A/N: I hope the wait has paid off and your faith in me has been redeemed.
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Chapter Twelve
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Sara awoke with a sharp gasp as she felt a presence standing over her.
"It's okay." Jim assured as he held his hands up as if in surrender.
She quickly looked at Gil and was relieved to see no blood and to see him still sleeping and still breathing. She put her feet down on the floor and rubbed her face with her hands.
"Sorry. I just had this horrible nightmare." "You want to talk about it?" He pulled another chair up to the bedside and sat down, facing her.
"I dreamt that he came for Gil." Fear was evident in her voice.
"Who?" His brow creased.
"The third man. No one has said anything about it, so I assume he got away."
She looked at Jim, waiting for him to speak the answer she already knew. He silently nodded his head.
"I'm here tonight," He assured. "And we'll have a uniform outside the door at all times as soon as one gets here. Okay?"
She just nodded and went back to watching Gil's sleeping form. Jim picked up the pamphlet that Doctor Kitts had given her and began to read through it. His only response to what he read were several disgusted grunts and the occasional shake of his head.
As if the poor man hasn't already been through enough. He thought bitterly.
Sara knew what he was thinking without having to ask. She had leafed through the pamphlet herself. The list of things that he could possibly suffer from as aftereffects was staggering.
"He's got a long road ahead of him."
Jim shook his head as he put the pamphlet back down on the bedside table and looked sadly at his friend.
The nurses had been quite considerate of Jim and Sara. They had found a cot for them to use as well as the couch that was opposite Gil's bed. Then they gave them extra blankets and pillows.
Jim tried to get Sara to lay down on the cot for a while, but she politely refused. When he headed for the couch, she leveled her best glare on him and he dramatically sat on the cot and huddled under the blankets. His humorous quaking in fear made her laugh.
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At eight o'clock the next morning Nick, Warrick and Catherine quietly walked through the door, carrying bags of food they had picked up at their favorite diner. Sara hadn't been able to sleep since her nightmare and greeted her friends with quiet eyes and genuine happiness.
"Good morning." Catherine whispered, upon seeing Jim asleep on the cot.
Nick and Warrick smiled at each other and tiptoed over to where the detective slept. Nick gently sat down on the edge of the cot and pulled a forgotten latex glove out of his pocket. He dangled it over Jim's face and slowly lowered it. It was just about to touch Jim's nose when he spoke, nearly giving Nick a heart attack.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mister Stokes."
Nick froze, confused by Jim's still closed eyes and serene features until he saw the smile slowly stretch across the older man's face and he knew he'd been had. Jim slowly opened his eyes and enjoyed the dejected look on the young man's face. The others laughed and Warrick held up the plastic bag that he had carried in.
"Breakfast."
"Mmm, smells good." Jim said and pushed Nick off the cot.
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Just as they were finishing breakfast two nurses came in and greeted them all good morning.
"We need to change Mister Grissom's bandages." The older one said.
They all took the unspoken suggestion and moved out of the room. Nick and Warrick gathered the empty cartons and put them in the trash.
"Look," Jim started. "Would one of you guys mind sticking around until the officer gets here to stand guard?"
"Sure, no problem." Warrick volunteered.
"Good, thank you." Jim replied as he tied his shoes. "Sara and I really need to go home and get some rest."
Although he had been on the cot when they arrived it was now evident by the look on his face and the tiredness in his voice that he hadn't actually slept at all.
"What?" Sara looked at him in annoyance. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Look… Sara." He tried to bargain.
"No. I'm not leaving." She said defiantly.
Jim took a step forward, ready for an argument, when he felt Catherine's hand on his arm and he stopped. He looked at her and she whispered.
"Let me try."
Sara sat down in a chair with her arms folded defiantly across her chest. Catherine knelt down next to the chair and put her hand on the younger woman's arm.
"Sara." She called gently.
Sara didn't want to acknowledge her so Catherine took her chin and gently brought her head around to face her.
