Catherine thought Nick looked far too pale and fragile lying in the hospital bed when they entered his room.  He was connected to IVs and monitors.  Stillness was unnatural for him, she realized painfully.  Nick was always in motion, it seemed.  Even when he was quiet and contemplative it seemed as though he were active.

She watched as Sara moved to one side with Warrick and Greg and reached to take his hand.  Catherine found herself reaching out for his other.

Tears glittered in her eyes as she watched the reassuring rise and fall of his chest.  "Hey Nicky."  She was sure the others could hear the catch in her voice, but at the moment she could care less.  "I called your mom and dad.  They plan on being on the next plane out.  I know what you're thinking, you don't want to worry them but that's what parents do, you know.  We worry about our kids."

Catherine took a deep shuddering breath.  "I'm worried about you Nicky.  I know you're a tough guy and you'll pull through, but I'm worried about how you'll feel after all the excitement dies down.  You take everything to heart and feel responsible.  And you're not.  Some people out there are stupid, selfish, evil assholes and you can't take responsibility for that."

She glanced at Grissom, who had come to stand beside her.  He looked lost, like he didn't know what to do.  Grissom was so used to being in control of things and having the answers.  But he wasn't in control of what had happened to Nick.  And he was at a loss at how to deal.

Nick sat on a boulder and tried to think.  He didn't like the quiet stillness of his trek without Kristy.  It made everything even more eerily surreal.

"Okay Kristy!" he shouted.  "You win!  I'm sorry I was an asshole.  I don't think I want to try this alone."

"That's all it takes," she said from behind him.

Nick turned and offered her a wan smile as she sat down beside him.  "I wish everything were that easy."

"Where's all the fun in that," Kristy teased, bumping his shoulder with his own.

He shrugged.  "Not everything's about fun."

"I seem to remember things otherwise with you."

At seeing her wicked grin, Nick felt a blush rise to his cheeks.  "You know what I mean."

Kristy's grin softened.  "Hey, I'm just trying to make things easier on you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Well, time to get going," she announced, standing and brushing the dust of the back of her thighs.  "There's still a lot left for you to see."  She held out her hand to help him up.

He couldn't help but smile at her as he took her hand and rose to his feet.  "Lead the way."

Greg was currently the only one in Nick's room, seated at his bedside, when Archie poked his head in.  "Where's everyone at?" the Asian man asked, glancing around the room.

"Brass' nurse came and drug him back to his room for some rest.  Catherine had to go pick Lindsey up from school.  Warrick went to get some real food from Mickey D's.  Sara went home to grab a quick shower and Grissom's getting coffee."

Archie nodded.  "I would have been here sooner, but with you here they needed an extra hand in the lab."

"How'd that go?"

"Now I know why AV's my thing."  Greg chuckled at that.  Then he grew serious once more.

"How's Nick?"

The lab tech sighed.  "No change."

Archie pulled up a chair alongside Greg.  "Man, this sucks.  First that whole stalker thing, now this."

"Yeah."

"I don't think I ever seen him hold still for this long."

"I know.  You know what amazes me about Nick?  Nothing brings him down.  I mean I know things get to him.  I've seen how he gets, but he doesn't let all the shit stop him.  It's like he's determined not to let it all win."

"I know."

"Hey Archie," Warrick greeted as he entered, carrying three bags of McDonald's food.  "You hungry man?  I got enough for everyone."

"Sure, thanks."

"How's the investigation going?" Warrick asked taking a seat nearby.

Archie looked nervous at Warrick's question, having witnessed part of the episode with the suspect back at the labs.

Warrick interpreted the look correctly.  "I got a little out of control earlier today.  I'm not going to go down there and mess things up now."

"They've brought in two more suspects.  It's hard to get anything solid though," he sighed.  "The shooters all dumped their guns, except the dead one.  The only thing they've got to go on is who own the vehicles involved.  Between Brass, Woodruff and Nichols getting the license plate numbers that's all there is so far."

"Fuck," Warrick sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"I wonder how the investigation's going," Nick said as they walked along at a leisurely pace.  He felt more at peace about his whole ordeal after Kristy reappeared.  Something about her presence was reassuring.

"Ever the crime fighter," she laughed.

"Hey," he said with a grin.  "You know me."

She took his hand and grew serious.  "You know a lot of this isn't going to be easy, right?"

He frowned and stopped.  "I was afraid of that."

Placing the palm of her hand against his cheek she offered him an encouraging smile.  "I'll be with you every step of the way.  You don't have to do it along."

He turned his head and lightly kissed her palm.  "Thanks."

Sara grimaced with disgust when she entered Nick's hospital room to be greeted by the smell of Big Macs.  Warrick, Greg and Archie were munching away at their hamburgers while Grissom sat on the other side of Nick's bed sedately drinking his coffee.

"God guys.  Couldn't you have eaten in the solarium or something?  The smell is nauseating."

Archie was the only one with the grace to look guilty.  "Sorry Sara.  We didn't realize you'd be back so soon."

With a sigh she sat down in a chair by the window.  "It's okay.  I was going to try and get some sleep, but I couldn't.  So I came back."

Warrick nodded in understanding.  He knew the only way he would truly be able to sleep was for Nick to be awake and fine.  Rest wouldn't come until he knew Nick was okay.

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AN:  Sorry it's been so long between updates.  Real life unfortunately asserts itself.  It sucks!  Anyway here's another chapter, but it's short.  Wish I could have made it longer.  I'll aim to make the next one better.