A/N: Finally a new chapter :) Sorry for the delay but I've only just managed to get back into this story. So, time for Sara to get out of bed. Let's hope it goes well :P
Thank you for all the great reviews and as always to calim for the beta.
On we go….
Chapter 22
With Sara eager to get on with it, Steven supervised as Maggie and three of her colleagues moved closer to the bed.
"Do you want to come out of the way, Gil?" Steven advised.
"Oh, um, yeah."
Clearing his throat, Grissom stepped to the side, watching as one of the nurses fiddled with two supports that had been fixed to the wheelchair. Support for Sara's legs was crucial as they just couldn't dangle like some normal persons could. Not saying his wife wasn't normal but…. Shaking his head, he admitted to himself that he really needed to stop over analyzing things.
"Sara," Steven said, placing a hand onto one of the male nurse's shoulders. "You haven't met Joey yet. He is our regular gym freak and weightlifter and usually looks after some of our rehabilitation patients."
Joey laughed. "I get to work out in both business and pleasure. It's a win win for me"
Sara's lips pursed as she looked the younger man over. She couldn't help but notice the nurse's jacket looked a little tight around what were, no doubt, very buff arms. He wasn't so bad looking either.
Grissom's eyebrow soared when he noticed Sara checking him out. Slowly, she flicked her gaze to him and leisurely smirked.
"So," Steven continued, "Joey is going to take a lot of your weight and help you to lean forwards while we get that sling underneath you, okay?"
"I guess," Sara replied, her nerves spiking again.
"I promise I won't bite," Joey reassured. "But I will have to invade your personal space for just a short time."
Sara snorted. "Don't tell my husband," she whispered slyly.
Rolling his eyes, Grissom folded his arms.
Smiling, Joey drew close to the bed as everyone else got into position to help Sara's task of getting into the sling.
"I'm going to sit on the bed, Sara," Joey began, "and what I need you to do is lean forwards. Once we get your arm over my back you'll lean into me, okay? As much as you possibly can. I will take your weight while we get the sling underneath you."
"Okay," Sara breathed. "I…guess I can do that."
He smiled again then sat next to her, getting as close as he could. "Put your left arm over my back and, as much as you can, maneuver your right arm around my waist. The nurse and I can help you with that.
Doing as he asked, Sara draped her left arm over his shoulder then reached out with her casted right arm. Both Joey and the Nurse took hold of it and put it in the proper place.
"That's it," he encouraged. "Lean into me as much as you can without hurting yourself and don't be shy."
He wrapped his arms around her to take as much of her weight as she was allowing. She was so light it wasn't really any pressure for him.
"This is certainly new," Sara laughed but then grimaced a bit as she felt a pull in her right leg.
Upon feeling her tense, Joey nodded to his colleagues who rushed into action. "Are you okay?" he said to Sara.
"Apart from feeling a little silly, yes," she answered. "Not often I hug a strange man."
Grissom watched as the material for the sling was placed on the bed so it would cover Sara from her head down to her thighs. The nurse connected the six lifting straps hanging off the sides of the material to the hoist.
"Almost there, Sara," Steven said.
"Do you always do it this way?" she asked, clinging onto Joey just a little tighter as her right thigh was moved causing another slight pain to shoot down her leg.
"No," Steven admitted. "Normally, we would just tip the patient from side to side but, as that's not possible with your injuries, we have to improvise. A sitting position for you as we know, is much safer until further healing has happened."
"Right, there we go," Maggie said. "All set at the bottom."
"Literally," Sara snickered.
Grissom smiled, happy Sara was taking this in her stride and he watched as the material was pulled around his wife's back. By the time all was in place it almost looked like a child's car seat just a lot bigger.
"Okay, now lean back against me, Sara," Maggie instructed. "You won't fall back, I promise."
"Okay," Sara breathed.
Releasing her grip on Joey's shoulder, Sara started to lean back, the nurse gently holding her casted arm until she was settled in the sling. Looking up as wires began appearing over her head, she heard the sound of clips being snapped into place.
Maggie moved down the bed, taking a leg brace from her colleague. "Now, for your legs, Sara. We need to make sure they are totally secure before we move you."
Sara swallowed, watching as Maggie, Joey and another nurse congregated around her bandaged legs.
"Is she going to be comfortable in those?" Grissom questioned, worried that constraining them might bring back the pain.
"Hopefully," Steven answered. "This equipment is tried and tested. A brace will support each knee while a boot will be placed around each foot. It is crucial that both legs and feet are completely immobile before we rest them into the supports on the chair. At least for now."
Grissom sucked on his bottom lip as he nodded. The closer they got to moving her, the more anxious he felt.
"Gil, you looking nervous makes me nervous," Sara complained, her eyes flicking between him and Maggie as she opened up the knee brace.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"Keep nice and still, Sara, while we get this around your knee, okay?" Maggie said before glancing at Grissom. "Would you like to support her while we…"
"Oh…yeah," Grissom replied quickly, moving back to the bed and taking Sara's hand.
She snorted at him. "I think this might hurt a little," she whispered.
He squeezed her hand a bit tighter hoping that wouldn't be the case.
