5.Chapter - to get along
Las Vegas Memorial Hospital
She woke up by knocks on the pane, and it took her quite a few seconds until she realized where she was. Nick's room in hospital. She slowly rose and turned her head towards the pane and found herself looking straight into a well-known face on the other side of the glass.
"Cathrine!", she shouted, surprised.
Cathrine gestured her to come out to her and Sara nodded to show she understood. She stood up, and for a moment, her eyes rested on Nick, who was still asleep. He seemed to be Ok so far, so Sara left her place beneath his bed - not without gently striking his hand while moving away.
She hurried across the room, gently opened the door and closed it behind her.
Cathrine came over and hugged her.
"Sara - how are you, honey?", she asked.
"If I answered 'fine' I'd lie to you.", Sara tried to joke with a grim sense of humour. It was her way to deal with the situation.
Then she added:
"But nothing happened to me out there, so I should be relieved, right? I just cannot really."
"I know you weren't injured, Doc Newbaum told me. But you must be really shocked."
Sara just nodded, then asked:
"So you know what happened out there?"
Cathrine smiled at her, and Sara noticed it was her soothing everything- will-be-just-fine-believe-me-I-know-it smile, Cathrine usually smiled at victims of crimes. And yet it worked. She felt a bit more relaxed.
Then Cathrine replied:
"We were informed by the police. Grissom and me just had been checking some alibis and comparing them with the clues we had found at the crime scene, when the telephone rang. Grissom wasn't able to leave, but I came as soon as possible!"
While Cathrine had been talking, the whole terrifying scenery had reappeared in Sara's mind and she sniffed. She tried to suppress it and told herself not to be a complete fool. But. The shot - the blood - Nick.
Cathrine put an arm around Sara's shoulders, squeezed her to cheer up and said:
"I can imagine this was - and still is - horrible for you. For everyone. But calm down now, everything's gonna be fine."
"But Nick-", Sara started, but wasn't able to finish that sentence, because Cathrine interrupted her:
"He will be fine, too, all right? The doctors and nurses care for him. So why won't you let me take you home with me? Neither staying in this hospital atmosphere will help you to get along, nor being alone in your flat. So how is it?"
Sara was likely to say no, and Cathrine - who felt that - quickly added:
"Nick will be asleep for quite a long time, and he needs it to get well soon. There's nothing you can do over here."
Sara hesitated - but then nodded.
"All right, Cathrine, I'll come with you."
Sara took measures to leave, when Cathrine stopped her with a slight smile, pointing at her.
"Uhm, I guess you should leave this over here, don't you?"
Dazzled, Sara looked down herself.
"Oh. yes." She hadn't relized she was still wearing the green, sterile coat. She hurried to take it off and placed it on a seat in the corridor.
Then the two women left.
*****
As Cathrine tried to manage passing the overcrowded streets of Las Vegas as good as possible, Sara suddenly rose her voice. She had been quiet and self- settled the time before.
"You said you were informed by the police. Did they catch him? I mean. the guy who shot."
Cathrine gave her a quick look, and Sara believed there had been a worried expression in her face. But before she could say anything, Cathrine told her:
"No, they didn't. I'm sorry. But they surely will."
Sara's mood went worse. She had hoped that they had at least caught the guy. To hear the police had failed made her lose the hope they'd ever find him.
*****
Suburb of Las Vegas, Cathrine's apartment
About an hour later, Sara had taken a shower, was dressed up with some of Cathrine's clothes and was now sitting on the large sofa, holding a cup of tea in her hands and taking a closer look around.
She had never been to Cathrine's apartment before.
The living room had a solid, but charming touch. The large sofa and two additional arm chairs were of dark red leather and very comfortable.
A large window dominated the wall on Sara's right side, through which she could watch the sun rise above the skyline of Las Vegas a few kilometres east. Cathrine's apartment was in one of the suburbs of the metropolis. On the wall behind the sofa, she had seen some honours and medals been placed at the wall, right next to a large wooden cupboard.
Sara was still looking around the tidy room, when Cathrine came in, carrying a cup and a plate.
She sat down on the sofa, as well, placed the plate on the coffee table in front of it and said:
"I thought you might be hungry."
Sara glimpsed at the plate, then asked with a smile:
"Gingerbread and cookies?"
Cathrine flushed.
"Uhm, well. I'm afraid I have to go shopping as soon as possible.. I weren't able to know there'd be a visitor today.", the tried to apologize.
"It's OK, don't worry 'bout that.", Sara replied and took a cookie.
"Tastes wonderful after such a night."
At first sight she was only chewing, but she was deep in thoughts.
After a while she said, hesitating:
"Cathrine, . I don't know if you want to listen. but, well.", then she broke off.
Cathrine gave her a soft smile.
"I thing you'll feel better when you had the chance to talk about it. You may tell me everything. Let it out."
Sara sighed and took another sip. Her eyes fixed on an imaginary point somewhere, she slowly started to talk.
"When Nick and I arrived at the crime scene."
*****
Sara had been talking for almost half an hour. Now the bright early morning sunshine bathed the room in light and made Sara's wet eyes glitter.
With a precise motion of her hand she dried her eyes and was a bit surprised that she really felt a bit better.
Cathrine had been listening all the time, not saying anything to interrupt Sara.
Now she asked her:
"Do you feel any better?"
And Sara nodded.
"Thank you, Cathrine."
*****
Las Vegas Memorial Hospital
By the same time, the machines that controlled and observed Nick's heartbeat and respiration, began to screech alarmingly.
- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------
thank you all for reviewing, especially Crazi River and MissyJane!
