Chapter Seventeen: Ranch Case
Sara is sitting on the break room couch at the crime lab before the shift start eating a bowl of Reese cup ice cream with horseradish on top of the ice cream when Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Greg and Hodges walk into the break room. The CSI all sits down by Sara and then look over at Catherine who has the case assignments that need to be hand out, because Gil Grissom has take the week off to drive his mom back to Santa Monica, California to pack up her stuff and put his childhood house up for sale. Hodges is looking around the break room mini refrigerator for something to drink, when he looks over at Sara and see what she is eating.
"Sara what in the world are you eating?"
"Reese's cup ice-cream with horseradish on top."
"And you say that I eat weird things, but that is weird then I would even eat."
"She pregnant and pregnant women crave strange foods. Hodges can you go to the trace lab and started doing you job, so I can pass the assignments out."
"I will in a few moments Catherine."
Hodges rolls his eyes at the CSI and then grabs a water bottle out of the mini refrigerator. Hodges then walks out of the break room and heads toward the trace lab. After Sara is sure that Hodges is out of hearing ranges, she starts to talk.
"That is weird normally he would have been more rude to us."
"Maybe he having an off day."
"Whatever Nick, Cath can we have our assignments now?"
"Yes Greg, you and Warrick are on a 401C Accident on private property and a 434 Illegal shooting."
"Anyone dead Cath?"
"As of right now no, but the shooting victim is in the ICU at Desert Palm Hospital. Greg you need to go to the hospital and collect the evidence from the shooting victim, Warrick you have the crime scene. Nick and Sara the two of you are with me on a 446-narcotic, 426 Sexual Assault, 419 Dead Body, 424 Abuse and neglect and 421 sick or injury person."
The six CSI stands up from the couch and then go to the locker room to get they crime kits then head out to the parking lot. Sara gets into crime lab SUV number two, Catherine gets into crime lab SUV number 3, Warrick gets into crime lab SUV number four, Nick gets into crime lab SUV five and Greg gets into crime lab SUV number six. Greg is the first to turns out of the crime lab parking lot and he heads toward the hospital. The second CSI to leave is Warrick and he heads toward his and Greg crime scene. Nick is the third CSI to leave the parking lot of the crime lab and he heads to the hospital to get the SAFE kits from three of the young female victims. Catherine and Sara are the fourth and fifth CSI to leave the crime lab parking lot head out to their crime scenes. Catherine pulls the SUV she is driving into the driveway of the house that the crime happened at first and Sara pulls the SUV she is drive into the driveway behind Catherine. After getting they crime scene kit out of the back of the two SUV Sara and Catherine meet Jim Brass at the front door of the house and Jim has a sad look on his face. Jim Brass looks at Sara first and notice that she has her right-hand rest on her stomach, which has starts to round out and now has a tiny bump. He also notices that Sara is wearing a new pair of dark gray dress pants and a navy short sleeved empire waist shirt. Jim Brass then looks at Catherine and notices she is wearing her favorite red blouse and a pair of black dress pants. Jim then looks behind him and through the front door of the house, then looks back at Catherine and Sara.
"Sara there is a sixteen-year-old girl curl up in a ball on the couch and I want you to talk to the girl, she shared a bedroom with the three girls that was sexual assault and saw what happened to them."
"She wasn't sexual assault?"
"No, she a fostered child like the rest of the children here are, but she has only been at the house for two night and one whole day."
"Basically she has not been here long enough for the fostered father to know how she would react."
Sara, Catherine and Jim walk into the house and Sara and Catherine set they crime scene kits down by the front door of the house. Then Jim Brass shows Catherine and Sara the girl's bedroom where the sexual assault happened and the three-year-old dead. Jim Brass then shows Catherine and Sara where the Marijuana is growing in the basement. Once Sara has seen the marijuana, she heads back upstairs and into the living room at the front of the house and walks over to the sixteen-year-old girl that is cruel into a ball on the couch. The teenage girl is five foot four and half inches tall, with dark brown eyes and dark brown medium length hair that is just past the shoulders. Sara push back the very familiar feeling she has and sits down on the couch next to the teenage girl. The sixteen-year-old girl sits up then bring her knees up to her chest and rest her head on them.
"Are you the CSI that I am going to talk to about what happened early tonight?"
"Yes and my name is Sara Sidle. What is your name?"
"My name is Caitlin Ranch."
"Are you feeling all right Caitlin, because you are very flush and are shivering?"
