A/N: Hey guys. Well here we are with a new chapter. Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews. I do try to reply to each and every review but to those of you who have PM blocker on, thank you for reviewing but I can't reply to you due to your settings, it won't let me.

Thank you so much to SSC, my best friend, amazing beta and partner in crime. Your continuing support and input is a true blessing. Make sure you check out SSC's new story, Harvest of the Heart, if you haven't already. I foresee a tearjerker. Like when don't I? LOL.

So, what is Sara's prognosis? Let's ask Evil hat, mwahahah. *Hides*

Enjoy :D

Chapter 87

Grissom's eyes flickered open and he was greeted with a heavy, hot but nonetheless comforting weight upon him. But that comforting feeling soon vanished when the harsh wheezing in his ear became very evident. His eyes drifted downwards to see Sara's head upon his chest and he could feel her short and shallow breaths as she tried to take in air. She was asleep though and for that, he was thankful. Carefully he placed his palm on her forehead. She was intensely hot, more so than she had been the previous evening.

She had awakened many times in the night, coughing and gagging for air. At one point, she coughed continuously for over twenty minutes and he thought she may even pass out from the struggle. He did all he could and tried to soothe her but in all honesty, there wasn't a lot he could do to help. He tried to give her fluids and hot liquor concoctions but she simply couldn't take much in.

He suspected Sara would not remember any of the events of the night however and he was glad. Her condition was so severe, he doubted she would even recall arriving at his place or maybe even the fact that she was with him.

But he was immensely worried about her. He had seen people die from such illness and he knew Sara had pneumonia, quite possibly a double pneumonia.

Flicking his glance to the still boarded up windows, he knew it was morning. A small beam of light shone through a gap and illuminated the bottom of the bed sheet. There wasn't any thunder or lightening and the rain's intensity had lessened. However, the gentle sound of raindrops upon the roof told him that the rain hadn't abated just yet.

As Sara shuffled a little atop of him he puffed out his cheeks and gently stroked her back. He was still very tired and because of everything that had happened he was lucky if he'd fallen to sleep before four. It didn't matter though; he had much more pressing issues to contend with than his own sleep. The welfare of the woman he loved was the most important thing right now and he would care for her until he dropped if he had to.

The primary importance on Grissom's mind was aid. He knew he had to go and get the doctor for he could guide him in the best way possible of how to look after Sara. The rancher knew the basics but tending to pneumonia was something he wasn't experienced in and if Sara wasn't cared for right, it could contribute to her death.

Unfortunately, pneumonia was often fatal even with the best of care. Grissom tried not to think of that possibility…that Sara might die even after everything she had been through. She had been kidnapped, beaten, had a miscarriage, disowned….

And that….

A lump formed in Grissom's throat at that thought.

With great care he shuffled from under her, doing his utmost not to wake her and he propped her against the headboard. Her breathing worsened when she was totally lying flat, he had come to realize. He then slipped a pillow into her arms as he had noticed she only slept when she clung to him and the lack of form to hold may cause her to wake.

Quickly and quietly he changed his pants and slipped on a clean shirt before placing the kettle of water back on to boil. Sara would need to drink if she woke and hot refreshment would be the best thing for her. As he sat in his chair and fastened his boots, he wondered how he was going to be able to fetch the doctor. He really didn't want to leave Sara alone just yet.

The sound of hooves interrupted his thoughts and Grissom stood.

Walking across the room making as little noise as possible, he opened the door to see Hodges dismounting his ride. The young worker soon spotted his boss and was quick to approach him.

With haste, Grissom held a finger to his lips in an urge to keep his helper quiet. Hodges studied him with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Don't talk too loudly," Grissom whispered, looking over his shoulder to check Sara was still sleeping.

"Um…" Hodges hesitated, "…what's going on?" he asked quietly. "Is the estate okay?"

Flapping his hand, Grissom edged out the door a little more. "Right now, I'm not sure but I need you to do something for me."

Hodges still looked totally confused. "Alright…what?"

"I need you to go back into town and bring Doctor Carter here, wake him if you have to. I'm sure he will understand but he's probably out and about already because of the storm. Just say I need him here right away and it's an emergency."

"Are you ill, did you get hurt?" the younger man asked with concern.

Grissom shook his head. "No, I'm fine but she isn't. She's very ill. I need the doctor here now."

"Who?"

