Managed to get this up after twenty six hours of not having power in sub freezing temperatures and over a foot of snow. I'm more than ready for this weather to be over.

This chapter is a bit longer, and perhaps one after this, might be two, I'll have to see how things work out. No telling when it will be though, with work, and real life, it's the holiday season after all, things kind of get busy around this time.

I know I'm horrible at responding to everyone who's reviewed, but I do consider and appreciate all of your responses, and I'm trying to get better at responding.

This chapter goes out to Jen who always keeps me motivated no matter what. This one's for you!

Chapter Sixteen: The Rescue

At first it had been easy to ignore. The pain, the fatigue, the way his heart raced in his chest as he struggled with each and every breath. His legs shook with each step, and it was only by sheer will power that he was still going now. If he had the choice, Greg Sanders would have curled up into a ball long ago and simply cried himself to sleep, and mostly likely, to death. But in his mind, that wasn't an option.

Sara's breaths fell on the back of his neck, they came slowly, and sporadically even, and he alone could feel the heat radiating off her body and onto his. He wasn't sure if it was from an infection inflicted by venom, or simply because her body was giving up, too worn and far too strained from the events of the past several days.

She long ago stopped responding to his comments, which was a cause for worry, and at the same time a bit of relief. Unconsciousness was only one step, but at the very least it saved Greg his breath, giving him the ability to focus more on moving forward each and every step, no matter how slow, and though he could barely breathe at times it was a wonderful bliss to do just that.

He was walking blind, however. The sun long ago set behind them somewhere, leaving them in a trail of darkness as Greg stumbled, coming to a stop to regain his balance, one arm laced between Sara's to ensure that she stayed against his back, the other doing it's best to keep her legs wrapped around his waist. Greg knew little of the medical world; he was a CSI, not a coroner. There was a slight difference. He was gravely missing Robbins at this time, knowing the man would have been able to instruct him exactly on what to do. The man's work might be focused on the dead, but it still did not deter the fact that he had a medical degree.

He drew in a particularly sharp breath as he nearly tripped over an unseen rock, the cold air burning his lungs as he cursed quietly, gritting his teeth as he began to move again. Greg had a growing feeling of dread building up inside of him; somehow he knew that if he did not find help by morning at the latest, then Sara would be in fact, dead. He hoped for her sake, as well as his own, that by some miracle, someone would find them, be it Mckinely if it had to be. At least then their deaths wouldn't be painful, necessarily.

It was safe to say that he had been traveling like this for some hours now, and it was for more than one reason. In the distance the sound of baying, or at least he allowed himself to believe this is what he had heard. Whatever the case, Greg knew in the back of his mind, that any search teams would only be looking for bodies. Since bodies didn't answer back, they relied solely on dogs to do the work for them. It was a small chance, since the wilderness could very well contain wild dogs, but even if it wasn't from the search team, perhaps it was a house. And if there was a house, then there would be people.

He had used to love the wilderness, when he was younger, before coming to the Las Vegas Crime Lab, he and his father would go for hikes up in the mountains, sometimes being gone for weeks at a time, camping and living off the land. Back then they had been prepared. Emergency kits, flashlights, flares, food sources, water bottles and much more, that at that point in time, Greg had merely dismissed as being needless, assuming that he could take care of himself in any situation regardless of the circumstances.

Greg knew now how things actually worked, and though he knew there was little either of them could have done to prevent this situation, Greg was mentally kicking himself now for not trying harder. He couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing that if they had just brought along an extra water or food even, a custom that Sara was used to, that things would have been better off.

He also blamed himself for the wound Sara had received. Also unable to help but think that if they had chosen another path, or if he had even had let Sara go first, maybe they wouldn't have been in this desperate of a situation. In his mind, Sara was going to die.

So engrossed by this fear, and vision that was striking deep into his thoughts, Greg nearly missed the beam of light that passed above them. He caught it just as it disappeared, coming to a stop as he strained his ears. Listening closely he could hear what he assumed earlier on; dogs barking but not just that, the quiet murmur of voices just beyond the hill.

