Gil Grissom waited outside the junior high school, leaning against the side of his Denali, smiling. There were few things that brought home to him his good fortune more than waiting in the afternoon sun for his adopted daughter to be released to his care. Strange to think such a mundane task as collecting a child at the end of a school day could cause such a wave of emotion. But for him it represented so much more. It was a symbol of his new life, a family he fought for yet never dreamt would be his. A symbol of the undying love that now had enveloped him, giving him hope on the darkest of days, the darkest of cases. The new breath of life that had resuscitated his crumbling will. In amongst it all, he had found a co-conspirator, an accomplice in his mission to shower his wife in love.

He'd heard the warnings, listened to those who doubted his ability to make their family work. The stories of resentful stepchildren, driving wedges between committed partners had seemed to haunt each meeting, each colleague he met as soon as they'd announced their wedding intentions. They mocked him, nodded in that superior way their looks saying `Just wait and see' as he tried to convince them that for him, them, his family, it would be different. He had few supporters apart from the two most important people in his life and together they had proved their critics wrong. They had made it work, but Gil had no doubts it would anyway, ever since Lindsey had entered the world squealing her disapproval, they had bonded. She had sought him out on each visit to the lab, invited him to her plays, her birthdays, her science fairs. She had wanted to share her life with him and he had been only too happy to comply.

When he had started to date Catherine, she had been their greatest supporter. Always managing to find some friend to have a sleepover with to allow her mom and Gil some space. When the subject of moving in as a family together had been approached, all she wanted to know was the date, no fears of rejection, or eggshells to be negotiated. On their wedding day it was difficult to judge of the three of them who had the largest grin when the minister pronounced Gil and Catherine man and wife.

He'd adopted her, officially, shortly afterwards. They'd sat on a bench, in the shade of a birch tree, outside the lawyer's office. Gil and Catherine's hands cemented together, Lindsey sitting next to Gil.

"You sure you want to do this honey?"

Lindsey beamed at her mom. "I love you both. I always have. I just want us to be a proper family, have the same name, let everyone know I belong to you."

Gil and Catherine shared a glance. Lindsey quickly brought their focus back. "What? Have you changed your minds?" Her eyes started to well with tears.

Gil released Catherine's hand, instead reaching for Lindsey, pulling her onto his knee, so she could see both him and her mom. "Lindsey, there is nothing I would want more, than to take care of you and your mom. I just want to make sure you are happy with this. I know your dad was really important to you and you still love him. If you change your mind it will not make me love you any less. I will always love you as if you are my daughter, I don't need a piece of paper to tell me I'm allowed to do that."

Lindsey squirmed slightly, ensuring both her mom's and Gil's eyes could be seen. "I loved dad, a part of me always will. But more than anything, if it is okay with you mom…and you…" She fixed Gil with a stare, "Well, uhmm, I want to be your daughter officially, I want my second name to be Grissom like mom's and I want to call you dad."

Gil's eyes misted over and a lump rose in his throat. He felt Catherine move closer, her hand squeeze his knee in support. "I would be honoured."

They'd met the lawyer, signed all the necessary papers, and emerged from the offices half an hour later. Gil had insisted on celebrating the occasion by taking them out for lunch. They had sat in Circo, overlooking the dancing fountains enjoying a leisurely lunch. As Lindsey had finished her ice cream dessert, Gil had reached into the inside of his jacket pocket. He retrieved a square box the size of his palm and passed it over to Lindsey.

With eyes like saucers, she had opened it, then fingered the contents hesitantly before taking out a gold bangle.

Gil leaned across the table taking it from her grasp so he could slide it onto her wrist. "Here, let me. Lindsey, this is a symbol of how important you are to me, our family. It represents a promise I am making to you now. Just as this bangle has no beginning or end there is no beginning or end to my love for you as my daughter, I will always be there for you whenever you need me, just remember I love you and your mother with all my heart."

Catherine had grasped his left hand as he finished speaking, bringing it up to her lips and kissing the wedding band on his ring finger. "Thank you. Thank you for loving me, loving Lindsey and making us a family."

Lindsey had smiled at the two of them, and then uttered three words that made his heart soar. "Thank you dad."

"You're welcome daughter."

His reply had the three of them giggling, blissfully unaware of the fountains as they once again began their hypnotic dance.

"Hey, dad."

He resisted the urge to scoop her into a hug, knowing such a display would only serve to embarrass. "Hey, Linds. How was you day?"

She scrunched up her nose, a smile playing around her lips. "It's Friday, the start of THE weekend, what more can I say?" She giggled, the melodic sound bringing a smile to Gil's features.

"Okay, I take it you're ready then. We've a few errands to run to make sure everything is ready, you okay with that?"

"No problem, dad." She turned opening the unlocked passenger side door and clambering in while Gil walked around the front of the Denali to reach the driver's side. As he climbed in she looked across at him. "Where are we going?"

"I need to get flowers and a present, everything else is arranged. Could you help me with those?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"I was hoping you'd have some ideas." He smiled at her a little worriedly. He had hoped this would be a special weekend for them, a celebration of the past few years and a look forward to their future. He wanted to celebrate it with the perfect gifts, but hadn't had any inspiration; Lindsey really was his last hope.

