Disclaimer: I am a pathetic loser who does not for the LAST time own CSI or the characters of CSI!
Officer Jensen's lifeless body lay under a white tarp. Beside hers, another mound covered in a similar tarp was the man Sara shot. Ambulances, police cars and people were gathered around the scene already taped off. Sara was sitting in an ambulance with a blanket around her shoulders, observing everything with a blank stare.
Catherine had just returned. She pulled up to the congregation, turned off the engine and rushed over to her colleague who she abandoned not 20 minutes ago. As she passed by the new scene, she gathered the aftermath in a terribly shaken awe.
"God, Sara… what happened?" Catherine sputtered. Sara just shook her head in denial as a tear crept out of her eye. Catherine sat down beside her and gave her a comforting hug, simply glad she was alive.
"Cat…" whispered Sara after a moment, "Cat, I… I shot someone." Catherine glanced at the body bags.
"You did what anyone else would've done. You did all you could," she assured the broken Sara, "I always thought you were a tough cookie…" she added.
"No… no, I didn't Cat… she's dead. She's dead and I killed someone. I didn't do all I could've done…" Sara said through tears. She got up and went to the side of the ambulance facing away from the incident. Leaning on the side, she continued; "If I'd just used my head I could've saved her. I saw him coming, then she was on the ground and I saw his gun and I shot." She paused, "two people lost their lives… all for a stupid casing…" Sara muttered.
"You can't blame yourself," Catherine said, "it just makes things worse."
"And this… this could get worse?" Sara challenged, "how can you live… having killed someone, Cath?"
"I had to save Grissom's ass, that's why," she said. Sara let a small burst of laughter through her tears.
The lab had become gloomy. People avoided discussing the incident even though it was on everyone's minds. Sara and Greg sat in silence as ballistics ran the bullet through the database.
"You sure you're okay?" Greg asked, breaking the silence. Sara didn't answer. The printer jerked to life and started printing out the results. Sara took the page and scanned it over. Her eyes grew wide and she took off. Greg scampered after her.
In the hallway, Sara met up with Catherine. She handed her the paper.
"We have a new lead," she reported. Catherine looked happy and worried at the same time. "Shot from the same gun that killed your husband." Sara said, lifelessly.
"Thanks, Sara." Catherine said. But something else had caught Sara's attention. Catherine looked, and at the end of the hall, Brass had just met with the dead officer's family. She'd had three kids. The hallway practically froze in silent mourning. Then, Sara abruptly turned and left.
"Hey," he said casually. Sara felt safe in Grissom's office. She sat down. "Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded. "You ready to talk?"
"That's not why I'm here," she said. Grissom shifted in his seat awkwardly.
"What is it you'd like?" he asked, playing along. He expected a long pause.
"I quit," Sara said without hesitation.