Out of Time – Chapter 6
A/N: Again. Sorry this took so very long to get out. I haven't forgotten about it, but I finally got a somewhat decent job, so I've been really busy. Add to that the fact that my entire day is spent on a computer setting up databases so that by the time I get home, I would cut off my fingers before typing another word. Right, on to the story.
******************
"Relax Nick. Grissom went with her. I'm sure he'll give us a call when he knows something." Nick hadn't stopped moving since Sara had been whisked away in the ambulance and his incessant pacing was getting on Catherine's nerves. "Nick! You have to calm down now. We need to process the scene, or day shift will be brought in. Do you think Grissom wants that?"
Nick looked at Catherine incredulously. Her face was emotionless as she handed him his kit and shoved him toward the bedroom. He couldn't believe her. Did she really care so little for Sara? Hell, even Grissom was affected by this. Nick crouched next to the bed and collected some fibers. He fought the overwhelming desire to just leave the minutia of his job and literally run to the hospital. How could anyone work under these circumstances?
In the living room, Warrick wasn't doing much better. Knick knacks, books, clothes. All things that Nick said belonged to Sara. Not that he'd ever seen any of this stuff before. Three years and he knew so little about her. Honestly, that first year he hadn't wanted to know her. She was an outsider, brought in to investigate him, twice. He eventually realized it wasn't her fault. She hadn't asked to investigate him that second time. Grissom had made her.
And yet even that realization hadn't really changed the way he treated her. Sara had ceased being one of the team and he had no idea how it happened. One day he walked into the break room and realized that he couldn't remember the last time she had shared a meal with him. She was becoming more and more like Grissom every day. Maybe that was why he hadn't noticed the changes. Warrick had been focused on the steady deterioration of his mentor. Grissom had never been a social butterfly, but he had always had time for a quick meal at the diner or a shared roller coaster ride. But as time crawled by, Grissom stopped interacting with everybody unless it had something to do with a case.
Then he had left. Warrick hoped the vacation would give Griss back the spark he'd once had. It might have worked too if it hadn't been for Sara. Warrick had blamed her for leaving him. Now he blamed himself as he bagged and cataloged Sara's belongings while Catherine worked the basement where she had been held prisoner for weeks.
********************
Grissom paced outside Sara's hospital room impatient for any word about her. He knew the nurses were starting to talk about him. More than one had attempted to corral him into the waiting room. All he had to do was glare at them, and they went scurrying away. He scratched at his face; his beard and hair felt unruly, unkempt. Ironically, he probably looked scarier than the freak that had kept Sara prisoner.
One of the bolder nurses offered him a cup of coffee, which he accepted without a word. He just continued to stare at the closed door waiting for the doctor to come out. Grissom wondered what was taking so long.
Finally, fifteen minutes later the doctor emerged. He looked almost too young to have gone to medical school and Gil immediately disliked him. The doctor was writing on a chart and didn't even look up as he brushed past him.
"Doctor!" Grissom grabbed the sleeve of his lab coat as he tried to leave.
"What can I do for you, Mr...."
"Dr. Grissom."
"MD?"
"No. PhD. What can you tell me about Sara?"
"Are you family?"
Grissom was quickly losing his patience. He dug in his pockets for his ID and flashed it briefly. "I've been working Miss Sidle's case, and I would like to know her condition."
"She's in excellent health."
Grissom was floored. He actually staggered back a step before catching himself. "I... I... don't understand."
The doctor shrugged. "Except for some bruising on her wrists, she's absolutely fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I know how to do my job, Dr. Grissom. I checked out everything. She said she wasn't harmed, but I insisted on checking. There's no sign of sexual or physical assault. In fact, looking at her medical records, she seems to have gained five pounds since the last time she saw a doctor. And her stomach problem seems to have cleared up."
"Stomach problem?"
"She had a pre-ulcerous condition brought on by stress."
Grissom walked to the closed door and laid his hand on it. None of this was making any sense. "Can I see her?"
The doctor stared at the man in front of him. He was obviously more that just an investigator. Whatever he may claim, there was something else there.