Lindsey grinned back at him. "Well, you just happen to have consulted an expert, consider yourself lucky, very lucky. I inherited mom's shopping sense, don't worry dad we'll find the perfect things, trust me."

And he did. Like her mother, there was nothing he found easier than trusting his daughter.

Lindsey leant into the foot well, fighting briefly with the clasp on her book bag, before retrieving her notebook. It had a rainbow coloured elastic binding to keep the contents secured, which had become a necessity for Lindsey. Although she wasn't Gil's biological daughter she had certainly inherited his method of filing. As the binding was released, a wealth of papers fought for freedom, causing Lindsey to steady the notebook on her knees and with her free hand press down on the contents so nothing important was lost. Convinced of her success at temporarily controlling the notebook and its contents, she carefully started to rifle through the papers, muttering unintelligibly to herself as she did so. After a couple of seconds her face lit up, she withdrew a piece of notebook paper and quickly fixed the rainbow binding around the notepad to avoid losing her treasures.

"I knew it was there."

"What's that sweetie?"

"This." Lindsey held the paper triumphantly. "I was searching the Internet for meanings of names and came across this site that not only had that, but also meanings for anniversaries."

"And?" Gil's cautious tone was evident.

"Well, a second anniversary long ago was associated with cotton, so gifts would traditionally be something cotton. I know not very exciting, but in modern times china has replaced it. Now you know how mom is whenever we have a family dinner or guests, always trying to make everything match. Since we put your things and our things together when we became a family, we've always had loads of plates but they don't all match. How about getting mom a best set of china?"

If Gil hadn't have been driving he'd have hugged Lindsey, regardless of who was watching. Her suggestion was perfect; he knew it was something Catherine would treasure. He smiled at his daughter. "You are a genius Lindsey Grissom, your mom will love it."

"I try." She beamed back at him.

As they drove into the parking lot for The District at Green Valley Ranch, Lindsey inwardly smiled; her mom was certainly going to be surprised to hear the story behind her gifts. She knew why her dad had brought her here, despite the commerciality of the area; it was still a haven for specialty stores, a place where the more unusual gifts could be sought out.

They walked down the main street, browsing in the store windows, they soon ventured into the smaller side streets until they came to a china store. Gil opened the door for Lindsey, pleased to hear the old fashioned bell, indicating their entry, sound. Simple little traditions like that always made him smile.

They walked around the store, admiring the different patterns, but nothing shouted out to them to be bought, until they looked at the cases on the far wall. There in the middle of a case of Wedgwood China was a pattern; a style he knew would be perfect. Before he had a chance to attract the salesperson or say a word, Lindsey looked at him whispering. "That's the one."

As if sensing a sale, a saleslady appeared beside them. "Is there something I could help you with sir?"

Gil smiled pointing towards the desired pattern. "This, this pattern I would be interested in pricing up a china service in it."

She smiled at him, taking a small key from the chain that hung from her waistband, she approached the cabinet, unlocking the glass door and swiftly sliding apart the glass door. "The pattern is called Sarah's Garden, in memory of Josiah Wedgwood's wife. It comes in two colours green or blue and we have the full range of service ware as well as a complimentary range of kitchenware. We are able to order any item you need from this catalogue." She handed Gil a small pamphlet, which had pictures of the items together with prices. "Our customers often start with a basic set and add to it over time, the pattern number is there, on the pamphlet, and it normally takes six to eight weeks for an item we order to be delivered. Do you live in the Las Vegas area?"

"Yes, about fifteen minutes from here in fact." Gil smiled, he was not concerned about cost, this was what he was going to give Catherine.

"Well, sir, in that case we have a complimentary packaging and delivery service. If you would like to buy this today, I can have it wrapped and delivered to your home address. It saves you having to worry if your car hits a pothole on the way home." She once again smiled, sensing an eager customer. "Would you like to see a piece out of the cabinet? Which colour were you thinking of?"

"The blue."

"Excellent choice." She retrieved a dinner plate from the cabinet, passing it to Gil for his inspection. "The whole theme is botanical. I simply love the way they have incorporated that so simply on this plate."

"Yes, it's perfect." Gil smiled again, his eyes taking in the appealing flight of the butterfly on the rim; it's colours contrasting so perfectly with the lavender blue of the rim. He tilted the plate in his hands for Lindsey to look at. "What do you think Linds?"

"It's perfect dad. Mom is going to die."

"Thank you, miss…err…. I'll take a twelve piece service."

"Okay sir, if you just follow me to the counter we can check our stocks and ensure we order all you need."

After another half an hour of debating with Lindsey and the salesperson, Gil finally handed over his credit card, having invested in the full range of plates, serving dishes, cups, saucers, sauceboats and salt and pepper servers. He had arranged for delivery the following afternoon, knowing that both of them were due to have the weekend off.

They left the store and went in search of a florist. What Gil liked most about this shopping area was the abundance of local trades people who had established businesses, but still catered for the more unusual not the usual mass-produced corporate ideas of what people wanted.

"What flowers were you thinking of dad?"

"Roses, a few tulips and freesias, just like her bouquet. What do you think?"

