Chapter Four:
Lost Lamb's Shepherd
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me where's the shepherd for this lost lamb
Gershwin
Nick held his side, trying hard not to laugh at Greg's joke.
"Man…stop," he begged.
Warrick glanced at his watch. "We have to get going. Some of us still have to work."
"Yeah, well. Next time I'll try to come up with a better idea than to get shot and have my leg broken to avoid working."
"Good thing Sara didn't get any broken bones," stated Warrick.
"Ribs were pretty bruised," said Greg.
"Man, I thought we were goners when no one seemed to be coming to our rescue. I felt my shoulder sting just when that stack of lumber came crashing down on top of us. I just knew that it was it."
"Wait, you were trapped under the lumber also?" asked Greg.
"Yeah. I hit the concrete…and then blacked out."
"Sara said you shielded her after the lumber fell."
"Great Greg. Ruin my story of heroics. We were zipping from side to side when that bastard kept jumping over us and firing bullets down on top of us."
"Sara was probably just confused….about the sequence of events. She had one hell of a knot on her head," said Warrick.
"She refused to let me stay with her…and I offered to let her choose which side of the bed she wanted," griped Greg.
"Yeah, right, like she would ever trust you to sleep in the same room with her."
"What? I'm a nice guy," whined Greg.
"Take the comedian with you," teased Nick.
Grissom met them just outside Nick's door.
"How is Nick?" he asked looking rather tired.
"Better than you," eyed Warrick. "When was the last time you slept?"
"I got a little sleep," he said. "How's Sara?" directing his question to Greg.
"I delivered her safe and sound to her apartment but she wouldn't let me stay."
Grissom glanced at his watch.
"Want us to check up on her?" asked Greg.
"Could you? I wanted to see Nicky and then I have to get with Ecklie."
"Sure."
She didn't expect him to be there when she woke but it bothered her a little that there was no note left behind.
She dragged herself out of bed, feeling better after a hot shower.
She smiled when she opened her fridge and found a fruit plate, the one she liked made fresh from the deli a few blocks away.
There was also a bouquet of fresh cut wildflowers that sat in a vase on her table.
She noticed her laptop had been moved.
Within a few clicks she was checking her email and grinned when she spotted an email from him.
My Sara,
"I'll say she looks as clear as morning roses newly washed with dew"
Thank you for letting me hold you. Rest!
G
She could not stop the smile that erupted despite the pain in her side.
There was a tap on her door and she opened it, hoping that it would be Grissom.
"Hey Greg…Warrick," she said, wincing at the pain from Greg's embrace.
"Sleep okay?" Warrick asked as he stepped into the apartment.
"You had company," Greg noted with a hint of jealousy. "Nice flowers."
He walked toward her laptop but she quickly shut it.
"Sara has a boyfriend," teased Greg.
"No, I don't," she said sliding into one of the stools at the counter.
"Hey cookie, we just came by to see how you were doing. Can we get you anything?" asked Warrick.
"No thanks. I could offer you each a bowl of cereal," she offered.
Both passed.
"We ate at the diner," reported Warrick. "And then we stopped in to see Nick."
"How is Nick?" she asked quickly.
"He's great," assured Warrick. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I should be able to work tomorrow."
"I doubt Grissom is going to let you return to work by tomorrow," said Warrick.
He reached behind her and examined her head.
"Nasty goose egg, you got there," he observed.
"It's just a bump."
"Have you eaten?" asked Greg. "I could run and get…"
"I have something besides cereal," she teased. "I just thought since you said you made a mean bowl, I would find out."
He frowned.
"I have a fruit plate," she added.
She was glad when they left, pulling out the fruit plate and then eating while she replied to his email.
G,
"My heart is ever at your service."
Your Sara
She was never a Shakespeare fan but she learned a little after she noticed Grissom often quoted him.
She didn't like being confined to the apartment but she also knew that she wasn't about to drive with the head injury just yet.
She spent a few minutes on the phone with Nick, glad that he sounded like his old self.
She could hear his parents in the background.
"See you later Nicky."
She leaned back on the couch, flipping through the channels on the television.
Her phone rang.
