Chapter Forty:

Grissom stands at the doorway, frozen on the spot, then turns to call it in. Warrick comes running, standing at the doorway. After a few minutes the girl stops trying to talk and it seems she has gone. Warrick steps into the room. Grissom returns to the doorway, having alerted dispatch, almost scared at what will greet him when he looks back into the room.

'Sar… You ok?' Sara is clutching the woman in her arms, having held her for the last few moments of her life.

'She said, something I couldn't understand… She thought I was him… She…' Warrick kneels down to her side, turning to look at Grissom.

'She's gone.' Grissom, rooted on the spot, shakes himself back into the moment and turns to leave, striding down the hall way, throwing himself into the front yard he stills, unsure of what to do.

'Brass! She's dead.' Brass is heading up the driveway towards the house.

'Where?'

'The last bedroom, Sara was in there, she, she thought Sara was… She thought it was him, coming back.'

'Is Sara ok?'

'I dunno.' They reach the top of the stairs, the coroners assistants are walking in and out of the room, presumably confirming death and taking their pictures for reference later. Sara is stood outside the room with her arms crossed over her chest, Warrick is stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders. Brass and Grissom approach them, looking into the room. Brass clears his throat.

'Rick, get Sara out of her please.' Warrick looks over Sara's head and ushers her slowly away from the scene, into the cold air outside. Walking her to the side of a car, he pops the trunk, pulling a spare coat out, he drapes it over her shoulders. Continuing to rub her upper arms in a calming fashion.

'You ok?'

'I couldn't understand her, she, she was trying to tell me something.' Tears threaten to spill but she keeps it together.

'I know Sar, you did everything you could. You did good, ok?' She nods at him and looks around, desperate to see Grissom's face, just once.

'Where's Gil?' She whispers, Warrick leans in. Noticing she used his first name.

'Griss? I'll go find him, just wait here, Brass is going to need to take a statement.' She nods and pulls at the jacket across her shoulders. He is reluctant to leave her alone but heads off to find their supervisor. He re-enters the house and finds Brass first. 'Hey, where's Griss?' He looks over and around Brass' head.

'Upstairs, with the girl. Why? Where's Sara?' Panic setting in.

'She's outside by one of the cars, she asked for Gil.' Warrick's eyes zone in on Jim's hoping to see a reaction at how he addressed Grissom, but Brass gives nothing away.

'I'll go to her now. Go find Grissom.' Brass walks past him, patting him on the arm as they cross. Warrick stands back in the doorway to the bedroom. Grissom is crouched over the girl's body. Noticing Warrick in the corner of his eye. He stands quickly.

'Is she ok?' Concern etched over his face.

'She asked for you.' Grissom face turns quickly from concern to brief panic.

'Has Brass taken her statement?' Trying to divert the attention.

'He's on his way out now to. She's pretty shook up.' Hoping his choice in words carry through enough but not too much that he weakens the idea of Sara and her tough girl imagine.

'Ok. I'll err… I just need to…' He turns back towards the room.

'Go. I'll pick up from where you've left off.' Grissom, stares at Warrick's face, his face pulls to a grimace the relaxing and smiling slightly he nods before walking away slowly. Warrick watches him go, something is definitely going on here. Grissom gets to the front door, snapping off his gloves, he looks around quickly then sees them, Brass stood with Sara, his hand on her arm. He steps out into the night and walks quickly over to them. Brass steps back slightly when Grissom comes to rest beside them.

'Honey… You ok?' He reaches out and touches the scratch on her cheek, he shouts over to a paramedic. 'Can we get someone to look at this please.' He turns back to Sara. 'Listen, give Jim your statement and I'll take you home ok.'

'No, I wanna stay. I need to help.'

'Sara…' He looks over at Brass, hoping he will help back him up. But Brass looks down at his notebook, readying a fresh page, trying his hardest to stay out of it. 'Honey… Listen to me. I want you to go home, take the rest of the night off and I promise you will be back on this case first thing tomorrow.' Sara turns her head and focuses on him.

'We're at work, you can't tell me what to do Gil.' She looks at Brass. 'I'm ready.'