A/N: I'll warn you now, this one's pretty sad. Poor little Nicky, sniffle.
Hehe A Bloom, you are forgiven lol ;)
***
Nick stood staring through the small window in the door to the morgue. The stainless steel autopsy table had been cleaned and was now empty under the glare of the fluorescent light but he could still see her there. Trembling slightly, his hand rose to the door's handle and froze there when his fingertips touched the cold metal.
Come on, Stokes, suck it up man. You've been in that room hundreds of times, seen hundreds of bodies.
It's never been someone I love.
All the more reason. She needs you. So does your family. You owe it to her and to them. you promised.
He closed his eyes and willed himself to walk through the door. Taking a deep shaky breath he entered the cool sterile autopsy room, the smell of anti-septic and death invading his nostrils. Dr. Robbins was sitting at his desk looking over autopsy reports. Seeing Nick, he reached for his cane immediately and stood.
"Nick," he greeted, pulling his glasses from his nose and letting them drop to dangle from their cord around his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you earlier. You have my deepest sympathies."
Nick gave him a curt nod, not meeting his eyes. He swallowed thickly. "Tell me what happened to her."
"Nick listen, I can't even imagine what you're going through right now but I don't know. Did Grissom say-"
"Doc." Nick caught and held his gaze, eyes hard. "Please."
Dr. Robbins sighed and nodded. Against his better judgment he led Nick over to the wall of stainless steel doors that took up one wall of the room. Nick felt his heart sink when he saw his sister's name neatly printed in black marker on a door's label. Dr. Robbins noticed him blanche.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. Nick's jaw tightened and he hesitated for a few seconds but then slowly nodded for the pathologist to continue.
He yanked the handle to open the door and pulled out the drawer inside. Carefully he pulled down the white sheet revealing the pale face of Rachel King. Nick gasped softly but managed to keep himself together. The coroner just waited quietly.
After a moment he spoke his voice quiet and light. His mind was far away, remembering. "See this here?" he pointed to a faint crescent-shaped scar on her forearm. "I did that. I was only about a year old, just learning to walk; Rache would've been about four or five. She was trying to help me up after I took a fall and got bit for her trouble." He chuffed softly, a weak grin flickering on his face. Dr. Robbins smiled kindly.
Nick let out a deep sigh, puffing out his cheeks. "What's the, uh, the cause of death?" he asked passing a hand over his face.
"Cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation. Notice the petichial hemorrhaging. Bruising around her neck indicates the perp most likely used his hands, thumbs pushing on her trachea, but I found no prints indicating he most likely wore gloves." He paused while Nick absorbed this information.
"Swelling and abrasions on her face as well as some minor internal bleeding, bruising and fractures tell me she was roughed up quite a bit before she was killed. Probably put up one hell of a fight though. There are several defensive and offensive wounds and I found some skin and hair samples that I sent to DNA under her finger nails."
"That sounds about right," Nick smiled sadly. "Was she-," he cleared his throat. "Was she raped?"
Dr. Robbins hesitated, and then nodded. Nick's eyes closed and he braced an arm on the wall.
"There. was extensive bruising on her wrists, on her thighs and upper body. No seminal fluid, which means the bastard was smart enough to use a condom, but there was severe vaginal tearing indicating forced entry," he told the younger man softly. Nick kept his eyes shut willing his nausea to go away.
"Was she. Was she alive when that happened?"
Dr. Robbins sighed. "Yes. I'm afraid she was."
"Jesus," Nick muttered weakly, his hand coming up to cover his eyes. "Son of a bitch." He took a few deep breaths then looked at the coroner. "Thanks Doc. Could you um, give me a minute?"
Dr. Robbins nodded. "Of course." He left the room leaving Nick to look down at his older sister.
She was so still she didn't even seem real. He tentatively touched her face and gasped; she was so cold. Sadness washed over him now and tears ran freely down his pained face. He dragged the sleeve of his shirt over his face when he noticed a tear had fallen on Rachel's cheek. He wished he could see her eyes again, their deep crystal blue that shimmered when she smiled, just like their mother's.
"I'm sorry Rache," he whispered, wiping the water off her face gently. He stroked her once shiny raven-black hair that was now dull and flat. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'll get him though. I promise." Bending over he kissed the cool skin on her forehead. "I love you big sister. Miss you."
He gave her one last look, his knuckles stroking her cheek. Carefully he replaced the sheet and slid the drawer back in and closed the door. Sniffing, he took a moment to collect himself and went to begin the search for his sister's murderer.