"She'll love it."

They found the florist and while Gil chose his flowers, Lindsey searched the store for something she wanted to give to her dad. She had a present for their anniversary stowed away in her bedroom already, but she wanted to give Gil something, something to show how much he meant to her and her mom. Just as she heard Gil finishing his purchase, her eyes caught sight of the object of her search. She quickly called to her dad that she would meet him outside in a couple of minutes as she made her way over to the flowers. She picked three flowers from their bucket and quickly completed her purchase to go and join her dad outside.

"Hey dad."

He turned and smiled at her, his eyes becoming large as she held out her gift to him. "Sunflowers! Lindsey, why?"

She smiled at him. "They are a present from me to you. A little way of letting you know how much I love you, how much you mean to me. You are like a ray of sunshine watching over us, and just as a sunflower will follow the path of the sun as it travels through the sky, know I am grateful for you helping and guiding me."

"I … thank you…come here." He pulled her into his arms hugging her, then kissing the top of her head. "I love you Lindsey."

They spent another hour looking at the various storefronts. On seeing a lavender coloured table cloth in one store, Gil had insisted on going in and buying it, with matching napkins to complete his wife's gift. He was overjoyed to find, as Lindsey pointed out to him, it was made from a mix of cotton and silk. "I satisfy the anniversary gift on both fronts now." He beamed, while Lindsey giggled beside him.

They were slowly making their way towards the parking lot, passing an ATM Gil paused, thinking of his evening's plans he decided to withdraw some money. Lindsey had been attracted to a gift store across the street, so sending her there; he waited for the person in front of him to finish his transaction, before stepping up to the screen.

He fed in his card and entered his pass number. Deciding to draw out a little extra to ensure they had plenty of money for the evening he waited for the cash to be dispensed. He was unaware of his surroundings, his mind traveling forwards to the promise the evening held.

The machine's automated beep brought him back to reality. He reached his hand towards the cash dispenser, only to see a gloved one push it aside, as his body was slammed into the brick wall of the bank. He opened his mouth to scream, or shout, he wasn't sure, but before a sound could leave his lips darkness descended as a hard object smashed into the back of his skull, causing his forehead to rebound heavily against the brick wall, before he slumped to the concrete sidewalk unconscious.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Grissom had found the card she was searching for, and was keeping half a watch on her dad as she paid for it. Safely securing her change in her wallet as she made her way to the open door, she looked up to see her dad being held against the wall of the bank by a larger man, no one else around. As the assailant reached up to hit her dad on the back of the head, she let out a scream "Daaaadddd!!!!"

The attacker let her dad go, running to the nearby parking lot, while Lindsey ran across the street to her dad, slumped on the ground. She was not aware of the tears that were running freely down her cheeks, or the growing crowd, or the distant sound of sirens. Her whole attention was on her dad, the sunflowers scattered beside his head, as she gently stroked his cheek, quietly whispering over and over, "No, not again, not again, don't leave me daddy, please don't leave me."

You are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away

Jim Brass sighed as the incessant ringing of the phone on his desk brought his attention away from the pile of reports he was trying to conquer. He snatched at the phone, leaning back slightly in his leather chair. "Brass."

"Jim, it's O'Riley."

"Ray, what can I do for you?" Something in his colleague's tone warned Jim of an impending disaster.

"I'm at The District, you know the shopping area for Green Valley Ranch, called here for a 415 with one victim, the suspect fled the scene…"

Jim could hardly hide the irritation from his voice; Detective O'Riley was more than capable of handling an assault case, why was he being disturbed for something so trivial. "And? Surely you're not telling me you need back up?"

"Err, well?"

He straightened up in his chair as his anger took hold. "You can't be serious O'Riley, my shift is yet to start, I've paperwork the size of Everest and I'm down three officers tonight."

"Jim… Jim, hold on, listen to me. It's not that simple. I need you to go and see Catherine Grissom." He sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly, yet audibly. "It's Gil, Jim. The victim is Gil Grissom."

"What?!!"

"It appears Gil was shopping with his daughter, stopped at the ATM while Lindsey went into a store. He was assaulted as he withdrew money. It's…it's not good. He's on his way to Desert Palms."

"Lindsey?"

"She's here, they wouldn't let her ride along with her dad. I could bring her to the hospital. I just… well, I thought it would be better for Catherine to hear the news in person rather than over the radio."

"Yeah, thanks O'Riley. I'll go and see Catherine, let her know you are meeting us at Desert Palms with Lindsey." Jim Brass replaced the receiver and stood, sadly trying to contemplate which words he'd use as he made the journey to Catherine's office.

Catherine Grissom signed off on the case file she'd been studying for the last hour. Rolling her shoulders, then gently moving her head from side to side to give her neck muscles some relief. She stole a quick glance at her watch, smiling to herself, another three hours and then a weekend off. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her job. Even though the paperwork that came with the supervisory role she'd been given could be tiresome, she still enjoyed the work, solving puzzles, speaking for those who had no voice, no defenders. It was more to do with how the past couple of years had seen her life change. Finding that the man she had loved as a friend and much more, loved her and wanted to share her life, had restored her faith in life. Despite her initial concerns about committing to marriage again, they had made a good life for themselves as a family, filled with love and laughter a marked contrast from her previous attempt at matrimony.

