Stolen Innocence
Chapter 2: Running away
"Leave them Greg," Grissom told the young man when Greg started to clear the table. Greg looked over at his boss, confusion plastered on his face. "It's Christmas and that means no working. I'll do the dishes tomorrow. Why don't you go into the living room and pick out a movie?"
Greg nodded, still uncomfortable with being at Grissom's house. No matter what his boss said, Greg felt like he was intruding in on Grissom's family time. The moment he could he was going to call a cab and get back to his own place. He didn't want Grissom to feel obligated to keep him company.
"If you need me I'll be in my bedroom," Grissom motioned to which door it was. "It's time for me to call my mother. I shouldn't be too long, as she doesn't like to talk on the telephone for large amounts of time. After I'm finished we can some take-out or something. You slept so late that it's almost suppertime."
Greg waited until Grissom closed his bedroom before he quietly left. He walked along the road until he came to a small store with a payphone. He got the address from a clerk inside and then placed the call. He waited for about ten minutes before a cab pulled up next to him. Greg gave the cabbie his home address then leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes.
The next thing he knew, Greg heard car horns blaring and the sound of metal smashing together. He felt an intense pain in his right leg and then he blacked out.
***A few hours later***
"Hello?" Nick Stokes said his cell phone. He'd just said good- bye to his family, who were now on their way to the airport. Nick wished they could have stayed longer but his father had to work tomorrow as did Nick.
"Is this Nicholas Stokes?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Nick replied that yes it was and waited for the person to continue. "We have you listed as one of the emergency contacts for Gregory Sanders. Can you come to Memorial General hospital to fill out some forms for us?"
"What happened to Greg?" Nick demanded as he grabbed his coat, locked the door, and ran to his car. "Is he all right? How hurt is he? What happened?"
"His doctor will explain everything once you arrive," the voice said before hanging up. Nick cursed and pulled out of his driveway. He knew about Greg's family situation but also knew he usually spent Christmas with the uncle he lived with after his family's deaths. Nick quickly found a parking spot and rushed to the nurses' desk.
"I'm looking for Greg Sanders," Nick told the young nurse. She smiled flirtatiously at him and normally he would have smiled back, but he was worried about Greg. He waited impatiently for the information before taking off to find Greg's hospital room and his doctor.
"Are you Nicholas Stokes?" a doctor asked as Nick was about to enter Greg's room. Nick nodded and waited for the doctor to proceed. "He's a very fortunate young man. A drunk driver hit the cab he was in where the driver was seated. He died instantly. Another car smashed into the cab where Gregory was seated but it was already slowing down so it caused less damage. Gregory's right leg is broken; he has a few cracked ribs, and a laceration on his forehead that required a few stitches to close. None of his injuries are serious so I can release him but only to your care, if you are willing."
"He can stay in my guest room," Nick agreed, really wanting to see his friend. Luckily the doctor left to get the release form and Nick was allowed to see his younger friend. "Hey Greggo. How you feeling? You looked pretty banged up."
"Nick?" Greg looked at the person who'd just come into his room. He closed his eyes and willed the image to go away. He didn't want to ruin his best friend's Christmas and by Nick being here, that's exactly what he was doing. "I'm all right Nick. You should go be with your family."
"They've already left," Nick told him. He looked the kid over quickly and imagined the accident. The doctor was right. Greg had been incredibly lucky. "The doctor's going to release you but you can't be alone so you're going to stay in my guest room until the doctor and you are both comfortable with your living alone again. We'll stop by your place and get some clothes and things for you on the way to my house. Sound good?"
Greg nodded and knew he was defeated. He was relieved though, that he wouldn't have to hobble around on his crutches, trying to cook and clean for himself. He was bound to injure himself further if he did that.
"All right, let's get out of here," Nick said after the doctor came back with the release form and it was signed. Nick steered Greg's wheelchair out to the car and an intern followed with Greg's crutches. "Are you sure you're all right Greg? The doctor told me what happened. It sounds like a pretty bad accident."
"I was almost asleep when it happened so I don't remember much," Greg admitted as Nick turned to enter Greg's driveway. He lived only a few minutes from the hospital.
"Why is Grissom's car in your driveway?" Nick asked as he turned the car off. He got out and quickly went to the other side to help Greg get out. "And why is he sitting on your front steps? He looks angry. I wonder what happened."
Greg just looked to where his boss was seated and watched as Grissom took in the scene before him. His angry expression quickly faded into one of worry and concern yet still held that parental disappointment. Greg knew he was in for a lecture once Grissom found out he was all right.
