This chapter is dedicated to Laura... I probably wouldn't have updated for lack of motivation... Personal life and few reviews. Thanks chick!
Catherine fell to the ground. She called Lindsey's name again as she collapsed.
"MOM?" Lindsey screeched.
She dropped the gun and ran to Catherine wildly. Lindsey threw herself to the ground by her mother's side.
"MOM! MOMMY! –I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS YOU! IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE YOU! I'M SO SORRY MOMMY. I DIDN'T MEAN IT. I THOUGHT YOU WERE HIM. I THOUGHT IT WAS HIM AFTER ME!" Lindsey shrieked hysterically.
Catherine wrapped her right arm around her daughter: She couldn't move her left. Catherine didn't know where she was shot. She didn't care. She was so relieved to find Lindsey; she could've died peacefully. But no, she didn't want to die. She wanted to be with her daughter. She wanted to experience all that was left to come of her growing child. Catherine cried yet she didn't feel any pain. She cried tears of joy. She was elated to find her little girl unscathed. It suddenly struck her to ask Lindsey.
"Baby, I'm ok. I know you didn't mean it. It's ok. Are you hurt? Are you hurt at all? Lindsey, did he–"
Catherine's cell rang and slightly distracted her. Lindsey insisted she wasn't hurt but kept crying and cradled her mother. Cath smiled and looked at her cell. It was Warrick.
"I found her–" "Cath, are you ok?–"
"She's not hurt–" "YOU FOUND HER? Thank God… oh thank you God…"
Warrick energetically paced around once at Catherine's news. They spoke excitedly over each other. He could hear Lindsey crying in the background but couldn't make out what she was saying. Warrick stopped dead in his tracks when remembered why he had originally called.
"But I heard a gunshot. What happened?"
"She couldn't tell my voice, she shot me when I came at her"
"YOU'RE SHOT? HANG ON CATH! –I'M COMING!"
Warrick turned his attention to the man responsible for all the madness. His emerald eyes were lifeless. First, this waste of life took Lindsey. Now Cath was shot.
"It's your lucky day asshole. We found her and she was so in shock, she shot her own mother. So I need to get to them and you get a free pass on what I had in mind for you. But I'll make sure they take care of you in general population. I got a lot of connections inside. You'll get what's coming to you."
Warrick spoke as he grabbed the dirt bag by his shirt collar and quickly dragged him away from the Buick. Warrick checked the man's pockets then kicked him over and patted down his backside. Flashing lights were coming from the distance. His thoughts went to Catherine being shot.
She sounded good. Warrick hoped it was just a superficial wound. But the truth was –there was nothing superficial about being shot. The unknown had a choke hold on his heart again.
Warrick ran to the Buick as he put up his handgun and pulled out his cell. He dialed dispatch and called in 'officer down'. Warrick grabbed the keys out of the Buick's ignition and locked its doors. He wanted no chance that this sick bastard would get away. He let dispatch know that the suspect was also down and unarmed. Warrick let them know he was leaving the seen to find the down officer. He was flying off in the Denali as the flashing lights were approaching. He found Catherine and Lindsey before he finished his call to dispatch. He informed dispatch, threw his cell on the dash and ran to them.
"Baby Girl!" Warrick called out to Lindsey.
"Warrick!" Lindsey cried.
Warrick dropped down by Catherine as Lindsey clutched his neck. He hugged Lindsey tightly.
"I didn't know it was mom. I thought it was him. It didn't sound like her. I didn't mean to. I–"
"Shhhh. It's ok. Everything's gonna be ok."
Warrick consoled Lindsey as he released her and picked up the flashlight. He searched for Catherine's wound.
"Yeah Sweetie. I'm fine. Everything's gonna be fine," Catherine chimed in weakly.
'How much could one man's heart take?' Warrick wondered as he anguished looking at Cath. She smiled at him feebly as if she could read his mind.
"Where are hit Cath?"
