DISCLAIMER: CSI is the property of CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. The song
'Through The Dark' belongs to KT Tunstall & Martin Terefe.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first attempt. Feedback is welcome!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Through The Dark
By MBInc
Part 7
"Mommy! Help me!"
Catherine woke up. As she looked around it dawned upon her where she was and what had happened. After hours of worrying she had fallen asleep, her head resting on the edge of the bed Lindsey was in.
"I'm in here!"
Another cry from Lindsey. Apparently she was having a nightmare about what had happened to her.
"Shush…Honey it's ok." She stroked a string of hair out of her daughter's face, trying to sooth her. "Wake up sweetie. You're ok."
Lindsey opened her eyes, tears streaming over her face, and leaned over to be embraced in a comforting hug by her mother.
Stroking her little girl's back the sobs of the younger Willows woman became less.
"You wanna talk about it?" Catherine tried seeing the pensive look on Lindsey's face.
"It was so scary mom, as if I was back inside the house" she answered in between sobs.
"Everywhere I looked…." Lindsey started
"It's all over hon, but it's better if you talked about it" Catherine said, knowing it was best for her girl she wouldn't keep it all to herself.
Suddenly Lindsey sat up straight. Remembering how Sara was her heroine and how her mother told her Sara had to go into surgery she looked up at her mother with concern in her eyes.
"Mom?" Lindsey asked
"Yeah?"
"How's Sara doing? Are the doctors still trying to make her feel better?"
"They stopped the bleeding, and now she needs to rest."
"Can we see her?"
"No sweetie, it's 4 am. Sara's sleeping, just like you should. So let's try and sleep some more and later we'll see if you can visit Sara."
She climbed onto the bed opened her arms for her daughter, and it didn't take long before Lindsey had gone back to sleep.
Tightening her protective embrace, Catherine also dozed off.
"Ma'am?"
Catherine felt someone nudging her shoulder, but kept her eyes closed.
"Ma'am wake up"
"The name's Catherine, not Ma'am" the strawberry blonde stated, still half asleep.
Wiping sleep out of her eyes Catherine sat up. Looking at her watch she noticed it was 10 am already.
Ann stood by the bed, a smile on her face.
"Is Sara ok? Can I see her?" Catherine carefully extracted herself from the bed.
"That's what I came to tell you. You can see her, but she is still in a coma." The relief in Catherine's eyes was replaced by fear when she heard that last part.
As Lindsey stirred in the bed, Ann took Catherine out into the hall.
"The doctors put her in a drug-induced coma so her body can heal faster. You can see her. Talk to her, let her know you're there."
"Thank you. How did you pull this off? I'm no relative" Catherine inquired.
"Well, Mr. Grissom told me you were partners. Guess I must've misinterpreted that." She winked as she walked off.
"Thanks!" Catherine said once again realizing the nurse had done a lot for her and she didn't even know her name "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name"
"My name's Ann…Oh and by the way…Miss Sidle is back in the same room, room 404.
"Thanks Ann" Catherine said.
"It's alright. I'll stop by in a while" She waved once and then disappeared into another room.
Catherine quickly checked on Lindsey who was still sound asleep, and then went to Sara.
Before opening the door she let out a big sigh, and tried to gather all the strength that was left in her body.
The sight before her made tears form in her eyes. Sara looked so vulnerable. Her whole body seemed to be tense, but when Catherine placed her hand on Sara's and entwined their fingers, she could see the brunette relax.
Catherine leaned over and placed a soft kiss upon Sara's forehead just the way she had done the day before. Only this time she continued with a kiss on Sara's lips.
Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Catherine sat down and started talking to Sara. About Lindsey. About how Ann helped her to be allowed to visit.
"God Sara, I can't wait until you wake up and I can look into your beautiful dark brown eyes again." Catherine sighed.
Just as she pulled Sara's hand to her lips there was a knock on the door.
Turning her head she saw Ann by the door.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the doctor wants to check up on Sara."
