A/N Thanks you to everyone who reviewed your all stars!
Sara took a deep breath before the automatic doors in front of her opened and she stepped into the hospital elevator accompanied by two men.
"I always thought hospitals should be in brighter colours," announced Greg breaking the silence while Nick glared at him as he tried too hard to make it aright. But Sara couldn't blame him, he was been a good friend, it was good of the two guys to come with her. Grissom had just worked a double and despite been tired he said he'd come with her but Greg and Nick stepped in and now they were on their way with Sara to her second round of chemo. So far they had been doing a great job of taking Sara's mind off it, talking to her about work Greg trying to chat up a victims niece, but once they entered the hospital the conversation had dried up as the reality hit all three of them.
Nick was worried, he'd talked to Cath and after she told him how ill Sara was after the first one he had to admit he was worried, if she became ill he wouldn't know how to act, Catherine had told it was all instinct but when it came down to it Nick didn't know how he'd handle seeing one of his best friends so ill. On the outside Greg seemed the picture of calm but every now then Nick would catch him looking worriedly over Sara which made him feel slightly better that Greg was a scared as him, god only knows what was going through Sara's mind.
'You might be fine this time' Sara kept going over and over again in her head trying to convince herself, 'it was ok at first until you started puking your guts up, damn," Sara inwardly flinched as the thought entered her head and they stepped out the lift onto the oncology floor.
"Could you guys wait here while I get urm hooked up," said Sara as they reached reception.
"Whatever you want," said Nick placing a comforting hand on her arm. He and Greg then took up two of the plastic chairs adorning the walls while Sara went to the little window and then disappeared through a set of double doors.
Sara followed the nurse into the side room where another awas been hooked up to an IV, the woman gave Sara a small nod as she came through the understanding eyes of someone about to go through the same thing as her met Sara's and she faltered slightly as she sat down. The nurse pulled the curtain over so Sara had some privacy.
"Right so how did the last treatment go and don't go playing the martyr when we might be able to help."
This nurse clearly had Sara sussed just be looking at her.
"It was…." Sara trailed off not wanting to admit it.
"Any sickness?" the nurse asked while preparing Sara's IV clearly used to people like Sara who weren't ready to admit anything.
"Yes," replied Sara somehow suddenly unable to meet the nurse's eyes.
"Would you like an anti emetic?"
"Please," said Sara quietly.
Ten minutes later the double doors to the reception creaked open and Sara beckoned to Greg and Nick to come in. The two men had to admit it was weird seeing Sara stood IV in arm wondering around as if nothing was happening. The room they followed her into was daunting; it was full of others having treatment all clearly in various stages of the disease and treatment.
"This is the main room," explained Sara, "sort of like the day room on the ward you don't get your own room unless your pretty bad and luckily I'm not in that category yet," she said with a false humour that Nick had to admire her for.
"So what have we got to do around here?" asked Greg slapping his hand together as they sat round an empty table.
"We have lots of crosswords, puzzles and cards," replied Sara in a slightly apologetic tone.
"Arsehole it is," smiled Greg getting looks not just from Sara and Nick but from a few people sat near by. "It's a card game," sighed Greg indicating for some cards, which Sara provided from the table behind her.
"This British guy I went to college with taught me, used to pass lots of nights playing this. You have a president and an arsehole," Greg began explaining the game to the pair.
An hour later and they were still playing cards Nick was currently residing as president and Sara was an arsehole as she had proudly declared when she lost the last game but that may have had something to do with the drugs taking effect and the fatigue taking hold.
An hour later and all the poison had been pumped into Sara's veins and it was becoming obvious to Nick and Greg as to one side effect. Sara was stood in the elevator between the two men swaying ever so slightly because of the effort standing up was placing on her weakened body. Nick caught Greg's eye as they stepped out the elevator and without saying a word Greg slipped an around Sara's waist and lent into him allowing him to take some of her weight. She felt so tired again all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep forever, she felt slightly nauseous but nothing compared to last time although she had to admit this time the world was spinning slightly like she'd been in two many fair ground rides. So she was grateful when they reached the car and she was able to sit down. Greg and Nick spoke mostly to each other on the drive back both understanding that Sara needed to rest rather than be forced to talk. They had barely come to a standstill of Grissom and Sara's front when Grissom came almost jogging out the front door to meet them; he had clearly been at the window waiting for quite some time.
"Hey," smiled Greg as Grissom nodded at them going straight to Sara.
"I'm ok," said Sara with a half-hearted smile, "thank guys," she added turning to Nick and Greg.
"Any time," smiled Nick, "well get off now," he added not wanting Grissom to think he had to invite them in the last thing they needed now was guests.
"True fully?" asked Grissom once he and Sara were inside.
"Remember when you took me on the roller coaster three times in a row, kind of like that," said Sara now leaning against Grissom as he walked her to the bedroom.
"Would you like a bath?" he asked as she sat down on the bed.
"I'll probably fall asleep and drown," she mumbled pulling at her top wanting to get into some comfier clothes since she started chemo her skin seemed really sensitive.
