Follow the evidence
Chapter 9: Lost and delirious
"I'm all right," Greg protested when Grissom insisted, for the third time, that he was going with the paramedics to the hospital. He protested again when Grissom told Nick to go to the hospital with him. Greg figured they'd need everyone on the team to search for Jordan. "You guys will call when you find him right?"
"I'll page Nicky," Grissom agreed and motioned for the Nick get in the back of the ambulance. "Not only is he going to keep us posted and keep you company but we'll be able to keep you both posted through him. We'll meet you at the hospital as soon as we find JB and we will find him, I promise you."
The rest of the team watched as the ambulance pulled away. They were all worried about Greg but knew where he was and knew Nick was with him. They needed to concentrate on finding Jordan and finding out what happened in the lab. Grissom assigned Catherine and Warrick to look for JB while he and Sara checked out the crime scene.
***At the hospital***
"Your friend is very lucky," Greg's doctor told Nick. Greg had him listed on his emergency contact card so the doctor had no qualms about giving Nick information on Greg's condition. "He sustained a mild concussion from a blow to the head and a sprained wrist, probably from when he fell to the floor. We'd like to keep him here for a few hours to monitor him but after that he is free to leave, as long as he has supervision for the remainder of the night. I'm not comfortable releasing him knowing he'll go home to an empty house. Also, he shouldn't drive for forty-eight hours. You may go in and visit him now."
"Thank you doctor," Nick said and practically ran into Greg's room. he had never been so scared as when he walked into the lab to find his best friend on the floor, bleeding and not moving. "Hey Greggo, how you feeling? Okay that was a stupid question but answer it anyway."
"I'm fine," Greg said, his voice quiet and sullen. He looked up at Nick who could see the worry shining in his brown eyes. "Do you think they found JB yet? He was standing right next to me when whatever happened happened. What if someone kidnapped him? What if he's hurt? What if he's lying somewhere dying slowly? What if he's already dead?"
"You need to calm down," Nick told the lab tech as Greg started to panic. He wished Grissom had let someone else come along too because he had no idea what to say to the kid that would make him feel better. "You know how hard Grissom and everybody works. They'll work twice as hard knowing that you were hurt and that JB is missing. They won't rest until he's found and whoever attacked you and they're put behind bars. You should try to get some sleep while you can. Once you get back to work there's going to be a ton of evidence to process."
"I'm not tired," Greg yawned then glared at his best friend when Nick laughed. Greg shifted until he was comfortable and fell asleep within minutes.
***At the crime scene***
"Hello?" Grissom answered his ringing cell phone, hoping it was Nick. A few feet over Sara stood and walked over to him. "Nick, how's he doing? That's good. No there's nothing here yet but we're still looking. No, Catherine and Warrick haven't found anything yet either. He what? Poor kid. Call me once he wakes up again and we'll come see him. All right. See you then. Bye."
"What'd Nicky have to say?" Sara asked her boss, anxiousness coating her voice. Grissom looked over at her then at Catherine and Warrick, who'd both just entered the room.
"Greg has a mild concussion and a sprained wrist but other than that he's fine," Grissom's voice was tight with emotion as he spoke. "The doctor's going to keep him there for a few hours then Greg will stay with Nick for a few days. The biggest problem is that Greg almost panicked, asking where Jordan was, saying he could be dying or already dead. Waking up to find JB gone really shook the kid up. Nick got him to calm down and he's resting now. Nick will call again once Greg wakes up and we'll go see him."
"Let's try and bring him good news," Sara was the first to speak but her voice still rang with shock. She knew Greg didn't spook easily from horror movie nights with him and Nick. "Did you guys find anything yet? There's nothing much in here except for blood, which can't be processed until Vincent gets here. It'll be slow going since we can't use the DNA lab."
"We searched the entire building but there's nothing," Warrick sighed and fought the urge to punch the wall in frustration. He hated that Greg had been hurt, hated that Jordan was missing, and hated that he couldn't find any evidence against whoever attacked his friends. "We're thinking that whoever did this forced JB out of the building without hurting him."
"There's no evidence to support that theory," Grissom stated the obvious. "But it's better than the only other theory that makes sense. The one where Jordan attacked Greg then ran away."
