "It is surprising, but I think that it is very impressive of you. Enjoy your weekend off, and call us if you need anything."
"Uh, yeah, thanks.." Sara replied stunned. For so long she had worked for Grissom's approval, and here he was giving it because Sara was literally taking her work home. She picked up Sadie and headed out to her car.
After loading the child into the passenger seat, she was amazed that the child had still not woken up. She checked to see if she was still breathing, just in case, and she was. Sara got into the driver's side and started on her way to her apartment. As Sadie slept, Sara kept looking over at her. Slowly the implications of having a child, even for just a weekend were beginning to settle in. She wondered what had she gotten herself into?
By the time Sara made it to her apartment, she was just short of an anxiety attack. What was she going to do with the kid? Where was she going to sleep? Sara only had a modest one-bedroom apartment so who was going to sleep where? And what about food? And clothes? By the time Sara made it up three flights of stairs with the sleeping child she was exhausted herself. But still worried. Who could she call? Grissom had offered his help, but he was bad enough with adults? What did he know about children? And Greg, whom had gotten her into this mess, was deep into another case? And Sophia? There's no way she was going to ask her for anything. And then she thought about it. The only one with a child was Catherine. She would know what to do. But after Sara's blow up at her, Catherine was not likely to be willing to help. But Catherine liked kids; she would know what to do. So idly swallowed her pride as she laid the still sleeping Sadie on her couch. And picked up her phone.