Catherine started to shiver and grasped Warrick's arm with her right hand. To his sorrow, he found the wound: it seemed to be right at Catherine's heart. Warrick turned cold.
"No. No. No," he muttered.
Warrick rapidly took off his shirt and his wife beater. He ripped the wife beater and tied it tightly around her shoulder, as close as he could to the wound. Warrick had hoped for a through and through but the odds were against him now. He put his top shirt on her for warmth as he tried to control his emotions. Warrick scooped Catherine up and called Lindsey to open the door to the backseat of the Denali. He told Lindsey to get in and he laid Catherine there with her head resting on her daughter's lap.
"The paramedics are on their way. We're gonna drive and make sure Mom gets to the hospital before that bastard," Warrick spoke intently.
He tried to hide the urgency in his voice but it didn't matter. Lindsey felt how cold her mother was and watched the color fall from her cheeks.
"OH MOM! OH MOM! PLEASE DON'T DIE! PLEASE! –I'LL BE GOOD! I SWEAR IT! I'LL BE GOOD!" Lindsey sobbed.
Warrick could no longer hold his tears back. He wished the nightmare would end. He wished it was him and not Catherine. Memories of Nick's ordeal came back. Warrick agonized over why those he cared for had to continue to suffer. He was grateful that Lindsey was safe. But how fair was it? –After all she went through, she'd lose her mother? Warrick couldn't think of it anymore.
He couldn't think of losing Catherine. He'd sooner think of losing his own life. She wasn't just a co-worker, or any old friend. Catherine understood him better than anyone else in his life. She always had the words to pick him up, to set him straight and to wake him up when he needed them. She genuinely cared. They got each other through so many rough times… Holly's death, Eddie's abuse, Lily Ivers, Edie's death, and Nick's abduction. –And so many other times in between those major events that couldn't be recalled at the moment. They were always there for each other… No, that wasn't completely true.
Warrick slumped down in his seat as it hit him. He had shut her out after marrying Tina. If he had gone to Catherine, he probably would've never even made the mistake of marrying her. "When a fantasy no longer has the possibility of becoming a reality… Well… it sucks." Those infamous words told him that Catherine loved him. He never allowed himself to reach that conclusion before. He didn't want to realize that fact because if he did, then he'd have to accept that he hurt her deeply.
The Denali pulled right up to the ambulance. The paramedics were tending to Lindsey's abductor. Everyone was there: Grissom, Nick, Sara, Greg, Brass and Sofia. Warrick exited his vehicle in a flash. Once again, he heard nothing... With all the commotion, Warrick heard nothing but the beating of his heart as he pulled Cath out of the backseat. The team ran to him. Their eyes opened wide when they saw him carry Catherine. Before they could reach him, a chopper landed in the clearing on the opposite side of the road. Brass and Grissom simultaneously pointed at the helicopter, directing Warrick to head that direction. He took off like a bat out of hell.
The medics helped him get Catherine into the Med Evac. Warrick looked back at Nicky running with Lindsey in his arms. Warrick told the medics to wait for Lindsey. The medics told him they could only take one person. Warrick told him they had to take Lindsey as he jumped down. He sprinted full throttle and grabbed Lindsey from Nick. Without exchanging a word, he darted back to the helicopter, kissed Lindsey's head before handing her off to the medics.
"I'll meet you at the hospital!" he yelled over the noise to her.
Lindsey nodded as Warrick backed away from the helicopter. The Med Evac took off, leaving everyone looking up at its departure. An article of clothing suddenly draped over one of Warrick's shoulders and a warm small hand rested on the other. He turned around to find Sara smiling at him with teary eyes.
"Put this on before you catch a death of cold," she painfully stated.
Warrick nodded and gave Sara a half hug. Everyone else's eyes were still trailing the chopper as he got on the jacket.
"You did good," Grissom managed to finally say to Warrick.
No one wanted to comment on Catherine's condition. Everyone was drained. Physically and emotionally. Warrick had silently left the group and headed to his vehicle.
"We've got to get to the hospital," Grissom spoke again.