Title: The Revolving Door
Author: Angie
Email: hill@grics.net
Disclaimers: CSI Crime Scene Investigation does not belong to me, they are the property of CBS, Alliance Atlantis, Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful actors who portray them. The song used in this chapter is "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders, this doesn't belong to me either, unfortunately.
Author's Notes: Welcome to chapter 4. I promise this gets happier at some point, it has too right? Thanks to Lauri for looking at this for me. And thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, I can't tell you how much it means to me… one of my greatest muses is getting a review. Sorry for keeping everyone waiting for this, this chapter was not wanting to be written.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: none really
Distribution: The GraveshiftCSI Homepage, ShipperWorldCSI… all others
please ask.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Previously in "The Revolving Door"
"Don't worry Gris. We'll take care of everything here. Just get Catherine to the hospital and make sure she's okay. Let us know how everything goes." Warrick told him and then picked up his kit and walked towards the house, ready to get to work.
Brass didn't say anything, just nodded in agreement and followed Warrick to the house.
Gil watched his two friends walk away and then made his way around the Tahoe to the drivers seat. For once he had something more important to do then analyze the crime scene.
And now… part 5
*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~
Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
~~~
The drive to the hospital was short and silent. Gil didn't want to talk to Catherine about what had happened, and he didn't have the energy in him to try and talk to Lindsey right now. So he remained silent, locked in his thoughts about everything that had happened that day.
He pulled to a screeching stop at the ER entrance and quickly made his way around the vehicle to Catherine. Opening the door he stopped at the look on Catherine's face.
"What?"
"Please park the car in the parking lot," her soft voice was pleading with him. "This isn't an emergency. I'm okay."
"Catherine, please. Don't fight me on this. I'll move the Tahoe once I get you seen by a doctor. Please." He wasn't beyond begging at this point, he had let Catherine stay at the scene longer then he wanted, and now that he had her here all he could focus on was making her pain disappear.
When she remained silent Gil knew he had won this battle. Lifting Catherine into his arms, he motioned for Lindsey to get out of the car and follow them. Gil carefully walked into the Desert Springs emergency room. He was desperately trying not to cause anymore pain to Catherine, even though her small moans told him he was unsuccessful.
His appearance into the emergency room was met with a rush of commotion. A gurney was quickly brought to his side and a cluster of people helped him place Catherine onto the gurney.
"Sir, can you tell us what happened?"
Gil stood shock still as he watched the staff begin to assess Catherine. He looked down when he felt the pressure on his waist, and discovered that in all of the commotion Lindsey had wrapped her arms around Gil and had buried her head in his side.
At Gil's non answer, the staff moved Catherine to the back of the ER, as Gil stood watching Catherine being taken away from him. He could see that they were now aiming their questions at Catherine.
"Sir?"
Gil focused his eyes on the face that had found it's way in front of him.
"Sir? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? We can have someone look at you and your daughter, there's quite a bit of blood…"
"It's not my blood." Gil answered, ignoring the assumption the nurse had made.
"Why don't you come with me over to the desk. We need to get some information from you so we can help your wife." The nurse placed her hand on Gil's back and led him away from the doors, and towards a computer set up near the nurses station.
Gil pried Lindsey's grip from his stomach and lifted her into his arms before taking the seat he was shown. Once Lindsey had settled into his lap, he took the paperwork and pen that was handed to him.
"Sir, before you start filling out the paperwork, can you try and give me a little information about what happened?"
Gil looked at Lindsey before quickly repeating Catherine's story to the nurse, leaving out some of the more graphic details that Catherine had told them. Seeing that he had given the nurse sufficient details, to help expedite Catherine's treatment, Gil returned to the paperwork in his hand. After about fifteen minutes, Gil was surprised to find out that he was finished with the form, and except for a couple of places regarding some childhood diseases he was able to fill out the form by himself.
Handing the form back to one of the nurses at the desk, he asked the question that had been on his mind since he began filling out the forms. "Can you find out how Cath is doing?"
"I'll see what I can find out Mr. Grissom," The nurse replied as she looked at the form. "Why don't you take a seat in the waiting room, and I'll let you know as soon as I hear something?"
Gil stood, with Lindsey still in his arms, and reluctantly left the nurses station. His head involuntarily turning towards the room he had seen Catherine taken into.
~~~
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'Cause I've seen the dark side too
~~~
"Uncle Gil?"
Gil turned his head, as the small voice brought him out of his daze. "What is it sweetie?"
