"We're going to die, aren't we?" Sara's voice was too calm as she saw fear
spreading across Nick's face.
A single tear slid down Nick's dust coated cheek as he shook his head. "I sure as hell hope not. I don't want to die any more than you do." He continued to fight the fear that welled up within him. "I'm scared, Sara, but that doesn't mean we won't get out of here. I've been scared lots of times and gotten out of sticky situations."
Sara studied him, not quite believing him, but desperately wanting to. "Name one time."
He took a couple of deep breaths. "Nigel Crane." He really didn't need to say more. The stalker had cause Nick quite a bit of anguish and a lot of sleeplessness. A fact that the entire team was well aware of.
Sara leaned her head back onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Nick. I've been thinking of nothing but myself since we got stuck in here."
Nick sniffed and let out a chuckle. "It's ok, Sara. Just so you know, you can always ask me anything. You don't need to apologize."
"How come you didn't tell me you were scared earlier?" She had concern in her voice.
"What good would that do? You were so scared that I thought it would just make it even worse." Nick reasoned.
"We're quite a pair." Sara had a faint smile on her face.
Nick hugged her. "Yeah, we are."
They were quiet for a few minutes. They could still hear the muffled voices of the rescue crew outside. They both knew that they would be trying to find the best way to get them safely out of the rubble, but it would probably still be some time before they were free. They heard some pounding above them and a scraping noise of something sliding toward them. The pair clung to each other tightly as they braced themselves to have more debris showered upon them. Instead, a small object hit Nick's hardhat and then skittered to the ground.
Nick glanced over and then smiled as he spotted a cell phone. He reached for it, just as it rang. "Hello."
Grissom's voice sounded thick with concern. "Nicky? Are you ok? How's Sara?"
Nick breathed out deeply and his voice was thick with emotion. "Grissom, we're both ok, but we'd really like to get out of here soon, if things start shifting again, we could have a real problem."
Sara looked worried as she watched Nick's face.
He glanced up at her and held the phone between them so they both could hear. He knew that hearing a voice outside the confines of their prison would give her hope that they'd be able to get out.
"Grissom?" Sara's voice sounded tentative.
"You ok, Sara?" Grissom sounded like a concerned father. He, like the rest of the team, was well aware that she was somewhat claustrophobic.
"Uh, yeah, I mean neither of us is hurt, but how soon can they get us out of here?" Sara tried to squash the panic building in her voice.
"I'm going to hand the phone to the rescue squad commander and he's going to let you know what's going on. Ok? Just hang on a little while longer; they're going to get you and Nicky out." Grissom continued, trying to sound calm.
"Ok." Sara breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She felt Nick rubbing her back in an effort to soothe her. She looked into his eyes and smiled softly as she waited for the rescue squad commander to get on the line.
"This is Commander Reynolds. Am I talking to Sara or Nick?" The voice on the other end sounded professional and in control.
Sara answered him. "Uh, actually we can both hear you."
"Ok, good. This is what we're going to try and do. We've pinpointed where you are under the house. A good deal of the foundation is exposed at that point, so we're going to try and cut through the concrete and make a hole big enough for you to crawl through." He sounded as if they'd thought the plan through quite thoroughly.
Nick was a little concerned as to where they were going to break through, since he and Sara had limited space in the void to move away from the foundation. "Uh, Commander Reynolds, we don't have a lot of space to move in here. We could have a problem if you plan on cutting through right where we are."
"Ok, that's what I need to know. How much space would you say you have in there?" He continued.
Nick surveyed the area. "Well, we're sitting side by side and we don't have enough room to straighten our legs out."
"Ok." Commander Reynolds was quiet for a moment. "Uh, can you cross your legs?"
"Yeah, but it'll be tight for both of us to do that." Nick replied.
"Uh, I'm not sure how good of friends you two are, but you're going to have to get real close here for the next few minutes." The commander continued.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" Sara was slightly amused at the man's concern. At the moment, she would do just about anything to get out of there alive.
"Uh, Nick, if you'll cross your legs, and, Sara, if you'll sit on his lap and pull your legs as tightly against you as possible, we'll drill into the foundation right next to you." He explained.
"Ok." Nick answered for both of them. "Uh, but how are you going to know exactly where to drill?"
"Uh, the police department brought out some thermal imaging equipment. We can tell where you are." He answered.
"Ok, let's do this." Nick answered.
"We'll call you back periodically to check on you and let you know our progress." The commander answered before ending the call.
"Well, Sara, you about ready to get out of here?" Nick smiled crossing his legs.
"Hell, yes." She answered as she sat on his lap and pulled her legs close. She rested her head against his shoulder and let him wrap his arms around her waist as they waited to be rescued.
