In A Song: All I Ask Of You

All I Ask of You pt 12

The bomb squad combed the area looking for any other explosives and thankfully came up empty. Ecklie called out all the cadets he could to help with sorting through the debris looking for anything that could lead them to who was responsible, or tell them where Grissom and Sara may have been taken. By dawn they were still no closer to answers and everyone was getting frustrated.
******************

Sara opened her eyes and found nothing but black. Slowly she could make out the outline of Grissom’s shoulder and realized that she was underneath him. She reached up a hand to his back and found his shirt covered in blood. “Grissom. Grissom can you hear me?” Grissom groaned and started to stir. He quickly froze when a sharp pain shot through his body. He opened his eyes and found himself with his face inches from Sara.

“Sara are you ok?”

“Other than a headache and I’m sure my back will be sore later, yeah. I’m fine. How are you?”

Grissom tried shifting himself off of her and once again had to stop when the pain shot through him. “Other than I don’t seem to be able to move, I’m ok. The bigger question is where the hell are we?”

They couldn’t tell how long they were in there, but every once in a while Grissom would try and move himself off of Sara. Each time his efforts were met by intense pain and Sara began to notice fresh blood trickling onto her arm. “Griss you have to stop trying to move. I can’t see what’s wrong, but when you do you start bleeding again.”

“But if I can move enough so you can get out, maybe you can get some help.”

“Griss I mean it! You have to stop. There’s no telling how long we’ll be down here. When you stay still the bleeding stops, but when you move it starts again. You can’t keep losing blood like that. I’m not being hurt just staying where I am, so that seems like the best plan we have at the moment.”

Grissom hated to admit it, but she had a point. They were helpless and just had to wait. He just hoped they didn’t have to wait too long. Losing blood the way he way, it was just a matter of time before he went into shock. Not that shock was a bad thing since he also knew the blood would attract insects and the thought of being coherent when that happened was not a thought he relished. He closed his eyes and thought of the times Sara was under him in better circumstances. It was then he realized that he could no longer feel anything from his chest down. Someone would find them, of that he was sure. He just hoped they found them in time.

*********************
Warrick and Nick were sifting through the debris where Grissom and Sara had been when Nick began to slip and Warrick grabbed him. “Thanks man. I think I know what happened to Griss and Sara.” They called for the cadets and everyone carefully started moving debris and watching their footing. Slowly they began to see a hole being uncovered from the debris. Ecklie called for everyone to stop what they were doing and he made the call to bring in some equipment to help with the debris. None of it was that heavy, but they weren’t sure exactly how it was supporting itself over the hole and they didn’t want it to collapse in on itself.

******************
Sara saw light coming from above and her heart began to race. Grissom was unconscious and she had been unable to wake him for a while. With everything she had she started calling for help.
********************

The search and rescue team were on site and now running the show. Ecklie and his crew stood back and let the people trained for this sort of thing work. If Grissom and Sara were anywhere in or around that hole, these were the guys who would find them. A fiber optic camera was fed into the opening so the team could get a look at what was holding the debris up, and hopefully get a look at the hole. The captain of the team listened to the camera operator and then walked over to Ecklie to give him a report.

“Well Mr. Ecklie it’s not the best situation, but I’ve seen worse. Your people are at the bottom of an old mine shaft. Apparently the roof caved in when that bomb exploded and took them down with it. Our camera can see that someone down there is moving, so that’s a positive. The problem is this debris covering the top of the hole isn’t stable, so we risk dropping the whole mess down on top of them. The hole is small enough in diameter that we do have a plan. We’re going to try and use airbags to lift the debris off the hole and get it out of the way. Then we’ll be clear to get your people out.”

A long two hours later, a rescue basket was finally being lifted out of the hole with an injured Grissom strapped in it. Minutes later a second basket with Sara came above the rim to safety. Catherine had already gone in the ambulance with Grissom and Warrick volunteered to ride with Sara.

“Rick when we get there, find Catherine and find out how he is.”

“Sara you just need to relax, girl.”

Her eyes flashed anger before they filled with tears. “Warrick you don’t understand. I can’t relax until I know how he is. He was bleeding and trying to move for a while then he stopped and wouldn’t wake up.”

Warrick held her hand and leaned in close as he pushed her hair off her face. “Ok I’ll find out how he is, just calm down. You know he’ll be all right. I mean the two of you just hooked up. Do you really think he’ll give up without a fight now that he has you?”
At the hospital Sara had just finished getting dressed when Ecklie walked in to talk to her. “Well Sidle you’re on medical leave for two weeks, doctor’s orders. After that we’ll see if you’re released to return to work.” He looked at her grinning. “It must have been a dream come true for you down there. You finally got under Grissom.”

Sara couldn’t believe him and his attitude. “You know you’re the only person who would think that I would actually enjoy having a friend of mine trapped, bleeding, in pain, and losing consciousness.”

Ecklie smirked. He knew he had hit a nerve and he had every intention of playing it. “A friend? Oh is that what you’re calling it these days. I’ll have to look into just how friendly you’ve been getting with Grissom.”

He didn’t see Catherine and Undersheriff McKeen walk in the room behind him. McKeen heard him threatening Sara and he has had enough of Ecklie’s bullying. “Conrad, I hope you’re not implying that CSI Sidle and Dr. Grissom have anything other than a professional relationship. That kind of implication can lead to slander, harassment, and open the lab up to possible lawsuits. The woman has been through enough, so unless you have an official reason for being here, I suggest you move on.”

Catherine watched Ecklie slink away and McKeen followed him out. She closed the door so she could talk to Sara without being overheard. “So how are you doing, really?”

“I’m sore and I’m sure that will get worse. The better question is how is Grissom?”

