Chapter 7

Star sat, staring at her drink. She wasn't sure how many she'd had. She only knew she'd had too many. Still, she picked up the glass and placed it to her lips. She was trying to drown her guilt. Before another drop passed her lips, however, she put the glass down. This just wasn't working and the glass was already empty.

Star laid some money on the counter to cover her tab and a generous tip for the bartender. Then she got up and made her way through the crowd. She got bumped and jostled as she tried to reach the exit. When she finally made it outside, she took a minute to steady herself.

As she let out her breath, she knew she was a little tipsy. She decided to walk around the block for a couple minutes, hoping the night air might sober her up. And if not, she might stop at a café and get a cup of coffee.

She started to walk down the sidewalk, noticing the crowd growing thinner the farther she got from the club. She wasn't worried though; the sidewalk was still adequately lit. Plus, this was Las Vegas and people were never too far away.

The night air started to clear her head a little, so she continued to walk. As she passed an alley, she heard some feet scuffle and what sounded like a muffled cry. She wasn't sure exactly what it was but she decided to check it out. She was afraid, but at the same time emboldened by the liquid courage in her veins. She pulled out her phone, ready to dial for help if needed.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Warrick rushed in to the ER. His worry was written across his face. He was still in shock from the call; Tina had been shot. And that was all he knew.

He charged to the information desk and demanded to know something. But, no one would tell him anything. Finally, Brass found him.

"Warrick," Brass greeted him. "How are you holding up?"

Warrick brushed a hand through his hair. "No one will tell me anything!"

"Last time the doctor talked to me, they were going into surgery…probably still there," Brass offered.

Warrick seemed a little satisfied knowing they were at least taking care of Tina. "How…what happened?"

Brass motioned towards some chairs and the two men went and sat. "It appears to be a mugging gone bad. Tina put up a fight and the mugger shot her."

Warrick shook his head. "Tina, Tina, Tina." He took a few deep breaths, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. "Did they get the guy?"

Brass nodded. "The suspect was still on the scene when PD arrived. Apparently she knocked her self out."

"She?" Warrick questioned.

Brass pulled out his notebook and flipped through a few pages. "Yes. Sarah Theresa Rand."

Warrick stared at him blankly. "Star?"

Brass picked up on the way he said the name. "You know her?"

Warrick looked like he was about to say something, but paused. Then he answered, "Yes. She's a…a friend." He shook his head again. "I can't believe she'd do this. What does she say happened?"

Brass scratched his head. "That's the thing. She's in a coma after suffering severe head trauma."

Warrick's brow furrowed. The two women he cared about most and both were in the hospital. And one might be the cause for the other's bad fortune. "Then how is she a suspect?" he questioned.

Brass could tell Warrick was getting a little worked up over this, but decided to give him the evidence. "Well, there was GSR and blood on her hands and clothing. And the gun was nearby. They took it back to the lab to print it. She's a suspect till the evidence says otherwise."

Warrick nodded. He knew the procedure. "I can't believe this," he spoke as he exhaled.

"So, what can you tell me about…Star?" Brass asked.

Warrick wiped his hands down his face. "She's, um, she teaches at Las Vegas Academy. Her brother is Joe Rand…"

"The one that owns A Side Note?" Brass broke in.

Warrick nodded.

"I know him," Brass told Warrick. "I should probably give him a call."

"Yeah," Warrick agreed. "Can I…can I see her while Tina's in surgery?"

"She's a suspect, Warrick. In your wife's shooting."

He turned to look at Brass, frustration in his eyes. "She's also a friend and I'm not the CSI assigned to this case for obvious other reasons."

Brass gave him a hard look. "I'm not your supervisor," he finally answered Warrick's question. "I'm going to go call Joe." He stood up and walked away, pulling out his cell phone as he did so.

Warrick stayed seated for a couple more minutes, trying to calm himself. He really didn't know how he felt about going in to see Star. He just couldn't wrap his head around Star even possibly shooting anyone. But then, he really hadn't known her all that long.

He stood up. She was a friend. She was the sister of his good friend. It was totally appropriate for him to go in and check on her. He started walking towards the room where Brass had mentioned she was.

When he got to the room, he was hesitant about crossing the threshold. From the doorway he could see her lying in the hospital bed. The only music behind her now was the sound of her heart monitor beeping. He shook his head, trying not to cry. He felt this was somehow his fault.

He walked over to her bedside and took her hand. "What happened, Star?" he asked, knowing she couldn't hear him.

He lightly touched her face. It brought back the memory of their kiss. And his heart filled with guilt. Here he was, wondering about her, when his wife lay on an operating table somewhere else in the hospital. He cursed himself and his feelings.

Warrick jumped when he heard a noise behind him. He quickly let go of her hand and took a step back as he turned to look for the source. It was Nick.

"Hey," Nick greeted Warrick. "Heard anything about Tina?"

Warrick shook his head. "She's still in surgery." Then, realizing how the scene must look he added, "I was just checking on Star."

"Me too," Nick responded, as he walked closer to her bedside. After he looked at her for a moment, he continued, "It's so…"

"So…what?" Warrick questioned.

Nick shrugged. "I was with Star earlier tonight. If I hadn't gotten called into the lab…" Nick's voice choked a little. Warrick wasn't the only one feeling a little guilty.

"You guys had a date tonight?" Warrick was curious.

Nick hesitated with his answer. He wasn't sure how much he should tell Warrick about his and Star's date. "Yeah. We rented a movie and got some take-out."

Warrick could tell there was more to the story, but didn't want to ask. He reminded himself that it wasn't really any business of his. And she could do a lot worse that Nick. "Well, I'm going to go check to see if there's news about Tina," he said as he exited.

Warrick walked down the hall, seemingly in slow motion. His head was swirling with thoughts beyond his control. He wondered if Star would be ok, would Tina make it? Could Star really have shot Tina? If Tina didn't make it, would Star give him a chance? He shook his head. Tina had to be all right. And when she was all right, he made a resolve to be the best husband possible.