Disclaimer: I just borrow these characters for my ramblings.
Sara and Greg finally fell asleep, but Catherine finally gave up. She got up and went into the hall to stretch. Leaning against the wall, eyes closed, pondering recent events, she almost jumped out of her skin upon hearing Grissom's voice.
"You left my Sara alone with Greg?" he questioned, grinning, eyes narrowed.
"Geez, Gil, you scared me half to death. Don't sneak up on a person like that!" She scolded, while he chuckled. "I couldn't sleep, so I was stretching out here; those two are out for the count."
"It was good for me to check in at the lab, and I managed to avoid Ecklie, by the way. Appreciate the heads up on that. Mostly, I appreciate you two staying, it was surely overkill, but my mind was at ease knowing you were here."
Catherine was now grimacing, "Overkill? Well, it wasn't really overkill after all."
"Catherine," he said with his tone rising, "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that Greg and I are totally exhausted, we are leaving now that you are here, and I'm going to let Sara fill you in on what you missed."
Grissom had a look of total confusion on his face as Catherine entered Sara's room to collect her things, and collect Greg as well. "C'mon sleeping beauty," she whispered in his ear, "Let's get home and get some rest."
"Catherine," Grissom whispered forcibly, but she continued out, smiling. Greg patted him on the shoulder silently shaking his head and rolling his eyes, and they were gone. Sara was sleeping peacefully. He wouldn't dare wake her, so his curiosity would drive him insane until she stirred. Then he got an idea. Opening the door he saw Doris heading down the hall with her medicine cart, "Pssst, hello Doris." Grissom flashed his biggest smile her way, "So what happened here while I was gone?"
Doris laughed heartily, "Oh baby, let's just say you were the talk o' the town!" She continued with her work, shaking her head and giggling.
"I was!?" By now Grissom was beside himself. What could have happened, and why won't anyone tell me!
Just then Sara started to stir. Looking around to get oriented, Gil rushed to her side, "Hey there."
Rubbing her eyes, "Hey there, yourself," she said with her mouth forming a grin, happy to see he had returned.
"Will you please tell me what I missed! Greg and Catherine left exhausted, they told me you'd fill me in. I've been going crazy waiting for you to wake up. Even my friend Doris is evading the question," he said smiling, planting several tender kisses around her face and lips between words.
But Sara was smiling no more, "Oh, honey," she said cringing and shaking her head, "I don't even know where to start."
Now he was looking at her, trying to read her mood, searching for clues, "What? Please, Sara, tell me. Surely Lurie didn't come back?" He said almost jokingly, while he took her hand and kissed it.
"First I need your word, promise you won't be mad that I didn't call you."
He instantly froze, then he shook his head, looking at her intently now, "Sara, please…"
Sara took a deep breath and started to recount the events of the day. "Lurie came back; he brought a social worker to investigate my old fractures."
"What!?" Gil's expression was that of complete shock and confusion.
"You know, technically they actually had the law with them, but Lurie was scary. Greg threw him out!" She couldn't resist laughing, "You should have seen that!" she said rolling her eyes.
Grissom exhaled audibly, his stomach was in knots, and he was trembling with emotion as he reached up to wipe his mouth. It was not unlike the helpless feeling he had looking at her lifeless body they found in the desert, "I'm having trouble with all of this…" I should have never left.
Sara saw his inner turmoil and reached up to embrace him. He held onto her for dear life; his embrace was so tight it was actually painful given all her injuries, but she would never consider asking him to relinquish it. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he relaxed his hold on her. He looked upon her face, her look was pensive as she continued, "It took a while, but I finally managed to do what I needed to do. After all was said and done, I think that social worker was actually very good. When she first came in with Lurie, I assumed she was his puppet, but obviously that was not the case."
"How do you know?"
Sara now grinned, "She left you her card."
Grissom now looked more confused than ever.
"She wants your input for her report to the hospital ethics board on Lurie's actions."
Grissom's eyebrows shot up. "I see," he meekly replied.
They finally laughed at the image of Greg trying to stand tall to Lurie. Sara reassured Gil that he left her in good hands. Greg was right outside if he was needed, and Catherine was at her side, ready to stand up for her as need be. Grissom then reassured her that Catherine and Greg would be discrete with her past.
"So you're not mad that I didn't call you."
"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far," he said frowning.
"It's over though. That trial transcript is so detailed, there won't be much doubt about what happened."
"I just don't think you should have had to go through that. Sara, I know how hard that was for you to talk about. I could have met with this Ms. Davies and provided the same details. She could have checked them just the same."
"Gil, honey, you know how it is. When the suspect…."
He recoiled at the word, "suspect!"
"Like it or not, a woman with a fresh fracture and several old ones, guess who is suspect number one, current boyfriend!" she said smiling, managing now to find a bit of ironic humor in the whole thing. "Lurie made sure that lady walked in the door suspecting you first and foremost."
He nodded. "I guess you're right. We could have gotten there, but it might have been an ugly journey. I would not have taken on the role of 'suspect' gently." He paused, then asked, "And Lurie, he hasn't been back?"
"No, as a matter of fact, the orthopedic surgery team descended on me; told me they were now my doctors, and, Oh by the way, I'm going to the operating room in the morning."
Eyebrows raised again, "Whoa."
"Yeah, apparently they gotta put some metal plates and screws in there to keep the bones lined up so they heal properly. I asked if it's enough to set off the metal detectors at the courthouse, and they didn't know." After pausing, "I guess that means 'yes'," she frowned.
Grissom nodded, "And then home?"
"Yes! Tomorrow after surgery, home," she smiled at him. It was the same smile that makes his insides melt, that sends his heart into overdrive, that makes him feel the power of his love for her.
He leaned over for another kiss, and realized she was much easier to embrace now that much of the paraphernalia attached to her had been taken away. Taking full advantage they savored being alone together, and alive.
TBC….