Chapter 27: "Shit!" Warrick cursed as he slid out of the booth quickly before Catherine could sit back down - not that she would. She was watching Sara's sudden exit, shocked, and unable to see why she was leaving. "What's going on?" Catherine asked as Greg and Grissom stood up and began to walk behind Warrick quickly. She kept in step beside them, craning her neck around all the hoopla of the elderly winner at the slot machine. "Nick's here. Drinking and gambling," Grissom informed her. "I thought Sara said he was with Kenny tonight?" she said to herself. Greg nodded his head. "Just one more lie." Catherine sighed, "oh boy." Sara knew that her blood was boiling and that she shouldn't jump to conclusions, but her hormones were raging and she was just so confused. She wanted to calm down, she wanted to take a step back and analyze the evidence before rushing to judgement, but her feet wouldn't stop. She couldn't not go to Nick . . . She stopped only a few feet short of the table, unsure of where to start. Her imagination was running wild, and she knew if she spoke more than a few words at a time, her voice would betray her and Nick would know just how upset and confused she was. And though she wanted to just rip him up one side and down the other before he couldn't even so much as utter "hi," she knew it would put him on the defensive. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of what to say. She studied him for a few moments, aware that Grissom, Catherine, Warrick and Greg were behind her, only a few feet away, unsure of what to do, but unable to look away. She tried again, only this time, her words caught in her throat. Instead, she opted to just clear her throat to get his attention. "Ahem," she croaked out, managing to match it with a lop-sided, uneasy smile – and a look that said, 'I want some answers, now, please.' His attention wavered from his cards on the green velvet table and his eyes met Sara's. "Oh!" he was utterly shocked, his eyes wild. "What're you doing here?" She smiled a little more forcefully, biting her tongue. She wanted to loose her temper, but knew that wouldn't be a good thing. "Uh, I think the better question is what're you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow at him after he'd remained silent, not offering an answer. "I thought you were going to grab a beer with Kenny. Where is he, anyway, Nick?" She wanted to smack herself because she could even hear the edge that she had in her voice. "He, uh, found some hot blond," Nick stuttered, knowing that it was pointless to lie, but unable to stop himself. The liquor he'd been consuming all night was giving him liquid courage. The Blackjack Dealer cleared his throat impatiently, getting both their attention. "Sir?" "Ah," he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the cob webs that clouded his mind . . . "Stay," Sara said through straight lips. The Dealer glanced at Nick, and raised his eyebrows a second time. "Your Old Lady says to stay," he told Nick a second time. "What do you say?" "Stay," he agreed, scratching his neck uncomfortably, glancing out the corner of his eye at Sara, whose eyes were glued to him. He forced his attention back to the Dealers hands. The Dealer flipped the cards, producing Nick's first, and predictably, last winning hand of the night. "Smart Lady. Keep her," the Dealer whispered as he pushed Nick's small amount of winnings towards the man. He glanced over at Sara and knew that Nick was in for a rude awakening. "Good luck, man." Nick nodded his head slightly, and managed a half smile. "Yeah, thanks." Standing up, Nick took a full stride over to Sara and leaned down to kiss her cheek as he would normally do. Even if she were upset with him, she'd never not let him to kiss her cheek. She wouldn't allow him to kiss her on the lips when she was upset, but the cheek was always fine . . . however, tonight, she looked down and took a step back. His eyes fell to the floor and his head hung there limply. It took him a few minutes before he looked up and attempted to meet her angry stare. He could still see the love that she had for him, but her eyes had never raged quite like this before. Not even on their worst cases . . . and knowing how upset and emotional she'd been during a few of those, he'd known that he never wanted to be on the receiving end . . . only this time, he was - and he predicted it would be far worse than he could've ever imagined. "I'm sorry," he breathed quietly. "For what?" she asked just as quietly between clenched teeth. "For lying to me about going out with Kenny? For sitting here, gambling and drinking while I've been at home wondering how your session was going? For telling me you'd completed the necessary six that are mandatory before the Lab would even consider taking you back? For not going to any of the sessions except that one? For all of the above? What else are you sorry for Nick?" She bent her head to the side, her neck popping a little, relieving some stress. "Sara, people are starting to stare," he said as a couple of the gawkers from the elderly woman’s win who were now watching them with interest. "So is the team," she nodded her head behind her and the four that were watching quickly adverted their eyes uncomfortably when Nick turned their way. They knew that he knew that they'd been watching, but seeing the look in his eyes was more than uncomfortable. "I think we should do this in private," he informed her as he pulled out his car keys. "Yeah, me too," she grabbed his keys out of his hands and thrust them into her purse. "You," she pointed her index finger at him, "are not driving. You've been sitting here for only God knows how long, drinking more than you probably should have. I will not allow you to drive. We'll come back tomorrow for your truck." Leaving no room for discussion, she turned and looked at their friends, forcing a smile. She took a few steps towards them, as they stayed completely still not wanting to intrude, but not knowing what to do other than stand