He knew where he was before he even opened his eyes. He had felt this way only once before, but it was a feeling he would never forget. It was unlike anything else. The tightness in his chest, the stiffness of his back and neck, the stale air around him, the heat of his own breath somehow on his face. He didn't want to open his eyes and confirm his fears, but he felt like he had no other choice. He told himself that it was just a dream. He had had dreams about this countless times before. But none of them had felt as real as this except for that one time, when it had been the real thing. The dreams didn't compare to the real thing, and right now was starting to feel like the real thing all over again.
Nick reluctantly opened his eyes, his heart sinking as he did so. He was immediately met with the sickening green glow from the glow sticks that was all surrounding him. It reflected off the plexiglass above him, where he could see himself staring back into his own dark eyes. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was now aware of his hands shaking against the plexiglass beneath his fingertips. Nick closed his eyes tight and took slow, deep breaths before he opened his eyes again, only to see the same exact thing he had moments ago.
"This isn't happening," Nick said out loud.
"I'm afraid it is," came Lanser's voice from somewhere to Nick's right. Nick didn't reply, so Lanser continued. "What scares you more, Nick? This, or losing Greg?"
Nick clenched his shaking hands. "Losing Greg," he answered honestly.
"I thought you'd say that," Lanser said. "If you'd extend your right arm, I think you'll find something you might want."
Nick had a feeling he knew what it was, but out of pure fear he did what he was told. He stretched out his right arm until his fingertips found the cold metal of the handel of the nine millimeter beretta at his side. He wrapped his hand around it and brought it up against the side of his torso before dropping it and putting his arm across his chest in an attempt to slow his breathing.
"Feel better now that you know you have a way out?"
Nick shook his head, even though he wasn't sure if Lanser could see him or just hear him. "I didn't use it before, and I'm not going to now."
"But you almost did," Lanser said.
"How do you know that?"
"Never you mind," Lanser said. "All you need to worry about right now is what matters most to you. Do you love Greg as much as you say you do? Because here's where you're going to have to prove it."
"Leave Greg alone," Nick warned. "I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt him."
"Whether or not he gets hurt is entirely up to you," Lanser said, but it didn't soothe Nick's worries. "I have a little game for you."
"What is with you and these fucking games?" Nick demanded.
"Easy," Lanser said. "You don't want to lose him just yet, do you?"
"No," Nick said through gritted teeth.
"Good. Now listen carefully. I have Greg here tied to a chair and a beretta of my own in my hand. I forced a bottle of Xanax down his throat. If he falls asleep, he's never going to wake up. However, if he stays awake for about twenty-six hours, his system will make him throw up and he'll be fine. As long as he's awake, he'll be fine."
"Prove to me he's still alive," Nick said, his voice shaking at the thought.
"I am Nicky," Greg said softly. "And he's telling the truth."
"I'm also telling the truth when I tell you that this is no easy death," Lanser said. "He's suffering stomach pains beyond any comprehension right now. It probably feels like he was stabbed in the stomach or beaten silly, much like the time he was attacked by that mob of kids."
Greg sniffled then said, "He's right Nick. It really hurts."
Nick held back his tears. Greg sounded dillusional and unaware of the extremity of the situation. But at the same time, Nick knew Greg understood what was going on. He knew the other man could comprehend it, but he was trying to let the drugs try and trick him into thinking he was just feeling sick.
"So what's the game?" Nick asked, even though he didn't want to know.
"The longer you stay down there, the longer I keep him awake," Lanser said. "You stay down there for twenty-six hours, Greg lives. You stay down there for twenty-five, I let him fall asleep and he never wakes up."
"Why the guns?" Nick felt compelled to ask.
"It's your way out," Lanser answered. "For the both of you. Don't try and pretend this is going to be easy for you Nick. We all know it's not. And knowing that you have to last twice as long as before isn't making it any better. You know you have oxygen though, which might help a little. But the demons from before will be back, that's for certain. So if at any time you want to just give up and end your suffering and Greg's too, just pull the trigger and so will I."
The lump in Nick's throat was making it harder and harder for him to breathe. "Can he see me?" he asked quietly.
"We both can," Lanser said. "Just like last time, except you know you have a definite way out. You won't, however, know how much time you have left to stay down there. I'm not going to tell you how long you've been down there already either. You can stop it now before the suffering even starts. So what's it gonna be?"
Nick closed his eyes, expelling the welled up tears down his cheeks and across his neck. "A long night."
