Different tactics
Chapter 26: Recovery
"I guess Greg just needed to know that Nick and Sara were all right," Catherine smiled softly as she and Grissom watched Nick and Greg joking around on the other side of the room. Warrick was there too, occasionally saying something but mostly just content to let the two friends talk. Catherine had to look around for the last member of the group. "Why's Sara sitting by herself?"
"She looks like she feels guilty," Grissom sighed. He figured everyone would somehow blame themselves for this event, he knew he did, and knew he had to talk to Sara. He asked Catherine to come with him, as she was better at parental comforting than he was. "Sara, what's the matter?"
"It's my fault Gris," Sara's voice was flat and emotionless, which scared her friends. "I told myself I would protect him when Crane ordered us into the room and what do I do? I get him put into the hospital! I shot him! It's my fault that he's here. He could have died!"
"Sara, honey, calm down," Catherine sat next to the hysterical woman and wrapped one of her arms around her shoulders. "You killed Nigel, no one else. If it wasn't for you then everyone would probably still be back there and you, Greg, and Nick would still be in danger."
"But I shot Greg Cath," Sara said dejectedly. She didn't want to hear her co-workers yelling at her so she ran from the room. Nick, Greg, and Warrick looked over at Grissom and Catherine questionably but they just shrugged.
"I'll talk to her," Nick said, getting to his feet. He too, was remembering the scene and had a pretty good idea of what was bothering his girlfriend. "When I get back you'd better be asleep Greggo."
After he could no longer see Nick, Greg's eyes sought out his other friends, making sure they were still in the room. As long as he wasn't left alone then he would be fine. He knew he couldn't go to sleep like Nick wanted him to, as that's when he felt vulnerable and the nightmares and the memories came.
"Nicky's right Greg," Warrick told him. He had seen the fear spring into Greg's eyes when Nick had told him to go to sleep. "If you don't go to sleep voluntarily then the doctor will give you something to make you sleep. You don't want that do you?"
"No," Greg pulled the bed covers up to his chin, making him look younger and so vulnerable that his friends' hearts nearly broke. It wasn't going to be an easy recovery as they had hoped. "I can't go to sleep. He comes back when I sleep."
"We're right here Greg," Grissom and Catherine stepped closer to the bed to assure their youngest that they weren't leaving. They knew he wouldn't sleep unless he knew that someone was there with him. "If it looks like you're having a nightmare we'll wake you up."
Greg yawned and, after making sure his friends were still there, closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost immediately, as he was exhausted.
"I guess Greg just needed to know that Nick and Sara were all right," Catherine smiled softly as she and Grissom watched Nick and Greg joking around on the other side of the room. Warrick was there too, occasionally saying something but mostly just content to let the two friends talk. Catherine had to look around for the last member of the group. "Why's Sara sitting by herself?"
"She looks like she feels guilty," Grissom sighed. He figured everyone would somehow blame themselves for this event, he knew he did, and knew he had to talk to Sara. He asked Catherine to come with him, as she was better at parental comforting than he was. "Sara, what's the matter?"
"It's my fault Gris," Sara's voice was flat and emotionless, which scared her friends. "I told myself I would protect him when Crane ordered us into the room and what do I do? I get him put into the hospital! I shot him! It's my fault that he's here. He could have died!"
"Sara, honey, calm down," Catherine sat next to the hysterical woman and wrapped one of her arms around her shoulders. "You killed Nigel, no one else. If it wasn't for you then everyone would probably still be back there and you, Greg, and Nick would still be in danger."
"But I shot Greg Cath," Sara said dejectedly. She didn't want to hear her co-workers yelling at her so she ran from the room. Nick, Greg, and Warrick looked over at Grissom and Catherine questionably but they just shrugged.
"I'll talk to her," Nick said, getting to his feet. He too, was remembering the scene and had a pretty good idea of what was bothering his girlfriend. "When I get back you'd better be asleep Greggo."
After he could no longer see Nick, Greg's eyes sought out his other friends, making sure they were still in the room. As long as he wasn't left alone then he would be fine. He knew he couldn't go to sleep like Nick wanted him to, as that's when he felt vulnerable and the nightmares and the memories came.
"Nicky's right Greg," Warrick told him. He had seen the fear spring into Greg's eyes when Nick had told him to go to sleep. "If you don't go to sleep voluntarily then the doctor will give you something to make you sleep. You don't want that do you?"
"No," Greg pulled the bed covers up to his chin, making him look younger and so vulnerable that his friends' hearts nearly broke. It wasn't going to be an easy recovery as they had hoped. "I can't go to sleep. He comes back when I sleep."
"We're right here Greg," Grissom and Catherine stepped closer to the bed to assure their youngest that they weren't leaving. They knew he wouldn't sleep unless he knew that someone was there with him. "If it looks like you're having a nightmare we'll wake you up."
Greg yawned and, after making sure his friends were still there, closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost immediately, as he was exhausted.