"I have the Flu and stomach flu that is going around the high school that I go to."
"Are you up to telling me what happened early to night?"
"You mean I do not have to tell you what happened tonight?"
"You will still have to give me or one of the other CSI on the case a statement, but we can wait until you are feeling better to do it."
"Coughing, no let just get this over with.
"Ok"
At the same time Jim Brass and Catherine walk into the living room, Catherine picks up her crime kit and heads into the girls' bedroom and Jim walks over to the couch and looks at Sara and Caitlin.
"I see the two of you are getting along, has she told you anything yet Sara?"
"No, we were just getting to know each other."
"Ok, I am going to go talk to the neighbors that called 911 after she saw the fostered parents take off in they car without the foster children."
"That is fine Jim."
Sara and Caitlin watch Jim walk out the front door and close the door behind him. Then Sara and Caitlin look at each other again and David walks into the house. David carrying his bag in his left hand, stop in front of Sara and Caitlin.
"Hi, Sara, where is the three-year-old girl body at?"
"Her name is Misty and she in the bedroom we all share CSI Willows is in the room."
"And who are you?"
"My name is Caitlin."
"Thank you Caitlin."
"You are welcome."
David walks away from Sara and Caitlin and into the bedroom Catherine is in. He walks over to the bed the three-year-old Misty's is laying on and gets to work and Catherine is taking pictures of the crime scene. Meanwhile in the living room Sara and Caitlin has not start talking about what happened because Caitlin is leaning over the bathroom trash can throwing up and Sara is holding Caitlin hair out of her face, Jim Brass had set the tash can next to couch for Caitlin when he had her leave the bedroom where the crime happened at and had her go into the living room to wait for Sara. When Caitlin stop getting sick to her stomach, Sara lets go of Caitlin hair and then Caitlin pulls her knees up to her chest and rest her head on her knees again.
"We can start now!"
"I will be recorder what we are talking about, so we have a record of what you say to me."
"That is fine."
"(Push record) can you state your name for the record?"
"Caitlin Ranch."
"Can you tell me what happened tonight starting from the time all the fostered girls got home from school?
"School gets out for me, Stacey Combs, Liz Strep at 2:30P.M. But I stay home from school sick, so Stacey and Liz went and picked up Misty from daycare then come home from school. At 3:30 Stacey went to the end of the street and meet Tracy Combs as she gets off the elementary school bus, she in the five grade and Stacey and Tracey is sisters. When Stacey and Tracy got home, Liz and Stacey started dinner. I am supposed to help make it, but since I have the flu and stomach flu coughing our fostered parents the Cortaid is not letting me help till I am better, because they do not want me to get everyone else sick. Instead of help make dinner I help Tracy on her math homework. Mr. And Mrs. Cortaid gets home right at four o'clock, right as Liz and Stacey is putting dinner on the table. I went into the girls' bedroom and lay down on my bed and because the smell of the food was upsetting my stomach and I ended up falling to sleep. I do not know what happened next, but when I wake up around 6:30P.M. I felt like I was going to be sick to my stomach coughing, so I jump out of bed and run into the bathroom then start throwing up into the toilet. When I get back to the bedroom I lay down on my bed and Mr. Cortaid came into the room after me and closes the bedroom door. Mr. Cortaid then rape Stacey, Tracy, Liz and Misty. But Misty kick him as he went to get off of her and he gets mad at Misty. He then start to strangled Misty, I do not know what happens next because I passes out, but when I come to Stacey told me Misty was dead as the results of Mr. Cortaid strangle Misty and that Mr. And Mrs. Cortaid left and take the car leaving us here alone coughing."
"Thanks you Caitlin that is all I need from you."
Jim and Nick walk into the house as Sara turns the tape recorder off. Jim and Nick looks at Sara and Caitlin and Sara can tell by the looks on Jim and Nick face that the two of them are worried about Caitlin who has lay her head against the back of the couch and has her eyes shut and her left hand on her forehead, with her right hand on her stomach.
"Sara I want you to take Caitlin to Desert Palms hospital and have her look at."
'I have already lock the SAFE kits from Liz, Stacey and Tracy in the SUV Catherine come here in and I parked on the street to not block you in."
"Ok and I am going to take the bathroom trash can that is next to the couch with us, incase Caitlin needs to get sick to her stomach. Nick can you help Caitlin out to the SUV, I will be out there in a few minutes."
