Author's note:
None of it is mine.
Hi, there.
This ff is set only a few months after Nick comes into his Grimm heritage, so he's is still kind of inexperienced. Also, as you will see, Renard takes on a more active role than he did in the beginning of the series.
And finally, what's left to say other than: Enjoy! ; )
Know your limits
Nick exited his car alongside his partner. They were in one of the shabbier housing areas of Portland, currently trying to get hold of one Stephen Graymor.
"The Captain said we should arrest him with minimal fuss and I agree. As we well know that guy is dangerous..."
"So it would be in our best interest not to let him know what we want to do until the last possible moment." Nick finished his partner's sentence to which he got a nod.
"Good, our plan's that you distract and get him to spill the beans, if you can, while I search for further evidence inside the house. Then we go in for the kill and arrest him."
"Sounds good to me. Let's just hope Graymor shares our view in that department."
"Cannot imagine he does", Hank replied with a half grin, then sobered and concentrated fully on the task on hand. Nick did the same as they walked the last metres to the front door and rang the doorbell. After a few moments it swung open and a sinewy, shabby looking man of just above Nick's height came into sight.
"You again? What do you want? I already told that little Chinese guy all that I know. I would appreciate you if you got lost fairly quick. I'm just into cooking dinner."
Graymor's words were as crude as his appearance. He practically radiated hostility along with something that made Nick's Grimm sense practically scream in alarm.
Both Detectives were professionals, though, keeping their cool.
"We would like to ask you some further questions, anyway; just to clear up a few last details." Hank informed the other man, while subtly bringing his broad shouldered frame into full effect.
"Can't that wait 'til tomorrow? I really got better things to do than talk to you guys right now!"
"I am afraid it cannot. Except if you want to get into trouble for hindering an investigation of the PPD. Then, of course, you are welcome to slam that door in our faces."
Although of slighter build, Nick's steely glare did its own to intimidate their suspect. For a moment he looked as if he wanted to take Nick by his words but finally deflated somewhat and took a step back to let them in.
Their 'don't touch just intimidate' tactic worked well and while they followed the man inside Hank felt a small swell of pride (concealed from the other's eyes, of course) for his junior partner. Despite being in homicide for only 1 ½ years now Nick had come a long way from the young rooky detective he had met that first day when Captain Renard had assigned him as his new partner.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
"Hey, may I use your bathroom for a moment?" Grumpy guy looked like he would rather drown Hank in the toilet than let him use it but gave a jerky nod at last.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
"So, tell me again, how many people did you see running from the alley that night?" Nick asked casually while leaning his hip against the wooden kitchen counter top.
"I already told you! Two guys, both black clad and with their hoods up!"
Again that funny feeling; being new to Grimmhood Nick didn't always understand what his instincts were trying to tell him but if he guessed right Graymor was just this short of woging. He had seen him do that earlier. Their suspect was a scalengeck. Something Nick hadn't told his partner or his Captain, of course.
Anyway, the young Detective didn't need any supernatural sense to notice the guy's growing unease.
"Damn, what's taking that colleague of yours so damn long using the loo?!"
"Don't know, really." Nick shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly the very picture of serene calm, although he could feel tension mounting within him.
"How about we get back to my questions while we wait?" The Grimm did not let his focus slide from their suspect for a single moment. Graymor was heating water in a pot, apparently to cook some noodles, and while the water began to boil so seemed his temper.
"You must have quite the sight, better than anybody else's actually. I'm impressed. Because, you see, there were three other witnesses that night and none of them saw anyone running from that alley."
The moment Nick said that, he felt the change; that kind of purely negative energy he had come to associate with truly evil wesen woging!
In a single motion, in one angry slip he snarled at Nick and whirled around to face him. It all went to hell from there! Graymor saw the Grimm in Nick, bared his fangs in a fit of raw anger. Then the pot went flying. Nick was prepared. He jumped back but scalengecks were quite strong.
There was more force behind the wesen's angry swipe than he had anticipated and so the pot hit his chest nonetheless, as did what scalding hot water remained in the vessel. A pained gasp tore from his throat; he doubled over against his will when searing pain spread over his chest. It was all opening Graymor needed! He shoved the Grimm back forcefully, sending new bouts of pain through his body.
But the young detective was made of sterner stuff. Somehow he managed to push it all the back of his mind, pain, not being able to take a full breath; pushed it all away to take up chase after one bastardly scalengeck!
