DISCLAIMER:Don't Own it. No Money Made... Just for fun and enjoyment.

A/N: Things are really starting to get interesting around the lab, but fear not; the end is in sight :D

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Chapter 32

In the hallway outside of the Autopsy Room the sounds of metal crashing onto the tile floor rung out through the corridor, and into the stairwell Sara Sidle was making her way through at that moment. The sound made her jump, but when the realization that the sound might also mean someone could be hurt hit her, Sara's adrenaline kicked in and she rushed for the doors. The sight that beheld her when she entered the room was more than she could have ever been prepared for in a million years.

She pushed open the doors to the morgue, to find a metal tray being dragged across the floor with the door. When she located the tray behind the door, she could also see a trail of instruments scattered across the floor. As her eyes traced the debris field, she found the source of the disaster in the form of a long-legged, red haired coroner unceremoniously seated on the floor with her legs sprawled, and rubbing her forehead. At first, Sara was concerned that the young woman was truly hurt, but when she looked at the expression on her face, she had to hold a hand up to her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.

Before she could say anything, Stephanie beat her to the punch, "Don't say it." The woman was obviously embarrassed by the situation.

Sara was seriously struggling to contain her laughter, "So, um… You want some help?" Her last word contained the hint of giggle.

Stephanie closed her eyes tightly, "Just as soon as the little birdies stop flying around my head."

Sara gingerly stepped over the strewn instruments and moved closer to Stephanie, "What exactly happened?" The coroner finally removed her hand from her forehead, and Sara could see the large, inflamed and red knot already starting to form there. "Oh man… You're gonna need some ice for that one."

Stephanie planted her hands down on the floor behind her, "Are you sure we can't amputate?" That was too much for Sara and she finally busted a gut.

"For some reason, I think that might make doing your job a little hard." Sara held out her hands and gestured for Stephanie to take hold. With a great effort and some counter balancing, the two women were able to return Stephanie to her feet. When she wobbled a bit, Sara took hold of her by the arms, "Whoa… Are you sure you're okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie steadied herself before she answered the concerned question, "I'll let you know when the room stops spinning."

As humorous as the situation may have appeared at first, Sara became concerned that it might be more serious than it looked, "Hey, maybe we should call someone. Maybe get you some help."

Stephanie leaned back against the wall a moment and held up her hand, "Please, I've had my bell rung harder than that on the court. I just need to wait for the fog to clear and I'll be fine." When the color started to return to her face she added, "Besides, I was just suffering from elevation sickness."

Sara's face contorted into a question, "How do you mean?"

Stephanie took on a devilish expression, "From zero to six four in under three seconds."

For about half a second Sara tried to suppress her laughter, but that was about as long as it lasted, and both women had a good laugh at Stephanie's expense. "Okay, but at least let me get you some ice for that goose-egg." Stephanie nodded slightly with her agreement and Sara walked away from the dazed young doctor to retrieve some ice from the office refrigerator.

When Sara returned to the Autopsy Room, she found Stephanie leaning over cautiously to retrieve some of the items on the floor, "And what do you think you're doing?"

Stephanie popped up quickly and paid the price for her speed with the throbbing in her head, "Owwww."

"Exactly… Now, sit down," Sara pulled the chair around to Stephanie and handed her a couple of pills, "Take these Tylenol and put this on that knot before I give you a new one." Stephanie tilted her head slightly and acquiesced as she took a seat on the chair.

Sara bent down and started to collect the scattered items across the floor. As she was gathering up the instruments, she had a sideways smile on her face, because of the irony of the situation in which she found herself. There she was, looking after the woman who had taken away what she held dear, like some kind of big sister. In that moment, she was forced to deal with the fact that Stephanie had not taken anything from her, because he was never hers to begin with. She also realized, if she had ever met Stephanie under any other circumstances, they probably would already be trading horror stories of the day over a beer after shift.

