A/N- Well, I decided that it was about time to add yet another chapter... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writting it. Please tell me what you think. If you want to see something I'm doing improve... Please tell me and I will try my best to correct the problem. R&R (I don't bite... well unless you leave me a flammer which I classify as an attack upon me. If you are leaving objective stuff, I will take that and file it away to imrpove my writing. It is hard to improve when no one tells me what I can improve.) Mys

Chapter Seven: Draught of Living Inferno
(May 24, 1997 Las Vegas, Nevada)

Nick barely sat up when Catherine Willows came barging into the room shouting, "In here guys!"

A fleet of paramedics came rushing in and pressed Nick back down.

"Catherine… what are you doing?" asked Nick trying to pull himself up, only to be pushed back down by a paramedic who was now checking his vitals. "Ge'off me," Nick shouted and sat up at last. Greg stood there looking worried, Catherine too looked worried, but for a completely different reason from Greg.

"Nick, you need to be checked out," Catherine protested.

"Why? I'm fine," he stood up to prove it. His head swirled around proving upright was definitely a bad idea. If it hadn't been for Greg, he would've fallen.

"You're not fine. I found you unconscious on the floor. You can't even stand on your own. Please, let them check you out. I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, really," he said, his head still swirling making him feel a little bit woozy.

"Maybe you should do as she says," suggested Greg pecking his cheek lovingly.

"You know there's nothing wrong with me," Nick whispered to Greg angrily.

"I know, baby, I know," Greg emphasized every syllable with a kiss. "Just do this, so she doesn't suspect. "

A shiver ran down Nick's spine as Greg called him baby. He didn't know why, but he enjoyed being Greg's lover and wanted more time to spend with Greg. The paramedics placed the stethoscope over his chest and listened for his heart beat. It was normal. They asked him to take a few deep breaths and he did. They placed the light in his eyes and asked him to see their fingers.

"Hmmm," one said and closed his kit. "I would like to take you to the hospital where we could run some tests."

"What?" Nick shouted and stood up from his sitting position. "That's absurd."

"You were passed out Nick, there's got to be a reason for it. I mean, people just don't pass out for unknown reasons." Catherine tried to reason with him. There was a reason why Nick was passed out. He just wasn't in a hurry to say it.

Of course, Catherine really doesn't need to know why Nick was passed out at all. He looked over to Greg, his eyes pleading with him to do something. Greg just gave him a sympathetic look and sat there watching as the paramedics rolled in a gurney and moved to place him on it.

"I can walk you know," said Nick agitated. He pulled himself up to a standing position. His head was still a bit woozy, but he wasn't about the fall over this time. Sure of his abilities he walked the men two the door and shut them out.

"Nick, you need to be checked out. People just don't fall down unconscious for no reason." Catherine tried to rationalize with him.

"I know Catherine. I know the reason."

"Oh?" She stood there with her hands upon her hips giving Nick a death glare.

"I can't tell you, so stop trying to weasel it out of me." It wasn't a threat, but a warning. Nick looked to Greg for strength and approval, and received it. "I passed out, because it had to be done. I had to investigate something. What it is I am not able to tell you. Nothing you say can make me tell you. It was at the request of a friend."

"Oh, so that's why Jacqui has been running fingerprints in her hidden cupboard, I suppose."

"How do you know about that?" snapped Nick.

"It's my job to know stuff, Nick. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," he stated firmly.

"Right," she walked to the door. "I am going to inform Grissom you are ill and should not be permitted to work until you get a complete medical check up."

"Catherine," Nick moved to protest.

"No, Nick. People just don't drop unconscious. Get checked out." She walked through the door without another word.

Nick sighed and finally agreed to let the paramedics take him to the hospital he climbed in with Greg by his side and allowed him to undergo a complete check up.

Greg sat with him the entire time. They were keen on poking needles into him. A cute nurse came in several times with the tourniquet to draw blood not once, but three times for various tests. This left Nick light headed so they poked him one more time with an IV pack filled with saline. If that wasn't enough, they poked him one more time to alleviate his headache.

Several doctors came in and examined some part of him. One even requested that he have a prostate examination. He tried to reason with him that he passed out not from excreting all of his fluids, but he made a very convincing argument so he yielded to the examination. They turned him to his side and untied the back of his gown.

He gave a death-glare as they prepped him and Greg squeezed his hand. Between clinched teeth he stated, "Catherine better be pleased with this thorough examination."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled," Greg assured and kissed him passionately on the lips.

