In the context of a Las Vegas hospital waiting room at two in the morning, the three of them did not draw much attention.

Warrick sat in the chair in the corner, his elbows propped on his knees and his head in his hands. His best friend and colleague Nick sat across from him, eyes expressionlessly focused on some inane late-night talk show playing above Warrick's head. Sara was sitting, or more accurately was crumpled, beside Nick, her head on his shoulder and his coat around her shoulders. She had finally fallen asleep after Warrick had brought her something to drink.

Their boss Gil Grissom was somewhere in the hospital. He and Sara had been working a case that evening. The period of extra caution following the Holly Gribbs incident was long since ended, and Grissom was left alone in the house while Sara went out to his Tahoe to retrieve a forgotten kit.

~*~*~*~*~

Sara jogged back up the driveway and ducked under the crime scene tape. She picked her way carefully through the hallway and called to Grissom, "I got it, Gris! And I think I figured out what the victim -- Oh my God." She pulled her gun and ran over to where Grissom lay on the floor, a puddle of blood spreading out from under his black jacket.

She quickly made a compress and tried to stop the bleeding, but she knew there was not much she could do. She then pulled out her cell and managed to dial 911, never taking her eyes off the door at the end of the hall. "There's been a stabbing at -- shit -- oh, 124 Greenville Street. It's...it's bad." She listened to the dispatcher for a few moments, then hung the phone up.

Grissom was looking up at her, panic in his eyes. She lightly touched the very top of his head. "Someone's coming."

"Need to talk to you," Grissom tried to say, before starting to cough.

"Shh. Shh, you're going to be fine Don't talk. Shh."

~*~*~*~*~

"Do you have any idea how to contact Grissom's family?" Nick finally asked Warrick.

"I have no idea, man. I never asked him about that. Brass said the numbers in his file are outdated. I can't find Catherine." Warrick sighed. "I never thought this would happen. How did this happen?"

"I'm not sure what Sara was saying earlier. She was getting something and when she came back, she found him." Nick's arm tightened reflexively around Sara's shoulders.

Warrick looked at Sara. "She looks like that girl in high school who used to sit in home room and cry every morning."

"What?" Nick asked, confused by the unusual comment.

"It's not important," Warrick said, shrugging. "I'm going to go try Catherine again." He stood up and walked slowly to the pay phones by the door.

Nick's leg seemed to suddenly cramp and he shifted his body. Sara woke with a start. "Where's Warrick?" she asked.

"Trying to call Catherine. Here, go back to sleep." Nick spread his coat over Sara's shoulders again and tried to ease her against his chest.

"He shouldn't be alone," Sarah said, shrugging off the coat and standing up. "They wouldn't let me go back with him because I'm not family. I don't even know if he's alive. I've made it through a lot, but I can't take this waiting. I need to know if he's okay."

Finally she took the seat next to Nick again and let him hold her. She just wanted to feel human. She didn't want to hide anymore.

She was tired of being hurt and feeling ashamed because of bad people hurting her and the people she loved. She let Nick hold her and tried to sleep. If Grissom survived -- which he was going to, he had to -- she had some decisions to make.

She was no longer dreading facing the situation. She just wanted the opportunity.