The two women had a great deal in common, and Sara knew she should be working in concert with the gifted pathologist, instead of trying to keep her at arm's length, as she had been. Sara decided that whatever else she did, she needed to make peace with this thing, and she needed to do it fast. Her distance was becoming evident to everyone around her, and she did not want this thing to get any worse. Stephanie had done nothing wrong, and Sara needed to get over it.

She had the last of the items in her hands and reached the tray by the doorway. Grabbing it and dumping the items onto it, Sara turned back to Stephanie and walked to where she was sitting with the ice pack over her head as she leaned it against the exam table behind her. "Is that helping?"

"It makes the pretty colors brighter… Does that count?" Sara chuckled at her response.

"Somehow, I don't think so." Sara set the tray down on the table, and moved Stephanie's hand that held the ice pack, "Well, the swelling is going down, but I still think we should have someone take a look at it."

"Got a mirror?"

Sara was a little confused by the question, but she looked around the room and found a small mirror on the counter at the far wall. She walked over and retrieved it, for whatever purpose Stephanie has asked for it. Handing it to the young woman, she remarked, "Here's one, but why?"

Stephanie set the ice pack down on the table behind her and took the mirror. She focused her eyes, and gazed at the goose-egg on her forehead for half a minute, "Frontal contusion, no internal swelling, existing external swelling ceased and dissipating. Minor injury requiring dispensing of Tylenol and application of ice to wound. Discharged." She put the mirror down and smiled at Sara, "I looked at it… Happy now?"

She could not help but smirk at Stephanie's sarcasm, "Yeah, I guess that'll have to do, smart ass." Sara looked around the room again and was trying to figure out how Stephanie had ended up on the floor like that, but there did not appear to be anything to cause the injury to her head, so she was forced to ask, "So, how in the world did you knock yourself out?"

Stephanie returned the ice pack to her forehead and leaned her head back again, but this time she pointed up with her other hand, "The ALM." Sara followed her hand up and saw the light and camera system that worked on an octopus of swing arms. "Al must have been the last one at this table and I guess I wasn't paying attention when I was walking through the room. Smacked right into it and ended up getting dumped on my ass with some pretty stars blinking all around my head."

"Well, that does explain one thing." It was Sara's turn for the devilish expression.

"What's that?"

"Your attraction to riding around on that stool all the time." Sara smirked again,

"Yeah, that and it gives you Amazon woman thighs." That was too much for Sara and she was laughing at the comment, and at the same time she wanted to remember that line for future mischief making opportunities. "So, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?"

Busted. Sara instantly realized that Stephanie had noticed her avoidance of the Autopsy Room that week. "Ah, well, two things… First, I need the final on that stabbing vic from yesterday."

Stephanie reached behind her to the stack of folders setting on the exam table, and handed them all to Sara, "In there somewhere… Next."

She was not making it easy on Sara, but Sara knew she deserved it. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, "Well, yeah… I wanted to thank you for cleaning up my neck the other night, and to kind of apologize."

"Apologize? Why? I just cleaned up that cut on your neck and bandaged it up… Did I miss something again?" Stephanie had removed the ice pack and was looking Sara in the eye, which was not making it any easier for her.

"No, not about that, it's just I, um… I'm sure you've noticed I haven't really been down here." She watched Stephanie nod and continued, "Yeah, so I've kind of been dealing with some stuff and-."

"That's okay, Warrick kind of explained it to me, so don't sweat it. I can always have David run your reports upstairs, if you want." Sara was trying desperately not to look so surprised, but her mind was racing a million miles a minute. "I can understand that kind of stuff, and I don't want to make it any worse."

All the scenarios running through her head were making her a little insane in that instant, and needed to find something to say, "Yeah, well, I appreciate that. But I just wanted to make sure you knew it wasn't really you, it's just something I have to get through on my own, ya know."

Stephanie slowly rose from her chair and went to walk past Sara, but she stopped long enough to put a hand on her shoulder, "Well, if you need any help with that, just holler… You know where to find me." She smiled at Sara, and the caring she saw there nearly broke her heart.