Retribution

Chapter: 25

Grissom was released from hospital 10 days later. He had found his feet quite well despite his initial annoyance at the physiotherapy. He’d struggled to walk at first, his legs and back so so stiff and numb. He’d almost knocked out one of the nurses when he threw the walking frame across the room on his first morning of treatment. But Sara had been there with him every step of the way and soothed his anger with her loving support. He had to let it out some how and he was struggling to do it any other way. That did worry her. They still hadn’t talked about what happened. He was so focused on getting out of the hospital she didn’t want to push him, but every time she tried to talk to him he quickly changed the subject. She would be patient.

Now he could walk by himself with the aid of a cane and was happy to be free of the hospital walls after so long.

Catherine had picked them up fm the hospital and taken them home.

Grissom and Sara stepped inside their home together for the first time in 8 months. Grissom hobbled cane in hand, Sara’s arm around his waist to try and support him.

“I should be helping you, you know that?” He said to her looking at her belly, noticing she was holding her side with her free hand. She now had back pain.

Sara smiled. “When your better”, she rubbed her hand soothingly over his back.

Grissom scanned his surroundings. Nothing had changed, apart from a new coffee table in the living room. He looked at it and Sara noticed as he turned to face her.

She tried to smile. “Present from Nick, made a change from all the baby stuff”.

“Oh”, was all he could say.

“Are you hungry”, Sara asked quickly changing the subject.

“A little”

“I’ll make us something”, Sara said.

Grissom stopped her. “No, I’ll do it. Why don’t you go take a bath. It will help your back. Plus from what I can gather all you’ve been doing for the last 7 months is showering. You must be dieing for a good soak.”

Sara thought to herself for a minute. That did sound tempting.

“You sure you’ll be ok?”

Grissom nodded.

“Ok”, Sara said leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a minute”.

She disappeared into the bedroom as Grissom hobbled into the kitchen, opening the cupboards. Catherine had stocked up for them and there was lots to choose from. No more hospital food, thank god!

“What to have”, he mumbled to himself.

Sara stood in the bathroom and began undressing, turning on the bath water. Grissom had done such a good job revamping the bathroom last year. Mirrors covered both sides of the walls, a roomy shower cubicle and a luxurious tub. Many nights, and days, they had spent making love in the bathroom. But the mirrors did it for her. Seeing him with her. In her. That was the biggest turn on of all. She smiled to herself, sexy memories filling her mind. Then as she removed her shirt and bra, her smile faded. Seeing the reflection of her reflection, in the opposite mirror made her shudder. She saw her back. The scars, she was still trying to get used to then and tried to avoid ever taking a glance back there. She removed her slacks and shoes and began loosely draping a towel after her upper half, blocking out the image.

Just then the door opened……”Sara which soup do you want….vegetable or…?”

Grissom stepped in and Sara span around like lightening, quickly tightening the towel around her body. Gripping onto it for dear life.

The air felt uncomfortable and Grissom could see the nervous look on her face. How uneasy she was. He walked closer to her and noticed as she took a step backwards. Fingers tight around the towel.

He knew it had been a long time since he had seen her, been intimate with her but he’d not seen this level of fear in her eyes for a long time.

He saw his reflection in the mirror the same way she had.

“Sara…are you ok?”

“A ha”, she whispered, lying.

His eyes caught her back…and then he saw them. The tops of the scars visible just above the towel. It hit him.

She was trying to hide it from him. He swallowed hard and his face slightly paled. He again stepped forward. Until he was almost touching her, she could feel his warmth radiating through her bare skin.

“Sara…..” he whispered.

Sara just bowed her head, a terrible churning beginning in her stomach. She didn’t want to look into his eyes, it was too hard.

He lifted his hand and cupped her chin lifting her face so their eyes met.

Her eyes were filling with tears.

“Sara….let me see”, he asked softly.

She shook her head under his tender grasp.

“Sara…please..”

“No. Gil no.” She pushed him softly away. “Not yet, it’s too soon. Your not ready. I don’t even think I’m ready. Please understand.”

“Sara I need to see what I did to you”, now his eyes filled with tears.

Sara closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling her stomach turn again and then slowly stepped forward, closer to him. She looked deep into his eyes. “I will show you. I promise but….not just yet. First we need to talk and…take it from there…… Please?”

Grissom sighed as there was a knock at the front door. “This isn’t over”, he whispered as he headed out of the bathroom.

Sara breathed out a sad breath and turned off the water filling the bath. As she slipped in she felt her stomach cramp terribly but ignored it trying to relax.