Catherine sighed. “He’s ok. He had a metal piece of debris in his back. That’s what the bleeding was and why he couldn’t move. It was on an angle, did a lot of damage and caused a lot of swelling. But he’s ok. He’s tired and dehydrated, but he’s fine.” She walked over and helped Sara get her shirt on over the cervical collar she was to wear until her doctor’s appointment the following week. “You know you guys really had us worried. We looked up from the explosion and you were both gone.”

Sara saw the emotion in the other woman’s eyes and nodded. “It scared me too. I heard Ecklie yell Bomb, Grissom launched right at me, and the next thing I know there’s an explosion and we’re falling. But even that wasn’t as bad as when Grissom stopped talking down there. He was bleeding, he quit talking, and I couldn’t wake him up.” She fought back the tears and took a deep breath. “I thought he was dying and I couldn’t do anything to help him.”

“But you did. As soon as you could tell there was someone close you started calling for help. Given the situation, that was all you could do. Besides the obvious.” She saw Sara’s puzzled expression and smiled. “You love him, and he knows it. Now let’s get you to see him before he thinks I lied to him when I told him you were ok.”

Grissom opened his eyes when he heard someone walk into the room. He turned his head and saw Sara’s smile. Catherine gave him a smile and then left the room, closing the door behind her so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Sara gave his hand a squeeze and looked into his deep blue eyes. “Don’t scare me like that again.” Grissom brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. He reached up to cup her face and sighed.

“I don’t plan on it.”

They pulled back slightly from each other when they heard Catherine on the other side of the door yelling, “I don’t care Ecklie. Grissom needs his rest and he’s not up for you harassing him right now.”

Ecklie blew into the room like a whirlwind and smirked when he saw Sara standing there beside Grissom. “Well Sidle I guess you just can’t get enough of him, can you?”

Sara rolled her eyes and glared at him. “I know it’s a foreign concept to you, but people do check on their friends when they’re sick or hurt.”

Ecklie glanced down at the report in his hand and continued. “Friend, huh? Well then maybe you two would like to explain why is it that Grissom pulled you away from the explosion and appeared to shield you?”

Catherine was angry and jumped in “Why did you pull me away? It’s a guy thing. The whole protect the woman deal. Hell Griss and I worked a case a couple of years ago where we heard gunfire. He had me sandwiched between him and a fire truck so fast it wasn’t funny.”

“So you’re saying Grissom would have done that for anyone?”

“In a word, yes. That’s just how he is. Ecklie you’re just on a witch-hunt and coming up empty. Give it a rest.”

Grissom watched the man storm out of the room and shook his head. “What did I do to piss him off this time? I haven’t even been in town.”

Catherine shook her head. “It was because you weren’t here that he’s so pissed. While that conference that had him book you guys away for so long was here, a lot of the political heavyweights who were here really wanted to talk to you. But you weren’t here and while where you were made the lab look good, once they found out that you weren’t here and wouldn’t be back before the conference ended, they lost interest. They still toured the lab and talked to some people, but when Ecklie tried to get into the spotlight and run the show they blew him off. So now he’s pissed at you and looking for any reason to make your life hell.”

Sara winced. “Great. So Ecklie is pissed and looking to get you for something, and the whole department has by now heard all about the hours you spent lying on top of me in that hole.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. I mean it’s not like you guys could plan on falling like that. Just be careful and try not to get caught with this thing you two have until Ecklie calms down some. My guess is as long as you two don’t arouse any ethics suspicions, you should be fine. And I don’t think there is anyone in the lab that can say you’ve been playing favorites with Sara at any time.”

Grissom closed his eyes and sighed. “I knew there would be problems before we could just tell everyone and be open about it, but this is a bit much. Even for Ecklie.”

Sara nodded, “He’s completely obsessed. Maybe we should just chill for a while and let him calm down. We’re both going to need some recovery time anyway.”

Catherine smiled. “I thought you might say that. That’s why Jaqui from prints has graciously volunteered to help you with whatever you need while you recover, and you’ll be staying with her. Griss, once you’re released Warrick is staying with you to help you out while you recover.”

Grissom shot her a look and she laughed. “What? It’s perfect! Both of you will be recovering and Ecklie won’t have any ammo to try and get you with.”

Sara gave Grissom’s hand a squeeze. “She’s right. We have to play this out carefully or Ecklie will be right there to nail us. It’s just a few weeks until we’re both recovered. Then we’ll figure it out.”

She watched the emotions cross Grissom’s face and she leaned down and kissed him. “I’m not leaving you, but we have to be smart about this. We need a plan to deal with everything, including Ecklie, before we piss him off even more. It’ll just be a couple of weeks.”

Grissom squeezed her hand back. “I know. But I don’t have to like it. It’s amazing how fast I got used to you being with me at night.”

Catherine scoffed. “Oh will you two knock it off. It’s just temporary and it’s not like either one of you will be up to doing any more headboard banging any time soon.” Sara turned red and Grissom smiled.

“Oh I was waiting for you to say something. You’ve been just waiting for an opening haven’t you? Well before Sara gets shuttled off to Jacqui’s, since I wont be there why don’t you take her back to my place and let her spend the night there.”

Sara looked puzzled and Catherine smiled at him. “That sounds like a good idea. My mom has Lindsey so I’ll stay with Sara. Trust me Sara, after a fall like that, the Jacuzzi tub at Grissom’s will feel wonderful. I spent a few nights there myself after Eddie and I had out blow ups.”

Grissom watched them leave and tried to get some sleep. He knew Sara was in good hands, and he knew the plan to derail Ecklie was necessary. But he didn’t like it, he didn’t like it at all. He reached over and called for the nurse as the feeling began to return to his body. It was going to be a long night.