A single tear slid down Nick's dust coated cheek as he shook his head. "I sure as hell hope not. I don't want to die any more than you do." He continued to fight the fear that welled up within him. "I'm scared, Sara, but that doesn't mean we won't get out of here. I've been scared lots of times and gotten out of sticky situations."
Sara studied him, not quite believing him, but desperately wanting to. "Name one time."
He took a couple of deep breaths. "Nigel Crane." He really didn't need to say more. The stalker had cause Nick quite a bit of anguish and a lot of sleeplessness. A fact that the entire team was well aware of.
Sara leaned her head back onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Nick. I've been thinking of nothing but myself since we got stuck in here."
Nick sniffed and let out a chuckle. "It's ok, Sara. Just so you know, you can always ask me anything. You don't need to apologize."
"How come you didn't tell me you were scared earlier?" She had concern in her voice.
"What good would that do? You were so scared that I thought it would just make it even worse." Nick reasoned.
"We're quite a pair." Sara had a faint smile on her face.
Nick hugged her. "Yeah, we are."
They were quiet for a few minutes. They could still hear the muffled voices of the rescue crew outside. They both knew that they would be trying to find the best way to get them safely out of the rubble, but it would probably still be some time before they were free. They heard some pounding above them and a scraping noise of something sliding toward them. The pair clung to each other tightly as they braced themselves to have more debris showered upon them. Instead, a small object hit Nick's hardhat and then skittered to the ground.
Nick glanced over and then smiled as he spotted a cell phone. He reached for it, just as it rang. "Hello."
Grissom's voice sounded thick with concern. "Nicky? Are you ok? How's Sara?"
Nick breathed out deeply and his voice was thick with emotion. "Grissom, we're both ok, but we'd really like to get out of here soon, if things start shifting again, we could have a real problem."
Sara looked worried as she watched Nick's face.
He glanced up at her and held the phone between them so they both could hear. He knew that hearing a voice outside the confines of their prison would give her hope that they'd be able to get out.
"Grissom?" Sara's voice sounded tentative.
"You ok, Sara?" Grissom sounded like a concerned father. He, like the rest of the team, was well aware that she was somewhat claustrophobic.
"Uh, yeah, I mean neither of us is hurt, but how soon can they get us out of here?" Sara tried to squash the panic building in her voice.
"I'm going to hand the phone to the rescue squad commander and he's going to let you know what's going on. Ok? Just hang on a little while longer; they're going to get you and Nicky out." Grissom continued, trying to sound calm.
"Ok." Sara breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She felt Nick rubbing her back in an effort to soothe her. She looked into his eyes and smiled softly as she waited for the rescue squad commander to get on the line.
"This is Commander Reynolds. Am I talking to Sara or Nick?" The voice on the other end sounded professional and in control.
Sara answered him. "Uh, actually we can both hear you."
"Ok, good. This is what we're going to try and do. We've pinpointed where you are under the house. A good deal of the foundation is exposed at that point, so we're going to try and cut through the concrete and make a hole big enough for you to crawl through." He sounded as if they'd thought the plan through quite thoroughly.
Nick was a little concerned as to where they were going to break through, since he and Sara had limited space in the void to move away from the foundation. "Uh, Commander Reynolds, we don't have a lot of space to move in here. We could have a problem if you plan on cutting through right where we are."
"Ok, that's what I need to know. How much space would you say you have in there?" He continued.
Nick surveyed the area. "Well, we're sitting side by side and we don't have enough room to straighten our legs out."
"Ok." Commander Reynolds was quiet for a moment. "Uh, can you cross your legs?"
"Yeah, but it'll be tight for both of us to do that." Nick replied.
"Uh, I'm not sure how good of friends you two are, but you're going to have to get real close here for the next few minutes." The commander continued.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" Sara was slightly amused at the man's concern. At the moment, she would do just about anything to get out of there alive.
"Uh, Nick, if you'll cross your legs, and, Sara, if you'll sit on his lap and pull your legs as tightly against you as possible, we'll drill into the foundation right next to you." He explained.
"Ok." Nick answered for both of them. "Uh, but how are you going to know exactly where to drill?"
"Uh, the police department brought out some thermal imaging equipment. We can tell where you are." He answered.
"Ok, let's do this." Nick answered.
"We'll call you back periodically to check on you and let you know our progress." The commander answered before ending the call.
"Well, Sara, you about ready to get out of here?" Nick smiled crossing his legs.
"Hell, yes." She answered as she sat on his lap and pulled her legs close. She rested her head against his shoulder and let him wrap his arms around her waist as they waited to be rescued.