Underlying Cause

Summery- Its flu season and Sara is NOT sick…..Cath Sara friendship and GSR.

A/N thanks to Robyn for betaing this

Sara Sidle felt terrible, like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her head and was currently roasting her in an oven. No one else seemed to be cooking alive as they all sat in the break room; in fact no one else seemed remotely bothered by the stifling heat. It probably had something to do with the AC being on and it actually being was pleasantly cool in the lab. Sara had felt ill since she got up the day before and it had slowly been getting worse. By the time she'd reached work tonight all she wanted to do was lay down in the dark and wait for every part of her to stop aching.

"Assignments," announced Ecklie breezing in predictably late as he had been for the past three nights since taking over supervising the nightshift while Grissom was away at a conference. Fortunately Grissom was due back in a day. Sara leaned forward and began massaging her temples as the sudden noise irritated her headache.

"D.B. at a construction site for Catherine, Nick and Sara. Enjoy," said Ecklie holding the slip out slightly. The balding assistant lab director was surprised when Nick was the first to reach it.

"I'll drive," announced Catherine. Sara slowly got to her feet and forced her tired limbs to walk out of the room following her fellow CSI's down the hallway.

"You're a bit slow this morning," commented Catherine hanging back having noticed Sara's laid-back composure and the extremely pale tint of her skin.

"Did you have time to eat after that double?" asked Catherine thinking maybe the younger female had not had anything to eat. The slim brunette was known for going almost whole shifts without consuming any food and ending up on the verge of collapse before doing anything about it.

"Yeah," replied Sara ignoring Catherine's worried gaze.

"Okay," replied Catherine still not entirely satisfied with the answer but knowing she was getting nothing more out the brunette.

The car journey consisted of Nick and Catherine talking in the front and Sara giving the occasional grunt at timed intermissions when the driver and front passenger would look at her. She hadn't been listening to a word either was saying which was why she became slightly confused when they pulled into a gas station just out of town.

"Come in Sara," said Catherine wondering why she looked so confused. "I'll buy you some food while Nicky gets the gas," she smiled.

"Where is this scene?" asked Sara reluctantly getting out the car.

"At a new housing development. I believe the brochure tag-line is 'Away from the city in the quiet of the desert'."

"So basically the middle of no where," said Nick having filed the tank up and caught up with the women up in the shop. Catherine began piling snacks onto the cash desk. Nick paid for it all before a hot dog was brandished at Sara.

"No meat," smiled Catherine forcing it into her hand. Sara knew what Catherine was up to. She was making sure she ate which normally would not have been a problem but Sara had developed a stomach ache to match her headache since leaving the lab; food was the last thing on her mind. Nick had already eaten his by the time they got back to the Tahoe and Sara slowly began chewing at hers.

It wasn't until they arrived twenty minutes later Sara finished the bun regretting it as her stomach ache worsened making her queasy.

"Hey David," shouted Nick seeing him waiting over by the body. "He looks like he's been here awhile. I'll go snap on some overalls so he can take the body," the Texan finished grabbing his camera and jogging over.

"Sara," Catherine touched Sara's arm as she got out the car stopping her from walking off. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Sara caught Catherine's eye checking her over her way she did with suspects. "Just a headache," tried Sara hoping to alleviate Catherine's concern.

"I've got some aspirin in the glove box," Catherine had barely got the sentence out before Sara was digging through the small compartment the brunette's actions serving only to make the blonde even more suspicious about her condition.

It had to have been a big scene. David had taken the body over two hours ago and they were still processing. Sara's headache had gone but her stomach ache was getting worse and making her nauseous, which, when handling bodily fluids wasn't very helpful.

"Done," announced Catherine walking over to Sara her hands in the air in triumph. "How are you doing?" she asked as Nick grinned at her.

"Okay, I know I sounded like Joey," sighed Catherine plopping the evidence bags she had in her hands down next to Sara.

"How's the headache?" asked Catherine noticing that no colour had returned to Sara and there was a faint line of sweat coating her forehead, although, that could be attributed to spending the past hour crawling in a hole looking for bullet casings.

"Better," answered Sara doing her best smile though it came out more as a grimace.

"Done as well," called Nick.

"Yeah, I'm done," sighed Sara dropping the last shell casing into the bag.

When they arrived back at the lab Sara was embarrassed to find she had fallen asleep on the way back and was now been woken by Catherine repeating her name.

"Sorry," muttered Sara embarrassed and almost leaping from the car.

