Chapter 2: Healing
Back at the lab, Catherine walked into the lounge to find her co-workers gathered around the table. They looked up at her as she walked in, their faces full of concern.
"How's Nick?" asked Sara.
"He's pretty shaken up, but he's ok."
"What about Emma?" Warrick questioned.
"She just got out of surgery, but the doctor told us she will recover."
"Did Nick stay with her?" Grissom enquired.
"He did. I don't know if he's going to be back tonight."
"That's alright. Brass told me what happened at the scene, if Nick needs some time, he can have it" Grissom said.
"What about the boyfriend, Jeff? Nick didn't say anything about him" Catherine asked.
"Nick got him in the right shoulder. The cops are waiting to bring him in, as soon as the doctors are done with him" Warrick answered.
"That's good. If you will excuse me, I have a ton of paper work to do" said Sara, as she made her way out of the room.
Grissom excused himself as well, leaving Warrick and Catherine together.
"So Nick was friends with this girl before the case started?" Catherine asked Warrick.
"Yeah, he's known her for a bit. How is he really doing Cath?"
"He was upset, and blamed himself for what happened. I talked with him, and I think what happened hit him really hard. He's seems very personally involved with this case."
"He is. He wanted to protect her. Brass described what he saw to us, and it sounded bad. The standoff would have been enough to make Nick feel responsible, but holding Emma while they waited for an ambulance, that would hurt anyone."
"Nick cares about her, doesn't he"
"He does, and probably more than he knows."
"I'm just glad that she has someone like Nick now, instead of that bastard she was with before."
Warrick nodded.
Nick had fallen asleep beside Emma's bed. She had been moved from recovery to her own room, and Nick had refused to leave her side. He didn't want to leave her alone again, not until he knew she was going to be ok. He would never forgive himself if something else happened to her. She hadn't woken up yet, only stirred, and when she did, he could tell she was afraid. Her head would move back and forth, and she would moan in pain. It hurt him to see her like that, and it brought back the image of the alley, and the thoughts of what could have been prevented.
"No…no…"
Nick awoke immediately to the sound. Emma was stirring again, and she moved her head back and forth on the pillow, her hands reaching out in front of her, trying to ward of an invisible attacker.
"No!" she said loudly.
"It's ok Emma" Nick said gently, as he took her hand.
This only seemed to upset her more, and she thrashed out, pulling her hand away from his. The heart monitor went from steady beeps to a high pitched shrill as the beeps increased.
"Go away! Help!" Emma screamed out in her sleep.
Tears began to fall down her terror stricken face.
"Emma! Please it's me, Nick! It's ok, open your eyes" Nick pleaded with her.
He reached out and touched her face, stroking it softly, murmuring soothing words. He again tried to take her hand, and this time, she let him. She calmed down, and the heart monitor returned to it's normal rate.
"Open your eyes" he whispered to her.
Slowly her blue eyes became visible, still glazed over from tears. She looked up at Nick, and he saw the fear still amplified in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"He was after me…so scared…." she replied quietly.
"He's gone now, and he'll never hurt you again."
"He's in my dreams. Promise me Nick…" she trailed off, her eyes fluttering open and shut.
"What?"
"Promise you won't leave me…" she yawned, the pain killers taking over.
"I promise" he answered as she closed her eyes.
Nick kept her small hand in his, while a tear slid down his own face, knowing her ordeal was still not over.
One Week Later
Nick had stayed with Emma at the hospital for the first few days. As the time went on he went back to work but after his shift, returned to her side. Nick would come back to the hospital after work, and the nurses would tell him she called for him in her sleep. He would go to her, and hold her hand while they both slept. Frequently he would awake to her gripping his hand in fear, or calling out in terror. He had his own dreams that filled his head with images of her blood soaked body, so fragile in his arms. He would awaken in a cold sweat, gripping her hand instead. Her steady breathing next to him would bring him back to reality. The nightmares haunted both of them.
At work, Nick would walk around, tired and somewhat distant. He was put on easy cases, as everyone knew what he was going through. Sometimes Warrick would offer to go to the hospital for him, but he refused, knowing that Emma only called for him, and that even if he slept in his own bed, the terrible images of his dreams would still find him, and some how be worse for not being with Emma.
One evening, Grissom called Nick into his office as he passed by the door.
"How is she Nick?"
"The doctors say she's better, and they want to release her soon."
"That's good. Now what about you?"
"I'm good" Nick lied through his teeth.
"Nicky I know your not. You walk around here like a zombie. Are you sleeping at all?"
"I sleep, it's just…you wouldn't understand."
"To sleep; perchance to dream."
"Shakespeare? What does that have to do with this?"