***
A/N: Aw, poor guy. Sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be longer I promise!
Nick stood staring through the small window in the door to the morgue. The stainless steel autopsy table had been cleaned and was now empty under the glare of the fluorescent light but he could still see her there. Trembling slightly, his hand rose to the door's handle and froze there when his fingertips touched the cold metal.
Come on, Stokes, suck it up man. You've been in that room hundreds of times, seen hundreds of bodies.
It's never been someone I love.
All the more reason. She needs you. So does your family. You owe it to her and to them. you promised.
He closed his eyes and willed himself to walk through the door. Taking a deep shaky breath he entered the cool sterile autopsy room, the smell of anti-septic and death invading his nostrils. Dr. Robbins was sitting at his desk looking over autopsy reports. Seeing Nick, he reached for his cane immediately and stood.
"Nick," he greeted, pulling his glasses from his nose and letting them drop to dangle from their cord around his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you earlier. You have my deepest sympathies."
Nick gave him a curt nod, not meeting his eyes. He swallowed thickly. "Tell me what happened to her."
"Nick listen, I can't even imagine what you're going through right now but I don't know. Did Grissom say-"
"Doc." Nick caught and held his gaze, eyes hard. "Please."
Dr. Robbins sighed and nodded. Against his better judgment he led Nick over to the wall of stainless steel doors that took up one wall of the room. Nick felt his heart sink when he saw his sister's name neatly printed in black marker on a door's label. Dr. Robbins noticed him blanche.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. Nick's jaw tightened and he hesitated for a few seconds but then slowly nodded for the pathologist to continue.
He yanked the handle to open the door and pulled out the drawer inside. Carefully he pulled down the white sheet revealing the pale face of Rachel King. Nick gasped softly but managed to keep himself together. The coroner just waited quietly.
After a moment he spoke his voice quiet and light. His mind was far away, remembering. "See this here?" he pointed to a faint crescent-shaped scar on her forearm. "I did that. I was only about a year old, just learning to walk; Rache would've been about four or five. She was trying to help me up after I took a fall and got bit for her trouble." He chuffed softly, a weak grin flickering on his face. Dr. Robbins smiled kindly.
Nick let out a deep sigh, puffing out his cheeks. "What's the, uh, the cause of death?" he asked passing a hand over his face.
"Cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation. Notice the petichial hemorrhaging. Bruising around her neck indicates the perp most likely used his hands, thumbs pushing on her trachea, but I found no prints indicating he most likely wore gloves." He paused while Nick absorbed this information.
"Swelling and abrasions on her face as well as some minor internal bleeding, bruising and fractures tell me she was roughed up quite a bit before she was killed. Probably put up one hell of a fight though. There are several defensive and offensive wounds and I found some skin and hair samples that I sent to DNA under her finger nails."
"That sounds about right," Nick smiled sadly. "Was she-," he cleared his throat. "Was she raped?"
Dr. Robbins hesitated, and then nodded. Nick's eyes closed and he braced an arm on the wall.
"There. was extensive bruising on her wrists, on her thighs and upper body. No seminal fluid, which means the bastard was smart enough to use a condom, but there was severe vaginal tearing indicating forced entry," he told the younger man softly. Nick kept his eyes shut willing his nausea to go away.
"Was she. Was she alive when that happened?"
Dr. Robbins sighed. "Yes. I'm afraid she was."
"Jesus," Nick muttered weakly, his hand coming up to cover his eyes. "Son of a bitch." He took a few deep breaths then looked at the coroner. "Thanks Doc. Could you um, give me a minute?"
Dr. Robbins nodded. "Of course." He left the room leaving Nick to look down at his older sister.
She was so still she didn't even seem real. He tentatively touched her face and gasped; she was so cold. Sadness washed over him now and tears ran freely down his pained face. He dragged the sleeve of his shirt over his face when he noticed a tear had fallen on Rachel's cheek. He wished he could see her eyes again, their deep crystal blue that shimmered when she smiled, just like their mother's.
"I'm sorry Rache," he whispered, wiping the water off her face gently. He stroked her once shiny raven-black hair that was now dull and flat. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'll get him though. I promise." Bending over he kissed the cool skin on her forehead. "I love you big sister. Miss you."
He gave her one last look, his knuckles stroking her cheek. Carefully he replaced the sheet and slid the drawer back in and closed the door. Sniffing, he took a moment to collect himself and went to begin the search for his sister's murderer.
***
A/N: Aw, poor guy. Sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be longer I promise!