Catherine nodded and stood up, but before walking away she leaned closer to Sara, giving her one last kiss.
Part 8
As Catherine and Ann left the room a doctor entered and closed the door.
Catherine remained just outside the room, wanting to be as close to Sara as possible.
"Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?"
"Sure." Catherine said a bit distracted. Her mind was still with the brunette.
She hoped that all that had happened hadn't ruined the possibility of her having a relationship with Sara.
"Just sit here. I'll be right back"
Catherine did what she was told, and a few minutes later Ann reappeared with two cups of steaming coffee.
"Thanks"
"Don't mention it." Ann started, and after she took a sip of her coffee she continued "So you two are lovers?"
"I don't really know…we…" Catherine kept staring at the black liquid in the cup in her hand.
"The day we both kind of told each other we liked each other more than just friends all this shit had to happen. So I don't really know where we stand."
"What did exactly happen? I know there was a fire at your house"
"I was going to drop Sara off at her place, but I had to stop at my place first. When we arrived the house was on fire. My daughter was still inside, and before I knew it Sara was already inside."
Catherine's eyes filled with tears again, but she fought hard against them.
Ann placed her hand on Catherine's shoulder "Well then, I think you don't have to worry about where you two stand. She must love you a lot if she voluntarily enters a burning building."
"Yeah" Catherine smiled a little "She's so stubborn sometimes"
The door opened and the doctor came outside. He motioned for Ann to come.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." Ann said as she walked off.
Catherine drained the last out of the cup, and watched Ann and the doctor discussing something on Sara's chart.
The doctor signed something on it and handed it back to Ann –who walked back to where Catherine was seated. A hint of a smile was detectable on her face.
"Doctor Bergman just ordered to stop her drug-induced coma. She is doing fairly well, considering. She pulled through the night and test results show she is on a good way of recovery. I'll go get some things I need."
"I'll be back in five minutes" Ann said as she walked off towards the nurse's station.
This gave Catherine some time to check up on Lindsey.
"Hey sweetie" Catherine placed herself on the edge of the bed, stroking trough her daughter's hair.
Lindsey's eyes opened slowly, and Catherine could just see in them how her little girl processed where she was and what had happened.
"You sleep ok?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Lindsey stretched and moved to sit up.
She looked at her mother and started to ask a lot of questions
"When can I go home? How's Sara? Can I see her?"
"Whoa slow down…give me some time to answer" Catherine smiled.
Her fear from last night seemed to disappear. The fact that Sara had pulled through the roughest part and that they were about to wake her gave her back her strength.
"You can go home later on today. The doctor is going to stop by to check on you once more, and then we'll go to aunt Nancy's."
"As for Sara, she has made it through the night. The doctors are going to wake her up"
"Can I see her?" Lindsey asked impatiently.
"Not now. You'll have to wait a little longer."
"Ah…I want to see her...she's my hero!" Lindsey stated, pride noticeably in her voice.
"I'll ask nurse Ann when you can visit" Catherine tried.
Sighing Lindsey agreed.
Nancy –who was allowed to go back home the day before, and came by to check on Lindsey and to be informed on Sara's conditions– stayed with Lindsey while Catherine went back to Sara.
Walking into the room, Ann was already there operating some of the machines. Injecting some kind of liquid into an IV she said:
"It will still take a while before she fully regains consciousness."
Part 9
The strawberry blonde sat down again in the chair next to the bed and took Sara's hand in hers again.
Catherine was still marveled by the way it felt when she touched the brunette.
It felt safe, it felt like home, it made her feel at ease, but at the same time it made her feel nervous, it made her heart beat faster and her blood course through her body.
Ann picked up Sara's chart and started to write something on it. "I'll stop by in a while. If there's anything you need, let me know" she said.
Hanging the chart at the end of the bed she walked over to Catherine, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"She's lucky to have you" Ann said giving Catherine a reassuring squeeze.
"No" Catherine said, never taking her eyes off the brunette on the bed "I'm lucky to have her"
About fifteen minutes later Catherine suddenly felt her hand being squeezed. Catherine looked back and forth from their entwined fingers to Sara's face.