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
When Hank heard his partner's shout he immediately dropped the papers he'd been searching through. He rushed down the stairs, taking two at a time, only to find the front door open, a pot and a puddle on the floor and neither his partner nor their suspect anywhere to be seen.
"Nick?!"
He made his way outside looking left and right. No one was there and nearly no chance to find them in this tangle of alleys without help of uniforms.
"Damn it!" He pulled out his phone and speed dialled the Captain.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
Nick chased their suspect through three blocks. Their speed level was even matched which meant that Nick didn't lose him but couldn't close up the distance between them either. Frustration and adrenaline fuelled his strength, though, and he knew from looking through street maps with Wu earlier, that snakey guy had just ran into a dead end.
Well, nearly a dead end. There was a very high fence spanning between houses, anyway. The Grimm ran at full tilt now! Ignoring the fiery blaze that was his chest he rounded the corner. Graymor was nearly at the fence but Nick was closing in! He jumped, reaching an impressive high (Nick had to give him that), scrambled over the top and rushed on. Damn!
Nick wanted to climb up that fence as well. He needed to hurry for he had the inexplicable feeling that he was getting slower by the minute. The young Grimm leapt; threw up his arms to reach for the top of that fence...
And suddenly it was as if someone had turned on the pain button full force! It stole his breath, stole his sight for a moment, too. He crashed into a wall of wire mesh before hitting unforgiving ground.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
Renard was glad he was Police Captain or otherwise his overstepping the speed limit would have had dire consequences. After talking to Hank, they had mobilised multiple officers and detectives to close down the block, where they suspected Graymor and Nick. Normally Renard wouldn't have directly intervened in his detective's case but he knew Graymor from a long time ago. He knew that he was as dangerous and unscrupulous as they come.
He was about to stop and get an update from Hank, when he saw them! His young Detective was chasing Stephen Graymor at full speed, following him into a narrow alley.
Sean grabbed his mobile phone and dispatched a call:
"Sergeant Wu? Renard here. Suspect just entered Baley Road at 12th corner. Take Hank, close down the north end of that street and apprehend him! Nick is still giving chase and might be coming close after."
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
He needed to get up! Graymor would get away! He couldn't let that happen! He couldn't... couldn't take a single breath!
Despite everything Nick tried to get back on his feet, only to crash straight back down. His legs simply wouldn't hold him.
Pain, pain, pain!
His vision narrowed down to a small tunnel; sounds jumbled, all overridden by his own ragged breathing. What the hell had happened? One moment he had been running and now this! Someone was pressing a fiery blanket onto his chest, or so it felt. And with it came a suffocating tightness!
"Nick!"
He was vaguely aware of someone arriving at his side... a very tall someone, who was still a head taller than him although he was crouching down beside him. He couldn't concentrate on the presence, though, for his hands wanted to claw at his own chest, everything to stop the pain.
"Stop it, Nick!" His wrists were taken into a strong grip, pulled away from his body. Blood pounded in his ears along with a wild staccato heartbeat. He couldn't concentrate, and he could scarcely breathe!
Someone held him up, though; made sure he didn't keel over. And slowly, excruciatingly slowly he came back to his senses. Captain Renard was supporting most of his weight, talking to him in a deep, soothing voice.
"Breathe. Take deep breathes. That's good. Breathe through the pain."
When he was half way in control of himself again he gave a shaky nod to his Captain.
"Good, you're with me again." A rare half smile softened the man's normally impassive features.
"Suspect..., have to get... suspect!" Nick choked out the words. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Wanted to catch him... couldn't... why...?" The younger detective raised wide, shocked eyes to his Captain, finally allowing Sean to see the full extent of Nick's injuries.
He was in shock and heavily so. In fact he didn't seem to be aware of his injuries at all, or at least not in full. It was no wonder, really. When he had found him, cowering on the ground and fighting to take a full breath, it had taken him a moment to find out what the problem was. He had been ghostly pale, forehead and neck clammy with sweat, face adorned with bloody scrapes.
Then Renard had taken Nick by the shoulders to sit him up and had seen his chest. Hank had told him about the pot on the kitchen floor.
He was fairly sure now what had happened. Marring Nicks chest were angry red blisters and burns! The scalding was not extensive in its depth but still spread widely. Most likely first and second degree burns. It was not as bad as it could have been but still grave injuries. Honestly, it was a wonder Nick had been able follow Graymor with such speed... or at all.
"Cap...tain! Graymor!" Nick tried to get up again but Sean wouldn't have it.
"No." His detective didn't seem to hear him, struggling weakly against Renard's hands.
