Chapter 24
Nick let out a low whistle "Looks like Sara got pulled off a date." "No doubt, looking good girl." Warrick agreed before taking the chair next to Nick. The conference room was filled almost to capacity but being at lunch with the day crew meant Sara was the first from her shift to arrive, and thus was able to grab a few seats for the others.
"I don't live in my work clothes you know, I am a GIRL occasionally."
"Thank God for that, and you make a good one. Girl I mean. You look hot." Greg never seemed to just sit. Instead he took the chair on the opposite side of Sara the way he always did, by releasing his muscles from their work of holding him upright. It was more the crumbling earthward of a myriad jumble of parts than sitting. His compliment earned him a blown kiss and a wink.
Catherine and Grissom entered together and stood next to the row of folding chairs containing the rest of their shift. Warrick asked if either of them knew what the meeting was about, Catherine said she didn't. Grissom didn't answer, but Warrick understood when he traced his supervisor's gaze to Sara's knee peeking out from under the hem of her soft pink skirt.
The room was a buzz of theories about the reason for the call. Some of the newer people assumed it was a crime of epic proportions. Those with more experience doubted this, lab staff wouldn't be called into a briefing, and only CSI's would need the details. The seniors in the room, in experience more than age, made no attempt to hypothesize. They would know when they were told and anything beyond that was a waste of brain space.
Eckley took the podium and held up his hand for silence. "Thank you all for your prompt response. I am sorry to have to call you here when many of you are off the clock, but I believed this would be the most effective method of sharing the news." He broke here for a moment, took a breath. "As many of you know Chief Brigham, Assistant Lab Director Stanley and a number of the lab staff and CSI's are away at a conference this week in San Diego. It has been reported to us at this time that the shuttle bus they were traveling in from the hotel to the convention center has been in a very serious accident. I am sorry to tell you of the tragic death of Assistant Director Stanley." Shock registered on every face. Nick took Sara's hand in his, as much to comfort himself as to lend her support. Greg stood and gave Catherine his chair when the color drained from her face.
"I have no specific word as to the severity of injury to the remainder of our people, but will certainly update everyone as more information becomes available to me. This will be in the media within the hour and I wanted all of you to hear it from me. A.D. Stanley's family has been informed and his wife Charlene will be flying out to San Diego this afternoon. Thank you, again for coming in. When I have more information it will be dispensed via text message to your phones."
No one moved. A few people cried, many shared concerns for friends who were at the convention and most likely on the shuttle but not one person left the room.
Warrick went crouch beside Catherine and put his arm around her shoulder. "Isn't this the conference you were supposed to be at?"
Shell shocked she nodded her head, silently thanking God for Lindsey's last minute grounding that kept her home to play Warden.
News trickled in and was shared from the podium of other members of the crime fighting family that were treated and released, or held for further observation. Eventually Eckley had to ask that members of the current shift resume their regular work, everyone else was welcome to stay in the conference room for updates.
A number of the people Sara had been lunching with stopped by to share stories of the colleagues that were away before heading back to work the remainder of their day in a haze. When she finally looked for him, Grissom was not among any of the room's small clusters of coworkers and friends clinging to one another, both physically and emotionally.
"You okay?" Greg asked her. He looked unsure where to stand, or what to say. When you had something to celebrate, or tension to break, Greg was good to have around, but when the occasion became solemn he seemed like a fish out of water. His very visage seemed to carry an element of exuberance, difficult to rearrange into anything more subdued than concern.
"Yeah, I wasn't very close to anyone that's there. Still, it's sad. What about you, did you know any of the lab guys that went?"
"A couple. They've been to parties at my place now and then. It feels weird not being able to go to the scene." Greg appeared almost embarrassed at his eagerness to be at the site of the crash, but it only confirmed to Sara that he was a CSI at heart.
"Helpless. I know. All we can do is wait I guess. You seen Grissom?"
"He left a few minutes ago. Don't know where he went."
Following her suspicions she found him, at his desk, door closed but unlocked, lights off. She knocked softly then entered without waiting to be asked. Silently Sara took the seat across from him and closed her eyes. Stillness enveloped and comforted them until Grissom's voice boomed out, seeming louder in the darkness. "You can never know, Sara." His voice was tight with emotion he wasn't willing to allow past his throat.
She swallowed for him, trying to will whatever was stopping him from continuing away so that his words would flow.
His heart wrangled with his brain for control of what would be said next. His mind won, as always.
"Charlene told me once that I was lucky to be unmarried. That some woman out there was lucky to have escaped me because she wouldn't have to lie awake at night wondering if I'd get myself, or both of us, killed with my job."
He let that sit between them, trying not to know that Sara had indeed spent more than one night awake at his expense. Finally he added, "She couldn't know that she'd lose him on a bus."
Sara stood to leave, stopping at his door, "Bet tonight she'll wish she was lying awake worrying. Seems like she spent so much time worrying about how she'd lose him she never realized how lucky she was to have someone to lose."
The knot in his stomach tightened at Sara closed the door from the other side.