If he had the strength, Greg would have cried for joy, but instead he pushed himself up, moving up the hill that was just in front of him. They were further off to the side, Greg knowing this from just the direction the noise was coming from. The soil beneath him was giving way, the hillside having difficulties bearing both of their weight and took Greg several times to make it up the hill successfully.

It wasn't until he was closer to the top that the sporadic barks turned into more frantic ones, becoming more urgent as he came into their line of sight. Shortly afterwards he was blinded by several flashlights, and within seconds was surrounded. Hardly able to talk, and fighting to breathe Greg allowed the strange men to peel Sara away from him, watching dimly as they carried her near the road, laying her down gently. They were working quickly, checking her vitals and it took Greg a moment to realize that they were paramedics, the ambulance sitting just behind them in the darkness.

"Greg?"

They must have called his name several times, because he wasn't even aware someone was paying attention to him until they grabbed his shoulder, and even then it took him a minute to realize who it was. Catherine stood next to him, Nick a few paces off glancing nervously between him and Sara, both waiting for some sort of explanation.

"She's been hurt," Greg rasped, stating the obvious as he let out a heavy breath, bending over slightly as he muscles protested. He was watching her intently, hardly aware that the others were moving to sit him down until he was in fact doing just that. Catherine had moved into his line of vision, cutting him off from seeing what exactly was going on.

"Greg, talk to me, are you alright?"

He nodded briefly, swallowing painfully. "Tired…thirsty," he shrugged his shoulders, straining to see around her. Catherine hadn't let up, and instead moved to feel his forehead, frowning slightly.

"I'm going to see about getting you some water then," she told him quietly, instructing him then to stay sitting, to which Greg couldn't even begin to argue. If he never walked again in his life it wouldn't be too soon. He was grateful as she left, able to see Sara once more, his sole focus of attention, but disappointment coursed through him as Nick soon took her place, asking even more of the same questions. Greg knew it was procedure, but he hardly could care at this point in time.

"Mckinely….shot at us….ran away…he came after us," Greg did his best to rattle off all that had happened, knowing that they would want to know more in the end, but he could at least give them the basics to start off with. He closed his eyes as he finished, drawing in a few deep breaths as Nick encouraged him gently, moving out of the way as Catherine took his place.

Even with the fresh water pressed into his hand Greg hardly felt like drinking. Nausea threatened to spring up in his stomach as he sipped at the cool lifesaving liquid, but his thought were elsewhere. He could hear Catherine and Nick talking above him, doing their best to keep their voice low but Greg's hearing was just the same. Sara's condition wasn't good, and they were transporting her now. With having only one ambulance at the scene for just-in-cases, Greg's treatment would have to wait. Or at least that was what he assumed.

Catherine had pulled him back to his feet, despite his weak protests, guiding him to the back of the police car. They were going to take him now, choosing to not wait for another transport. Greg wouldn't complain. Sara was in good hands, and he was safe as well, this nightmare that had lasted for days was finally drawing to an end, and he could do little more than let out a contented sigh.

It was all happening too fast. Catherine and Nick had shown up with the search team just over an hour ago. They hadn't proceeded into the wood yet, moving only along side of it. They had used the excuse that it was too dark to search the woods, and it wouldn't be safe to do so until daylight. For Catherine that was entirely too long, but they were quick in reminding her that they were now searching for bodies, not the living.

They had hung back, talking quietly among each other as they followed slowly. Neither wanted to accept the fate, but it was clear that they could not avoid the inevitable forever. At the very least they would be found, and at least then proper respects could be made. She had tried to imagine what things would be like without them always around. It had fallen short drastically.