"Sara, honey, I know you don't want to leave him but you want to stay strong for him, don't you?"
A tear rolled down Sara's cheek and she nodded her head slowly. Catherine reached up and brushed away the tear.
"Listen, okay?" She waited for her nod. "Go home with Jim. Get a shower, some rest and a hot meal. Then you can come back later. I'll stay with Gil until you come back, Okay?"
Sara looked at each of the others and upon seeing approving looks on all of their faces she reluctantly nodded her head.
She put on her sneakers and went back to Gil's bedside. She watched him for a minute then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. She stroked her fingers through his graying curls and after a moment she placed her soft lips next to his ear.
"I love you, Gil." She whispered. "And I'll be back this afternoon, okay baby?"
Once more she placed a kiss on his temple and reluctantly joined Jim at the door. She longingly looked back to where her love lay, silently and Jim gently led her out of the room.
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The car ride had been uncomfortably silent and when they reached his house it didn't change.
Jim watched Sara carefully as she headed for the guest room. She was shaking and Jim's heart sank when he heard her faint sobs. He took her by her arms and gently turned her around. The sorrow that had once again enveloped her features broke his heart and shattered his reserve. He pulled her into his arms and they cried hard in each others embrace.
"Sara," He said softly. "We care about you. You know that right?"
"I need him, Jim" Sara replied quietly, her voice filled with exhaustion and uncertainty.
"I know, hon. I know"
They cried for ten minutes before they calmed. The release had left them both exhausted and relieved. Her legs were unsteady and he helped her down the hall and into the guest room where he sat her down on the bed. He held out her pajamas but she looked at them with disinterest and shook her head.
"I'm too tired to care."
At that moment a long dormant, paternal instinct kicked in. Jim bent down to untie her shoes and helped her under the covers. She was fast asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. After tucking her into bed Jim marveled for a moment at how strong Sara had been through this whole, terrifying experience and how strong she would be when she would wake. Her renewed energy when she would wake would give her strength and Gil strength.
Jim shut off the light and closed the door behind him.
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When Sara rolled over and looked at the clock she was stunned. She had slept for twelve straight hours and now felt a desperate need to pee. She climbed out of bed and stumbled across the hallway to the bathroom where she fumbled for the light switch and almost wet herself in her hurry to get her pants down in time. She thought her water would never end and afterwards she washed her hands and headed back to her room.
As she passed Jim's bedroom door she stopped when she heard a troubled moan. He had left the door open a crack and she cautiously pushed it open.
"Jim?" She whispered.
She was answered by another troubled moan. In the dimming daylight that was making it way through the curtains she could make out his form laying under the covers on his bed. She realized that he was having a dream and left him be. She was sure that she knew what he was dreaming about. After watching that disc they would all be having nightmares for a while.
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On day three, their spirits were lifted. Jim and Sara walked into Gil's room after grabbing coffee. Sara almost dropped the full cup in her hand when she looked at Gil and found him looking back at her. She hurried over to his bedside, her mind was a race of thoughts as she set her coffee down on the bedside table.
"Hi, baby."
She thought her face would break for the smile on it and she took his hand. He flinched when she touched him. While her smile faded a little she didn't pull her hand away. Jim was behind Sara and Gil's eyes widened with fear and his breathing increased rapidly as Jim approached. The beep of the heart monitor quickened and by the sound Sara thought, for a brief moment, that he was going into cardiac arrest.
When Gil recognized Jim he calmed back down and quickly averted his eyes, automatically steeling himself for a slap across the face. Jim noticed his friends confusion and discomfort and stopped.
"Hey, Gil, it's okay." Jim said in his most soothing voice. "I'm just going to find the doctor, okay?"."
Gil didn't respond, only looked at his friend with wide eyes. After Jim left the room Sara sat back down next to the bed. Gil tightened his grip on her hand as if she would leave if he loosened it.
"It's okay." She reassured as she sat down. "I'm not going anywhere."