Looking behind him, Grissom stepped aside and allowed his aid to take a quick look inside.

"Oh…" fell from Hodge's lips. "How did she…?

"I don't have time to explain right now, David. Can you please go and bring the Doctor."

"Yes." He nodded. "I will, right away."

Half a smile crossed Grissom's lips. "Thank you. Be as quick as you can."

The worker nodded and was off in a shot and back aboard his horse.

"David?" Grissom called from the porch before his helper pulled away and Hodges looked to him. "Is your mother alright? The house…any damage?"

Hodges shook his head but his face expressed the fact that he appreciated the question. "She's fine. A little damage to the roof but nothing that a few hours work won't fix. I will try and sort it out later if I can get a break." With that said, he spurred his horse and was away.

Grissom watched as he disappeared down the small driveway but his attention soon snapped back into the room when he heard coughing and despair spilling from Sara's lips in a much panicked fashion.

"Where am I…?" she gasped in between coughs, her whole body racking with exertion.

With great speed he dashed back to the bed and was instantly beside her. "It's alright, you're safe, I'm here," he said, taking a hold of her and pulling her against his body. Not too tightly though, for she needed air. "It's okay, honey, I'm here, try and relax."

Her coughs intensified and she clung to him, her weak fingers attempting to grip the back of his shirt but with little success.

"Oh I…." she started to say but the harshness of her coughs impeded her ability to speak. The quality of the coughing increased Grissom's concern. A loose wet sounding cough would indicate that whatever was in her lungs was breaking up. But Sara's coughs were dry, tight, and hacking.

"Shush…come on, Sara…you need to try and relax, honey…please…I've got you…I promise I've got you, I'm here…"

Slowly, she pulled back and lifted her head, her coughs continued but she tried to focus, her watering eyes looking directly into his very worried ones. She looked stunned.

"Gil…" She coughed again, "…is that really you?"

He half smiled. "Yes," he whispered, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It's really me."

More coughing came and he pulled her back against him.

"I thought…maybe I had dreamt you were here," she managed to get out.

"No, you didn't dream it. I am here."

Sara looked confused for the briefest of moments before tears started flowing down her cheeks. Grissom noted that her eyes were now chronically irritated, the result not from fever or illness but from the frequent weeping she had been doing over the past few weeks.

"I….." She coughed again before choking on another sob. "I'm so confused. I thought….I knew that….you had left. You should have left."

"Never," he replied softly. "I was coming back for you. I just had to contend with the storm. I wouldn't leave you, Sara. Not now."

"My father said you had…why would you have stayed? I lost the baby…"

Grissom's stomach cramped and he gritted his teeth, his anger towards the captain flaring once again inside him. When the time came and it would, he would deal with that anger. "He had no right to tell you I left because of the baby, Sara, because I didn't. Hear me when I tell you I was coming back for you. I love you with or without the baby. Do you hear me?"

Sara's brow furrowed and her eyes drifted closed again. Fresh tears flowed from beneath her closed eyelashes irritating the already angry fragile skin beneath her eyes.

"Sara?" Grissom rubbed her back. "Open your eyes. Come on. I need you to look at me."

"No," she mumbled. "No. Don't like it here." She sneezed rapidly twice in succession, "Lots of lies. Like at McKeen's…..lots of anger….lies….McKeen's house….that's where I am. Go away, Hank. Just leave me alone."

Grissom swore several times beneath his breath. He didn't account that his admitting that he hadn't abandoned her would remind her of her father's anger. Grissom knew how he felt, but the fever and illness made Sara incapable of any complex thought.

Fortunately, the emotion also exhausted her. She seemed to drift now, eyes squeezing shut.

His fingers moved in her now wet hair, his hand lightly scratching her scalp. His other continued to rub her back. At first she stiffened at the contact, as if she might still be thinking that she was indeed at the colonel's.

Grissom thought fast, continuing the contact.

"Sara, remember that Christmas when it snowed about two feet? You were four then and scared that Santa Claus wouldn't make it in the storm. Your father had had a really profitable year that year and he threw the biggest Christmas party. There was food everywhere and decorations and music. Remember that?"

She smiled then. Grissom did too for it was a very happy memory. Her body relaxed somewhat, which relieved him immensely.

"Anyway, you were scared Santa Claus wouldn't come. And someone bundled you up and carried you outside and showed you some animal tracks that could only be reindeer."