Now the long awaited anniversary weekend, so much to look back on and so much to look forward to. Lindsey had tactfully made plans for a sleepover on the Saturday, which left Catherine trying to get Gil to reveal his plans, but to her frustration and secret enjoyment, he'd remained tight-lipped. She loved surprises, and her husband loved surprising her. He'd taken to hiding her Christmas presents each year so she couldn't sneak a look.

A knock on the wooden doorframe of her office briefly startled her, chasing her thoughts of her family away. Looking up, she greeted her visitor. "Hello Jim. A little early aren't you? Don't tell me, you can't make it on Sunday, we know you have the time off, Gil checked, don't ask me why, well you can, but it was because we want you there to celebrate, with us, the rest of the team…." Her voice trailed off as she took in Jim's grim expression, seeing his features truly for the first time. "Jim?" Suddenly the life had left her voice as fear took over.

Jim stood in the doorway watching her, considering his next actions, his next words. Cautiously he entered the office, closing the door behind him, to allow her some privacy when the expected onslaught of emotions hit. "Cath…" His voice broke, seeing her pained expression. He started again. "Catherine… there's been an incident. Gil …."

Her voice halted him. "Is he…?"

Hold on
Hold on to yourself
for this is gonna hurt like hell

Jim shook his head, going around the desk to pull her into his arms. "He's on his way to Desert Palms. That's all I know honey. Come on, I'll drive you over there, Lindsey is going to meet us."

"Oh god, I forgot Linds. Is she okay? How could I forget her?"

"Shhh, it's okay…"

"No it's not, it's not okay, my husband is on the way to the hospital, you don't even know if he's alive and I forget my daughter. This is definitely not okay!"

That was it; the anger of her words broke the damn of emotions as she sobbed into Jim's shoulders. He held her, rubbing her back, momentarily forgetting the tears that were silently leaving his own eyes, his whole focus on this extension of his family and how he could bring them some comfort, some peace.

As she slowly quieted against his shoulder, Jim gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry Catherine, I didn't mean…"

She pulled away from him, turning towards her desk, retrieving several tissues from a box; she offered him one, before quickly blowing her nose. She greedily gulped in a breath of air. "Sorry, I know you didn't mean anything, it's just…"

"I know. I think we need to get to that hospital. I know there are two people there that need you right now. Don't worry about the shift, I'll make all the calls needed."

"Thank you."

"Hey, you have nothing to thank me for. You ready?" As she retrieved her purse and gave him a quick nod, he put an arm of support around her waist, leading her to the parking lot.

Hold on
Hold on to yourself
you know that only time will tell
What is it in me that refuses to believe
this isn't easier than the real thing

Catherine Grissom didn't remember how she got to the hospital, the realisation of where she was only hit her the moment the smell on the antiseptic cleaning fluid invaded her nose and the bustle of people in the crowded emergency room caused her to seek the comfort of Jim's presence.

"How're you doing honey?"

"Okay." She lied to him, fearful that if her answer were anything but positive she'd be prevented from being where she belonged, beside her husband, comforting him.

Jim was a good enough of a friend to the couple to see through her lies and be aware of some of her reasoning behind it. He didn't question her further, or debate her answer, like her, he was here to support and comfort.

He steered them towards the admissions desk, quickly announcing their presence to the clerk there. Fortunately for the clerk, a nurse who'd been in the room during the initial exam of Gil was there and the fateful words of `wait in chairs' were not uttered. Instead they found themselves being ushered along to one of the exam rooms. They paused at the doors as the nurse, for a split second, checked to see if their admission would be allowed.

Catherine looked up at her friend, her voice surprisingly small. "Jim, what if…?"

He pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head in comfort. "Don't even think that honey. That man has loved you, stood by you for over twenty years, he's not about to leave you now. He's only just got used to you sharing his name, he's not going anywhere." He kissed her head again.

The nurse returned to them, speaking slowly as if they were children, but Jim realised it was her way of ensuring Catherine understood in her current state. "Mrs Grissom, your husband's doctor is going to be here in a couple of minutes. You can go and sit with your husband until he arrives. There is a nurse in there monitoring his condition, he is currently unconscious but we believe if you talk to him he will be able to hear you."

She held out her hand to Catherine who momentarily looked confused, afraid to leave the comfort of Jim but desperate to see her husband.

Sensing her indecision, Jim offered the only help he could think of. "I'll go and find Ray, Catherine, make sure Lindsey is okay. Then I'll be right back and you can tell me all about Gil."

She nodded in agreement, unable to speak as she tried to abate the threatened tears, the reality of the situation she was currently in, suddenly hitting her full force. Slowly she allowed the nurse to guide her into the room, the only noises within being created by a host of machinery that was monitoring her husband's condition.

A blond haired nurse came towards her, trying to offer comfort with a smile. "Mrs Grissom, I'm Chrissie, I've been with Gil since he came in. He's a fighter your husband, that's for sure. Dr Price should be with us in a few moments, he'll be able to let you know what treatment we recommend for Gil. In the meantime, why don't you come and sit here next to Gil and talk to him, he'll be able to hear you."

