A few hours before graveyard shift was to start, friends stopped in to see Sara on their way to work. Nick was the first to arrive, coming in moments after the giggling that had caught the attention of the nurse. He convinced Greg to share some of his coffee when it became apparent that Sara was not going to open her eyes in exchange for some. Catherine had quietly given him the same spiel she gave Greg about what conversation topics were banned from the room.
David Phillips stopped in with a small potted plant, having just returned from a week away visiting his in laws. He had been brought up to speed by Doc Robbins before visiting, and passed along the doctor's greetings to Sara and those visiting her. Unable to stay long as he was needed in early, he hadn't taken time to even sit down - just leaving the plant by Sara's bed side and telling her he hoped she was feeling well soon and he would be back to visit when he could. Brass asked him to pass on a message to Doc, asking him to visit in the morning.
Morgan messaged Greg that she wouldn't be able to visit before work as she was having dinner with Ecklie, but insisted he message her every detail of Sara's progress as it happened. He promised she would be the first one he messaged if Sara woke up (despite knowing it was a lie - Catherine, Nick and Brass would kill him!)
As the evening wore on, Brass left to go home and shower before heading into work, and Catherine left shortly after. Nick stayed until the last possible second before his shift, but finally he left as well, leaving Greg alone with Sara.
There had been no signs that she was aware of her surroundings since the coffee incident earlier, and he wondered if perhaps she was simply asleep. Surely someone unconscious would need a lot of sleep, and in sleep you weren't aware of your surroundings. That must be what it is, he reassured himself. Sara was just asleep right now.
He contemplated his entertainment options for the evening and decided against playing solitaire. It just felt too depressing. So instead he pulled out the collection of journals he had brought with him and instead of going straight for forensics, he pulled out the Physics journal he had managed to find and began to read Sara an article on advancements in elemental analysis. When he found his eyes starting to cross and was stumbling over the words, he knew it was time for a break. There was no sign that Sara was aware of his presence, so he took a few minutes to stretch and pace around the small room. He watered her new plant and topped up the water on the various flowers that people had brought. Next, he tidied up the garbage from various meals that had been eaten around her bed. Five minutes later he was still restless but there was nothing else to be done. He stared at her face intently, hoping for some kind of sign she was with him, but found nothing and he sighed.
"Come on Sara. Come back to us. Don't try to slip away on us again. I know things have been bad lately but they're going to get better. You've got all of us on your side. Everyone at the lab is waiting for you to wake up and be ok. We miss you. I mean, yeah, it's only been a few days... but things just work better when you're here with us. Working with you is fun. And you're smarter than all of us put together. You solve cases others cast aside as a lost cause. And you're a good friend, you know. You're the best. I mean, who else could I talk to about everything? I don't trust many people you know. But I told you about how I feel about Morgan even though I don't even know myself how I feel... you just, you helped make things make sense. And with Alison... I know Morgan was there for me but I needed you. My feelings for Morgan confused everything and I knew you could sort out the mess in my head. You did, you know? But I guess I didn't tell you that then. I think we all just assumed you knew how important you were to all of us but none of us really say it enough." He paused, taking a breath to try to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, and he squeezed her hand. "Just wake up, Sara. Please? Wake up."
5.5 months earlier
Grissom put in his notice that he would be leaving the work he was doing in Peru. They asked him to complete the project he was working on, and with much discussion he and Sara agreed that was reasonable. For her 12 week ultrasound, Grissom was on video chat and the doctor made sure to include him. The baby's heartbeat was strong, and everything was developing perfectly. Sara had lost some weight, but the doctor promised that morning sickness eases up a bit after the first trimester, and gave her a script for anti-emetics. She found they worked fairly well for about 6 to 8 hours so she took one before every shift. By week 13 she was feeling worse so she saw the doctor again. He organised for her to have IV fluids and anti-emetic injections, and she was amazed at how much better she felt. For the first time since she had gotten pregnant, she was actually able to eat proper food and keep it down. That was a turning point for her and things began to get better. She was no longer vomiting so frequently, and she found herself able to get back to her regular work routine - and didn't tell Grissom the few times she was out in the field. She also didn't tell her boss or coworkers her secret. Once Grissom was home, they would tell everyone.
Sara excitedly told him of her plans for a nursery - an ocean theme, with light aqua coloured walls. It would be a peaceful space. Grissom couldn't disagree although he hoped they could find a way to incorporate honey bees but he kept that to himself for now. He had ordered books on pregnancy and parenting online and told Sara everything he was reading, and discussed how different cultures raised their babies around the world. He insisted Sara send him pictures of herself which she begrudgingly agreed to.
Grissom's boat had made it to San Diego. Unfortunately things were backed up and the ship was being held for 12 hours before anyone was allowed off to clear customs. He hesitantly turned his phone on and saw a number of messages come up, but he ignored them all. He had 3 missed calls but only one new voicemail, so he hesitantly dialed the number and listened.
"Dr. Grissom, I hear you're on your way back and I look forward to meeting you soon! I wanted to call to update you on Sara's condition although I know you won't be within cell phone range for a bit. She came through the surgery well with no complications. We were able to remove all the infected tissue and damage from the ruptured abscess, and while she's on antibiotics for now we're confident that the infection is gone. We did have to perform a partial hysterectomy but we were able to preserve one ovary so she will avoid being thrown into menopause, which I'm sure you understand is a very good thing. I saw Sara this morning and her friends staying with her reported that she's starting to have some movement return so that's a good sign that she may be waking up soon. I've made sure to have a neurologist check in on her and once she wakes up she will also be seen by a psychologist to help her deal with everything. Overall, it's all good news, and we're cautiously optimistic that she will continue to improve."
Hanging up, he released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Sara was improving. She would probably be ok. Her friends were with her. Staring at the port, he wondered again why he was coming back. Surely once she woke up she would tell them she didn't want to see him, would she not? But maybe if he got back first, he could have a moment with her, to see her, to feel her hand in his. He knew if he saw her again he would never want to leave. Sara was and always would be the only woman he ever loved. And maybe, if she could forgive him, they could try to be together again.