Notes: Space-Case7029, u psychic or sumthing? That last review... exactly what I'm doin'...lol.
NO! NONO!Nobody clicks on the reviews button to see what Space-Case wrote!! I'm not spoiling this!
Chapter 21: Forgiving, or Not?
Nick shut his eyes, waiting for the pain to seep through. This was it, he was as good as dead.
"Leave him alone!" a voice cried out.
Almost immediately, the gun left Nick's forehead. The guy had let go of Nick completely. Nick reopened his eyes, the masked man was on the floor, unconcious.
Beside him, lay a high-heeled shoe, a familiar one. He looked up, Sara was running to him, one shoe less. Nick could feel a surge of guilt go through him. Here was the woman who he ignored for so long, saving his life.
Sara came up to Nick, "Not the most effective, but it works. Nick, are you ok?"
Nick nodded numbly,"Sara... I..."
"Don't talk. Those cuts look nasty. We better get to the hospital," helping Nick up.
Nick shook his head,"Sara, I've been a total fool. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have..."
"It's ok..." she replied casually.
Nick insisted,"But really, you didn't deserve the threatment I gave you. I am really sorry," and pulled her into a deep hug.
Sara smiled, Nick's back with her, that's all that matters.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the masked man get up, and aim Nick's gun at Nick's back.
Sara yelled,"Look out!!!" and she made her way in front of Nick, facing the suspect head on.
Nick had barely turned around when he heard one loud gun shot. The guy had hit Sara in the chest.
Nick yelled,"NOOOO!!!" and caught Sara before she hit the ground. He lowered her carefully. Sara was bleeding and shaking badly, Nick was in tears.
The masked man was advancing onto Nick. Nick didn't budge, he did not mind getting killed now... Sara was holding his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. She was turing deathly pale.
That's when they heard three gun shots, one after another. Nick winced, waiting for the bullets to kill him, but it did not.
He stared back at the masked man, confused. The hand holding the gun went limp and his body fell fowards, to reveal Jen, gun at the ready and Wes right behind her.
It was Jen's gun Nick heard firing. Nick heaved a sigh of relief.
Jen smirked at Wes,"Told you I could hit the head,"
Wes smirked in return,"Yeah... not bad for one who can't even hit cardboard modals with a toy gun..."
Jen tried hard to scowl but ended up smiling. The two of them hadn't noticed Sara lying there.
Nick yelled,"Guys! Sara's been shot!"
The couple's expressions turned serious as they ran to Nick and Sara. Wes pulled out his cell phone and begun calling the ambulance.
Five painful minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Sara's hand never left Nick's.
As Sara was loaded up onto the stretcher, Nick muttered,"Don't leave me Sara, don't leave me,"
Sara nodded weakly in reply.
Soon at the hospital, Sara was immediately taken to the emergency room for surgery. Nick, Wes and Jen were waiting outside anxiously.
About fifteen minutes later, Grissom, Catherine and Warrick arrived at the hospital,"We got here as soon as we could," said Catherine.
Nick said,"What? But aren't you guys suppose to be on the job now?"
Grissom said,"That can wait. I had night shift take over for a while,"
A little later, Mrs Stokes arrived too, with Emily, "Daddy! What happened to mommy?" running into her father's arms.
Nick hugged her,"Your mother had an accident, but she'll be alright. She'll be aright,"
"Good... I don't want the same thing that happened to Michael to happen to mommy,"
The others exchanged sad glances.
After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor went into the waiting room. Everyone rushed anxiously to him.
The doctor was smiling,"You'll be glad to know we managed to remove the bullet. A couple of weeks or so of rest here and she'll be fine. She's strong, not many people survive this kind of thing,"
With that, the doctor went off. Relieved smiles and hugs were exchanged all arond.
Sara was taken to one of the wards after that. Slowly, but surely recovering. Everyone visited constantly, bringing 'get well' gifts along.
Catherine's daughter, Lindsey had given Sara an adorable teddy bear while Emily had a new home-made card every visit. So by the time Sara was about to go back home, she had dozens of different homemade cards, including one where Emily had drawn a picture of the entire dayshift crime lab employees, with Greg Sanders spikey hair exaggerated to five times the 'spike'.
All the while, Nick never left her side.
One the day Sara was discharged from the hospital, Nick was there to help her back. The others had gone to court on Brian Mc Cormick's case.
The masked man's name turned out to be Micah Stevens, an old childhood friend of Mc Cormick's.
Sara said,"I'm so glad to be finally going home! Back to the job I love! It's been boring just staying at the hospital,"
Nick grinned,"What? You love your job more than me? Gee..."
Sara laughed,"Of course not!" running over to kiss him. "You are moving back in, right?"
Nick smiled,"Of course! Someone has got to make sure you don't drink anymore, right?"
"Well, it's because of you I started in the first place!" said Sara. They both laughed.
Suddenly, Nick's cell phone rang,"Hello?"
After a moment, Nick said,"That's great... what do you mean night shift?!!!?"
Sara raised her eyebrows.
"Alright, thanks Wes," he punched the END button. "That was Wes. We won the case.Brian Mc Cormick has been given the death sentence, lethal injection,"
Sara nodded, relieved the nightmare was finally over, "Night shift?" she asked.
Nick sighed,"Conrad Ecklie asked for approval from Sheriff Mobley, to switch his squad to dayshift, and vice versa. Sheriff approved,"
"What?!"
"We are starting night shift next week,"
"This is ridiculous! How are we suppose to turn nocturnal all of a sudden??"
Nick said,"Well, the sheriff approved of the switch. CSI's, detectives, lab tech's, coroners and all. Even Brass and Grissom are relunctant, but they can't do anything,"
"Geez. I hate Ecklie..."
"Don't we all?" replied Nick good-naturedly, 'Let's go home,"
Sara smiled,"Home, yeah. I like that..."
TBC
Done? Not yet! One more! Something's missing! hehe, review!