Different tactics
Chapter 25: Reunion
A/N: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. My computer's been frigging up so badly that I want to heave it out the window. I probably shouldn't even be on this since it's storming out but oh well, I want to write.
"What did you guys find?" Warrick asked as he and Catherine rushed into the room. He looked away from the puddles of blood on the floor, not in disgust but in fear. He didn't want to know how much blood Greg had lost or see whether there were more than two puddles of blood.
"We found your friends," a young police officer grinned at them while he took their elbows and escorted them into the hall. "The girl must have pulled the guy behind the couch when the shooting began but didn't know that there was a trap door. They fell down through it and the couch somehow got tipped back and was covering the hole. We'll have them out in a second."
"They're alive," Catherine leaned against Warrick for support. Nick and Sara were going to be fine, Greg was at the hospital being taken care of, and Nigel was dead. The nightmare seemed to be over. "Are they all right? Can we see them?"
"You can probably ride with them in the ambulance," the cop told them. He motioned outside, to where two ambulances were parked and waiting for their patients. "They should be bringing them out any minute. Why don't you wait for them outside?"
"You go with Sara and I'll go with Nick?" Warrick questioned his friend as they went outside. She quickly agreed. They watched anxiously as the police motioned for the paramedics to go in and get the patients. Several minutes later they emerged with Nick and Sara.
***Sara's ambulance***
"Patient is about thirty-one years of age with a fractured ankle and some lacerations to her forearms," the paramedic relayed Sara's vitals to the hospital. "Pulse is 79 and strong, BP is 119/90, breaths are regular, pupils responsive. Our ETA is two and a half minutes."
"Is Greg all right?" Sara's eyes locked on Catherine's, pleading for some good news. "I saw Nigel go for his gun and shot at him a few times. I pulled Nicky behind the couch and was going to try to get Greg but we fell down a hole in the floor. Please tell me that he's all right."
"He's already at the hospital," Catherine told the younger woman. "A bullet grazed his arm during the shootout and apparently he's had the flu that finally caught up with him. You know Greg, he refuses to admit when he's sick."
"But he'll be all right?" Sara asked but Catherine got out of answering her as they pulled up to the emergency doors.
***Nick's Ambulance***
"Patient is about thirty years old with a deep laceration to his left side, a few minor lacerations to his face and arms, a fractured collarbone," the paramedic told the hospital. "Pupils are dilated so possible concussion, pulse is 78 and strong, BP 118/89, breathing regular."
"Warrick, where's Greg?" Nick asked, his voice frantic. He knew Sara was all right but he had lost track of Greg once he and Sara had fallen down the hole. "Is he all right? Was he hurt? Where's Nigel? Did Sara shot him?"
"Calm down man," Warrick smiled at Nick's older brother concerns over Greg. He knew the two younger men were close but until this whole Crane incident, he had no idea how close. "Greg's at the hospital with Grissom. The paramedics took him about twenty minutes ago. You'll probably be able to see him once you get checked over, as the doctor will probably keep him overnight. Don't panic, when I say that I mean because he's lost a little blood and he's got a pretty high fever from the flu."
Warrick was thankful when the ambulance slowed and the doors opened. They had arrived at the hospital.
***An hour later***
"What's the verdict?" Grissom asked as his four CSIs entered Greg's hospital room. He had been extremely relieved when Catherine had found him an hour earlier to tell him Nick and Sara were fine. It took a lot of stress off of his shoulders to know that they were all right and he finally convinced Greg to go to sleep. The lab tech had been exhausted but refused to sleep until he knew that Nick and Sara were all right.
"Sara broke her ankle and I broke my collarbone," Nick told his boss. He looked down at his sleeping best friend and smiled. Greg looked better than he had when they were in that room. "I also needed a few stitches for a cut on my side. How's Greg doing?"
"He didn't need any stitches luckily," Grissom replied and held his breath for a moment when Greg stirred in his sleep. "He's lost a bit of blood over the days few days so he was given a transfusion and he's got a bad case of the flu, which is being treated with antibiotics. The thing the doctor is most concerned about, and I agree, is Greg's mental stability. He's barely said a word since he came out of the bungalow and he's become clingy. He refused to let go of my hand, even when the doctor threatened to sedate him if he didn't cooperate."
"Poor Greggo," Nick felt guilty. Nigel had been after him, not Greg. Greg was just an innocent victim. "How long does he have to stay in this hospital? And can we stay with him tonight? I don't want to leave him alone."
"The doctor will release him in the morning if his fever doesn't get any higher," Grissom smiled as Nick stepped forward and took one of Greg's hands in his. This was one of the first times he really thought of his nightshift as family. He was just sorry that it took something like this to make him realize that he cared about them.
"Nicky?" Greg's soft, sleepy voice asked as his eyelids fluttered until they opened. He looked up at his friends' faces and was relieved to find both Nick and Sara there. If they were well enough to be visiting him then they would be fine. He yawned, stretched, and then winced at the pain he felt in his shoulder. "I keep forgetting that he shot me."
Sara gasped when she heard this. She was remembering the scene clearly and she knew Nigel hadn't fired any shots. But she had.
