Chapter 8 – Severe Weather

Five minutes past and the Captain got on the speaker system. "I'm sorry to say this, but the severe weather has caused a delay in our take-off. In the event there is a break in the weather and we can take off, we'll be waiting the storm out on the runway. Once I get more information, I'll let you all know. In the meantime, I'm taking the seatbelt sign off so you can get more comfortable. But I would prefer if you'd remain seated. Thank you for your understanding in this matter."

Sara turned to Grissom to talk about their latest development, but noticed he'd fallen asleep. Seeing him shivering, she wished that he could get out of his wet clothes and into something dry. Knowing that it wasn't possible, she got out of her seat and opened the overhead compartment next to theirs. She remembered seeing blankets and pillows stashed away inside it. She took a pillow and blanket out and closed the door. Sitting back down, she unfolded the blanket and covered Grissom. She couldn't give him the pillow at the moment, so she just kept it next to her on the aisle seat. Grabbing the book she placed in the seat back earlier, she turned off Grissom's light and turned hers on. She sat back and opened her book. She got one chapter in before falling asleep.

Twenty minutes later, still on the runway, Sara began to wake up and felt something heavy on her left shoulder. Waking all the way up, she realized Grissom's head was resting on her shoulder. She smiled at the situation, but her smile quickly vanished. She could feel heat radiating off of him. She reached over with her right hand and lightly touched his left cheek. He was burning up. She could see he was shivering more than before, even with the blanket over him. Hating to do it, she gently shook Grissom so he would wake up.

Slowly opening his eyes at the shaking, Grissom realized where his head was. His eyes snapped open and he quickly moved to a sitting position, regretting it immediately…the movement caused his head to hurt even more. "I'm sorry Sara," he said sleepily. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"I don't mind. I'm sorry I had to wake you though. But you're pretty warm. You've got a fever."

Grissom pulled a tissue out of his pocket and sneezed in to it. After blowing his nose, he coughed a few times.

"You really don't sound good. Are you okay?" She unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way to the aisle.

"To be honest, no. But there's nothing I can do about it." He saw Sara opening their overhead compartment. "What are you doing?" he asked, sneezing again.

"Bless you. I'm just getting a bag I put in my carry-on earlier this afternoon." She pulled out the shopping bag from the hotel gift shop. She laid the bag on the aisle seat and zipped her carry-on back up. Closing the compartment door and opening the one next to it, she pulled out two more blankets and one more pillow. She dropped them next to the shopping bag. After closing that door, she made her way back to her seat. Settling back in, she put her seatbelt on.

Grissom eyed the shopping bag lying on the seat. "What's in the shopping bag?"

"Just a few things I picked up at the hotel after we got back this afternoon." She opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol along with a package of Sudafed. Next she pulled out bottles of water and apple juice. Placing the bottles in her lap, she opened the Tylenol and Sudafed and handed the pills to a very confused Grissom.

"Why did you go out this afternoon and purchase all of this?" Grissom asked, graciously taking the pills from Sara's hand.

"I knew you'd need them." She held up the bottles of water and apple juice. "Which one would you like?"

He reached for the water. "Thanks." Swallowing the pills, he looked at Sara, dumbstruck. "I still don't understand why you bought all that. What else do you have hiding in that bag?" Feeling a sneeze getting ready to escape, he reached into his pocket searching for a tissue. Not finding one, he sneezed into his fist.

"I've got these." She had a huge grin on her face as she retrieved a box of Kleenex from the bag. She pulled off the cardboard top and passed the box over to Grissom.

Grissom gratefully accepted the box and took one out immediately. After blowing his nose he looked at her again. "I do really owe you now don't I?"

"No you don't." She finished taking out the remaining items from the bag and stashed them with her purse under the seat, keeping the drinks to put in the seat backs. She placed the now empty plastic bag in the seat back in front of Grissom. "Here, you can use this as a trash bag." Sara's gaze reached Grissom's and she could see the admiration and appreciation in his blue eyes.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I just did. I want you to get better soon, okay?"

"I'll try." As he emptied out his pockets and discarded the used tissues, he looked out the window. "We're not in the air." He looked at his watch. "Shouldn't we already be in the air? It's nearly midnight."

She forgot Grissom was asleep when the Captain came on the speaker system. "We should be, but we can't take off in the severe weather. We're waiting it out on the runway. Hopefully we'll be in the air soon."

Grissom coughed a few times and leaned down to pick up the blanket that fell off him when he awoke on Sara's shoulder. He looked over at Sara and started to blush at the thought, wondering how he could have let himself do that.

Seeing him blush, Sara had a feeling why. "Grissom, I told you I didn't mind. I mean it." She reached to his arm rest and pushed the button so his seat reclined. "Why don't you try and get some more sleep." She grabbed one of the pillows next to her and handed it to him.

Grissom took the pillow and put it between the seat and window and rested his head against it. He closed his eyes. "Thank you Sara…for everything. I appreciate your thoughtfulness"

Sara watched as Grissom drifted off to sleep. Even though his face was flushed from the fever and knowing he was feeling lousy because of his cold, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him…all wrapped up in the blanket, asleep. Suddenly she remembered why she woke him up just a few minutes ago. Grabbing one of the blankets next to her, she unfolded it and covered Grissom's sleeping form.

She took the other pillow and blanket for herself. Reclining her seat back, she put the blanket around her, and put the pillow behind her head. Within minutes she was asleep.

TBC