Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.
The shot rang out clearly across the room. At first she was not quite sure what had happened but as she searched for Grissom it became clear. Sarah turned in time to see him falling to the floor. She barely had time to duck down before second shot was fired.
"Bill please we can sort this out."
Grissom sounded weak as he struggled to get the words out.
"Shut up old man. You... you don't understand and you never will."
"Bill.."
His voice was getting weaker and Sara knew she had to act. Straight away she was on her radio calling for back up. What had Grissom been doing? He knew to leave that sort of thing to the police. She peered out from behind the table she had managed to scrambled under. She could see Grissom on the floor not to far away. Perhaps she could reach him without being caught. The question was answered when the third shot rang out. Despite her overwhelming urge to get to Grissom she knew she must wait for backup. Her prayers were answered a minute later when Brass and his team stormed the building. She was pushed back as the team first tried to reason with Bill and were then forced to shoot. The boy was only fifteen yet his cold dead eyes seemed to reflect an age beyond his years. He had been forced onto the streets at a young age and he had seen things he should never have seen. That is why they had ended up going after him. Grissom had found a key piece of evidence linking the kid to a crime. But it should never have ended like this. Why could Grissom not just have waited? He always thought he knew best, he had been sure that he could talk the boy round. Sara had wanted to wait but he had pushed his way into the room and left her behind. Well this time he had been wrong. She felt an anger well up inside her but at the same time a pain she had never felt before.
She ran to his side as the paramedics worked frantically on him. There was blood all over the floor so much blood. Even though she had seen shootings before this one felt so different. The paramedics checked his pulse and continued to work.
"Don't you do this to me Grissom. Don't you dare!"
She let out a gentle sob as Brass held onto her. The paramedics turned and shook their heads.
"No you have to keep trying just a little longer... please…"
But her beg was futile there was nothing more they could do. How could he leave her like this, no final words no touching goodbye. Right now he should have been telling her to start processing the scene. Instead he just lay there silently.
She was not sure how she had gotten back to the lab. The news of his death had preceded her and her various co workers at the lab were all discussing it. The story had been past on so many times it and it had changed so much. Most people were saying what a hero Grissom had been, that he had taken on a violent criminal in order to protect the innocent. If only they knew he was not being a hero at all he was being a stupid fool. She walked into the lab and was greeted by Nick, Warwick and Catherine. As soon as she entered the room she knew she wanted to leave. The atmosphere was suffocating to her and she was desperate to escape its grip. Each of them were taking it in turns to share their grief, Catherine was on the brink of tears. Sara felt sick and the room began to spin a little. How could they all be so upset? Why were they not angry with him? Grissom knew the protocol and he ignored it. Perhaps if he had not he would have still been with them.
"Look Sara we all know how upset you must be. We knew how close you and Grissom were"
The others nodded in agreement. Nick's words and the looks on the faces of the others did not comfort her in fact they did the opposite. What gave them the right to claim that she of al people should be upset. They all said they knew about her and Grissom's special bond. She laughed to herself; special bond was not what she would call it. Grissom had not wanted her, he had knocked her back. They were such good friends that he had not even told her about his hearing operation. He had told Catherine though. He trusted her enough to let her know. From the corner of her eye she saw Catherine reaching out to hug her. That was it she was gone. As she ran down the corridor she could hear Nick and Catherine shouting after her. She did not look back and instead headed straight for the lift.
At last an empty space where she could hear herself think. At least in the lift she did not have to listen to the various stories about Grissom and look at the sad wistful looks everyone had adopted. More than ever she felt alone, he had done this to her and she could not even tell him how angry she was. She could control her pain no longer and let out a loud scream as the doors to the lift opened.
Greg Sanders stood watching her. He did not rush over to comfort her or bombard her with questions about what had happened, he just stood staring at her. He no longer seemed his cheerful self but at the same time his grief was not glaringly obvious. Grissom had been good to him and given him lots of chances to prove himself with Grissom gone would Greg still have these chances? Sarah stood for a while staring at Greg. She was not sure what to say and the silence felt good. Greg smiled at her but not his boyish smile but a more mature one.
"Want to go for a drive?"
Normally she would have said no. Everyone knew Greg was mad about her, but today she just needed a friend she needed to get away and most importantly she needed someone who was not Grissom. As they walked to the parking lot she took Greg's hand.