A/N-Thanks for the really nice reviews. I am glad you all have liked how dealt with Greg's emotions. I only have a few chapters left now. Hope you all continue to enjoy!


Grissom came in with Catherine and Brass into house. Catherine went to Kate Hall right away.

"We're in the hallway. We need paramedics," Nick yelled out to them.

Brass stopped at the dead man lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Grissom walked over to where Nick sat with Greg. "What happened here?"

Nick was not sure if he should be truthful about Greg shooting an unarmed man or tell him it was self-defense. Given his own bullet wound, self-defense seemed reasonable but the suspect had no gun from what he could tell. Nick would have to spin a good story.

"When I got here, Greg was holding the gun on the suspect. The suspect was taunting Greg about Marie. I'm not sure how he knew about him being her boyfriend but he was describing what he did to her."

"Greg had a gun? Who's is it?" Grissom asked him.

"Greg's. He purchased it a few days ago he said. He said he has a permit for it," Nick told him. He prayed he did have the permit.

"Hmm, I know he mentioned getting a gun but I did not think he would go through with it. Sorry, go on with what you witnessed," Grissom said.

This was where Nick planned on changing the story some. "Well suddenly the guy lunged towards Greg and he fired until he was down. I did not realize Greg was shot until after I found the girl. Maybe they struggled for the gun before or the guy's gun is somewhere in the house," Nick told him. The paramedics came into help Greg. Nick and Grissom moved aside.

"Is he going to be okay?" Nick asked as they began to put him on a stretcher.

"He's lost a lot of blood and seems to be in shock. As long as the bullet did not hit any major organs he should be okay, we've got to move though," the female medic told him.

As they wheeled Greg out, Nick asked Grissom if he could follow to the hospital. "I'm sorry Nick, I need you here to help explain things. Catherine will go to the hospital for the victim and for Greg. Once we are done here you can go."

They met up with Catherine in the living room. "How is he?" She asked with concern after seeing him wheeled out.

"They say he's lost a lot of blood. Gosh, I had no idea he was even shot at first," Nick said, full of guilt suddenly.

"He'll be okay, Nicky. If he made it through the torture and drugs from Robin Weaver, he will make it through this," Catherine reassured him.

"Yeah, well I hope so. It's just not fair what he's had to deal with," Nick sighed.

"That's for sure," Catherine agreed. "I'm going to go with Kate now to the hospital. Once I am done with her I will check on Greg and let you know."

"Thanks Catherine," Grissom said to her before she left.

Once she was gone Grissom, Nick and Brass started going through the house to find the identity of this man. They split up.

Nick took the small basement where the girl was. He had gotten his kit out of his SUV and was taking pictures. The basement was fairly empty, except for a bindle of rope, a hook where a wide, bloodied belt was hung on, and a chair. He thought it reminded him a lot of where Greg had been held and was glad Greg did not see it.

He swabbed seamen and blood that was on the ground. He bagged the belt and the rope. It was a little while longer before he went back upstairs to see Grissom and Brass.

"Apparently our killer is Cory Ricoh. He was renting this house, just moved in a little over a month ago. Owner said he told him he just moved here for a new job, said he worked as a nurse. That would explain his access to the drugs. Vega is doing a deeper background check on him," Brass told them.

"Well, we'll have to bring these boxes in this other bedroom back with us. Seems he kept some of his victim's stuff, like their clothes in these boxes. I also found our liquid latex in his bedroom dresser drawer," Grissom told him.

"Guy seemed pretty confident about not getting caught. Even though Greg went on his own with his idea and lead, it turned out to be the best thing since we stopped him now," Nick said.

"Yes but when Greg is better he will have some explaining to do," Grissom said firmly. He was more concerned that Greg had put his own life in danger than anything. He knew Greg's mind was not as reasonable as it was prior to his abduction. The large doses over a short period of time of the Scopolamine had done some damage along with just the torture he endured. Greg's doctor had confirmed that. His migraines had been another affect of the drugs and torture.

"Yeah, well don't be too hard on the kid, he's been through hell." Nick was shocked that this comment came from Brass.

"I know, trust me," Grissom said as he gave Nick a knowing glance. The secret of his suicide attempt still remained oblivious to Brass.

"Well, let's finish going through the rest of this place. Transport is coming out to get the van," Grissom said.

"Yeah the faster we are working here, the quicker we can check on Greg's condition," Nick said. He wanted to be there when Greg woke up. He hoped to be able to talk to him first.