"I'll be on drowning duty," said Grissom getting up to run her a bath, he was grateful for once he could actually do something even if it was just turn on two taps it made him feel better like he was helping.
By the time Sara had gotten bathed she was exhausted, she was dressed in a white vest top and black slacks with a grey hooded top hanging off her shoulders as she lay on the bed silently praying that the nausea that was starting to creep up on her would leave of it's own accord. Grissom had busied himself in the kitchen hoping that without him lingering in the doorway Sara would at least be able to pretend he wasn't fretting and be able to sleep. So when he ventured in twenty minutes later he was surprised to find her fast asleep curled up on top of the bed her chest rising and falling steadily. He was still sound asleep three hours later when he came to bed, he had been so scared of waking her that rather than trying to get under the covers she was laying on he fetched a blanket from the spare room and used it to cover himself.
Sara woke three hours later with the horrible sensation that she was going to be sick, her mouth was filled with saliva and had hands trembling slightly as she forced herself out the bed and stumbled towards the bathroom, she cursed the door for creaking as she opened it and dropped to her knees by the toilet waiting for the inevitable to take over.
Grissom woke to the sound of someone coughing, it took a moment for his senses to wake up but once they had he was on his feet heading straight for the bathroom where he found Sara lent against the toilet wiping her mouth. Without saying a word Grissom took a cloth from the side and ran it under the cold tap then passed it to Sara before taking a glass he had left in there earlier and filing it with water and handing to her.
"Do you want to go back to bed?" asked Grissom once Sara had sipped at the water. He knew not to question how she felt, it was obvious and he knew fussing over her would only upset her so he did what he was good at acted as if nothing was a big deal.
"I still feel sick," said Sara in an unusually small voice.
"You'll be comfier in bed," said Grissom bending down and placing an arm round her middle as she stood. He then walked her back to the bedroom laying her down he then went and fetched the bucket from the kitchen and placed it next to the bed before laying down again next to Sara. He felt uncomfortable he didn't know what to do then he felt a hand against his as Sara searched out him comforting touch and with out truing to each other they linking hands and laid in silence that one action enough to comfort the both of them.
The next time Sara woke it was dark but it felt like the desert sun was beating down on her, god she hated night sweats. She pushed the blanket off herself allowing some of the cool air to temporally relieve the fire that ragging across her body. She felt sick, she hated that feeling, the bed sheets around her were damp from perspiration suddenly she felt he bile rise in her throat and threw herself to the side of the bed just in time as she vomited what little she'd eaten in the bucket Grissom had placed there. After laying her head hanging over the side for a few seconds Sara swung her feet over sitting up and making sure she wasn't going to be sick again she slowly rose from the bed not wanting to wake Grissom. She found her legs week and shaky as was her entire body as she picked the bucket up and stumbled one foot in front of the other towards the bathroom. The cool tiles felt wonderful against her skin as she cooled down clearing up the best she could while the nausea was still rolling through her body. She wasn't sure how long she sat in the bathroom floor but eventually the cooler Vegas night air got to her and she began to shiver so somehow dragged herself back to bed.
Grissom woke to the vibration of his phone on the night stand as the alarm went off in the darkness, why he agreed to work swing tonight he didn't know but Sara had told him he should something to do with needed daylight. He rolled over to find Sara asleep next to him the cover half draped over her. He got up quietly trying his best not to wake her as he tiptoed to the bathroom but on entering he nearly went flying over a bucket left in the doorway. Sighing he picked it up knowing Sara had been ill in the night, he looked down at his watch Cath would be there in an hour to keep and eye on her and he only had twenty minutes to get to work.
When Catherine Willows pulled up to the house the sun was just beginning to rise. There were no signs of life inside so she took out the key Grissom had given her and let herself in. she found Sara asleep on the sofa the TV playing itself. Sara stirred as Cath wondered round tiding as only a mother could.
"Morning," said Sara sleepily.
"Sorry did I wake you?" asked Cath coming over and sitting on a chair taking in Sara's appearance.
"No I was just drifting," said Sara her skin looking dreadfully pale against her dark brown hair.
"I'm sure you're sick of this question but how you feeling?" asked Cath getting up to make herself some coffee.
"Not too bad," replied Sara honestly she still felt sick but she was becoming used to that. "How's things at work?" asked Sara hoping for a distraction as Cath set about making herself and Sara some breakfast.
"Ecklie got a dressing down from Bobby," said Cath with a wicked smile as Sara followed her into the kitchen pouring herself some water.
"From Bobby," smiled Sara.
"We were slightly short staffed so Ecklie went out in the field when he got back he forgot to sign for the weapons he test fired. Bobby yelled at him in front of the entire lab," laughed Cath as the toast popped up.
"Busy night?" said Sara sitting down as Cath shoved a slice of toast in front of her.
"Me and Warrick had a B and E that turned out to be the teenage son steeling from his parents and three trash runs," said Cath as Sara reluctantly began chewing he toast.
"Now if that doesn't help with the nausea nothing will," smiled Cath.
TBC…….
Next time it's Warrick's Birthday….