"Don't be, you look like you could use some sleep," smiled Catherine noticing colour returning to Sara. Unfortunately the colour was from the hot flash Sara was having.

Sara quickly lost Catherine once back at the lab and took her evidence to the layout room. Once inside and the blind was pulled Sara slumped down across the table spreading her arms out trying to cool herself off. As the door handle clicked she quickly sat back up on the stool blowing stray hair from her face.

"Hey," smiled Nick coming in and dropping his evidence bags down. Sara guessed he wasn't going anywhere any time soon as he pulled up a stool. She tried her best to work but it took so much longer than normal with the overwhelming heat and the pain emanating from her stomach. The nausea was beginning to take hold and she considered just leaving and sitting in the bathroom in case she got sick but honestly she couldn't be bothered to move; her body ached that bad.

Sara didn't get sick that often and didn't like to admit it when she was, but now was becoming one of those times when she wished she could just say she felt horrible and have someone, preferably Grissom, look after her. Looking across to Nick she didn't want him fussing over her.

"Found anything?" asked Catherine coming in.

"Lots of nothing," replied Nick.

"Nothing," mumbled Sara putting her elbows on the table in front of her and lowering her head into her hands.

"Sara, are you okay?" Catherine resisted the urge to go around and mothering the ill CSI because she was fairly certain she'd get a slap if she did. "Nick, why don't you go check on the body," suggested Catherine giving the strong jawed male a look that made him leave, shutting the door behind him.

"Sara, what's wrong?" asked Catherine pulling a stool up beside the slumped brunette and sitting down. "It's okay to admit you're ill," she got no reply. "Lindsey's just like this; will not tell me because she thinks it makes her weak. And she hates it when I fuss over her. Sara, please tell me what's wrong. Grissom told me to keep an eye on you while he was gone." She knew mentioning Grissom was going to get a response.

"I feel like crap," came the short reply getting a small smile from Catherine. Sara moved her hands from her face and wrapped them around her stomach. "It's too hot, my stomach is killing me; I just want to throw up and have it done with, okay?"

"No, I don't think that's okay" said Catherine placing a hand on Sara's burning forehead. "You've got a fever. How long have you felt like this?"

"I started feeling sick at the scene. Not too bad, but now it's worse," Sara brought her head down against the table allowing the glass to cool her. Catherine couldn't help but smile a little, Sara obviously was not used to been sick.

"Come on, let's get you home."

"I'm okay," replied Sara not moving her head from the table.

"Oh yeah, you look it," said Catherine sarcastically. "Come on, I'll drive you."

"Case," muttered Sara beginning to take deep breath as the nausea began to creep on again.

"Nick can handle it by himself for a bit and Greg's back from court now so he can help…Sara your turning grey," pointed out Catherine as the colour in Sara's cheeks turned a sickly grey. Sara didn't reply but clamped a hand to her mouth and stumbled up on shaky legs.

"Okay," Catherine was on her feet behind her. Grabbing her by the shoulders and steering her out of the room and into the ladies bathroom getting lots of strange looks. Sara didn't really know where she was going, she was just being pushed from behind. She was too busy trying to keep the rising bile down' it was a battle she lost just as one hand reached to open the door to the toilets. She retched coughing on the fowl taste and made a last attempt at getting to the toilet; failing, she vomited just outside the stall. Tears stung at her eyes from embarrassment and feeling so horrible.

"It's alright," Catherine's hand and arms wrapped around Sara's middle: partly holding her up one hand rubbing comforting circles on her back. Sara didn't have time to reply as she dived into the next stall getting sick again.

"If Grissom finds out you came to work in this state he'll have me on paper work for week," said Catherine bending down next to Sara and pulling her hair from her face as she heaved a few more times before flushing the toilet and falling back against the wall.

"Better"? asked Catherine pushing Sara's hair behind her ears and feeling her forehead.

"No," mumbled Sara clutching at her stomach.

"You're burning up," Catherine sighed getting up and taking some paper towels. Shoving them under the cold tap she brought them over, placing one on Sara's forehead and then the other on the nape of her neck.

"He asked you to look after me?" mumbled Sara.

"Yeah, I'm doing a great job. Actually his exact words were 'Make sure she sleeps, eats and doesn't let Bruno on the bed'," said Catherine doing a rather poor impersonation of Grissom. "When you're ready we'll go and I'll phone Gil so you can complain to him that you're sick and he's not here and I can complain about it as well," said Catherine getting a half smile from Sara.

TBC ………………… (re posted because as pionted out by dancingdreams i put Grissom instead of Ecklie at one piont)

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