"I'm all right," Greg protested when Grissom insisted, for the third time, that he was going with the paramedics to the hospital. He protested again when Grissom told Nick to go to the hospital with him. Greg figured they'd need everyone on the team to search for Jordan. "You guys will call when you find him right?"
"I'll page Nicky," Grissom agreed and motioned for the Nick get in the back of the ambulance. "Not only is he going to keep us posted and keep you company but we'll be able to keep you both posted through him. We'll meet you at the hospital as soon as we find JB and we will find him, I promise you."
The rest of the team watched as the ambulance pulled away. They were all worried about Greg but knew where he was and knew Nick was with him. They needed to concentrate on finding Jordan and finding out what happened in the lab. Grissom assigned Catherine and Warrick to look for JB while he and Sara checked out the crime scene.
***At the hospital***
"Your friend is very lucky," Greg's doctor told Nick. Greg had him listed on his emergency contact card so the doctor had no qualms about giving Nick information on Greg's condition. "He sustained a mild concussion from a blow to the head and a sprained wrist, probably from when he fell to the floor. We'd like to keep him here for a few hours to monitor him but after that he is free to leave, as long as he has supervision for the remainder of the night. I'm not comfortable releasing him knowing he'll go home to an empty house. Also, he shouldn't drive for forty-eight hours. You may go in and visit him now."
"Thank you doctor," Nick said and practically ran into Greg's room. he had never been so scared as when he walked into the lab to find his best friend on the floor, bleeding and not moving. "Hey Greggo, how you feeling? Okay that was a stupid question but answer it anyway."
"I'm fine," Greg said, his voice quiet and sullen. He looked up at Nick who could see the worry shining in his brown eyes. "Do you think they found JB yet? He was standing right next to me when whatever happened happened. What if someone kidnapped him? What if he's hurt? What if he's lying somewhere dying slowly? What if he's already dead?"
"You need to calm down," Nick told the lab tech as Greg started to panic. He wished Grissom had let someone else come along too because he had no idea what to say to the kid that would make him feel better. "You know how hard Grissom and everybody works. They'll work twice as hard knowing that you were hurt and that JB is missing. They won't rest until he's found and whoever attacked you and they're put behind bars. You should try to get some sleep while you can. Once you get back to work there's going to be a ton of evidence to process."
"I'm not tired," Greg yawned then glared at his best friend when Nick laughed. Greg shifted until he was comfortable and fell asleep within minutes.
***At the crime scene***
"Hello?" Grissom answered his ringing cell phone, hoping it was Nick. A few feet over Sara stood and walked over to him. "Nick, how's he doing? That's good. No there's nothing here yet but we're still looking. No, Catherine and Warrick haven't found anything yet either. He what? Poor kid. Call me once he wakes up again and we'll come see him. All right. See you then. Bye."
"What'd Nicky have to say?" Sara asked her boss, anxiousness coating her voice. Grissom looked over at her then at Catherine and Warrick, who'd both just entered the room.
"Greg has a mild concussion and a sprained wrist but other than that he's fine," Grissom's voice was tight with emotion as he spoke. "The doctor's going to keep him there for a few hours then Greg will stay with Nick for a few days. The biggest problem is that Greg almost panicked, asking where Jordan was, saying he could be dying or already dead. Waking up to find JB gone really shook the kid up. Nick got him to calm down and he's resting now. Nick will call again once Greg wakes up and we'll go see him."
"Let's try and bring him good news," Sara was the first to speak but her voice still rang with shock. She knew Greg didn't spook easily from horror movie nights with him and Nick. "Did you guys find anything yet? There's nothing much in here except for blood, which can't be processed until Vincent gets here. It'll be slow going since we can't use the DNA lab."
"We searched the entire building but there's nothing," Warrick sighed and fought the urge to punch the wall in frustration. He hated that Greg had been hurt, hated that Jordan was missing, and hated that he couldn't find any evidence against whoever attacked his friends. "We're thinking that whoever did this forced JB out of the building without hurting him."
"There's no evidence to support that theory," Grissom stated the obvious. "But it's better than the only other theory that makes sense. The one where Jordan attacked Greg then ran away."