there. "Thanks, Gil." Though she didn't elaborate on what she was thanking him for, they all knew. For telling her the truth. "Goodnight." She knew Nick was directly behind her. She could feel his body close to hers, not wanting to alientate her much more right now. "Sara," Catherine called out, taking a step forward and towards the brunette. She stopped, taking a deep breath as Catherine came a stand in front of her. "Yes?" Catherine didn't really know what to say. If she told the woman to take it easy on Nick, it'd be like saying that his behavior was acceptable, in a way. And just like a small child, if they aren't corrected when they've been caught doing something that they shouldn't, they'd never learn. But knowing what Nick had been through, she didn't want to say 'bring the hammer down' either . . . "I know this is tough. For the both of you. Just . . . call if you need anything, OK? Any time, day or night. Even if it's just to cry, OK?" Sara smiled slightly at Catherine's concern. "Thanks," she leaned in and embraced the strawberry blond. Warrick placed a strong hand on Nick's shoulder. "You're in for it, buddy," he advised. Nick shoved his hand in his pant pocket, finding the gem that was inside. "Be honest, Nick," Grissom said straight up. "Sara needs the truth. Don't shut her out." Nick ran his tongue over his teeth. He knew that they all just wanted to help him, but their words of advice were not exactly welcome in his world right now. Though he suspected telling them just that would only earn him more of Sara's wrath when they got home. "What about you, man?" Nick asked, nodding at Greg. "Anything to say?" Grissom, Warrick and Greg heard the edge that laced his words, and though they weren't shocked by his behavior any more, the fact that he didn't seem to realize all they wanted was to help him still hurt. "Yeah," Greg nodded his head. "You know, I've always thought of you as a brother, Nick. So I'm going to treat you like one. Sara is a great woman and she loves you. She's not someone who trusts easily. And she doesn't give just anyone her heart. But she gave it to you, Nick. We all get that you went through something horrible, and that it's something that we can't relate to. As much as we wish we could help you through it, we know that we can't. This is your battle. And because Sara is your life, not just a part of it, it’s her battle too. It effects her. So don't shut her out. Talk to her. Be honest with her. As honest as you can be. That's all she wants. But if you keep lying, your going to loose her and your baby. And if I'm not mistaken, that is exactly what you're trying to avoid." Grissom and Warrick stood to the side, the shock of Greg's words still sinking in. Though it was some thing they'd all wanted to say, neither ever expected that Greg would be the one to say it. They all knew that Sara had her limits and because she knew that she and the baby were all the Nick felt he had left, that she wouldn't leave . . . but everyone has their breaking points, and Nick's behavior as of late was pushing her ever closer . . . Nick felt like he was shrinking, almost like he was scum of the earth for the things that he'd been doing. Shutting her out was not something that he'd intended, nor was it something he was proud of . . . he nodded his head, not saying another word as he slowly turned and went to join Sara and Catherine. He approached the two women cautiously, placing a hand on Sara's back, but she shrugged it off, turning to him and calmly saying, "don't touch me right now, Stokes." Catherine swallowed hard. She pulled Nick close to her for a tight hug. She whispered in his ear, "just remember her hormones are all over the place right now, Nicky. So her emotions are heightened. She loves you with all her heart. Just remember that, OK?" "Yeah," he choked out, whispering to Catherine, his voice thick with emotion. She could feel his head nodding slightly in agreement. "Good luck." She quickly kissed him on his cheek then pushed him off in the direction that Sara was already headed in. The three men joined Catherine and they watched as Nick hurried to catch up with his pregnant girlfriend. "Do you think Sara will forgive him? That they'll be OK?" Warrick asked her softly. Catherine sighed. "Yeah, she'll forgive him. She loves him. Will they be OK?" she turned to the guys, her own manicured eyebrow raised. She shrugged. "Only time will tell." CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI The drive home was unusually quiet and very tense. He’d sensed that it was not a good idea to talk, so he’d gently leaned over and turned the radio on to a quiet setting allowing soft music to fill the air. When he leaned back in his seat, Sara used the controls on the steering wheel panel and turned it off. When he’d glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lips were drawn together and she was looking even more pissed off with each second that passed. By the time they’d arrived home, he was more than ready for her wrath. He knew that he deserved it. Though he hadn’t intentionally hurt her, he’d intentionally deceived her – if only to protect himself. Why he had felt the need to protect himself from her, he wasn’t sure . . . She pulled the SUV into the garage, then shut the electronic door behind them. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she flung her door open, partially struggling to turn her body to get herself out of the vehicle. Normally, Nick would slightly chuckle and watch her adoringly. But tonight, he knew that would only cause him more harm than good. She muttered quietly under her breath as she entered the mud room. Kicking off her shoes with force, they flung up against the washing machine, a loud clank reverberating through the room. “Sara,” he drawled quietly as he reached out to help her remove her jacket. But she shrugged it off and just threw it in the closet, not bothering to place it neatly on the hanger. “I don’t know who to be more pissed off at Nick,” she said through gritted teeth. “You? Or me.” His eyebrows knitted together. “Why would you be mad at yourself?” She exited the room and Nick quickly kicked off his runners before following her into the house. Sara had become very anal about cleanliness – and it was something that he knew had to do with the nesting phase of her pregnancy. Nothing could be clean enough and if he’d walked through the clean house with dirty street shoes, he’d be in a whole lot more trouble. “This is why I’m mad at myself,” she flung open the wine refrigerator door and bent over as quickly as her condition would allow. Nick looked at her with wide eyes. He swallowed hard. Over the last few weeks, he’d gotten better about sleeping through the night. Although it was still an act. He’d just wised up. He’d become accustomed to waiting for her to fall asleep and once she had, he’d untangle himself from her arms, place a kiss on her temple, then go play darts in the mainly unfinished games room, or watch sports on ESPN. He’d sneak back to bed before she awoke and then would act as if he’d been there all night. She finished her fishing expedition as she’d found the small bottle behind some of the beverage containers. She tossed the bottle to him. “Care to explain what these are?” “You’re a smart woman, Sara,” Nick retorted. “You tell me.” His lack of sleep was always causing him to lash out in sarcastic ways. “And why do you need them Nick? Why do you need Caffeine pills?” “SO I DON’T HAVE TO SLEEP!” He shouted. She flinched at the sudden outburst. Though she was a little scared at the force of his words and how loud he was, she was relieved. It was the most anger he’d shown since he’d found her in the gazebo at his parents ranch. “GOD DAMMIT!” He yelled again, throwing the small bottle angrily across the room. Though he hadn’t yelled much, the sudden burst of anger had left him exhausted as he sunk into the material of the sofa. Sara walked over to the sofa and sat down beside him, taking his hands in her own. “Why don’t you want to sleep?” she prodded gently. She knew why, but she needed him to say it. She needed him to admit it. “Sara,” he drawled tiredly. She shook her head no firmly. She knew that he didn’t want to discuss this with her. But he need to. She needed him too. And if she didn’t push for answers now, while the wall had crumbled and before he had time to put it back up, she didn’t know when she’d get the chance again. “I’ve left it alone for too long Nick. And I did it because you asked me too. I did it because I thought you were getting the help that you needed from a professional. But you weren’t. We can’t keep living this way, Nick. If you don’t talk to me, we aren’t going to have a relationship left.” He looked at her, terrified at the thought of loosing her. The tears cascaded down his face and he choked back the sob that was building in his throat. His vision blurred as Sara leaned forward and took his muscular frame into his arms. “Why don’t you want to sleep?” she asked him a second time, gently. “I can still see it,” he admitted softly. “Every time I close my eyes, I can see that damn plexiglass coffin. I see the cage in the basement. I see the newspaper clipping of you and the rest of the team at my memorial. I see your face contorted with emotion because you thought I was dead. I see the green glow of those sticks. I hear the gun cocking because I held it at my head, ready to end it all because I didn’t think I’d make it out of there anyway . . .” “Nick,” she cried softly, stroking his hand softly. “Every time I think about how long I was gone, all I can think of is how you and everyone else thought I was gone. How much you and my family missed me. How much you and the baby needed me. How much of the pregnancy that I’ve missed out. How my life – our lives, have been blown apart by some sick son of a bitch because he felt that we’d wrongly imprisoned his daughter!” Nick stood up and began pacing the room, his breathing heavy. He saw a crystal vase sitting on the table in the corner and picked it up, flinging it violently towards the opposite wall. It was then that he saw the shock written all over Sara’s face as she watched the vase loudly hit the wall and shatter into a million pieces. Sort of like what he felt had happened to his heart when he’d been taken. “I’m sorry baby,” he said quietly as he came immediately back to the sofa and gathered Sara in his arms. “I’m so sorry, baby.” She wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him closer to her. “Don’t be. I just wish I could help you through this. I wish I could understand more of it.” “I’m glad that you don’t,” he admitted. “I never want you to have to know what that feels like. I was so scared that I’d never see you again. That I’d go crazy. That I’d forget what you smelt like. How your skin felt. You are what got me through it all, Sara.” “Oh, Nick,” she sighed, sniffling. “I love you.” “I love you too,” he pulled her into his chest, the both of them crying. It felt good to have finally let it out. And he knew that he needed to let more of it out. And to have help with putting things in perspective. “I’m going to go back to therapy,” he told her. She nodded her head. “I think that’s a good idea. We’ll find you a different therapist. If you aren’t comfortable with them right away, I don’t think they’re right for you.” “Thank you,” he smiled. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. “I know the first thing that I have to do,” he said, standing up from his position. He held out his hand for her to take. “Hmm, taking me back to the bedroom, Stokes?” she laughed playfully. “Mmm,” he mumbled, leaning in and kissing her. “OK, so there’s two things I have to do.