This takes place in the spring after the Whobilation expose.
Due to an appalling staged kidnapping pulled off by the Wickersham brats and Wickersham1's girlfriend at the time. many man hours were spent trying to find them. The Whoville police even enlisted the help of the KWHO TV station to possibly track down leads.
It hadn't been something Indy or Sarah had planned for, they were supposed to be covering the election of the new mayor and the end results.
Leave it to the Wickersham brats to steal the limelight again and direct attention to themselves by causing far worse mischief than they had ever done before. It used to be broken property or reports of harassment, sometimes theft. Now, it was a missing person, with rumours flying that the Wickershams were involved. So once again, they were the story.
Indy and Sarah had expressed annoyance off-camera over this, but their concern for the welfare of the "victim" overrode this and they were sent out to different sections of town to see what they could find out.
At some point, Sarah had to bow out, she was feeling very poorly.
So Indy had to take her home, then carry on.
Eventually, Indy found out that the "victim" turned out to be an item with her kidnapper, Wickersham1. This sapped her will to help out any further, but by that time, she was too far out of town to turn back, and had to continue tracking the lead the girlfriend's family had given her.
She ended up stranded, car wrecked, with no way to get home on her own, and she ended up eventually getting ill too.
That night, Sarah was hospitalized, as were many others who had come down with some mysterious sudden illness. She lay asleep in the bed until she thought she heard a slight stirring at her window. Someone was outside.
The Grinch fiddled with the window trying to get it open. He intended to break in and get himself tested, but didn't trust any Who to lay a finger on him. His plan had been to steal away into a room that was empty or that had a patient who was comatose. Unfortunately, he misjudged the hospital layout badly, and ended up in Sarah's room.
With a thrust, the window shot open, harder then the Grinch had meant it to. "Demn Whoville windows!" he grumbled as he stepped inside the room.
Sarah cried out and made a lunge out of bed. "Who's there!?" she demanded in a voice that became stern with alarm.
The Grinch whipped around, and spotted Sarah. "Oh crap," he said.
Sarah' flailed her arms about, trying to scare off the intruder. Her eyes were wide and betrayed her fear.
But that old Grinch was so smart, and so slick, he thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick. "Now, don't be afraid of me, my dear," he said slowly. "I'm just...the plumber..." he thought up quickly, his eyes darting nervously. "You see, the door outside was locked, so I had no choice but to come in from your window. I hope I did not frighten you. Now, since I am a plumber, I must go to the restroom now, because...I'm a plumber."
Sarah listened to him. She felt some relief, strangely enough. This was not the same voice in her dreams. But she wasn't through being puzzled. "What happened to put you on the job this time of night?" She wandered over to the sound of the voice and reached out.
The Grinch noticed her hand coming toward him. "Nothing to see...or touch here, my sweet. Just a plumber!"
"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming you too," she said. "I don't know where the restroom is Sir, but is it flooded or something?"
The Grinch moved back, retreating. "Eh, Yes, that's it, a flood. You are one smart girl. Well, it was nice meeting you…Pleasant dreams now." He paused. "and what was your name?"
"Sarah-Marie Who. And it was nice meeting you too." She started to cough again.
"Well...I think you had best get back to resting," The Grinch said.
"Yes, could you get me a drink or show me where to get one? I can't find my way around in here," Sarah asked.
"Uhh...yeah, sure, Wait here," the Grinch said To Sarah. "I'll bring some water to you."
"Thanks, sir," Sarah said.
The Grinch ventured out into the hallway, staying hidden amongst the shadows. There was almost no one on the floor.
The Grinch heard a door slam shut down the hallway. He walked toward it, ready to deck anyone who tried anything on him. He reached the closet door that had slammed shut earlier almost by itself. Someone was coming around the corner towards him! The only place to hide was the closet. He had no choice. He yanked open the closet door, and threw himself inside, where it was pitch black.
Back down the hall, Nurse Kelsey was just coming back from somewhere else in the hospital. She looked inquisitively at the vague activity occurring down the hall, but couldn't make out much. So, figuring it was probably only a doctor looking in the closet for something, Kelsey turned and continued on her way.
The Grinch breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to check outside to see if the coast was clear. He was about to leave the closet when one of the other nurses threw the door open.
Their screams echoed up and down the corridor, followed by two thumps as the nurses fainted dead away and hit the floor.
The Grinch laughed. "I wonder who sent those chicks," he asked sarcastically.
The male attendants there were coming around from behind the nurses' station, running towards the sound of the screams. They all ran each other down trying to get to the screaming females. Exclamations of "Watch it!" and "Get your big feet outa my way, I got some chicks to save!" were heard as the clods bumbled their way toward the closet.
