Title: The Revolving Door

Author: Angie

Disclaimers: Fortunately, 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. If they did belong to me, I'm sure no one would have ever heard of them.

Author's Notes: Anyone remember this fic? I haven't given up on it... I'm just slow. Many thanks to Jaclyn for betaing this for me.

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Anything and everything is fair game but nothing specific.

Distribution: The GraveshiftCSI Homepage.

XOXOXO

"Are you ready for this?"

"Definitely." Catherine said, shifting on the cold exam table. "I'm tired of that wheel chair. And as much as I love you, I'm tired of being dependant on you for practically every move I make."

"You love me?"

"Why is that a surprise? We've been through this before."

Gil smiled and reached for her hand. "Doesn't mean I'm any less shocked to hear you say it."

"Guess I'll just have to remember to say it more often, get you over your shock."

Gil smiled, stepping closer to her. "I'd love to hear it more often. I've been thinking… I like having you and Lindsey around."

"Gil?" She squeezed his hand, tugging slightly to get him closer to her. "Let's not go there yet. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. Let's just try to get through this before we talk about our relationship. I don't want any of our decisions to be based on what happened to me. They need to be based on our feelings."

"What happened to you isn't changing my feelings. And it's not changing my plans, it's just speeding them up." Gil looked down at their combined hands, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. "I could have lost you, Cath. I wasn't prepared for that."

"No one's ever prepared for that Gil. You just…" Catherine stopped at the knock at the door, turning her head in time to see the doctor stepping into the room.

"Catherine Willows?" At her nod, the doctor stepped into the room, extending his hand to Catherine then to Gil. "I'm Dr. Pierce. I was just looking over your x-rays from the emergency room, comparing them to the ones we just took here in the office. Your fracture is healing nicely. Normally I'd like to keep this cast on for a few weeks longer, but from what I understand we need to get the cast off to treat the wound on your ankle." At Catherine's nod, he continued. "The nurse is getting a moon boot for you. This will stabilize your fracture so you can continue to heal, but will give you the opportunity to treat the laceration. Once the nurse gets the boot in here, I'll remove that cast. I'll warn you though, the wound you have on your leg isn't going to look very good. But once the cast is off and you can start treating it, hopefully it will heal properly."

Catherine nodded, turning her head slightly to look at Gil, the anxiousness evident on her face.

Gil leaned in, whispering, "You'll be fine. And once you get that moon boot on you'll actually be able to move around on your own." He glanced at the doctor.

"He's right. It's a bit awkward to walk with, but it has to be better than the wheelchair." Dr. Pierce said, turning from the wall, now donning a pair of latex gloves. He walked over to the exam table, reaching towards the metal cart in the middle of the room. "My cast cart." He explained. "I need you to hold your leg still during this. I don't want to cut you."

Catherine nodded, leaning back on the table so she couldn't see what the doctor was doing. A slight buzzing sound got her attention and she lifted her head, watching as the small circular saw revved in the doctor's hand.

Moments later a nurse walked into the room, placing the boot on a table, she went to the exam table and firmly grasped the cast foot. She looked up, easily able to see the fear in Catherine's eyes. "Don't be scared. He's very good with that saw, we're just going to loosen the cast a little and then remove it by hand. If you want to watch I can incline the table a little, make things a little more comfortable for you."

Catherine bit her lip, silently weighing her options. She tightened her grip on Gil's hand. "I want to watch."

The nurse quickly moved to the head of the table and with Gil's help, elevated the head thirty degrees. Once Catherine was settled, she moved back to the end of the table and grasped the cast foot again.

"Ready?" Dr. Pierce asked. With her nod of approval, he again revved up the saw, slowly moving it to the cast. First he made a circle about two inches above her ankle them he made five incisions in the cast before turning the saw off and setting it on the cast cart. He took the spreader from the nurse and moved back to the cast, glancing up at his patient to be sure that she wasn't in any pain. Seeing that everything appeared to be alright, he moved to the first incision, using the instrument to spread the gap. He quickly spread the slices around the cast, nodding as he worked. Once the cast was loosened, he reached for the scissors, carefully cutting away the gauze that wrapped her leg. "Have you ever had a cast before?"

Catherine shook her head, her eyes glued to what the doctor was doing.

"Okay. When I lift off this piece you're going to notice a difference in your leg. It's going to be pale and the skin is probably going to be dried out." After explaining to Catherine what to expect, he removed the piece of plaster, nodding as the skin came into sight. Soon the cast was off the lower portion of her leg, leaving the section around her foot and ankle. "Normally when I remove a cast we do it all at once." He explained. "In your case, I need to alter my methods a little. Now that I have the upper portion of the cast off, we can get a peek underneath and see how your leg wound is doing."

