Foretold by SLynn

Summary: A woman walks into the crime lab only to tell Greg Sanders about her murder, a murder he's going to solve. Is she just playing games or is it something more?

Spoilers: Through 'Gum Drops'

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.

Notes: This is nearly the end. Once more, thanks to RivenSky and Tripp3235 for all of their help!

"The greatest prayer is patience."
Buddha

Chapter 29: Waiting

The next twenty-four hours went by in a blur.

After she'd been cleared and released Sara went straight to the waiting room with Nick. Through the rest of the night and the next day, people they knew from the lab came and went at regular intervals, but it didn't affect her. Nick alone stayed at her side. Warrick and Catherine had been fairly consumed with the case. Grissom, Ecklie and Brass had all stopped by in turn, but couldn't stay long. The whole thing had turned into a media circus.

It didn't matter.

Greg had gotten through surgery alright, but wasn't given good odds. A lot of damage had been done internally. Dr. Cordova had looked grim when she'd told them that Greg had gone into hypovolemic shock. They had tried to stop the bleeding as fast as they could, but were unable. The result was Greg now suffered from acute renal failure and they feared brain damage. They wouldn't know for certain until he woke up; if he woke up. Dr. Cordova hadn't thought it was likely. She said Greg had been through an extreme shock and his body was shutting down because of it.

Because of this she wasn't allowing any visitors for at least forty-eight hours. They were afraid he might become septic and weren't willing to risk it. Sara had wanted to stay regardless but, with help, Nick was able to convince her to go home.

So she did.

Sara went home, showered and changed. She hadn't thought she'd be able to, but found that once she had lied down she drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep. When she woke, rested but not refreshed, she did the only thing she could think of. Sara got dressed and went to work.

She hadn't been in the building five minutes before Grissom accosted her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Working," she stated.

Grissom indicated for her to follow him as he turned and headed back to his office.

"You're on administrative leave," he reminded her as he shut the door.

"I know."

"No," he shook his head, "you don't. Not if you're here. Sara, we're in the middle of processing a case that you're a part of."

"I know," she repeated.

"Your presence alone could compromise the investigation."

"I wasn't…"

"I know you want to…"

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked her voice loud and close to the edge.

Grissom looked momentarily stunned.

"What?" she repeated. "I can't stay at the hospital. I can't go home. I have no where else to be."

There was nothing he could say.

"I just wanted to come here and try and take my mind off of this whole thing for awhile. I can't keep thinking…"

Sara sat down heavily into the nearest chair.

"Of course you can stay," Grissom conceded.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"What do you need? I'll pick up your files and you can work in here tonight."

"Thank you," she repeated.

After two more nights Greg was finally allowed visitors. Nick had volunteered to go with Sara the first time she went, but she declined. She'd decided she wanted to do this alone. That if she did break down, she didn't want to be seen by anyone but Greg. It was just something she had to do.

Sara stood outside the room for a moment, bracing herself before finally opening the door and stepping inside.

Her first instinct was to turn around and go.

He looked worse than she could have ever imagined. Greg was pale and had a dozen or more monitors, wires, tubes… it was too much.

"Hello."

Sara startled momentarily, turned to face the voice she didn't recognize.

"Sorry," the man said, coming over to her from where he'd been sitting in the corner. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Jake, Greg's brother-in-law."

"Anne's husband," Sara nodded in understanding.

He smiled slightly, looking extremely awkward.

"She just stepped out," he continued. "We've been trying to reach Bridget and Tom since we found out but they're in Europe and well…"

Sara nodded.

"And you are?"

"Oh," Sara said, shaking her head, "I'm Sara. Sara Sidle."

"Do you work with Greg?" Jake asked.

Before she could answer the door opened and Anne came inside.

Sara saw the recognition as Anne looked at her. She half expected Anne to ask her to leave, but to her great surprise she came straight over to her.

"I don't think we were formally introduced," Anne said, smiling weakly and extending her hand. "I'm Anne, Greg's sister. You've met my husband?"

Sara started to answer 'yes' but Anne went on.

"I'm sorry we have to get acquainted this way," she said, crossing herself with her arms. "Sara, right? When we weren't fighting Greg talked a lot about you."