At around hour six, (that was Nick's guess, anyway) Lanser gave up. He had expected Nick to quit way before this. He had been wrong, and couldn't take it anymore. He decided to change the rules of his own game right in the middle of it.
"It's all on you now," Lanser spat. "I'm leaving, but to the next room. I'll let you out when the time's up. But you have to keep him awake, from down there. If you love him you can do it."
"That wasn't the deal," Nick panicked. "That's not fair."
"Life isn't fair," Lanser said with a sarcastic laugh. "Play with the hand you were dealt. Keep him awake, or kill yourself. I'll come in and shoot him if I hear a gunshot. If he dies before he gets sick, I'll let you out to see what you did."
Nick heard a door slam from above him over the beating of his heart in his ears. He couldn't believe that Lanser had just up and left Greg to die, but then again he should know better than to trust someone like Lanser.
"Greg?" Nick said, a little louder than he had intended.
"I'm still awake Nicky," Greg replied with a smile on his face that he knew Nick couldn't see, but he could see the panic in Nick's eyes.
"You need to stay awake for me G," Nick said, trying not to sound desperate.
"I will," Greg said, but he could feel his heart and body getting heavier with each passing minute. "I won't give up if you don't."
Nick shook his head. "I won't."
Greg's smile widened. "Good. Because I'm gonna need someone to talk to for the next however many hours."
Nick laughed lightly. "You would talk to yourself if you had to."
Greg rolled his eyes. "I did that once, and you're going to hold it against me for the rest of my life."
"You would do the same to me," Nick said.
"True," Greg admitted. "But I would rather talk to you than myself. I would rather talk to you than anyone else actually."
"That's because you don't understand how crazy I am," Nick said. "I still say you're out of your mind for being with me."
"And I still say you don't realize what an amazing person you are. I think that's why we used to fight so much," Greg said thoughtfully.
"We used to fight so much because you love to be a pain in the ass and know just how to piss me off, and then I'm a jerk. We would fight, have make-up sex, then you'd go right to doing the next pain in the ass thing to make me yell at you."
Greg laughed slightly. "I would piss you off sometimes just for the make-up sex."
Nick smiled. "I know you would, that's why I always went along with it."
"Ya know, for someone who claims to have never had sex with another guy before, you sure as hell knew what you were doing," Greg said.
Nick shook his head. "I'm good at improvising I guess. I don't like to think about why you're so good at it."
"I didn't sleep around Nick," Greg said, but not in a serious tone. "I didn't date them or anything, but I didn't just have sex for fun."
"Yes you did," Nick said.
Greg sighed. "I forgot I told you that," he said. "But I wasn't like an out of control partier. Besides, you were like that in college. You were that frat boy that anyone was willing to fall into bed with."
"I never said I wasn't," Nick agreed. "Anyway, I'm glad the last person I'm ever going to fall into bed with is you."
Greg smiled. "Me too. I just wish we were home, in bed right now." He shivered slightly, not sure if it was the pills making him cold or if the air had been chilled. "I'm freezing and really tired Nicky."
Nick could hear the sleep lacing Greg's soft voice. "You gotta stay awake for me sweetie. I promise you this will all be over soon and we can go home and sleep for days, okay?"
"Promise to keep me warm," Greg said more than asked.
"I promise," Nick answered anyway. "Remember that time you fell into Lake Mead in the winter and almost got hypothermia?"
"Yeah. I went into minor shock and tried to get you to take off all your clothes and cuddle with me."
"Grissom and Warrick were thrilled with that," Nick said. "Grissom felt awkward for a week."
"He was just jealous he doesn't get to cuddle up with you," Greg said. "I wish I was right now."
"Me too," Nick said.
A few tears fell from Greg's eyes. "If I'm gonna die, I want to be with you. I want to die in your arms, not in a stupid chair."
"You're not gonna die," Nick said reassuringly. "I'm gonna stay up with you for however long we have to and you'll be okay, okay? You can give up when I give up."
Greg smiled. "You never give up."
"Exactly. Just keep talking to me, and before you know it, it'll be over and we can go home and sleep for as long as you want. Just stay awake for me, okay?"
Greg nodded even though Nick couldn't see him. "Okay. And Nicky?"
"What?"
"I love you ya know," Greg said softly.
Nick smiled, knowing Greg could see it. "I love you too Greg."
Sorry it took so long to update. School's over now and my life is less hectic so I'll be updating more frequently. Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoy.