Different tactics
Chapter 28: Sleep
A/N: Sorry again for the lack of updates. My computer is still screwing up. On the small bright side though, I get to watch the "stalker" episode tonight.
"You all right Greggo?" Nick asked his best friend. He could see the fear in Greg's brown eyes where a spark used to be. Nick would have given anything to be able to see that spark in Greg's eyes that that moment. "Can I talk to Greg alone for a few minutes guys?"
Sara and Warrick nodded and left the room. They hoped Nick could get through to him and find out what was wrong. They knew if anyone could it would be Nick. Greg trusted him the most out of any of them. They decided to go down to the cafeteria and get a coffee.
"Greg, Nigel's dead," Nick told his friend softly. He watched the fear slowly disappear from Greg's eyes but it was replaced with something Nick couldn't pinpoint. "He can't hurt us anymore. It's finally over. He won't be back."
"Are you sure?" Greg's voice was soft, almost inaudible, and Nick had to strain to hear it. He was still frightened; it rang in his voice, but knew as long as he had his friends he was safe. "Did he play with your mind too? Tell you things that he wanted to do?"
Nick's eyes widened as he realized what Greg was talking about; remembered the threats Nigel had told them right before the shooting had started. He took one of Greg's hands and squeezed it reassuringly. "None of those things are going to happen Greggo. He's dead and he can't hurt us anymore. You still look exhausted. Why don't you try to get some more sleep?"
"I'm not tired," Greg protested but yawned seconds later. He glared at Nick when the older man laughed and turned away from him, only to face Grissom. "Hey Grissom, when did you come back? I didn't hear you come in."
"Nicky's right Greg, you need your sleep," Grissom gave the lab tech a small smile when he protested. Grissom shared the same look as Nick, which told Greg that they were not leaving him alone until he went to sleep. "We'll wake you if it looks like you're having a nightmare. Nothing's going to happen if you sleep for a few more hours."
Greg just sighed and gave in. He knew when to give up and it was already two against one, five against one if they decided to bring in the rest of the team. He made them both promise that they wouldn't leave him alone before he would even close his eyes. He was in a deep sleep within minutes.
"How's he doing mentally?" Grissom questioned Nick, who was reluctant to answer. "That's what I thought. We'll get him through this Nicky. We just have to let him know that he doesn't have to do it alone. Brass is still giving as many cases to Ecklie's crew as possible so we can concentrate on Greg's recovery."
"Just keep Ecklie away from Greg," Nick growled when he remembered the last run in with the dayshift supervisor. He briefly wondered if Greg would remember and be scared of Ecklie once he returned to work. "Did you talk to the doctor about when he can come back to work?"
"He suggests at least five days for recuperation then for me to use my judgment," Grissom replied and shook his head to show his frustration. "I have no idea how the kid's going to handle work after all this. I don't know how any of us are going to face work after this but at least the rest of us are better prepared for it. Maybe if I get him to take a training course it'll help his recovery. At least then he might not feel as helpless as he did this time."
"You want Greg to take a CSI training course?" Nick asked, shock apparent in his voice. He looked down at his sleeping friend and grinned. "He's going to love that. And you're right. It will make him feel like he's more prepared for this kind of thing. Maybe we should all take the course together."
"We'll talk about that," Grissom grinned at his CSI then gave him a stern, fatherly glare. "But right now you're going to join Greg and go to sleep. Don't even try to protest because you need sleep. The nurse is bringing in a cot any minute now. I'll watch over Greg until you wake up."
A/N: Sorry again for the lack of updates. My computer is still screwing up. On the small bright side though, I get to watch the "stalker" episode tonight.
"You all right Greggo?" Nick asked his best friend. He could see the fear in Greg's brown eyes where a spark used to be. Nick would have given anything to be able to see that spark in Greg's eyes that that moment. "Can I talk to Greg alone for a few minutes guys?"
Sara and Warrick nodded and left the room. They hoped Nick could get through to him and find out what was wrong. They knew if anyone could it would be Nick. Greg trusted him the most out of any of them. They decided to go down to the cafeteria and get a coffee.
"Greg, Nigel's dead," Nick told his friend softly. He watched the fear slowly disappear from Greg's eyes but it was replaced with something Nick couldn't pinpoint. "He can't hurt us anymore. It's finally over. He won't be back."
"Are you sure?" Greg's voice was soft, almost inaudible, and Nick had to strain to hear it. He was still frightened; it rang in his voice, but knew as long as he had his friends he was safe. "Did he play with your mind too? Tell you things that he wanted to do?"
Nick's eyes widened as he realized what Greg was talking about; remembered the threats Nigel had told them right before the shooting had started. He took one of Greg's hands and squeezed it reassuringly. "None of those things are going to happen Greggo. He's dead and he can't hurt us anymore. You still look exhausted. Why don't you try to get some more sleep?"
"I'm not tired," Greg protested but yawned seconds later. He glared at Nick when the older man laughed and turned away from him, only to face Grissom. "Hey Grissom, when did you come back? I didn't hear you come in."
"Nicky's right Greg, you need your sleep," Grissom gave the lab tech a small smile when he protested. Grissom shared the same look as Nick, which told Greg that they were not leaving him alone until he went to sleep. "We'll wake you if it looks like you're having a nightmare. Nothing's going to happen if you sleep for a few more hours."
Greg just sighed and gave in. He knew when to give up and it was already two against one, five against one if they decided to bring in the rest of the team. He made them both promise that they wouldn't leave him alone before he would even close his eyes. He was in a deep sleep within minutes.
"How's he doing mentally?" Grissom questioned Nick, who was reluctant to answer. "That's what I thought. We'll get him through this Nicky. We just have to let him know that he doesn't have to do it alone. Brass is still giving as many cases to Ecklie's crew as possible so we can concentrate on Greg's recovery."
"Just keep Ecklie away from Greg," Nick growled when he remembered the last run in with the dayshift supervisor. He briefly wondered if Greg would remember and be scared of Ecklie once he returned to work. "Did you talk to the doctor about when he can come back to work?"
"He suggests at least five days for recuperation then for me to use my judgment," Grissom replied and shook his head to show his frustration. "I have no idea how the kid's going to handle work after all this. I don't know how any of us are going to face work after this but at least the rest of us are better prepared for it. Maybe if I get him to take a training course it'll help his recovery. At least then he might not feel as helpless as he did this time."
"You want Greg to take a CSI training course?" Nick asked, shock apparent in his voice. He looked down at his sleeping friend and grinned. "He's going to love that. And you're right. It will make him feel like he's more prepared for this kind of thing. Maybe we should all take the course together."
"We'll talk about that," Grissom grinned at his CSI then gave him a stern, fatherly glare. "But right now you're going to join Greg and go to sleep. Don't even try to protest because you need sleep. The nurse is bringing in a cot any minute now. I'll watch over Greg until you wake up."