Greg wasn't at all modest about their relationship. He never tried to hide it, though sometimes Nick wished he did. What was he kidding? He appreciated Greg being there for him holding his hand as he went through this humiliating examination. Looking into those beautiful orbs, Nick found going through the examination easier.

"Thank you for being here," he whispered.

"I wouldn't imagine being anywhere else." Greg emphasized with a kiss to Nick's nose. "Besides, when you've stopped hurting I'd like to examine your prostate for myself." He wiggled his eyebrows and kissed his nose once more. "I love you, you know. With all my heart."

"I love you to," Nick replied honestly.

He watched as the latest doctor walked out of his room and turned back towards Greg. "I swear if they send any more people in here to stick things in me, I'm leaving right now."

"No you won't," Greg scooted closer to Nick, brushing his fingers over his lover's chest.

"I know, but I want to," Nick spoke softly. "I hate doctors."

"Hey!"

"Well, maybe not ALL doctors. I am fond of one."

"Oh?" Greg sounded a bit more pleased. "Go on."

"Well, he's kind of stolen my heart away with his beautiful eyes." Nick spoke honestly. He couldn't be anything but honest. Greg was one of a kind man who he wasn't eager to lose. He's only known him for such a short time, yet he felt like he knew him better than any other person alive. Greg was a treasure that he found in the dark. A person he wanted to get to know and introduce to his mother and his father.

The thought of introducing Greg to Cisco was a frightening thought to Nick. His father was raised under the believe that homosexuality of any kind was a disease that had to be cured by being squashed out of a person. Nick had never let Cisco see that side of him. He kept it well hidden and was able to for a long while. Not because he didn't date men, because he often did as much as he dated women. It was that he never found one worth risking his relationship with Cisco before now.

His mother would love him no matter what and didn't worry about her as much as he worried about him. The nervousness inside him melted when he caught sight of Greg. He was worth losing his relationship with his parents. In past relationships with guys, the fear of ruining his relationship with his parents prevented him from taking the next step. With Greg, he felt such strong emotions he would risk his relationship with his old man.

Greg sat there, gently rubbing his chest, his arms and giving the man he loves support. In a few short days he will be unable to provide any, so he feels it is best to give it whenever he can as often as he could. There wouldn't be a time when he would deny him physical pleasure, his love, or his adoration. When they got back home, Greg promised that he'd make tender love with Nick.

A doctor walked in with a serious face carrying a notebook in his hand.

"Well, what else do you feel like doing to me?" Nick bickered. The doctor hummed and went to check his vitals off the monitor again.

"I see you might be a little bit agitated," the doctor commented on his raised blood pressure and quickened pulse.

"Oh? What gave you that idea?" Nick glared angrily at the man. "Figure out why I passed out?"

"Actually, we're trying to figure out why it is that you are conscious," replied the doctor looking at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" asked Nick.

"Well, your blood sugar levels are extremely low. You are also low in salt, water, and iron, so by conventional knowledge you should be passed out, near death in fact. It is no wonder you have a headache." He continued to look at his vitals.

"So, you give me what I need and you discharge me, right?" barked Nick.

"Well, that's the general plan," replied the doctor. "However, we want you to stay around a while just in case there are complications to what we're about to do."

"What would that be?"

"We simply plan to give you the cocktail your body requires and wait to see what happens. If everything is fine, we will let you go and continue on with your life."

"What could go wrong?"

"I am not certain. I've never seen a conscious man have such low blood sugar, iron, water, or salt and still be awake before. You have a very unique case Mr. Stokes. I will send the nurse in to give you another bag of saline in a few moments."

Nick looked over desperately to Greg who shrugged not knowing what was normal for a person who crossed into the Ghostly Plain. He wished he had his basin with him so he could ask Death about returning back to his body. There were already so many things that they simply didn't know. Then again, this could be simply the normal thing when a soul leaves its still-living body.

Moments later, a nurse walked in carrying another IV bag filled with saline and connected it to the line. "I will be back with the insulin," she said kindly and walked out of the door.

The cute little nurse came back as promised with a needle in her hand.

"Do ya got to?" griped Nick who was tired of being stuck by needles.

"I'm afraid if you want to be back to your normal self we'll have much of a choice," she stuck him with the needle making Nick feel even more like a pincushion. He winced at the intrusion of yet another puncture wound to his body. However, the results from the insulin were nearly instant. He felt as though he could take on the world single handed.