Sara almost laughed but the sound was clipped off by another round of coughing.

"Who did that?" he asked.

"Grissom," she slowly answered. "It was a deer track but I didn't know the difference. I made presents for everyone that year…..I think they were ornaments…..I worked hours on them…..because I wanted to give Christmas presents…"

"You gave me one," he said. "It was a snowman. I still have it."

She smiled sadly and Grissom was wondering what about that memory had saddened her.

"Are you okay?"

"You left out with Robbins…..errand of some sort….I don't remember…..but you left….left me alone….and I missed you," Sara explained, her voice weakening.

Grissom pursed his lips. "I did. I remember. We went to see Robbins' brother and pick up some provisions for the Grove. We left after the party….on Christmas Eve. I never thought it would have bothered you. Did it bother you that much?"

She didn't answer his question but asked one of her own instead. "Promise me you…won't leave me again?" she gasped.

Continuing to rub gentle hands over her back he clenched his eyes closed as her continuing coughing caused him to wince. He had absolutely no idea what kind of pain she must be going through. "I promise," he repeated over and over and finally her coughs subsided and she settled in his arms.

He kissed her temple again as she molded into his body and quivered a sigh into his shoulder. She was sweating badly and he wished he had some other clothes for her. Sadly the one pair of long johns she already wore were all he had that fit her but he could replace the shirt with a clean one. That may offer her a tiny bit of refreshment. A wash also but he had only cleansed her while she was delirious. Would she allow him too while she was conscious he was doing it?

"Sara…" he began with the gentlest tone he could muster, "…will you allow me to change your shirt and wash you? You're hot, honey, and I need to cool you down…make you feel a little more comfortable."

He felt her body tense as his question finished but she didn't offer the reply he was looking for. "Cold…" she mumbled, "…not hot…don't…feel good…"

Pulling back he gently cupped her reddened cheeks in his hands. Her temperature continued to soar and stating she was cold when her skin was scorching didn't help Grissom's unease.

"Then let me try and make you feel better. I won't hurt you." His thumbs ran slowly over her cheeks. "Sara, do you trust me? I need to know if you trust me."

Her chin quivered and she shook her head. "I wash myself," she rambled.

Grissom knew her remembering any of these moments was probably few and far between and her distrust probably wasn't intentional but her rejection did tear at his heart. One minute she felt safe with him…the next she didn't. It was hard to deal with that.

"Come on…" Slipping his hands underneath her he pulled her into his arms and then moved to the top of the bed, gently placing her back down to rest back against several pillows. Her head lolled to the left and she just blankly stared at him. He tried to read her eyes, work out what she was thinking but, she wasn't really there now, he knew that. In a split second, she seemed to be far, far away.

"I'm going to get you some tea and them I'm going to change you, alright?" he said taking a step back. Even without her permission he knew she wasn't capable of cleansing herself, he would have to do it no matter her objections.

She coughed again, wrapping her arms around her stomach but no words formed a reply.

With a sad and anxious sigh, Grissom rushed to the fireplace, grabbed the kettle and then moved to the kitchen to prepare the tea. Every few seconds he poked his head out of the door to check she was alright and then continued with his task. He poured the steaming liquid into a cup, added plenty of sugar and a little honey and then swiftly moved back to the bed.

His right brow arched when he reached her. Her eyes were closed but he knew she was still awake, barely, because her fingers slowly worked in circles over her stomach. It saddened him as he knew she was thinking of the baby. Not matter her state, that's something she would probably never forget.

"Sara?" he said softly as he sat beside her. "Come on now, you need to drink this before you go to sleep." Placing a tender finger under her chin he lifted her head and her eyes slowly and drearily opened. Her attention now seemed to be very lacking and he wondered if she knew who he was at that point. She seemed to have lost the awareness she had barely five minutes ago. Her spiraling fever no doubt contributed to that.

"Come…" He blew on the liquid and then held the cup to her lips, "…open your mouth sweetheart, you need to drink." Slowly he edged the cup forward in hope that she may take the offering and thankfully her lips parted. Carefully, he tipped the cup and a few drops of tea fell into her mouth. "Nice and easy, Sara, swallow slowly," he advised and she did. Unfortunately, the second the tea slipped down her throat a series of coughs once again wracked her body.

"Can't…" she gasped, pushing the cup away, pain encasing her face.

