Disclaimer: CSI belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS.

A/N: This story is inspired by the season 8 promo-trailer, posted on the CBS homepage. Big thanks to chimp1984 for making me aware about it! Now enjoy the story!

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Catherine sat in the hospital for hours by now. How long ago her last sleep had been, she couldn't tell anyone. Relieve has flooded everybody of the team as they finally managed to rescue Sara from under that car. She was more than half drowned, badly injured and unconscious, but still alive. They brought her to the hospital and the doctors told them after nerve-ruining hours that she would make it. Sara was still unconscious and they couldn't tell when she would wake up, if she would be the same or if she would have permanent damages from the incident. Only one person was allowed to stay with her and the team had chosen Catherine. Of course, after they all had gotten to know that Sara and Grissom have a relationship it would have normally been Grissom who should stay. But he said he couldn't do it.

"I can not stand to see her that way, Catherine." he told her, after he had taken a short look upon her features. "I couldn't manage to save her, rescue her earlier. I couldn't protect her from this. She needs comfort now and I think I can not give her this enough anymore." He seemed kind of broken and exhausted. Everybody was tired.

Those were the last words the team heard from Grissom this day. He disappeared from the hospital without looking back. Catherine believed she saw tears glistening in his eyes as he turned around to go. 'Perhaps he feels as if he has failed her.', Catherine thought as she stepped into Sara's room.

The brunette, who normally seemed so full of strength, looked fragile now. Her skin was as white as the hospital-sheets and as the blond touched her hand it still felt as cold as ice. It has been the same way when they fished her out of the water from under the car earlier.

"Couldn't they warm you up somehow?" Catherine muttered under her breath as she sad down on a chair beside Sara's bed. The guys had offered to inform Lindsey about the latest events and bring her with them later. They all needed time to rest. Catherine felt also tired, but there was something inside her, that forced her to stay awake. Responsibility for her colleague and friend, plus a deep caring. She couldn't let Sara go trough this alone. She wanted to be with her when Sara opened her eyes again, those deep brown ones in which she could lose herself so easily.

Now those eyes were closed, over Sara's nose was a mask giving her oxygen. Her features seemed peaceful, as if she were asleep. No signs from the latest events were showing in them, no fear, only some scratches and bruises which the doctors and nurses had already treated. To her hand attached was a tube, which supplied the brunette with medicine. The only sound in the whole room was the light beeping of the heart-rate monitor and the even quieter breathing of the two women.

Catherine took hold of Sara's hand and hoped that this would show her, that she wasn't alone and that she could somehow give her some strength to wake up soon. "We need you, Sara." she told her friend and colleague. 'And I need you too.' she added in her thoughts, not knowing where that one came from. The doctors said her chances to recover fully would be the best when she wakes up soon. A long phase of unconsciousness indicates that there could be much more damage which the body can not repair, even damage of the brain.

The blond yawned and made herself as much comfortable as possible on the chair beside the bed, still holding the brunettes hand. The time went by and Catherine was finally lulled into sleep by the steady rhythm of the noises in the room.

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Thank you for reading!