"Sidle"
There was a slight pause and then Grissom gruffly asked, "How are you feeling?"
She smiled. "I'm good. Listen I may not be ready for the field but…"
"You're on medical leave for at least three days…then confined to the lab for four."
She smiled at the sound of concern in his voice.
There was a bit of silence before he spoke again.
"Sara, I meant to come by but…"
"Greg and Warrick stopped by. I'm fine…really."
There was a pause as if he was trying to come up with something more to say.
"Thanks for everything…last night," she said softly.
His name was being called in the background.
"I've got to go. Get some rest," he urged.
The phone went dead before she could respond.
She sighed.
She wasn't used to being at home for long periods of time.
She clicked off the television and switched on her stereo, easing back into the cushions.
She rose quickly when a song began to play.
"Someone to Watch Over Me"…
I don't have that song…
She grinned realizing Grissom must have left it.
She closed her eyes, listening to the words, letting it lull her to sleep.
She had no idea how long she had been asleep.
It appeared to be late afternoon already as she slowly made her way to the kitchen.
Her head felt better but her ribs were another matter.
She popped another pain pill as she opened her email and frowned when there were no messages from him.
Within an hour she was going stir crazy, not used to being at home.
She tried to read but she couldn't concentrate, reading the same sentences over and over.
She had little luck with the television, whizzing through the channels in lightning speed.
She considered driving to the hospital in order to spend time with Nick but then realized her car was still parked at the lab.
She knew Greg and Warrick would bring it to her apartment but then they would question her motives and she knew she shouldn't drive for at least seventy-two hours.
She had moments of dizzy spells but it only occurred when she rose too quickly.
She sighed out loud in frustration.
There was a ding from her laptop and she jerked around, regretful of the swift motion.
She cursed out loud at the jarring pain to her side, shutting her eyes to the dizziness.
Slowly she made her way to the computer sitting on the counter.
She breathed in deeply as she checked her email messages, frowning when it was from someone else.
Her shoulders dropped.
She wanted more than anything to talk with him but could not bring herself to call him, knowing that the contact would have to be on his terms.
The last thing she wanted to do was appear to be needy, scaring him away.
She played the disc again, settling back on the couch. The CD was a compilation of songs over a span of sixty years. Some of them she did not recognize but it soothed her to know that Grissom had chosen the music.
She checked on Nick once more but spoke briefly, hearing his parents in the room.
He sounded tired but tried to hide it.
"Hey Sar….you okay?" he asked.
"Kind of bored," she admitted.
She could feel his grin through the phone.
"If they let me out of here soon, you and I can do something together."
"You're not going anywhere for awhile and besides I'll be back at work in two days."
"Take advantage of the time off and do something fun….or at least catch up on some sleep," he yawned.
"Take your own advice," she quipped and smiled when she heard Nick's mother clucking over him about this and that.
"Sar…I don't think I'm homesick anymore," he whispered.
"Hang in there Nick. Remember you're a Momma's boy."
"Yeah. Night Sara."
"Night."
She knew it shouldn't have bothered her but she expected some sort of contact from him.
He had boldly come to her that night, easing into her bed, not sure how he somehow knew that she needed him.
She always felt a connection with Grissom and wondered if he felt the same way.
It was more than coincidence that he appeared when she was at her lowest.
She shrugged off the nonsense, rubbing her temple in an effort to stave off the nagging questions that floated around in her head.
She grabbed her jacket deciding some fresh air would be good for her.
The café was just around the corner and fresh coffee sounded good.
She sat in a booth for quite some time, slowly sipping on her coffee as she fumbled through a newspaper that had been left behind.
A couple sat nearby, their bodies leaning in to one another, their voices low.
Two men sat huddled in a whispered conversation.
She didn't care for the way one of them gawked in her direction as if he were unclothing her with his eyes.
Sara scooted out of her chair, and headed outside.
It was a cloudy day with the sky threatening rain but none had fallen.
She grimaced when raindrops fell just as she rounded the corner.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure across the street.
She had no idea why she suddenly stopped to look at the man.
He quickly stopped and turned away. She could not make out his face but he seemed familiar to her.