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “OK, so what else do you have to do?” she held on to his hand tightly as he walked to the wall. She watched curiously as he leaned down and picked up the pill bottle. He lead them out of the room and into the kitchen. He turned on the water faucet, letting the crystal clear liquid run down the drain. He flipped on the garbage disposal and then popped off the lid to the bottle of caffeine pills, dumping them down the drain. “I’m so proud of you,” Sara whispered quietly, over come by emotion once again. He smiled at her and leaned down to capture her lips in another kiss, but stopped when her face paled and she looked scared. “Sara?” “Something’s wrong,” she managed to say quietly as one hand tightly gripped Nick’s hand and the other cupped the underside of her belly. “Oh, God, Nick, something’s wrong with the baby!” The terror that filled her voice chilled Nick to his very core. He lead her over to the kitchen table that was only a few feet away and gently sat her down. She breathed in and out slowly like they’d been learning in their Birthing class. “It’s going to be OK,” he promised her as he whipped out his cell phone and dialled 911. “I’m scared, Nick,” she cried, holding on to him tighter for a second time as more pain ripped through her body. “Ow!” she moaned. Nick sat down in the chair beside her, scooting his body as close to her as possible as she leaned into his strong arms for support. The operator answered after less than a full ring. “911, what is your emergency?” “My wife is seven months pregnant and something’s wrong with the baby!” he told her quickly. “We need an ambulance now!” He rattled off their address as he held on to Sara tightly, trying to give her strength . . . “Please hurry . . .” TBC . . .
aahhh!!! MEEGG!!! omgoodness!! you're so mean! what's wrong with the baby?! i'm so glad that nick's finally letting sara in. they're so cute
Thanks for the reviews, girls! Chapter 28: The ride to the hospital was quick, but it seemed to take forever. Sara lay in the stretcher, one hand clutching the rail of the bed, the other grasping Nick's hand. She moaned in pain, trying to concentrate on her breathing exercises. The paramedics told her to breathe through the pain. It helped, but not as much as she had hoped . . . He whispered promises that everything would be all right, and that she and the baby would be fine. That he'd make sure of it, but truthfully, he was saying that just as much for his benefit as it was for hers . . . all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and rock her pain away. He occasionally leaned down and placed a tender kiss on the back of her hand where the IV drip was. He felt the ambulance begin to slow down, and come to a stop just outside the hospitals Emergency Entrance. The paramedic in the back flung the doors open as the driver of the vehicle raced to the back doors to help his partner move the bed on wheels inside where the doctors could check Sara over more thoroughly. Nick moved to the top of the bed as they rolled it out of the vehicle, his eyes locked on hers, falsely reassuring as he helped ease the bed onto the pavement, careful not to jar her any more than possible. Once it was down on the cement, he grabbed hold of her hand once again and raced inside the building that he frequented while working cases - not even seeing Warrick or Greg as they raced by. The two CSIs jaws fell open as they quickly forgot about the case that they were working on to follow their friends. "Sir, you're going to have to wait out here," a middle aged Nurse instructed Nick gently, placing a hand on his chest to prevent him from going any farther. "That's my wife!" he shouted in desperation, trying to move past the woman, tears glistening in his eyes. He hadn't allowed the pools to shine when Sara could see him. She needed him to be strong . . . "You can't go in there!" She grabbed a hold of his wrists, getting his complete attention. "The doctors are doing everything they can for your wife and baby. I promise. Someone will let you know what's going on as soon as they can." Nick felt his body become heavy like lead as the nurse dropped her hold of his wrists. He nodded mutely, unable to say anything as his throat constricted. He watched as the woman turned to walk into the room. Warrick and Greg jogged up to Nick as the nurse swung open the door and entered the room. "Nick," he heard her moan, calling out for him. She needed him. "I'm here," he whispered, his chin quivering and his heart breaking. "What happened, man?" Warrick asked tentatively as he placed a friendly hand on his friends shoulder. Nick took a few strides over to the waiting area, collapsing into a small, uncomfortable plastic chair. He shook his head, his eyes glazed over. Unable to look at anything other than the tiles beneath his feet . . . he felt like the wind had been knocked out of his sails. "I don't know . . ." he choked out. "She just . . . she just . . . she's in pain, man." Greg pulled out his Department issued cell phone and dialled Grissom's number. "Where are you two?" Grissom barked. He and Greg had been scheduled to work that night anyway, but shortly after having seen the slight confrontation between Nick and Sara at the casino, he'd received word of an all hands on deck assignment. Warrick and Catherine had been called in to work, despite having been given the night off. "At the hospital," Greg told him quickly. "What are you two still doing there?" Grissom looked down at his watch, noting the time. "You two should've been back by now, and the the Police Chief is - " "Sara has been admitted," the words tumbled out of his mouth, speaking over Grissom's tirade. The older man, who had been in the break room with Catherine, Brass and the Lab Rats, sank down onto one of the chairs at the table in shock. His voice became soft and concerned. "What happened?" The sudden change in the tone of his voice caused everyone to look over at their boss, mentor and friend. Grissom nodded his head mutely as he listened to Greg briefly. He bid the younger CSI goodbye and hung up his phone. He stared at the little piece of technology in confusion for a moment. How could it be? They'd just seen her. She was fine! "Gil?" Catherine asked quietly, glancing over at Brass. "Sara's in the hospital," he told