Back at the hospital, Catherine was giving the SAE kit from Kate Hall to a uniform to take back to the lab. She went to the nurses' station and asked if there was any news on Greg's condition. They told her he was still in surgery. She sighed and decided to go back and see if Kate was ready to talk yet.

She walked into the long-haired brunette's room. Her face was bruised and puffy. She opened her eyes as she heard the door open. Catherine could see the initial fright in her eyes before she relaxed a little.

"Hi Kate. I was hoping we could talk some. Are you feeling up to it?" She asked her as she approached her bedside.

Kate sighed and then said, "I guess so. He is dead now, for real, right?" She asked first.

"Yes, he is dead. He can't hurt you anymore. Now is it okay if I record our conversation? Saves you from having to repeat it again," Catherine said.

"Yeah, I guess." She shivered slightly.

"Okay, Kate can you tell me how he grabbed you?"

She shook her head. "I was so stupid. He came to my door saying he was sent by apartment management to clean my carpets. I told him I did not know about it. He said he would be quick. He was carrying some kind of case and a steam cleaner. My carpet was dirty, so I let him in. I mean he looked harmless enough overall. He set down his kit and said he had to get the chemicals out for his steam cleaner. I let him do his thing and stepped away into the kitchen. A couple moments later I hear his voice right behind me and I turn around to see him with a needle in his hand. He jabbed it into my neck. I tried to scream but he covered my mouth. A minute later I feel all weird and numb and eventually I blacked out. Next thing I remember was waking up, tied with my hands behind my back and completely naked." She shuddered and grabbed the water next to her and took a sip and then continued on.

"I realized I was in some basement because I was on a cement floor and I saw a stairway with a door at the top. I looked around and the room creeped me out. I heard about those other girls on the news and I suddenly realized I must be his next victim. I started to get up to try going up the stairs when the door opened and I saw him again. This time he looked much more scary. He grabbed my arm and led me back down the stairs. He pushed me face first against the wall. I saw him reach over and grab this belt from a hook. Then he started beating me with it, saying 'bad girls who try to escape get punished. You're a bad girl.'" She started sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I know this is hard," Catherine said sympathetically.

"I'm just glad I'm still alive. When I heard that other voice upstairs, I never felt so thrilled. I could tell it was a cop. I heard him yell 'freeze'. But then I heard what sounded like a struggle and a gunshot. I though he was dead, but then I heard his voice and the cop's voice again. Then I finally heard more gun shots and then he came down, Nick, is that his name?" She asked.

"Yes, Nick came to get you but it was actually Greg who I believe you heard. He was there first. He was shot though. So he's in surgery right now." Catherine wanted her to know who the true hero was.

"Oh, is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so. He is a good friend and co-worker." Catherine finished up her questioning of Kate and then headed out into the waiting room for word on Greg.

About fifteen minutes later a surgeon came out. "Are you here for Greg Sanders?"

She stood up. "Yes, is he okay?" She asked with worry.

"He lost a lot of blood and had a collapsed lung but we were able to take care of both. He should make a full recovery. The bullet did not hit any major organs." He pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket. "Here is the bullet. He will be able to have visitors once he is set up in a room in ICU."

She took the bag from him and then thanked him. She got out her phone to call the others and let them know that he was going to be okay.

Nick opened the door and looked in on his pale friend lying in the bed, with IV's and a chest tube. He came in and sat down in the empty chair next to the bed.

He wondered at how Greg's expression looked serene almost, like he finally found some peace again. "You know, you've spent far too much time in hospital beds. You really need to stop ending up here," Nick said to him, even though he knew he was unconscious.

He had been out of surgery for a few hours now. Nick came once they turned in all the evidence they had from Cory Ricoh's house. Catherine left to go home to her daughter. She told Nick to give Greg her love when he woke up.

Nick cracked open a book he brought with him to keep him busy. He wanted to be the first one Greg spoke with to make sure he was okay with his story.

He stood in the middle of the desert alone when suddenly she appeared. She wore the white gown but there was no blood on it. She came towards him, her hair blowing in the cool dry air. She stopped just a few feet from him.

"I'm still dead, you know. You may have caught him but you didn't save me,' she said with her sad eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know I failed you. I said I would protect you," Greg said to her. He was afraid to step closer to her. There was something not right with her.