Once again, Catherine nodded, wincing slightly as he manipulated the skin under the cast.

"Sorry about that. I had feared something like this might happen. It looks like the wound is healing around the gauze of the cast. So what we are going to do is soak the remainder of the cast in a solution of water and vinegar." The doctor explained, nodding to the nurse to get the needed supplies. "I'd like to give you a shot, to help with the pain. The water solution may burn when it comes in contact with the wound. And the wound may open once we start removing the gauze."

"I don't want…"

"Catherine," Gil interrupted. "Let him give you the shot. I know you don't like that groggy feeling, but I don't want to see you in pain."

"Okay." Catherine gave in with no further argument.

"Hurts, huh?" Gil asked, squeezing her hand slightly. At her questioning look, he continued. "You gave in too easily. You never let me win that fast."

Catherine watched as the doctor left the room to get the medication. Once they were alone again, she gripped Gil's hand tighter, glancing at her leg. "It looks so bad."

"He told you…"

"I know. I guess I just didn't really expect…why is my leg smaller?"

"Lack of use. I'm sure once you are on it again and moving around normally it will go back to normal."

"How bad do you think that wound is going to be?"

"I'm not sure." Gil stated truthfully. "It's healing around the cast… it's good that it's healing, but it's probably going to open when they try to take it off. If that happens… we'll take care of it. At least I have experience putting the cream and bandages on."

Catherine smiled. "You're very good at it too. Think I can keep you around while this wound heals?"

"Just try and get rid of me." He leaned down, softly bringing his lips to hers. Pulling back slightly, he stared into her eyes. "I'm not planning on leaving you, Cath."

"Ahem…" The nurse cleared her throat, stepping back into the room. "Sorry to interrupt you."

"That's alright." Catherine muttered. She watched as the nurse filled the basin with water and a bit of vinegar, placing the basin on the stool and moving it to the side of the examination table.

"Once we start soaking that cast, I'll check back periodically to see how you are doing. This will take a little time, so I hope you don't have plans to be anywhere soon." Seeing their reaction, she continued. "Good. Dr. Pierce told me you agreed to a pain shot, so I'll go and get the medicine and be right back with you." She glanced at Catherine's medical record before turning back to the couple. "Just to verify, you have no allergies, correct?"

"That's right."

"Good. I'll be right back with your medicine and we'll start getting the rest of that cast removed."

Before they knew it, the nurse and doctor were back in the room. The nurse moved to Catherine's side, motioning for Gil to step out of the way. "Just for a minute." She explained. "Unless you'd rather me give this shot somewhere else?"

Catherine took one look at the needle and quickly rolled to her side. "Just don't give me any warning, I'll tense up." She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the shot. Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to relax, hoping the pain med kicked in soon.

"All done." The nurse said, dropping the syringe into the sharps container on the wall. "That should kick in very shortly." She stepped out of the way and motioned for Gil to take his place next to Catherine.

"If you could sit up, Catherine." The doctor motioned towards her. "We need you to dangle your leg over the side here so we can get the cast in the solution. We're going to start with just the bottom at first, give the medicine a chance to work and in about fifteen minutes we'll get your foot fully immersed." Once her foot was dangling over the side of the table he slowly spun the stool, raising it until the bottom inch of her foot was in the water. "See you in about fifteen minutes." He winked, stepping out of the room with the nurse.

"How you feeling?"

Catherine shrugged her shoulders, not vocalizing her thoughts.

"Cath? Talk to me."

"I don't know."

"Are you in pain?"

She thought for a minute, looking up to his eyes. "I've been in pain since this nightmare began, but I actually hurt a little less now. Is it weird that I'm becoming accustomed to the ribs? They still hurt every time I breathe, but I'm used to it. I expect the pain to be there."

"You shouldn't have to be used to it." Gil hopped up onto the examination table next to her, grasping her hand within his. "I hate that this happened."

"I got you out of it though."

"You had me, it just sped things up."

Catherine nodded, glancing down at the water. "It certainly did speed things up. Who'd have thought that we'd be living together, even if it is temporary…"

"What if it's not temporary?" Gil interrupted.

"Gil…"

"I know you don't want to talk about it. I can't help it. You've been on my mind lately. And I keep thinking…"

"Not here. Can't we do this later?"

Gil turned to her, taking in her features. "Is something wrong? I thought you'd be happy…"

"I am, I am." She reassured him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "I told you earlier, a lot has happened. I just don't want you mistaking your feelings…"

"I'm not."

"And I'd rather discuss our future somewhere other than a doctor's office." Catherine continued, leaning against Gil and resting her head on his shoulder. "I do love you. I just… I don't want to talk about personal things here. People keep walking in…" Catherine trailed off, stifling a yawn. "Damn medication. I hate this feeling."