"Go ahead in, but try not to stay long. I just gave her something and she should be falling asleep soon."
Grissom casually dismissed him and opened the door. He stood in the doorway watching her breathe. It amazed him that such a simple act of watching her chest rise and fall could be so comforting. After not knowing for so long it was blissful to just see her alive. He smiled and stepped further into the room. Sara stirred when she heard the door close behind him.
"Tim?" ***************
Detective Jim Brass had seen and heard a lot over the course of his career but this was something new. He never thought they would find Sara alive after all this time. Things like that just didn't happen. Yet she was safe in the hospital and her captor was in the interrogation room. Brass walked in and calmly sat down.
"So how is my girl doing?" Tim leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table, an air of confidence about him. "I really hope you won't keep me too long. She hates it when I go away."
Brass clenched his fists in a conscious effort not to strangle the smug bastard. "You're not going anywhere and as for Sara, she's still in the hospital."
Tim jumped out of his chair not even noticing as it crashed to the floor. He leaned over the table and glared menacingly at the cop in front of him. "Why is she there? What did you do to her? She was fine when I left her!"
"She's there because you kidnapped her, tortured her and held her hostage for weeks. I can just imagine the damage you did." Brass fought to remain calm, never moving an inch despite Tim's menacing stance. He wanted nothing more than to beat this guy into a bloody mess, but he wouldn't allow himself that luxury. He had to sit there and play the game, subtly working Tim until he finally broke or slipped up. He had been in on countless interrogations and had long ago learned how to control them. The suspect this time thought he was in control but his outburst played right into the cop's hands. All he needed to do was push him a little more. "I saw how you looked at her, at her legs. You couldn't have resisted for long. Who could? How long was it before you raped her, huh? A day, a week?"
Much to Brass's surprise, Tim suddenly grinned and picked up the chair that he had knocked over. Slowly he sat down and leaned back, still smiling. "I get it. You think I hurt her. I'm sorry to disappoint you detective, but Sara is perfectly happy and healthy. I love her and would never dream of doing anything... inappropriate. Actually I'm a little worried about her now."
"And why is that?"
"Since she moved in, we haven't been apart for so long. I really hope she is doing okay."
**************** "What are you doing here, Gil?"
Grissom stood staring into the interrogation room, indulging in a fantasy that involved Tim Foster and fire ants. "There was no reason for me to stay at the hospital, and the rest of the team is searching his house."
"So Sara's going to be okay?"
Bass noticed his eyes darkening significantly at the question. "She seems healthy. The doctors couldn't find anything physically wrong with her."
Jim had more questions for Grissom, but was spurred into action when Grissom reached for the door. Holding the door closed with one hand, he said "I don't think that's such a good idea."
Grissom turned to look at him and instead of the fury Brass expected, all he saw was pain. "I'm not going to do anything to him. I just want to talk." Grissom went back to looking at their suspect through the glass. "He hasn't confessed yet has he?"
"No. He likes to talk, but hasn't given us anything we can use against him."
"So let me try. I believe we have a lot to talk about."
"Why do you think he'll talk to you?"
"We have something in common."
"What's that?"
Grissom smiled sadly and closed his eyes as he answered. "Sara."
*******************
"There's nothing to talk about."
"I understand that you've been through a lot, but eventually you're going to have to talk to someone."
Sara rolled on her side and looked out the window. Why couldn't anyone understand? She just wanted to be left alone. The doctors came first, with their poking and prodding and pictures. They seemed almost disappointed that she wasn't in worse shape. No one believed her when she said she was fine. No, poor little Sara was too traumatized to know her own body. Then came the nurses, poking their cute little blonde heads in every five minutes, like they were afraid she was going to disappear if someone wasn't watching her. Now it was Dr. Hayes, the department shrink's turn.
"Look Doctor. I'm fine. I'm sure you've seen my chart. There's nothing wrong with me. I just want to get out of here."
