Disclaimer: CSI characters are not mine. Someone should start creating a big list of witty things to say in disclaimers.
"So what's the final count?" Catherine called from her position propped up against the mine wall.
It had taken hours for the women to patch each other up to their satisfaction. Afterwards, they had taken inventory of the supplies they had. Much of it was useless; luminal, print dust, plaster of Paris- not exactly what you would bring with you to a cave-in if you had the choice. But they did have many things that could be used for medical purposes; alcohol, gauze, bandaging.
They also, thanks to Sara's request and her own intuition to bring more besides, had six nearly full bottles of water. They knew that they could go days without food if they had to, but two days without water and both would be facing imminent system failures.
"Looks like we've got four flash lights, each with a change of batteries, and your hard hat with a light. Mine broke in the collapse." Sara came to sit beside her co-worker.
She had created a pillow from her messenger bag and Catherine's regulation jacket and a make shift splint and tourniquet by shredding her CSI vest and using the Kevlar to align Catherine's pelvis and the inflexible fabric to bind the gash in the redhead's leg. The bleeding in both of their injuries had subsided, now they just had to make sure that they stayed free of infection.
"Well, I guess we're going to be here a while." Catherine acknowledged.
The brunette nodded, "You should try and get some rest."
"So should you."
"I have a headache."
"That's what happens when you run your head into a giant rock. Twice."
"I'm glad you can joke about my potential brain damage."
"You haven't got brain damage, Sara, you've got pride damage. You're just crabby because you had to actually admit to being hurt so that I could stitch and clean that hole in your head."
"It's not a hole; it's barely a scratch."
"Ha! Unbelievable."
"What?"
"You know very well what. That 'scratch', as you called it, was four inches long, and about half and inch wide and deep. In a hospital, they'd shave your head."
"No, they wouldn't, I wouldn't let them." Sara folded her arms across her chest stubbornly.
Catherine shook her head and rolled her eyes.
Silence fell over them for a few minutes.
"Well, this is unbelievably boring."
"No kidding."
"You know, this is a really stupid way to kill somebody. Assuming whoever tried to blow us up was the same person who killed Bill Cassidy, they are obviously complete amateurs."
"Not to mention clearly lacking in the creativity department. I mean, you kill one guy in a mine blast; kudos to you. You try to kill two more people the same way; you lose points in originality."
"Seriously." Catherine smiled. The light banter was doing wonders for her nerves. The more they talked like this, the easier it was for her to not think about the fact that she might never see sunshine or her little girl ever again.
"And," Sara said incredulously, "the guy didn't even do it right! We're still here. Evidently, he didn't think it through. Even if he had killed us, people would eventually come looking for our bodies. And then the bastard would get the death penalty for killing two police officers. He still will. What an idiot!"
"Right?" Catherine reached out and put her uninjured hand on Sara's lap. The younger woman quieted, took her hand, and scooted closer until the redhead could lean over and drop her head to Sara's shoulder. "You know, I'm really glad you're here with me."
"Yeah, it would suck to be here alone." Sara agreed.
"No," Catherine continued, "I mean I'm glad it's you with me and not anyone else."
"Really?" Sara looked skeptical, "You wouldn't rather it be one of the boys? One of your friends?" Sara winced. She hadn't meant to imply that she didn't want to be friends; just the opposite was true. And she had been studiously avoiding any conversation about the kiss from a few hours before.
Catherine shook her head. "No. Grissom would be disassociated and unhelpful. Nicky would be panicked- you know how he gets under stress. And Warrick…Warrick might be okay, but he wouldn't let me take care of him and he would still want me to be in charge even if," Catherine gestured at her legs, "I'm in no condition to do so." She traced patterns on Sara's palm as she looked up into her deep sepia eyes, "But you," she smiled, a little teary-eyed, "you've been perfect."
Sara blushed and looked down at their hands.
"You have," Catherine insisted firmly, "you've been wonderful. You've taken care of me and kept me from falling apart. But you've also let me help you as much as I can. And…and I feel safe with you. When you tell me everything's going to be okay, I know it's true. Maybe we haven't always gotten along, but I know you would never lie to me."
Sara looked up. In the shadowy light, Catherine's eyes looked almost silver, "I wouldn't," she said honestly.
Sara saw the soft expression on Catherine's tired, though still beautiful, face and cautiously bent lower. Catherine also tilted her head up to catch the younger woman's lips. Tentatively, both women increased the pressure of their mouths. Gaining confidence, Catherine straightened a little and began to massage Sara's lips with her own. She nipped and grazed gently until Sara began to respond and reciprocate.
The brunette was still uncertain, but who was she to deny this gorgeous woman; this gorgeous, sweet, gentle, fierce woman? So, instead of pulling back, which most of her brain was screaming at her to do, she deepened the kiss; she sucked Catherine's full lower lip into her mouth and bit down softly. A tingle ran down her spine at the moan this action elicited and spurred her on.
Forgetting her surroundings, Sara shifted forward and balanced herself with a hand against the cave wall. The added weight clearly implicated something to Catherine because she eagerly opened her mouth. Sara willingly complied. Both women's breath grew heavy. Sara slipped her tongue past the older woman's lips and teeth to caress the roof of her mouth.
Catherine shivered and tried to move to allow Sara better access. But in doing so, she jolted her hip and she cried out in pain making the brunette jump back in surprise.
"Cat!" Sara blanched at the grimace spreading across the redhead's face, "Cat, Catherine, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
Catherine shook her head, her eyes shut and her lips pursed against the pain, "No, I hurt myself." She looked up into the concerned eyes and tried to smile. She almost succeeded, "Don't worry, baby. You just made me feel so good I that forgot my lower extremities are temporarily out of commission."
A blush rose in Sara's cheeks but she still looked worried, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I will be if you come back here and kiss me again." Catherine's eyes flashed in the darkness.
"Oh, no." Sara backed off a bit, "As much as I would love that, your health comes before my sex drive."
"In whose book? In mine, health is several rungs below sex drive."
"No." Sara said firmly, "Besides, we really ought to talk about this, or wait until we get out of here and figure it out."
Catherine sighed, "Fine." Suddenly she felt a wave of exhaustion, "Will you at least lie beside me while I sleep? I can't seem to keep my eyes open."
Sara was beginning to feel weary herself, "Hmm, sure."
The brunette moved back to her position beside the redhead. They couldn't technically lie down, not and still keep Catherine's hips aligned and keep the blood circulating properly in Sara's head. But they reclined as comfortably as possible against the wall, and Sara pulled Catherine's torso onto her. Catherine smiled sleepily and burrowed her head into Sara's chest. The younger woman adjusted her posture so that she could tuck the other woman's head neatly under her chin. With that, they both drifted off into a deep, if troubled sleep.
I haven't mentioned this before, because it seemed obvious- how many people ask readers not to review? But just in case this inspires someone; review!!! (please)