She ran her fingers through his soft, graying curls and he shrank away from her touch. She sighed at his reaction, but let her hands softly caress his face and arms. She hoped her soft touches would soothe him.
"How are you feeling, honey?"
"S-s-s-sore." He stuttered.
Confusion and anxiety flitted across his face at the same time and Sara's brow creased with concern.
At that moment Jim walked through the door with Doctor Diller close behind. Upon seeing a man that he didn't recognize, Gil panicked. His eyes grew wide and his chest constricted as fear overwhelmed him. Suddenly his arms and legs went out straight and his body arched and tensed as his eyes rolled back in his head. As he let out a long, loud groan of distress his heart monitor went wild and his body began to convulse. Nurses ran into the room, along with Doctor Maria Kitts who had already been on her way to see her patient. There was little that could be done while they waited for him to ride out the seizure. One of the nurses rubbed his back and gently shook his shoulders as he stopped breathing and his lips began to turn blue.
"Come on, Gil" She gently urged.
She sent one of the younger nurses out of the room and she quickly returned with an oxygen tank. She struggled for a moment to follow his shaking head and as his body began to calm she slipped the points of the nasal cannula into his nose and tucked the tubes behind his ears.
Sara had hurried to Jim's side to get out of the way. Now she clung desperately to Jim's strong arm as they both stood, rooted in fear, and helplessly watched. As his body slowly started to come back to awareness, his mind had not. He finally gasped for air and tried to sit up, but the nurses stopped him and gently guided him to lay back down.
"It's alright, Gil, it's alright."
One of them soothed as she rubbed his arm and he tried to get up again. He took a wild swing with his arm, but it was expertly blocked by another nurse.
"It's okay, Gil." She said, being careful not to sound threatening. "You're okay."
He finally gave in and lay back down on the bed as he became aware of his surroundings again. He moaned loudly and the charge nurse motioned for Sara to step over to the bedside.
Sara complied and took his hand as she bent over to be eye level with him.
"It's okay, baby." She soothed.
He tried to focus his eyes and moaned in distress when he tried to talk.
"Shhh, it's okay, just lie still and rest."
With her free hand she took two tissues from the box on the night stand and gently wiped the drool from his face. After several minutes his mind and body returned to their original state before the epileptic event. Now he felt more tired than before and closed his eyes. Sara had thought that he had gone to sleep until he spoke.
"S-S-Sara?"
She sat in the chair and maintained her eye contact even though he didn't.
"Hey, you're back." She smiled.
The others stood watching and when everything had calmed back down the nurses returned to their other duties.
"W-W-What hap-p-pened?" Exhaustion seeped through his struggling voice.
"You had a seizure, baby." She reached up to stroke his hair again.
"He'll need an EEG." Maria said after a moment and made a few notes on her clipboard. "Do you know if he has ever had a seizure before?"
"Not before now." Sara said as she shook her head.
"Well, some people develop epilepsy after having a severe concussion. It usually doesn't develop until years later though, so perhaps this is just a reaction in his injured brain to an extreme stimulus."
"I was the cause, my presence set it off." Diller said then turned to Jim. "Do I look like one of his attackers?"
"No, not really," Jim replied. "But he tensed when I came into the room too."
"Any person who Gil doesn't recognize, or even his male friends for that matter, could cause that reaction." Doctor Kitts said. "I'm guessing, though, that this may have been just an isolated incident where his brain is injured and it received over stimulation, but I want to run a few tests to be sure."
She waited for Sara to nod and continued when she did. "Be forewarned though, it is possible that he could have others, but we'll run the tests and monitor him closely and if need be I'll give him a prescription that will help control any further seizures."
"What about the stuttering?" Jim asked. "That's not from the seizure, is it?"
"No. If he didn't stutter before receiving the blow to his head than it's an aftereffect of the brain trauma and will most likely go away over time, as the brain heals itself. Did you have a chance to read through that pamphlet I gave you?"Both Sara and Jim nodded.