Dr. Hayes wasn't about to give up so easily. No one could be unaffected after being kidnapped and held hostage for weeks. That Sara would want to shut down especially to him was understandable but unhealthy. There had to be someone she could talk to.
"What about some of your friends? Would you like to see some of them?"
Sara gave a mirthless chuckle. "Friends? No I don't think so."
Dr. Hayes knew there was something telling in her response but chose to ignore it for the moment in favor of something more practical. He had read her file and knew how dedicated she was to her job as a CSI. He decided to change tacks.
"I know you're getting out of here tomorrow. The department won't let you return to work until we've talked and I assure them you're okay to resume your duties."
Sara sat up and looked at him for a moment.
"What makes you think I want to go back to work?"
*******************
"Ahhh, Dr. Grissom. I wondered when you would grace me with your presence. I've been looking forward to this."
"Don't try me Mr. Foster. I'm not in the mood." Grissom leaned over the table and glared at the man who had turned Sara against him. "Tell me what you did to her."
"I didn't do anything to Sara. I was trying to explain that to your friend Jim. I love Sara. I would never hurt her."
Grissom clenched his jaw, desperately wanting to wipe that stupid grin of the little shit's face. "Why should I believe a sick fuck like you?"
"Well since you obviously felt comfortable leaving the hospital, you know that she is in excellent health. Probably better than the last time you saw her. She looks like she did when she first moved out here, happy, hopeful."
This got Grissom's attention. How long had this been going on? "How do you know?"
"Please. I've been watching her for a few years now. I saw her at a crime scene. A neighbor of mine was killed." Tim chuckled at the look on Grissom's face. "Don't bother. I had nothing to do with it. But once I saw her I knew."
"Knew what?"
"That I needed her. That she was the type of woman who could make a man spout poetry or go insane. The type of woman who can stop your breath when you hear her voice or see her face. The type of woman who can make a man forsake everything he loves just for the chance to wake up next to her." Tim leaned forward and reached out a hand. "I've seen you watching her. I know you see it too."
Grissom was up out of his chair in a heartbeat. He walked to the other side of the room and stared at the wall. "I don't..."
"You do. I've watched you too, you know. She thought so highly of you. I had to know why. And after all this time, I still can't see what she saw in you. I still don't know why she loved you."
At this Grissom spun around. "Don't look so surprised Dr. Grissom, or should I just call you Grissom, like she does."
"Doctor."
"Of course. So Doctor, you had to know how she felt. She offered herself to you time and again. I watched on, silently loving her as you hurt her again and again. She stopped eating, sleeping. She stopped caring about everything and no one noticed but me. Then she was going to leave me forever. Because you were too selfish or stupid to accept the heaven she offered you."
Grissom sat down again. The anger was gone and now he felt only disgusted with himself. He had well and truly failed Sara. He had ignored her for too long. He wanted to flee this room, this life, the knowledge that a psychopath could know Sara better than he did. But he still hadn't gotten what he came for. "So that's when you took her."
Tim smiled wistfully and let out a deep breath. "Yes. I couldn't let her go. She means the world to me."
With this last confession, Grissom was done. He got up and was headed for the door when Tim's voice stopped him cold.
"You know Doctor, I never answered your question."
Gil turned around to face Foster one last time. "I've heard all I need to hear."
"Yes. You have my confession and any second Detective Brass will return to place me under arrest. But you asked me what I did to her." Tim stared at Grissom and licked his lips. "You want to know what I did that makes her need me. Why she flinches when you touch her now and won't even look at you. It's very simple, Doctor. I did everything you wouldn't do. I listened to her. Paid attention to her likes and dislikes. Cooked her favorite foods. I told her about myself, my childhood. I let her know me. I loved her and told her I loved her. That's all it takes, Grissom."
Grissom was out the door in a second, running down the hall. But he could still hear Foster's mocking voice calling out to him. "Say hi to her for me and tell her I miss her!"
..........TBC
Review Review Review!!! I've already started writing the next chapter, so it shouldn't take so long this time. I'm trying to get them together in the end, but I'm not sure how to do it. Any suggestions, please let me know.
