Chapter 11

ER nurse Portia Lindney had seen Dr. Grissom here on occasion and always took notice; she was an armchair sleuth, loved mystery novels and games that required her to work out whodunit. He would never discuss details of a case with her, but shared her enthusiasm for such pursuits and was generally friendly and sweet. Today he looked distracted and not just a little lost.

She was taking a blood pressure the old fashioned way, the automatic cuffs never read correctly in curtain six, but she could see the CSI pacing by the nurses station. She would have gone out to find out if all was well as soon as she was through but instead watched as a zaftig woman in her early forties left the curtain area with that poor Keith girl in it and walked smack into Dr. Grissom's chest.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking, I'm really sorry." She hadn't looked at his face; she was apologizing to her shoes. He nearly didn't recognize her, but as he did he took her elbow, "Selina."

Her body reeled slightly and she lifted her eyes to meet his, "Gil." Her mouth formed words that didn't come, she settled on releasing all of the air from her lungs and allowing him to pull her into an embrace.

Grissom held her to him firmly and dipped his head to kiss the top of hers. "How is Kerry?"

Selina's eyes stayed closed and it was long moments before she answered, "She'll be fine. She didn't know it wasn't her."

He pulled her back some and his confusion registered on his face.

"I'm the one who's allergic, not Kerry. She didn't know, she thought she was. I always let her believe it because when she's upset she might have used it against me, not really understanding the gravity." She was drinking in the sight of him. "How did you know?"

"She left a note asking that I be contacted." He put his arm around her and led her to the small family waiting room, directing her to a bank of chairs with at least some privacy. "Why didn't you tell me you'd be in Vegas?" There was nothing accusatory about his tone, but she detected hurt bubbling close to the surface.

A sad smile crossed her face, "I couldn't see you, it would have been too hard. Besides, look at me…better you should remember me as I was, back when I was alive."

He brushed a stray graying wave from her face, "I am looking at you." A smile played at the very corners of his lips. "And you look alive to me, as beautiful as the day we met, and alive."

She had to laugh, "The day we met I was anything but beautiful. I was green and my hair was in knots."

His hand rested on the back of her seat, his thumb lightly caressing her back. Amusement deepened the creases at his eyes, "You look good in green, and your hair spent most of its time whipping at your face until we finally managed to tie it down with the elastic from my key chain. You would have won that Coaster Challenge too, if it hadn't been for the chili dog."

"Bravado of youth." A long pause, then, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I hope you know how much I wanted to."

"The note Kerry left, she said she was doing this so that we could be happy. She had all of the letters I've sent you stacked on her desk at the hotel under her note."

"Was the book there?"

"Book?"

"Never mind. I'm sorry, I don't know what could have made her pull such a stunt. I really never wanted to involve you in our problems."

The tiny family room filled quickly with the mother and brothers of a gunshot victim. The mother was hysterical, wailing and screaming prayers to God. Grissom turned his body into Selina's, "I'd like to say hello to her."

"I don't know, she's pretty upset." She cast a worried glance in the direction of her Kerry's curtain area.

"Seems to me she went through a lot of trouble to get us together."

"Yeah, and I don't feel good about positively reinforcing her methodology."

His lips pursed, her eyes focused on his mouth. She was completely unaware of anyone else in the room. "I like the beard."

He slid her a look, "Still the mistress of the subject change."

"You were always easily distracted."

"Only by you. Please, let me see her." He took Selina's hand in his.

She stared at their intertwined fingers and the sad smile made a return. "I don't recall you being this persuasive."

"I've been practicing."