"Just relax, Sara, okay?" Maggie urged, resting the brace at either side of Sara's right knee. "I promise this won't take long."
A little over five minutes later, Grissom was dabbing at Sara's forehead with a tissue. Her cheeks were rosier now but her legs were finally secured. She was ready to be moved.
"You okay, honey?" Grissom asked as Sara blew out a breath.
"Yeah," she breathed. "I think."
"You did really, really well, Sara," Steven praised, checking over her legs.
She licked her lips. "Do I have to go through this every time I want to get out of bed?"
"At the moment, yes."
"Joy," she mumbled.
The doctor half smirked. "Ready for the hospital grand tour?"
Now Sara managed a smile. "As long as I get to visit the gift shop," she joked.
He smiled back, nodding to the nurses who began clipping the sling onto the crane.
"You need to just step back again, Gil, please," Steven requested.
Nodding, Grissom threw the tissue into the bin and stepped back, his eyes drifting to the multitude of wires hanging over his wife that were now being clipped to the braces on her legs.
"The sling will take your body weight," Steven explained, "and the nurses will take the weight off your legs as you are lifted."
Inhaling deeply, Sara nodded.
"Just relax, don't panic and trust us, okay?"
"Yeah," Sara breathed, her pulse racing overtime now. She'd never felt so nervous about getting out of bed although this wasn't any normal circumstance, was it?
Steven nodded to one of the nurses who moved to the cranes controls. "After three everyone."
Maggie and Joey got ready by Sara's legs, while Steven stood close ready to jump in if needed. After the count of three, Sara very slowly began to lift off the bed. Within a minute she was totally airborne, swung around and lowered down to the wheelchair.
Grissom's eyebrows rose, impressed at the ease of the movement but quietly thanked God for the lack of distress to his wife. She barely complained at all even though she looked relieved once she'd been settled into the chair.
"Really good, Sara," Steven said happily, crouching by the chair and checking over her legs as the wires were unhooked. Maggie placed the final strap over her knee to make sure they remained secure in the supports and they were ready. "Are you comfortable?"
Blowing out a breath of air, Sara nodded. "I think so. It's…"
Grissom's eye twitched as she paused.
"Please, be honest, Sara. If it hurts then…"
Her head shook. "Well, it hurts a little but…it's just…I thought maybe once I got out of bed I'd maybe feel different. Feel more…"
"Don't forget you are very restricted right now. We need to keep you comfortable."
"Yeah," she sighed.
"So," Steven continued. "Where would you like to go?"
"I'd like to go outside," she said looking at her husband. "And then see my children."
Grissom smiled at her. "I thought you might say that."
Steven nodded. "Okay, but we have to limit your time outside as you are still prone to infection. No rolling on the grass, all right?"
She smirked at Grissom. "Ah, and how I miss a good roll on the grass."
Apart from raising his eyebrows, Grissom had no reply to that one.
"And on that note," Steven chuckled, "Maggie will be your chauffer and I will see you back here a little later."
Smacking her lips together, Sara looked back at the doctor. "Great. Let's go."
CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI
As Maggie rolled Sara's wheelchair to a stop next to a bench, Grissom sat down. Smiling, he gently took hold of her hand, watching her as she looked out over the garden. It was nice to see her this way. It had been a while since he'd seen such a relaxed expression on her face.
"All right?" he asked as she looked at him.
"Hmmm," she breathed and then inhaled. "Nice to get some fresh air."
"Are you warm enough?"
She smiled. "It's like 1000 degrees out here."
"Just checking."
Another happy sigh came and her eyes wandered over the surrounding area, her smile growing when she spotted a couple walking in the garden with a small boy who looked a lot like Michael.
"I just had a thought," she said.
"What might that be?" he asked.
"It's Mike's birthday in 2 weeks."
Their eyes met and he slowly nodded. "It is."
Her mouth opened but she hesitated and Grissom squeezed her hand before dropping a gentle kiss to her lips.
"How about…we enjoy this time and your freedom without worrying about anything. We can talk about that later."
"Okay," she whispered.
"Good."
Sara smiled at him then quickly jerked her right arm and hissed.
"Are you okay?" he asked urgently as he shifted to face her.
"Hmmm," she growled. "Just got an itch down the cast. Great timing."
Grissom looked at Maggie who was standing behind them. "Don't have a knitting needle on you do you?"
She snorted. "Sadly not. Besides, we're not allowed to poke down the cast, are we?"
"Only when you're not looking," Sara returned.
Maggie chuckled. "You know it's dangerous to do that."
"Even more dangerous when I smash the damn thing off," Sara growled.
"Now, now," Grissom warned playfully.
Sara glared at him. "Easy for you to say," she grumbled as the itchiness continued and she growled again in frustration.
"I'm sorry," Grissom sighed but, sensing her annoyance, he kept his tone sincere. "I wish I could help."
After a sigh of her own, Sara took a breath. This was supposed to be a time she should be enjoying not throwing her toys out of the stroller even if she was highly irritated.
"I just hate this damn thing now," she admitted. "Dead bodies, bugs and the smell of rotting anything I can handle but an itch? It appears I have been defeated."