A/N: Again. Sorry this took so very long to get out. I haven't forgotten about it, but I finally got a somewhat decent job, so I've been really busy. Add to that the fact that my entire day is spent on a computer setting up databases so that by the time I get home, I would cut off my fingers before typing another word. Right, on to the story.
******************
"Relax Nick. Grissom went with her. I'm sure he'll give us a call when he knows something." Nick hadn't stopped moving since Sara had been whisked away in the ambulance and his incessant pacing was getting on Catherine's nerves. "Nick! You have to calm down now. We need to process the scene, or day shift will be brought in. Do you think Grissom wants that?"
Nick looked at Catherine incredulously. Her face was emotionless as she handed him his kit and shoved him toward the bedroom. He couldn't believe her. Did she really care so little for Sara? Hell, even Grissom was affected by this. Nick crouched next to the bed and collected some fibers. He fought the overwhelming desire to just leave the minutia of his job and literally run to the hospital. How could anyone work under these circumstances?
In the living room, Warrick wasn't doing much better. Knick knacks, books, clothes. All things that Nick said belonged to Sara. Not that he'd ever seen any of this stuff before. Three years and he knew so little about her. Honestly, that first year he hadn't wanted to know her. She was an outsider, brought in to investigate him, twice. He eventually realized it wasn't her fault. She hadn't asked to investigate him that second time. Grissom had made her.
And yet even that realization hadn't really changed the way he treated her. Sara had ceased being one of the team and he had no idea how it happened. One day he walked into the break room and realized that he couldn't remember the last time she had shared a meal with him. She was becoming more and more like Grissom every day. Maybe that was why he hadn't noticed the changes. Warrick had been focused on the steady deterioration of his mentor. Grissom had never been a social butterfly, but he had always had time for a quick meal at the diner or a shared roller coaster ride. But as time crawled by, Grissom stopped interacting with everybody unless it had something to do with a case.
Then he had left. Warrick hoped the vacation would give Griss back the spark he'd once had. It might have worked too if it hadn't been for Sara. Warrick had blamed her for leaving him. Now he blamed himself as he bagged and cataloged Sara's belongings while Catherine worked the basement where she had been held prisoner for weeks.
********************
Grissom paced outside Sara's hospital room impatient for any word about her. He knew the nurses were starting to talk about him. More than one had attempted to corral him into the waiting room. All he had to do was glare at them, and they went scurrying away. He scratched at his face; his beard and hair felt unruly, unkempt. Ironically, he probably looked scarier than the freak that had kept Sara prisoner.
One of the bolder nurses offered him a cup of coffee, which he accepted without a word. He just continued to stare at the closed door waiting for the doctor to come out. Grissom wondered what was taking so long.
Finally, fifteen minutes later the doctor emerged. He looked almost too young to have gone to medical school and Gil immediately disliked him. The doctor was writing on a chart and didn't even look up as he brushed past him.
"Doctor!" Grissom grabbed the sleeve of his lab coat as he tried to leave.
"What can I do for you, Mr...."
"Dr. Grissom."
"MD?"
"No. PhD. What can you tell me about Sara?"
"Are you family?"
Grissom was quickly losing his patience. He dug in his pockets for his ID and flashed it briefly. "I've been working Miss Sidle's case, and I would like to know her condition."
"She's in excellent health."
Grissom was floored. He actually staggered back a step before catching himself. "I... I... don't understand."
The doctor shrugged. "Except for some bruising on her wrists, she's absolutely fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I know how to do my job, Dr. Grissom. I checked out everything. She said she wasn't harmed, but I insisted on checking. There's no sign of sexual or physical assault. In fact, looking at her medical records, she seems to have gained five pounds since the last time she saw a doctor. And her stomach problem seems to have cleared up."
"Stomach problem?"
"She had a pre-ulcerous condition brought on by stress."
Grissom walked to the closed door and laid his hand on it. None of this was making any sense. "Can I see her?"
The doctor stared at the man in front of him. He was obviously more that just an investigator. Whatever he may claim, there was something else there.