The Grinch just stood there, smiling evily, waiting for the retards to come. When they did, one of the newest orderlies on staff, who was also not the sharpest tool in the shed, remarked, "Wow, that's the biggest, ugliest-looking, hairy frog you ever saw!" He pointed at the Grinch.
"That's not a frog, you...moron! That's..."
The lights went out.
"Who the heck turned out the blasted lights?!?" exclaimed another.
"Eeeeeeeeek! Let's cut outta here!" exclaimed his companion orderly.
"We can't, you dipstick, it's dark in here!"
They forgot about the screaming nurses and tried to run out, bumping into walls and each other, trying to escape. The nurses followed suit.
The Grinch pushed a button on the side of the wall, releasing a metal gate sort of wall blocking their escape. Delightfully surprised at the outcome of that action, he grinned. "Whoa, not so fast," he smirked. "The fun's only started!" Apparently he had snuck in here before, so was familiar enough with the doors and how the security system worked.
The panicking Whos screamed and muttered things not fit to repeat. Then they started yelling at each other, blaming their fellow workers for the catastrophe.
Down one of the halls came two female patients. One was leading the other, though she was having trouble not bumping into walls and fumbling along herself.
The Grinch turned around to see who was coming
"It just looks like we have a power outage, Sarah," Tammy was saying to the still feverish looking girl who held her arm.
At first, the Grinch thought nothing of it, after all, Sarah was a common enough name.What were the odds that it would be the same Sarah he had worried a while ago? He decided to take a gamble that it wouldn't be her, and hope for the best. Otherwise he might have to come up with a convincing excuse for the lie.
"All that just over an outage?" Sarah asked. "Whew, I thought there was a shooting or something!"
The lights came back on.
"Oh, crap." The Grinch thought to himself. He couldn't believe it.
It was Sarah Marie, but this time she wasn't alone. Her cousin, Tammy, who was scheduled to be released the next morning, was trying to guide her down the hallway.
"Ah," The Grinch said. "So good to see you again, Sarah" he grinned, "And it was just a Grinching."
"Mr. Plummer? Did you get whatever needed fixed in the bathroom, fixed already?" Sarah asked. "Or did you cause the power outage instead?"
Tammy squeezed Sarah's arm with her free hand. "Oh my gosh, Sarah, it's the Grinch!" she whispered to her.
"Heh," The Grinch chuckled. "I'm not a plummer, doll face."
Sarah's eyes lit up. Instead of looking frightened like all the other Who's, Tammy included, Sarah looked delighted and incredulous all at once. "So you were lying? Why did you break into my room then?"
"What? When did that happen?" Tammy asked.
There was an orderly who was carrying a pitcher of water. He was caught in the corridor near the Grinch when the lights went out.
"Oh yeah...that. Uh well..." The Grinch yanked the water pitcher from the orderly. "Here's the water you wanted," He handed it to Sarah, neatly avoiding the question.
"Thanks, Mr...Whatever your name is," Sarah nodded. "I didn't need that much, though."
Tammy took the pitcher from Sarah.
"Is that how you whos address a Grinch nowadays???" The Grinch countered.
Sarah smothered a giggle at having provoked him into more conversation with her. "Are you really the Grinch?"
"Oh it's the Grinch alright!" he exclaimed.
"Prove it please," Sarah said. "I want to see if you're really the Grinch and the only way I can do that is to see if you're as furry as legend says you are."
"Oh, Sarah," said Tammy.
"Oh what?" Sarah countered. If this is a prank, I'm happy to play along just as long as the mayor or those awful Wickersham gorillas aren't behind it. But if this really is the Grinch, I - " she hesitated, though not out of fear. "I would like to see him."
"Who's!" The Grinch exclaimed, like it was such a big inconvenience.
Tammy laughed.
"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad," Sarah said to the Grinch. "Or are you scared?" she dared him.
""NOT!" he protested in an air of indignation.
Sarah laughed. "You are! And you sounded just like Indy with that 'NOT!"
The Grinch growled.
"She did you a favour at that crummy Whobilation ceremony this past Christmas and I applaud her for it." Sarah continued. "So, will you prove your identity to me or are you not up to it?"
The Grinch let out a huge herumph, which caused Sarah to laugh again, but finally, he gave in. It might even be worth it if she shrieked and fainted like so many others. "If you insist, my dear. but leave your seeing-eye Who behind. Otherwise it's no deal and I blow outta here."
Tammy saw her cousin roll her eyes. "That's all right, Sarah, this is as close as I care to get to him." Turning to the Grinch, "Don't hurt her, because I'll come and make you want to 'blow' out of here," she warned.
