Disclaimer: ALL characters belong to CBS. No infringement is intended, as this story is written for fun only. Any additional characters will be mine or I may borrow a few from some of my fellow fanfic writers.
Summary: This story details Conrad Ecklie's plan to destroy Dr. Gil Grissom's life. He secures the services of Ms. Sophia Curtis to systematically destroy Dr. Grissom, beginning of course with his relationship with CSI3 Sara Sidle (I gave our Sweet Sara a promotion).
Author: Christiangirl (AKA Sharon)
Spoilers: Mea Culpa (Sort of), Unbearable and a little Let the Seller Beware
Rating: PG-13
Chapter Five—Devastation All AroundAs the employees and supervisors from all shifts sat in the conference room of the lab, a somber looking Dr. Robert Carvallo started the meeting.
"The reason for this meeting," a totally stunned Dr. Carvallo began, "is to inform you that Dr. Gil Grissom has taken a leave of absence."
"What?" A shocked Sara Sidle asked.
"Dr. Gil Grissom is currently on leave." Dr. Carvallo began.
"Do you know how long Dr. Grissom will be gone?" Catherine asked, stunned that her best friend didn't mention his LOA when she last spoke to him. Though, now in hindsight, everything seemed to fit into place.
Catherine remembers receiving Grissom's strange phone callCatherine's cell phone starting ringing, interrupting her gathering evidence at a crime scene that she, Warrick and Nick were on. She picked it up on the fourth ring.
"Willows here."
"Hi, Cath," Grissom began, sounding quite strange to Catherine. "Are you busy?"
"Yeah," Catherine began, noticing the strange tick in Grissom's voice. "Me, Warrick and Nicky are working a case right now."
"Well, I won't keep you.." Grissom replied, sadly preparing to disconnect their phone call, when Catherine responded.
"Gil, I'll always make time for you." Catherine replied. "Is there anything you wanted?"
"No, not really," Grissom began, sounding stranger by the minute. "It's okay."
"Gil, are you okay?" Catherine asked, concerned about Grissom's state of mind.
"I'm fine, Cath, really," Grissom lied. He would have continued, but Catherine gently interrupted him.
"Gil, what's going on?" Catherine asked. "And don't you tell me nothing's wrong, because you do NOT sound like yourself at all."
"Well, Cath," Grissom began trying to keep his voice steady, "I had the locks to my townhouse changed. I left two copies in your desk drawer in your office."
"Why did you feel the need to change the locks to your townhouse?" A surprised Catherine asked.
"Don't ask, it's a really long story." Grissom replied, still seething over Sophia's plot to destroy any plans for Grissom and Sara to repair their strained friendship.
"Oh, I've heard about the dinner fiasco," Catherine began sadly. "Why did you leave two copies?"
"I left one for you and one for Sara," Grissom began trying to keep his voice steady, as a fresh batch of tears were getting ready to fall from his eyes. "Would you give Sara the key to my townhouse, please?"
"Gil, why don't you give Sara her key yourself?" Catherine asked. "It would look a lot better coming directly from you, than from me. That way, you may be able to start repairing your friendship with Sara."
"Sara's not speaking to me," Grissom began deeply dejected. "She won't even return my phone calls. I've left more than enough messages. It's really too late, believe me."
"Grissom, you can't be serious, can you?" Catherine began sadly. "Surely Sara would be willing to give you another chance. You don't think she's really moving on with her life, do you?"
"That's what it seems like, Catherine," Grissom began trying to keep his emotions together, he didn't want to fall apart while talking to Catherine. "I can't face life without Sara in my life with me. I can't live without her, Cath, I just can't!"
Just then, Catherine was shaken from her reverie when she heard Dr. Carvallo dismissing everyone from the meeting. With that, Catherine left the conference room and headed for the locker room.
Upon walking into the locker room, she heard the sound of someone sobbing. As she went to investigate, she saw Sara huddled in the corner of the locker room.
"Oh, Cath," Sara began sobbing, "this is all my fault! I should have told him about my plans to move forward in my life before we slept together. If anything happens to Grissom, I'll never forgive myself."
"Sara, none of this is your fault," Catherine began in a soothing tone, "you do realize that, don't you?"
"No, Cath," Sara began, "this is all my fault. I used Grissom, I slept with him on the rebound."
"Sara, what on earth are you talking about?" A confused Catherine asked.
"Well, I was out on a date with Jason Willoughby," Sara began starting her explanation. "I wanted to sleep with Jason, I was lonely and wanted someone to hold me, to love me. Jason declined; he said I wasn't ready for a relationship. I was devastated, and felt rejected, to say the least."
"Sara, what does that have to do with Gil?" Catherine asked, still confused.
"I'm getting to that," Sara sighed her replied. "I went to bed after Jason dropped me off. Then Grissom showed up at my apartment unexpectedly, complete with Chinese food for a late night dinner. After dinner, Grissom and me talked and watched TV. Then, one thing led to another and we ended up making love."
"Oh," was all Catherine was able to say.
"It doesn't end there, Cath," Sara began sobbing. "Later that day, Jason was going to take me out to dinner. He got called into work, so he offered to give a rain check. Then, Grissom came by the apartment and asked me to go to the Renaissance Festival with him. We had a picnic in the park. We then went to his townhouse, where we made love again."
"It's not like you guys hadn't made love before," Catherine began, finally finding her voice.
"No, Cath," Sara began smiling sadly, "this time was different. This time, Grissom told me that he gave himself to me. He told me that he was mine, totally and unconditionally. I didn't even have the decency to let him know that I was moving on with my life. So, all of this is my fault."
"Sara, you listen to me," Catherine began in exasperation. "Gil had all the time in the world to tell you how he felt about you, but he chose to jerk your feelings around. I'm not going to say that I don't feel bad for him, but I will say that he brought this mess on himself."
Catherine decided to add one more comment to see where Sara stood with regards of giving Grissom another chance.
"Sara, did you really give up on having a relationship with Gil?" Catherine asked.
"Yes…no…I don't know, Cath," Sara replied honestly. "I really don't know what I want anymore. I thought I wanted to move on with Jason. Now, I just don't know. I can't seem to stop thinking about Grissom. How can I start a relationship with Jason, when my heart seems connected to Grissom."
"By the way," Catherine began, "Gil had all the locks changed to his townhouse. He asked me to give you a copy of the keys. It seemed as though he was having a hard time catching up with you." Catherine handed Sara the keys to Grissom's townhouse.
