AN: Thank you for the reviews, here is the next chapter.


Chapter 4: Try not to jump to conclusions

By the time one of the nurses came into the waiting area to take them to Warrick's room, Catherine had walked back into the hospital.

She gave them a smile and asked. "Family of Warrick Brown?"

Catherine nodded before clearing her throat. "Yes, I'm his wife."

The short, slim build, short red-haired nurse with green eyes, nodded. "Alright follow me."

Grissom and Catherine nodded before following the nurse to the elevator, and after it stopped on the correct floor and opened, they walked out and headed toward the room.

Once they got there, Catherine spoke again. "Thank you." She gave them a smile before walking away.

When they were alone in front of the door, Grissom places his hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"

Catherine took a breath while nodding. "Yeah, just the thought of him lying in there, even though I know he's going to be ok, is a little scary."

Grissom nodded while squeezing her shoulder. "I know, that's one of the reason's why I wanted to stay with you."

She looked at her longest friend, very touched. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Then he smiled. "Now let's go in there, so you can see your man."

Catherine smiled with another nod, and after one more breath, she opened the door before the two of them walked in the room.

They walked in just enough for the door to close behind them while they looked toward the hospital bed, seeing him hooked up to a couple of machines, one of them showing his strong, steady heartbeat, which relieved them greatly.

Grissom squeezed Catherine's shoulder again for support before she started walking toward the side of the bed after grabbing one the chairs that were in the room, and once she placed it close to his bedside, she sat down and took his hand. Then she brought it up to her lips and kissed it before looking toward his face. "Hi babe, you get better because we have a vacation to go to, you promised and I'm still holding you to it."

After kissing his hand again, she slipped her fingers though it and just watched him while Grissom walked toward the end of the bed, not wanting to move from this room until Warrick opened his eyes.


A couple hours later

The only time Grissom moved from the end of the bed was when he took the other chair and placed it on the other side and sat down, and that's where he was sitting when Catherine gasped. He looked at her wide-eyes as she squeezed Warrick's hand. "Warrick, babe, I'm here, please squeeze my hand again."

After he squeezed it again, she looked over at Grissom, and he nodded while getting up before speed walking toward the door so he could get a nurse, leaving Catherine in the room with Warrick.

She kissed his hand again while she stood up, then walked to the head of the bed before she cupped his cheek, coaxing him to wake up.

Just as he was opening his beautiful green eyes, the door opened and a female doctor, who wasn't Shelly but was in the operating room with her, so she knew what was going on, came in the room and walked up to the bed.

Catherine smiled as Warrick looked at her, but before she could speak, the doctor spoke to get his attention. "Nice too see you awake, you gave us a little scare today." He looked over at the average height, slim build, blond-haired, brown-eyed doctor while she continued. "Your wife and boss hadn't left your side all morning."

Warrick cleared his throat before speaking, but his voice was still a little scratchy. "My guardian angels."

She chuckled with a nod. "I don't doubt that."

As Catherine and Grissom smiled, the doctor continued to ask him routine questions while looking at the machines and him, then when she was done, she finished. "Things are looking good, and you are healing nicely."

They nodded while Catherine asked. "How long does he have to stay here?"

"Well if everything continues to check out, we are hoping in a few days, but he would have to take it easy."

Catherine smiled with a nod. "I'll make sure he does that."

"I don't doubt that either."

They all chuckled, then after the doctor told them she or Shelly will see him later, she walked out of the room, leaving the three of them in the room.

As the door clicked shut, Grissom watched Catherine kiss Warrick's forehead, and he became a little uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm going to give you guys a few minutes alone." They looked at him, but before they could speak, he continued. "But before I do, I have to say thank you for what you did Warrick."

Warrick shook his head before replying. "I wouldn't have done anything differently, but you're welcome." Grissom nodded with a smile before he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the couple alone.

While the door was clicking shut, Warrick turned his attention to his wife, and she had tears going down her cheek, so he cupped her cheek. "Don't cry babe, I'm ok."

She sniffled while nodding. "I know, but I couldn't get all these scenarios out of my head, and if you would have..." She gets cut off when he had pulled her head down so he could kiss her on the lips.

When they pulled back he puts his forehead against hers. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

After one more sniffle, she pulls back so she could look into his beautiful green eyes. "You better not. I love you so much."

He gives her one of his smiled before replying. "And I love you."

As she smiled, Grissom was standing in the hall, looking through the window at them with a smile too, happy this situation didn't turn into a long suffering nightmare for everybody involved.


