Subsist Affliction Woe

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Ch11: For Now


A few days later... Frankie was being discharged today. Nick had been with her the entire time he didn't want her to be alone. Catherine and Lou visited a lot too; it was strange for the four of them to be apart after all that happen.

"How are you, Frankie?" Catherine asks, she was holding everyone together. Lou was on a serious regime of medicine and she was just letting Nick know that if he wanted to know she was there. Nick refused to see another shrink after the incident with the last one.

"I'm alright... How are you guys?" she says sitting up holding tightly onto Nick's hand.

"Getting there," she says smiling.

"Good... I'm finally getting discharged," Frankie says as the nurse walks inside.

"I'm going to need a minute with Detective Reed," the nurse says fear overwhelms Frankie's face as she looks at Nick.

"You'll be alright, I'll be right outside," he says kissing her forehead, easing her nerves.

They all walked outside and Nick stood guard at her door. It was fair to say that he was paranoid but they all were.

Lou and Catherine slept with all the lights on and had all the doors taken off. Lou had been staying with her.

Greg and Ray showed up, they looked excited and not in a good way. They looked rather riled up.

"Hey guys," Nick said releasing a deep breath. "What's going on?"

"It's a media circus out there," Greg says handing Nick his keys.

"It was like that when we got here," Catherine says.

"Why are they here?" Nick asks confused.

"You guys are famous!" Greg says excited. Nick still looks confused, as do the others. "You guys have been on the news nonstop. There are rumors that people want to make a movie about what happen," Greg says "you're all famous."

"What about the back?" Nick asked subconsciously started nursing his forearm; he's been nursing it for the last couple days.

"That's where we came in from there is probably more in the back than the front," Ray says.

"That's great," Nick says. His vision was just about back to normal. His eye was a greenish yellow and it was no longer swollen.

"Nick!" Frankie says. Nick goes to open the door with his right hand but changes to his left and cautiously opens it.

"Hey babe," he says giving Frankie a small kiss. Louise came in with a change of clothes for Frankie.

"Nick let me see your arm," Ray asks, Nick looked puzzled but defensive.

"Why?" Nick said reluctantly taking his zip up off freeing the arm in question. Nick's arm was bruised, a little lumpy, and swollen.

"Make a fist," Ray said, Nick did grimacing in pain. "Nick you need an x ray,"

"You're arm is broken," the nurse said appalled she turns his hand and he flinches again. "I'm going to order you an x ray please come with me,"

"It's not broken. It's just... sore," Nick drawls.

"Then the x ray should tell us that," Ray said putting his arm around Nick following the nurse.

She brought them to the x ray room on a different floor. She opens the door and a metal tray from inside falls on the floor. Nick tackles Ray over, remembering the dangerous doors at the warehouse. He shakes his over and over again, he's have trouble keeping his sanity. He stands that's when he sees the x ray of a man's skull. Nick shakes his head over and over shaking the images out of his head.

"I can't... I can't do this... not right now," he says panting feeling an anxiety attack coming, Ray quickly stands putting his hands on Nick's shoulders trying to soothe him but Nick flinches at the touch.

"Okay... Okay..." Ray said holding Nick comforting him; Nick took deep breaths and regained his composure.

"I'll put a splint on it, if that'll be alright?" the nurse said. She had been with them since they first arrived and was aware of all the pain afflicted on them.

"Yes thank you," he said wiping his eyes taking a deep breath and smiling at Ray. "Sorry about that, I umm..." he stutters.

"It's alright..."

"He had blades swing from the doors... That's what got Frankie. It just... I don't know messed with my head to see her like that and then have a metal pan trick me," he shrugs his shoulder finally sitting in a chair.

"You alright?" Ray says.

"Yea... Yea... Just a lot of stuff running through my head... Please don't tell the rest about this," Nick says.

"It's just between me and you," Rays says as the nurse returns to splint his arm.

"Sorry about that," Nick says flashing his smile at the nurse.


Frankie sat on the edge her gurney extremely sore but excited to leave and go home. Lou and Catherine were in the room with her and her mother.

"Has Nick talked to you?" Frankie asks Catherine. She shakes her head slightly yes. "Every time I've tried to talk to him about it to see where he's at, he ignores me or changes the subject. I'm worried about him..." she says pleading with her.

"He did a little... Not a lot," she says.

"You're his best friend!" she cries begging Catherine. "Please talk to him."

"I will,"

"I know he's not ready but he's a tough man to understand sometimes..." Frankie says shaking her head just as Nick entered.

"You ready?" he says happy.

"Your arm..." she says

"Is fine," he interrupts helping her to her feet moving her to the wheelchair.

"We're going to head home," Catherine says hugging Frankie then Nick. "Call me if you need me Nicky," she says leaving Lou follows in silence.