"Sure Sarah."
Caitlin goes to stand up, but her legs give out on her. Nick catches Caitlin and pick her up. Then Sara hand Caitlin the small bathroom trash can to hold. At the same time Jim open up the front door for Nick who is going to carry Caitlin out to the SUV. Nick walks away from the couch and over to the front door of the house, he then walks outside and to the SUV that Sara drive to the crime scene. Nick puts Caitlin down beside the SUV and she leans up against the back door, while Nick open up the front passenger door. Nick then help Caitlin into the front seat.
"Will you stay with me to Sara comes out?
"Sure Caitlin."
Meanwhile inside the house Sara is looking at Jim and Sara has both of her hands resting on her growing stomach.
"Caitlin told me after Mr. Cortaid strangle Misty that she passes out and when she comes to Stacy tell her that Misty was dead from Mr. Cortaid strangle her and that Mr. And Mrs. Cortaid was gone and they take the car.
"Sara have a nurse do a SAFE kit on Caitlin to be on the safe side. "
"Ok."
Sara walks to the front door of the house and grab her crime scene kit and then walk out of the house and over to the SUV. Sara open up the back door on the drive side and put her crime seat kit onto the back seat. A few moments later Sara gets into SUV, Sara looks through the review mirror and makes sure no one is coming down the street. A few moments later Sara backs the SUV out of the driveway and start drivers to Desert Palms Hospital, at the same time Nick heads inside the house to help Catherine finish processing the crime scene.
Sara keeps looking out of the corner of her right eye at Caitlin, as she drives to the hospital to have Caitlin check out by a doctor. Sara has to stop for a red-light two blocks away from the hospital and as soon as the car stop the SUV Caitlin leans over the trash can and start throwing up. Sara wants to help Caitlin, but has to take off from the light because it turns green. A minute and half later Sara pulls the crime lab SUV into the hospital parking lot and into the fifth parking space of the eighth row. Sara then put the SUV into the parked position, then turns the SUV off. Sara gets out of the SUV and closes the driver door. Sara then goes over to the passenger sided of the SUV and open up the passengers' door. Sara looks at Caitlin who is still get sick to her stomach and Sara pulls Caitlin's ponytail back so that the ponytail does not hang down in her face. Five minute later Caitlin stops get sick to her stomach and Sara let the ponytail go. Then Caitlin leans back against the seat and closes her eyes.
"Caitlin can you walk into the hospital or do you want me to get you a wheelchair?"
"I am too weak to walk."
"Wait here I will go get a wheelchair and push you into the hospital."
"Thank you Sara."
Sara closes the passengers' door of the SUV, then locks the SUV. Sara then walks up to the ER doors and gets a wheelchair. Sara then pushes the wheelchair out to the crime lab SUV. Once at the SUV Sara hits the unlock button on the SUV Remote control Keychain and then open up the passengers' door. Then Sara help Caitlin out of the SUV and into the wheelchair, a few minutes later Sara pushes Caitlin into the ER waiting area and a nurse walks up to them and Sara and Caitlin sees the nurse name tag say Faith and Sara hold up her Crime lab ID for the nurse to see.
"Can I help you?"
"I need for you to do a SAFE kit on the girl, to check to see if she was rape, because she passes out and does not know. I also need pictures' take of any bruise that could be on her body. In addition I want a doctor to give her a full check up because she has the flu and stomach flu and can't keep anything down and is too weak to walk."
"Ok, lets takes her back to the examine area and get her into a hospital gown."
"Can Sara come back with us?"
"Sure."
Nurse Faith takes over pushes the wheelchair and Sara follows them to the ER examine area. Once back in examine area, the three of them head into the first curtain area and then Sara helps the nurse get Caitlin out of the wheelchair and help Caitlin sit down on the hospital bed. Sara walks out of the curtain area and pulls the curtain shut, so nurse Faith can help Caitlin into the hospital gown. A few minutes later Nurse Faith open the curtain up and walk over to Sara.
"I am going to go get the SAFE kit, then I will come back and do the kit."
"When you was helping Caitlin changes do you notice any bruise on her body?"
"There were a few I take the pictures of them for you with your camera."
Sara walks over to the hospital bed that Caitlin laying on and sit down on the chair that is on the right side of the bed and Caitlin grabs Sara's left hand. The Nurse comes back two minutes later and does the SAFE Kit and also take pictures of the bruise on Caitlin's upper thighs. Then the nurse looks at Sara with a look that let Sara knows that Nurse Faith wants to speak with away from Caitlin.