Grissom found it hard to keep a straight face at her statement. "Defeated by a mere itch, huh?" He leaned closer. "You know I'd scratch it if I could."
Thankfully, she smiled. "Sorry. I think the fresh air has gone to my head."
"It's fine," Grissom said softly. "Hopefully the cast will come off soon and then you won't have this problem anymore."
Sara nodded. "Let's hope."
Smiling, he squeezed her hand again. "So, would you like to go see the kiddies? Might be a good idea for you to not sit in the sun too long at the moment."
"Okay," she agreed not able to deny she could sit all day long with her babies and was very much looking forward to seeing them.
CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI
Sara smiled brightly as Hope settled on her chest, eyes closed and her tiny hand clinging onto her gown.
"Hey sweetie," Sara whispered, whisking fingers over the top of her head. "Mommy's here."
Grissom's chest swelled as he watched. If this sight was imprinted in his mind forever he wouldn't mind.
"Here we go," the nurse said, holding out Gabe to his father.
Looking her way, Grissom opened his arms to take his son, a broad smile finding his lips once he had hold of him.
"Hello, little man," he beamed as Gabe kicked out a leg, tiny fingers searching for something to cling on to. And then Grissom blinked. "He's not wrapped in a blanket," he said, looking back up at the nurse.
She smiled at him. "His body temperature is now maintaining a normal level so we're seeing how he does without it. Any problems and the alarm will let us know."
Returning the bright smile Grissom flashed her, Sara let out a happy sigh.
"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," she said, looking at her son.
It had been two days since she'd seen him but it always seemed like forever. Not being able to be there was what hurt the most but, hopefully, now that would all change. Well, at least for the short-term future. If she had to have more surgery things could change again.
"Has he put on more weight?" Grissom asked, running a fingertip across Gabe's lip who actually tried to latch on.
"He has," the nurse confirmed. "And I think he's hungry considering he's trying to eat your finger."
"Not very tasty," Sara snorted.
"I'll get some bottles," the nurse said.
Looking back at her daughter's face, Sara smiled again when her eyes opened. "Ah, the mention of food gets your attention, doesn't it?" Hope blinked, her fingers giving Sara's gown the lightest of pulls. "You're so beautiful," Sara whispered now, feeling her emotions burning just like they did every time she saw her babies.
Grissom watched her, hearing the slight quaking in her voice and noticing the tears building in her eyes. "Sara…"
Oh, she knew that voice. That was his concerned voice and, as she looked at him, she saw the worry on his face.
"Please, don't be getting sad, honey. Okay?"
Sighing again, she slipped her finger into Hope's hand who instantly clung to it. "I'm trying. I just miss being around them so much."
"I know," he said softly. "But we can't change the way things are so we need to try and make the most of what we do have. At least until you are more mobile." Her lips puckered and she stared at him. "What?" he questioned.
"I miss the wise words of wisdom from Professor Grissom," she told him.
He smiled at her. "Those are wise words, too."
"I knew there was something that attracted me to you."
His eyebrows rose. "Just my words, huh?"
Smirking, Sara glanced back at Hope. "Amongst other things," she whispered.
"Yeah, I know how much you love the ant farm." Sara laughed now and he smiled at her. "That's better."
Feeling a little more relaxed, Sara softly sighed, looking at the nurse as she returned with two bottles.
"Here we go," she said, holding one out to Sara.
"Thanks," Sara said appreciatively, taking the bottle from her.
Flashing a smile, the nurse handed the second bottle to Grissom. "First time on a different formula," she told them. "So, fingers crossed."
Grissom stared at the bottle. "Oh? What makes it different?"
"Different nutrients. Premature baby's tummies can be quite delicate so we need to take extra care. The stronger they get, the stronger a formula we can give them."
Nodding, Grissom smiled as Gabe took right to the bottle's nipple. "He doesn't seem to mind."
"Neither does Hope," Sara beamed happily as her daughter sucked with equal gusto. "You like that don't you?"
"Good to see," the nurse said. "I'm just across the room if you need me."
"Thanks," Grissom replied. "I may call you for a top up."
She laughed and moved away as his eyes flicked back to Sara. "Are you okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm all right. Pity we can't take them for a walk and let them see the outside world. A nice sunny day like this."
"A little early for that I think," he returned.
Nodding, Sara ran her fingers over Hope's head again. "I wonder how much longer they'll be kept here."
Grissom shrugged. "I honestly don't know."
"I think maybe we should ask. You know…have some idea of a time frame and then we can start planning."
A slight cramp in his arm made Grissom, thankfully, look away from Sara and down to Gabe as he shifted him a tiny bit. Sara was worrying again about what he was trying not to worry about and it made his eyes twitch. They both knew the twins would probably be out of the hospital before she was and that left him very nervous. Of course, that was something he didn't want her to know.
"Okay, we can ask."
It seemed sensible to just agree because if she had something on her mind it was better to get it out in the open than let her keep it inside. Then she'd just worry even more.
Sara nodded. "Good."
A/N: Trying to imagine Grissom with 3 kids. Could be fun :P