"Thanks, Cath," Sara began, "not just for the keys, but for everything you've done. I know you were leading the 'Let's get Grissom and Sara together' fan club. I'm sorry that we've spoiled all of your efforts."
"You're welcome, Sara," Catherine began, "that's what friends are for. Besides, you didn't spoil our efforts, you've only just delayed our plans a bit."
Agent Jason Willoughby's Unexpected News
As Sara talked with lab secretary, she heard someone calling her name.
"Hi, Jason," Sara began smiling slightly, "what brings you here this early in the morning."
"Sara," Jason began, snaking his arm in hers. "I really need to speak with you."
"Yeah, sure," Sara began noticing the serious look on Jason's face. "We can go into this empty room."
"Sara, I don't know how to tell you this," Jason began, nervously shifting from one foot to the other.
"What is it, Jason?" Sara began, alarms going off inside her mind.
"I've just been informed that I've been transferred to FBI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia." Jason replied sadly.
"Really?" Sara asked. "When do you leave?"
"I'll be leaving in about two weeks or so," Jason began, "I might be leaving before then, though."
"How do you feel about your transfer?" Sara asked, wanting to know how Jason felt about this new turn of events.
"It's a great opportunity for me," Jason began, "professionally, but personally, I'm hurting, Sara."
"Why are you hurting?" Sara asked, afraid of hearing Jason's reply.
"I'm hurting, because I'll be leaving you, Sara, for starters," Jason began wistfully. "I'm also hurting because I know you wouldn't want to relocate and come with me. Quantico has the best lab in the country and you'd be perfect."
"How do you know I wouldn't relocate, Jason?" Sara asked. She would have continued, but Jason gently interrupted her.
"Sara," Jason began, "you're still in love with Dr. Grissom, even though you're trying to hide your feelings for him. If you and I were to get together, I would be competing with your memories of your past with Dr. Grissom, and I just wouldn't be able to handle that."
"I thought you said that as long as you had me," Sara began, "that you wouldn't be jealous of any other guy. You said that as long as I'm with you and not with the other guy, that was fine with you."
"Dr. Grissom is not just another guy, is he Sara?" Jason began feeling a little envious of Grissom. Sara blushed in embarrassment, causing Jason to regret his comment. All of the sudden Jason started laughing uncontrollably, causing a look of confusion to cross Sara's beautiful features.
"What's so funny, Jason?" Sara asked in exasperation.
"I'm sorry, Sara," Jason began composing himself. "You just started to blush and I just lost it. I'm sorry for my comment."
"That's okay, Jason," Sara sighed.
"Well, Sara," Jason began, "I hope that you and Dr. Grissom will be able to iron out your differences. I would hate to see two people who are so perfect together not be able to lay aside their differences. You two do belong together, I guess that's why we weren't able to get anything going."
Sara remained silent as she listened to Jason's comments regarding her and Grissom's relationship.
"Sara, I'd like it if we can remain friends," Jason began, "I'll keep in touch with you. I gave you my business card, so you'll be able to call me. As I remember, I also wrote my e-mail address on my card."
"Jason, I'd like that very much," Sara replied, finally finding her voice. With that, Jason gave Sara a great big hug, and then he left the lab.
In Santa Monica, California
Grissom sat on his bed with his arms wrapped around his knees that were bent to his chest. His mother stood outside his door watching her son sadly. When Grissom lifted his head, his mother noted the redness around Grissom's eyes, indicating a night full of great sadness and tears. Vera Grissom could no longer keep her distance from her son, so she knocked on the doorframe of Grissom's bedroom. He looked up as his mother entered the room.
"Son," Vera signed to Grissom, "what's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing."
"Mom," Grissom began trying to compose himself.
"Son," Vera Grissom began signing in deep concern, "what's wrong? What has you so sad?"
"Nothing Mom." Grissom lied.
"Are you sure, Son?" Vera asked Grissom in sign.
"Yeah, Mom, it's nothing." Grissom lied again, trying to hide his true feelings from his mother, Vera.
"How would you like some breakfast, Baby Boy?" Vera asked her sad son in sign. "I've made your favorite, blueberry pancakes."
"I'm not hungry, Mom," Grissom began sadly, "I just don't feel much like eating."
"Son, you have to eat something," Vera began signing in concern, "you've been here for two days and you haven't eaten anything. What's wrong, Son? Don't you dare tell me nothing!
"Mom," Grissom began in sign, sighing deeply in the process. "It's nothing that I want or need to talk about."
"Okay, Son," Vera signed in resignation, realizing that making her son more upset than he already was, wouldn't help the situation. "I'll save you some pancakes, in case your appetite comes back." With that, she kissed Grissom on his forehead and headed back down to the dining room.
As Grissom lay on his bed, he took out a photograph of Sara and caressed it with his thumb. He couldn't believe how different everything was between them, how it had quickly gone from bad to worse. He knew he had to do something and fast. He was quickly losing control of his emotions and he didn't know how long he would be able to hold on.
The Las Vegas Lab
As Sara came out of the shower, she quickly dressed and was ready to head on home. She was still reeling over Grissom's sudden and unexpected departure, though she felt she was the blame. On a whim, she decided to give Grissom a call on his cell phone. As she went to grab her cell phone, she realized it was missing. She searched high and low for the phone, but couldn't find it anywhere. She left the locker room and headed for the break room, where Nick and Warrick were waiting to start their swing shifts.
"Hey, Nicky, hey, Warrick," Sara began in greeting, "did any of you see my cell phone? I can't seem to find it anywhere."
"Nah, Sara," Nick began, "do you remember the last time you had it?"
"If I did, it wouldn't be lost," Sara began joking with Nick to hide her deep sadness over Grissom's departure. Sara would have continued, but a mock hurt Nick interrupted her.
Aww, is that any way to treat your big brother?" Nick asked in a mock hurt tone of voice.
"Just kidding, Nicky," Sara began, "but, in answer to your question, I remember having my cell phone at the Tangiers. Yesterday Lt. Vincent Bellisario and me were investigating a murder there. That's the last time I remember having my cell phone."
"I don't know what to tell you, Sara," Warrick spoke up, "but the best thing to do would be to let Ecklie know that your cell phone is missing. That way, if it was stolen from the scene, Ecklie can call the cell Phone Company and have them issue you another phone." With that, the three friends bid each other farewell and went their separate ways. Sara headed to Ecklie's office and then home, while Warrick and Nick went in search of Catherine and their assignments for their shift.