"It's from Hamlet, who also said, 'a dream itself is but a shadow.' Seems like your dreams are casting a shadow over you. You need to let it go Nicky. Emma's alive and well, and you have nothing to worry about anymore. Jeff was caught, and you and I both know that he is never getting out of prison. You didn't cause her to get hurt, and you've done so much for her. You should think about that before going to sleep."
"I know she's ok. Maybe things will get better when she's not in the hospital anymore."
"Possibly. Where is she going when she is released?"
"Well, she has no family here, she hasn't spoken to her mom in years and has no other friends in the area. She's doesn't want to go back to the apartment she shared with Jeff, to many bad memories. So I was thinking that until she gets back on her feet she could, well, stay with me."
"Is that a good idea? By you letting her stay with you, is that you subconsciously wanting to protect her still?"
"I don't know. I don't know if that's the underlying reason or not. It may be, but is that a bad thing?"
"No"
"I just want her to have a place to go where she feels safe."
"And she feels safe with you."
"I guess. It will work out. It will only be until she gets a place of her own."
"Of course Nicky. If you think it will be ok, then do it. Just get some sleep alright?"
"I will Grissom" he replied as his pager went off.
The Next Morning, Nick's House
Nick opened the passenger side door of his truck and helped Emma out.
"Are you going to be ok to walk?" he asked her.
"Let's see" she replied.
She stood for a moment, then attempted to walk a few steps, before wobbling. Nick who was by her side, grabbed her elbow and steadied her.
"Must be the pain killers" she said.
"You need to rest" he answered.
In one swift motion, Nick swept Emma up in his arms, cradling her small figure to his chest, while walking to the front door.
"You don't have to do this Nick" she protested.
"And let you fall and hurt yourself?"
He opened the front door, and walked into his living room, placing her gently on the couch. He then went back for her bags and returned to her side.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" he asked her.
"Anything besides that awful hospital food would be great. How about a glass of water to start with?"
Nick grabbed a glass from the kitchen and brought her the water.
"Thank you again for letting me stay with you" she said meekly.
"It's not a problem. You needed a place to stay, I have an extra room."
"Why are you being so nice to me Nick? I don't think I've ever known a guy like you before."
"Because you deserve to be treated better, to have someone take care of you. Don't ever think less of yourself Emma, you're a wonderful person."
Emma's pale cheeks became pink with blush and she said,
"And you're a wonderful man Nick…" she trailed off yawning.
"Maybe you should lie down for a bit" Nick suggested.
"Not a bad idea"
"Ok, you nap for a bit, and when you wake up, I'll have something ready for us to eat."
"I like this living arrangement already."
Nick took the afghan from the back of the couch and covered her with it. As he brought it up to her neck, he tenderly stroked her cheek. She gazed into his eyes, and placed her hand on top of his on her face.
"Thank you for everything" she whispered, closing her eyes.
Nick watched her for a moment, before heading to the kitchen.
Nick stayed home with Emma for the next two nights, making sure she was alright. The first night, she took pain killers and slept, only waking twice from the nightmares. The second night was different.
The two finished dinner, and Emma sat on the couch flipping channels while Nick cleaned up the kitchen.
"You have so many channels, but it still ends up that there is nothing good on to watch" Emma joked.
"Well, there should be a game on one of the sports channels."
"A game? Your suggesting sports?"
"Alright, not a huge sports fan. Any good movies on?"
"I'll check again" Emma replied, surfing till she came to the movie channels.
"Have you seen this one?" she asked pointing to the title.
"No, heard it was good though."
"Come watch" she said, patting the cushion beside her.
Nick came over, and sat next to her on the couch. He leaned back and got comfortable as the movie started. Half way through, he was intently watching one scene, when he felt Emma shift positions. She leaned more towards him, but couldn't seem to find a suitable situation. Nick glanced over at her.
"Sorry" she said quietly, as she brushed her arm against him by accident.
"Your cold"
Nick took her arm, and guided her over to him, wrapping his arms around her as she lay against his warm body. He placed the afghan over her and she settled into her new spot. The position she was now in was cozy, and Emma tried to concentrate on the movie, but her eyes became heavy. Little did she know, but Nick was very comfortable as well, and also tired. Both soon gave into sleep.
Nick opened his eyes slowly to the light streaming into the room. He began to move, then realized that Emma was resting on his chest. They had both stayed on the couch all night. He then thought that it was the first night that neither of them had experienced a nightmare. Nick smiled to himself as he looked at Emma, peacefully sleeping. He caressed her hair before laying his head back again and closing his eyes.