With a heavy sigh, Grissom placed the cup down on the dresser next to the bed and pulled her back against him. "Okay…okay…shush…we can try again later…"

After a minute or so of heavy coughing, Sara settled in his arms, wheezing, and her eyes closed. He held her until he knew she was sleeping and then he laid her back against the pillows.

He cursed under his breath a little as he hadn't managed to change her. Maybe he could do it while she was sleeping but did he want to risk waking her? It would be easier though as she wouldn't push him away.

However, before he had the chance to make his decision there was a knock at the door and he quickly stood and moved to answer it.

Upon opening the door he came face to face with Bob Carter, the town's doctor, looking rather flustered and out of breath. "Hi, Gil," he said, sucking in a deep breath and putting his bag down. He reached for Grissom's hand but then he caught sight of the rancher's battered features. "Geez, Gil…what happened to you?" The doctor's eyes passed over Grissom's bruised nose…throat…hands…"

"Hello, Bob," Grissom responded. "Nice observations but I'm not the patient."

The doctor scratched the top of his head. "I don't understand. You're man said you needed me here right away."

Grissom looked over Bob's shoulder, to Hodges who was hovering in the background. "That's right," Grissom confirmed returning his attention to his friend. "But I'm not the one that needs you."

"Then who does?"

"She's inside," the rancher replied pointing behind him.

Bob frowned. "Oh…um…she?"

Nervously twitching his fingers, Grissom nodded. "Yeah. Please…come in and I'll try and explain best I can."

"Sure." The doctor picked up his bag. "But for now I will have to be as quick as I can, there are lots of incidents in town after the storm and I have a broken bone to splint."

"I understand," Grissom replied, closing the door behind the doctor as he entered.

The doctor immediately saw the bed and Sara's fragile form sleeping upon it. He looked over his shoulder at Grissom as he stepped up behind him and the rancher nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "She's your patient."

With a frown, the older man placed his bag on the floor and approached the bed. "Who is she, Gil? And how did she get in such a condition?" Bob sat on the bed and leaned over Sara's wheezing body to get a good look at her.

"Her name is Sara. She's the daughter of….a man who helped raise me as a child."

Bob Carter felt Sara's forehead and frowned. "And she is here why?"

Clearing his throat, Grissom stepped closer. "She well…we…um…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Alright, Gil…" Bob smiled, "…I get it, just tell me how she got like this." He reached forward and gently lifted Sara's eyelids to get a look at her eyes.

"She traveled here from Maryland on horseback…alone and…through the storm. Not to mention…" he hesitated, "…some…other things that happened to her at home."

Bob's eyes went wide. "She traveled through the hurricane?"

Grissom nodded.

"Does she have a death wish?"

Grissom's jaw worked in circles. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer that as he didn't know the answer. The way she had acted, maybe she did.

"She is…dangerously hot…" Bob continued his examination, "…intense fever…breathing is very hampered. I gather she is coughing?"

Again the rancher nodded. "A lot, but she also says she is cold."

"Hmmm…" He straightened up and shook his head. "When did she fall ill?"

"Yesterday, or so I think. But very recently. She wasn't like this the last time I saw her," Grissom reported.

"It's definitely a double pneumonia, in the early stages but the rapid rate of it's advancement is very alarming. I'll be honest with you, Gil. Pneumonias that advance like this usually do not have favorable outcomes. She's young, which is definitely in her favor; however, she's very, very thin. She didn't lose that kind of weight overnight, so she was underweight going in to this….probably made her more susceptible."

Grissom swallowed without moisture. "By unfavorable outcomes….you mean?"

"The majority of people who present like this die, Gil. They are simply overwhelmed by the pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in one lung, while double pneumonia involves both lungs and both lungs are definitely involved. This is a very aggressive disease and Sara doesn't seem to have very much fight left in her."

The look on the rancher's face stopped the doctor short and he offered a supportive smile. "However, we will do all we can for Sara and maybe God will show favor."

The rancher felt his nerve endings pinch, he had suspected as much. "What should I do?"

Bob picked up his bag. "For now, just keep her warm, ensure she stays in bed and rests and make sure she has plenty of fluids."

"That's not as easy as it sounds," Grissom griped. "She can't seem to take anything to drink without coughing."

