Nick had been headed home from Sara's to change his clothes when a dump
truck filled with debris from a demolition site pulled in front of him.
The dump truck had pulled out too fast and the driver appeared to be trying
to steady the vehicle when a chunk of metal came off his load and into the
path of Nick's Tahoe. Nick trying to avoid the metal in the roadway, ended
up overcorrecting after he blew the right front tire, losing control of the
Tahoe. He never made it home that day. Instead he ended up suspended from
his seatbelt as the Tahoe sat upside down in a ditch. The dump truck
driver seemed oblivious to the fact that he had just caused an accident in
his wake and continued on with his load.
By the time a passerby stopped to see what was going on, an hour and a half had elapsed. Nick had struck his head on the window and as he hung upside down for over an hour he faded in and out of consciousness. The Tahoe was a mangled mass of twisted metal.
Once the paramedics and the fire department arrived, they were able to free an unconscious Nick from the wreckage. They fitted a cervical collar around his neck and strapped him to a backboard to prevent further injury. Nick had suffered no obvious outward physical trauma outside of cuts and abrasions, but his lack of consciousness was cause for concern. When he arrived at the hospital, and they had determined that his vitals were strong, they had a CT scan done to check for internal injuries and for the stability of his spine.
Once it was discovered that the Tahoe was LVPD issued, Brass quickly learned about the accident. He met the four concerned CSIs in the emergency room of Desert Palm Hospital. Brass had a worried expression on his face.
Grissom raised an eyebrow in inquiry, "Jim, what's the word on Nick?"
"All I know is that when they brought him in he wasn't conscious. Apparently, he rolled the Tahoe several times and was there for a while before he was discovered. I haven't heard anything about the extent of his injuries." Brass answered.
The color drained out of Sara's face. Warrick caught her before she hit the floor. When she came to a few seconds later, four worried faces were looking at her. Warrick helped her into a chair.
Grissom knelt down next to her, "Sara. Are you ok?"
Tears began streaming down her face, "I knew something was wrong. I knew he should have been there. It should have only taken him twenty minutes from my apartment. If I hadn't asked him to stay, he'd be alright."
Worried glances were exchanged. No one was really following what Sara was saying, except that somehow she was blaming herself.
"Sara, it's not your fault that Nick's hurt." Catherine began.
"Yes, it is. If he'd" Sara continued.
Warrick cut her off, "Sara, you can't play the what if game. You didn't cause Nick's accident." Warrick put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a brotherly hug. "You need to wait for the evidence, find out what happened. Don't beat yourself up."
Grissom interjected, "Warrick's right." He stood up and motioned to Catherine and Brass. "I'll see if I can find out anything more." Catherine stood up and followed Brass and Grissom.
"I need to get back to meet an officer, we've got an arrest to make in the case at the Mirage. Let me know when you find out about Nicky." Brass excused himself.
"Will do." Grissom replied. He turned to Catherine, "I need your people skills."
Catherine raised an eyebrow, "I'll see if I can find out anything about Nick."
"Thanks." Grissom answered. He paused and looked at her perplexed, "Catherine, is there something going on between Nick and Sara?"
A tiny smile played at her lips, "Yeah, there is." Catherine turned and walked toward the nurses station.
Grissom went in search of coffee for them all.
Warrick tried to comfort Sara, "Sara, he's gonna be alright."
"If I hadn't made him stay, Warrick, he'd be ok." Sara reasoned.
Warrick chuckled, "Sara, I'm sure he wasn't that hard to convince. You're a beautiful woman and he's wanted to go out with you since he met you."
A few minutes later, Catherine returned. She shook her head, "Still no word, they're still running tests."
Grissom returned a short time later with coffee in hand.
The wait continued.
By the time a passerby stopped to see what was going on, an hour and a half had elapsed. Nick had struck his head on the window and as he hung upside down for over an hour he faded in and out of consciousness. The Tahoe was a mangled mass of twisted metal.
Once the paramedics and the fire department arrived, they were able to free an unconscious Nick from the wreckage. They fitted a cervical collar around his neck and strapped him to a backboard to prevent further injury. Nick had suffered no obvious outward physical trauma outside of cuts and abrasions, but his lack of consciousness was cause for concern. When he arrived at the hospital, and they had determined that his vitals were strong, they had a CT scan done to check for internal injuries and for the stability of his spine.
Once it was discovered that the Tahoe was LVPD issued, Brass quickly learned about the accident. He met the four concerned CSIs in the emergency room of Desert Palm Hospital. Brass had a worried expression on his face.
Grissom raised an eyebrow in inquiry, "Jim, what's the word on Nick?"
"All I know is that when they brought him in he wasn't conscious. Apparently, he rolled the Tahoe several times and was there for a while before he was discovered. I haven't heard anything about the extent of his injuries." Brass answered.
The color drained out of Sara's face. Warrick caught her before she hit the floor. When she came to a few seconds later, four worried faces were looking at her. Warrick helped her into a chair.
Grissom knelt down next to her, "Sara. Are you ok?"
Tears began streaming down her face, "I knew something was wrong. I knew he should have been there. It should have only taken him twenty minutes from my apartment. If I hadn't asked him to stay, he'd be alright."
Worried glances were exchanged. No one was really following what Sara was saying, except that somehow she was blaming herself.
"Sara, it's not your fault that Nick's hurt." Catherine began.
"Yes, it is. If he'd" Sara continued.
Warrick cut her off, "Sara, you can't play the what if game. You didn't cause Nick's accident." Warrick put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a brotherly hug. "You need to wait for the evidence, find out what happened. Don't beat yourself up."
Grissom interjected, "Warrick's right." He stood up and motioned to Catherine and Brass. "I'll see if I can find out anything more." Catherine stood up and followed Brass and Grissom.
"I need to get back to meet an officer, we've got an arrest to make in the case at the Mirage. Let me know when you find out about Nicky." Brass excused himself.
"Will do." Grissom replied. He turned to Catherine, "I need your people skills."
Catherine raised an eyebrow, "I'll see if I can find out anything about Nick."
"Thanks." Grissom answered. He paused and looked at her perplexed, "Catherine, is there something going on between Nick and Sara?"
A tiny smile played at her lips, "Yeah, there is." Catherine turned and walked toward the nurses station.
Grissom went in search of coffee for them all.
Warrick tried to comfort Sara, "Sara, he's gonna be alright."
"If I hadn't made him stay, Warrick, he'd be ok." Sara reasoned.
Warrick chuckled, "Sara, I'm sure he wasn't that hard to convince. You're a beautiful woman and he's wanted to go out with you since he met you."
A few minutes later, Catherine returned. She shook her head, "Still no word, they're still running tests."
Grissom returned a short time later with coffee in hand.
The wait continued.