A/N: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. My computer's been frigging up so badly that I want to heave it out the window. I probably shouldn't even be on this since it's storming out but oh well, I want to write.
"What did you guys find?" Warrick asked as he and Catherine rushed into the room. He looked away from the puddles of blood on the floor, not in disgust but in fear. He didn't want to know how much blood Greg had lost or see whether there were more than two puddles of blood.
"We found your friends," a young police officer grinned at them while he took their elbows and escorted them into the hall. "The girl must have pulled the guy behind the couch when the shooting began but didn't know that there was a trap door. They fell down through it and the couch somehow got tipped back and was covering the hole. We'll have them out in a second."
"They're alive," Catherine leaned against Warrick for support. Nick and Sara were going to be fine, Greg was at the hospital being taken care of, and Nigel was dead. The nightmare seemed to be over. "Are they all right? Can we see them?"
"You can probably ride with them in the ambulance," the cop told them. He motioned outside, to where two ambulances were parked and waiting for their patients. "They should be bringing them out any minute. Why don't you wait for them outside?"
"You go with Sara and I'll go with Nick?" Warrick questioned his friend as they went outside. She quickly agreed. They watched anxiously as the police motioned for the paramedics to go in and get the patients. Several minutes later they emerged with Nick and Sara.
***Sara's ambulance***
"Patient is about thirty-one years of age with a fractured ankle and some lacerations to her forearms," the paramedic relayed Sara's vitals to the hospital. "Pulse is 79 and strong, BP is 119/90, breaths are regular, pupils responsive. Our ETA is two and a half minutes."
"Is Greg all right?" Sara's eyes locked on Catherine's, pleading for some good news. "I saw Nigel go for his gun and shot at him a few times. I pulled Nicky behind the couch and was going to try to get Greg but we fell down a hole in the floor. Please tell me that he's all right."
"He's already at the hospital," Catherine told the younger woman. "A bullet grazed his arm during the shootout and apparently he's had the flu that finally caught up with him. You know Greg, he refuses to admit when he's sick."
"But he'll be all right?" Sara asked but Catherine got out of answering her as they pulled up to the emergency doors.
***Nick's Ambulance***
"Patient is about thirty years old with a deep laceration to his left side, a few minor lacerations to his face and arms, a fractured collarbone," the paramedic told the hospital. "Pupils are dilated so possible concussion, pulse is 78 and strong, BP 118/89, breathing regular."
"Warrick, where's Greg?" Nick asked, his voice frantic. He knew Sara was all right but he had lost track of Greg once he and Sara had fallen down the hole. "Is he all right? Was he hurt? Where's Nigel? Did Sara shot him?"
"Calm down man," Warrick smiled at Nick's older brother concerns over Greg. He knew the two younger men were close but until this whole Crane incident, he had no idea how close. "Greg's at the hospital with Grissom. The paramedics took him about twenty minutes ago. You'll probably be able to see him once you get checked over, as the doctor will probably keep him overnight. Don't panic, when I say that I mean because he's lost a little blood and he's got a pretty high fever from the flu."
Warrick was thankful when the ambulance slowed and the doors opened. They had arrived at the hospital.
***An hour later***
"What's the verdict?" Grissom asked as his four CSIs entered Greg's hospital room. He had been extremely relieved when Catherine had found him an hour earlier to tell him Nick and Sara were fine. It took a lot of stress off of his shoulders to know that they were all right and he finally convinced Greg to go to sleep. The lab tech had been exhausted but refused to sleep until he knew that Nick and Sara were all right.
"Sara broke her ankle and I broke my collarbone," Nick told his boss. He looked down at his sleeping best friend and smiled. Greg looked better than he had when they were in that room. "I also needed a few stitches for a cut on my side. How's Greg doing?"
"He didn't need any stitches luckily," Grissom replied and held his breath for a moment when Greg stirred in his sleep. "He's lost a bit of blood over the days few days so he was given a transfusion and he's got a bad case of the flu, which is being treated with antibiotics. The thing the doctor is most concerned about, and I agree, is Greg's mental stability. He's barely said a word since he came out of the bungalow and he's become clingy. He refused to let go of my hand, even when the doctor threatened to sedate him if he didn't cooperate."
"Poor Greggo," Nick felt guilty. Nigel had been after him, not Greg. Greg was just an innocent victim. "How long does he have to stay in this hospital? And can we stay with him tonight? I don't want to leave him alone."
"The doctor will release him in the morning if his fever doesn't get any higher," Grissom smiled as Nick stepped forward and took one of Greg's hands in his. This was one of the first times he really thought of his nightshift as family. He was just sorry that it took something like this to make him realize that he cared about them.
"Nicky?" Greg's soft, sleepy voice asked as his eyelids fluttered until they opened. He looked up at his friends' faces and was relieved to find both Nick and Sara there. If they were well enough to be visiting him then they would be fine. He yawned, stretched, and then winced at the pain he felt in his shoulder. "I keep forgetting that he shot me."
Sara gasped when she heard this. She was remembering the scene clearly and she knew Nigel hadn't fired any shots. But she had.