Grissom, irritated, answered the door. Catherine.

“Hi”, she said holding up a bathroom bag. “You forgot this”.

“Oh, thanks”, he said taking it from her.

She noticed he looked a little pale and puffy eyed. “Are you ok?”

“Egh, yeah, I’m fine.”

“So you still know how to make coffee?” Catherine asked.

“Sure, sorry, come in”, Grissom said shaking his head, shaking his emotions away heading for the kitchen.

Sara dried off, she could here the voices and popped her head out of the door. She had wondered why Grissom hadn’t come back. She was sure he was going to persist. She saw Grissom and Catherine chatting and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She went back into the bathroom and popped on her baggy pants and tank top. She felt soothed from the bathing. But then….all of a sudden…..

“Aghhh!” She cried. Doubling over. Seeing blood beginning to seep through her bottoms. A crushing pain in her stomach Dizziness over came her and she fell to the floor.

“Grrisssooommmmmm!” She shouted louder than she thought she ever could, through the pain.

Grissom shot to his feet and ran to the bathroom as quickly as his body would allow him. Catherine quickly followed. Grissom’s face filled with pure terror as he saw Sara crumpled on the floor.

“Sara!”, he gasped kneeling next to her.

Catherine hovered over the two of them and noticed the blood.

“Gil..” She said quietly gesturing his glance towards the blood.

“Ohhh god!” He cried and cupped Sara’s face in his hands as she groaned in agonising pain.

“Honey look at me!” She didn’t reply.

“Sara!” He said sternly.

She looked up dazedly.

“Baby tell me what your feeling?”

“Pain!” She gasped. “Lots of pain. Aaaaggghhh!”. A contraction hit.

“She’s in labour”, Catherine said. “But the bloods not right. Something’s wrong”

“I can’t be in labour….too early”, Sara mumbled.

“Catherine call 911”, Grissom said quickly.

Catherine dialled quickly stepping out of the room, not wanting to distress Sara any further.

Grissom scooted behind Sara and held her in his lap. Her head against his chest.

He brushed her hair back into place. “Hold on baby, please hold on”, he held her tightly.

Sara had another contraction and screamed out loud, grabbing Grissom’s hand tightly. Her grimaced at the pain. Her grip was torture.

“God!!” She screamed. “Huurtsss so much!”

Catherine reappeared. “There be about 10 minutes, hold on Sara, not long….”

10 minutes felt like an eternity but finally the EMT’s arrived quickly taking Sara to the ambulance and speeding off. Grissom held her hand the whole way despite the pain.

Grissom ran as fast as he could down the corridor, cringing as his back told him to stop, trying to keep up the Doctors and Sara laid out of the stretcher. He heard several mutterings between the Doctors as they entered the treatment room but he wasn’t taking any of it in.

They hooked Sara to several monitors and an IV. Her heart rate was erratic.

“What’s happening”, Grissom asked desperately.

“Are you the father?”

“Yes”, he swallowed hard. “Gil Grissom”.

“Well Mr Grissom your baby is in extreme distress. It looks like the baby may have breeched, badly.

“She’s not due for another 3-4 weeks.”

The Doctor looked at him and frowned.

He continued to work on Sara. “We may have to do an emergence caesarean if Sara looses much more blood.

“But Sara and the baby are going to be ok?”

The Doctor could hear the pleading in Grissom’s voice. Just as he was about to speak, alarms started to go off.

Grissom jumped, turning to Sara.

Everyone in the room began shouting at each other and Grissom felt like he was under water. Everything was muffled and going in slow motion.

“Her pressure’s dropping”……..beep beep……“got more blood down here“……beep beep……“heart rate dropping“…….beep beep………beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Flatline! “She’s in VF”, the nurse screamed.

“NO!” Grissom shouted trying to get to Sara. One of the Doctors grabbed him and pulled him back quickly. “Sir you have to leave.”

Grissom fought, “No! I’m not leaving her she’s my whole life!”

“Please Mr Grissom you have to go. Lets us do our job and help your wife and baby. Nurse!”

A nurse took Grissom by the arm and led him towards the door and out of the room. Just as the door swung shut he could hear the charge of the defibrillator and the shock and jolt of it coming into contact with his…..wife? Did he say wife? He hadn’t yet asked Sara to marry him despite the fact of the diamond engagement ring which had been sitting in his desk draw for the last 9 months. As the tears streamed down his face his back hit the wall. Then he was sliding, sliding. He was now sat on the floor in the corridor. His whole life disappearing in the room a few feet away. Why now? What had they done to deserve so much pain?