Reliving the Nightmare
Here is the 2nd Edition of 'Hurt Days of…' This time is 30 Days of Hurt Greg. A bunch of stories based on Greg getting hurt- mentally, emotionally, physically. Hope you like it. I want lots of prompts! It can be soley Greg fics, Nick and Greg friendship/brotherly love or any other characters as long as it's hurt Greg! NO SLASH!
So this is set in the end of season 9. Enjoy!
"My team totally beat yours last night Greg; I don't know why you won't make the switch."
"Because the Vikings suck!"
"Says the guy whose team lost the game last night. Admit it Greg, Vikings are awesome."
"Over my dead body."
Nick playfully pushed Greg as they walked to the crime scene on the Strip. It was almost two in the morning and Catherine had sent them to this robbery/murder at the drugstore. Though, it made him a little uneasy to be in a place that looked familiar to where the beatings happened. He wouldn't tell Catherine that and he definitely wouldn't have told Nick; he was gonna prove himself a capable CSI that can take anything that was thrown his way. They just past another alley before they could see the police lights up ahead and they were ready for another long night. Suddenly, Greg stopped to kneel on the ground causing Nick's brow to furrow and stop.
"Go ahead, I'll meet you up there; I just need to tie my shoe."
Nick hesitated. He really didn't want to leave Greg alone in this shady area; especially since the beating happened nearly two months ago. And even if Greg was "fine," he knew he was not; he wanted to keep his little brother safe. He wanted Greg to go back to the lab so he'd be away from harm…well, the explosion kind of ruined that too. But don't get him wrong, Greg was the best CSI he's ever seen. He went from an annoying, crazy lab rat to a smart, hardworking CSI…and he was proud of him.
"Nick, I'll be fine; just go."
Sighing heavily, Nick turned around and slowly started walking towards the crime scene. He wasn't gonna let Greg get hurt on his watch- especially on his watch.
Greg sadly watched Nick start to go; the Texan meant well and he was flattered that the man wanted to stay by him and keep him safe. That's what brothers did for each other, but he was just tying his shoe, the crime scene was a few hundred feet away and Nick was right there. Nothing was going to-
He was suddenly grabbed from behind, a grimy hand clamped over his mouth to keep him from shouting. This couldn't be happening; this really couldn't be happening again. He squirmed and kicked, trying to get out of this person's hold but it was no use.
"Stop moving you little brat."
A fist immediately met his jaw and pain exploded behind his eyes; and again and again until he could barely feel his face anymore. He was punched in the stomach and chest, though it wasn't that bad since he had the vest on. Blood trickled out of his mouth and he closed his eyes, groaning in pain. Every single punch flashed him back to the Fannysmackin' beatings; being pushed up against the wall, kicked and punched in the face, being unable to catch his breath or defend himself. He was reliving his nightmare all over again.
"W-What do you w-want?"
"Give me your money!"
That's what this was about? Some dickhead wanted money? Welcome to Las Vegas Greg.
"I don't-I don't have any," Greg coughed.
"Don't lie to me!"
The man suddenly pulled something out that glinted in the dim street light. A knife.
"No, no, please no." In all his flailing, he clocked the guy brutally in the cheek. The man growled, looking more killer-like than ever.
"I'm not gonna ask you again." And with that, the knife came down at a great speed and Greg knew this was it.
Meanwhile, Nick had a strange feeling in his stomach. A minute had gone by and Greg still hadn't caught up. He was nearly at the crime scene and he knew it didn't take one minute to tie one shoe.
"Greg, you almost done m-" but when he turned around, the road was empty. Greg was nowhere to be seen. The only thing he saw was the man's kit. "No. No, no, no, no." He dropped his case and started running back to where he left Greg. He never should've gone ahead. Dammit Nick! "Greg!"
As he got closer he could hear muffled thumps- like a fist hitting flesh- and whimpers. Nick's heart jumped into his throat, praying it wasn't what he thought it was. Greg was still a bit sensitive to touch since that trauma filled night a few months ago and if he was getting beat up again, his mental state may change for the worse. Once he turned the corner to where he heard the sounds, he stopped, his breath catching in his throat. There was a dark shape sitting over his best friend, beating the crap out of him. And before he could shout, that person lifted up a silver object and brought it down on Greg.