The brunette's eyes were still closed. The older woman stood up, and bent towards Sara.
"Sara sweetie, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you do"
Catherine waited for a response and when she started to think she had mistaken –that it had been her imagination playing tricks with her– she felt her hand being squeezed softly.
"Sara? Can you open your eyes?" the blonde tried.
Dark brown eyes fluttered open and shut a few times before they remained focused on the older woman.
Smiles appeared on both of their faces as they saw each other. Catherine pulled Sara's hand to her face and placed it on her cheek, closing her eyes as she momentarily lost herself in the touch of the brunette.
Her eyes opened again when she felt Sara tugging at her face. Leaning in Catherine carefully, but forcefully at the same time, kissed Sara on the lips.
"Its good to have you back" Catherine said tears silently rolling over her cheek.
"As if you were ever gonna get rid of me" Sara joked, her voice sounding hoarse, and even darker than normal.
"How do you feel?" Catherine asked, immediately rolling her eyes as she realized what a dumb question she just asked.
"A bit shook up" Sara said lightly. "What happened when we got here?"
"What do you remember?"
I remember seeing you. Although, it was as if I weren't in my body. I was standing right beside you. I could see you. You kissed me…and then" Sara stopped momentarily "And then all those alarms went off. That's the last thing I really remember."
"You had internal bleedings, and after surgery the doctors ordered a drug-induced coma."
"Oh" the brunette said "How's Lindsey?"
"She's ok, thanks to you" Catherine said as she stroked a strain of hair out of Sara's face.
"Good"
"I was so scared. I thought I'd lose you, it's all my fault."
"You're not getting rid of me that easily…and you know it wasn't your fault. I myself made the decision to go inside, you didn't make me" Sara started, and after a moment of silence she continued.
"I would do it again…no doubt"
"I know it are only words, and it will never be enough to show you all the gratitude I owe you, but thank you" Catherine said.
Leaning closer towards Sara's lips she whispered "Thank you" over and over again before engaging their lips into a soft kiss.
Part 10
The next day Lindsey was allowed to visit her hero. Together with Catherine she had bought a new leather jacket to replace the one that had been cut up when she was brought to the hospital.
"Thank you Lindsey. I love it" Sara said as she embraced the young Willows woman who had crawled onto her bed.
The rest of her room was filled with flowers from her colleagues. Grissom, Nick, and Warrick had visited her that morning and told her and Catherine about the case.
Apparently the man who had been the suspect for the McKinnen case –but who had to be released because the only evidence they had was circumstantial and would not hold up in court– wanted to scare Catherine.
However, this time he had made a mistake. His DNA was found inside the Willows residence and there had been several witnesses who could place him at the crime scene.
Sara grew tired of lying in a hospital bed. Not being able to do anything except reading started to work on her nerves. Although the visits of Catherine and Lindsey, and of the rest of the team distracted her, she longed for the day she could go home. And so she was very glad that after six more days she was released out of the hospital.
Sara had decided that –since she was still recovering and still needed help with daily routine and because the Willows residence was still under construction– for the first few weeks Catherine and Lindsey would stay at her place.
"See you guys again sometime, although under other circumstances I hope." Ann said as she first hugged Catherine and then Sara.
Ann had helped them from day one, and had become a good friend to both Catherine and Sara. "We'll see you soon"
Ann shot a questioning look at both of the women.
"Oh, don't worry we'll be careful." Sara joked
"We wanted to invite you over for dinner, to thank you for everything…so you'll be hearing from us soon" Catherine explained.
"Ah thanks you guys…now go on get out of this hospital" Ann smiled as she waved them off.
Catherine and Lindsey walked through the halls, a wheelchair in front of them. Thinking about what had happened to them Catherine pushed Sara out of the hospital and into the hot Nevada summer sun.
That's when she saw it…the light at the end of a dark tunnel. They had made it through the dark.
The End