them, shocking the group in the break room. "Greg and Warrick are with Nick. They don't know what's happening, but the doctors aren't letting Nick be with Sara." Catherine closed her eyes tightly, "that can't be good." "Go," Brass commanded them. "We'll have your assignments of the case given to other members." Catherine placed a hand on Brass' shoulder as she and Grissom stood to leave. She knew that he would want to be at the hospital too, but at the moment, he couldn't leave. He'd have to wait. "We'll call when we know anything," she promised their friend. "Catherine?" Hodges called out, his voice sounding uncertain, like he had a quick, mental debate with himself over whether or not to ask . . . When she turned around, she saw the question left unspoken shining in his eyes. "I'll let you guys know, too," she assured the Lab Rats. "Thanks," they called out softly. CSICSICSICSI A few minutes later, the senior CSIs were at Desert Palms Hospital, thankful that the Lab was located so close to the medical building . . . Catherine and Grissom came to a stop in front of the three men. She sat down beside Nick, who didn't even bother to look up. He just wiped at the tears that were streaming down his face . . . she rubbed his back soothingly, like she did for Lindsay when she was a small child, feeling sick. "Have you heard anything?" He shook his head no, fresh tears starting to stream down his face. What was taking so long? "What happened?" Grissom asked, sitting down in the chair opposite Nick . . . "We got home and I got mad . . . I yelled. I could," his breath hitched in his throat, "see how it scared her." He finally looked up and the group of friends were not shocked to see the red rimmed eyes that Nick adorned. "But we finally talked. And we came to an agreement. I think we were finally starting to put the pieces of our lives back together . . . and then she just went pale. Said something was wrong with the baby . . . oh, God," he put his head back down, sobs taking over him once again. “I can’t loose them.” Catherine moved closer to him, putting a reassuring arm around his back. "It's going to be OK, I promise," she whispered to him, looking at the others with doubt . . . Nick nodded his head mutely. God, how he hated those words. Empty promises. They couldn't control what was going to happen . . . as much as he wanted to believe what Catherine told him, and what he'd told Sara, he just wasn't sure . . . CSICSICSICSICSICSI "Make it stop!" Sara cried out, her head thrashing from one side to the other. "Please!" The pain was intense. It seemed to be worse now that they were at the hospital. Although the pain only seemed to last for ten or fifteen seconds, it always came back. "It's too soon," she cried. One of the nurses smoothed back her unruly, curly hair from her forehead. "Shh," the older woman calmed her, "just focus on me, OK?" The two locked eyes and she breathed through her nose, willing the pain to stop. When it did, she felt her lower lip tremble, "I need Nick." The nurse continued to hold her hand, but she looked towards the doctor, who nodded his head mutely in confirmation. She turned her attention back to Sara. “We’ll go get him,” she nodded, putting a small smile on her lips. She glanced at the nurse on the opposite side of the bed who’d just finished jotting down notes in Sara’s chart. “Lisa, would you . . . ?” The younger nurse smiled slightly, nodding her head yes as she quickly retreated from the room. When the door to Sara’s room gently opened, Nick stood up faster than he had in his entire life. He took a few steps towards the small nurse. “What’s going on? How are Sara and the baby?” “The doctors are still evaluating them,” she told him softly. “But you can come in and be with her now.” Nick didn’t wait to hear her say anything else as his body just took off to be with her. “Nurse?” Greg called out softly when the young woman turned to leave. The woman turned around and looked at the group, no answers written in her eyes. “Are they going to be OK?” “We’re doing everything we can to make that happen,” she told them. It was the best answer she could give. The four looked at one another solemnly. CSICSICSI “Sara,” Nick called out softly when he entered the room. She turned to look at him, panic still etched across her features. When she saw him, her eyes began to water again. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes blurred with tears. “Nick,” she called out to him, breaking his heart even more than he thought possible in that moment. She reached out her hand to him as he raced towards her bed, needing to feel him with her. When he got to her side only a few short seconds later, he leaned his head down, hugging her as best he could as the doctors and nurses continued their jobs, careful not to jostle the IV line that she was still hooked up too, as well as other monitoring equipment that beeped rhythmically beside them . . . The middle aged nurse that had kept him out of the room when they’d first arrived pushed a stool over to him so he could take a seat by her side. They held on tightly to each other, looking into the others eyes. Occasionally she closed her eyes tightly, and bit her lip, trying to get through the pain. “Oh, God,” she cried as Nick’s hand stroked her skin which was slightly sticky with sweat. His other hand held hers, and she was squeezing like a vice grip. He did the breathing exercises with her, coaching her to breathe through it as she had been earlier. “It’s OK, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m here.” Not long after he’d entered the room, the doctor sighed. Closing his chart, he looked up at the couple, finally able to tell them what was happening, and how they were going to handle it. “Doctor Thompson?” Nick asked, having noted the name on the white jacket. “What’s happening?” “Is my baby OK?” Sara asked breathlessly. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but her she wouldn’t allow herself that luxury until she knew her baby was fine. “You’re in pre term labor, Sara,” he informed her. “Oh, God!” she cried, feeling as though her world were once again crumbling. “The good news is that the babies heart beat is strong, and your membranes haven’t ruptured,” he told them. “That’s good,” Nick encouraged Sara, trying to get her to calm down. On the inside, he was just as jumpy as she was, wanting to know what had to be done. Their scientific brains already knew the answers, but they weren’t thinking with their brains. Only their hearts. All Nick could think of was how to help Sara and the baby. All Sara could think of was the baby. “I have an Ultrasound machine on it’s way down,” he continued. “We will check to see how much amniotic fluid is present, as well as the babies growth. You’re chart says that you are at about 28 weeks.” “It’s too soon,” she cried softly. “You haven’t dilated, so that’s good,” he told her, trying to calm her. “We have taken cervical and vaginal cultures and sent them off to the lab for testing.” “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, placing a hand on her abdomen, careful of the fetal heart monitor that was strapped there. “Sara,” he drawled, demanding gently that she listen to him. “This is not your fault.” He placed his own hand on top of hers that rested on their baby. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. The door to the room opened and the younger nurse wheeled in an Ultrasound machine. It was set up quickly and soon, a picture of their baby was on the screen. It’s movements inside of her were very reassuring to both Nick and Sara. “Amniotic fluid looks good,” the doctor announced. “And more good news, it looks like the baby is 29, maybe 30 weeks.” He looked over at the parents to be and smiled. “The longer the baby is in there, the better.” Both Nick and Sara knew that and while they were both nervous that it was happening so fast, they were happy to hear that their baby might be a week or two ahead of schedule. If it meant that they had a little less time to prepare, so be it. ”I don’t see a placental abruption, either,” he commented. ”So, what exactly does this mean?” Nick asked, squeezing Sara’s hand in his own. “Well,” he looked from Nick to Sara, “you haven’t effaced any, and all signs are good.” The sound of his pager vibrating on the small table next to him took the doctors attention. He looked down at the small screen and smiled. “The tests that we ran are negative. What we can do is go ahead and give you some medication to try and stop the contractions. With any luck, this little one will be a full term baby.” Both let out a breath of air they didn’t know they’d been holding. “I would also like to give you some medication to help manage the pain, Sara –“ “No,” she shook her head. “I can deal with it. I don’t want my baby to –“ “It will be beneficial to the baby,” he interrupted her. “The medication to stop the labor works better when the mother is relaxed. You won’t feel the contractions, so you’ll be comfortable. And hopefully, you’ll be able to rest.” She let the words sink in . . . she glanced at Nick, biting her lip. “Are there any side affects for the baby?” “No,” he smiled. “We are also going to give you two other drugs, both for the babies well being. The first is an antibiotic to prevent group B streptococcal infection. It’s a preventative measure in case you are a carrier. The test itself takes 48 hours for the results, so rather than take the chance, we strongly advise it. If you are a carrier, but don’t take the drug, it comes with serious risks for newborns. Infection in the blood, pneumonia, and meningitis, which could cause long term health problems,” Doctor Thompson rattled off. “Absolutely,” Sara said without hesitation. “The second drug will be given when the contractions cease. We’ll give you a shot of Cortico-steroids. It will help speed up the babys lung development, should he or she be determined to make their entrance into the world early.” “You think that’s a possibility, Doc?” Nick asked. “We can never be entirely sure when a woman will go into labor,” he told them. “I can’t say it won’t happen.” He turned his attention to Sara. “Now, we’re going to have to monitor you closely for the remainder of your pregnancy. To make sure that you don’t develop an infection which could be harmful to either you or the baby, or both.” She nodded her head. “Whatever it takes,” she agreed, already feeling somewhat better as the medication to stop the contractions, and help relax her, which had been administer, began to take effect. “So, how long will she be in the hospital?” “We’ll continue to monitor Sara and the baby for the next few hours. If they are both doing fine, and there is no dilation, or effacement, then we can go ahead and send you home in a few hours. But, you’ll need plenty of rest, and you’ll need to avoid stress.” Nick’s world began to spin. He hadn’t even thought of stress as a possible reason for Sara having gone into premature labor. “Yes, Doc,” he managed to say as he turned to look at Sara, who was looking at him with concern. “It’s not your fault, either,” she whispered, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He nodded lamely, not entirely believing it. Slowly, Doctor Thompson and the nurses filed out of the room to give Sara some much needed rest. As her eyes felt heavy, and began to close, she heard Nick’s voice. “Warrick and Greg were here when we came in. They are still out there, and Catherine and Gil came too.” She smiled faintly. Sleepily, she told him, “you should go tell them your wife and baby are doing fine.” He chuckled softly. In all the chaos, it hadn’t even registered in his mind that he was calling Sara his wife. “I love you,” he told her. “I love you, too, Husband,” she mumbled playfully as sleep pulled at her eye lids. As her breathing evened out, and Nick knew she was asleep, he placed a chaste kiss on her left hand ring finger before leaning up and placing a kiss on her forehead. He let his fingers trail across her stomach where his son or daughter was still safely growing . . . “and we love you, too, little one.” TBC . . . .
