Chapter 11

Last Rights

Disclaimer: CSI is not mine

Rating: PG

Grissom and Sara stepped out of the terminal. The delays were terrible, first at McCarren, then here in Frisco. Nearly five hours had passed and both were looking for food. They picked a little place near the airport, enjoyed their meal, and left to go to the hotel.

"Should I turn my cell phone back on?"

"Well, if you do we might have to go running back to Vegas. They are missing their entomologist you know."

"I might call later. Just to check in with Josh."

"You truly love him don't you."

"I'm sure you think it's strange, but yes, I do."

"Mr.G., Mr.G., wake up."Jose continued to shake Josh's limp body until help arrived. He tried to call 911, but was so distraught that he only could speak Spanish. So he hung up and called Nick.

Catherine, Nick, and Brass arrived running into the arena. Nick grabed Jose, while Catherine and Brass checked his vitals. He was barely breathing, but alive. The paramedics rushed him to the hospital while Catherine and Brass followed. Nick and Jose stayed behind to take care of the horses before joining them.

Brass tried frantically to reach Grissom leaving message after message. He knew where they went but not the details. Armed with only one phone number he never stopped calling.

"Hey, Grissom why don't you call Josh, I want to see how Radar's doing."

He walked over and turned his phone on, it let out the short shrill tone of having received voice messages. Grissom and Sara looked in horror at the phone. It recorded thirty messages within the last two hours all from the same number. He turned on the speaker phone as the first message played.

'Gil, it's Jim. Josh has been hurt. He's going to Desert Palms now. Call me.'

The message seemed to repeat in a similar fashion several times. Brass's voice panicky created by the adrenaline rush. The message's cleared the air; Condition critical, trauma to major organs, head injury, unconscious, and surgery. Only the very last message caused the panick on their end of the call.

'Gil, it's me again. Josh is out of surgery and they are doing more tests, but.'

It was the pause they knew all too well and Sara's eyes began to show her concern that was now very real.

'Josh crashed several times during the surgery. They revived him but as of now his brain is showing no signs of activity. You need to come home.'

The silence after the click of Brass hanging up the phone was painful to their ears. Grissom stood and called the airport for their immediate return home as Sara clutched Grissoms cell phone and cried.

Test after test was preformed. Josh laid in his hospital bed lifeless. His breathing being preformed by a machine, and several others kept watch over his vitals.

Catherine sat by his side holding his hand and praying. She turned towards the door and there stood Grissom and Sara. Pain evident on their faces and in their eyes. She stood and hugged Sara and they began to cry uncontrollably on each other. They sat outside while Grissom approached the bed where his once energetic son lay lifeless. He held his hand not sure of what to do, he wanted to cry, scream, anything but stay silent. Brass entered with the doctor in tow.

"Mr. Grissom, I'm Dr. Klowski. Your son came to us with severe trauma to his abdomen and chest cavity. Ultrasounds in the ER showed that he was bleeding internally, so we rushed him into emergency surgery."

The Dr. looked at Brass motioning that Grissom appeared to not be listening. Brass nodded and the Dr. continued.

"While in surgery your son lost a lot of blood. He went into cardiac arrest several times. While one is not good, several like he had are bad. So after repairing what I could of his organs, I had several neurological tests run. Unfortunately the news is not good. And with further testing I'm sure will prove my diagnosis accurate. I'm afraid that your son is brain dead."

The words he knew were eminent and had been trying to prepare himself to hear came. But they were harder to swallow while looking at his son.

"Thank you Dr." Brass said escorting him from the room to give Grissom some alone time.

Several hours and many tests later only confirmed the Dr.'s findings. Josh was still here in body but his spirit had already left. Grissom and Sara sat alone holding each other next to Josh's bed, only the sounds of the ventilator keeping his body going were heard. Grissom fought a hard internal battle. Does he approve the Dr.'s recommendation of removing life support and let his only son die in peace or allow him to continue to live as a vegetable. He looked to Sara for the answer.

"Josh was too full of life just to allow him to lay here like this. He would want to be free." she said as she buried her face back into his chest and cried.

Grissom stood and walked out of the room leaving Sara. He had to think, clear his head. He knows what he would want, but he had only known Josh for this short time, what were his beliefs. He looked up to see where his feet had led him, staring into the small chapel at the large cross that looked over the room Grissom took a seat.

Brass was alerted when Grissom walked by him looking lost. He knew he was about to make a decision and picked up the phone.

Sara was being comforted by Catherine when Brass entered. He was followed by Nick, Greg, Warrick, Dr. Robbins, and little Jose. The stood in the far corner and waited. The wait was short and no one needed to ask the question as Grissom entered the room with the Dr. and a priest. He moved to stand next to Sara and nodded to the priest.

He began to read from the bible he carried. "Blessed are the poor in sprit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." he finished drawing a cross on Josh's forehead.

"Let us pray"stated to the group to pray aloud with him. Grissom was the only one who spoke aloud. "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."

"Amen." said all.

The Dr. moved to the ventilator and turned it and the other monitors off, before quietly leaving the room.

"Go be with God." the priest said once again drawing a cross on his forehead.

Grissom placed his hand over the drawn cross, "I love you son." And he no longer tried to hold his tears back. He felt Sara gripping him from behind as he felt her tears soak into his shirt.

They buried Josh at the ranch under the same place where they were married. Sara planted flowers around the head stone and kept it looking beautiful. She and little Jose only held onto a few horses. The rest were sold. Not like they needed the money, Josh had his will written shortly after he and Grissom first met. Everything that was his, was now theirs. So instead of working even part time she just messed around the ranch all day.

One morning she saw Grissoms Denali in the driveway but not him. She walked out to Josh's grave and found him standing over it.

"You know I never thought of myself as being Dad material. But this boy showed me that it's not that scary."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I was going to tell you later, but I guess now's a good time. I'm pregnant."

Grissom looked at her and smiled. "Are you happy with this?"

"Yes, not just because I am pregnant, but because it's our baby. Mine and yours." And she wrapped her arms around him.

Grissom looked down at the headstone and repeated those fateful words. "How in the hell did you get so smart?"

Ok, I'm done I hope you liked it. I know happy and sad all wrapped in one.