"Cool it you two!" Sarah normally didn't forgive people lying to her, and would've thought it the most low-down thing to do to a sick person especially...but she made an exception this time. She was more determined than ever to find out if he really was the Grinch, or else catch him in a lie and give him a hard time about it. She wanted to show him that not everyone in Whoville was a scaredy-cat, Indy notwithstanding.
People were running in all directions and most had cleared out, scrambling for the elevators. Now It was just the two of them.
"I couldn't stay in my room when there was all that screaming," Sarah explained.
"Why, you're a brave little who, arent'cha?" asked the Grinch in bemusement.
"Depends on the situation...." said Sarah. Sensing the Grinch very near, she reached out.
"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you, my dear?" the Grinch said more softly.
"Usually, yes," Sarah replied. "So are you, though...Except when it comes to your identity," she replied with a grin.
"Yes, well, everyone knows who the Grinch is," he mumbled.
"Do they, really?" Let me see you, please?"
This Who's behaviour was so unusual that the Grinch was at a loss for what to do about it. Should he take her up on this, let her shake his hand only to shriek and recoil with fear? Or would she? His fear at facing another repulsed reaction rivalled his morbid curiosity about just how far this would get before that reaction was sure to follow.
While the Grinch was considering, he looked up and away, giving Sarah time to approach close enough to reach up and find one of his hands.
It was the Grinch who startled with surprise.
Now, it was about to happen. Another who was just a fraction of a second away from screaming and drawing back in terror.
But to the Grinch's amazement, that reaction never came.
Sarah put her hand in his and shook it, and then continued holding his hand gently. She was able to tell that this was a living Grinch, and not just someone dressed in a costume. The hand was not wrapped in a furred glove. The fur was attached to living skin, flesh and bone.
The Grinch was getting some information about Sarah during this time as well. Her grip was gentle but firm without any tremors or sweating. She really meant it when indicating she did not fear or loath him. He just couldn't believe it.
"I'm pleased to finally meat you, Mr. Grinch." Sarah said more gently. "I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you, But there is something I'd like to say that you ought to know."
The Grinch winced, but looking down at Sarah, he saw that she really was not here to make him feel worse.
Sarah continued. "You've been dealt a very unjust, unfair, rotten few deals. I wish I could've been there to stop it somehow or at least wack the heck out of the people who were so rough on you - and they know who they are."
Though Sarah couldn't see it, the Grinch straightened his spine in surprise, a look of wonder on his face.
"Maybe I've said too much, but I do mean it." said Sarah.
The Grinch was speechless! He covered her hand with his other one, enveloping her in warm fur.
She smiled warmly up at the Grinch, giving as much of his hand a squeeze as she could with her small, warm, delicate ones.
The Grinch noticed Sarah was barefoot as he looked down at the small woman. Knowing how cold the floor was and how weak she still was, he reached out and gently scooped her up into his arms. "You shouldn't be running around without your slippers, Sarah-Marie," he muttered, straightening.
Sarah positively beamed, and let herself lean against the Grinch, while she ran one small hand down one of his cheeks. "I left them at home," she replied. "But thanks for the concern."
"You'll catch your death, you know...and these stupid nurses will keep you here forever, poking and prodding you!" He began walking back to her room, carrying her easily. "Now when I put you back, I expect you to stay put, you hear me, Sarah-Marie?"
Sarah grinned. "Yes...Well, I'll try," she said. "No guarantees if there are more curious disturbances."
"I expect you to stay put because, well, because I said so. Got that?"
"Yes, sir!" Sarah said with a laugh. "Maybe next time I get sick you'll come and treat me?"
"Maybe," he muttered, hating commitments. "You just do what you're supposed to and get well."
They went back down the halls with Tammy in tow until they finally reached Sarah's room. From there, Tammy said goodnight to them both and entered her own room across the hall.
The Grinch moved inside and laid Sarah-Marie gently on the bed, then put a blanket over her. He got the pitcher, poured some water into a glass and set it on the table right next to the bed.
Then, he shuffled to the door, disappearing into the darkness.
Sarah lay there, listening until his footsteps faded away completely.
It had actually happened! She, Sarah-Marie Who, had met the Grinch in person, and had conveyed her message of understanding at last. What was more, it must have reached him to make hem treat her so kindly in turn. She only wished Indy could've been there to share the experience. Sarah just had to settle for telling her about it the next time they talked.
She had no idea if she and Mr. Grinch would ever meet again, but at least he knew now that not all of Whoville was against or afraid of him.
In that knowledge and happiness over the whole astonishing turn of events, Sarah shut her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.