At the same time that Sara's cell phone went AWOL, Conrad Ecklie's cell phone did the same disappearing act. Ecklie looked everywhere for that phone and he couldn't find it anywhere. As he sat at his desk, trying to remember when he last had his cell phone, there was a knock on his doorframe. He smiled when he saw the lovely Sara Sidle standing before him.
"Come in, come in, Sidle," Ecklie beckoned, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit?"
"Conrad," Sara began calmly, "it's Sara, for the umpteenth time." Conrad smiled, as he saw the amusement dancing in Sara's beautiful chocolate colored eyes.
"Yes, Sara," Ecklie began, eyeing the leggy brunette lustfully. "What can I do for you this evening?"
"Well, for starters, Conrad," Sara began, "my cell phone is missing. And before you ask, I've looked everywhere and it's nowhere to be found."
"Funny you should say that, Sara," Ecklie began in exasperation, "my phone is missing also. I've looked everywhere. I'll issue you a new cell phone immediately."
"Thanks, Conrad," Sara began, "goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Sara left Ecklie's office and headed on home.
As Sara arrived home, she did a complete sweep of her apartment to see if she could locate her elusive cell phone. After about two hours of searching high and low in her apartment, she gave up looking for her cell phone.
'It's officially lost,' Sara thought in disgust, 'now I'll have to get a new cell phone.' With that, Sara decided to call it a night and went to bed.
The Beginning of the End
Grissom was having trouble sleeping, so he either spent his time flipping through the channels on the TV in his bedroom. When he couldn't find anything on TV, he would spend hours on end pacing the floor. His mind barraged him with thoughts of the many lost opportunities he had with Sara. She was his for the asking, but he feared giving in to the passion he felt for her.
"How could I let her get away?" Grissom whispered softly. "I love her so much, what am I going to do without her?"
"Son," Gil Sr. began sadly observing his son, holding a tray in his hands. "We've ordered some Chinese food. I thought you might like some. I've ordered some Moo Goo Gai Pan. Here you go."
"Dad," Grissom began with a look of horror on his face, "I can't eat that!"
"Why, Son?" Gil Sr. asked, as confusion crossed his features.
"No reason," Grissom lied, knowing that dish was Sara's favorite and it was a painful reminder to him of his losing her to another man. "I'm just not hungry. Can we just leave it at that?"
"Yeah, I guess so, Son," Gil Sr. replied, looking very hurt. "I'll just leave the tray here, just in case you change your mind, Okay, Baby Boy?"
"Yeah, Dad," Grissom began.
As Gil Sr. was getting ready to leave, Grissom stopped him.
"Dad, just because I don't want to eat, doesn't mean you have to leave," Grissom began, "I'm sorry if I gave you that impression."
"If you want me to stay, Son, I'll stay." Gil Sr. replied. "How long would you like me to stay with you?"
"Would you stay with me until I fall asleep?" The 44-year-old Gil Jr. asked in a childlike manner.
"Of course I would, Junior," Gil Sr. replied, happy that Gil Jr. was giving him a chance to make up for the years he wasn't there for the Junior Gilbert Grissom.
"Thanks, Dad," Grissom began, "I haven't been sleeping well lately. Perhaps having you or Mom with me will help me be able to sleep tonight."
"Would you like to talk about what's bothering you?" Gil Sr. asked his grown-up son.
"There's nothing bothering me, Dad." Grissom lied.
"Son, you've been keeping your Mom and me up for the last few nights, pacing around your room." Gil Sr. began, "so something is bothering you, Son. Perhaps your Mom and I can help you solve whatever it is that's bothering you."
"Dad, thanks," Grissom began, "I'll be fine once I get a good night's sleep." Gil Sr. nodded at his son's reply, but wasn't thoroughly convinced.
'Something's wrong,' Gil Sr. began in thought, 'your Mom and I will get to the bottom of it.' With that, Gil Sr. pulled up a chair and sat beside Gil Jr.'s bed and watched as he drifted off to sleep. He stayed by Grissom's side another two hours after Grissom drifted off to sleep.
Back in Las Vegas
Sara entered the break room, fully expecting to see the old gang. She was slightly disappointed when she saw two older women, swing shift employees enjoying a cup of coffee. They both looked up at her; one of which sent her an angry glare, but the other one extended her hand to Sara. She apologized to Sara for other woman's attitude.
"Hi, my name is Barbara Coleman-Smith," Barbara, began, "I'm a lab clerk for the swing shift. This is Clara Davidson, she works in the Trace Department for swing shift."
"Hello," Ms. Davidson spoke without looking up from the magazine she was reading.
"Hi, ladies," Sara began, "nice meeting you two, officially."
"Officially?" Ms. Davidson asked.
"Well, yes," Sara began, sadly remembering the day that these two women were talking about Sophia and Grissom's date. She also remembered the mean-spirited words that Clara Davidson said about her.
As Sara sat in the lab, waiting to see if anything came back on her evidence, she overheard two swing shift employees working a little overtime talking about the latest news. She heard one of the women talk of the latest rumor to hit the lab.
"Oh, did you hear about Dr. Grissom and that Sophia chick, the one that use to work on dayshift?" The first female asked.
"Yeah, I heard it. Wow, someone said that they were holding hands or something." The second female. "Isn't Dr. Grissom interested in that glamour girl brunette from the night shift?"
"She's yesterday's news." The first female remarked snidely. "I bet she feels like the biggest boob there is, waiting for someone that doesn't want you."
"You're just jealous because half the guys on dayshift like her and they wouldn't give you a second look." The second female replied. "If I were in his shoes, I'd stay with the brunette, she's marrying material. He's not getting any younger. My son will be in town next week, I think I'll bring him by, so that he can take a look at that pretty brunette. I know he'll like her."
At that moment, Sara decided to put Ms. Clara Davidson on a skewer and cook her over the fire.
"Oh, I'm just the boob who's in love with a man who doesn't love me," Sara began sending a searing glare Clara Davidson's way, causing her to flinch nervously. "But, you'll be happy to know that I decided to move on and Dr. Grissom may have decided to leave the lab. Bye, Barbara." With that, Sara left without even acknowledging Clara.
"Hey, Sara, wait up," Barbara called out, "if you heard that part of the conversation, you've also heard me mention my son. He's single, tall handsome and he's wonderfully available. He's in town, and I'd like you to meet him."
"Well, Barbara," Sara began honestly, "your son sounds like the kind of man that I could fall in love with, but I'm still trying to get over Dr. Gil Grissom. I'll have to wait until I'm ready to start dating again. I already tried dating, but I found out that I wasn't really ready for another man in my life. The man I was dating told me that."
