Stolen Innocence
Chapter 5: The next morning
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I have an exam in the morning and decided to take a break from studying. I have a week off after my exam tomorrow so I can update more often. Oh, and for future reference, exams on Saturday morning at nine am suck!!!
"You look exhausted Nicky," Grissom told the younger man, who was still seated on the floor next to the couch. Greg had fallen asleep almost three hours before yet Nick had yet to move from his side. "Why don't you crash in Greg's guestroom. I'll watch over him. He'll be fine."
Nick began to protest but halfway through his argument he yawned. Grissom just smiled and motioned him in the direction of the guestroom, promising to wake him should he get tired. Once Nick had disappeared into the room and Grissom was certain he wouldn't reappear, he began to relax. He had thought that Nick was going to start panicking when he had ordered him to fetch the sleeping pills.
Grissom glanced over at Greg's sleeping form and wondered how the younger man was going to handle going to work the next evening. He had been planning on getting Greg into the field more, starting with tomorrow's shift, but now thought better of it. He didn't want to add even more pressure on the lab tech, as it was obvious he was under too much already.
Another question plaguing Grissom's mind was whether or not he should tell the other members of the team. He knew he should ask Greg's permission before telling the others but what if Greg broke down and Nick or himself weren't there? The others wouldn't know what was wrong or how to help him. He'd have to talk to Nick and see what he thought. Nick knew Greg better than anyone else on the team; he'd know the right thing to do.
After a few hours Grissom went to the guestroom and woke Nick. Nick woke and took his place in the living room while Grissom got some sleep.
***Morning***
Greg awoke slowly and disoriented. He was in his home but instead of waking up in his bed, like usual, he was on the couch in his living room. He heard a noise of to his right and looked up to see Nick sitting in his chair. Everything about last night came back to him and Greg quickly averted his gaze from his friend.
"You hungry?" Nick asked his friend, hoping Greg would answer. He didn't want to give the young man an opportunity to retreat back into his shell of loneliness and the only way Nick could think of to stop him was by keeping him distracted. "Grissom's taking a shower but he should be out soon. What do you want to eat? We can go out and get something somewhere if you'd like. We can go to that place you like, the one that serves chocolate chip pancakes."
"You buying?" Greg managed a half-grin for his friend. He silently admitted defeat, as he knew Grissom and Nick would not let him be after witnessing his breakdown the night before. "I'm going to get changed into something clean. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Morning Greg," Grissom told the lab tech as they passed each other in the hall. The CSI night supervisor continued into the living room where Nick filled him in on the plans for the morning. "Sounds good. We don't have that long before shift starts anyway. We all slept in pretty late."
"How do you think he'll handle work?" Nick asked in a low voice so Greg wouldn't overhear. "Are you still planning on putting him in the field tonight? That may not be such a bad idea. He gets the training he needs and we can keep an eye on him at all times."
"Good idea," Grissom grinned at his CSI. Now the only problem was how would they tell Greg he was going into the field without letting him know they were keeping an eye on him.
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I have an exam in the morning and decided to take a break from studying. I have a week off after my exam tomorrow so I can update more often. Oh, and for future reference, exams on Saturday morning at nine am suck!!!
"You look exhausted Nicky," Grissom told the younger man, who was still seated on the floor next to the couch. Greg had fallen asleep almost three hours before yet Nick had yet to move from his side. "Why don't you crash in Greg's guestroom. I'll watch over him. He'll be fine."
Nick began to protest but halfway through his argument he yawned. Grissom just smiled and motioned him in the direction of the guestroom, promising to wake him should he get tired. Once Nick had disappeared into the room and Grissom was certain he wouldn't reappear, he began to relax. He had thought that Nick was going to start panicking when he had ordered him to fetch the sleeping pills.
Grissom glanced over at Greg's sleeping form and wondered how the younger man was going to handle going to work the next evening. He had been planning on getting Greg into the field more, starting with tomorrow's shift, but now thought better of it. He didn't want to add even more pressure on the lab tech, as it was obvious he was under too much already.
Another question plaguing Grissom's mind was whether or not he should tell the other members of the team. He knew he should ask Greg's permission before telling the others but what if Greg broke down and Nick or himself weren't there? The others wouldn't know what was wrong or how to help him. He'd have to talk to Nick and see what he thought. Nick knew Greg better than anyone else on the team; he'd know the right thing to do.
After a few hours Grissom went to the guestroom and woke Nick. Nick woke and took his place in the living room while Grissom got some sleep.
***Morning***
Greg awoke slowly and disoriented. He was in his home but instead of waking up in his bed, like usual, he was on the couch in his living room. He heard a noise of to his right and looked up to see Nick sitting in his chair. Everything about last night came back to him and Greg quickly averted his gaze from his friend.
"You hungry?" Nick asked his friend, hoping Greg would answer. He didn't want to give the young man an opportunity to retreat back into his shell of loneliness and the only way Nick could think of to stop him was by keeping him distracted. "Grissom's taking a shower but he should be out soon. What do you want to eat? We can go out and get something somewhere if you'd like. We can go to that place you like, the one that serves chocolate chip pancakes."
"You buying?" Greg managed a half-grin for his friend. He silently admitted defeat, as he knew Grissom and Nick would not let him be after witnessing his breakdown the night before. "I'm going to get changed into something clean. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Morning Greg," Grissom told the lab tech as they passed each other in the hall. The CSI night supervisor continued into the living room where Nick filled him in on the plans for the morning. "Sounds good. We don't have that long before shift starts anyway. We all slept in pretty late."
"How do you think he'll handle work?" Nick asked in a low voice so Greg wouldn't overhear. "Are you still planning on putting him in the field tonight? That may not be such a bad idea. He gets the training he needs and we can keep an eye on him at all times."
"Good idea," Grissom grinned at his CSI. Now the only problem was how would they tell Greg he was going into the field without letting him know they were keeping an eye on him.