"I know." Gil muttered, raising his hand to sweep her hair from her face before placing a kiss on her forehead. "We can talk later, okay. Just know that time and change of venue isn't going to change my mind."

Catherine was about to reply when the nurse walked back into the room.

"How are you two doing?" She asked, walking into the room and taking a look at Catherine's foot. "Looks like the pain medication is kicking in."

"Oh yeah." Catherine agreed.

"I'm just going to raise the stool a bit higher now. I'll go slow. Even with the pain medication, the wound on your ankle might burn when it comes in contact with the solution. Unfortunately there isn't anything else we can do, but it will ease as you become accustomed to the liquid."

Catherine nodded, tightening her hold on Gil. She watched as the nurse slowly spun the stool, her foot sinking deeper into the solution. The solution crept past the edge of the cast and Catherine bolted upright, her eyes widening in pain.

"Sorry." The nurse apologized, watching as Catherine automatically lifted her foot from the water. Waiting a few minutes, she put her hand on Catherine's knees, slightly easing her foot back into the liquid. "Just give it a little time, it will get better."

Catherine nodded, her hand tightening its grasp on Gil. She blinked back the tears, burying her head into his shoulder.

Gil wrapped his free arm around Catherine, pulling her tight against his body. He watched the nurse check over her work before slipping out of the room, leaving the two of them alone again. Pressing a kiss to her head, he shuddered as he felt her tears soak through his shirt. "Cath?" He moved his hand, caressing her back before moving up, brushing back the hair that was covering her face. "Talk to me."

"It hurts."

"I know honey… I wish I could take it away." He sighed, his heart breaking as she sniffled back a tear. He sat silently, holding her closely as he waited for her to become accustomed to the pain. "Cath?"

"It's better." She assured him before rubbing her hand over her eyes. Sitting up, she smiled a thanks to Gil, before looking back down to the water. "I don't think that wound is closed anymore. Damn that hurts."

"That shot should fully kick in soon, hopefully that will numb the pain."

"Or at least get it to a manageable dull throb." She sniffed, slowly raising her head to look at Gil. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Don't apologize."

"You know that sting when you get salt in an open wound?"

"Yeah."

"I'd love for this to feel like that." Catherine shifted, uncomfortably on the table before settling herself back into Gil's side. "So…how long do you think it will be before I can get back to work?"

"Let's wait until you get the cast fully off first." Gil looked down at the water, now a slightly milky color. "How's it feel?"

"Still hurts, but I can tell it's loosening. Hopefully they can get this off soon.."

Catherine had just uttered the words and the door opened.

"How are you doing in here?" Dr. Pierce asked, stepping into the room.

She shrugged, looking down at her foot.

The doctor walked across the room, sitting on the free foot stool and pulling on a pair of gloves. He felt the cast, watching the slight give under his skilled hands. "I think we're ready to get this cast off."

"Good." She kept her eyes focused on the doctor, watching as his hands moved over the cast in the water. He raised his hands out of the water, shaking the excess plaster residue off his gloves. He stood and moved across the room, Catherine's eyes glued to him.

"I just loosened some of the remaining plaster. Changing my gloves now, then I'll lower the stool so your foot is no longer submerged. After that I'm going to begin unwrapping the cast." Turning around from the sink, he slipped on another pair of gloves, smiling at the nurse, who had just stepped into the room. He motioned toward the basin of water and watched as the nurse began lowering the stool. "Thanks." He quickly began his work, with the aid of the nurse. They soon had the gauze removed except for the few layers directly over the wound. "Do you have any scissors?" He asked the nurse, holding out his hand for the item.

"Scissors?"

"Just going to snip a little of the bandage." The doctor explained to the paling Catherine. "The gauze is wet, so I'm hoping it's loosened from the wound and I'll be able to easily remove it from your leg."

"What if it hasn't?"

"Well unfortunately I'm going to have to get it off. I can give you a local anesthetic to numb your leg, soak the gauze a little more and remove it."

The remaining color drained from Catherine's face and she wobbled a little on the table. Gil quickly pulled her tighter to him, stabilizing her against himself.

"Don't worry. This isn't an uncommon occurrence." The doctor assured. He reached for the edge of the dressing, slowly but firmly unwrapping the gauze. Concentrating on his work, a slight smile appeared on his face as he watched the wound come into view. "Very good." He muttered, continuing his work. He looked up at Catherine, blindly setting the gauze on a tray next to him. "That wasn't bad. Just a few places on the wound opened. I'm going to get a culture of the wound and make sure nothing is growing in there, but it looks really good. I'm going to have the nurse put a little antibiotic ointment and a dressing over the wound before we get the boot on you. Once you get home, I want you to start treating this wound as you have the ones on your other extremities."