"Oh, I can understand that," Barbara began in all sincerity, "Sara, I truly hope everything works out for you. It's sad that Dr. Grissom felt the need to leave. I don't know what everyone's been telling you, but that man truly loves you." With that, Barbara ended the conversation at that point on purpose, letting Sara digest her words regarding Grissom's true feelings for her.
As Sara walked down the hall lost in her thoughts, she was shaken from her fog from a familiar voice.
"Young lady," the voice called out from down the hall. Sara turned toward the voice and was shocked to see who the person was.
"Hello, Dr. Gerard," Sara spoke, smiling tentatively wondering what was going on. "How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for a Dr. Conrad Ecklie?" Dr. Girard replied in question, looking at a sheet of paper. He was confused from Sara's burst of laughter. "Did I say something funny, Miss."
"No, not really," Sara began attempting to pull herself together. "Do you perhaps mean, Dr. Robert Carvallo?"
"No, it says I am to report to a Dr. Conrad Ecklie." Dr. Gerard replied, still confused over Sara's laughter.
"There's a MR. Conrad Ecklie," Sara began, emphasizing Ecklie's correct title. "By the way, I'm CSI-3 Sara Sidle, we first met at the preliminary murder trial for Tom Haviland, the actor. You can call me Sara."
Upon recognizing Sara and the circumstances they met, he blushed with embarrassment. He remembered the way he tried to discredit her and the rest of the CSI team.
"Yes, Miss Sidle, I mean Sara," Dr. Gerard began stammering over his words, "I'd like to apologize for the way I treated you and the rest of the team. I hope you can forgive me." Dr. Gerard held out his hand and Sara took hold of it.
"No problem," Sara began, "can't say that I wasn't hurt, but you were just doing your job. We were also doing our job. By the way, what brings you here, to the lab?"
"Oh, yes that," Dr. Gerard began, "Dr., I mean Mr. Ecklie called me and asked me if I wanted to consult for the lab. He didn't tell give me much information. I was planning on stopping by Gil's office and see if he was able to shed some light on the case I would be consulting on. I found it odd that he or Dr. Carvallo didn't contact me."
"Dr. Gerard," Sara began sadly, "I guess Ecklie didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?" Dr. Gerard asked in total confusion.
"That Grissom took a leave of absence from three months to indefinite." Sara replied sadly. "We're not even sure if he'll ever come back."
"Perhaps there was some kind of family problem that he needed to take care of, Sara." Dr. Gerard replied thoughtfully. "Beside, I can't see him being able to stay away from the woman he loves too long." Dr. Gerard's last comment totally surprised Sara.
"I'm surprised that Grissom left Sophia," Sara began sadly, "I'm quite sure he'll be calling her soon."
"Who's Sophia?" Dr. Gerard asked as confusion crossed his distinguishably handsome features.
"Oh, Sophia Curtis," Sara began sadly, "the former dayshift supervisor."
"I do remember Gil mentioning her a few months ago," Dr. Gerard began chuckling a little about their conversation. "He doesn't much care for the woman. But, she's not the one I'm talking about."
"Grissom has another love?" Sara asked. "Well, that certainly figures."
"Yes, Sara, he does indeed have another love," Dr. Gerard began, "he's deeply in love with you."
"With me? Where did you ever get that information?" Sara began incredulously. "He doesn't even like me, and you're trying to tell me that he loves me? I find that hard to believe."
"I could see it in his eyes when I told him about your relationship with that EMT." Dr. Gerard replied. "He was hurt and he felt betrayed by you. It was written all over his face and especially in his eyes."
"Well, Dr. Gerard, that's the past and this is the present." Sara replied in resignation. With that, Sara led Dr. Gerard to Ecklie's office and then headed to Trace to check up on some DNA evidence on a case that she and Greg were working on.
Conrad Ecklie's Office
Dr. Philip Gerard knocked on Conrad Ecklie's office door. Conrad answered and made an attempt to quickly escort Dr. Gerard inside. He did NOT want Dr. Robert Carvallo to see what he was doing. He quickly shut the door, but Dr. Carvallo knocked on his office door. As the door opened, he was shocked to see Dr. Philip Gerard sitting inside Mr. Ecklie's office. Dr. Gerard, the man that tried to ridicule 'his' CSIs in the Tom Haviland murder trial. He wondered what on Earth was this man doing in 'his' CSI Lab.
"Hello, Dr. Gerard," Dr. Carvallo began politely, "what brings you here today?"
"I was hired by Dr. Ecklie to temporarily fill in for Dr. Grissom." Dr. Gerard replied. Upon hearing Dr. Gerard's response, Dr. Carvallo gave Ecklie an angry glare.
"Would you please excuse us, Dr. Gerard," Dr. Carvallo began, evenly. Doctor, can I please see you in my office?"
"Yes, sir," Conrad began, knowing he was going to get an earful from the Lab Director. "I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, Conrad followed his superior with unsteady steps.
Dr. Carvallo's Office
"Close the door, Conrad," Dr. Carvallo began, annoyed that Ecklie went behind his back in hiring Dr. Gerard. "Now, let's get one thing straight, Conrad. I'm the one who approves the hiring and firing of anyone, no matter who they are."
"Well, you were out, sir, and we needed to hire someone of equal or higher caliber than Dr. Grissom, "Conrad began, beads of seat forming on his balding forehead. "I was thinking of the lab's status, you know."
"Oh, so it wasn't an attempt to seal Dr. Grissom's fate?" Dr. Carvallo asked in irritation. "It wasn't because of your deep hatred of Dr. Grissom?"
"No, sir," Ecklie lied, "we really needed someone to take over nightshift."
"Oh really? What about Dr. Grissom's recommendation of Sara for the supervisor position?" Dr. Carvallo asked.
"Honestly, Dr. Carvallo," Ecklie lied again.
"I hope for your sake you're telling the truth," Dr. Carvallo replied in a clipped tone. "Because if I find out that you're in any way responsible for Gil's wanting a leave of absence, you will face my wrath." With that, Ecklie was dismissed from Dr. Carvallo's office.
When did Dr. Carvallo change his view of Dr. Gilbert Grissom?
As Dr. Carvallo sat in his office, his mind went back to when he got to know the real Dr. Gilbert 'Gil' Grissom.
Meeting Dr. Grissom, Forensic Entomologist
Dr. Carvallo walked into the employee cafeteria with a tall, handsome and lightly tanned younger man. Every female staff member eyed the man with hot desire. Conrad Ecklie eyed the same man with disgust. Dr. Carvallo proceeded to introduce the newcomer to everyone.