"Are you sure Mommy's going to be all right. She's been gone a really long time, and no one has told us anything. I want to go see her." She had been successful in holding back her tears until her last words.
"I'm sure she'll be fine Lindsey. As soon as they make sure everything is perfect they'll let us in to see her."
"How can you be sure?" The doubt in her voice made her sound so much older then her young years.
"Trust me Lindsey. Your mom is going to be just fine."
Before he could say anything more a doctor walked into the room and made her way over the two of them.
"Mr. Willows?" The doctor inquired after looking down at the piece of paper in front of her.
This brought a chuckle out of Lindsey that was quickly stopped as Gil shot her a look, before standing to shake hands with the doctor.
"I'm Gil Grissom. I'm the one who brought Catherine in."
"I'm sorry Mr. Grissom, I was under the impression that you two were…"
"I know." Gil interrupted, hoping to get to the point as soon as possible. "Please … how is Catherine."
"I'm sorry sir. I can only reveal that information to immediate family members."
"I…" Gil stopped at the sound of a small voice.
"Is my Mommy going to be all right?"
The two adults turned to look at Lindsey.
At the sight of the tears developing in Lindsey's eyes again, Gil knelt down and picked Lindsey up into his embrace. He tried in vain to halt Lindsey's tears and turned to the doctor with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Please Doctor…" Gil paused and looked at the name tag on the jacket before continuing. "Dr. Jackson. Just tell me that she's going to be all right."
Dr. Jackson looked at the man and child in front of her and knew she couldn't keep the information from them. It was clear to her that even if they were not husband and wife, the three were clearly a family. "Sit down, Mr. Grissom." She pulled a chair over and took a seat in front of the now seated man and child.
"Ms. Willows is going to be fine." She could see the immediate relief in their eyes, as she contemplated her next words. Trying not to get into any graphic or over complicated details, she continued with a version of the injuries that she hoped the child could understand. "Ms. Willows suffered multiple rib fractures on both sides. The x-rays were clear, and although they will be painful, they should heal properly. There was a deep laceration above her right eye, that took several sutures to close. Her left wrist was sprained, and her right ankle is broken. This may cause some problems. She is going to have difficulty ambulating with the multiple fractures, you may want to consider obtaining a wheelchair." Dr. Jackson looked up and saw the overwhelmed look on the faces in front of her. "I know this sounds like a lot, but everything should be fine. She's a strong woman, and appears to be in remarkable health. I'm sure she will be back to normal soon. Mr. Grissom?" She waited until she has his complete attention. "Perhaps the two of us can talk a bit more in depth?"
Catching the doctors meaning, Gil quickly shook his head in the negative and tightened his grip on the young girl in his arms. "I can't leave Lindsey by herself. Can I talk to you a bit later? Maybe…" Gil stopped as he saw Warrick enter the room. "Warrick? What are you doing here? Why aren't you back at…"
"Gris," Warrick interrupted, hoping he would be able to get a word in before Grissom became any more upset. He quickly walked across the room and lifted Lindsey out of Gil's arms. "I'm not staying for long. We just thought that maybe you might need someone to stay with Lindsey for a while."
Gil reluctantly made eye contact with Warrick, as he realized that his team had came to the same conclusion that he was only now coming too. "Thanks. I didn't think that far ahead."
"It's all right. Go. I'll wait here until you are able to leave. Maybe Lindsey and I can go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat? What do you think about that Lindsey?"
At Lindsey's reluctant nod, Warrick walked out of the waiting room with Lindsey, leaving Gil and the doctor alone.
~~~
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
~~~
The silence in the room was awkward. Neither of the occupants knew how to start the conversation back up. Looking at the man in front of her, Dr. Jackson decided to jump back into the conversation where she had left off.
"What I said earlier was true. For the most part, she has basically suffered minor injuries. We did notice some bruising and lacerations on her inner thighs. We attempted to run a rape kit, but Ms. Willows informed us that it wasn't necessary, penetration was never accomplished. We did recover seminal fluid from her clothing though."
"What!" Gil was shocked out of his current state of mind. Catherine had never mentioned that possibility when she told him and Brass the events of her afternoon.
"Ms. Willows had us bag the clothing. We will contact the police department to transport it to their labs. There are what appear to be rope burns on her extremities. Was she tied to something when you found her?" She waited a moment for Mr. Grissom to answer her question. "Mr. Grissom?" she questioned softly when he failed to answer her.
