Morning After Ch9

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Ch9: As it Begins

A few hours later... Wendy never left Nick's side she held his hand tight rubbing. The team watched from outside, in disbelief, Ecklie had taken them off the case and passed it to day shift.

Ecklie was pissed to say the least, Nick and Wendy were very straight laced, always followed the rules. But now they broke the rules in the biggest way.

However in Ecklie's mind, he saw it as genuine feelings he saw Wendy at Nick's bedside. He watched how as she gently touched his cold face, the whole team watched. Ecklie's phone rang; he walked off to answer it.

Catherine knew all along about Nick and Wendy's relationship the rest of the team only knew rumors they heard from others. And now everyone knew Wendy was pregnant, which didn't help it, especially that their relationship came so abruptly to light... Except Nick, no one had told Nick.

Nick's chest all of a sudden shot up, and his head pushed backwards against the pillow. His arms tense up as he started having a seizure in the hospital bed. Ray rushed in helping Nick, Greg got help, and Catherine pulled Wendy outside the room to let the doctors inside. The doctors ran in helping Nick, his heart rate was out of control then it just stopped.

His body stopped moving Ray started to do chest compressions, the doctors worked on Nick's mouth helping his breathing. Sticking him with needles, giving him more and more medicine.

"Stand clear!" a doctor yelled zapping Nick's body, his heart started beating slowly. The doctors had him up higher then he was, his color came back a little. Nick went from extremely pale to pale, he was able to open his one eye. He wasn't able to see much his vision was blurry, he chest hurt and his face throbbed.

Nick raised his arm grabbing Ray's arm, it was a weak motion but enough to catch Ray's attention. Nick's arm slid down, lifelessly, Ray caught Nick's hand just before it fell. Nick's heart rate returned to normal to everyone's surprise. Nick opened his mouth making a strange noise; the doctors removed the wires on Nick's mouth.

"Hey, Nick how do you feel?" Ray said holding Nick's hand tight and gently touching his shoulder. "You really scared us" Ray said softly, Nick opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. It was like Nick forgot how to speak, though his broken jaw didn't help matters any either.

"...Wendy?" was all Nick could say it was barely a sound it was such a weak whisper, Ray smiled.

"She's fine... She's outside now waiting to come in" Ray said motioning for Wendy to come in, she ran in happy to see Nick. Ray left in giving them their privacy, he returned to the group.

"Ray, what just happened?" Catherine said.

"He's awake... The doctors put Nick on life support his body is starting to function on its own, this is a good sign" Ray said, the mood definitely lightened... Until Ecklie returned.

"Day shift recovered the surveillance video on scene. Archie was able to clean it up and get one of the perpetrators' faces; it will be on the news within the hour" Ecklie said and then left going to inform the sheriff.

"I'm going to head back to the lab to find out what the hell happened?" Greg said.

"You guys go I'll stay here" Catherine said the team reluctantly left.

The Lab... The team watched as Nick fought with the assailant and watched as

Nick took one hell of a beating. The video ended and the team was eager to solve cases and continue on Nick and Wendy's even though they weren't on the case. As everyone including Archie left the AV lab and Hodges snuck in, he was trying to hide from everyone else. Hodges watched the video and then left upset to the locker room.

"Damn..." Hodges said upset he tried to hide his tears. He looked at the notes on Wendy and Nick's locker. He sniffed the flowers on Wendy's locker, he looked at a note. 'I hope I get to help plan the baby shower, get better soon ~ Mandy' Hodges read the note several times before the message on it sunk.

Once the message sunk it, Hodges felt his heart explode with rage. He ripped the note off the locker and ripped it up; he turned and knocked everything off of Nick's locker. And stormed out of the locker room, rage pumping through his veins.

Unbeknownst to him, Mandy saw him as was deeply frightened by this. She looked at what he done and left for the hospital.

Hospital... Catherine sat down beside Nick; Wendy was back in her room asleep. Nick started coughing which frightened Catherine she jumped up giving him some water.

"You alright?" she asked

"I'm... fine... thanks... Any news?"

"We are still looking for him Nicky, you rest alright" Catherine said rubbing his head, Nick didn't know Wendy was pregnant and Catherine wasn't going to say anything. She gently squeezed his hand, he dozed off and Catherine sobbed quietly. Nick was going to be fine but the scare of losing him, especially after Warrick.

Their original team has been significantly smaller, Grissom left with Sara to France. Warrick had died as well as Holly Gribbs who lasted a week or two. The only people left were Nick, Catherine and you could count Greg and Brass they were kind of too. Sure they had people come and go like Mike Keppler and Riley, Mike had died and Riley bailed. However Sara was back but nothing was the same.

Catherine watched Nick sleep peacefully, Nick didn't realize how close he had came to death and he didn't care. He was alive and so was Wendy and to him that's all that matter.

"Umm... Catherine?" Mandy said

"Yes... Mandy what is it?" Catherine asked, Mandy looked scared.

"How is he?"

"Alright... What is wrong you look like you have seen a ghost?"

"Know how Hodges liked Wendy I mean really liked her, I think that Hodges is going off the deep end"

"Why would you say that?"

"Some of the lab rats and me put some get well cards and flowers on Wendy and Nick's locker..."

"That was sweet"

"Please let me finish..." Mandy said slightly shocking Catherine, "he ripped everything off of Nick's locker... I don't know what to do?" Mandy said looking down. Nick started coughing still asleep Catherine rubbed his head, before walking outside with Mandy.

"Oh gosh, well he could just be jealous I'm sure it's nothing big" She hoped.