"Everyone, this is Dr. Gil Grissom," Dr. Carvallo began in a fake smile. "He'll be assisting the nightshift supervisor. His office is right down the hall. If you have any questions for the doctor, you can go to his office."
"That guy is weird, Dr. Carvallo," Ecklie began, "he's got a tarantula and cockroaches in his office. He calls them his pets. Why did you hire him?"
"He came highly recommended by the top brass," Dr. Carvallo began. "Granted, he may be a little weird, but with his reputation and his skills, this lab should rise to the top." Carvallo let his mind be ill affected against Dr. Grissom before he got to know him.
'I wonder what those guys at the head office were thinking of, hiring this guy,' Dr. Carvallo began in thought. 'He' probably one of those genius types that's a know-it-all that can't be told anything.' Quite the opposite was discovered as Dr. Carvallo quickly got to know the real Dr. Gil Grissom.
Getting to know the real Dr. Gil Grissom
One day, as Dr. Carvallo was walking down the hall, he stopped by Dr. Grissom's office. As he stood in the Grissom's doorway, he noticed that the young man was on the phone. As he attempted to leave Dr. Grissom to his phone call, Grissom saw him and waved him in.
"Okay, Aunt Lucille," Grissom began laughing slightly and rolling his eyes, as he typed his reply. "Okay, Lucille," Grissom repeated himself a little exasperated, "tell Mom she made her point, but I don't want a dog. Tell Mom I know she just can't understand why I'm still single and have insects as pets, but that's the way I like it. Well, not the single and alone part, but I enjoy my insects. They help me understand my job better. Okay, Aunt Lucille, I'll talk and to you later." With that, Dr. Grissom looked up at his superior and gave him a warm smile.
"Seems like there's trouble on the homefront, Dr. Grissom," Dr. Carvallo began.
"Not really, Dr. Carvallo," Grissom began smiling, "it's just that my mother and my aunt just don't understand my insect fetish."
"I'm with your mother and your aunt," Dr. Carvallo began, "plus you'd have to admit, it's kind of strange to have insects as pets."
"Well, yes, I suppose you're right," Grissom began thoughtfully. "Besides, I did have two big German Shepherds when I worked in the Coroner's office in Los Angeles. I had to constantly clean up after them. I had to get rid of them before I moved here. I gave them to my sister; she has lots of land that's suitable for two big active dogs. Cleaning up after my insects is a much easier task and less messy." With that, both Dr. Carvallo and Dr. Grissom shared a friendly laugh. It was at that moment that Dr. Carvallo's attitude toward the younger, quirky man had changed. He got to know the real Dr. Gil Grissom and began to admire his quirky ways. He also realized that Dr. Grissom was passionate about his work and that he was a hard worker. He decided that Ecklie was just jealous of the newcomer and was just trying to gather a following of Dr. Grissom haters.
"Dr. Carvallo," Grissom began, "you can call me Gil. I'm not for all that formal crap."
"Sure thing, Gil," Dr. Carvallo began, a little surprised at the warmth in the younger man's voice. "You can call me Robert, Gil. If you have any problems with Conrad, feel free to come to me. We want to run this lab like a well-oiled machine. We can't have our employees at each other's throats if we expect to remain a top notched lab." With that, Dr. Carvallo left Grissom's office and returned to his own office.
Dr. Gerard knocking Dr. Carvallo's office door shook him from his reverie.
"Dr. Carvallo," Dr. Gerard began, smiling tentatively. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for my attitude a year ago during Tom Haviland preliminary trial. Secondly, Mr. Ecklie has informed me that Gil requested that Sara Sidle be acting nightshift supervisor. What would you like to do about it? I certainly don't want to come between Sara learning about leadership."
"Well, let's ask Sara, and see what she wants to do." Dr. Carvallo began, warming up to Dr. Gerard. "Dr. Gerard, you can call me Robert."
"You can call me Phil or Philip," Dr. Gerard replied. With that, Dr. Carvallo reached Sara on her cell phone before she left the lab. Her shift had just ended and she was on her way out the door.
'What did I do, now?' Sara questioned herself. 'Oh, well, I better just get it over with.' With that, Sara found herself outside of Dr. Carvallo's office. She then knocked on the doorframe of Dr. Carvallo's office.
"You wanted to see me, Robert?" Sara asked a little nervous.
"Yes, Sara," Dr. Carvallo began, "you already know Dr. Philip Gerard, correct?"
"Yes," Sara began, "we sort of got reacquainted."
"Please, Sara, call me Phil or Philip." Dr. Gerard replied. "We're past all of the formalities."
"Thank, you, Philip." Sara replied, still nervous.
"Have a seat, Sara," Dr. Carvallo began, "the reason we've asked you here is that Dr. Grissom made a personal request that you take over his night shift supervising duties. What would you like to do?"
"Why would he want me to take over his duties and not Sophia Curtis, the former dayshift supervisor?" Sara asked confused.
"He said that he trusts you with his life," Dr. Carvallo began, "I trust Gil's judgement, and if he said you were capable of taking over his supervisory duties, I believe that you can do it."
"I think that Dr. Gerard, I mean, Philip is the better choice," Sara began smiling warmly at Dr. Gerard. "Besides, he's also a forensic entomologist and that's definitely a plus. But, I'm available for overtime hours just in case the night shift needs me to fill in."
"Thanks, Sara," Dr. Carvallo began, "but I think we've got it covered. Both Nick and Warrick said that they'd be more than willing to cover for the night shift, and to make sure you get much needed rest."
"Oh," Sara muttered, knowing that the guys were like her big brothers and would not let her over extend herself. "Tell the guys thanks and also give Catherine a big thank you. I think she threatened them, so that may be why they're willing to cover the night shift if needed." With that, Sara left Dr. Carvallo's office and headed home.
Thoughts about Gil Grissom
As Sara sat at her breakfast bar eating her dinner, she thought about events that may have led to her relationship with Gil Grissom become more strained than usual. She thought about the time that Grissom told her that she needed to find a hobby that's not tied to law enforcement.
As Sara thought about Grissom's comments to her, she was taken back to Tom Haviland preliminary murder trial. She thought about the first time that Grissom learned about her 'relationship with Hank Peddigrew, the EMT that Dr. Philip Gerard mentioned. Sara was devastated as she remembered the look of hurt; anger, betrayal and jealous all mixed up in Gil's eyes. She still shudders when she thinks about the look of hurt on his face.