After reassuring him that she would be fine, Nick returned to the night shift at work the following evening. As he entered the lounge, he was greeted by his co-workers.
"Hey, welcome back Nicky" Catherine said.
"How's it going?" asked Warrick.
"Not bad" Nick replied.
Grissom entered the room with folders in his hand. The room fell quite, waiting for their assignments.
"Alright, Catherine and Warrick will be working on an apparent suicide at a hotel" he said handing them their files. He then continued looking at Sara and Nick.
"The three of us are investigating the murder of a man named Alec Isaac."
Sara and Nick looked over the folder as Warrick and Catherine left.
"It's good to have you back Nick. Your looking better" Grissom commented.
The three of them headed to the crime scene, Alec's apartment where they found him stabbed in the back three times, lying on his bed.
"Definitely looks like a crime of passion" Sara said, snapping pictures.
Nick surveyed the room, and his eyes fell on a picture of the victim and a blonde woman.
"Hey Griss, does anyone know if this is the vic's girlfriend?"
"Yes, a neighbour confirmed that the girlfriend was here earlier. Brass is locating her."
They processed the crime scene, but came up with no murder weapon. However they found a hair on the victim, a partial print and fibres from a sweater on him as well.
An hour later, Grissom walked towards Greg's work area. Rock music could be heard blaring inside and Greg was playing air guitar with his back to Grissom. Greg was playing an air solo, and Grissom just watched him, never able to figure out just went on in this boy's mind. Greg jumped around, and nearly fell backwards when he spotted his supervisor watching him.
"Sorry" he muttered, turning down the music.
Grissom just shook his head in mild amusement, then said,
"What have you got for me Greg?"
"Well, the hair is female, I just need something to compare it to. The fibre is from a blue wool sweater. Find the wearer, and you got a suspect."
"Thanks Greg, and remember, air guitar on your own time."
Greg gave a sheepish smile and nodded as Grissom left the room. Grissom walked down the hall, and found Nick coming his way.
"What's up boss?" asked Nick.
"Female hair from the crime scene. Did Brass get the girlfriend yet?"
"I was just coming to get you. She's here for questioning."
"Good. You look like you took my advice Nick. How is Emma?"
"Much better. She's going to start looking for her own apartment soon."
"Is she going back to work?"
"In two days. She's heading back to classes tomorrow."
"That's great. I'm glad that she made a full recovery."
They continued on to the questioning room, where Brass was waiting outside.
"Hey. Her name is Hailey Jonas, age twenty eight. You two ready?" Brass said.
They nodded and went into the room.
"Miss Jonas, I'm Gil Grissom and this is Nick Stokes with the crime lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions about your boyfriend, Alec."
Hailey Jonas looked up at them from the table, brushing her long blonde hair out of her face. Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked tired.
"How long had you and Alec been dating?" asked Nick.
"Six months. I loved him. I just can't believe he's gone."
"Had you two fought at all? What was your relationship like?" Grissom questioned.
"We were in love. We didn't fight often, maybe now and then but only little disagreements."
"Miss Jonas, did you know anyone who disliked your boyfriend, that may want to hurt him?" Brass enquired.
"No, he was a really great guy."
"We're going to need a DNA sample from you if you don't mind" Grissom said.
"Why?"
"To match any DNA evidence we may have found in the apartment. If you were there before he was murdered, we can clear your name."
"Ok"
The sample was taken and brought to the lab, where Greg processed it. As the results were printed, Sara came up to Greg.
"Anything yet?" she asked him.
"Tell me I'm the best."
"Just answer my question Greg."
"The hair is a match to the girlfriend."
"Thanks" Sara said, taking the evidence to Grissom.
They still had Hailey in the room, and Grissom presented her with their findings. Nick had also confirmed with the print lab that the partial print was also Hailey's.
"Miss Jonas, we found your hair and a partial finger print that matches yours at the crime scene" Grissom stated.
"That proves nothing. I was at his house a lot."
"We're going to need you to bring us the clothes you wore on the night of Alec's murder, and we need an alibi"
"I was there earlier in the day, but I didn't kill him. I went out around four and didn't go back."
"Where did you go?"
"To a movie with a friend"
"Can this friend confirm that you were with her the whole time?"
"Yeah, you can call her."
"We will."
"Look, I'm going now ok?"
"Just as long as you bring us the clothes. An officer will come with you."
Grissom left the room, and joined Sara and Nick.
"We can't hold her on anything yet. If her story checks out, we have no other evidence to prove that she did it" Grissom said.
"Why don't I head back to the crime scene, see what else I can dig up" Sara suggested.
"Alright. Nick you go with her as well. I am going to see what Al has for me."