"No! Greg!" He broke out into a run, intent on breaking every bone in this guy's body. "Get the fuck off him you bastard!"
The man looked up but then continued to stab Greg; and every time the knife came up, he could see blood running on the blade. And his heart broke every time he heard a weak whimper or a soft grunt. Before he knew it, he had tackled the guy and punched him in the temple, knocking him out cold. Once he roughly handcuffed him, Nick crawled over to Greg and he wanted to cry. This was his fault; he never should've left him.
"Greg?" His hands hovered over the broken body until he had the courage to grab the kid's hand. "G, can you hear me, bud?"
"Nngh, N-Nick?"
"I'm right here, buddy; just hang on…oh god."
The good thing was that Greg's attacker had been so stupid to think a knife would penetrate the vest deep enough, so Greg's chest had been protected…but his stomach…Blood soaked the bottom of the man's shirt as well as early forming bruises on his face. He almost looked like he had when they visited him at the hospital after the beatings. It wasn't as bad, but it was close to looking the same. He pulled out his phone and called 911 before calling Brass.
"Nicky, where did you run off to?"
"Jim, Greg's been attacked."
The man groaned. "Son of a bitch; how bad?"
"He's been stabbed."
"You call an ambulance?"
"Yeah, they said they'd be here in five minutes."
"Alright, I see the kit; I'll be there in a minute."
Nick hung up and picked Greg's upper body into his lap. "God, I'm so sorry Greggo. This is my fault."
Greg coughed violently. "N-No…not…fault." Greg's body shuddered and Nick tightened his grip on the man.
"Easy, G; it'll be okay, I promise."
Greg smiled weakly. "I know. T-trust you, Nicky."
Nick smiled back at his friend, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "What did that guy want?"
Greg inhaled shakily. "He just wanted money…N-Nick it hurts."
"I know, bud, I know. You're gonna be okay, kiddo." Nick clenched his jaw; Greg was fighting for his life all because the asshole who attacked him wanted money? When he was through with the guy, he was gonna wish he was never born. No one touched his brother…no one.
"Nick…god, Sanders." Brass came up behind them and wiped his mouth. "How is he?"
"I'm still he-here you know. N-Not dead yet," Greg mumbled. The extents of the injuries were starting to take effect now.
"You won't die at all," Nick said harshly. "I'm not letting you."
"This the guy?" Brass pointed to the attacker who was finally coming to.
"Yeah."
Nodding curtly, Brass grabbed the man's bicep and roughly brought him to his feet. Brass read him his charges and rights as they walked back towards the scene and his cop car. Nick scowled; whatever was coming to Greg's attacker, it was too good for him. If he made the rules, it'd be death penalty…by his fists.
And just as the ambulance pulled up, Greg slackened in Nick's hold and his breathing slowed down. Nick began to panic, thinking that Greg was giving up; that he was dying.
"Greggo?" He shook the man slightly in hopes to wake him. "Come on, man don't do this to me." If Greg had passed out, the pain must've been really bad. Before he could say anything else, he was gently pushed away and Greg's limp body was removed from his arms. The paramedics shouted numbers and words that confused Nick, hoping that whatever was being said wasn't bad; and once they stopped the bleeding with pressure bandages, wrapped a brace around Greg's neck, they put him on a gurney and wheeled him into the back of the ambulance. Nick desperately wanted to go with his little brother, but they stopped him and said which hospital Greg was going to. There was a risk of Greg crashing and they needed as much room as possible. This just terrified Nick even more.
Almost immediately, the doors slammed in his face and the vehicle sped away, leaving Nick standing in shock. He looked down at his shaking hands and, only then, realized how much of Greg's blood had smeared on him. His stomach rolled and he heaved his dinner onto the tar. When he finished, his body was trembling and he felt a cold sweat coming on. He had failed to protect his little brother; he had let Greg get beat up again. Last time this happened, Grissom had sent Greg alone to a crime scene. He was proud that the kid had gotten that far into the job, but the gangs had been out and about and he was worried something bad might happen…and it did…and he wasn't there to protect his friend. After wiping his mouth, he stood up straight, grabbed his and Greg's kit and jogged back to the Denali. Greg had to get through this, he just had to.