The Haviland Murder Case (the past)
"I wish she mentioned her relationship with the EMT who moved the bra," Dr. Philip Gerard began. He would have continued, but was interrupted by a hurt and disillusioned Dr. Gil Grissom.
"Relationship?" A hurt and betrayed Gil Grissom replied.
"A Hank Peddigrew," Dr. Gerard began triumphantly, "we just interviewed him. He said he thanked her for letting him move the bra back." Just as he was about to continue his comment, Sara nervously interrupted him.
"He was just being polite," Sara began stumbling over her words, "and it's not a relationship, we go to movies…" Sara would have continued, but was abruptly interrupted by Grissom.
"Doc, why don't you and I go to my office, we can talk there." Grissom replied, trying to hide his disgust and jealous toward Sara from Dr. Gerard, feeling the need to flee from her presence. The look that Grissom shot Sara was enough to send shudders through her entire being. She responded in a subdued and embarrassed manner.
"I'll get the blood swatches to DNA," a nervous Sara began, "and compare any additional loaners on the sheet."
Back to the Present Time
Then Sara's mind took her back to the time the team was investigating a murder at an exclusive area of town. Grissom paged Sara while she was enjoying her day off at a vineyard in Pahrump, Nevada. She arrived at the murder victims' massive home. There, Grissom informed her about a case involving the death of a high school student. He sent her solo on this case, causing Sara to be hurt that she wouldn't be working along side him. With that, Sara swallowed her pride and feelings of hurt and left for her crime scene, leaving in her wake a jealous Nick Stokes. While Sara was hurt about going solo on a case, Nick would have jumped at the opportunity to work solo.
"Does that mean if I come in on my day off, I'll get to work solo?" Nick asked Grissom while they continued processing their murder scene.
"Nick," Grissom began in exasperation, "just get back to work." With that, they continued the task at hand.
Later in the Shift
"Night," Sara said to Grissom as she stood in the doorway to his office.
"Goodnight, Sara," Grissom began, "hey, nice work on the high school case." After a long, awkward moment, Sara decided to continue their brief conversation.
"I'm sorry I missed your page," Sara began apologetically. "It's just that you tell me to get a life, then I do. Then you expect me to be there at a moment's notice. It's…um…confusing." Grissom tried to form the words in his mouth that he longed to tell Sara for a very long time, but once again, when he finally figured out what he wanted to say, he looked up and she was gone. All that was left was an empty doorway.
"I can never find the words to say to her," Grissom sighed heavily. With that, he took his leave, heading home to an empty and lonely townhouse.
Sporky's Revenge!
As Sophia sat at her breakfast bar, she smiled an evil smile, as she thought about how well her plan for revenge against Grissom for turning her love down and for choosing Sara Sidle over her.
"Everything is in place, now part two of my plan," Sophia whispered to herself. "What would Dr. Grissom do when he finds out that his precious Sara Sidle is playing house with Mr. Conrad Ecklie?" Sophia laughed an evil laugh as she remembered switching Sara and Conrad's cell phones, and neither one of them was the wiser.
"Oh, Conrad," Sophia continued her conversation with herself. "You're not innocent in this either. Since you failed in your part of the 'Separate Grissom and Sidle' plan, you're going to suffer my wrath also." With that, Sophia picked up the cell phone she borrowed from one of her friends. She quickly dialed Grissom's cell phone number. He picked up on the fifth ring.
"Grissom," Grissom replied into the receiver. His voice was one of emptiness.
"Gil," Sophia began, feigning concern, "how are you?"
"Hello, Ms. Curtis. Goodbye, Ms. Curtis," Grissom began curtly. "It's Dr. Grissom to you." From the tone in his voice, Sophia could tell that Grissom was getting ready to hang up on her, so she spoke quickly, in an attempt to pique his interest.
"Well, Dr. Grissom it is," Sophia began trying to hide her anger at being treated in such an evil manner. "I just wanted to let you know that Sara has moved on." Sophia stopped there on purpose, letting Grissom digest the words she spoke concerning his precious Princess Sara.
"YOU'RE LYING YOU WITCH!" Grissom began in hot anger, "look, Sophia, I don't have time for your evil games." Grissom had to keep his temper in check, or else his aunt would tell his mother and she would be up there in a flash.
"Well, Dr. Grissom, if you don't believe me, why don't you try her cell phone?" Sophia asked, feigning concern for the sad forensic entomologist. "It's 1am in the morning, Sara should be home?"
"I WON'T DO IT!" Grissom yelled into the receiver. With that, Grissom abruptly slammed the phone against the wall, without so much as a goodbye to Sophia.
At 1:30am in the Morning
About a half-hour later, Grissom decided to give Sara a call. He desperately needed to talk to her and to let her know how he felt about her. He speed-dialed Sara's number. It rang about five times.
"Conrad Ecklie here." Ecklie responded sleepily into the receiver. About a long awkward minute passed. "Hello, is anyone there? If this is a prank call, I don't find it amusing in the least!" With that, Ecklie heard a light click on the other end.
Grissom sat there in stunned silence. It seemed like he was thinking in slow motion. He couldn't believe his ears. Ecklie answering 'his' Sara's cell phone. Maybe Sophia was telling the truth for once in her life. As Grissom continued sitting on the edge of his bed in shock, tears flowed from his sad eyes unhindered. It felt like the floodgates overflowed. He couldn't stop sobbing. During his sobbing, he cried out for Sara.
"Oh, Sara," Grissom sobbed out loud to himself, "what am I going to do without you in my life." With that, Grissom through a glass of water against the wall, causing it to shatter into tiny pieces. As he continued to sob, his aunt heard him and immediately went to tell Vera Grissom, His mother of his pain. Vera immediately rushed to her son's room. She stood outside and watched as her son cried out for someone named Sara. She vaguely remembered meeting a young woman years ago by that same name.
"I wonder if this is the same young woman we met years ago?" Vera signed to Lucille her sister. "He's crying out for a Sara."
"You mean the tall and pretty brunette?" Lucille asked in sign. "Her name was Sara, if I have my facts straight."
"I think her name was Sara," Vera replied. She would have continued, but her husband, Gil Grissom Sr. called for her and Lucille.
"Are you guys ready?" Gil Sr. asked. "We have to be at need to be In Grants' Pass, Oregon before tomorrow. I don't want to miss my niece's wedding for anything in the world."
"Honey, we may have a little problem," Vera signed, "Baby Boy is in such a sad state. I'm afraid to leave him alone in this way."