Catherine found herself sitting on a stool beside her husband. She instinctively reached for his hand, mindful of the IV sites; she gently turned it so she could trace meaningless patterns on his palm. Assured this contact was causing no further harm, she leant next to his head, grasping his fingers with her right hand, while her left hand stroked his cheek. She could see the growing bruise on his forehead and worry traveled through her as to the effects his injuries would have on him.

Finally she drew the courage to speak, half whispering aware that his head must hurt and how he wanted nothing more than her soothing whispers and calming hands when he had one of his now infrequent migraines.

"Hey baby. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying right here beside you. I need you to do the same, stay here, stay with me. I know you must be hurting, but I need you Gil, I need you to stay with me, with us. We've…we've only just started our journey together; it is too soon, too soon to stop the ride. There's so much we have to do together, you mustn't leave me, you promised you wouldn't…don't leave…please hold on for me baby…please…" Her shoulders shook as she gave into the inevitable tears.

She became faintly aware of someone stroking her back, as a tissue was offered to her. She blew her nose, and then took in a shuddering breath as she tried to stem her emotions. Feeling confident once again of her ability to speak she turned slightly, to be met by Chrissie's concerned face. "I'm sorry.. I don't…"

"No need to apologise Mrs Grissom. This has got to be hard."

"He just looks so peaceful, like he's asleep. I want to shake him, tell him it's time to get up, we've an anniversary party to organise."

"Yeah?"

Catherine allowed a small smile to escape her lips. "Yes. Our second anniversary is tomorrow. This time last year a hospital was the last place I imagined sharing this milestone."

"People seldom do."

"Would you believe I've loved this man for twenty years and he loved me yet it took that long for us to actually admit it. It was complicated, my first husband saw it, and he knew we belonged together. I guess in a way that made me resist it all the more, you know? Eddie would taunt me, call Gil my husband, and constantly insist there were three people in our marriage. But there wasn't. At that point, that time in my life, Gil was …he was a lifeline." She smiled, "The best friend a person could have, but nothing more. Eddie made it seem tainted, as if it was something wrong, dirty, unacceptable." She sighed, "I guess that's why I resisted it for so long. I felt responsible for my marriage failing, hurting my daughter with the break up, I even excused Ed's many affairs believing in some twisted way he was entitled, as he thought that was what I was doing with Gil and if only I appeared as the faithful, demure wife, then Eddie's eye wouldn't wander. How stupid was I?" A bitter half laugh escaped her. "It took finding him in bed with his latest girlfriend for me to realise this wasn't about me, but Eddie and his inability to keep his pants zipped."

"So why didn't you let Gil know of your feelings?"

"Oh…I don't know. I suppose a part of me still felt guilty. As if by loving Gil, I was in some way justifying Eddie's accusations. But I did, I did love him. He would infuriate me to the point where we wouldn't be able to speak a civil word to one another for days, but I still loved him." She smiled sadly "I guess I always have and I always will. The thought of losing him now after such a short time of us… of being together, I can't … I don't…" Her tears returned, silently running down her cheeks as she resumed the gentle stroking of Gil's cheek. "I love you Gil, remember that, I've loved you for such a long time, please baby, fight for me."

My love
you know that you're my best friend
you know I'd do anything for you

Catherine sat beside Gil, gently stroking his cheek, whispering words of love, her eyes focused on his form, as if she were frightened of looking away, that in doing so he might be taken from her.

She only became aware of Noah Price's entry, when the doctor gently touched her shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

"Mrs Grissom, I'm Dr Noah Price. I'm Mr Grissom's doctor."

"How…how is he?" Her eyes pleaded for more, the unasked question of whether he would survive, hung heavy in the air.

Noah Price, reached for another stool, he pulled it up, so he was seated next to Catherine. His green eyes captured hers as he began the diagnosis. "The attack on your husband resulted in a major trauma to his head, as you can no doubt see from the bruising. It appears his forehead as well as the back of his head suffered in the attack. The good news is all of his limbs respond to stimuli, so we can, at this stage, discount any damage to his neck or spinal cord as a result of this attack." He paused, sucking in a breath letting this initial news settle in Catherine's mind. He ran his hand through his hair, hoping to in some way persuade his unruly fringe to reside away from his face. "From your husband's scan results, it is clear he has suffered a cerebral edema, which has caused him to lapse into a coma. Although this must be frightening for you, this is the least of what I would have expected considering the bruising and the force with which your husband appears to have been hit. He is lucky."

Catherine bit her lower lip, momentarily closing her eyes as if to regain her composure, then with a voice far stronger than she thought possible, she asked the most important question. "Will he be okay?"

Noah Price paused for a moment as if contemplating his answer. "It's hard to say. I know you want to know more, want a definite answer, but at this stage I cannot give you one. The brain is a mystery still, with regard to its recuperative powers. I've seen people with far worse injuries than your husband wake within forty-eight hours as if they've only had a catnap. While others with far less a degree of trauma than your husband have lapsed into a vegetative state. It seems each person's capacity to recover from such a trauma as this varies greatly in my experience." He searched her face briefly as if taking stock of the impact of his words, then in a gentler tone continued. "Mrs Grissom, your husband is strong. He seems to have a lot to live for; I imagine right now he is fighting to stay with you. The best thing you can do is let him know you are here with him, remind him of what he is fighting for."

