Title: Wash Away Part Seven
July, 06
The hospital was only a ten minute drive by ambulance, but Sara felt as though it took an hour. She rubbed her belly and felt a new fear for this unborn child that she realized with sudden clarity she wanted. The feeling was odd, but for the past few months she had only been going through the motions, not truly connecting with the person, only the concept.
Now as the pain intensified so did her determination that she would learn to know the person that she and Grissom had conceived, not in meaningless throes of passion, but when making love. She loved him, regardless of everything that had transpired. She had tried to turn off her feelings for him, leave him in the past, and although she was still angry with him, and sad, she prayed this child of theirs would live.
Sara lay on an exam table and stared up at the ceiling. The pains had eased, but her mind had not stopped whirling with fear. She waited as an ultrasound technologist, who had identified herself as Kelsey, squirted warm gel on her skin and placed a transducer over the gel. Within seconds an image appeared on a screen and Sara turned her head in an attempt to glimpse an image of her baby.
"Hmmm." Kelsey made the sound as she typed the letter "A" on the screen. Angling her head she turned the transducer and moved it lower on Sara's abdomen where she typed the letter "B" on the screen.
"What are you doing?" Sara strained to make out the images. She thought she saw three arms and gasped.
"This is baby A." Kelsey pointed to the screen and then moved the transducer and used the keyboard to point the arrow at a small face. "This is baby B." She looked at Sara's stunned face. "You didn't know?"
She could only shake her head. Kelsey continued to scan, taking a series of pictures, including heart beats, before pausing the screen and pointing out one of the babies legs and bottom. "Do you want to know what the gender is of Baby A?"
"Sure." Sara replied. The shock had not worn off and her head was starting to pound.
"Well, this is most certainly a boy. Very proud of himself." She printed the image and then moved the transducer back to baby B. "This one is more elusive." She spent another ten minutes trying to get an angle on the baby. "If I had to take a guess I would say another boy, but don't hold me to that." She printed a couple of images of both babies profiles and then handed them to Sara.
"Are they okay?" Sara held the pictures against her chest and asked the question she needed to know.
"The doctor will come in to talk to you, but I wouldn't worry." Kelsey smiled at her and started to leave the room.
"Thank you." Sara said with feeling. "I know that you aren't supposed to say anything, but I appreciate it."
"No problem."
That said, Sara found herself alone in the room staring at the photos of her two babies.
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Vegas, 06
Grissom was holding the phone against his chest when Brass stepped into his office. "You busy, Gil?"
Startled by the intrusion, Grissom shook his head and placed his phone on his desk, before responding. "No." He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, but shut it without a word. He raised his eyebrows at Brass.
Swallowing quickly, Brass closed the office door and approached the desk. "The guys are worried about you, Gil. I'm worried about you."
Grissom leaned back in his chair and stared across the desk at his friend. "I appreciate that, Jim, but I'm okay." He found some courage and added what was on his mind. "I'm worried about Sara, though, Jim. Something isn't right with her and I don't know what to do about it."
"You've spoken with her?" Brass asked with an incredulous voice.
"I called her a few minutes ago." Grissom glanced over at a clock and his lips tightened. "Or maybe it was an hour ago." He shrugged, then added. "There was something wrong, she was in pain, told me she ran into a table, and then practically hung up on me."
Brass took a deep breath and leaned towards him. "This may come as a shocker to you, Gil, but Sara moved far away and didn't give you her number because she didn't want to talk to you. She was probably trying to get off of the phone as quickly as she could."
If he could have ducked the glare that Grissom sent his way, he would have, but instead he took it like a man. "I worry about Sara too, Gil. I geniunely liked the lady. She was class A. I haven't said anything before, but..."
"I ruined everything." said Grissom, filling in the blank.
"You said it. Not me." Brass wiped his brow and sent Gil an apologetic look. "For what it's worth, I'm disappointed that Sara thought she had to run away. I think that she should have stayed here and given another old man a chance." He did duck this time. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding, Gil. Sara only had eyes for you."
"I'm seriously worried about her, Jim. Do you think that you could call her and see how she is? She will talk to you."
"Why don't you ask Warrick, or Nick?" Brass hedged.
"Because Warrick and Nick will not tell me what she says." Grissom said as if he had given this much thought.
"What about Catherine?" Brass continued to hedge.
"I don't want Catherine interfering anymore where Sara is concerned." Grissom hit his desk in frustration. "Please, Jim."
"Hand me the number." Brass took the number from Grissom and dialed it into his cellphone. After ten rings, he looked over at Grissom. "Sara isn't answering. I'll try again later. You want to grab some breakfast while we are waiting?"
"I would like for you to trace that number for me." said Grissom.
Brass laughed, and then frowned when he realized his friend was serious. "No way." He held up his hands, palms outward, and grimaced. "I can't betray a trust like that Gil. If she wanted you to know where she lived then she would tell you."
Grissom squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. "I have to give up on her, I understand that, Jim, but I don't why we can't still be friends."
"You don't see it?" Brass stood up and walked to the door. "Let's have breakfast and I'll try to explain it to you."
TBC