"Hopefully in time, she will, but I will be back in the morning when I will have more time and I can take a real good look at her then. A lot will depend on the severity of the infection and how inflamed her lungs are. I will try and get you some herbs to use if needs be. They may help. For now, even try a little honey on a spoon or even rubbing it over her lips may do the trick. Upon instinct she may lick the honey away. "

Biting on his bottom lip, Grissom offered a nod, "Alright."

The doctor headed for the door. "If you do need me before tomorrow you will find me in town. Not quite sure where but I'll be around somewhere."

"Thanks." Grissom followed Bob out of the door but the doctor stopped before he descended the steps. "By the way, how did you come to…" He reached up and passed a finger over Grissom's throat.

A heavy sigh seeped through Grissom's lips. "It's a long story," he admitted. "What you see is one of many bruises."

"Do you need anything, cream or a little pain relief?

Grissom shook his head. "No, thank you, I'm fine." He then thought, Sara could benefit from some. "But Sara has…some bruising…so…"

"Well…" Bob placed a caring hand onto the rancher's shoulder, "…I'll bring you some tomorrow, okay? You can use it as you see fit. And if you need to talk to someone, I'm here for that too."

"Thanks."

Bob smiled. "You are a good man, Gil Grissom, the whole town knows that and I'm sure that beautiful woman in there knows it too."

Running a shaky hand throw his hair, the rancher shrugged. "I don't think that's the issue right now, Doc. The problem is…how she feels about herself, not about me."

The doctor nodded his understanding. "Well…I'll be back tomorrow, take care until then."

"Will do," Grissom replied with a mock smile. "Thanks for coming and let me know if anyone in town needs any assistance."

With a light hearted chuckle, Bob turned and descended the steps. "Stop worrying about even one else, Gil. You have enough to deal with."

Grissom sighed as he watched Bob walk away. His friend was right but yet he had always gone out of his way to help his friends…it was just who he was.

"How is she?"

Looking up Grissom saw Hodges gazing at him, his horse by his side nibbling at the grass.

"She's very sick, David," Grissom responded sadly.

"Anything I can do?" the worker asked.

"No," Grissom replied with a shake of his head. "It seems her fate may well be in God's hands."

Hodges bowed his head for a moment and then pointed into the estate. "Then, I should be getting on…need to assess the damage and see if the horses are well."

"Right." Grissom thought for a moment, he still had to tend to Pandora amongst other things. They needed food; he needed to collect more water and wash.

He looked up to the sky. It had stopped raining now and he'd only just actually noticed. It was cold though and a sudden breeze sent an unnerving chill down his spine. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to himself before heading back inside.

Circling around the bed he watched Sara. She seemed deep in sleep but he had no idea how long it would last. Maybe now was the best time to do what he needed to do and although he hated to leave Sara's side, he would need to for just a short amount of time.

He wouldn't be too long; he would make sure he wasn't.

With his decision made, he grabbed his coat and was back through the door without another moment's hesitation, for he had no time to hesitate. Time was of the greatest importance to him now.

Rushing towards the stable, he put on his coat but as he did so, he felt something heavy in his pocket. Feeling inside, he pulled out the box which he had placed in there the night before and then he remembered finding it after he had found Sara. His fingers dipped back into the pocket and he plucked out the key which opened the box.

He sat on a tree stump outside the stable and stared at both objects for a moment. Why had Sara left the box and what was inside?

There was only one way to find out the answers to his questions and with a little uncertainly but some curiosity, he slipped the key into the lock and opened the box. Pulling out the small piece of parchment, he unfolded it…

"The faintness of the voice was pitiable and dreadful. It was not the faintness of physical weakness, though confinement and hard fare no doubt had their part in it. Its deplorable peculiarity was, that it was the faintness of solitude and disuse. It was like the last feeble echo of a sound made long and long ago. So entirely had it lost the life and resonance of the human voice, that it affected the senses like a once beautiful colour faded away into a poor weak stain. So sunken and suppressed it was, that it was like a voice underground. So expressive it was, of a hopeless and lost creature, that a famished traveller, wearied out by lonely wandering in a wilderness, would have remembered home and friends in such a tone before lying down to die." ***

*** - Extract taken from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

A/N: Hum...I actually feel a little depressed now. Ahhh...how is Grissom going to react to the letter? As if he isn't worried enough. And what about Sara? Does she even want to get through this? Oh the questions... Review please :D