Firstly, THANKYOU to everyone who gave me feedback!!! I appreciate each and every one. You are all AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Secondly, my apologies for the cramped writing of the last two chapters. I used a new online spellchecker and it adjusted all my writing. SO I haven't bothered with this one.

Chapter Three

Grissom sat silently on the bench in the back of the ambulance and watched as Nick's breathing started to settle again after the second dose of adrenaline. He was still relying on his accessory muscles to draw in a breath, but the awful sound of him suffocating had diminished and a slight audible wheeze was all that remained.

The paramedic had started him on intravenous fluids to increase his blood pressure and added continuous salbutamol nebulizers through the oxygen mask as Nick threw one of his arms over his eyes and sat back, physically spent, against the stretcher.

The paramedic sat up towards the front of the ambulance keeping one careful eye on Nick while he started on the paperwork.

"How's that ventolin working for ya, Nick?" he asked.

Nick's head nodded slightly underneath his arm and Grissom noted the slight tremor that had taken over his body. Whether from the ventolin nebulizer or exhaustion or from the shock of the past half an hour, Grissom wasn't sure. Probably a combination of all three, he thought.

"You able to talk yet?" the paramedic asked.

Again, wordlessly, Nick just shook his head slightly from side to side.

"OK," he continued before looking over at Grissom. "Sir, can you help me out with Nick's past medical history? Is that alright with you, Nick?"

Nick was feeling too miserable to care so settled for a slight shrug and nod, still not removing the arm from across his eyes.

Grissom glanced between Nick and the paramedic.

"Uhh......OK." he replied, "but I'm not sure I'll be much help."

"As much as you can do, sir, will be fine." The paramedic replied. "Date of birth."

Grissom thought for a second. He knew the date but was not sure of the year.

"February 18, 19.....7...0?" Grissom guessed.

Nick held up a shaky single finger.

" '71." Grissom corrected.

"OK," said the paramedic, "Does Nick have any other allergies that you know of? Any medications or tapes or anything."

Grissom looked over at Nick for some guidance, but got nothing. He was pretty sure Nick didn't have any allergies to tapes, at least.

"Uhh...none that I know of." Grissom offered.

The paramedic nodded and continued.

"Any past medical history?"

Grissom looked over at Nick a second time. He felt uncomfortable discussing this in front on him.

"He, uh, had significant exposure to fireants 6 months ago," Grissom started. "He developed anaphylaxis post exposure but was already hospitalised and treatment was immediate."

The paramedic glanced over at Nick in sudden recognition before glancing at Grissom and back to his paperwork. It was clear he had heard about his abduction. There would be very few people in Las Vegas who had experienced 'significant exposure to fireants' in recent memory – in fact, Grissom suspected, there would only be one.

"OK.' The paramedic wrote ferociously for a second then looked over at Nick, "Anything else I should know Nick?"

The arm finally came away from his eyes and he swallowed hard before pointing to his lower right abdomen.

" 'pendix out." he mumbled in a hoarse voice. "Ten years 'go. Tha's it."

"Good job." The paramedic said, "Let's see if your blood pressure's come up with those fluids."

A blood pressure cuff was wound around his non-IV arm and inflated. Frowning, the paramedic looked at the figures on the automated BP screen and readjusted the rate of the fluid running into Nick's arm.

Pulling the stethoscope from around his neck, he encouraged Nick forward and listened to his chest.

"Chest sounds a lot better, Nick," he said. "Still got a clear audible wheeze, but at least you've got some decent air movement happening now."

Grissom offered a thin smile.

"You're looking a lot better now." he said. "How are you feeling?"

Nick brought a tired hand up, pulled off his oxygen mask and scrubbed at his face.

"Like I nearly died." He murmured.

Grissom raised his eyebrows in surprise. He couldn't argue with that.

"Chest is achin'."

"Better keep that oxygen on, Nick." the paramedic said, replacing the mask, "Your chest will probably feel like an elephant sat on ya for a while. You've been working out muscles you don't tend to use too much and the combination of epinephrine and adrenaline will get your heart working overtime. We'll be at Desert Palms in a few minutes. Relax back and enjoy the ride."

Nick gave a humourless snort under the mask.

Yeah.

Relax and enjoy the ride.