"Leave them Greg," Grissom told the young man when Greg started to clear the table. Greg looked over at his boss, confusion plastered on his face. "It's Christmas and that means no working. I'll do the dishes tomorrow. Why don't you go into the living room and pick out a movie?"
Greg nodded, still uncomfortable with being at Grissom's house. No matter what his boss said, Greg felt like he was intruding in on Grissom's family time. The moment he could he was going to call a cab and get back to his own place. He didn't want Grissom to feel obligated to keep him company.
"If you need me I'll be in my bedroom," Grissom motioned to which door it was. "It's time for me to call my mother. I shouldn't be too long, as she doesn't like to talk on the telephone for large amounts of time. After I'm finished we can some take-out or something. You slept so late that it's almost suppertime."
Greg waited until Grissom closed his bedroom before he quietly left. He walked along the road until he came to a small store with a payphone. He got the address from a clerk inside and then placed the call. He waited for about ten minutes before a cab pulled up next to him. Greg gave the cabbie his home address then leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes.
The next thing he knew, Greg heard car horns blaring and the sound of metal smashing together. He felt an intense pain in his right leg and then he blacked out.
***A few hours later***
"Hello?" Nick Stokes said his cell phone. He'd just said good- bye to his family, who were now on their way to the airport. Nick wished they could have stayed longer but his father had to work tomorrow as did Nick.
"Is this Nicholas Stokes?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Nick replied that yes it was and waited for the person to continue. "We have you listed as one of the emergency contacts for Gregory Sanders. Can you come to Memorial General hospital to fill out some forms for us?"
"What happened to Greg?" Nick demanded as he grabbed his coat, locked the door, and ran to his car. "Is he all right? How hurt is he? What happened?"
"His doctor will explain everything once you arrive," the voice said before hanging up. Nick cursed and pulled out of his driveway. He knew about Greg's family situation but also knew he usually spent Christmas with the uncle he lived with after his family's deaths. Nick quickly found a parking spot and rushed to the nurses' desk.
"I'm looking for Greg Sanders," Nick told the young nurse. She smiled flirtatiously at him and normally he would have smiled back, but he was worried about Greg. He waited impatiently for the information before taking off to find Greg's hospital room and his doctor.
"Are you Nicholas Stokes?" a doctor asked as Nick was about to enter Greg's room. Nick nodded and waited for the doctor to proceed. "He's a very fortunate young man. A drunk driver hit the cab he was in where the driver was seated. He died instantly. Another car smashed into the cab where Gregory was seated but it was already slowing down so it caused less damage. Gregory's right leg is broken; he has a few cracked ribs, and a laceration on his forehead that required a few stitches to close. None of his injuries are serious so I can release him but only to your care, if you are willing."
"He can stay in my guest room," Nick agreed, really wanting to see his friend. Luckily the doctor left to get the release form and Nick was allowed to see his younger friend. "Hey Greggo. How you feeling? You looked pretty banged up."
"Nick?" Greg looked at the person who'd just come into his room. He closed his eyes and willed the image to go away. He didn't want to ruin his best friend's Christmas and by Nick being here, that's exactly what he was doing. "I'm all right Nick. You should go be with your family."
"They've already left," Nick told him. He looked the kid over quickly and imagined the accident. The doctor was right. Greg had been incredibly lucky. "The doctor's going to release you but you can't be alone so you're going to stay in my guest room until the doctor and you are both comfortable with your living alone again. We'll stop by your place and get some clothes and things for you on the way to my house. Sound good?"
Greg nodded and knew he was defeated. He was relieved though, that he wouldn't have to hobble around on his crutches, trying to cook and clean for himself. He was bound to injure himself further if he did that.
"All right, let's get out of here," Nick said after the doctor came back with the release form and it was signed. Nick steered Greg's wheelchair out to the car and an intern followed with Greg's crutches. "Are you sure you're all right Greg? The doctor told me what happened. It sounds like a pretty bad accident."
"I was almost asleep when it happened so I don't remember much," Greg admitted as Nick turned to enter Greg's driveway. He lived only a few minutes from the hospital.
"Why is Grissom's car in your driveway?" Nick asked as he turned the car off. He got out and quickly went to the other side to help Greg get out. "And why is he sitting on your front steps? He looks angry. I wonder what happened."
Greg just looked to where his boss was seated and watched as Grissom took in the scene before him. His angry expression quickly faded into one of worry and concern yet still held that parental disappointment. Greg knew he was in for a lecture once Grissom found out he was all right.