However, he was still bedridden by the doctor's order. Greg continued to sit there by his side, holding his hand. Having Greg by his side calmed him and soothed him. He whispered sweet promises in his ear for seduction and sex later.

Nick was amazed about how well Greg was at the dirty talk. He knew exactly what to say and precisely which buttons to push to make his insides cringe with want and desire. The way Greg's deep brown eyes gazed lovingly into Nick's stealing the air from Nick's lungs. Words of passion, love, desire, longing were spoken through their eyes, making each groan in anticipation of what was to come. Though, it probably wouldn't happen the way Greg wanted it until at least tomorrow.

Their lips interlock as they passionately kiss. Nick's arms wrap around Greg's slender form and pulled him closer holding his lover tight. He needed the physical closeness. He needed Greg to be there for him. Tongues explore nearly down the other's throat.

"Hm-mmmm" someone cleared their throat loudly. Greg pulled away from Nick, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and lust-full desire. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…" his eyes traveled down Greg's still-outstretched hand which happened to rest upon Nick's nether regions. "…I see," he tore his eyes away from the intimate gesture. "That does explain your presence I suppose, yes…" he spoke mainly to himself than to either of the men in the room. "Well, Mr. Stokes. We are going to hold you overnight for observation. If your vitals continue to look as well as they are now, you will be free to leave with a clean bill of health."

Nick wanted to argue with the man, but held his tongue when Greg's finger pressed firmly over his lips. All he wanted to do was to go home and take Greg to bed as promised hours earlier.

"I will go get you some clothes from your place," Greg stood from the chair he sat in most of the day. He braced his hands against his back as he straightened up and took Nick's house keys. "It's the condos near the lab, correct?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Nick asked taking his head within his hands.

"I looked it up," Greg answered and walked out of the door.

Again, his head began to throb with a near-mind-splitting headache. It had dissipated after a while, but it was now coming back with a vengeance.

"That same headache again?" asked the doctor making a note on his clipboard.

Nick nodded still clutching his head in pain.

"I will tell the nurse to give you some more pain killers. I want to know if this headache persists. I will see you in the morning. Do try to contain your impulses. I understand he's a very beautiful man, but this is a hospital. Someone will be in early in the morning to draw some blood. Just to make sure you're blood is back to normal. I'll see you in the morning." He turned and walked out.

Just as promised a nurse came in with a needle in hand and to Nick's relief injected it into his IV line still dripping saline into his veins.

"There you go, Mr. Stokes." She blushed.

"Please, call me Nick," the nurse stopped and smiled.

It was clear to Nick that she was single and looking. Not only that, but she found him physically desirable. A week ago, he might have considered hooking up and giving it a shot. Now, it was the last thing from his mind, but he enjoyed playing the game.

"Please stay? I hate being alone in hospitals." Nick spoke softly and tenderly. He knew it was wrong to speak so sweetly to a girl so interested in him, but he rather she stay than leave him to himself. She took a seat in Greg's vacated spot promising only to stay for a few minutes. She smiled sweetly and placed her hand over the railing.

"It says on your charts that you were found unconscious for no given reason?" she asked rather interested in the story. "I was hoping maybe, you'd tell me what the real reason was. I mean obviously, you're not sick."

Nick looked at her with vocation in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that."

"Surely, it would benefit you in the grand scheme of things if we knew what caused this condition."

"I'm aware of that, but believe me. If it needed stating I would have stated it. Since the condition was not one that I believe requires stating, it is within my ability not to. In fact, I believe it best in the grand scheme of things if I did not state the reason." Nick put it as bluntly as he could. The Nurse stood from the seat with a huff and strutted away flinging her hair over her shoulder as she walked through the door.

The next person to walk through his door was none other than Catherine Willows.

"Hey there," she whispered and took a seat next to him. "Greg called me and told me they admitted you. I'm glad you decided to get looked at."

Nick glared upon her, mostly because it was her that he was admitted to this horrible place.

"Yeah, don't mention it," he nearly rolled his eyes in sarcasm. "They said nothing was wrong with me except low levels of sugar, salt, iron, and water," added Nick who purposely tried to convince her that she worried for nothing. "Did you find anything with the diary or was it a complete bust?"

"Bust," she sighed.

"I'm telling you, that thing was meant to be read by exactly one person." Nick stated matter-of-factly.