"Perhaps we can get one of the neighbors to look in on him?" Gil Sr. asked, anxious to hit the highways before the rush hour traffic.
"I don't know what to do," Vera began to sign, tears starting to stream down her face. The idea of leaving her 'Precious Baby Boy' behind in such a wretched state broke her heart.
"Look here," Lucille began signing and talking, pointing to an entry in Gil Jr.'s address book. "Here's a number for a Sara Sidle, what do you think? Should I call her and see what happens?"
"Yes," Lucille began in sign; "perhaps she's the Sara he's been calling out for." With that, Lucille tried the first number on the list under Sara's name. The phone was answered on the third ring, as it was almost 5:30am in the morning.
"Conrad Ecklie here." Ecklie responded into the receiver, shocking Lucille.
"Um, er, um," Lucille replied, momentarily shocked by the fact that a male voice answered Sara's cell phone. "Is this Sara Sidle's phone number?"
"No, this is my phone number," Ecklie replied, entranced by the female voice on the line. "You have such a beautiful voice…" Ecklie would have continued, but Lucille cut him off.
"Any other time, I would be flattered, but young man," Lucille began, "we have an emergency here. I need to reach Ms. Sara Sidle."
"I would like to help you," Ecklie began, "but I can't divulge any information about Ms. Sidle. Would you like me to pass a message on to her for you? Is there a number where she can reach you? I'll be seeing her in about an hour or so."
"No, message," Lucille began sadly, "I'll just try one of the other numbers I have for her. But thanks anyway." With that, they disconnected their call. Lucille quickly dialed the next number on her list. The phone rang about five times, and then Lucille heard the sweetest voice come over the phone.
"Sidle here." Sara replied into the receiver.
"Is this Sara Sidle?" Lucille asked nervously.
"Yes," Sara replied, "to whom am I speaking?"
"My name is Lucille Wainright," Lucille began, "you may or may not remember me, but I believe we met about ten years ago. You came to visit with my nephew, Dr. Gilbert Grissom."
"In Santa Monica, California?" Sara asked, as her pulse began to speed up. "Is Dr. Grissom there? Is he all right? How did you get my home phone?"
"I found it in Gil's phone book," Lucille began, "we need you to come out to California to look after Gil. We're getting ready to leave for Oregon. We're attending a wedding and we're afraid to leave Gil by himself. He's in such a bad state. We thought that since you were a good friend of his, you wouldn't mind looking after him. That's if you're able to get the time off. I made a mistake and called a man by the name of Conrad Ecklie."
"I see," Sara began, "I'll have to see what I can do. NO, I'll come and I'll leave as soon as I speak with Mr. Ecklie. I'll just tell him it's a family emergency. I should arrive in about twelve hours or so. I have a temporary cell phone number. My cell phone was lost about a few weeks ago." With that, they disconnected their call. Sara immediately dialed Ecklie's cell phone number only to hear the phone ringing in her purse.
"What?" Sara asked herself in total shock. "How did I get Ecklie's cell phone?" With that, Sara on a hunch dialed her old cell phone number. It was picked up on the third ring.
"Ecklie here." Conrad responded into the receiver.
"Good morning, Conrad. I think I found out what happened to our cell phones," Sara began. "You have my cell phone and I have your cell phone."
"Good morning, to you too," Conrad began grinning like a fool at the prospect of having the Sexy Sara Sidle calling him. "You mentioned something about me having your cell phone and you having my cell phone. How in the world did that happen?"
"I believe someone may have switched our cell phones without our knowledge, perhaps as some kind of sick joke." Sara replied. Sara got back to the task at hand. "Conrad, an emergency has arisen and I need to take some time off. I won't be coming in to work this morning."
"How long will you be gone," Ecklie sounded sad at the prospect of being Sara Sidleless.
"I'm not sure as of yet," Sara began, "but I'll be sure to keep in contact with you." Sara replied breathlessly.
"Okay," Ecklie began, "please keep me updated." With that, they disconnected their phone call. Sara was shocked at Ecklie's attitude.
'Is it just me, or is Ecklie getting a heart?' Sara asked herself in thought. 'Oh, well let me get back with Lucille and let her know that I'll be leaving within the hour and I should be there in twelve hours or so.' Sara quickly called Lucille back. The phone was answered on the second ring.
"Hello," the breathless voice answered.
"Hello," Sara began, "Lucille, is that you?"
"Oh, yes, Sara," Lucille replied still out of breath.
"I just got off the phone with Conrad Ecklie," Sara began, "I took some time off. I didn't tell him how much time I needed, but I did tell him that I'd be in contact with him. I'll be leaving within an hour. I just need to pack a few items of clothing. I should be there in about twelve hours or so."
"Great," Lucille began, "I'll leave the key over the doorpost, okay?"
"Yeah, that's great," Sara began, "how's Gil doing now?"
"He's sleeping right now." Lucille began. "We should be back in about a week or so. We'll see you when we get back." With that, they disconnected their call. Gil Sr., Vera and Lucille left for their trip to Oregon. Sara ran around her house throwing clothes carelessly in her large sports duffel bag.
Sara decided to call Catherine to let her know that she would be out of town. She didn't want to tell her about her trip to Grissom's home in California just yet, because she didn't want Catherine asking a whole bunch of questions regarding Gil's state of mind, that she didn't have the answers to as of yet. Sara dialed Catherine's cell phone and got her voicemail.
"Hey Cath," Sara began leaving her message, "I'll be out of town for at least a week, possibly more. Would it be possible for you to check up on my apartment? I believe you have a key to my apartment, but if you lost it, I'll leave a copy over the doorpost. Thanks so much. Have a great day off and give my love to Lindsey." With that, Sara disconnected the call and left for California. Sara decided to drive instead of flying. She just washed her hair and she just loved the way the summer breeze went through her hair. She wanted her hair to dry naturally, so that her hair would be curly by the time she arrived at the Grissoms' home. She knew that Grissom loved her hair curly, as opposed to the straight look. She knew her appearance would surprise him. She also knew that she and Grissom needed to have a long talk about what they were going to do about their relationship. Sara was willing to give their relationship another try.
A Devastating Decision
As Dr. Gil Grissom lay across his bed, he came to a devastating conclusion and made a devastating decision. He had purchased a large bottle of sleeping pills. He stared at the bottle and read the instructions on the back. He sighed and put the unopened bottle on his nightstand. His mind went back to his conversation with Sophia Curtis.
"Grissom," Grissom replied into the receiver. His voice was one of emptiness.
"Gil," Sophia began, feigning concern, "how are you?"
