Six months, three weeks and two days after the accident Nick sat in the lunch room, going through the flyers, mail, newsletters, and notes that had built up in his in box since he had been off. It was his first day back on the job and he was excited and nervous all at the same time. He had been back in Vegas for the last couple of days going through retraining and proficiency tests before he could start back at the lab. But now he was back.
He felt two arms snake around his shoulders and round his chest and a kiss was planted softly on the side of his head. "We missed you around here Nicky."
Nick smiled and reached up to grab Catherine's hands. "I missed y'all too."
"You've been in Texas too long man. What is with the 'y'all'" Warrick laughed at the strength of Nick's accent. After being released from hospital he had gone home with his family to be nursed back to health. He had stayed with his mom and dad and also spent some time at Kelly's. Nick stood and hugged his friend and did their knuckle to knuckle thing they do.
"Well I think it's cute." Catherine rubbed his head and walked over to make a coffee.
"Cute! I don't do cute." Nick walked over to the coffee machine as well.
"Nick, you're back!" Sara practically flew into his arms and gave him a huge hug. He was surprised at her affectionate embrace but returned the hug with as much force as she gave.
"Did you miss me?" he asked.
"You know I did. I called you practically everyday." They broke from their hug and stood with their arms around each other's waist.
"Look what the cat dragged in. You should have got them to do some plastic surgery while you were in there man. You are still ugly as." Greg walked up to Nick. A little hesitant as to how he was supposed to greet his friend.
Nick smiled at the younger man. "No way. I may have ended up looking like you." He grabbed him and gave him a manly hug. He heard Greg sniffle. Nick whispered in his ear, "Pull it together man, I'm fine and back to give you a hard time OK." Greg nodded and released Nick.
"You're not going to drink that crap coffee. Let me make you one of my special brew." He turned and wiped a small tear from his eye, relieved to have his best friend back at work.
"Cool."
Greg didn't move. Everyone was looking at him. "You all have to turn around."
"Excuse me," Sara asked.
"Just because I am letting you all drink it, doesn't mean I am going to show you where I stash it." Greg held up a finger and indicated they should all turn around. Humouring him they did so. No one had the heart to tell him they already knew he hid it in the salt canister.
They all made their way to the table as Greg made up his Blue Hawaiian coffee.
Grissom entered with the assignments for the night. He looked over the rim of his glasses, "Nicky, it is good to see you back. I have tonight's assignments."
Warrick leant over to Sara and whispered, "Full of emotion as usual." Sara nodded in affirmative disbelief.
What they didn't see was how Grissom ley his hand on Nick's shoulder and squeezed as he walked past. Nick knew that was the equivalent of Sara's bear hug from this science geek.
Emotion welled up and threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes misting but he refused to let a tear spill. He had missed these people so much while he had been in Dallas. He had made and received plenty of phone calls, text messages, photographs in the mail, letters, but it wasn't the same as being with them here.
He cast his eyes around the table. Dallas was where his family lived, but now he was home.
He felt two arms snake around his shoulders and round his chest and a kiss was planted softly on the side of his head. "We missed you around here Nicky."
Nick smiled and reached up to grab Catherine's hands. "I missed y'all too."
"You've been in Texas too long man. What is with the 'y'all'" Warrick laughed at the strength of Nick's accent. After being released from hospital he had gone home with his family to be nursed back to health. He had stayed with his mom and dad and also spent some time at Kelly's. Nick stood and hugged his friend and did their knuckle to knuckle thing they do.
"Well I think it's cute." Catherine rubbed his head and walked over to make a coffee.
"Cute! I don't do cute." Nick walked over to the coffee machine as well.
"Nick, you're back!" Sara practically flew into his arms and gave him a huge hug. He was surprised at her affectionate embrace but returned the hug with as much force as she gave.
"Did you miss me?" he asked.
"You know I did. I called you practically everyday." They broke from their hug and stood with their arms around each other's waist.
"Look what the cat dragged in. You should have got them to do some plastic surgery while you were in there man. You are still ugly as." Greg walked up to Nick. A little hesitant as to how he was supposed to greet his friend.
Nick smiled at the younger man. "No way. I may have ended up looking like you." He grabbed him and gave him a manly hug. He heard Greg sniffle. Nick whispered in his ear, "Pull it together man, I'm fine and back to give you a hard time OK." Greg nodded and released Nick.
"You're not going to drink that crap coffee. Let me make you one of my special brew." He turned and wiped a small tear from his eye, relieved to have his best friend back at work.
"Cool."
Greg didn't move. Everyone was looking at him. "You all have to turn around."
"Excuse me," Sara asked.
"Just because I am letting you all drink it, doesn't mean I am going to show you where I stash it." Greg held up a finger and indicated they should all turn around. Humouring him they did so. No one had the heart to tell him they already knew he hid it in the salt canister.
They all made their way to the table as Greg made up his Blue Hawaiian coffee.
Grissom entered with the assignments for the night. He looked over the rim of his glasses, "Nicky, it is good to see you back. I have tonight's assignments."
Warrick leant over to Sara and whispered, "Full of emotion as usual." Sara nodded in affirmative disbelief.
What they didn't see was how Grissom ley his hand on Nick's shoulder and squeezed as he walked past. Nick knew that was the equivalent of Sara's bear hug from this science geek.
Emotion welled up and threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes misting but he refused to let a tear spill. He had missed these people so much while he had been in Dallas. He had made and received plenty of phone calls, text messages, photographs in the mail, letters, but it wasn't the same as being with them here.
He cast his eyes around the table. Dallas was where his family lived, but now he was home.