Flipping around in the hallway when she heard a crash, Catherine found Grissom partially leaning against his desk, clutching his chest. She ran back into his office and shook his shoulder. "Gil, what's going on? What is it?" Catherine asked, trying to get him to respond.
Catherine watched his eyes move, seemingly searching for something, but he didn't reply. Grissom struggled to breathe, and he felt like his chest was on fire. "Gil, it's alright; I'm going to get you some help," Catherine stated, guiding him so he was laying flat on the floor and pulling out her cell phone to dial 911.
While instructing the 911 operator as to what the emergency was, Catherine unbuttoned the top buttons of Grissom's shirt so he would be more comfortable. When she ended her call with the operator, Greg had appeared in the doorway. "What's going on?" Greg inquired frantically, "I heard a crash, and… What's going on? What's happening?"
"Greg, go to the break room and get the defibrillator," Catherine instructed, somehow staying calm throughout the chaos.
Greg stood rooted for a moment, but then took off for the break room. When Catherine turned back to Grissom and noticed that she couldn't hear him breathing, she pressed her fingers to his neck to try to find a pulse. Thank God his heart is still pumping. Catherine tilted his head back in order to clear his airway and see if he was breathing. I'm only doing this because I have to save your life, Grissom. Catherine started performing rescue breathing and waited for Greg to return.
Once the EMTs arrived and prepared Grissom for transport, Catherine got ready to go in the ambulance with him. "Greg, go get Sara and bring her to Desert Palm," Catherine instructed, "I don't care what you have to tell her, just get her there. I'll stay with Grissom."
Greg nodded and ran out of the room to head for the parking lot. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and asked Sara where her scene was so he could meet her there.
"Sara, dayshift is going to take over your case," Greg stated, finding her at her scene.
"First of all, why are you telling me this, and why is dayshift here?" Sara asked, looking at the two dayshift CSIs behind him.
"Sara, turn over your evidence and your keys and come with me," Greg instructed, taking her by the arm.
After transferring her evidence and keys to the dayshift CSIs, Sara walked with Greg back toward his vehicle. "Greg, what is going on?" Sara demanded when they reached the vehicle.
Greg's eyes drifted to Sara's platinum ring before he met her eyes. Just tell her. "Grissom had a heart attack," Greg spoke, trying to judge Sara's reaction, "they took him to Desert Palm. Catherine went with him. I'm here to bring you there."
Sara paused for a moment, trying to absorb the information. "Get in and drive, Greg," Sara ordered, opening the passenger side door.
Well, that's not the reaction I expected. Greg nodded and ran around the vehicle to get in the driver's side door.
Upon arrival in the emergency room, Sara and Greg were directed to a waiting room where they found Catherine. Catherine was shocked that Sara's face wasn't marred by tears. "They're trying to stabilize him," Catherine explained, wanting to tell Sara something, but not really having much information.
Sara nodded and turned back toward Greg. "Greg, go home," Sara instructed, "You need to work next shift, so you need your sleep."
Greg looked at Sara in shock. "You can't expect me to just leave," Greg stammered.
"Greg, I know you want to help or support or something, but please, just go home. That'll help me the most," Sara stated.
Catherine shifted her head so that Greg could see her, and she nodded. 'I'll call,' Catherine mouthed.
Not knowing what to say, Greg squeezed Sara's upper arms in support before turning to leave the hospital. After Greg walked away, Sara settled into a chair near Catherine. "Tell me what happened, Catherine; I want to hear all of it," Sara demanded, her voice full of determination.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to evade Sara, Catherine started explaining the events that occurred before their trip to the hospital. "I walked into Gil's office to ask him a question about my evidence, and he looked kind of clammy. He got up from his desk to leave his office, I turned away, and I heard him hit the floor. Greg and I did CPR until the paramedics came," Catherine detailed.
"How long did it take the paramedics to get there?" Sara questioned.
"Ten minutes," Catherine stated.
Sara sighed and shifted to the edge of her seat. She caught a glimpse of the papers that Catherine held in her lap and realized what they were. "Can I have those to finish filling out?" Sara asked Catherine, gesturing to the clipboard full of forms.
"Sure," Catherine said, handing them over, "I got a lot of things filled out, but you'll be able to do a much better job."
Sara nodded and took over the task of filling out the paperwork.
Anxious that she still hadn't heard anything regarding her husband's condition in the hour that she had been waiting, Sara approached the nurses' desk. "Can you tell me anything about Gil Grissom's condition?" Sara asked, "He's my husband. I've been waiting to hear something, anything, about how he is doing."
Sara took a deep breath and fought to hold herself together for a while longer. The nurse gave Sara a small, understanding smile, knowing that it took a lot of strength for Sara to suppress her emotions for as long as she had. "Your husband was taken for an angiogram and angioplasty to try and find out which of his arteries were blocked and to clear the arteries," the nurse explained, "I can try to get someone to come talk to you regarding his condition. Have a seat and I'll see what I can do."
Sara forced herself to give the nurse a small smile. "Thank you," she stated before retreating to her seat.
Catherine, feeling awkward about the silence that had encompassed Sara and her for most of the time that Sara had been there, decided that she had to say something. "Sara, is there anything I can do?" Catherine asked, unsure as to what she could possibly do to help.
"Well, I'd tell you to go home too, but you wouldn't, so I won't waste my breath. I just want to see him, Catherine; I want to know how he is doing," Sara admitted.
"You'll see him soon enough," Catherine stated, reaching to give Sara's hand a supporting squeeze, "He'll be back, giving orders in the lab, in no time."
Sara extracted her hand from Catherine's and lowered her head. What is taking so long?
Twenty minutes later, another nurse jogged into the waiting room. After talking to the nurse at the desk, the nurse approached Sara. "Ms. Sidle, if you would come with me, your husband's doctor needs to explain a procedure to you," the nurse said hastily.
"What's going on?" Sara questioned, getting up from her chair.
"Come with me," the nurse repeated.
Fear passed over Sara's face, and she turned to Catherine, not knowing what to say.
Understanding the silent message in Sara's eyes, Catherine nodded and vacated her chair to follow them.
Arriving in a consultation room, Sara began feeling very uneasy. "Ms. Sidle, right now we are prepping your husband for an emergency coronary quadruple bypass surgery," the doctor explained.
As soon as Sara interpreted what the doctor said, she didn't hear anything else as her carefully constructed façade crumbled, and she was hit by the full onslaught of emotions that she had suppressed for so long.