Hello readers! Thank everyone for their kind reviews...they really inspired me to write faster (let's face it, it's been months since I've gotten three chapters out in a week). I was nice enough to leave you without a cliffhanger this time, but if comments slack off, I may not be so nice next time. Lol. Thank you for the bribes, they were very entertaining.
If certain parts of this seem incoherent, please let me know, I'm sick with an awful cold-flu-something and I'd be glad to fix anything incorrect. My brilliant beta reader is at work as I'm writing this, so she only proofread the first half of it last night. Thanks Em!
Replies will be rewarded with happy characters. :-)
Jenny
Chapter Three:
"Easy now, easy." Sara murmured gently, "Lean against me."
She shifted the weight of Greg's she was already supporting, slightly tightening her grip on the younger man as he stumbled, "I've got you, don't strain yourself."
With a moan, Greg replied weakly, "I can walk up the stairs by myself, I'm a big boy."
"If I let you go, I would put money on the fact that you would fall down the entire flight of stairs." Sara responded with a smirk, "You were so insistent on going home, the least you could do is follow the doctor's orders."
Greg grunted painfully as the duo began the trek up the second flight of stairs, "I'm moving."
"You'll only be sore for a few days, maybe a week." Sara reassured him, pausing to wipe a bit of sweat off her brow, "You need to go on a diet."
"Thanks." Greg muttered, "Let's just forget the fact that I just had a near death experience."
Sara laughed, "It wasn't a 'near death experience'. It was just an experience. The doctor said that you didn't even come close to puncturing an organ."
"I could have bled out." Greg pointed out, his words slightly slurred as an effect of his pain medication, "Of course, if I would have known that getting hurt at a crime scene would make you come home with me, I would have done it ages ago."
Sara rolled her eyes, "Did I mention that I'm just bringing you home? Grissom is going to come stay with you."
Greg stopped, his glassy eyes growing wide, "Are you serious?"
"No." Sara replied with a sly smile, "But I should be, for that remark. Don't ever, ever, do this again. You scared me to death."
They reached the top of the stairs, and Sara gently released Greg's hip, "Keys?"
Greg winced as he reached into his pocket, the slightest movement obviously causing him a great deal of pain. He handed Sara the keys, bracing himself against the wall as she opened the door.
"It's not exactly clean." Greg said, his pale cheeks turning crimson, "It's nothing like that crime scene we were at, but I haven't cleaned up recently."
Flipping the light switch, Sara shook her head with a smile, "It's not that bad. Come on, let's get you into bed. If you want, I can straighten up while you sleep."
"You've wanted to get me into bed all along." Greg laughed, grimacing as his side shook, "Honestly, you don't have to stay with me, you can go back to your place."
Sara shook her head as she led him to his bedroom, "I'm going to stay and take care of you. You heard the doctor, you need the help. Relax and let me help."
"Thank you." Greg replied, sitting on the bed with a groan, "Could you get me a t-shirt and some pants from the top drawer of my dresser?"
Sara smiled coyly, "Oh, you don't want to stay in the hospital scrubs? They're so flattering."
"Funny." Greg replied, taking the shirt and pants as she handed them over. He went to pull off his top, gasping with pain and shutting his eyes quickly as he exhaled.
Sara quickly moved to him, pushing his arm against his side, "Wait, wait. Let me help you. You need to take it easy."
She gently raised his shirt, her face growing hot as she exposed his chest. Her embarrassment was intensified as her fingers brushed against his skin while she eased the shirt off the injured side of his body, "You okay?"
"Hanging in there." Greg hissed through the pain, "How are we going to get the new shirt on?"
"Very carefully." Sara joked, unable to break her gaze away from his bare chest, "I'll take care of you."
She was relieved to see that he didn't look too bad, aside from the white gauze covering his wound. The doctor had instructed her to change the dressing at least three times a day, but she was going to wait until later to even attempt it. She let her eyes linger a bit too long, and her cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.
Greg, seeing Sara's embarrassment and taking it as discomfort, raised his eyebrows, "I've seen a lot of porno movies start out just like this." He joked, trying to ease the tension.
"Greg!" Sara exclaimed, nearly dropping his shirt as she slid it up his arm, "I can't believe you!"
Greg smiled, allowing Sara to pull the shirt over his head, "I'm just observing. Did you not say that we have to notice everything? I'm just following your strict rules, Ms. Sidle."
"I don't think it's a good idea to help with your pants." Sara replied with a cough, diverting her eyes as she thrust his pants into his hands, "Do you think you can get it on your own?"
Greg nodded, his voice weak, "I'm sure I can handle it, if I can ignore the horrible pain on my side. I'll be okay, that's what the pills are for, right?"
"No, no, I'll do it." Sara replied with a frown, wondering how she was going to manage to do this without seeing something she shouldn't. "Lay down."
Greg hissed with pain as he eased himself on to his pillow, fighting to keep his heavy eyelids open, "I can stay in the scrubs, if you want."
"That can't be comfortable." Sara replied, untying the waist and hesitating, taking a deep breath as her hand slightly shook.
Greg grinned widely, causing Sara to stop and look at him expectantly, "What?"
"I've seen a lot of porno movies start like this too."
Sara rolled her eyes, "Well, that just proves that you watch too many dirty movies."
"How many is too many?" Greg teased as she slid down his pants, revealing the navy blue boxers he had been wearing when he left for work that evening. He watched as she diverted her eyes from the blood, and sensing her discomfort, he reached out and put his hand over hers, "Hey, it's okay."
"I'm sorry." Sara replied, wiping away a tear that had escaped onto her cheek, "You've been through hell, and here I am being all, I don't know, girly."
Letting his eyes linger on her chest, he smiled, "You are a girl. I'm sorry I scared you."
"Just don't do it again." Sara replied, easing his pants off and reaching for his pajama bottoms. She knelt at his feet, sliding the flannel pants onto his legs, staring down at his scantily clad body with a smile, silently agreeing with Greg's 'porno' comments. She certainly had gotten herself into a uneasy situation.
She managed to get his pants on without brushing against anything she shouldn't be touching. She threw the scrubs in the clothes hamper by the door, and walked back to Greg's bed, "You should get some sleep."
"I am pretty beat." Greg replied with a yawn, "Thanks for staying with me and for helping me."
Sara pulled his covers over him, squeezing his hand with a smile, "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. I'll be in the living room, call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay." Greg replied, letting his eyes close as fatigue swept through his sore body, "Night."
"Goodnight." Sara replied, quietly walking to the door and shutting off the light.
Once in the living room, Sara sank onto the couch, dropping her head into her hands with a loud sigh. That had been the most frustrating moment of her entire life. There was now no question that she felt something for Greg, although she wasn't sure if it was love, lust, or something completely different. Her body ached to be next to him, she wanted nothing more than to touch his chest once more, to feel his smooth skin against her fingers. Leaning back, she wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair and what it was like to wake up next to him.
She hadn't been this infatuated with anyone since the first time she met Grissom. Of course, what could she do? She had already asked one coworker out on a date, and he hadn't treated her the same since. Was it worth the risk of losing a friend by telling him how she felt? She shook her head, still unsure of what she was going to do about this situation. With a resigned sigh, she stood and walked to the coffee table, where Greg's laundry was piled up. Taking a sniff of the blanket laying on top, she established that it was clean and brought it back to the couch, kicking off her shoes and curling up under the blanket. She'd find answers tomorrow, tonight she needed to get some sleep.
She had only been asleep for half an hour when she heard his terrified screams. Jumping to her feet, Sara rushed into Greg's room, nearly falling over his discarded shoes as she hurried to the bed. She sat down beside him, stroking his hair gently with one hand while placing the other over his wound. The last thing he needed right now was to reopen his stitches because he was thrashing around.
The instant her hands touched his warm skin, he settled, his hand unconsciously covering hers as he moaned for her not to leave. She laid down beside him, careful not to move the bed too much and wake him up. She rolled onto her side, propping her head up against her elbow as she watched his face relax and his breathing even out into slow, deep breaths. Her fingers gently slid through his hair as she herself began to fall asleep. As she drifted to sleep, the only thing on her mind was how right it felt to be right beside Greg, and how attractive he looked, even in sleep.
TBC...Don't forget to tell me what you think of this so far? Continue?