Different Tactics
Chapter 16: Freedom
"Is Greg's temporary room ready?" Sara asked Warrick and Grissom, who had spent the entire morning moving things out and into the room to get it ready for the lab tech. Catherine stayed with Greg at the hospital while Sara interviewed Nick's neighbors. She found one who had seen a car parked down the road from Nick's house and, as luck would have it, wrote down the license plate number. Brass was checking for the owner and hopefully an address. It was the only lead they had at the moment.
"Ready and waiting," Warrick replied as Grissom went to get a drink. He was exhausted, as was Grissom, from all the hauling but knew it was worth it. It was better to have Greg in a semi-familiar environment than to stay in the hospital when it wasn't necessary. "Gris has offered to stay with Greg tonight while the rest of us go with Brass to check out the lead you found. I think Grissom still feels guilty that all this happened. He does like to protect us."
"I know War," Sara sighed. She looked into the room Greg would be sleeping in and smiled slightly with satisfaction. The guys had made it look comfortable and more importantly safe, using the few things they had to work with. They even brought a few things from Greg's house, like his bedspread and a few pictures, to make it seem like home to him. "Hey Gris, you ready to get Greg now?"
"Let's go," Grissom gave them a smile as he returned into the room. He knew exactly why he volunteered to spend the night watching over Greg and not searching for Nick. It was simple really. He knew Nick wouldn't want his best friend to be alone and Grissom didn't intend to leave his youngest team member alone for a second tonight. Warrick had told him about his conversation with the lab tech earlier that morning and Grissom was shocked to hear that Greg thought the team just put up with him. He had to show Greg that wasn't true.
"Hey Greggo, look who finally showed up," Catherine teased the others as they entered the room. Catherine had told Greg that he was going to stay with Warrick for a few days or until he felt ready to return to his house. She also told him the lead Sara had found, though she was hesitant to reveal anything at first. She didn't want to say anything that would upset him and set back his recovery.
"Ready to get out of here?" Sara grinned at her friend and grinned wider when he gave her a weak smile in return. "Catherine's told you that you're staying at Warrick's for a while right? Grissom going to stay with you tonight while the rest of us check out the address Brass got from the rental company," She saw Greg open his mouth to protest that the whole team should go look for Nick. "Don't even think about it Greggo. The doctor's only releasing you on the condition that someone stays with you. I brought you some clean clothes to change into. Here you go."
Greg gave her another weak smile as he took the bag from her. He slid off the bed and slowly made his way to the bathroom so he could change. He couldn't wait to wear real clothes again. He grinned when he saw that Sara had picked his brightest Hawaiian shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans. She knew him too well.
"All right let's roll," Warrick said as Greg exited the bathroom. Grissom had signed Greg's release papers and had pocketed the pain medication the doctor gave him. He still had plenty of the sedatives so another prescription of those was not needed. "You're finally free Kiddo."
Greg smiled, as his friends were happy he was well enough to leave the hospital, but couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sadness. Wherever Nick was, he was not free.
"Is Greg's temporary room ready?" Sara asked Warrick and Grissom, who had spent the entire morning moving things out and into the room to get it ready for the lab tech. Catherine stayed with Greg at the hospital while Sara interviewed Nick's neighbors. She found one who had seen a car parked down the road from Nick's house and, as luck would have it, wrote down the license plate number. Brass was checking for the owner and hopefully an address. It was the only lead they had at the moment.
"Ready and waiting," Warrick replied as Grissom went to get a drink. He was exhausted, as was Grissom, from all the hauling but knew it was worth it. It was better to have Greg in a semi-familiar environment than to stay in the hospital when it wasn't necessary. "Gris has offered to stay with Greg tonight while the rest of us go with Brass to check out the lead you found. I think Grissom still feels guilty that all this happened. He does like to protect us."
"I know War," Sara sighed. She looked into the room Greg would be sleeping in and smiled slightly with satisfaction. The guys had made it look comfortable and more importantly safe, using the few things they had to work with. They even brought a few things from Greg's house, like his bedspread and a few pictures, to make it seem like home to him. "Hey Gris, you ready to get Greg now?"
"Let's go," Grissom gave them a smile as he returned into the room. He knew exactly why he volunteered to spend the night watching over Greg and not searching for Nick. It was simple really. He knew Nick wouldn't want his best friend to be alone and Grissom didn't intend to leave his youngest team member alone for a second tonight. Warrick had told him about his conversation with the lab tech earlier that morning and Grissom was shocked to hear that Greg thought the team just put up with him. He had to show Greg that wasn't true.
"Hey Greggo, look who finally showed up," Catherine teased the others as they entered the room. Catherine had told Greg that he was going to stay with Warrick for a few days or until he felt ready to return to his house. She also told him the lead Sara had found, though she was hesitant to reveal anything at first. She didn't want to say anything that would upset him and set back his recovery.
"Ready to get out of here?" Sara grinned at her friend and grinned wider when he gave her a weak smile in return. "Catherine's told you that you're staying at Warrick's for a while right? Grissom going to stay with you tonight while the rest of us check out the address Brass got from the rental company," She saw Greg open his mouth to protest that the whole team should go look for Nick. "Don't even think about it Greggo. The doctor's only releasing you on the condition that someone stays with you. I brought you some clean clothes to change into. Here you go."
Greg gave her another weak smile as he took the bag from her. He slid off the bed and slowly made his way to the bathroom so he could change. He couldn't wait to wear real clothes again. He grinned when he saw that Sara had picked his brightest Hawaiian shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans. She knew him too well.
"All right let's roll," Warrick said as Greg exited the bathroom. Grissom had signed Greg's release papers and had pocketed the pain medication the doctor gave him. He still had plenty of the sedatives so another prescription of those was not needed. "You're finally free Kiddo."
Greg smiled, as his friends were happy he was well enough to leave the hospital, but couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sadness. Wherever Nick was, he was not free.