Chapter 5

Marie opened her eyes in the hospital bed, she lifted her hand to her face feeling a head ache she'd never felt before. Her eyes adjusted to the light of the room before focusing on a woman.
"Bet it hurts like a bitch." Catherine said giving Marie a smile as she handed her a glass of water. Marie took the glass taking small sips, she kept looking over Catherine.

"Yeah, just a bit." she placed the glass down on the bedside table before rubbing over her face again feeling a wave of embarrassment. "Just feel stupid, so my pride is hurting more than the rest of Me." she added sitting up on the bed trying to avoid looking at anything else but Catherine's face. Marie didn't really know what to say as she watched Catherine's eyes.

"Well, just know that Gil, he would be here, but big case…" she said placing her hand on the bed, Catherine knew she couldn't take the place of Grissom. Marie took a deep breath licking her bottom lip.

"I don't want him to see me right now." Marie took a moment to look at the door, the glass window gave her enough view to see the people walking about their own business and she placed a hand over her eyes feeling humiliated.

"Look Marie, you gotta understand that sometime we do things we don't want to remember, but you're young." Catherine tapped her arm lightly, "Try not to beat yourself up about it."

Marie nodded before glancing at a clock on the wall; she didn't know what else to say seeing the wall confirm it was seven thirty in the morning. "How long have you been here?" she asked trying to not seem worried, but then a complete stranger staying with her made her nervous. It wasn't everyday that something like this happened to her as he eyes kept studying Catherine.

"I have been her since I got off shift." she glanced to her watch quickly before meeting Marie's eyes again. "About twenty minutes…" she added while Marie lightly bit onto her thumb. "I know you don't really know me, but if you want to talk to anyone about what happened, I am right here." Catherine kept watching as Marie blinked.

"It's ok; seriously the guy at the club didn't do anything to me…" Marie now felt her face growing hot as most of that night's events were just flashes, but one memory stuck in her head. "Just feel weird, making out with that guy, I think Nick's his name." Marie placed a hand on her forehead, it wasn't her kind of thing to do, but she didn't even know the guy that well. Just remember the feeling of being in his arms, the touch of his hand holding her still.

"Oh, I can see how you would feel embarrassed." Catherine quickly studied the girl now, she didn't look that old, but then again she was a young woman.

"I have a job interview to work in the lab, if I get the job…" Marie placed her hands into her hair feeling her stomach turn again, she didn't really want to see Nick any time soon, and she didn't want to appear to be immature.

"Look, I've known Nick a while, his not the type of guy to think like that." she smiled patting Marie's shoulder carefully. "So, when's the interview?" she asked trying to lighten the mood.

Marie relaxing a little moving on the bed, "Tomorrow, after noon…" she laughed brushing her long red hair behind her head.

"What colour dye do you use?" Catherine asked as Marie titled her head with a simple smile.
"Burning red passion…" her hand looked to the tips of her hair with a simple shrug, "Natural blond, but thought I needed a change." she added while watching Catherine.
"Well it's a good shade, brings out your eyes." Catherine now got to her feet looking over Marie with a smile, "Just try not to go drinking for a while, I can go see if you can be out of here." Catherine holding the door handle as Marie moved on the bed.

"Oh thank God, I'd like that!" Marie moved the quilt to get out the bed, but glanced around the room seeing the clothes she was submitted in. "Catherine, I know this I much." she started trying to figure a way to ask for anything else to wear out.

"Don't worry, I swung by your hotel room, got you something nicer to wear." she added pointed to a bag on another chair in the hospital room.
"Thank you, I am going to burn those clothes!" she added pointing to the club clothes feeling sick.

"What do we have?" Grissom asked walking into the autopsy room while Albert finishing off his medical examination. He glanced up before clearing his throat, his crutches clucking on the floor.

"Yes, just finish now, White Caucasian, in her early twenties, time of death is estimated about two three hours." Albert sighed stepping closer to the body, Grissom stepped the other side looking down to the face of the woman. She could have been the same age as Marie. The woman's eyes closed, but were found open.

"But not a big surprises cause of death was serious laceration to the anterior, from what I can tell it was a clean cut from left to right…" Albert reached down showing the path of slice that killed her.

Grissom sighed glancing up to Albert, "So anything else that can help with the case?" he asked watching Albert lift her left wrist.
"She has contusions on her wrist and ankles." he added as Grissom looked with him. Grissom now took a closer look at them before nodding. "What ever happened to this girl she was tied down…" he said while placing the white blanket over her again.

Albert gave Grissom a quick smirk, "so I heard your niece is in town." he slowly moved from the body to the desk as Grissom followed behind rubbing his hand over his face.

"She's got a job interview at the lab." he finally said while placing his hands on the table watching over Albert feeling out paper work. "How you know?" he said trying to not seem too curious.

"Hospital, I bumped into Catherine getting Marie's discharge paperwork." he replied starting to do finish his write up on the body; he quickly glanced to Grissom, "Anything you want to share?" Albert glanced at him over his glasses.

Grissom now took a deep breath pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before looking towards the door. "Al, I just have a case to solve, and a niece I'm finding harder to relate to." his voice calm, but with an edge of irritation.

"One thing Gil, I have a daughter, the one thing I know can help is, just listen to her." he then picked up his pen starting to add to his report, "Just talk to her." he added as Grissom started to head out the door.

"Thanks…" he waved while walking into the hall looking to his phone before heading to the exit seeing Marie jumping into a cab glancing in his direction as it drove away.