Noah, slowly got up, retrieved Gil's chart and then checked the monitors, recording their results. He stowed the notes at the bottom of bed, before returning to stand beside Catherine. "We have given your husband mannitol to try to reduce the build up of pressure within the brain. This is the most effective course of treatment in cases like your husband's. All being well this will reduce the edema and your husband should make a recovery. There are certain risks and things we need to look out for however, we're going to be monitoring his blood pressure closely. Does he have any current problems with blood pressure?"

"No." Catherine shook her head. "He had his yearly physical last week and passed without any cause for concern."

"Good, that's good news. If he's healthy he stands a greater chance of responding quickly to the treatment we are giving him. The other risk factor is seizures. They are not uncommon when a patient has suffered a head trauma. We will shortly be moving Mr Grissom to ICU, I'll make sure they let you stay with him, okay?"

"Thank you. I need to check on my daughter, make sure she's okay."

"Don't worry Mrs Grissom. Chrissie here will stay with Mr Grissom while you do that. We'll make sure he's not alone."

Catherine smiled at the nurse, and then leant towards Gil. She kissed his cheek before whispering to him. "Baby, I'm just going to make sure Lindsey's okay then I'll be right back I promise." With a final squeeze of his fingers, she stood on slightly wobbly legs, before heading to the double doors that led to the corridor.

Waiting outside for her, Jim was by her side in an instant, once again putting his arm around her back for support.

"Come on Cath, I'll take you to Lindsey, she's just along this way, waiting for you."

Allowing him to support and guide her, Cath walked in a daze with Jim by her side. They paused outside a small waiting room, its only occupants Lindsey Willows and Detective Ray O'Riley. As Jim opened the door and the two of them entered, Lindsey launched herself towards her mom, holding her tightly in a hug. Catherine wrapped her arms around her daughter and buried her head in her hair. Kissing the top of her daughter's head. They stood like that for several minutes before finally pulling apart. Catherine sinking into a seat, Lindsey sitting beside her, curling her legs up and taking a tight hold of her mom's right arm.

"Mom, how's dad?"

Catherine slowly released her arm from Lindsey's grip, bringing it around her daughter's back so she could hug her close. "The doctor's are taking good care of him." Her voice sounded distant, raising Lindsey's concern rather than offering the intended comfort.

Lindsey shifted slightly, so her mother's arm was still around her, yet she wasn't held in such a close hug. She searched her mother's face, taking note of the sadness within it, the same sadness she'd seen when her mom had received the phone call telling her they'd found her dad's dead body, that night she'd not forget. Trying to keep her voice steady, but failing as panic started to run through her, she asked. "He's going to be okay, isn't he mom?"

Catherine's eyes met those of her daughter, what she saw there told her she needed to let her daughter now the truth, however much it hurt. "I…we don't know sweetie. But your dad is strong and we have to be strong too, for him." She brushed away a stray strand of hair from Lindsey's face, willing herself not to resort to tears. Right now her husband needed her. Her daughter needed to know everything would be okay, although, she couldn't provide such a promise for Gil, she could at least let Lindsey know there was no need to worry about her.

"When can I see him?"

"I don't know Linds." She gently rubbed Lindsey's arm. "They are taking him to ICU. They are going to let me stay with him, but they won't let you visit, not yet. I promise I'll call you, let you know as soon as they will let you visit. But for now what I need to do is make sure you are safe and someone is taking care of you, so I can take care of your dad."

"You promise you'll let me see him mom. It won't be… be like daddy…"

Catherine hugged her daughter closer. "I can't promise your dad is going to be okay. But I do promise I'll let you see him, no matter what happens." She paused drawing in a shaky breath. "Even if…if they can't help him anymore. I promise you will see him sweetie."

Mother and daughter held each other close, both giving and receiving comfort no other could at this time. Finally Lindsey broke the contact. "Can I stay with Aunt Nancy?"

"I'm sure that'll be okay honey. Let me just call her and explain. Then Ray, would you be able to take her over there?"

Ray smiled at Catherine, and then winked at Lindsey. "No problem Catherine."

Fifteen minutes later, Catherine had bid farewell to Lindsey, then with Jim by her side made her way back to the trauma room where Gil had been. She found the room empty; a nurse quickly advised her they'd moved Gil to the ICU on seeing her panicked expression.

Jim helped her locate the department, and waited with her until she was escorted to Gil's room. He promised to check on her at the end of his shift and left the duty nurse with his contact information and instructions to contact him should Catherine need him or the condition of his best friend change. Satisfied he had done all he could for now, he left the hospital, heading back to the lab with the task of informing Grissom's team of their supervisor's condition.

my love
let nothing come between us

She entered the small room where Gil was, relieved to see the familiar face of Chrissie.

"Hey Mrs Grissom, I thought I'd stay with this handsome man until you got here."