I will be back in a minute Caitlin."
"That is fine Sara."
Sara stands up from the chair and follows the nurse out of the exam area. The nurse closes the curtain around the exam area and then the nurse and Sara walk over to the nurse desk to put some distance between them and Caitlin, so there is less chance that Caitlin will hear them talking.
"What did the SAFE Kit tell you?"
"She was rape."
"Were there any signs of past sexual abuse?"
"Yes at lest four other times."
"Thank you for letting me know."
Sara takes the SAFE Kit and her camera from the nurse and then walks over to the exam area that Caitlin at and sits down on the chair by the hospital bed. Sara then set the camera on the floor and set the box that the SAFE kit was put into for transport down on the floor next to the camera. Caitlin lifts her head up and reaches for Sara hand and Sara takes Caitlin hand then lay her head down on the pillow. A few minutes later a doctor and a new nurse, who name tag say Tine Brown come walks over to Sara and Caitlin and the nurse put a ear thermometer in Caitlin's left Ear. The ear thermometer beeps thirty seconds later and the nurse takes the thermometer out of her ear, and looks at thermometer display to see what it say. Nurse Brown then writes a note onto Caitlin chart.
"She has a fever of 104.9 degrees Fahrenheit, Dr. Steven."
"Caitlin, can you tell me what symptoms do you have?
"Coughing. I have a very sore throat, a cough, been running a fever and have not been able to keep anything down for three and half days. In addition am really cold and really weak too."
"Have you pass out?"
"Yes a couple times Nurse Brown, After I see my fostered Dad strangled my three-year-old fostered sister to death this evening and when my fostered Mom wakes all the girls up for school this morning."
"While did she get you up?"
"To have me use the bathroom before all the other girls need the bathroom and to check my fever. I pass out walking back to the bedroom from the bathroom. Stacey one of my fostered sisters catches me before I hit the ground."
"Nurse Brown, I want you to put an IV in Caitlin left arm and start her on IV medicines to reduce her fever and to help her stop throwing up, Also an IV to rehydrate her."
"Yes Dr. Steven."
Nurse Brown walks away from Sara and Caitlin and gets the stuff to start the IV and the IV medicine bags too. She comes back a few minutes later and start Caitlin IV. Nurse Brown then helps Caitlin into the wheelchair and pushes the wheelchair Caitlin is siting in up to hospital room 204. Once up in the room Nurse Brown help Caitlin into the hospital bed and then Caitlin pull the cover up. Sara had come up Nurse Brown and Caitlin because she could not leave Caitlin until a social worker gets there. Sara sits down on the Lazy boy that is on the left side of the hospital bed and then turns on the TV and start flip through the stations.
"Stop flip through the station and let stay on this channel, look the Wizard of OZ is just starting."
"Sure Caitlin."
Caitlin and Sara start watching the Wizard of Oz and four minutes later a social worker walks into the room and over to the couch that is on the wall across from the hospital room door and sits down on the couch and look at Sara. Sara looks away from the tv and looks at the social worker and see it is Mrs. Hope.
"You can leave now Miss Sidle."
"Can Sara can you stay till I fall asleep?"
"Sure Caitlin."
The three ladies go back to watch the Wizard of Oz and fifteen minutes later Caitlin is asleep. Sara stands up from the lazy boy chair and pick up the SAFE kit and camera. Sara then walks to the hospital room door and walks out of the room, the Social worker follows Sara out of the hospital room and closes the door behind her.
"Is there anything you need to tell me Miss. Sidle?"
"Caitlin was rape after she passes out by her foster dad."
"Poor girl, she been through and enough in her life and she did not need this. Here a copy of Caitlin case files along with the copy of Stacey, Liz, Tracy and Misty's case files. I would read them through when you get free time."
Mrs. Hope holds the cases files out and Sara takes the cases files from the social worker. Then Sara and Mrs. Hope gives each other a sad and Sara start to talk.
"I will read the girls cases files and thank you. I need to get the SAFE kit to the DNA lab and get the same trace that the nurse found when doing the SAFE kit to Hodges."
