It was the jauntiest walk to the morgue Nick had ever had. He felt like
Fred Astaire. He couldn't believe that there was even a remote possibility
of Sara having mutual feelings for him.
She almost kissed me! And we're having breakfast! Whoohoo!
He knew he was going to be in trouble for being late yet again but couldn't quite persuade himself to care because he was going out with Sara Sidle! A big goofy smile took up permanent residence on his face and he had to restrain himself from doing cartwheels.
"Hiya Arch, Bobby D." he greeted the lab techs with a wave as he practically skipped by them, lab coat flowing out behind him. "Have a great shift fellas!" He started to whistle happily.
"What's with him?" Bobby asked as they both looked after the CSI with confused expressions.
"Maybe he finally got laid," Archie replied with a shrug.
Grissom and Dr. Al Robbins stood on either side of the autopsy table looking down at their latest victim. Dr. Robbins was just about to give Grissom cause of death when Nick interrupted them as he pushed through the swinging doors.
"Sorry to keep you waiting gentlemen, I was-" He froze when he saw the woman lying on the table.
Grissom turned to him ready to chew him out for keeping him waiting for the second time that day already but stopped and frowned when he saw the look on the younger man's face. "Nick?"
Nick felt as though someone had just sucker punched him in the gut. His arms, legs and face felt numb and all the heat drained from his body, a cold sweat breaking out all over his skin. It felt like there was a vice closing on his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. A pressure began to build in his head making the room seem to tip and spin.
"No," his managed to form the word but it came out in a harsh gasp; his mouth felt like it was full of cotton. "Oh, God please no."
"Nicky? What's wrong?" Grissom gently tried to approach Nick as he unsteadily backed away from the body, his head shaking slowly from side to side. "Nick?"
Nick heard his boss's concerned voice but it seemed far away, like Grissom was down a long tunnel instead of right in front of him. A cruel greasy fist gripped his guts and twisted, forcing him to lurch over to the sink and rid his stomach of his dinner. Leaning heavily on the stainless-steel basin he turned, dragging his arm over his face to wipe his mouth and the tears that had begun to sting his eyes, and caught another glimpse of the victim's face. He was instantly hit by another wave of nausea when he looked at her.
"Oh, my God, no" he moaned miserably, his voice fading to a whisper. His legs lost their strength and he slowly slid down the cinderblock wall to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and his eyes squeezed shut in a futile attempt to block everything out. "No, no, no, no."
"Nick, Jesus, what's going on?" Grissom rushed to kneel at Nick's side. He motioned for Dr. Robbins to pull the sheet back over their Jane Doe's head. "Do you know her?" he asked gently.
Nick's eyes slowly opened releasing tears that tracked down his deathly pale face and he just stared blankly at the figure under the stark white sheet. Grissom thought maybe he hadn't been heard and was about to inquire again when Nick's anguished face slowly turned towards him.
"She's." his eyes went back to the table and filled with tears again. He cleared his throat and swallowed thickly, grimacing. "Her name is Rachel King. She's my sister." He dropped his head, resting his eyes on his knees.
Grissom gasped softly. He didn't know what to say, but placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on the back of Nick's neck, watching him helplessly as he silently cried.
This was going to be a tough night.
She almost kissed me! And we're having breakfast! Whoohoo!
He knew he was going to be in trouble for being late yet again but couldn't quite persuade himself to care because he was going out with Sara Sidle! A big goofy smile took up permanent residence on his face and he had to restrain himself from doing cartwheels.
"Hiya Arch, Bobby D." he greeted the lab techs with a wave as he practically skipped by them, lab coat flowing out behind him. "Have a great shift fellas!" He started to whistle happily.
"What's with him?" Bobby asked as they both looked after the CSI with confused expressions.
"Maybe he finally got laid," Archie replied with a shrug.
Grissom and Dr. Al Robbins stood on either side of the autopsy table looking down at their latest victim. Dr. Robbins was just about to give Grissom cause of death when Nick interrupted them as he pushed through the swinging doors.
"Sorry to keep you waiting gentlemen, I was-" He froze when he saw the woman lying on the table.
Grissom turned to him ready to chew him out for keeping him waiting for the second time that day already but stopped and frowned when he saw the look on the younger man's face. "Nick?"
Nick felt as though someone had just sucker punched him in the gut. His arms, legs and face felt numb and all the heat drained from his body, a cold sweat breaking out all over his skin. It felt like there was a vice closing on his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. A pressure began to build in his head making the room seem to tip and spin.
"No," his managed to form the word but it came out in a harsh gasp; his mouth felt like it was full of cotton. "Oh, God please no."
"Nicky? What's wrong?" Grissom gently tried to approach Nick as he unsteadily backed away from the body, his head shaking slowly from side to side. "Nick?"
Nick heard his boss's concerned voice but it seemed far away, like Grissom was down a long tunnel instead of right in front of him. A cruel greasy fist gripped his guts and twisted, forcing him to lurch over to the sink and rid his stomach of his dinner. Leaning heavily on the stainless-steel basin he turned, dragging his arm over his face to wipe his mouth and the tears that had begun to sting his eyes, and caught another glimpse of the victim's face. He was instantly hit by another wave of nausea when he looked at her.
"Oh, my God, no" he moaned miserably, his voice fading to a whisper. His legs lost their strength and he slowly slid down the cinderblock wall to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and his eyes squeezed shut in a futile attempt to block everything out. "No, no, no, no."
"Nick, Jesus, what's going on?" Grissom rushed to kneel at Nick's side. He motioned for Dr. Robbins to pull the sheet back over their Jane Doe's head. "Do you know her?" he asked gently.
Nick's eyes slowly opened releasing tears that tracked down his deathly pale face and he just stared blankly at the figure under the stark white sheet. Grissom thought maybe he hadn't been heard and was about to inquire again when Nick's anguished face slowly turned towards him.
"She's." his eyes went back to the table and filled with tears again. He cleared his throat and swallowed thickly, grimacing. "Her name is Rachel King. She's my sister." He dropped his head, resting his eyes on his knees.
Grissom gasped softly. He didn't know what to say, but placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on the back of Nick's neck, watching him helplessly as he silently cried.
This was going to be a tough night.