Title: Battle Scars

Author: sullyvann

Claim: Greg Sanders/Sara Sidle

Fandom: CSI

Theme: Set 2, 45 - Shame

Rating: G

Summary: Sara and Greg both have battle scars.

Author's Notes: Written for si50. Takes place during 5x19, 'Spark of Life'.

---

"I hear you got a lot from our burn victim – maybe some of it will give us an answer or two." Sara said as she walked into the locker room. "Have you been in here all break?" Sara asked, taking in his slumped shoulders and the circles under his eyes. He needed sleep or massive amounts coffee. Sleep wasn't in the picture, so she wondered why he wasn't sucking down as much coffee as possible with the rest of the team.

"Yeah," Greg replied. "I just don't – I don't feel well." Greg said, rubbing his eyes.

"You know, I almost puked at the crime scene." Sara said, sitting down next to Greg on the bench.

"What?"

"It reminded me of how the lab smelled after the explosion."

"Yeah," Greg said. "I think I'm – that's why I'm having a hard time. I just keeping thinking of those burns. She's going to be scarred all over. Forever. No amount of plastic surgery can fix those. And I keep thinking about how self-conscious I am of my scars for the explosion, and I feel so – I feel so dumb that I'm so ashamed of them.

"Don't feel dumb or ashamed, Greg." Sara said, leaning into his shoulder. "The explosion was devastating. No one else's tragedy will ever invalidate that."

"But the burns? I mean; she's going to have them on her arms and face and everywhere. At least I can hide the ones on my back."

"They can't be that bad, Greg. I mean; it's like a battle scar. That's just what we get for doing what we do." Sara said. Greg didn't look any better once she was done talking.

"Want to see my burns?" Sara asked.

"You mean from the explosion? I didn't think you got burned."

"It's not from the explosion," Sara said, lifting her leg up and pulling up her pant leg, revealing six tiny, dark, circular burns.

"Where did you get these?" Greg asked, gently touching the lightest on, almost entranced by it.

"My dad." Sara replied. "He - he smoked. And he drank. And when he did both at the same time, sometimes he got a little mean."

"Oh." Greg said quietly. "I'm – I'm sorry."

"It's in the past," Sara said, putting her leg down and shrugging her shoulders as she stood. "Now let's get some coffee in you." Sara said, nudging Greg off the bench and towards the door.