October 2000. San Francisco, California.
Sara had received an early phone call from Grissom, just as she was about to leave work. A young woman from his shift had been shot during her first night on the job. She might not make it; she probably wouldn't. Sara had never met the woman, but she was heartbroken for her, and she was angry. The woman apparently had not even been that enthusiastic about the job, and she had been shot her first night.
One of Grissom's colleagues had left the woman alone at a scene on her first night. It wasn't like Sara had never been left alone at a scene. They all had been. But it was this young woman's first night.
Grissom's boss had been transferred, and Grissom was acting supervisor, and he didn't know what to do—Sara wasn't being critical; he'd told her as much on the phone. He wanted someone to investigate his colleague independently, without getting internal affairs involved. So he called Sara. Sara was brilliant and compassionate; he knew she'd be fair; he trusted her implicitly, perhaps more than anyone else he knew.
Sara already had that night off, and she'd told her boss she might need an extra three or four nights because her close friend was dealing with an emergency. Sara didn't have friends, not really, and certainly not close friends. Sara didn't take vacations—only two weeks off since she'd started working for her boss. Sara covered everyone else's shifts for holidays or family emergencies, and Sara never complained. So of course Sara's boss told her to take the time she needed and sent her on her way. Very soon, Sara had shoved some clothes in a bag and was on a plane to Las Vegas, where she'd never been, and to Grissom, whom she hadn't seen for two years. Sara wondered what she'd find there.
UP NEXT: NEXT CHAPTER: OCTOBER 2000. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.
A/N:
This was a very (very) brief transition. But our girl is headed to Vegas. One chapter left. I promise it's longer than this one.
Thank you again for reading, and thank you so much for the kind reviews/favs/follows! (Is there any generally accepted way to respond to reviews on FFN? I respond to all comments on AO3, but I don't know what to do here!) It quite literally makes my day to know anyone is reading and enjoying this story. I know I'm continually repeating myself on this, but I very much mean it. 💛