awww that's sweet At least if she *does* happen to deliver, the baby still has a good chance of survival with modern technology. I know it's still never certain if it'll survive though and like the fic said, the longer it stays in, the better.
aww!! meg, that was adorable! amazing job! nick cares so much for sara and their baby!! great chapter!! can't wait to see what happens to the baby and sara!
Sorry it's taken so long for the update. Thanks to those of you that reviewed. It means a lot. Chapter 29: Sara was laying on the couch, her hands protectively drapped across her bulging belly. She was now 37 weeks pregnant and counting. As terrified as she was of labor and delivery, she was ready to have her body back. Nick looked over at her and smirked. "What?" she said kind of grumpily. "You're cute when you pout," he answered. "I'm not pouting," she informed him. "Sure," he chuckled as lifted her legs easily to sit down where they had been resting. He sat her legs down on his and began to absently rub soothing circles on her skin. They sat in the darkness of their home, the only light coming from the glow of the fireplace and the white lights that adorned the Christmas tree. He glanced over at Sara and took one of his hands and placed it on hers, squeezing her fingers lightly. "Think we'll have a baby by Christmas?" "I hope so!" she sighed dramatically. It was December 17th and though her due date was still, technically, a couple of weeks away, the Doctor had said that the baby was perfectly ready to be born. He smiled. Yes, she had become increasingly frustrated as she got larger. Her mood wasn't as stable as it had been, and Catherine told him to chalk it up to lack of sleep and being uncomfortable, as well as scared of the delivery. And if he were being honest with himself, the thought of the delivery terrified him as well. He just hoped it all went smoothly. He had been assured, just like Sara, that the baby was healthy and that by all accounts, the delivery itself should be normal. But that with modern medicine and the help of the nurses and doctors at the hospital, things would go as smoothly as possible. He looked over at her face, glowing not only because she was an expectant mother, but because the colors from the fire that illuminated her skin. Even though her eyes were closed, she felt him staring. She slowly opened her eyes. "What?" she asked softly, entangling her fingers with his. "Nothing," he said softly, "just thinking about how beautiful you are. And how lucky I am to have you in my life. How you're giving me the gift of a child." She smirked at him. "No need to sweet talk me, Stokes. You already knocked me up." He smiled a bit more. "I'm serious. I love you." "I love you too," she smiled, pulling on his hand to indicate that she wanted him to give her a kiss. So, he leaned over her torso, careful not to put his weight on their baby and kissed her soft lips. "Hey now," he said, breaking the kiss and looking down at Sara's stomach, "I'm trying to have a private moment with Mommy." Sara laughed when the baby kicked again. "I don't think he cares." "He? You think it's a boy?" Nick asked, his eyes shining. She shrugged. "At the moment, yes. What do you think?" While it was true and he and Sara would be thrilled with either a son or a daughter, and all they truly wanted was for him or her to be healthy, he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "Well, I think she's going to have your smile." "You think it's a girl?" He nodded his head. "Well, at the moment, anyway!" She giggled. Nick placed his large palm against the baby bump. "So, who are you? Are you Daddys little Princess, or Mommys little Man?" "I think he's ignoring you," Sara whispered playfully when she didn't feel the baby kick in response. "Oh, really, huh?" Nick smirked and leaned down and kissed her again. And then the baby kicked. Sara started to laugh. "Oh, now I have to pee!" she giggled as Nick leaned back up and helped her to sit up and then stood to help her stand. He watched as she made her way to the downstairs bathroom and then sat back down on the couch. He eyed the small gift bag, stuffed with shiny paper. He smiled a little, thinking of her reaction. He planned to give it to her on Christmas Eve. His family was flying in late on the 23rd, and even though they'd be staying at Nick and Sara's, he was sure he could steal a little time with her in front of the tree and the fire on the magical night and make it just a little more special. "What're you thinking?" Sara smiled as she sat down beside him and curled into his side. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple as he played with her hair. "That we need to enjoy this. It's not going to stay quiet around here for long." She smiled. "You're right." "Having some noise and chaos will be just like it was when I was growing up. Minus the six other kids." He squeezed her shoulder. "We'll have more kids, Nick," she assured him. "I just don't know about us having as many as seven!" He laughed. "Good. I'm not sure I could handle six. Two or three sounds like a pretty good number, doesn't it?" She nodded. "Mmm Hmm." Silence filled the room once again and the two sat in contentment. Until the phone rang. Nick sighed and reached behind him to grab the cordless phone that sat in the cradle on the table behind them. "Hello?" "What's up man?" Warrick asked, by way of a greeting. "Not much." He looked over at Sara and mouthed 'Warrick.' "Are you and Sara up for coming out tonight? Grissom's out of town at the bug convention, but Greg, Cath and I just wrapped up a case and since we aren't needed, Ecklie decided to give us the night off. Party time." Nick chuckled. "I don't know, man." Sara rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone from Nick, having heard the question that he'd posed. "Hey Warrick. What did you three want to do?" "Nothing insane. Probably dinner. Maybe a show after wards." "Sounds good. Where