"Nooo, Nick."
He repeated, leaning down, speaking directly into Nick's ear. His large hands pressed firmly down on his Grimm's shoulders. That Nick didn't seem to be able to draw a full breath worried him deeply, but he suspected the reason for it. It was, most likely, a problem similar to a broken rib. Pain spiked every time one tried to take a deep breath and so a vicious circle started. Nick had to calm down and fast, if they wanted to break that circle.
"You did well, Nick. You chased him up to this point. The rest of the team will take over. And now you will lie down... that's it... you need to lie down now."
He kept up a soothing wash of words. His left hand slipped to Nick's neck while the other still pressed down. That way he slowly guided him to lie back.
Nick stared up at his Captain, who veered in and out of focus. His chest was heaving, burning! He blinked to clear his vision. Renard's on the phone now. He couldn't make out what the man was saying... his chest hurt... so damn much.
Sean kept constant taps on his Detective's vitals, gently pressing long fingers to his neck to take his pulse. Fast and slightly irregular it was. His fingers came away slick not with blood but perspiration. It was expected... it came with the shock. Even though tremors wracked his body, Nick was totally sweat soaked. He needed to be kept warm.
Renard shrugged out of his coat, covering at least the lower half of Nick's body to keep up his temperature.
"There. That's it. Deep breathes. An ambulance is on its way."
Nick was constantly on the verge of a fully fledged panic attack. Not being able to draw a full breath and being in pain could do that to you. He was vaguely aware of his Captain hovering above him... calming him. He tried to follow the Prince's lead.
The man's hand then touched his forehead... rested there... soothed jumbled emotions.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
The next thing he became aware of, were voices. There were hands, too: moving him, pressing something over his mouth and nose. Pure panic flared back full force!
Help! He needed to breathe! Why were they pressing something against his face?!
Medics were trying to restrain him but fear fired his Grimm strength back up, so they were having a hard time.
"Stop. Stop it, all of you!"
That had been Renard. He recognized the voice, recognized that calm authority, which brooked no arguments. The man himself moved into his range of vision as he still tried to paw off an item that wasn't there anymore. His flaying limbs were caught in strong hands, put down beside his body and before he could begin to fight again, warm hands placed themselves against his cheek and forehead, forced him to look directly in his Captain's eyes. Nick, fuzzy as his vision was, could only see Renard's face now, hear his voice.
"Calm down, Nick. They are not trying to harm you. This is to help you breathe. Don't fight it. No... don't fight it, Nick." Sean kept his hands firmly in place, waiting until the young Grimm had calmed down enough to let Sean himself press an oxygen mask to his face.
"Good."
A proud smile ghosted over his superior's face. His left arm was taken up by gloved hands now, before something cold and wet touched the skin there. He wanted to jerk his head to the side to see what happened but Renard stops him, demands his attention with only a few low spoken words:
"Nick, look at me."
There was something compelling about those words, about his tone of voice, and finally he was focussed on his Captain so completely that he barely felt the needle entering his arm, letting sedatives and strong pain killers flow into his system. Pain began to fade away, as forced calm washed over him. His vision slowly greyed but finally, finally Nick could suck in a deep breath!
Although his young Grimm slipped into a deep drugged sleep quickly after this, Sean remained with him.
... on the ride in the ambulance and in the hospital, watching over his Detective, making sure that he was safe and on his way back to health.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
Nick woke to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Hospital. His nose tipped him off on that one. He was lying in a bed, feeling heavy limbed and groggy. His chest was fully bandaged and an IV hooked to his arm to pump God knows what into his veins.
He wasn't in pain, though, so who was he to complain. At first his memories of that alley had been vague at best, but slowly they came back. He winced in slight embarrassment when the time in his Captain's care came back to him... he had really been out of it.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his musings.
"Yes?"
It was Hank. Equipped with a big grin and some thin books with what looked like Sudoku grids in them.
"Hey, man. Good to see you awake, finally. When the Captain called in, that he escorted you to hospital in an ambulance, that was quite a shock. Seeing you lying there unconscious and as bleak looking as Wu's dating list was a shock, too, by the way."
Nick chuckled ruefully at that, wincing when pain flared over his chest.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to let myself get splashed with scalding water. Somehow it just happened along the way."
"Don't blame you for it, partner." There was something soft underlying Hank's normally gruff bearing. Nick could see worry clearly edged into the other man's face. It warmed and embarrassed him in equal measures. Hank wasn't much better off, though, and so Nick changed the topic to spare them both another weird moment.
"Can you have a look at what kind of drugs they hooked me on? I feel groggy as hell." He rubbed a hand over his face to clear his head but if there was any effect, it was nearly nonexistent.
Hank took one glance at the plastic bag hanging from a stand by the bed and grinned broadly.
"It's the good stuff, believe me." Nick shot him a half hearted glare but couldn't for the life of him stifle a jaw cracking yawn.
"Go back to sleep, Nick. Renard said you fought to stay conscious with claws and teeth back in that alley. If you ask me, you deserve a bit of sleep. You can do your sudokus later. Oh, and by the way, we got Graymor not long after he climbed that fence. You chose a good spot to drive him to, perfect place for us to hide and get him, that other end of the alley."
"That's good to hear." Hank patted his shoulder in a surprisingly non awkward show of support and left shortly after his partner lost his fight with sleep and slipped back into deep slumber.
When he had finally closed the door behind him, Hank heaved a great sigh of relief. Hearing from his boss that his partner had collapsed in some alley and was transported into hospital was an experience he didn't care to repeat. In the time of their partnership he had come to like Nick a great deal and woe befall anyone who tried to harm the younger Detective!
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
The next time Nick fought his way back to consciousness was because deep in his mind his Grimm sense reared its head and warned him of another presence in the room. He opened his eyes, turned his head to a source of light on his left...
and found Sean Renard sitting in a visitor's chair, calmly watching him.
"Captain." His voice was rough from sleep. He attempted to sit up when Renard leant forward and stopped with a hand on his arm. What with his impressive height and all he didn't even need to rise from his chair to do so.
"Don't get up on my account." Remaining with his elbows resting on his thighs, leaning forward slightly and long fingers intertwining, Renard gave his Detective a critical once over. Nick knew there was practically nothing getting past his boss. The scrutiny made him a bit uncomfortable – as if Renard could find something inadequate while observing him – but he managed to hide his discomfort behind a calm facade.
"At least you look better than when I first found you. That's a relief." That amused half smile graced Renard's face again, falling into perfect accord with his dry tone, and it made Nick feel a bit better. He felt like he was on safe ground again.
"I'm not sure that this is a compliment. If what I heard from Hank is true, last time you saw me, Sir, I looked like a corpse in hiding and that..." He paused.
"Well, that leaves quite a bit room for improvement." Nick's own genuine if lopsided grin mirrored his bosses this time.
"I cannot deny that. But I'm glad you are up to self depreciating humour again. It means you are on the way back to health."
"Jup, definitely. In no time at all I'll be back to give you grey hairs."
Renard's brows drew together in a mock frown.
"You in league with Hank and Sgt. Wu, I might have to view that as a feasible threat."
Sean was secretly relieved to note that his Grimm looked much livelier now. His eyes had regained that determined gleam which meant he was ready to take on the world. It was a stark contrast to eyes, unfocussed and dulled by pain and shock. Inwardly Sean shuddered at the memory.
For a time silence reigned – this time, though, it was a comfortable one.
"Thank you, Captain." Sean realised only now that he had been lost in thought for a while and looked back up, locking eyes with his Detective. Nick for his part ploughed on before he lost his resolve:
"Honestly, Sir. What happened in that alley is still a bit hazy for me but what I know is..." He paused, searching for the right words.
"Well, what I know is that you were there... and kept me from going crazy...or hurting myself... or whatever else could have happened, had I been alone. Thank you." Nick pushed a hand through his tousled mop of hair in a rare show of nervous agitation. He looked away not sure he wanted to see Renard's reaction.
"Your gratitude is appreciated but unnecessary. To be honest, I'm just glad I could help."
For a second time that day someone touched his shoulder in a gesture of comfort; for the second time that day Nick found that he didn't mind.
"And now, Detective, go back to sleep. You have quite a bit of healing to do."
Ignoring the stern tone for once, the Grimm muttered:
"I could swear, you were channelling Hank right now... Creepy."
He could hear his boss chuckle with dark amusement as the man left him to catch up on sleep and could not help but give a quiet laugh of his own.
Ouch... Damn traitorous chest...
Oh well, maybe he could tune out his evil torso for a while. After all he could distract himself by thinking about a certain two colleagues that took it upon themselves to care for him.
Nick relaxed back into sleep with a small smile on his lips.
GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM
Wow, I cannot believe I really finished my first Grimm ff! Jumps up and whoops! Comments are appreciated greatly as is pointing out grammar mistakes and such as English isn't my mother language.