Sara walks away from the social worker and five minutes later Sara is driving to the crime lab. When Sara pulls the crime lab SUV into the parking space for SUV number two, there are tears running down her face. Sara puts the SUV into the parked position and turns the SUV. She then grabs a tissue from the box of tissues set on the floor of the passengers' side of the SUV and wipes the tears away. A few minutes later Sara walks into the crime lab carry her crime scene kit in her left hand and the SAFE kit and camera in her right hand. Sara checks the evidences into the lab and then put her crime scene kit in Gil Grissom office. Sara goes and gives the DNA evidences to Wendy and then Sarah walks to the trace and when she gets to the trace lab find no one in the in lab, She pulls one of the stools up to the counter and sits down on the stool. Sara then set the evidence she needs Hodges to run on the lab table and as she is waiting for Hodges to get back to the lab she starts to read Caitlin's case files from social service. Hodges comes into the lab ten minutes later and walks right pass Sara, like he did not even notice she was in the lab and walks over to his desk. Hodges sits down on his desk chair and puts his head down on the desk then closes his eyes. Sara clear her throat to get his attention, but he does not look up at Sara.
"Hodges did you not notice I am here and have trace evidence I need you to run!"
Hodges lift up his head and looks at Sara, he then rolls his eyes at Sara then lays his head back down on his desk.
"Put the evidence in the in box and then go away."
"I need the evidences run right away Hodges!"
"I will get to when I feel like it Sara, now leave my lab!"
"Hodges it the only evidence you have to run, can you just run it for me right now?"
"Sara don't start thinking you get special treatment seeing that you are pregnant, because you do not. At lest not in my lab, now get out of my lab."
"I do not want special treatment I just want to know what this funny looking pink hard stuff is Hodges?"
"Fine Sara."
Hodges stands up from his desk chair and walks over to the counter. He puts on a pair of latex gloves and then open up the evidence bag that the hard pink item is in.
Hodges then put the evidence under the microscope and looks at it. He then runs some other tests on the evidence, while Sara is reading the case file.
"I know what it is Sara!"
"What is it Hodges?"
"It pink plastic that break off of a pink doll bed."
"Thank you for running it for me."
"Here is the the printout of my results, now get out of my lab!"
Hodges holds the printout out to Sara and she takes the printout from Hodges and despite him wearing a pair of latex gloves Hodges hand feels warm to the touch. Sara looks at Hodges and notice that he is now holding his stomach.
"I say to get out of my lab Sara."
"I will in a minutes Hodges, but is everything all right because you are holding your stomach and have start to look green?"
Hodges does not answers Sara back he just run out of the trace lab and down the hallway to the men's restroom. Sara stands up and grabs the five girls' case files and set the trace printout of her evidence on top of the case files. Sara then walks out of the trace lab and start looking around for Nick and Catherine, so she can tell Nick and Catherine what she learned from Hodges. Sara finds Nick and Catherine sitting at the table in the break room looking over they copies of the girls social service files. Sara walks into the break room and sitting down on the table across from Catherine, who break is to the break room couch.
"Catherine or Nick when the two of you process the girls' bedroom did you find pink plastic doll bed that was breaking?
(Nick and Catherine) yes, why are you asking?"
"The Nurse, find a break piece of pink plastic when she was doing Caitlin SAFE kit."
"The fostered Dad rape her too?"
"Yes Nick and he used a foreign body too."
At the same time Wendy walks into the break room and then walk over to the table. Wendy hands Sara, Nick and Catherine each a printout and then Wendy start talking really fast because she want them to know what she found out when she run the DNA.
"The DNA that was found in all five girls' match the fostered dad and his DNA was in the database because of being a foster parent and navy officer."
"I will call Jim Brass and let him know."
Nick stand up from the chair and walk out of the break room to call Jim Brass. At same time Sara and start yawning into her left hand, when she stop yawning Sara start to talk.
"Cath, I am going to go home and take a shower and get something to eat and try to relax for a little while, then I will come back and work on the case some more."
"That is fine, if it anything importing comes up I will call you."
"Thank you."
"Sara clock out, so I do not get yell out for you working too many hours."
"Ok."
Nick walks back into the break room and walks over to Catherine and Sara and at the same time Wendy walks out of the break room to head back to the DNA lab.
"I will clock you out just go Sara!"
"Thank you Nick."
Sara stand up from the chair she is sitting on and then grabs her copies of the cases files and her purse. A minute and half later Sara walks out of the crime lab and gets into her Kia sportage. Sara then heads home and once home Sara head straight up to the master bedroom. When Sara walks into the bedroom drops her stuff on her and Gil's bed and then goes into the master bathroom to take a long shower.