"You might be right, but who?"

"Not sure," Nick reached up for his head. The headache wasn't going away. The drugs were starting to make him loopy and incapable of coherent thought. "Look, my drugs are starting to kick in. I've got a mind-splitting headache…" he breathed heavily.

"I understand. I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'd be fine as soon as this headache goes away… UGH!" he cried out in agony.

"Do you need me to get someone?"

"Not sure," he moaned in pain. "It's getting worse," Nick muttered his hands firmly attached to his head. "ARGH!"

Catherine refused to leave her co-worker in this state and pounded the call button for the nurse's station.

"May I help you Nick?" A sweet voice asked.

"Yes, we need a doctor in here, now." Catherine stated firmly. She took hold of Nick's sweaty hand and held it tight. His breathing began to quicken and became more forced. She feared for her co-worker and study.

A pair of doctors rushed into the room. It was as though they were standing ready for something like this. Greg quickly followed hurried to see what the commotion was about. Catherine stood there with her hands over her mouth and Nick in a horrible state. He looked worse than he did all day.

"Bethany," the doctor shouted at the young nurse. She came in slowly her face appeared emotionless. Greg stood there horrified at his boyfriend his lover crying out in agonizing pain clutching his head with all his strength.

"You called," she said with the same emotionless voice.

"Yes," the doctor answered promptly. "What did you give this young man?"

She stood quiet, unmoving and unblinking. "What you told me to," she answered after sometime.

Greg wasn't an expert on lies, but he could definitely tell that she had lied to him.

"That's bullshit and you know it," the doctor stated firmly. "Maryanne," he called out loudly. Catherine gave Bethany a critical glare. She too caught the feeble lie Bethany stated so freely.

"You need something Dr. Bright?" She asked pointedly.

"Yes, I need you to get me some Benadryl this man is having a severe allergic reaction." Maryanne rushed away and came back instantly with the Benadryl in hand. Catherine suspected it wasn't an allergic reaction though. She suspected it was sabotage. Now, all she had to do was prove it.

She glared at the young nurse for a bit, who now seemed fearful of the people who surrounded her.

Greg shot to the chair and clasped onto Nick's hand. He was in so much pain and agony that Greg did not know what to do for him. He held his hand tightly and spoke love-filled words to his lover every now and then looking back over his shoulder angrily at Bethany who still stood there watching the two doctors undoing her handy work. It took two hours to get him where he wasn't screaming out in agony.

Greg watched Catherine follow the doctors and Maryanne out of his lover's room so it was only a sedated Nick and Bethany left.

"Don't think I didn't know who he was," Bethany said venomously to Greg. "Tell your brother if he gets in my way again, he'll have a lot worse to deal with than Draught of Living Inferno." She turned on her heels and walked out of the room.

He instantly recognized the title of the substance. It was the very substance he had locked away in his basement laboratory and refused to open. It was one of the three potions he refused to give to the general all those years ago. Glancing over towards Nick, his heart sank.

Running from the room, he found the doctors deep in a serious discussion about Nick's condition. Bethany stood there, talking to Catherine.

He ran to her.

"How long has it been since you've poisoned him?" Greg asked harshly. When she didn't answer, he pushed her to the wall and braced her tightly there. "HOW LONG ANSWER ME… HOW LONG?"

"Long enough," she laughed sadistically.

Greg decked her hard on the cheek. "I promise you, if ANYTHING happens to him. If he dies, YOU die." Greg turned on his heels and ran to the parking lot. He didn't have time to call for a cab this time. He took out Nick's cell phone from his pocket and called the only person he could think of.

"Catherine?" he asked his voice shaking.

"Greg?" She asked questioning.

"Yeah, listen I don't have time to explain. Nick's been poisoned the doctors won't find the cure in time I have the cure in my laboratory, but I have to get there as soon as possible and back. I'm going to hotwire your Denali."

"Greg, listen…" She tried to calm him down.

"No, you listen," he smashed her window with Nick's house key. "Nick might not have time, this poison Draught of Living Inferno, it's brutal. It will kill him. Don't let Bethany out of your sight. She knew what she was doing." He reached under the driver's console and tore off the plastic covering. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his Swiss pocket knife and pulled out the scissors and snipped the wires placed his pocket knife back in his pocket and pulled out two quarters. "I will see you as fast as I can. I'm turning on the lights."

"Hurry," she urged as he made contact igniting the Denali's engine.

He flipped on the siren and lights and peeled away from the hospital. He made it to his place in record time. Running downstairs he knew exactly what he was looking for. There, in his store closet sat a corked beaker marked, 'Antidote to DOLI' he took it from his stores, and ran back out of the house.

'Please let me be in time,' he thought as he made contact with the ignition again cranking the engine of the Denali and drove away with the fastest speed he could muster. He wasn't supposed to be driving. He hadn't a license to drive. However, he went speeding down the way, his lights flashing siren blaring as he reached the hospital.

He ran back to Nick's room to find it vacated. Running back out to the hall he collided with Catherine.

"Do you have it?" Greg nodded. "He's been taken to ICU. He's not looking so good, Greg."

"Level two room 201A." Catherine shouted and Greg took off down the hall.

He hadn't a moment to spare and rushed down to the ICU level. He barged into the room, to see them working on Nick.

"Does he still have a pulse?" Greg asked desperately.

"Yeah, but it's weak. If we don't find something to cure it soon, we'll lose him."

"I have something," Greg stated. "I'm a medicinal chemist. I've been working on a cure for that poison all my life. Three years ago, I was successful. I didn't think any of the original poison was left, so I just kept it. Take it."

"Are you certain this is an antidote?"

"Yes, he's been injected with Draught of Living Inferno."

"Never heard of it before."

"It was created for the First World War by my Great Grandfather. He never let it circulate, but someone got their hands on it. He tried to create the antidote, but was unsuccessful. As was his son and his son, so it was up to me. I managed it. Yes I assure you it is the antidote."

Greg had never been surer of anything.

"You need to inject him now. He doesn't have much time left." Greg was frantic knowing exactly who created Draught of Living Inferno. He knew exactly what it did to people having witnessed it on three prisoners of war with his very eyes. He wasn't destined to make the antidote to this poison, but it was something he felt obligated to do.

The potion was stolen from his laboratory after his death. That hadn't been a lie. It was used in the war, but only once and the men like Greg were horrified at the results and vowed never to use it again. The scariest thought in Greg's head was that somewhere out there was this chemical compound and his biggest fear was that someone would be able to synthesize it. To his horror it has been and now his boyfriend was dying from it.

He stood there fearful and watched as the doctor filled the large syringe with the antidote and stabbed it into his lover's chest. Greg recalled how Nick complained bitterly about being used as a pincushion. He hated giving him one more puncture wound, but Greg knew it would save his life. He couldn't ask it of Nick to wander the Ghostly Plain. He just couldn't.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Death materialize, in his ghostly form and Greg gulped. He hoped he hadn't been too late in getting Nick the antidote. Death looked grim, but he always had that appearance. He moved swiftly to Greg's side.

'Is he going to die? Did I get here too late?' Greg asked Death through his head.

'That is up to him at this point,' replied Death solemnly.

Greg watched the heart monitor as though his own temporary life depended on the strength of the thumps. Death stood next to him all the while. His pulse began to strengthen. Hope flooded the doctor's faces as his antidote began to work.

Excitement over took him amazed that something he created actually worked. He barely had a chance to test it to see if it was effective on the poison. To Greg's relief it was and his boyfriend is getting stronger and stronger.

'Your lover boy will be fine. He's managed to evade this fall of the gavel. I hope he is as lucky in his future endeavors.' Death stated and vanished from the room.

The news hadn't settled into his gut just yet. Nick was going to make it. He was already showing strengthening heart beats and his breathing was up.

"Well, you managed to get him that just in the nick of time." Nick's doctor stated. "How did you know?"

"She told me what it was. I recognized it immediately and knew that you'd have nothing to reverse its effects with."

"Are you going to send this through the FDA?" the doctor asked.

"Me? I'm not certain." Greg sighed. Perhaps it might be a smart to send it to a scientist to get it out there. Just in case any more cases of Draught of Living Inferno finds its way into the public at large. Greg's bigger concern was where Bethany got such a lethal poison.

That's what really worried him.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I do not encourage anyone to hot wire a car (it is slightly more involved than what I have stated. I have chosen not to go into the exact detail. Yes I have hotwired a car before. No, I have not taken a car that does not belong to me. Also it has become slightly more challenging due to the amount of anti-theft devices and precautions.)

I do not own the characters or likeness of characters from CSI. Unfortunately, I wish I did, but they created them first... DARN IT!

Please R&R.