Grissom continued pacing, waiting for the thermal imaging equipment to
arrive back at the site. He studied his team, which was really helpless to
do anything besides watch and wait. Warrick held Sara, who just continued
to stare at the foundation of the crumpled house. Grissom was worried
about her. He had never seen her in quite the state she was in currently.
He wasn't sure what to do about it either. His requests that she get
checked out by the paramedics went unheeded by her. The paramedics in turn
assured him that they would watch her and if it appeared she needed
immediate medical attention, they would move in.
Greg kept going between wanting everyone to eat something to sitting with Sara and holding her hand. Grissom could tell that this was very hard on him. He knew that Nick and Greg were like brothers and that the young lab tech was dying inside.
Catherine, who had kept her head through all of this, was starting to lose it. She had gotten several phone calls from Lindsey, who was at her sister's house and was physically fine, but scared from all the shaking the earthquake had caused. Catherine was torn between wanting to go home and take care of her daughter and wanting to stay and wait for word about Nick. She and Nick had become close over the course of working together and she'd often offered him motherly advice. She was worried about him, and scared to death that maybe he hadn't made it. With each passing moment, her fears intensified and she could see that fear reflected on the faces of her colleagues.
The thermal imaging equipment finally arrived back at the scene. The rescue workers carried the device back to the site where they had extracted Sara and tried to see if they could pinpoint Nick's location and then determine any movements or change in body heat. As they pinpointed his location, the technician began to describe what he saw. "There's no movement, sir."
That's all Sara heard and she began crying hysterically and mumbling incoherently. "Nick, you promised. Oh, Nick."
Warrick tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. "Sara, he's going to be ok, this is Nick we're talking about."
The technician continued. "Body heat is consistent, sir."
Sara was sobbing against Warrick's chest. "Nick, I love you. I never got to tell you. Nick, you promised. You're supposed to charm me. Nick."
Warrick just held her and fought his own tears. In all the time that he'd known Sara he'd never seen her like this. She was usually the picture of control. He had thought for a long time that Nick was in love with Sara. Although when he had asked Nick about it on several occasions, he would deny it, but Warrick was fairly certain that the only reason for his denial was that he didn't think Sara returned his feelings. Warrick fought to keep control of his emotions as he felt that fate was trying to deliver such a cruel blow to two of his closest friends.
Catherine watched Sara, and the intensity of the situation finally hit her. She found her own tears sliding down her cheeks as she realized that it might be too late for Nick.
Grissom's jaw went slack. His entire team was falling apart and he felt like he was about to join them.
Finally, some words of reason broke through the fog of grief. "Body heat staying consistent."
Grissom's head snapped up. "We need to get him out now!"
Commander Reynolds glanced over at Grissom and tried to calm him. "Dr. Grissom, we're going to try and get Nick out as quickly and as safely as possible, but we don't know the extent of his injuries if he's still alive and the last thing we want to do is rush getting him out, especially if there are any crushing injuries."
Grissom nodded. He knew the commander was right, a person who sustained massive crushing injuries might appear fine until they were extracted, and then quickly bleed out because the pressure that had been applied to their wounds was released. The last thing he wanted was for Nick to be pulled out too soon if it would further endanger his life. At least for now, his body temperature was staying consistent which told him he was probably still alive.
Catherine made her way over to Grissom, tears were evident on her face. "How long?"
Grissom looked at her for a moment and then glanced over at Sara, his brow furrowing in worry before looking back at Catherine. "See if you can get Sara to move away from the scene. She doesn't need to see this if it turns out badly after what she's already been through."
Catherine nodded. "You know we're not going to be able to don't you?"
He nodded and let out a deep sigh. "Just try, Cath."
Catherine walked over to Sara and knelt down. "Hey, Sara, why don't you let me get you a change of clothes and help you get cleaned up?"
Sara shook her head. "I'm not leaving until I see Nick." Tears still ran freely down her cheeks.
Catherine let out a deep breath and Warrick glanced up at her. "Cath, I'll stay here with Sara until they get Nick out."
"Me too." Greg added, looking earnest.
She nodded and patted Sara on the shoulder. "They're going to get him out, Sara. He's going to be ok. This is Nick." It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself as much as Sara. She stood up and walked back over to Grissom.
He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
Catherine shook her head. "She's not going anywhere and neither is anyone else."
Grissom just nodded.
They watched as the rescue squad decided that the direct approach was the best one. They were going to cut into the concrete right where they determined that Nick lay. If they found that he had sustained crushing injuries, they would deal with them at that time, but at least they would know then what they were dealing with.
One of the workers began to saw into the concrete, being careful not to cut all the way through in case Nick was laying right up against it. They would cut through it part way with the saw and then use hand tools to break through the rest of the way.
Progress seemed to be excruciatingly slow as everyone watched and waited, hoping against hope that when they found Nick, he would be ok.
"We're almost in." One of the rescue workers shouted out.
None of the CSIs said a word. They just watched and waited. Sara stared straight ahead, her gaze not wavering from the spot where she'd emerged from under the house, the spot where Nick still was. She needed to see him, to know if he was dead or alive before she would move from where she sat on the ground, oblivious to the filth that covered her.