"Go ahead in, but try not to stay long. I just gave her something and she should be falling asleep soon."
Grissom casually dismissed him and opened the door. He stood in the doorway watching her breathe. It amazed him that such a simple act of watching her chest rise and fall could be so comforting. After not knowing for so long it was blissful to just see her alive. He smiled and stepped further into the room. Sara stirred when she heard the door close behind him.
"Tim?" ***************
Detective Jim Brass had seen and heard a lot over the course of his career but this was something new. He never thought they would find Sara alive after all this time. Things like that just didn't happen. Yet she was safe in the hospital and her captor was in the interrogation room. Brass walked in and calmly sat down.
"So how is my girl doing?" Tim leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table, an air of confidence about him. "I really hope you won't keep me too long. She hates it when I go away."
Brass clenched his fists in a conscious effort not to strangle the smug bastard. "You're not going anywhere and as for Sara, she's still in the hospital."
Tim jumped out of his chair not even noticing as it crashed to the floor. He leaned over the table and glared menacingly at the cop in front of him. "Why is she there? What did you do to her? She was fine when I left her!"
"She's there because you kidnapped her, tortured her and held her hostage for weeks. I can just imagine the damage you did." Brass fought to remain calm, never moving an inch despite Tim's menacing stance. He wanted nothing more than to beat this guy into a bloody mess, but he wouldn't allow himself that luxury. He had to sit there and play the game, subtly working Tim until he finally broke or slipped up. He had been in on countless interrogations and had long ago learned how to control them. The suspect this time thought he was in control but his outburst played right into the cop's hands. All he needed to do was push him a little more. "I saw how you looked at her, at her legs. You couldn't have resisted for long. Who could? How long was it before you raped her, huh? A day, a week?"
Much to Brass's surprise, Tim suddenly grinned and picked up the chair that he had knocked over. Slowly he sat down and leaned back, still smiling. "I get it. You think I hurt her. I'm sorry to disappoint you detective, but Sara is perfectly happy and healthy. I love her and would never dream of doing anything... inappropriate. Actually I'm a little worried about her now."
"And why is that?"
"Since she moved in, we haven't been apart for so long. I really hope she is doing okay."
**************** "What are you doing here, Gil?"
Grissom stood staring into the interrogation room, indulging in a fantasy that involved Tim Foster and fire ants. "There was no reason for me to stay at the hospital, and the rest of the team is searching his house."
"So Sara's going to be okay?"
Bass noticed his eyes darkening significantly at the question. "She seems healthy. The doctors couldn't find anything physically wrong with her."
Jim had more questions for Grissom, but was spurred into action when Grissom reached for the door. Holding the door closed with one hand, he said "I don't think that's such a good idea."
Grissom turned to look at him and instead of the fury Brass expected, all he saw was pain. "I'm not going to do anything to him. I just want to talk." Grissom went back to looking at their suspect through the glass. "He hasn't confessed yet has he?"
"No. He likes to talk, but hasn't given us anything we can use against him."
"So let me try. I believe we have a lot to talk about."
"Why do you think he'll talk to you?"
"We have something in common."
"What's that?"
Grissom smiled sadly and closed his eyes as he answered. "Sara."
*******************
"There's nothing to talk about."
"I understand that you've been through a lot, but eventually you're going to have to talk to someone."
Sara rolled on her side and looked out the window. Why couldn't anyone understand? She just wanted to be left alone. The doctors came first, with their poking and prodding and pictures. They seemed almost disappointed that she wasn't in worse shape. No one believed her when she said she was fine. No, poor little Sara was too traumatized to know her own body. Then came the nurses, poking their cute little blonde heads in every five minutes, like they were afraid she was going to disappear if someone wasn't watching her. Now it was Dr. Hayes, the department shrink's turn.
"Look Doctor. I'm fine. I'm sure you've seen my chart. There's nothing wrong with me. I just want to get out of here."