"You ready?" Nick asks pushing her chair. Ray moves ahead to open the elevator. Nick hands her his zip up and she puts it on and the pulls the hood up.

"You guys ready?" Ray asks the main door to the hospital barely holding the media back. Nick takes a deep breath and looks at Frankie who nods.

"Open it," Nick says pushing her. Ray and Greg hold the photographers and reporters back.

"How'd you survive?" one asks

"What are you going to do now that you're free?" another one asks.

"Live my life," Nick says smiling at the reporter.

"What was it like?"

"How long were you in there for?"

"How'd you survive?" the reporters bombard them with questions.

"I'm not going to answer any questions... I just want to go home," Nick says and the camera man turns his camera off.


At Catherine's house, Catherine and Lindsay sat on the couch watching a movie and Lou sat in the recliner next to them. Lindsay cuddled with mom embracing her arm.

"I'm so glad your home... I'm glad you're alright... Both of you," she says looking at Lou. Lindsay wasn't necessarily a fan of Lou, but she was genuinely happy he survived.

"Thanks," he says smiling.

"No thank you for watching my mom and bringing her home safe," she says hugging him. Just then Brass knocks on her door. Catherine answers.

"Jim," she says confused.

"Hey Cath, can I come in?"

"Sure," she says returning to the couch. Jim shook Lou's hand, while Lindsay excused herself to her room. "What's going on?"

"At county today... There was a large riot, several prisoners were killed.

George and Randy Robinson were among the causalities," Brass said, not really prepared for their reactions but they didn't have one.

"Thank god," Catherine says covering her face feeling tears, Lou slightly smiled and pulled Catherine into a powerful hug.

"I love you so much," he says kissing her forehead "don't cry, it's finally

over." she holds him tight releasing several deep breaths.

"Oh god... I can't believe this," she says smiling at Lou.


Nick sat Frankie's couch she fell asleep her head on his thigh. She looked so peaceful. Nick paid no mind to the television show they were watching and watches her as she slept. He tucked her hair behind her ear and lightly rubbed her shoulder.

"Nick," Louise says from the kitchen, Nick slowly lifts his head to see her. "You want something to eat, drink?"

"I'm alright," he says quietly.

"I'll just whip up something for you," she says not taking no for an answer. She places a bottle water and club sandwich with chips on the end table next to him, with a napkin. "You might get hungry in a little bit," she says nervous.

"Thank you," he says looking at Frankie.

"Nick, thank you." he opens his mouth confused. "You brought my daughter home safe, thank you." Nick gives her a nervous smile. "If you need anything, just

call." she leaves for the deck book in hand. Nick leans back closing his eyes trying to sleep.

'Some individuals must go through a difficult ordeal to appreciate their principles. While we should never give up our principles, we must also realize that we cannot maintain our principles unless we survive. Sometimes to survive you have to fight and to survive means you win. It's time to test your principles.' Nick hears when he closes his eyes. He remembers stepping over the bodies with Catherine at his arm. He remembers tackling Lou into a glass pit, over a stupid argument. Then he remembers the rain hitting his sore tender skin. He remembers feeling Charlie's bones breaking under Nick's fist.

Nick jumps awake. He looks around Frankie is sitting next to him and Ray is sitting across from him with Grissom and a uniform. Nick swallows gulps of air trying to prevent a panic attack. Grissom firmly puts his hand on Nick's shoulder.

"Nicky!" he says forcing Nick to look at him. Nick feels himself starting to lose control, Grissom holds him. As if, if he were to let go Nick would fall apart. Nick broke down into sobs and felt Frankie engulf him in a powerful hug. Nick slowly regains his composure taking deep breaths sitting back.

"What are you... Doing here?" Nick says confused he looks at Frankie who is just as confused.

"At county today... There was a large riot, several prisoners were killed. George and Randy Robinson were among the fatalities. We just found out," Grissom says studying Nick's face carefully. He feels helpless just like when Walter Gordon blew himself to shreds but it was worst Nick was checked in his own mind.

"Really?" Nick says raising an eyebrow. Grissom nods. Frankie looks happy, shocked, relieved, and scared wrapped into one. Nick looks at her relieved.

"I can't believe this," she says, Nick smiles. He jumps to his feet hugging Grissom. Nick turns and looks at Frankie.

"Miss Frankie Reed," Nick says taking her hand with his bad arm; she shoots him a confused eyebrow. He drops to his knee pulling the ring out of his pocket, her face lights up. "Miss Frankie Reed will you marry me?"

"Yes," she says smiling. Nick picks her up right off the couch careful of her incision.

Nick thought that if he could continue and live his life that everything that happened in the warehouse would fade, that people would forget. Even maybe one day he, himself, would forget.


Who wants a sequel? I have started one. Please Review!