"This is crazy, Sara. Get out of the rain," she whispered to herself.
She continued but a slight chill ran down her spine when she noticed the man appeared to be following.
"You're imagining this," she said. She purposely stopped, pretending to tie her shoe and then turned in the opposite direction back toward the café.
Her pulse quickened when she noticed the man did the same thing.
She pretended she did not notice.
Besides the café there were no other shops that she could duck into.
She grumbled that she had left her cell phone in her apartment.
She knew a short cut through the alley that would take her to the back of her apartment building.
She sprinted through the alley, trying to ignore the jabbing pain in her side.
She managed to get close to the building but then tripped sending her onto the hard pavement.
She cried out from the fall, trying to scramble to her feet.
"Sara!"
She halted, trying to see through the pouring rain.
A figure approached that she did not recognize.
Her vision was blurry and she tried to wipe the rain from her eyes with her sleeve.
The small cuts on the palms of her hands stung.
She looked again and swallowed hard as Grissom extended his hand.
"I…didn't recognize you," she blurted out.
"Let's get you out of the rain," he said.
His voice sounded odd.
She took his hand and was startled when he pulled her body up close to his.
His hand stroked her hair while his lips kissed her forehead.
"Griss…why were you…"
She didn't finish, feeling his body shiver.
"I'm sorry…I've gotten us both wet."
She tried to hurry toward the apartment but he slowed her, pulling her back against his body.
"Go slow, Sara. It's only rain," he whispered.
By the time they reached her apartment, they were drenched.
She grabbed towels from the bathroom and handed him one.
He seemed different, a bit unsettled as he wiped the rain from his face.
"Do you want some tea?" she asked.
"I…can't stay," he murmured.
"Oh. Why…were you…near my apartment?" she asked slumping into a chair.
"You weren't home….earlier so I…took a walk to the café. I needed coffee and thought that might be where you were."
"Sorry."
"I just wanted to check on you."
"I'm fine."
She could feel his eyes on her.
"You hurt your knee…hands," he said, reaching out to examine the palms of her hands.
"Just a few cuts….just what I get for running."
"Did…you not recognize me?" he questioned.
She smiled. "I thought…I did but then…I guess fear overtook common sense and…"
"You were just being careful. Do you need anything?"
"Work? I would really feel better if I could come back to work."
He winced as he stepped back. "Not yet."
"Griss…are you alright?"
"Old aches," he said as he slowly released her hand.
He stepped toward the door but hesitated. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes."
She didn't want him to leave but she opened the door.
"Get some rest," he ordered.
She nodded.
He started to pass but then shut the door, pulling her into his arms.
She felt her body pressed against the wall.
"Turn in…soon. I'll come back…if you need me."
"The lab needs you. I'll be fine but…you could come…after shift…if you want."
His cheek rested next to hers.
It was an intimate embrace.
Despite the wet clothes his body oozed warmth.
His lips descended on hers in a frenzied manner.
He withdrew slightly, his breathing in ragged breaths.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I…just…" He did not finish as she purposely pulled him back, deepening the kiss.
He groaned at the pleasure, not wanting to release her but he jerked himself away.
She didn't know what to make of the sudden withdrawal.
He could sense her uneasiness.
He pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "God, I want you Sara…but not now…not like this."
"I know…you said you have to go."
"No…I want…I want us…to go slow. I need to make sure…you…" he seemed to be struggling with his words.
Her hand cupped his face. "I'm sure…I've wanted this ever since San Francisco."
He pulled back immediately, the absence of his warmth making her shiver.
He looked as if he were in pain.
"Grissom…is everything okay?"
"I'm tired…so tired Sara."
"Look, I can work. I can help in the lab…just let me…"
"No…not that kind of tired."
"I…don't understand."
He smiled sadly. "I'm tired…of keeping my distance. I want you."
His gaze was intense forcing her to look away but her words were bold.
"You…can have me."
He swallowed hard as he opened the door letting his self out.
She leaned against the door, her limbs still weak from the closeness of him.
"Wow," she whispered.
Note from author:
Yeah, remember I did say to read carefully and let it unfold. The next chapters are shockers...then "huh?" then...well, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Take care,
Penny