Catherine smiled, partly in gratitude, partly in acknowledgement of the compliment her husband had just received. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you two alone now. If you need to know anything the nurses here are great, some of our best they'll help you out. Just remember what Dr Price said about letting your husband know you are here. I expect to see the two of you walking out of here in a few days." She smiled, giving Catherine a small wave before leaving her alone with her husband and the myriad of monitors whose gentle rhythms brought reassurance to Catherine.

Catherine brought the chair from the side of the room placing it on the right side of the bed, so as to afford herself a view of the door and corridor through the window. She grasped hold of Gil's fingers, willing him to return her gentle squeezing coaxing. Then leant forward and idly stroked the hair above his forehead.

"How are you doing baby? You just hold on for me, you hear. You're not going to let some petty thief steal you away from me. I need you baby. I need you more than you can ever know. I always have. I value your opinion. All I've ever wanted is your approval, to make you proud of me, that's why I always tried so hard. Eddie, he never understood, he always thought my racing off to work was because I was having an affair with you. He'd be laughing now if he could see us. Could you imagine the look on his face? I bet the first thing he'd say was he knew it all along. You know honey in a strange way I think he was right. I must be mad, now you've got me agreeing with Eddie." She paused, smiling sadly, then resumed the stroking of his hair. "I think the first time I fell in love with you was the very first night I worked with you. Do you remember that? I was dressed in that suit, do you remember it. I thought I was so fashionable, bright pink jacket with navy edging. A navy blouse, the skirt cut above the knee and too tight with those ridiculous navy court shoes. I thought I looked so professional, well it was the `80's." She chuckled, gently stroking his cheek. "You were so sweet to me. I think Jim only paired you with me because he knew you wouldn't try to take me to bed in your break. You were so cute. I thought I'd done something wrong the way you spoke to me all professional. We went out on that DUI accident, I remember you quizzing me all the way there about tox screens. We got to the scene; you wanted to talk to the driver before they took him away. I was to take notes. We stood there and the man puked all over me, projectile vomit. But you didn't laugh, you were such a gentleman, you went to the rig and got a box of tissues and tried to help me clean up." She paused again as if remembering all the intricate details, a smile playing across her lips as the memory cleared in her head. "When we got back to the lab you offered me your workout clothes to change into. They swamped me, but I've still got them. Did I tell you that? The nights you are away, the nights when I need you near, I pull them out of their hiding place and wrap myself up in them, until you come back. The suit, I had to sacrifice that in the name of science. Eddie tried to make me keep it, insisting I could get it cleaned and it would be as good as new, but there was no way the smell of that vomit was coming out. Anyway I think it was fair trade, I got your work out clothes."

A nurse came in, causing Catherine to break the contact for a moment. She went and stood beside the window, to allow her to gather all the readings she needed. As she finished her checks, Catherine nervously asked. "How is he?"

The nurse smiled at her. "He's holding his own. I'm sure they told you downstairs the first twenty-four hours are going to be crucial. We'll be keeping a close watch over him. But he's doing well for now."

Catherine smiled. "He hates hospitals, hates being sick or depending on anyone. He's probably lying there now plotting his escape from here."

The nurse smiled back at her. "Well whatever he's doing for now is keeping him going. Is there anything I can get you? I can order down for a meal for you, I wouldn't recommend the hot food, but the salad and sandwiches aren't too bad, I suppose there's not a lot they can do to spoil those."

Catherine shook her head. "No I'm fine…if it's okay, I just want to stay with him, you know until he wakes up."

"I understand. Well I'm Linda and I'm on duty tonight with Caroline, one of us will be checking in on your husband every half an hour or so. Chrissie told us of Dr Price's recommendations regarding you staying here with your husband, just keep talking to him. Honestly right now it's what he needs."

Catherine once again found herself alone with her husband. She resumed her position beside him, and started to stroke his hair again.

"See, honey, the nurses said you are doing well. But you knew that already didn't you. I bet you know you're in hospital too. Are you plotting your escape? Just make sure your escape plan involves me, okay baby. Don't leave me behind in your rush to get out of here. I'm right here beside you and there's nowhere on this earth that I'd rather be."

She stroked his cheek, leaning down and kissing his forehead gently, mindful of the growing bruise. "I wish I could kiss it better. Make you feel strong again with that kiss. Like magic kisses in fairytales. I remember you telling Lindsey that once. We'd come over to your place to get some sleep, Eddie had brought some of his friends home to party, and when they'd woken Lindsey and I couldn't get her back to sleep, he'd made sure I knew I was worthless as a mother. Lindsey must have been no more than two. We fled to your house; even then I knew you'd keep us safe. We thought Lindsey was asleep on the guest bed; you were trying to persuade me to leave him for good. I had this hand shaped bruise on my cheek and you kissed me. Lindsey caught us and you told her it was magic kisses a leprechaun had given you to make people feel better." She kissed his forehead again. "Then Lindsey told you that you had to kiss mommy a lot as she had a lot of hurt inside her." She sighed. " I should have known then what I was doing to her by staying with Eddie. You know I stayed there for her, thinking she couldn't see, hear or understand what was going on, but thinking back now she always knew, I just didn't want to believe she did."

my love for you is strong and true
Am I in heaven here or am I...
at the crossroads I am standing
So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
that you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
see another day and we will praise it
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face

Linda returned to check on Gil. "How are you doing Mrs Grissom?"