should we meet you?" She listened as Warrick told her where they'd meet up and when she hung up the phone, she looked over at Nick. "What?" "You feel up to going out?" "I'm pregnant, Nick. I'm tired and I'm sore, but I can't do anything about that. And besides, after the baby is here, it'll be a very long time until we can just go out spontaneously." She leaned over and kissed Nick quickly, but deeply. She batted her eyelashes. He smirked as he stood up and once again helped her to her feet. He leaned down to capture her lips in one more quick kiss. He pulled away, "should've thought about that before you let me knock you up!" And he quickly turned and walked away, chuckling. Her jaw dropped in amusement as she swatted at his bum as he walked away. "Nicholas Anthony Stokes!" CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI "How did you get us in there?" Greg asked Catherine as they exited the restaurant. It was an exclusive new restaurant at one of the casinos. Casual clothes were acceptable, but the atmosphere was unlike any other exclusive eatery in Las Vegas. "You know I can't tell you that," she answered him coyly. "The food was phenomenal," Nick raved and Warrick nodded his head. "Beyond phenomenal," Sara concurred. "You barely touched your food," Warrick said, raising an eyebrow as if to question if she were really being truthful. Sara smirked, then used her hands to illustrate just how large her stomach had become. "There's not much room in here, Warrick. Trust me." Catherine laughed and placed a hand on the baby. "Active tonight, huh?" Sara nodded her head. "Definitely feels that way." Truth was, the baby's activity level had gone down. The doctor had assured her that the reason was only because the amount of space in the womb was limited, so the lack of activity was normal. "Hey guys, wanna catch a movie rather than go to a show?" he smiled widely at the group. "King Kong is playing!" Sara and Catherine groaned while Warrick and Nick looked interested. "Why don't you guys go?" Sara suggested. She looked specifically at Nick. "Seriously, I'll be fine." "You sure?" he asked, although she could see the excitement in his eyes. "I'll be with her, Nick," Catherine assured him. "You have your cell phone?" He nodded in confirmation. "Then if you're needed, we'll call." Sara nodded her head and smiled at Nick, amused by Catherine's assertiveness. "Yeah, that's right." "OK," he smiled. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. "Love you. Be careful." "Always," she smiled. "Love you too." Warrick and Greg nodded at Cath and Sara in silent goodbye. "Man, you are so whipped," Warrick's deep voice chuckled. "I am not," Nick protested. Greg then acted as if he had a whip in his hands. "Yeah, ya are." Catherine and Sara laughed. "So, what shall we do?" Catherine smiled. "Take in a strip show?" Sara laughed. CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI The two women walked through Meadows Mall leisurely, eating Haagen Dazs Ice Cream. The mall itself was crowded with Holiday shoppers who'd waited until the final stretch to complete, or even start, their shopping. Thankfully, due to the Holiday Season, the mall hours had been extended to midnight. It was nearly 11:30, so the shoppers were slowly starting to dispurse. Sara rubbed her back a little to ease the slight ache that had settled there. "The movie should be over shortly," she said to Catherine. She turned away from Catherine and tried to stiffle a yawn, but Cath caught it. She smiled. "I need to make a quick pit stop in the ladies room," Catherine told her, "and then we'll be on our way." "Cath?" The strawberry blond turned around. "If you don't mind, could I just go to the car? I need to sit down. My feet and back are killing me." Catherine chuckled and handed Sara the car keys. "I'll be there in a minute." Sara nodded her head and continued on the short distance to the exit doors that lead to the parking lot. When they'd arrived, they lucked out and managed to get a stall close to the mall that was just being vacated by another shopper. CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI Catherine exited the mall and headed for her car. "Where'd you go, Sara?" she asked herself as she approached the stall where he car had been parked, but was now empty. The dim glow of the parking lot lamp only slightly illuminated the area, but her CSI skills were fine-tuned to see things in the night that people couldn't even see in the day. Something wasn't right. In fact, something was incredibly wrong. "Woah!" she heard a teenage boy say. "Dude, some chick left her purse by my door!" "No way!" Catherine immediately called out to them. "Stop! Don't touch it!" The boys recoiled. "Hey lady, if this is your purse, we don't want any trouble. We just found it!" "No, it's not mine," she said as she crouched down. "It's a friends." And it look like it had been thrown there. But why would Sara's purse be thrown to the other side of the parking lot, and her own car be missing? "Dammit." She pulled open her own purse and dug around for her cell phone. She hit speed dial. "Jim, it's Catherine. I'm at Meadows Mall, parking section J on the upper level. I need some Units and a couple of CSI kits, now." Jim furrowed his brow. He told another officer quickly what Catherine needed, where she needed it and to get it done. "What's going on?" He knew not to question her when she sounded so insistent. "It's Sara. She's gone." "What do you mean she's gone?" he asked, checking his holster and making sure his gun was firmly there, locked and loaded. "I don't have time to explain, Jim. I have to call Nick." She quickly ended the call, and then proceeded to call the person who would be absolutely crushed and devastated. She looked up at the night sky, silently wondering why everything had to go so wrong, just when things were going so right . . . TBC . . . .
meg!! that was amazing! nick and sara are so cute together! but.. WHERE DID SHE GO?! omgoodness... nick's gonna FREAK OUT! AMAZING!