Her eyes did not look normal. "You are right you did fail me. But worse you became like him."

Greg shook his head. "No, I am not like him at all. You can't think that!"

"You killed him. You sought vengeance. You are just like me." Suddenly she morphed into Robin Weaver, his torturer.

He started backing away. "No, I'm nothing like you."

"Yes you are! You are a monster like me!"

He struggled to run away but was finding she came quicker then he could retreat.

Nick noticed that Greg's peaceful look on his face became more distorted and that he seemed to be waking up. "Hey Greggo, do you hear me?"

Greg's eyes opened slowly. He looked straight ahead.

"Greg, it's me, Nick," he said as he saw his eyes open. Greg turned his head, the scary dream still floating in his head. Upon seeing Nick's smiling face he knew he was no longer in that place. He attempted to move a little and regretted the movement immediately as he winced.

"Hey be careful. You were shot," Nick warned him.

Greg tried to remember what happened. He did not recall being shot. "Wha…what happened?" he asked though his mouth was like cotton and it hurt to breathe.

"You found our killer in his house. You had a gun on you. I was not there from the start," Nick told him.

"So he's in jail now?" He asked, still unable to recall details.

Nick bit his bottom lip. He wanted him to remember on his own but it did not look like that was going to happen. "He's dead, Greg. You shot him." He then saw the realization dawn on his face.

Greg felt nauseous. He killed another man. Why couldn't he remember that? "I don't remember. What happened?"
Nick sighed. He told Greg what he knew of when he entered the house. He swore he got even paler, if that was possible in his condition. "Look but what the others know is that Cory Ricoh tried coming at you and that is why you shot him."

Greg seemed distant all of the sudden. He looked away from Nick. "You're a monster like me," echoed in his head. "I'm a monster," he mumbled in a strange sounding voice that worried Nick.

"What? You're not a monster Greg. He shot you, it technically was self-defense," he told him, beginning to think he should have never told him.

"I'm just like her…she was right," he rambled on softly.

Nick at first did not understand what he was talking about but then he realized it. "No, you are not anything like Robin Weaver. Do not even go there. She was a monster. You did nothing wrong."

Greg finally turned to him, his eyes half open but filled with hurt. "She said I was a monster because I could not protect her when I should have."

Nick was beginning to think the pain medication was affecting him. "Why don't you get some sleep, Greg? You're still pretty messed up on drugs. We'll talk about this craziness later."

Greg was tired and he was already halfway falling asleep when Nick told him to get more.

Nick rubbed his face, hoping this event was not going to drag Greg down that dark road again. If he really believed he was a monster and had guilt over killing this murderer, it would lead him down it again.

Dr. Rayon came in about a half hour later. "Hey Nick, has he woken up yet?"

"Yeah, can we talk outside? I do not want to wake him," Nick said to him.

They walked outside his room and sat in the waiting area near by. "What's going on, Nick?"

Nick filled Dr. Rayon in on everything that had happened back at the house and then what he just said in the hospital room

Dr. Rayon felt Nick's own concern. "Well, the pain meds could be causing some of it but knowing his recent history, it does worry me." He thought for a moment. "So you say this killer taunted Greg about what he did to Marie and then he just shot him?"

Nick nodded sadly. "Yeah, I was shocked a bit but then again the guy deserved it."

"Yeah, maybe but this is going to affect him big time. It already is if he somehow thinks he is like Robin Weaver."

"You know he still feels guilty about killing Demetrius James," Nick said to him.

"Yes, I do know and no matter how many times I've told him he should not, he still does. I can see I'm going to have to work with him closely again and keep my eyes open for signs. Say, have his parents been notified?" Dr. Rayon asked.

"Yes, I believe they are on their way. Grissom told them."
"This has been tough on them too but them being around seems to help him cope a little better. Do you know when Marie's funeral had been scheduled?" the doctor asked him.

"Oh gosh, I nearly forgot. That is in two days. He will be crushed if he can't go," Nick said exasperatedly.

"I think he needs to go. We'll find a way to make sure he can make it, even if he is in a wheelchair and has to come back here after. I'll get with his regular doctor and find out."

"In the meantime, call me when he wakes up again. Just have a nurse page me. I want to be able to talk to him."

"Okay Dr. Rayon. I appreciate what you do for him. See you later on."

Nick went back into Greg's room and took his seat at the bedside. He frowned as he looked at his friend, hoping he could shake his demons away.