She and Sara had never set off on the right foot. Being nearly the only women in their line of work they constantly struggled with the male dominance that was expected. In a way it both made them foolhardy, and strong willed. It was the constant fight for control that left them in ruins, and unable to produce any real friendship. Even after all these years they could barely tolerate one another, but they did care for each other just the same, even if neither of them was willing to admit it.

Greg was still so young, even in comparison with field work, as well as in life. He was like a child, eager to please as well as learn. His greatest fault lie in wanting to please everyone, and any sane person knew that was an impossible goal to achieve. He was quick to learn, and he retained the knowledge well, but he also had a keen pair of eyes that had aided in many investigations since he first showed interest in the fieldwork.

No…there was no real way she could imagine work, or even life, without them. Just as these thoughts had occurred, the scent dogs had acted up. They had been barking all night, gaining a false lead to just loose it moments later. They were the only dogs that could be spared, and were still in training, chasing after every trail even if it wasn't the one they were searching for.

But this particular burst seemed more enthusiastic than before, several of the animals lunging towards the darkened forest, straining against their collars and leashes. Flashlights scanned the area and it was then she caught the first glimpse of him. At first it seemed as though it was just Greg, but with a second glance they could tell he was not alone.

Stumbling over their own feet, Catherine and Nick hadn't wasted any time in getting there. By the time they did get there though, the paramedics already had Sara on the ground, working on her quickly. Catherine could tell with one quick look that she wasn't well, her face was pale, and her chest barely moved as she breathed. She hadn't paid too much attention, moving then to Greg, who still stood in the open, untouched, unattended to.

She moved closer, afraid to touch him. He already looked so weak and pale now; she feared that touching him would simply break him somehow. But he wasn't responding to his name being called, his gaze focused solely on Sara. With slight frustration, Catherine grabbed his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

Greg looked dumbfounded, as though she had just slapped him, his eyes heavy with fatigue, but he turned quickly back to where Sara lay unresponsive as the medics continued to work on her. "She's been hurt," Greg muttered softly.

He was breathing heavier now, as though the situation was just weighing in on him, holding him down and she pressed on his shoulders, coaxing him to a sitting position. Greg hardly protested, and Catherine let out a small smile, one mostly of pity, but heartfelt as she realized there was a lot more the both had gone through than just simply getting lost. She rubbed his arm briefly, catching his attention once again. "Greg, talk to me, are you alright?"

The question itself was almost ironic. It was clear that he was quite the opposite, but she assumed most of it was fatigue, and stress. She doubted that either of them had slept, and more in likely they hadn't had any decent meal in over a week now. And it wasn't just the physical effects that were showing through, but instead his appearance was marred by those that were emotional as well.

"Tired…thirsty," he had breathed in answer, looking away from her own gaze.

Catherine could have kicked herself, realizing now that it had also had to have been a while since they last had anything to drink. It would very well explain why he was lethargic and sluggish.

"I'm going to see about getting you some water then," she had encouraged him, moving to run towards the parked patrol car. She knew they kept some water in there, even if it was half gone, it would be at least something. Grabbing it from the front of the car she made her way back to where Greg still sat, unmoving, eyes still staring in the direction they had taken Sara.

No sooner had she handed him the water that Nick was already pulling her away. He kept his voice low, obviously not wanting to alarm anyone but the worry was evident in his eyes. "Sara's not doing so well," he whispered.

"What do they think?"

Nick shook his head, glancing back towards her still form. It was obvious they were doing their best, their work becoming more frantic as they strapped her into a gurney, moving her towards the back of the ambulance.

"They're not sure yet, dehydration for certain, but the bite on her leg, they're thinking venomous, if not an infection. Unless we know what it was that got her for certain, there's no way of telling. I'm going to stay with her."

The other question was unanswered as she nodded, urging him to leave. They couldn't transport both with just one vehicle, but Sara's condition called for immediate response. Catherine waited a moment longer, watching Nick jog over to where they were getting ready to leave, jumping into the back of the vehicle easily.

Satisfied that Sara was in good hands Catherine turned her own attention back to Greg, who still sat quietly, seemingly unaware of all that was going around him. "Miguez."

