Thanks for all the reviews, they are very much appreciated. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Here goes...
Fragility
Chapter 3
Grissom followed Sara up to the intensive care ward. The nurse stopped him from entering the room. "Mr Grissom, you need to wait outside."
"No way, I'm not leaving her."
"I'm sorry but it's hospital policy, you cannot come in here."
"Look she is terrified of hospitals, she will stay a lot calmer if I..."
"Mr Grissom, I will contact security if I have to."
Gil took a deep breath to prevent himself from losing his temper. "I'll just call Edward Dark, the hospital director and see what he can do about this policy." Grissom replied taking out his phone and retreating from the nurse.
After Mr Dark's home had been broken into and his wife terrorised, it had been Sara and Grissom who had worked the case and found the evidence to have the man responsible arrested before he could do any more harm. The man had given Grissom his cell phone number and told him to call if he ever needed a favour. It wasn't unusual for a grateful victim to promise a favour to Grissom at the end of a case but this was the first time in his career that Grissom had even considered calling a favour inbefore.
"Edward Dark." Came the sleep filled answer.
"It's Gil Grissom, I'm sorry for waking you but I need that favour you promised and it can't wait."
"Go on."
"It's my colleague, Sara Sidle, they think she has meningitis. She's in intensive care but they won't let me stay with her. She's terrified of hospitals, and sick, and confused and I promised her that I wouldn't leave her."
"Where are you now?"
"Outside her room."
"Stay there, I'll sort it out."
Grissom sighed with relief. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Grissom paced the corridor outside Sara's room alternating between watching her through the window and watching the clock.
It was less than five minutes before a harassed looking doctor came hurrying towards him. "Dr Grissom?" He asked when he was a few feet away from him. Grissom nodded in reply.
"My name is Jack Mercer, I'm the lead physician tonight. I've just spoken to Mr Dark, I apologise for any confusion, you can of cause stay with Miss Sidle, if that would be beneficiary to her. However, please understand that meningitis is contagious so if you feel yourself becoming unwell you must inform us."
Grissom nodded his understanding eager to get back to Sara. The doctor lead him into Sara's room. The nurse who had originally barred his entrance looked up sharply and opened her mouth.
"Nurse if I could see you outside for a moment please." He said leaving Grissom and another nurse alone in the room. "Please get Mr Grissom a chair." He said to the remaining nurse as they left.
Gil sat down beside Sara, her hand moved as though searching for his, he caught it and held onto it.
"We've given her a light sedative to help her stay calm." The nurse said in a hushed voice. "If you've got any questions just ask, my name's Anna."
Grissom smiled at her and then looked down at Sara, who tried to open her eyes but then closed them again. "Can you turn the lights down at all? It's hurting her eyes."
"Yes, of course." Anna said, recognising the squint of her patients eyes. She dimmed the lights, allowing Sara to open her eyes slightly.
"Hi sweetheart." He said catching sight of her brown eyes. Sara smiled as much as the oxygen mask would allow and then closed her eyes again, tiredness getting the better of her.
Grissom heard muffled voices outside and turned to see Doc Robbins talking to the doctor who had allowed him in.
The door opened and Doc Robbins limped in. "The team are waiting outside." Gil looked back to see Catherine looking through the window with a concerned smile on her face. He could see the shadows of the guys stood nearby.
"How is she?"
Gil shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure."
"They've confirmed that it is bacterial meningitis. They're giving the rest of the team antibiotics as a precaution, you'll have to take them too."
"Al, tell me honestly, is she going to be ok?"
Doc Robbins sighed before answering. "Ok, Gil, I'm not going to lie to you, bacterial meningitis is serious. Until they can do some more tests they won't know how serious but Sara is young and strong and she is a fighter. She is underweight though and she hasn't been taking very good care of herself recently, working too hard, sleeping too little. The next few days will be critical."
Grissom nodded and looked at Sara's sleeping face.
"Catherine wanted me to tell you that she will sort everything out with the lab so not to worry about it, and she said that if you need anything to just ask."
"Thanks."
"I have to get back to the morgue, I've got an autopsy to perform. Call me if you have any questions."
"Thanks Al."
He watched Doc Robbins leave and then turned his attention back to Sara, carefully stoking down her arm, avoiding the wires and tubes that invaded her body.
---
Grissom woke to the sound of the nurse coming into the room. "We're going to take Sara for a scan now, you can wait here if you like but we'll be about thirty minutes so maybe you should go get some fresh air, stretch your legs, get a coffee."
Grissom nodded, he didn't want to leave her but he knew he was already pushing his luck by staying with her at all. He kissed Sara's forehead and left the room.
"Catherine?" He was surprised to find her dozing on a chair outside Sara's room.
Catherine awoke with a start and rubbed her eyes as she stood up.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Shift's over, Lindsey's at school, thought you could do with some support. How is she?"
Grissom shrugged. "They're taking her for a scan now. You want to grab a coffee?"
Catherine yawned, "definitely."
They found the cafeteria and slumped down at a table with coffees.
"You can tell me to mind my own business if you want Gil but there's something going on between you and Sara, isn't there?"
Gil looked down at his coffee. "We've been seeing each other for just over a year, we didn't want to tell anyone, it's against lab policy and it's been going really well, we didn't want to jinx it."
"I won't tell anyone." Catherine said, reaching over and placing her hand on top of his.
"Thanks." He looked at his watch. "The nurse said thirty minutes, she should be back soon." They finished their coffees and made their way back to Sara's room. They could hear the commotion from down the corridor, Catherine followed as Grissom ran the rest of the way to the room.
The nurse caught him at the door, stopping him before he got into the room. "Mr Grissom, Sara's condition deteriorated on the way back the scan. She had a second seizure. She's not breathing on her own at the moment." Grissom looked through the window at Sara, terror was evident on his face.
The nurse touched Grissom's arm gently. "Mr Grissom, the scan showed significant swelling on Sara's brain. It's serious."
Grissom suddenly felt lightheaded, Catherine and the nurse caught him as his legs failed to support him.