~+CSI+~
Nick paced anxiously, wiping a hand through his hair for the hundredth time. He arrived at the hospital an hour ago and he still hadn't heard anything on Greg. It. Was. Killing. Him.
"Nicky!"
He turned around and saw Catherine, Sara, and Langston running towards him. Finally, he wasn't alone…he didn't think he could handle this by himself.
"Nick, what happened?" Catherine said, tears in her eyes. Nick hadn't said much on the phone except that Greg had been hurt at the crime scene and was at the hospital.
"Greg was attacked while we were going to the crime scene."
"Not again," Sara groaned. Greg really didn't need this happening to him again. It had traumatized him once; no telling what it will do to him now that he was beat up a second time.
"How bad?" Ray spoke up.
Nick shook his head and pressed his eyes. "He was stabbed a number of times in the stomach and his face w-was…" he couldn't speak any more about this.
"It'll be alright, Nick," Catherine whispered as she led the Texan to a chair.
"No, it's not alright, Catherine. I was supposed to be there and protect him. He's my little brother and I let him get hurt again. He was tying his shoe and I wanted to wait for him, but he told me to go to the crime scene. And me, being the idiot that I am, listened and now look what happened."
"Greg is not going to blame you, Nick," Sara said sitting beside him. "Knowing Greg, he'll probably blame himself."
Nick thought sadly; it was true. Greg was selfless and he'd take the blame if he felt it was his fault even though it wasn't. Before he could open his mouth, the double doors opened and a doctor in sea-green scrubs emerged.
"Family of Gregory Sanders?"
"That's us," Nick said quickly as he shot up from the chair. "How is he?"
"Why don't we go sit and I'll explain his condition to you."
Nick nodded jerkily and the group went to a corner to sit down. "Is he okay?"
"First off, my name is Doctor Lewis and I attended to Mr. Sanders. And I will tell you now that he's alive."
"Thank god," Catherine breathed, placing a hand on Nick's back. She knew this was hard for the man. Greg was his little brother and no one was allowed to hurt family.
"I'll start with the minor injuries; his face obtained a few extensive bruises, a broken nose, two black eyes and a busted lip. We fixed his nose and cleaned the wounds, but those are the least of his worries. His lower stomach was stabbed five times, perforating the peritoneum. This can be extremely dangerous if not treated right away; fortunately, we got him here and in surgery quick enough to prevent peritonitis or sepsis from spreading. We removed the infected tissue and closed up the wound. He does have a minor infection not caused by the peritoneum being hit, but we currently have him on antibiotics to fight it off. Now it'll be lengthy, but he'll make a full recovery. The internal stitches, however, will take at least a year to heal close and he might have a scar, but otherwise, Greg is going to be fine."
They all let out a sigh of relief. Greg was gonna be okay; they didn't know what they'd do if they lost another family member. Nick smiled, but he was kind of angry; now Greg was gonna have another scar to remind him of the dangers of this job. First the scars from the explosion and now this. "Can we go see him?"
"Of course; he's resting right now and could be for the next 24-48 hours, but I'm sure some company will do him some good."
Once they reached the room, Nick nearly collapsed. To see Greg look the way he was- so still and pale…vulnerable. Different colored bruises littered the man's face and thick bandage wrapped around his midriff as well as a bandage on his nose. The two black eyes were vivid against the pallor and his breathing was labored and irregular even with the nasal cannula.
"Geez, Greg."
"Do you need some time alone, Nick?" Catherine asked. "We can just say a quick goodbye and see him tomorrow."
"Yeah…yeah okay." He was exhausted and as Catherine and Sara kissed Greg on the forehead, he sat down in the chair next to the younger man's head.
"You know he'll be okay, right Nick?" Ray said.
Nick remained silent.
"And he won't blame you, I guarantee it."
Nick looked up at the older man. "I hope you're right."