Las Vegas Memorial Hospital
She woke up by knocks on the pane, and it took her quite a few seconds until she realized where she was. Nick's room in hospital. She slowly rose and turned her head towards the pane and found herself looking straight into a well-known face on the other side of the glass.
"Cathrine!", she shouted, surprised.
Cathrine gestured her to come out to her and Sara nodded to show she understood. She stood up, and for a moment, her eyes rested on Nick, who was still asleep. He seemed to be Ok so far, so Sara left her place beneath his bed - not without gently striking his hand while moving away.
She hurried across the room, gently opened the door and closed it behind her.
Cathrine came over and hugged her.
"Sara - how are you, honey?", she asked.
"If I answered 'fine' I'd lie to you.", Sara tried to joke with a grim sense of humour. It was her way to deal with the situation.
Then she added:
"But nothing happened to me out there, so I should be relieved, right? I just cannot really."
"I know you weren't injured, Doc Newbaum told me. But you must be really shocked."
Sara just nodded, then asked:
"So you know what happened out there?"
Cathrine smiled at her, and Sara noticed it was her soothing everything- will-be-just-fine-believe-me-I-know-it smile, Cathrine usually smiled at victims of crimes. And yet it worked. She felt a bit more relaxed.
Then Cathrine replied:
"We were informed by the police. Grissom and me just had been checking some alibis and comparing them with the clues we had found at the crime scene, when the telephone rang. Grissom wasn't able to leave, but I came as soon as possible!"
While Cathrine had been talking, the whole terrifying scenery had reappeared in Sara's mind and she sniffed. She tried to suppress it and told herself not to be a complete fool. But. The shot - the blood - Nick.
Cathrine put an arm around Sara's shoulders, squeezed her to cheer up and said:
"I can imagine this was - and still is - horrible for you. For everyone. But calm down now, everything's gonna be fine."
"But Nick-", Sara started, but wasn't able to finish that sentence, because Cathrine interrupted her:
"He will be fine, too, all right? The doctors and nurses care for him. So why won't you let me take you home with me? Neither staying in this hospital atmosphere will help you to get along, nor being alone in your flat. So how is it?"
Sara was likely to say no, and Cathrine - who felt that - quickly added:
"Nick will be asleep for quite a long time, and he needs it to get well soon. There's nothing you can do over here."
Sara hesitated - but then nodded.
"All right, Cathrine, I'll come with you."
Sara took measures to leave, when Cathrine stopped her with a slight smile, pointing at her.
"Uhm, I guess you should leave this over here, don't you?"
Dazzled, Sara looked down herself.
"Oh. yes." She hadn't relized she was still wearing the green, sterile coat. She hurried to take it off and placed it on a seat in the corridor.
Then the two women left.
*****
As Cathrine tried to manage passing the overcrowded streets of Las Vegas as good as possible, Sara suddenly rose her voice. She had been quiet and self- settled the time before.
"You said you were informed by the police. Did they catch him? I mean. the guy who shot."
Cathrine gave her a quick look, and Sara believed there had been a worried expression in her face. But before she could say anything, Cathrine told her:
"No, they didn't. I'm sorry. But they surely will."
Sara's mood went worse. She had hoped that they had at least caught the guy. To hear the police had failed made her lose the hope they'd ever find him.
*****
Suburb of Las Vegas, Cathrine's apartment
About an hour later, Sara had taken a shower, was dressed up with some of Cathrine's clothes and was now sitting on the large sofa, holding a cup of tea in her hands and taking a closer look around.
She had never been to Cathrine's apartment before.
The living room had a solid, but charming touch. The large sofa and two additional arm chairs were of dark red leather and very comfortable.
A large window dominated the wall on Sara's right side, through which she could watch the sun rise above the skyline of Las Vegas a few kilometres east. Cathrine's apartment was in one of the suburbs of the metropolis. On the wall behind the sofa, she had seen some honours and medals been placed at the wall, right next to a large wooden cupboard.
Sara was still looking around the tidy room, when Cathrine came in, carrying a cup and a plate.
She sat down on the sofa, as well, placed the plate on the coffee table in front of it and said:
"I thought you might be hungry."
Sara glimpsed at the plate, then asked with a smile:
"Gingerbread and cookies?"
Cathrine flushed.
"Uhm, well. I'm afraid I have to go shopping as soon as possible.. I weren't able to know there'd be a visitor today.", the tried to apologize.
"It's OK, don't worry 'bout that.", Sara replied and took a cookie.
"Tastes wonderful after such a night."
At first sight she was only chewing, but she was deep in thoughts.
After a while she said, hesitating:
"Cathrine, . I don't know if you want to listen. but, well.", then she broke off.
Cathrine gave her a soft smile.
"I thing you'll feel better when you had the chance to talk about it. You may tell me everything. Let it out."
Sara sighed and took another sip. Her eyes fixed on an imaginary point somewhere, she slowly started to talk.
"When Nick and I arrived at the crime scene."
*****
Sara had been talking for almost half an hour. Now the bright early morning sunshine bathed the room in light and made Sara's wet eyes glitter.
With a precise motion of her hand she dried her eyes and was a bit surprised that she really felt a bit better.
Cathrine had been listening all the time, not saying anything to interrupt Sara.
Now she asked her:
"Do you feel any better?"
And Sara nodded.
"Thank you, Cathrine."
*****
Las Vegas Memorial Hospital
By the same time, the machines that controlled and observed Nick's heartbeat and respiration, began to screech alarmingly.
- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------
thank you all for reviewing, especially Crazi River and MissyJane!