Dr. Hayes wasn't about to give up so easily. No one could be unaffected after being kidnapped and held hostage for weeks. That Sara would want to shut down especially to him was understandable but unhealthy. There had to be someone she could talk to.
"What about some of your friends? Would you like to see some of them?"
Sara gave a mirthless chuckle. "Friends? No I don't think so."
Dr. Hayes knew there was something telling in her response but chose to ignore it for the moment in favor of something more practical. He had read her file and knew how dedicated she was to her job as a CSI. He decided to change tacks.
"I know you're getting out of here tomorrow. The department won't let you return to work until we've talked and I assure them you're okay to resume your duties."
Sara sat up and looked at him for a moment.
"What makes you think I want to go back to work?"
*******************
"Ahhh, Dr. Grissom. I wondered when you would grace me with your presence. I've been looking forward to this."
"Don't try me Mr. Foster. I'm not in the mood." Grissom leaned over the table and glared at the man who had turned Sara against him. "Tell me what you did to her."
"I didn't do anything to Sara. I was trying to explain that to your friend Jim. I love Sara. I would never hurt her."
Grissom clenched his jaw, desperately wanting to wipe that stupid grin of the little shit's face. "Why should I believe a sick fuck like you?"
"Well since you obviously felt comfortable leaving the hospital, you know that she is in excellent health. Probably better than the last time you saw her. She looks like she did when she first moved out here, happy, hopeful."
This got Grissom's attention. How long had this been going on? "How do you know?"
"Please. I've been watching her for a few years now. I saw her at a crime scene. A neighbor of mine was killed." Tim chuckled at the look on Grissom's face. "Don't bother. I had nothing to do with it. But once I saw her I knew."
"Knew what?"
"That I needed her. That she was the type of woman who could make a man spout poetry or go insane. The type of woman who can stop your breath when you hear her voice or see her face. The type of woman who can make a man forsake everything he loves just for the chance to wake up next to her." Tim leaned forward and reached out a hand. "I've seen you watching her. I know you see it too."
Grissom was up out of his chair in a heartbeat. He walked to the other side of the room and stared at the wall. "I don't..."
"You do. I've watched you too, you know. She thought so highly of you. I had to know why. And after all this time, I still can't see what she saw in you. I still don't know why she loved you."
At this Grissom spun around. "Don't look so surprised Dr. Grissom, or should I just call you Grissom, like she does."
"Doctor."
"Of course. So Doctor, you had to know how she felt. She offered herself to you time and again. I watched on, silently loving her as you hurt her again and again. She stopped eating, sleeping. She stopped caring about everything and no one noticed but me. Then she was going to leave me forever. Because you were too selfish or stupid to accept the heaven she offered you."
Grissom sat down again. The anger was gone and now he felt only disgusted with himself. He had well and truly failed Sara. He had ignored her for too long. He wanted to flee this room, this life, the knowledge that a psychopath could know Sara better than he did. But he still hadn't gotten what he came for. "So that's when you took her."
Tim smiled wistfully and let out a deep breath. "Yes. I couldn't let her go. She means the world to me."
With this last confession, Grissom was done. He got up and was headed for the door when Tim's voice stopped him cold.
"You know Doctor, I never answered your question."
Gil turned around to face Foster one last time. "I've heard all I need to hear."
"Yes. You have my confession and any second Detective Brass will return to place me under arrest. But you asked me what I did to her." Tim stared at Grissom and licked his lips. "You want to know what I did that makes her need me. Why she flinches when you touch her now and won't even look at you. It's very simple, Doctor. I did everything you wouldn't do. I listened to her. Paid attention to her likes and dislikes. Cooked her favorite foods. I told her about myself, my childhood. I let her know me. I loved her and told her I loved her. That's all it takes, Grissom."
Grissom was out the door in a second, running down the hall. But he could still hear Foster's mocking voice calling out to him. "Say hi to her for me and tell her I miss her!"
..........TBC
Review Review Review!!! I've already started writing the next chapter, so it shouldn't take so long this time. I'm trying to get them together in the end, but I'm not sure how to do it. Any suggestions, please let me know.