Part 4
Nick's body stiffened at the sound of *his* name. Nigel Crane, the man who tried to...well, Nick wasn't exactly sure what he tried to do then. But he tried to kill Greg today. Or hurt him. Either way, Nick knew his paranoia was justified.
"What exactly happened?" Nick asked.
Greg opted to sit up before telling Nick the story. "I took the stairs since there was a mess of people trying to get on the elevators. I knew someone was behind me, I just didn't pay any attention. Just figured they had the same idea as me. It wasn't until I felt a tug on my shirt that I turned to see who was behind me. I knew who he was instantly. I saw his picture around after he..." he trailed off.
Greg leaned back against the headboard and shut his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes to meet Nick's concerned gaze.
"Take it easy, Greg. We're in no rush," Nick said.
"He ripped the bag from my hands and threw it down the stairs. I tried running, only got up a couple of flights before he grabbed me. He shoved me into the wall, pinning me there. He said that he had seen me hanging with you. He said he was going to use me to get to you. That's when he pushed me down the stairs. When I landed, I didn't move not even after I heard him running up the stairs, then a door opening and then a door closing. I wanted to move, but I wasn't sure if he was there or not. When I realized he was really gone, tried to sit up. I knew I was closer to the second floor, where the convention stuff was, so headed that way. That's when I met you."
When Greg finished, he tried to lie back down on the bed. Nick got up so Greg had more room to get comfortable.
"Why don't you take a nap and see how you feel later?" Nick suggested. "If you don't feel like going to the dinner, I'll be the representive."
Greg mumbled something that sounded like an agreement before rolling onto his side. Nick took his cell phone and headed out the door. Greg heard the door open and turned to look.
"You going far?" he asked before Nick left.
"I'll be just out the door. I want to let Grissom know what's going on," Nick answered. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Good," Greg replied, then turned back to sleep.
Nick quietly shut the door behind him and leaned against the door. He slid down until he was sitting on the floor. Finding Grissom's number in his cell's phone list, he pressed call.
"Grissom," Nick heard his supervisor say.
"It's Nick."
"You don't sound too good. What's wrong?"
"My old friend Nigel is back. He attacked Greg in the stairwell a little while ago."
"What?!?!"
Nick told Grissom what Greg had told him. Then he added, "Greg's allright. Shaken up, but physically all he's got are a few scratches and bruises. It could've been a lot worse. He's sleeping right now."
"I'll find out how Crane even got out of the institution in the first place. Then to find out how he knew you were going to Vermont."
"Sounds good."
"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to come home. You're under no obligation to stay. Or do you want someone else out there?"
"I'll see what Greg wants to do when he wakes up."
"Ok. Have Greg call me when he's awake."
"I will."
After exchaging take care's and goodbye's, Nick pressed End on his phone. He put his head between his knees and sat for a minute. He went back into the room and saw Greg sleeping soundly. Nick pulled a chair next to Greg's bed and sat. As he watched Greg sleep, Nick thought about what they should do from there. And he came to one conclusion-
As long as Nigel Crane was loose, he and Greg weren't safe. Not in Vermont, not in Vegas. They wouldn't be safe anywhere.
Nick's body stiffened at the sound of *his* name. Nigel Crane, the man who tried to...well, Nick wasn't exactly sure what he tried to do then. But he tried to kill Greg today. Or hurt him. Either way, Nick knew his paranoia was justified.
"What exactly happened?" Nick asked.
Greg opted to sit up before telling Nick the story. "I took the stairs since there was a mess of people trying to get on the elevators. I knew someone was behind me, I just didn't pay any attention. Just figured they had the same idea as me. It wasn't until I felt a tug on my shirt that I turned to see who was behind me. I knew who he was instantly. I saw his picture around after he..." he trailed off.
Greg leaned back against the headboard and shut his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes to meet Nick's concerned gaze.
"Take it easy, Greg. We're in no rush," Nick said.
"He ripped the bag from my hands and threw it down the stairs. I tried running, only got up a couple of flights before he grabbed me. He shoved me into the wall, pinning me there. He said that he had seen me hanging with you. He said he was going to use me to get to you. That's when he pushed me down the stairs. When I landed, I didn't move not even after I heard him running up the stairs, then a door opening and then a door closing. I wanted to move, but I wasn't sure if he was there or not. When I realized he was really gone, tried to sit up. I knew I was closer to the second floor, where the convention stuff was, so headed that way. That's when I met you."
When Greg finished, he tried to lie back down on the bed. Nick got up so Greg had more room to get comfortable.
"Why don't you take a nap and see how you feel later?" Nick suggested. "If you don't feel like going to the dinner, I'll be the representive."
Greg mumbled something that sounded like an agreement before rolling onto his side. Nick took his cell phone and headed out the door. Greg heard the door open and turned to look.
"You going far?" he asked before Nick left.
"I'll be just out the door. I want to let Grissom know what's going on," Nick answered. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Good," Greg replied, then turned back to sleep.
Nick quietly shut the door behind him and leaned against the door. He slid down until he was sitting on the floor. Finding Grissom's number in his cell's phone list, he pressed call.
"Grissom," Nick heard his supervisor say.
"It's Nick."
"You don't sound too good. What's wrong?"
"My old friend Nigel is back. He attacked Greg in the stairwell a little while ago."
"What?!?!"
Nick told Grissom what Greg had told him. Then he added, "Greg's allright. Shaken up, but physically all he's got are a few scratches and bruises. It could've been a lot worse. He's sleeping right now."
"I'll find out how Crane even got out of the institution in the first place. Then to find out how he knew you were going to Vermont."
"Sounds good."
"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to come home. You're under no obligation to stay. Or do you want someone else out there?"
"I'll see what Greg wants to do when he wakes up."
"Ok. Have Greg call me when he's awake."
"I will."
After exchaging take care's and goodbye's, Nick pressed End on his phone. He put his head between his knees and sat for a minute. He went back into the room and saw Greg sleeping soundly. Nick pulled a chair next to Greg's bed and sat. As he watched Greg sleep, Nick thought about what they should do from there. And he came to one conclusion-
As long as Nigel Crane was loose, he and Greg weren't safe. Not in Vermont, not in Vegas. They wouldn't be safe anywhere.