Gil nodded, listening intently to the doctor's instructions.

"Once you get settled in that boot, you're free to go. Be sure to set up a follow-up appointment with me in four weeks. I'll get another x-ray, check how everything is healing. If you have any questions feel free to call the office." He stood, moving over to the sink, peeling off the gloves. He quickly washed his hands and turned back around. "Do you have any other questions?"

"When can I go back to work?" Catherine asked quickly, not giving Gil a chance to say anything.

"Well… you'll need to restrict your time on your feet. I don't want you pushing yourself too far and further injuring your ankle. No more than four hours of standing during a shift, and I don't want those hours consecutive. You'll want to take pain medication before going to work." He could see her starting to protest and quickly jumped in. "I know it makes you drowsy. But without it, especially the first few days, you are going to be in a lot of pain. I'm sure if you explain the situation to your supervisor…"

"I'll understand." Gil nodded. "She can just work half shifts if she has to go back, there's a couch in the break room if needed."

"Good. Once I see you again, I'll see about getting your work restriction taken off. Until then, take it easy. Be sure to elevate your leg when you can. Any swelling, redness, fevers, chills give me a call. If the pain medicine isn't working you can also call me, I'll see about getting you something stronger." After assuring they had no more questions, he stepped out of the room.

The nurse sat in the chair recently vacated by the doctor, holding a swab. "I'm just going to swab the wound a little."

Catherine nodded, knowing full well what was going to happen next.

She slid the swab into the tube and placed it on a tray picking up a packet of ointment. "This shouldn't hurt at all. I'm just going to put on a bit of this ointment and wrap a bandage around your leg. Just make sure when you get home to use the same treatment you have on your other wounds." She reiterated. "You are going to need to keep the boot on at all times, even while sleeping. No showers for the time being, especially not with this wound. You want to avoid getting the boot wet if possible. A little water is alright, but not soaking it." She continued talking as she worked, reaching behind and grabbing the boot. "This is just like sliding on a shoe. Fasten the buckles so they are comfortable. You'll want to get some lotion to use for your leg, sometimes the boot causes your skin to dry out, and it's already dry from the cast. Any type of over the counter lotion is fine, just be sure to keep it away from your wound." She looked up, taking in their faces. "I know this is a lot to remember. I'll get some instructions for you before you leave. Just be sure to not overdo anything. Lots of rest and time off your ankle for a while. Any other questions?"

They both shook their heads.

"Okay. If you just wait a few more minutes, I'll go and get some instructions for you. You can go ahead and slip your clothes back on." She walked out of the room.

Gil hopped off the examination table and moved across the room to the shelf, grabbing Catherine's clothes and turning back to her. "Your leg still numb?"

She nodded, watching as he moved back to her.

"Let me help you." When she didn't protest, he reached behind her opening the ties in the back of the gown. He slid the gown down her arms, setting it next to her on the table. He brushed his hand over the bare skin, looking questioningly at her.

"The bandage fell off this morning while I was getting dressed."

"Why didn't you ask…"

"I tried to rewrap it myself. But I don't know if that would be possible if my ribs were fine."

"I'd have helped." Gil slowly moved his hand over the now yellowed bruises, watching her inhale.

"There wasn't time. We were running late anyways, and had to get Lindsey to school. I just thought I'd try going without the ace wrap for a day."

"How's it feel?"

"Hurts." Catherine replied sheepishly. "Not sure if it hurts more than normal, but I definitely notice it more as I move."

"I'll rewrap it when we get back." Gil said, lifting the pale green shirt and helping her slide into it. He quickly moved his hands in front of her, buttoning the shirt before she could stop him. Once he finished with the shirt, he picked up the remaining item of clothing, looking at it questioningly then back to Catherine.

"Slide it up my legs first. Then you can help me off this table and I can pull it up the rest of the way."

Gil nodded, bending down and sliding the skirt up her legs as far as he could. "Put your weight on your good ankle, I don't want you to fall because you can't feel your leg."

Catherine nodded and let Gil help her off the table. She kept her arms around his shoulder, smiling as she felt his hands slide the skirt into place and pull the zipper up. She glanced down, nodding as he smoothed the skirt into place.

"So…?"

"It feels good to be upright."

"Will you let me put you back in the wheelchair?"

"Gil…"

"Just until the shot wears off." He promised.

She sighed, letting him lead her to the chair in the corner. "Once this shot wears off, I don't want to see this chair again."

"I don't want to have to see you in it again either." Gil told her, leaning down, his lips gently grazing hers.

XOXOXO

to be continued