After Nick pulled his vehicle into the hospital parking lot and stopped in an empty spot, he opens the door before grabbing the coffee tray from the passenger seat, which had two medium sized Styrofoam coffee cups in it, then he got out, shuts and locked the door before walking toward the building.

Once he was in, he headed for the elevator, and after he pressed the button, he looked to the left, where a hall was and saw Shelly step out from the room she was just in, then he watched her turn her back against the wall before she leaned her back while closing her eyes, indicating she was sad or upset about something.

He frowned at what he was looking at, and was about to walk up to her to see what was going on, but didn't make a move when a second later he saw a male doctor that was about their age, 6'0, athletic, very attractive with dark hair that was gelled in the style of small spikes, walk out of the same room Shelly was just in. He stopped in front of her before placing his hand on her shoulder while talking to her closely, then he brought her in his arms for a hug, which seemed a little longer than Nick would consider necessary, and once they pulled back from their hug, they started walking in the other direction while he had a hand on the small of her back.

Nick felt numb, he couldn't move, and he wasn't sure what to think. The only thing that he knew was that he shouldn't jump to conclusions without getting all the facts, because there could have been multiple reasons for what he just saw. But even with all his silent rationalizations going on in his head, he couldn't help but feel discomfort in the pit of his stomach.

He mentally shook his head and took a breath as he walked into the elevator before it closed and hit the button to go up.

Once it stopped on the correct floor, he got out and headed for Warrick's room, knocking on the door after he stopped in front of it, then he opened it a few seconds later when he heard Catherine's voice, telling him to come in.

He put a smile on his face while speaking toward Warrick. "Hey man, how are you feeling?"

Warrick smiled back. "I'm doing good."

Nick nodded while he watched Catherine squeeze Warrick's hand in support, and with the strong uneasy feeling still running through him, he didn't feel comfortable watching the loving display, which any other day it wouldn't have bothered him, so he cleared his throat as he handed the coffee tray toward Grissom, who was standing at the end of the bed again. "Here you go, just like I promised."

Grissom grabs the tray with a nod. "Thanks Nicky."

Nick nodded again before looking at Warrick. "I'll come by again and see you later."

Before anybody could say anything else, he turned and walked out of the room, making the three of them wonder what was going on with him.

When he stepped out in the hall with the door closing behind him, he took another breath before looking both ways, wondering which way he should go so he could start on finding his wife, because he really needed to talk to her.

After he decided to turn to the right, he recognized a nurse that was walking past the hall he was in, it was one of Shelly's hospital friends, so he said her name as he walked to the end of the hall. "Tracy."

The medium build, long brown-haired, brown-eyed woman stopped and stepped back around the corner so she could see who was calling her name from the hall she had passed, then she smiled when she recognized him. "Hi Nick."

She had only met him a few times since she hasn't been here long, so she didn't know him that well, but what she did know was that he was crazy about his wife and kids, he absolutely adored them.

Nick stopped in front of her and asked. "Hi, do you know where Shelly is?"

"I just saw her in the break room not that long ago, do you want me to contact her?"

Nick shook his head. "No that's ok."

She nodded as he turned to the left, but before he started walking away, she speaks. "I heard about your friend, and I'm glad he's doing ok."

Nick turned in her direction and nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

She nodded with another smile before they walked in opposite directions.


Once he got to the room he was looking for, he looked through the small window on the door and saw Shelly sitting at the break room table all by herself, so he took a breath and opened it, which it was meant for hospital staff only, but at this moment he didn't care. "Shelly we need to talk."

Shelly looked up from her coffee mug in surprise when she heard the sound of her husband's voice. "Nick! what are you..."

Nick cuts her off while walking further in the room, letting the door close behind him. "Like I said, we need to talk and it can't wait anymore."

Shelly was about to speak again, but Nick continued before she could. "I get it, ok. What we went through four months ago was the most devastating, heartbreaking thing we've ever been through together as a couple, and when you had asked for some space, I gave it to you no questions asked. Then last month you told me you were feeling better, but every time we try to get close, you pull away from me again, so what's going on? Is there somebody else? Do you want out?" He stopped so he could do a sigh. "Just please be honest with me, because I can't live like this anymore. We need to move forward." Then he took a breath before finishing, letting her know how he feels. "But just so you know, I rather move forward with you than without."

Shelly looked into his sad eyes while hers were tearing up too, then she stood up and looked down at the floor for a few seconds before looking at him again as her tears were now going down her cheeks.


AN: What will she say? Are they over? Will they get through this together? Find out her answer and many more next chapter. Grissom will also make a decision about something, will Sara be behind him? Please review.