"Just reliving lots of memories with Gil here." She smiled.

"Well, looking at these monitors, if he keeps improving at the rate he is now, you'll have lots more to make in the future. I'll see you in a little while. You sure you're okay, you don't need anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I'll leave you two alone then."

Catherine leaned close again, planting another kiss on his forehead as if she believed the story of the leprechaun. At this moment in time, she was willing to believe in anything that would bring Gil back to her. "You do remember we have a party all organized for Sunday don't you? At this rate it will be a joint anniversary and welcome home party. How would that be? But you need to do something for me. You need to wake up honey and tell the doctors you are okay. You've had a good sleep, surely you can't be tired any more. You never sleep this late not even when Lindsey has had one of her sleepovers and you've kept them all entertained with your ghost stories. Then wonder why they keep you awake all night. Have I told you what a great dad you are? You are you know. Lindsey looks up to you, she's proud of you. I love watching the two of you together. Like peas in a pod. The way the two of you swap silly jokes, and then try to sneak into the kitchen to steal treats when I'm cooking. You've given me back my daughter, and given her back her life; don't take it away from her now. Hold on for me and for Lindsey, I don't know what she'd do if she lost you." She closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip, determined not to cry again.

Oh god if you're out there won't you hear me
I know that we've never talked before
oh god the man I love is leaving
won't you take him when he comes to your door

A piercing alarm made Catherine jump, her eyes shot open to be greeted by her husband's body convulsing. She stood in shock not sure what to do.

Linda rushed in, followed by a colleague Catherine presumed was Caroline. They moved past her, trying to tend her husband.

"Mrs Grissom, you need to give us some room. It would be best if you waited outside."

Without a word of protest, Catherine left the room. She stumbled along the corridor, until she found three plastic chairs set against the wall near the nurse's station. Suddenly aware of the weakness in her own legs, she sunk into the middle one. Her shoulders hunched over, she covered her eyes with her hand to catch the inevitable flow of tears.

She rubbed at her eyes, and then moved her hands until they were half steepled, covering her mouth, the longest finger on each hand barely brushing the tip of her nose, her elbows on her knees. Closing her eyes she did something she'd not done since she was seven years old, silently she opened her heart and prayed. She prayed for him, for her love and life to be saved for her and for Lindsey. She didn't make an idle promise of recompense, she just pleaded for Gil.

Am I in heaven here or am I in hell
at the crossroads I am standing

She didn't know how long she sat there. But when a hand fell on her left shoulder, she momentarily wanted the floor to swallow her, spare her from the news, and allow her to live in the belief that all was well.

"Mrs Grissom?" She was aware of a presence sitting beside her, knowing she could hide no longer; she looked to her left, to see Linda sitting beside her. "That had to have scared you. But Gil is stabilized. It was a normal reaction considering his condition and what he has suffered. I would be surprised if this hadn't of happened. I can tell you his doctor has seen him. His blood pressure is within a normal range, his heartbeat is strengthening. His EEG results are returning slowly to a normal level and show the classic signs of recovery. Do you want to come with me and see him?"

Catherine nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and held onto the arm the young nurse offered her. Looking again at her husband after this most recent attack, it struck her how peaceful he appeared, as if he was sleeping after a day at the park with Lindsey.

She smiled at the sight of him, resuming her position beside him, planting another healing kiss on his forehead. "Hey baby, don't you scare me like that again. You hear? You need to keep fighting, doing what you're doing now, the doctors say you are getting better honey. I need to see you smile again, for Lindsey and for me." She brought his right hand gently up, kissing the fingertips. Then resumed the stroking of his hair.

When Linda checked on them half an hour later, Catherine was dozing in the chair her hand firmly holding Gil's fingertips. Linda shivered slightly, it was two in the morning, the time of night when no matter what the outside temperature the body seems to shiver as the metabolism slows. She left the room briefly, returning with a hospital blanket and tucking it softly around Catherine.

So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
that you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
see another day and we will praise it
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face...

Catherine woke with a start, a little disorientated, hoping the night's events had been some nightmare, but on recognizing her surroundings she knew that wasn't the case. She felt her fingers being crushed, strange what could be doing that. She blinked a couple of times, then yawned. She tried to release her hand so she could stretch, but whatever had hold of it, had a vice-like grip. She looked across at Gil, to be met by two blue eyes staring back at her, as a smile played around his lips.

"Gil?" Tears welled in her eyes.

"Were you expecting someone else in this bed?" His voice was slow and laboured, but the smile was evident throughout.

She leant down, kissing his lips. Then stood, trying to reach for the call button on the other side of the bed to alert the nursing staff of her husband's changed state. Being held back by his grip on her hand, she smiled down at him. "Could you let go of my hand so I can get the nurses in here?"

He smiled back, slowly replying. "I'm only doing as you asked." At her puzzled look, he added. "You told me to hold on. I'm holding on to what I love."

Hold on
hold on to yourself
for this is gonna hurt like hell

The End

The link below should take you directly to the Sarah's Garden pattern pages at Wedgwood.

Sarah's Garden