The young officer turned to look at her questioningly, and Catherine nodded to where Greg sat, "We need to get him to a doctor."

The officer nodded, standing for a moment to watch to see if help was needed as Catherine grasped Greg's arm gently, helping him to a standing position. Greg tried to reassure her that he was fine, but gave in with little persistence. It was a sure sign that he wasn't quite himself, but she felt confident that he would be with some rest. There were no visible wounds or injuries that needed tending to, and she had little doubts that he would check out fine once they got him to a hospital.

Once she was certain he was in the car Catherine climbed in the front, instructing the officer on where to go. She watched Greg from the corner of her eye as he leaned his head against the window, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm glad we found you," Catherine told him softly, the earlier feelings of dread wearing off.

He barely nodded, commenting quietly that he agreed, but obviously too worn to really care at that point in time. She watched with a slight smile as his eyes drifted close, knowing that he was well beyond exhausted. Despite all of that she knew it was best to keep him awake, and after calling his name a few times she got the response she wanted, as his eyes drifted open once more. He gave her a blank stare, but shifted so that he was sitting up some.

It was clear that he was trying, and she let out a smile, turning back towards the front. They were almost twenty minutes from the hospital at this point, and even though the time was short it seemed to stretch, becoming unbearably long. She let out a sigh, beginning to talk once more, easing the silence as well as her own worries.

Greg more of listened than talked, responding with vague comments here and there, ensuring that he was indeed in touch with reality, even if he wasn't actually listening to what she had to say. Not that it mattered, Catherine was more or less rambling anyways, unsure of what to say, but wanting to talk none-the-less.

It was safe to say that she had noticed something was up. It was safe to say that she even knew that she had suspected it before. At the same time denial had taken its place, and Catherine had reassured herself that everything was going to be okay. But when she turned back around to check on him one last time, it was clear that it wasn't.

Greg was leaning against the window, eyes closed, unmoving. At first glance she had assumed that he was sleeping, but in her heart she knew that it wasn't. Cursing quietly under her breath she ordered the officer to pull over, shouting then when he questioned her motives. No sooner had he come to a stop that she was stepping out of the car, the night air blowing hair from her face.

Catherine took care in opening the door, catching Greg's slumping form as it fell towards the ground, its earlier brace now gone. Keeping a firm hold on him she scooted in the vehicle next to him, resting him against her chest as she reached up with one hand, fingers coming to a pause on his neck.

His pulse was there, as weak as it was, but even more unnerving was the way his breaths came, short and uneven, raspy almost. He was also cold, far to cold than anyone should be and she continued to curse herself even as she took her coat off, moving to drape it across his shoulders, pulling him closer to her own body as she shut the door.

"Hospital now," she snapped, not even taking her gaze off Greg's still form. He had gone into shock; there wasn't any question about it. He had to have been running off pure adrenaline, his own worry and fear for Sara's safety driving him on. If they had not found them then, Greg surely would have collapsed from sheer exhaustion, and died shortly after. Not that things would be any different here.

Catherine assumed that his knowledge that he had done all he could to get the both of them to safety, in combined with the fact of being overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and was still happening, Greg had simply given up. He no longer had the drive, his body was calming itself, and now, it was shutting down.

She closed her eyes, holding her breath for a brief moment before turning to the situation at hand. They should have been gunning it for the hospital long ago, but without the demanding urgency neither had even thought about it, and instead had driven along at a normal pace.

Now the lights were flashing, sirens blaring as they raced down the road, their arrival time much sooner than anticipated. Still it was agonizingly slow as Catherine wrapped her arms around him, shivering at the feel of his own cold body. It was alarming to see him like this, he seemed even younger than before, and more fragile than anything she had ever seen.

Saying a short prayer she closed her eyes, knowing that if they didn't get him in soon, then they would indeed lose him. And perhaps this time, for good.

TBC