When they left, the room was quiet beside the constant beeps of the heart monitor and Greg's deep breathing. He leaned forward and grabbed the man's hand gently; he smiled in pride when he noticed Greg's knuckles were scarred and bruised. The kid had gotten in a punch or two. Nick brushed the sweaty strands of sandy hair from Greg's too warm forehead and sighed.
"Good job, G; I'm proud of you." He grasped the man's limp hand tighter and he leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. It was kind of hard to imagine only four hours ago they were arguing about which team was better.
"The Falcons still suck ass, Greggo and you'll never switch me….but maybe if you wake up you could convince me." Just please wake up. But Greg remained still. Saddened, Nick yawned and drifted off into a light sleep…and when he woke up, he just prayed Greg would be awake and okay.
~+CSI+~
Nick blinked his eyes open and cleared his throat before wiping the sleep off his face. Taking a deep breath he looked over at Greg and jerked into a straighter position with a smile on his face. Greg was awake- just barely- and staring at him with a weak grin on his pale face.
"Greg, you're awake!"
"Great, observation Sherlock," Greg chuckled.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You look like you needed the sleep."
"Are you saying that I look like crap?"
"Maybe…did you know you drool?"
The Texan frowned while wiping his mouth. "Do not." Nick was going to punch the man playfully on the shoulder, but stopped himself knowing how extra, extra sensitive Greg would be. So he just settled for rolling his eyes; he then realized that he was still holding Greg's hand and he retracted it, a red tint creeping up on his cheeks. Greg looked down at his lap, feeling a bit embarrassed as well.
"So…how are you doing, bud?"
The blonde shrugged and looked away. He couldn't believe this happened to him again…and he let it happen, because he wanted to prove himself strong enough.
"Greg?"
Nick looked at the man suspiciously. Maybe he was angry at him for letting him get beat up. "Look man, I'm sorry."
Greg looked at Nick with confusion. "For what?"
"For letting you get hurt; I should've been there to protect you. If I would've stayed with you, it probably wouldn't have happened."
"I'm flattered, Nick, really. But you really shouldn't have to feel the need to protect me. I wanted to fend for myself…but I guess I'm too weak."
"Stop it, G, you are not weak. You're the strongest person I've met; you're my little brother and I'm you're big brother. I'll never stop having your back, just like I know you have mine."
Greg smiled. "Thanks Nick." He looked down at his hands- his shaking hands- and went quiet.
"What's the matter?"
Tears rolled down his face and Nick leaned forward in worry. He placed a hand on Greg's arm and the man flinched a little. Oh, Greggo. "Come on man, talk to me here."
"It's…it's stupid."
"No, it's not stupid; come on, I'm here for you buddy."
"I just can't believe it happened to me again; I must've done something wrong to deserve this-"
"No, you've done absolutely nothing to deserve this, G." Nick grasped Greg's hand and squeezed it gently. "Everything that's happened to you- the explosion, the beatings, and now this- you are not to blame; I swear on my life."
"I'm really scared, Nick. What if…I don't think I'm cut out for this job- I'm not like you or Sara or Warrick; I'm inexperienced and weak. I don't even know why you bother in thinking I can do any good out in the field."
"Greg, I swear to god, shut up." Nick grasped Greg's shoulders lightly. "I can't believe you would say that about yourself; you are the best damn CSI I've seen in my entire life and I am so proud of you. You've proved others wrong and I'm glad you took the jump to become a CSI. And I know you're scared; I'm scared, too. For both of us. But I will do everything that I can to keep this from happening again. Everything. I love you man; you're my brother and I will help you get through this if it's the last thing I do."
Greg looked up at the Texan and gave him a watery smile. And without warning, Greg began to cry- the pain of all his traumas finally hitting him at full force. But he had Nick; he had a big brother. Nick's heart broke at the shuddering sobs from his best friend. Gently, he wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders and brought him to his chest.
"It'll be okay, G, I promise. You're strong; you'll get through this, I know you will." He rubbed circles on the kid's trembling back and offered words of comfort. "It'll be okay, man."
"I know," Greg sniffed. "I trust you, Nicky."
FIN
Let the prompts begin!