Nick and Sara combed the crime scene over, coming up with as little as they had before.
"The poor guy didn't even know what was coming. He was probably napping when she stabbed him in his sleep" Nick commented.
"I bet she was pissed off at him for some reason. Did we check his phone records, e-mails, anything to suggested he may have been cheating on her?" Sara asked.
"Done already. This guy was clean. All his phone calls were identified and no unusual e-mails."
"Where does this leave us?"
"With one guilty girlfriend who doesn't want to talk."
Sara and Nick met up with Grissom awhile later to compare notes.
"You two find anything new?"
"Nothing boss. You?" Nick replied.
"The murder weapon was a carving knife, most likely from the kitchen. I also got Hailey's clothes, but no sweater."
"We're definitely at a dead end now" Sara sighed.
"No, I wasn't done. There was no sweater, but the tank top she gave us had the same fibres on it we found. This got us a search warrant for her house."
"Great, let's go" Nick said smiling.
Grissom knocked on Hailey's front door.
"Miss Jonas, I believe you already know us. We've got a search warrant for your house."
"What? I already told you where I was, that I didn't kill Alec!"
Brass stepped inside with the others, producing the warrant.
"I know you did, but you forgot to include in your clothing the sweater you were wearing when Alec was murdered."
Grissom headed to the bedroom, and began with the closet. Nick took the laundry and Sara the dresser. When Sara was done, she began to wander around the rest of the house, and noticed there was another bedroom that someone else was living in.
"Miss Jonas, who occupies this room?" Sara questioned.
"My sister."
Sara nodded and went into the room. She immediately noticed a framed picture on the wall. It was of Hailey, and her sister, who was obviously her twin.
"Hailey, how come you didn't tell us you have a twin sister?"
"You never asked."
"Did your sister ever go to Alec's place?"
"Only if we went together."
"Where is she now?"
"Hayden went to work."
"Hey Sara, Grissom! Check this out!" Nick called.
They found Nick in the laundry room, with a hamper that had been dumped out at his feet. In his hand was a blue sweater, with blood stains on it.
"Care to explain this Hailey?" Nick said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, please no…she…" Hailey stuttered before collapsing into sobs.
"Hailey, do you think your sister killed Alec?" Sara said cautiously.
Hailey nodded and answered,
"I should have seen it coming. She liked him too, but he chose me. She had to have done it. I loaned her the sweater."
"You bitch!"
Hayden was standing in the doorway of the laundry room, a shocked, angry look on her face.
"You killed him because you couldn't have him! Didn't you!" Hailey screamed, lunging at her sister.
Brass grabbed Hailey, holding her back, as Hayden yelled back, being held by another officer.
"I didn't kill him! He was my boyfriend Hailey! You murdered him because YOU couldn't have him! I saw you come in holding that blood stained sweater! You thought I was asleep on the couch! Don't lie to them!"
"Ladies! Please! You're both under arrest until we get to the bottom of this!" Brass shouted over them.
The CSI team looked on in astonishment as the twins were cuffed and led to patrol cars.
"Which one do we believe?" Nick asked.
"Look for distinguishing marks, anything that could tell them apart I guess" Sara answered.
"But even then, how do we know which one killed our vic? They're both going to keep blaming each other. There's a good chance that the D.A. might throw this whole thing out."
"We'll prove it somehow, we just have to listen to the evidence" Grissom added.
Back at the lab, Nick was on break looking at the paper, when Catherine came in. She looked over his shoulder at what he was reading.
"Looking for a new place to live Nicky?"
"No, it's for Emma. She called me to tell me about some of the apartments she found in the paper. She wants to go look at them later tomorrow."
"Well, there are certainly a lot that were circled that are crossed off now. If you haven't been to them, how can you just say no?"
"Well, this one is near where we found a body, this one is in the same complex that we caught a murderer, this one is not in a good area…"
"Nick, it sounds like you're making up excuses for not looking at these places. This one is in a good area, but you crossed it off."
"It's too far away"
"You don't want her to go do you?"
Nick didn't answer.
"Nicky, you like having her stay with you."
Catherine moved so she was facing Nick and looked at him, his eyes still fixed on the paper.
"You don't lie very well do you? It's not hard to see that the two of you have a connection."
Nick raised his eyes to Catherine.
"Maybe" Nick said.
"Tell her Nick. Tell her before she leaves or you'll lose her forever this time."
"I don't want to ever lose her."
I know this took some time to post, but I have so many readings to do, and so little time. I will try, but no promises, to get the next chapter up quicker than it took me to post this one. Tell me what you think, I love feedback, and any constructive criticism. Well, back to the readings, then out to the bar! Ciao!