Anne abruptly turned to the window, away from them both. Jake was at her side a second later, whispering in her ear. Anne didn't seem to want comfort.

"No," Anne said rather loudly to her husband, turning back around and shrugging him off. "No. I'm fine."

Sara tried hard to appear that she wasn't looking, but couldn't avoid Anne's gaze. She didn't think so before, but now Sara could see the resemblance. Anne and Greg had the same chocolate colored eyes.

"It was stupid," Anne said.

Sara gave her a hard look, not sure what she meant by that.

"The fight," she clarified. "The whole thing was stupid."

Sara said nothing. It wasn't her place.

"He's so smart," Anne went on, just needing to talk. "He's my only brother, you know, but we've never been close. Maybe it's because everything always came so easy for him. He breezed through high school and college. He could have done anything he wanted to and this…"

Anne sunk down in the nearest chair as she began to cry.

"This is what he wanted to do," Sara said softly once Anne had calmed down.

"I know," Anne said, taking her husband's hand.

The silence that followed was heavy.

"Jake," Anne said, suddenly standing, "let's go for a walk. Sara will stay till we get back, right? I'm sure she wants…"

Sara nodded. She did want to be alone with Greg for awhile.

Anne stopped at the door and turned back.

"I hope you don't think," she said, barely getting the words out as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I hope you know that I love my brother. We're just not compatible as friends… but it doesn't mean…"

Sara's throat felt tight; she only smiled tightly as Anne and Jake left the room. Alone, Sara didn't know what to do with herself. Finally she decided to pull up a chair beside Greg's bed.

Tenderly she took hold of his hand, running her thumb across his knuckles; hoping for some sign.

Days began to slip into weeks without any change.

As expected, Saul Harper pled out to avoid the death penalty. As part of his agreement he agreed to disclose all the murders he had committed. Sara found that for once she couldn't listen. No explanation would ever be good enough.

Sara tried to live her life as normally as she could, but it was mostly a lie. She spent every night at work and every day at the hospital. Surprisingly, she'd become good friends with Anne who had suspended her medical practice to stay in Vegas. Anne and Sara had only one thing in common and they weren't giving up on him.

Finally the day she knew would arrive did. Anne was nearing her eighth month of pregnancy and couldn't stay in Vegas forever. She had a home and a life to get back to. Greg was stable, but showing no signs of recovery. He couldn't stay in the hospital forever.

"It really is a nice place," Jake told her. "You'd be welcome to come and stay with us whenever you like."

Sara blinked back tears, biting her lips.

"He'll be well taken care of," Anne added, seeming resolved. "Close to family."

Not long ago Sara would have argued the exact opposite. That Greg's family was here, but she couldn't now. Not after Anne and Jake had shown such devotion.

"It's for the best."

Sara knew that this day would arrive, the day when they'd have to talk about long-term care. Have to face the reality that Greg wasn't getting better and he wasn't going to wake up.

She just hadn't been prepared.

Sara had left the hospital that night feeling lower than she'd thought possible. It was worse even than when she'd first found out. At least then there had been hope; hope was gone now.

Half distracted through the shift meeting, she couldn't push it away.

Three days; in three days Greg was going to be transported back to L.A. possibly forever. Not possibly, probably.

The meeting ended around her and Sara hadn't even noticed.

"Ready?" Nick asked from the door.

Sara looked up, confused.

"We've got a crash to get to," he reminded.

Sara said nothing, just got up and followed him down to the locker room to collect her things. They were on their way in no time.

Nick and Sara worked silently at the scene; the weather was unseasonably cold. Sara hardly felt the difference; she just took photographs and collected evidence. Same as always.

"Are you alright?" Nick asked after nearly an hour of complete silence.

Sara's only answer was a crisp nod.

"If you want to talk or…"

Sara's phone rang stalling Nick from asking any further questions.

She checked the ID and sighed; it was Anne.

"Hello," she said into it, turning her back to Nick and taking several steps away.

Nick watched as Sara's whole body language changed. Phone still to her ear, she staggered backwards for several steps before he'd managed to rush over and grab hold of her. Sara dropped her phone and sobbing buried her head into his chest.

"It's over," was the only thing he heard her say.