"Some of those symptoms may not show up for a few days, or even not at all. When he goes home you will have to monitor anything unusual that happens with him and make note of them. That way you can tell me what's going on when he returns for his check ups and we'll be able to decide if treatment will be necessary."
Diller stepped forward in an attempt to introduce himself but when he saw Gil begin to tense again he stepped back for fear of causing another seizure.
"Mister Grissom, I'm Stephen Diller, I've been your doctor since you were brought in and we were informed that your regular physician is out of town." Then he motioned to Maria. "And this is Doctor Maria Kitts, your treating neurologist."
Maria smiled at him. He didn't smile back, but she didn't mind.
"I'll need to check your wounds and ask you a few questions, Mister Grissom, will you let me?" Diller asked.
Gil shook his head and looked like he might burst into tears. Diller sighed dejectedly and turned to Sara.
"How long did you say before his regular Physician is back in town?"
"Three weeks." Sara replied.
"Is there another physician, perhaps, that he would feel more comfortable with? One that could assist me on my visits with Mister Grissom."
There was a long silence as Sara tried to think of someone and Jim spoke up.
"What about Al?"
"Doc Robbins." Sara agreed and turned to the two doctors. "He's head coroner for the county. He's known Gil for fifteen years, and he's a licensed physician."
"If it would make Mister Grissom more comfortable than I would prefer it if he were present, "Diller continued. "Since Doctor Robbins probably doesn't have faculties with the hospital, he could be in the room with me during Mister Grissom's exams. It might help with his anxiety."
"What do you think, Gil?" Sara looked at him. "Will you let Doc Robbins look at you?"
Gil didn't want anyone to look at him, especially his friends. He didn't want his friends to know what he had done, that is if the doctor hadn't told them already. Then he realized that at least Sara knew when he remembered asking her to be his medical power of attorney. Thoughts flooded over him, making him more tired, as he remembered the process of investigation too. The thorough exams that would have been done and the rape kit they would have collected when they realized what had happened.
His face became red with embarrassment when he began to wonder who knew what had happened. Then the memory of Sara, Jim and Conrad discussing a disc came to mind and he wondered why the doctor knew there was more than one attacker and how Jim and Sara might know what they looked like.
"Gil?" Sara called to him, bring him back to the moment.
He hadn't realized how far his thoughts had drifted and how incredibly tired he now felt. He looked up at Sara, only to quickly avert his eyes and wait for the impending slap across his face. Instead he felt her gently lift his chin with one hand, while her other hand gently caressed his uninjured cheek.
"Gil," She said with patience and love. "Will you let Doc Robbins examine you?"
While she was concerned about his inability to maintain eye contact, she didn't let it show. He reluctantly nodded his head. At least he could trust Al and he knew that Al wouldn't go running his mouth about what he saw in the exam. Or so he hoped.
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A/N: Yikes! Do you guys realize how much research was involved in this one chapter just so it doesn't look uneducated? Holy crap. Not that it wasn't fun to look this stuff up (kind of made me feel smart) or that I'm sure it came out right. *fingers crossed* I hope none of you readers are doctors. LOL!!! Just kidding.
Thank you, JellyBean, for pulling me through that one. I think I'm losing my steam.
By the way, did any of you really think that I was going to just kill Gilbert Grissom like that??? I hope you know me better than that by now. There are so many more horrible things that I can do to him before the end. LOL!!! Just kidding. Just kidding. Hey, come on. Come back. No, don't unsubscribe! I was just joking. You're gonna make me cry, do you know that???
Sorry about that. That happens sometimes. The doctors say it's just my split personality. No worries.
Don't make me beg for it. I shouldn't have to. After all you guys are the ones that have been begging me, perhaps you just need a change of rolls. Alright, I'll do it. *grumbles*
PLEASE!!! YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!!! I NEED IT!!!
Are you happy now?! Look what you guys have reduced me too. LOL!!! Peace out. -Esther