"I'm sorry. I was just… um…. yeah. She was bound. Not to anything, but her limbs were tied together. Are you sure that everything is…"
"I'm positive Mr. Grissom." Dr. Jackson said with a smile. "I am a bit concerned about the burns though. The ones on her right wrist and left ankle should heal nicely, she will have a topical to apply that will help with those injuries. But I'm worried about the possibility of infection from her other extremities, we had to set the fracture of her right ankle and were not able to set the cast below the injury. The burn on the left wrist seems to be the most serious. There was an extensive loss of skin on that site, and the wound is pretty raw." She stopped and took in the look on the man's face. He seemed to be overwhelmed at the moment, and definitely appeared to need a bit of a break from the news she had just given him. "Would you like to go and see her?"
Gil quickly stood, he was thankful the doctor had finally agreed to talk to him, but right now he only had one thing on his mind, and he needed to see, for himself, that Catherine was all right.
"I do need to warn you," she continued as she stood up. "There are several bruises on her face, and the area around the laceration is currently quite swollen. The swelling will go down, and eventually the bruises will go away, but she isn't going to look like herself for a while. Some woman have a very hard time with this, and those who suffer from attempted rapes, often go through the same emotional problems as those who are actually raped. If you'd like, I can have a social worker talk to the two of you in a few minutes. She can give you more information and the names of some support groups."
"I need to see Catherine first. I have to see how she is, please," Gil couldn't keep the desperation out of his voice.
"Of course, Mr. Grissom. Follow me." Dr. Jackson left the room, with Gil following close behind her. She stopped when she reached a closed off room towards the back of the emergency department. "Let me go and make sure she's ready for visitors. I'll be just a minute."
Gil watched as she stepped into the room. After what seemed like hours, but had to have been minutes, the doctor reappeared and motioned Gil into the room.
~~~
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
~~~
Gil slowly made his way into the room, terrified of what he might see in front of him. Looking up, he bit back the gasp that wanted to leave his body at the sight of Catherine. He had hoped that the doctor had over-exaggerated Catherine injuries, even though in his mind he knew that wouldn't be a possibility. He had seen worse injuries, it was impossible not to have in their line of work, but this was Catherine… not some anonymous stranger he had never met. Gil quickly walked across the room and reached for Catherine's right hand, gently grasping it within his larger hands.
"Catherine, how are you feeling?"
"Do I really look that bad? I'm not going to scare Lindsey am I?" Catherine avoided his question, and instead commented on the look she had seen when he first entered the room.
"Lindsey is going to be glad you are all right. And the bruises and lacerations…" Gil continued as he moved one of his hands from Catherine's and raised it to her face, softly touching her chin and waited for her eyes to meet his. "They will heal, don't worry about that, you're still beautiful and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Catherine could feel herself getting lost in Gil's eyes, and she quickly averted her gaze before she lost control of her emotions. "Where's Lindsey?"
"Warrick took her to the cafeteria, hopefully he's getting her some supper, and not filling her up with ice cream." Gil moved his hands from Catherine's body and turned to find a chair. Pulling the chair closer to Catherine's bed, he sat down and resumed his position of holding her hand. "How are you feeling?"
"How do you think I'm feeling?" She couldn't help the sarcasm that had crept into her voice. Looking over at Gil she immediately regretted her choice if words. "I'm sorry, I…"
"It's all right, Cath. Stupid question on my part. I should have realized that…"
"How could you realize?" Catherine interrupted Gil, before he could continue. "I don't really know how I'm feeling at the moment. I think they gave me morphine, but I don't really remember. Did the doctor tell you when we could leave?"
"She didn't say anything about keeping you here. Do you want me to find out?" He said, standing to leave the room.
"No!" The word came out of Catherine's lips louder then she had intended, and she blushed at the realization. "I'm sure someone will be in here soon. Will you just wait with me?"
Gil quickly returned to his previous position. "Of course I will."
The two sat in companionable silence, neither knew what to say, but they also didn't feel the need to say anything. Just the presence of the other was enough for the time being.
"Excuse me, am I interrupting anything?"
Two pairs of blue eyes turned towards the doorway, simultaneously, and saw Dr. Jackson enter the room.
"I just wanted to go over some discharge instructions with the two of you. I do trust that Mr. Grissom here is going to accompany you upon your discharge correct?"
"Correct." Gil stated before Catherine had a chance to say anything.