"Hello, Ms. Curtis. Goodbye, Ms. Curtis," Grissom began curtly. "It's Dr. Grissom to you." From the tone in his voice, Sophia could tell that Grissom was getting ready to hang up on her, so she spoke quickly, in an attempt to pique his interest.
"Well, Dr. Grissom it is," Sophia began trying to hide her anger at being treated in such an evil manner. "I just wanted to let you know that Sara has moved on." Sophia stopped there on purpose, letting Grissom digest the words she spoke concerning his Precious Princess Sara.
"YOU'RE LYING YOU WITCH!" Grissom began in hot anger, "look, Sophia, I don't have time for your evil games." Grissom had to keep his temper in check, or else his aunt would tell his mother and she would be up there in a flash.
"Well, Dr. Grissom, if you don't believe me, why don't you try her cell phone?" Sophia asked, feigning concern for the sad forensic entomologist. "It's 1am in the morning, Sara should be home?"
"I WON'T DO IT!" Grissom yelled into the receiver. With that, Grissom abruptly slammed the phone against the wall, without so much as a goodbye to Sophia.
Grissom couldn't concentrate. He was deeply saddened that Sara moved on with her life without him in it. He was hurt and wanted the pain to end. He cried himself to sleep.
Twelve hours later
Sara pulled up in front of a large and beautiful Cape Cod home on a quiet flower and tree-lined street. It was Gil's childhood home. As she walked up the steps to the large wrap around front porch, a bad feeling ripped through every fiber of her being. She decided to knock on the front door, as she was told that Grissom would be home. After about ten minutes of knocking and not receiving an answer, she grabbed the key from the doorpost and unlocked the door. She ran up the stairs to the second floor, and what she found shocked her into action.
She found an empty bottle of sleeping pills, and Gil reeked of alcohol. Gil was unconscious on the bed and Sara suspected that Gil had taken the whole bottle of sleeping pills. She immediately dialed 911 and explained to the operator what had transpired. She was assured that help would be on the way in minutes. The operator soothed Sara's frayed nerves. While she waited for help, she proceeded to perform CPR on her friend.
Within minutes, three paramedics immediately ran to Grissom's aide. They pulled out all of their medical paraphernalia, as they prepared to work on him. A female paramedic gently moved the younger woman out of the way of the other paramedics. She spoke to Sara in a soothing voice.
"They're doing everything for your husband," the older woman began, "he's in good hands, young lady."
Sara didn't have the heart to tell the older woman that Grissom wasn't her husband. Sara decided to remain quiet, watching the paramedics lift Grissom onto a gurney and loaded him into the back of the ambulance. Sara quickly looked up Lucille's cell phone number. She quickly dialed the number. It was answered on three rings.
"Hello," Lucille responded into the receiver.
"Lucille," Sara began, "there's been an accident. We're on our way to Holy Cross Presbyterian Hospital in Pacific Palisades and Gil's unconscious." Sara didn't have the heart to tell Grissom's family of his suicide attempt. She was vague, but the tone in her voice let Lucille know that whatever happened to Gil was really serious.
"We're on our way back," Lucille replied, putting the car in reverse. "I told his parents that Gil was on his way to the hospital. We should be back in about eight hours or so." With that, they disconnected their phone call.
Two hours later
Sara stood in the waiting area of the ER, she paced back and forth. She wondered what was taking so long. She needed answers and she needed them yesterday. Just as she looked towards the double doors, she saw a nurse walking towards her. Sara then ran to her for answers.
"I need to know what's going on with a Dr. Gil Grissom," Sara began nervously. Sara was unnerved by the nurse's disgusted look. She was even more shocked by the nurse's tone of voice, which reeked of nasty sarcasm.
"Look, Miss," I'm on my lunch break," the young woman began, "you're going to have to look elsewhere for your information." With that, the young woman, who looked to be around Sara's age, or slightly older, left on her nasty way, but not before Sara took notice of the name on her badge.
'Evelyn Stoner,' Sara said in thought, 'I'll be sure to report you to your superiors.' An hour later, a woman came through the double doors.
"Is Gil Grissom's family here?" The kindly old nurse asked.
"Yes, I rode in the ambulance with Grissom." Sara replied nervously.
"Oh, you're his wife, is that correct?" The nurse asked again.
"I'm a really good friend of his," Sara began, not willing to lie about her relationship with Gil.
"Is his family here?" The nurse asked.
"They're on their way back," Sara began, sobbing lightly, "they were on their way to a Grants' Pass, Oregon, for a weekend wedding. I called them and let them know that Gil was in an accident." The older woman smiled at Sara. She extended her hand toward the sobbing young woman.
"My name is Nurse Susan Alcove," Nurse Alcove began. She would have continued, but Sara interrupted her.
"Is Gil gonna be alright?" Sara asked nervously. "I have to know! All this waiting around is driving me crazy." As Nurse Alcove was getting ready to give her spiel about not being able to give her that info, the doctor came out of the ER in search of Grissom's family.
"Is Dr. Gil Grissom's family here?" The ER doctor asked.
"Yes, yes," Sara began, tears flowing down her face. I rode in the ambulance with Dr. Grissom. Can you tell me if he's gonna make it?"
"It's hard to tell," the doctor began, regarding the pretty brunette closely, "we stabilized him, but he's unconscious. We're running tests on his brain activity. We won't know how serious it is until we the results of those tests."
"And how long will that take," a devastated Sara Sidle asked. "When can I see him?" The doctor had compassion on the beautiful young woman.
"We're getting him settled in the ICU," the doctor began. Upon seeing the frightened look on the young woman's face he explained the reason Grissom was in the ICU. "Miss, this is just a precaution, as we want to observe Dr. Grissom closely. If he happens to wake up, we'll settle him in a private room. We're waiting on the tests results to come back. When he's settled, we can only allow you fifteen minutes."
Sara merely nodded her head in acknowledgement of the doctor's response.
"By the way, Miss," the doctor began, "I'm Dr. Lance Cromwell. I believe you already met Nurse Alcove. We'll handling Dr. Grissom's case."
A/N: Here's another chapter of To Destroy A Man. I hope you guys like it. If I have any continuity or any other type of errors, please forgive me and by all means let me know. I told you that Grissom would suffer. But be assured that he will emerge out of the ashes. His friends and family will help him through his troubles, especially Sara Sidle. Hold on to your hats, there will be some great Grissom/Sara Romance in the coming chapters. I'm just having a little trouble on getting it together. God bless you all and thanks for the reviews.