Just To Hear You by KatlinMac

Disclaimer: Follow the evidence. If I owned them this would be on CBS instead of the Internet.

Nick burst into the trace lab and found Sara looking over fiber analysis reports. “Sar let’s roll. We got a DB on a 444.”

“Ok Nick I’ll meet you at the Tahoe.” Sara started to gather the report when she got a strange feeling. Something wasn’t right. She quickly locked the case file in the drawer and ran to catch up with Nick. “So Nicky where are we headed?”

“Nick! That’s where Warrick and Grissom went earlier. You said this is a 444?”

“Relax Sar. I’m sure our guys are fine. There are a lot of cops in Vegas you know. It’s just a coincidence.” Sara heard the words but her gut was telling her something was definitely wrong.

They arrived to a sea of police cruisers and flashing red and blue lights. One ambulance was pulling away from the scene with the siren wailing and two others were sitting there with lights flashing. Detective Vartan met them at the yellow tape and started filling them in on the scene.

“Well guys you certainly have a mess on your hands with this one. The original scene is in the banquet room in the back. DB looks like he bled out from first glance. Your problem is going to be with cross contamination. Our guys got jumped in the hall just outside the banquet room. Multiple shots fired, multiple injuries, and a second DB. Naturally IA is going to have a field day with this one. We’ve got IA and Ecklie on the way. Eck said he’s bringing in a second team. You guys can process the room, but the hall is off limits.”

Vartan looked shocked. “What you guys didn’t hear? The perp in the hall panicked when he saw cops. He opened fire on Brass, Warrick, and Grissom. Brass got off a couple of shots before he went down. Warrick emptied his clip into the guy. Grissom never saw what hit him.”

Sara paled and grabbed Nick’s arm. “What do you mean he never saw what hit him? Is he all right? He’s not…is he?”

“Mike didn’t anyone ever tell you not to scare people half to death?” Sara and Nick both recognized the voice behind them and turned to see Brass standing there with a large bandage on his shoulder. “Grissom is enroute to Desert Palm right now. He took one just above the vest and one to the head. He was breathing and his pulse was strong when they took him out of here.”

“Detective, you really need to let us transport you to the hospital now.” Brass looked annoyed. “I’ll get there when I’m finished here. It’s not this is bad or anything.”

Nick looked at Sara and took note of the fear in her eyes. He knew she had feelings for Grissom, but he assumed it was a schoolgirl crush on her mentor. Now he knew just how much she loves him. It was written all over her face. “Sar why don’t you go with Brass over to the hospital and you can check on Grissom. You can’t touch any evidence, but you can make sure the hospital doesn’t lose it until Ecklie’s team gets there.”

“Well that won’t be necessary, Stokes. We’re here and we’ll take it. Sidle since this involves night shift, you’re off this one.”

Sara looked at Ecklie with fire in her eyes. “What do you mean I’m off? I’m a damn good CSI and you need all hands in this one.”

Ecklie looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes she was trying to hide. “Sidle I know you’re a good CSI. I can’t argue with one of the highest solve rates in the department. But you’re also an emotional CSI and these are you’re friends. Look I know we don’t see eye to eye on a lot but believe it or not, I’m not trying to be an ass here. Your supervisor and mentor who you’ve knows for more than 10 years has been shot. You can’t be in on this one, and you know I’m right.”

Sara looked at Ecklie and over at Nick. They were both pretty insistent that she go, and for once she didn’t argue.

Sara rushed straight to the desk when they arrived at the hospital to see where Grissom was. “I’m with the Crime Lab. One of our guys was brought in tonight, multiple GSW. Where is he?” The nurse barely looked up “They’re working on him in Trauma 1.” A flash registered and the nurse looked up as Sara ran for the room. “You can’t go in there.”

“Like hell she can’t,” Catherine’s voice boomed through the ER. “We wont get in the way, but we need to collect the evidence.” She caught up with Sara just inside the trauma room door. “Sara you know I can’t let you touch the evidence.”

Sara stood staring at the doctors working on Grissom. They looked like a swarm of insects all over him, but what held her attention was the blood. There was so much blood and, unlike a crime scene, she knew exactly who it belonged to. Catherine gathered Grissom’s clothes and bagged them as evidence. A nurse gave her another bag with his personal effects and his gun.

“Carol, call the blood bank and get 6 units rolling for this guy. And find out where surgery is.” “On it.”

Catherine pulled on Sara’s arm. “Come on. Let them work.” Sara was still stunned by the scene before her. Her head told her to go with Catherine and wait, but her heart couldn’t leave. Catherine pulled harder and started to steer her out the door when an alarm caught their attention.

“He’s in asystole. Pressure’s dropping.” “Damn it where is surgery Carol?” “Backed up, they’re on the way now.”

Sara was barely aware of her surroundings. She knew someone was walking her out of the room and she vaguely caught a few words and phrases on her way out the door.