"Good. Because her discharge is contingent on someone being there for her." The doctor directed her next statement directly at Catherine. "You are going to have difficulties ambulating for a while. Between the combination of the broken ribs and ankle and the sprained wrist, you are going to have to get used to functioning with the various braces and casts. Normally I would want to admit you to monitor the rib fractures, but I'm making an exception in your case, so don't prove me wrong. No strenuous activity, no lifting… which you shouldn't do with that wrist anyway. Those ribs are going to be painful and there isn't much I can do about that, and from the look of your x-rays you have a first hand knowledge of that. Make sure you remove the splint from you wrist four times a day and apply the lotion as prescribed to all of the exposed rope burns. You'll need to see Dr. Pierce in a few weeks for your ankle fracture. Don't get the cast wet. And don't get the stitches wet. You can see your family physician in a few weeks, and he can remove the stitches for you, or I'm sure Dr. Pierce can remove them when you see him about your ankle." The doctor paused to give the couple in front of her a chance to comprehend everything she had just told them. "The social worker is compiling a list of some rape counselors for you, Ms. Willows. I know you weren't raped, but often those who have rapes attempted on them react as if they were raped. I just want you to be prepared for some of the emotions you may discover, it is perfectly normal, so don't think otherwise. Do you have any questions for me?"
Gil and Catherine were quiet for a moment as they thought about everything the doctor had just presented them. Finally Gil spoke up. "You mentioned something earlier about a wheel chair?"
"Yes. I don't want additional strain on those rib fractures. After your cast is changed to a walking cast you should be all right without the wheel chair, until then I want you to rest. That also means no work, at least not for the next week. After a week, you can return to desk duty… nothing strenuous. There will be a list of instructions the nurse will give you. I'll send the nurse in with the instructions and your prescriptions. I'm going to have the nurse administer another dose of morphine before you leave as well, that should help keep you comfortable for a little while. The nurse should be in soon, and then you can leave," Dr. Jackson finished and left the room.
They watched the doctor leave and saw the nurse immediately enter the room. "Mr. Grissom, if you could leave for a minute…"
"Please let him stay," Catherine interrupted, tightening her grip on Gil's hand.
"Catherine, are you sure? I brought some clothes for you, if you would rather have Mr. Grissom help you I can step out for a few minutes."
They were both quiet for a minute, neither sure what the other wanted. Gil decided to let Catherine make the final decision.
"Why don't you go and get Lindsey? I want to see my daughter, and by the time you find her maybe I'll be ready to leave."
Gil agreed and placed a delicate kiss on Catherine's hand before rising and leaving the room.
*~*~*~*~*
Gil made his way to the cafeteria and immediately spotted Lindsey and Warrick in a booth near the back. He walked towards them and took a seat next to Lindsey.
"Are you about finished with your supper, Lindsey? Your mom should be ready to leave soon."
"Is she all right, Uncle Gil?"
"Of course she is sweetheart. The doctors wouldn't let her go home if she wasn't all right, now would they," Gil told Lindsey. "Lindsey, I want you to be prepared when you see her okay. She has a lot of bruises on her face, and there is a big cut above her eye. It doesn't look very nice right now, but it will be fine in a week or so."
"I understand. Where are we going to go though? Our house looked pretty messy," Lindsey said with a small amount of fright in her voice.
"I'm taking you two to my house until Catherine is better," Gil said, and turned and saw shock on Warrick's face. "I bet Uncle Warrick will go back to your house when we leave and gather some of things for you and Catherine."
"You have to get my pink shirt, Uncle Warrick. I need to wear it to school tomorrow, okay. And…" Lindsey stopped talking as Warrick interrupted her.
"I'll make sure I grab your shirt, Lindsey, and then you can make a list of the other things you need. Why don't we go and see your mom now, I bet she's ready to leave." Warrick stood and waited for Gil and Lindsey to get out of the booth.
*~*~*~*~*
Gil, Lindsey and Warrick returned to the ER in time to see Catherine being wheeled out of the room she had been treated in.
"Mom!" Lindsey yelled, as she ran across the busy room and came to a screeching halt in front of her mother.
"Lindsey, don't run inside. You could have hurt someone," Catherine scolded her daughter lightly.
"You are definitely all right, Mom," Lindsey stopped and took in her mother's appearance. "They are letting you leave right?"
"That's right," Catherine answered.
"Good. When do we get to leave?"
"As soon as Gil can get the car for us," Catherine looked up and saw Gil and Warrick standing in front of her. "Gil, can we leave now, please."
Nodding his head in agreement, Gil handed his car keys to Warrick. "Warrick, can you and Lindsey go and move my car for us?"
Gil waited until Warrick and Lindsey had left and then moved closer to Catherine and reached out to take her hand. "Let's go home," he said softly, before moving behind her to push Catherine to the waiting vehicle.
*~*~*~*~*
To be continued…