Small Miracles, by Chibiness87
Pairing: GSR
Spoilers: post LD. (but no spoilers for 8.01!)
Disclaimer: Not mine. Le sigh.
A/N: My muse has been hitting this around my head for the past day… I finally gave in to her nagging. Thanks to innerurge for the great beta skills:-)
Catherine stopped just outside the hospital room, taking a second to look at the occupant lying unconscious in the bed. She had finally managed to get Gil to leave her side, convincing him to go home, have a shower and a nap.
He had mentioned something about a dog, and Catherine wondered, not for the first time, about the extent and length of his relationship with the young woman currently causing the graveyard shift of the Las Vegas crime lab a whole load of worry.
Stepping into the room, she cast her eyes over the monitors in the room, looking for even the smallest hint that Sara was coming out of whatever place she was currently in and back to them. Seeing no change, Catherine sighed, and pulled up a chair to the bedside.
Taking Sara's hand in hers, she began to talk. She wasn't sure if it was doing any good or not, but the doctors had encouraged them to talk to her, saying a familiar voice may be what she needed to wake up. The doctors had determined that despite the harrowing ordeal that had befallen her colleague, there was no obvious brain damage; she was just in a coma.
Coma.
When the team had first been told the news, she hadn't had time to adjust because Grissom had all but collapsed. She had had to be strong for him, a new role for her, and one she didn't enjoy. When the Tin Man to the staff at the crime lab broke down, it confirmed her suspicions about the nature of his and Sara's relationship.
He may have admitted to the group that Sara Sidle was the only woman he would ever love, but it wasn't until that moment that Catherine realised they were together. The look he had given her was so lost, more lost than when they had worked the Debbie Marlin case all those year before, and it had scared her.
She would do anything to keep that expression from his face again. Unfortunately, it was something beyond her. But it was not beyond Sara.
Sitting there now, Catherine stopped talking about Lindsay's new boy friend troubles, and sighed.
"Ok. Here's the deal Sara. I need you to wake up, ok? That guy of yours is a real mess right now. I know you we've had some, differences, in the past, but I'm not asking you to do this for me, OK?
"He's scaring me, to be totally honest. I don't know when you two got together; I don't really care. All I know is for the past year or so he has been happier than I have ever seen him. And I think that has something to do with you.
"He's lost. I need you to wake up to bring him home, OK? I had to force him to go home, but I know he'll be back within the next hour. He can't stay away from you. Hell, who am I kidding? He never could stay away from you.
"I know this is totally unfair, and I'm sure it's nice wherever you are, but honey, Gil isn't there. And ok, we may have been unaware of your relationship, but don't judge me on my observation skills on that alone. I told you Gil's been happier this past year, but you? You've been positively glowing.
"Apart from when Gil was away for that month last year… I did wonder what was going on with you. But then after everything happened, and Gil came back it was like you had gotten over whatever it was. I didn't want to brig up bad memories, ok?
"I mean, you never said anything about you being together. And then I went and ran my mouth with the Heather thing… god, I hope I didn't hurt you with that. Or him. Or whatever it is that you have. Because it is special, and nothing, not even me and my stupid motor mouth should be able to stop that, you know?"
Suddenly she stopped. The hand that she had been clasping had begun to twitch in, and as she watched Sara's hand grasped her hand back tightly. Glancing down at the woman in the bed, she couldn't hold back the tears at the sight before her.
Continuing to hold Sara's hand tightly, she lent forwards, letting Sara know who it was. "Sara?" A blink was her repose. "Don't try to talk, there's a tube in your throat to help you breath, ok? I'll get a nurse to come take it out."
Sara gave a small nod, followed by jerky hand movements she recognised as American Sign Language.
'Gil?'
"No, it's Catherine sweetie. I had to drag Gil home. He hasn't left your side since you were found, he needed a shower. Give me one second and I'll call him, ok?"
"No need. I'm here." The voice behind her caused both women to glance towards the door. Relinquishing Sara's hand to his, Catherine gave his arm a small squeeze before leaving the couple to 'talk'.
Passing the nurse's station, she paused to let the on duty nurse know of Sara's condition. The nurse immediately paged Sara's doctor to the room to remove the tube. Smiling at the bustle of the hospital staff, Catherine pulled her phone off her belt, dialling the familiar number as she began walking outside.
Raising the phone to her ear, she waited for the line to be picked up.
"Brass."
"Jim. It's Sara."
"Oh god. How is she?"
"She's uh, she woke up." Catherine paused, letting the words finally sink in. More to herself than to the phone, she repeated in a whisper, "She woke up."
After confirming that Brass would spread the good news, she returned to Sara's room. Pausing outside the door, she glanced inside to see Sara encased tightly in Grissom's arms, tears falling down both their cheeks, and matching rings on their ring fingers. Apparently, they were serious.
Sara caught her eye, and gave a small smile, one which Catherine easily returned. Slipping away from the happily reunited couple, she couldn't help but keep smiling.
Finally, the world was cutting them some slack.
It was about time.