There were a few things called out by the team but none of them registered with Warrick. He got into his truck, turned on his emergency lights, and headed full speed to the hospital. The radio played a song that started with a thunderstorm then led to a piano solo before a voice began singing.
I know just how to whisper
And I know just how to cry
I know just where to find the answers
And I know just how to lie
I know just how to fake it
And I know just how to scheme
I know just when to face the truth
And then I know just when to dream
His thoughts surrounded Catherine... She wasn't just one of his dearest friends... Warrick was realizing that he cared for her a little more than that. Before getting preoccupied with Tina, he fantasized about Catherine. Her fantasies about him weren't unfounded. –He'd call her just to hear her voice. Warrick didn't feel that way about Nick, or Sarah, or Grissom. Sometimes Catherine nurtured him when he needed it. But she also made him feel needed… wanted… desired.
And know just where to touch you
And I know just what to prove
I know when to pull you closer
And I know when to let you loose
He remembered their close encounter when she fell into his arms after losing her footing when she tried to climb out of a sewage reservoir. If it weren't that they were interrupted, Warrick was sure they would've kissed. Catherine gave him this energy. He just fed off of it. He always wondered if it was the dancer in her mixing with his own rebellious past. They would flirt and tease but never crossed the line. He had never put much energy in considering all these things until now. Now that he's faced with the possibility of losing her.
And I know the night is fading
And I know the time's gonna fly
And I'm never gonna tell you everything I gotta tell you
But I know I gotta give it a try
All he felt was anguish. All this time Warrick had worked so hard to stop thinking of Catherine as more than a friend. He spent so much energy preventing things from getting out of hand. He convinced himself he was protecting her. Catherine didn't need to lose her job over an office romance. She didn't need people talking crap about her. He was protective of her. But he was fooling himself. He was protecting himself.
And I know the roads to riches
And I know the ways to fame
I know all the rules and then I know how break them
And I always know the name of the game
He didn't trust himself. He was a gambler by nature. He didn't want to risk the most beautiful thing he had in his life. He couldn't… It wasn't a sure thing. Yet all that work and denial was futile. Warrick knew just how much he loved her. He knew how deeply he felt. Grief consumed him at the thought that he'd never get to tell her. That she'd be gone and never know he returned her feelings.
But I don't know how to leave you
And I'll never let you fall
And I don't know how you do it
Making love out of nothing at all
Out of nothing at all
Out of nothing at all
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all
She had a hard exterior. One that made most men think twice about trying her. Warrick couldn't think of anyone bold enough to ask her out. It was Catherine who always called the shots. Yet she remained the topic of much discussion. Who could blame them? She was breathtaking.
Every time I see you all the rays of the sun
Are streaming through the waves in your hair
And every star in the sky
Is taking aim at your eyes like a spotlight
Through the years, guys from other departments learned not to cross the line regarding Catherine when Warrick was around. He enjoyed being Catherine's protector. Whenever anyone messed with her, he always offered to pummel the guy. And she always declined. Yet he knew in his heart that she understood he'd really do it.
The beating of my heart is a drum and it's lost
And it's looking for a rhythm like you
You can take the darkness from the pit of the night
And turn into a beacon burning endlessly bright
I gotta follow it
Cause everything I own, now
It's nothing till I give it to you
And he would without question. Warrick had a mile long list of those that caused her strife. He wanted to inflict at least a tenth of the pain that they had caused Catherine. Sometimes they discussed it, most of the time in was an unspoken word between the two. Warrick knew that under Catherine's hard exterior, was someone who just wanted to be loved and appreciated.
I can make you find your power
I can make you lose your fear
I can make your body do some very magical things
I'll make your inhibitions all disappear
I can make tonight forever
Or I can make it disappear by the dawn
And I can make you every promise that has ever been made
And I can make all your demons be gone
When Warrick didn't think he could handle a situation, Cath got in his face and made certain he understood that she under no circumstance believed him. As much as she was the glue that kept it together for him; Warrick was always there for Cath. He was the rock she leaned on. Whenever Catherine felt she was weak, Warrick was there to tell her she was human and was allowed to err on occasion. He knew her and she knew him. –Or she thought she did. His marriage really threw her for a loop. Warrick saw the last few months from her point of view. His hasty decision shook her world. Avoiding her after her confession had to have cut her deep. He prayed silently that he didn't miss another opportunity.
But I'm never gonna make it without you
Do you really wanna see me crawl?
And I'm never gonna make it like you do
Making love out of nothing at all
(Making love) out of nothing at all
(Making love) out of nothing at all
(Making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
The song haunted him; it would never have been anything he'd normally listen to. He hadn't really listened to the words but it hit him like a freight train. The chorus echoed in his head, "Making love out of nothing at all." It was exactly what they had done… something beautiful and special grew out of two souls who had nothing but hurt and pain in their past relationships. Some self inflicted and some underserved. But the end result was something solid, something that neither of them ever had but always wanted… unconditional love.
Warrick was driving over 100mph.