The last bit of concrete was chipped away as they finally broke through the wall. Carefully, the rescue workers pulled it away, hoping against hope that they'd find Nick alive. They shielded the view from the group of CSIs behind them, not wanting them to see their friend and coworker in case he'd been crushed to death.
Greg kept going between wanting everyone to eat something to sitting with Sara and holding her hand. Grissom could tell that this was very hard on him. He knew that Nick and Greg were like brothers and that the young lab tech was dying inside.
Catherine, who had kept her head through all of this, was starting to lose it. She had gotten several phone calls from Lindsey, who was at her sister's house and was physically fine, but scared from all the shaking the earthquake had caused. Catherine was torn between wanting to go home and take care of her daughter and wanting to stay and wait for word about Nick. She and Nick had become close over the course of working together and she'd often offered him motherly advice. She was worried about him, and scared to death that maybe he hadn't made it. With each passing moment, her fears intensified and she could see that fear reflected on the faces of her colleagues.
The thermal imaging equipment finally arrived back at the scene. The rescue workers carried the device back to the site where they had extracted Sara and tried to see if they could pinpoint Nick's location and then determine any movements or change in body heat. As they pinpointed his location, the technician began to describe what he saw. "There's no movement, sir."
That's all Sara heard and she began crying hysterically and mumbling incoherently. "Nick, you promised. Oh, Nick."
Warrick tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. "Sara, he's going to be ok, this is Nick we're talking about."
The technician continued. "Body heat is consistent, sir."
Sara was sobbing against Warrick's chest. "Nick, I love you. I never got to tell you. Nick, you promised. You're supposed to charm me. Nick."
Warrick just held her and fought his own tears. In all the time that he'd known Sara he'd never seen her like this. She was usually the picture of control. He had thought for a long time that Nick was in love with Sara. Although when he had asked Nick about it on several occasions, he would deny it, but Warrick was fairly certain that the only reason for his denial was that he didn't think Sara returned his feelings. Warrick fought to keep control of his emotions as he felt that fate was trying to deliver such a cruel blow to two of his closest friends.
Catherine watched Sara, and the intensity of the situation finally hit her. She found her own tears sliding down her cheeks as she realized that it might be too late for Nick.
Grissom's jaw went slack. His entire team was falling apart and he felt like he was about to join them.
Finally, some words of reason broke through the fog of grief. "Body heat staying consistent."
Grissom's head snapped up. "We need to get him out now!"
Commander Reynolds glanced over at Grissom and tried to calm him. "Dr. Grissom, we're going to try and get Nick out as quickly and as safely as possible, but we don't know the extent of his injuries if he's still alive and the last thing we want to do is rush getting him out, especially if there are any crushing injuries."
Grissom nodded. He knew the commander was right, a person who sustained massive crushing injuries might appear fine until they were extracted, and then quickly bleed out because the pressure that had been applied to their wounds was released. The last thing he wanted was for Nick to be pulled out too soon if it would further endanger his life. At least for now, his body temperature was staying consistent which told him he was probably still alive.
Catherine made her way over to Grissom, tears were evident on her face. "How long?"
Grissom looked at her for a moment and then glanced over at Sara, his brow furrowing in worry before looking back at Catherine. "See if you can get Sara to move away from the scene. She doesn't need to see this if it turns out badly after what she's already been through."
Catherine nodded. "You know we're not going to be able to don't you?"
He nodded and let out a deep sigh. "Just try, Cath."
Catherine walked over to Sara and knelt down. "Hey, Sara, why don't you let me get you a change of clothes and help you get cleaned up?"
Sara shook her head. "I'm not leaving until I see Nick." Tears still ran freely down her cheeks.
Catherine let out a deep breath and Warrick glanced up at her. "Cath, I'll stay here with Sara until they get Nick out."
"Me too." Greg added, looking earnest.
She nodded and patted Sara on the shoulder. "They're going to get him out, Sara. He's going to be ok. This is Nick." It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself as much as Sara. She stood up and walked back over to Grissom.
He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
Catherine shook her head. "She's not going anywhere and neither is anyone else."
Grissom just nodded.
They watched as the rescue squad decided that the direct approach was the best one. They were going to cut into the concrete right where they determined that Nick lay. If they found that he had sustained crushing injuries, they would deal with them at that time, but at least they would know then what they were dealing with.
One of the workers began to saw into the concrete, being careful not to cut all the way through in case Nick was laying right up against it. They would cut through it part way with the saw and then use hand tools to break through the rest of the way.
Progress seemed to be excruciatingly slow as everyone watched and waited, hoping against hope that when they found Nick, he would be ok.
"We're almost in." One of the rescue workers shouted out.
None of the CSIs said a word. They just watched and waited. Sara stared straight ahead, her gaze not wavering from the spot where she'd emerged from under the house, the spot where Nick still was. She needed to see him, to know if he was dead or alive before she would move from where she sat on the ground, oblivious to the filth that covered her.
The last bit of concrete was chipped away as they finally broke through the wall. Carefully, the rescue workers pulled it away, hoping against hope that they'd find Nick alive. They shielded the view from the group of CSIs behind them, not wanting them to see their friend and coworker in case he'd been crushed to death.