Nick had his left hand wrapped around Gil's throat as he delivered another powerful punch to his face with his mangled right hand. The supervisor clawed at the fingers wrapped around his windpipe. He pulled a few of them away and it allowed him to suck in a much needed breath.

"Please... Nick," Grissom begged in between ragged breaths.

Gil kneed Nick in the gut while trying to block another vicious swing with his arm. The younger CSI missed Gil's face and his fist skipped off his forearm. Grissom kneed his coworker once again to no avail; obviously the drugs coursing through Nick's system desensitized him to pain. The older man pulled his leg up and wedged it against Nick's stomach and chest. With great difficulty, Gil rolled to his side, knocking Nick off balance.

Grissom got to his feet as quickly as his body would allow. His jaw hurt, at least one filling was loose. The left side of his face throbbed in pain, but he took a defensive stance just in case. His mind raced with what to do next. The entomologist was no match with Nick in an all out brawl, even though the younger man was so close to falling on his face for good.

Nick had landed on his back. With the room lurching to one side, it took him a long moment to get his bearings. Grissom didn't hurt him, but the blows to his stomach caused his already churning insides to wildly protest the abuse. Nick hacked, but managed to regain his footing. The Texan staggered forward as he fought his screwed up equilibrium. The room swelled, the ever encroaching darkness messed his sense of distance.

Grissom continued to back away towards the entrance. He never took his eyes off his criminalist. "Nicky, please calm down."

"I'm not listening to your lies," he growled. Nick stumbled forward, his injured hand draped around his middle protectively.

The older CSI made a mental note of Nick's discomfort for tactical advantage. His mind screamed at him, he didn't want to fight with this terrified man. This was the same green kid he took into his lab to help develop him. Grissom was going to tear Jorge Carlos limb by limb when this was all done. If he and Nick lasted long enough.

"I bet I'm your favorite now," Nick hissed.

Gil didn't have time for a retort before he saw the charge coming. Grissom tried to side step, but just like a linebacker, Nick kept up with the other man and followed through. The older man braced for the tackle and he was slammed against the wall next to the doors. Gil grunted when Nick's shoulder jabbed his sternum.

The younger CSI reared his hand back to punch the stunned older man, but Grissom was a bit more prepared. He ducked the swing, balled up his fist and rammed it into Nick's stomach.

Nick doubled over as his body finally revolted. The younger man stumbled over next to one of the crates and went to his hands and knees. Nick heaved and hacked till he couldn't breathe anymore. He threw up stomach acid and bile. There wasn't anything else to purge from his system. Tears rolled down his face and he rolled to his side trying to get away from the stench that continued to gag him.

Grissom stood motionless. Survival instinct told him to stay put, not to go near the paranoid man. This wasn't Nick, this wasn't his friend and colleague. The other part of him demanded to go over there and lend some kind of aid or comfort. Grissom's nerves were frayed.

Nick's insides seemed to calm a bit. He crawled around on the ground. His hand brushed past the tool box that still laid next to one of the wooden boxes. He leaned his back against the crate, as the CSI struggled to even out his breathing. Nick felt his strength wane further. His skin burned, his flesh felt like it was peeling away in layers.

Nick heard the laughter again as the room filled with the deep booming of his father's voice. The humiliation stung. How much more did he have to prove to everyone? He was dying. The air was thinning out. To die from suffocation was a slow and agonizing way to go. The heat swelled again, he would not sit here and meekly wait for death. He'd fight it tooth and nail.

The investigator felt his legs twitch. His damn body betrayed him... just like his mentor. Nick's foot jerked again, and it tapped the tool box. A loud clanking sound startled him.

It was the tire iron that fell from its precarious resting spot next to the crate. Nick's eyes grew large. The whispers filled his ears. He dragged his exhausted body over to the item and picked it up. He gripped the tire iron and peered up at the older man.

Grissom had come to a decision. Nick was still his responsibility, it wasn't the younger man's fault that he been subjected to this nightmare. He was hurting and Gil needed to do something about it. He started to go over to him when he heard the clatter. He watched in muted horror when the young CSI took the tire iron in his hands.

Gil locked eyes with Nick's and saw madness reflected back. "Don't," he choked back.

Nick mustered enough energy to get to his feet. He trembled now. The muscles in his body constricted painfully. Nick lurched forward, his new weapon heavy in his hand.

Grissom couldn't keep the sight of all of Nick's baseball trophies out of his head. The team had helped him pack and move to another townhouse a few months ago after the Nigel Crane incident. He could hear Warrick's voice as he ribbed his partner about his college glory days. Nick's cheeks had burned with slight embarrassment. This was a David vs. Goliath situation, and Grissom knew that his David would fail miserably to Nick's insane Goliath.

This wasn't right. Nick was going through hell because of his need to protect Gil from Carlo's goons. Nick had allowed himself to be injected.

Nick loomed closer, and Grissom backed away. Tactics. He had to change the situation. Up until now he'd been pensive, passive; maybe he needed to be the authority figure that Nick felt he needed so much to impress.

"Nicholas Stokes! Drop that tire iron now!" Grissom commanded.

Nick froze. His breath hitched in his chest, and his blood ran cold. Nick blinked, his entire being filled with terror.

"No." It was barely audible, his voice shook so much.

Grissom knew it had been the wrong thing when Nick barged toward him. With his balance off kilter, Nick's swing was off too.

The tire iron missed his head, but it landed squarely on Grissom's shoulder with a 'snap.' Gil groaned, but didn't have time to deal with the pain. Nick shoved the other man against the door and lifted the weapon up to bring back down on him again. Grissom ducked as Nick slammed the iron down.

Nick felt the tire iron vibrate in his hand when it bounced from its impact with the wooden door. This didn't stop his next attempt and he missed wildly again. Nick battled with his aim, but his damned sense of distance and balance kept him from delivering a fatal blow.

Grissom knew his luck would not last, so with more agility then he thought he had, the older man whipped around the CSI. Grissom was taller and he used his height to his advantage. The supervisor ignored the white hot agony of his shoulder and wrapped one arm around Nick's chest. Gil grabbed Nick's wrist and plunged his hand with the weapon into the wooden door.

The scientist knew that Nick was suffering from poor muscle control and the weapon slipped from his grip. The older man then shoved the crook of his arm along the frantic man's throat. Gil took his other hand and gripped his own elbow until he had Nick in a half-Nelson choke hold. It was the only way he thought he stood a chance of subduing the other man.

Grissom held on for dear life as Nick bucked back. The younger man jerked one way then another as he frantically tried to escape. Grissom tightened his hold, and Nick yelped and dug his hands into the other criminalist's arm. Grissom grit his teeth against the pain, but he felt Nick weaken.

The younger man coughed and wheezed as his struggles slowed. Grissom didn't let go, even when Nick fell to his knees. With one final hack, Nick's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body slackened. With his body limp, Grissom let go and Nick slid lifelessly down to the floor.

Gil breathed rapidly as the adrenaline rush wore away. His entire body hurt, and he was pretty sure his collar bone was broken. He pushed his pain away and pulled Nick's limp body into his lap. Grissom wrapped his arms around the unconscious man after checking to make sure he still had a pulse. After the life and death struggle and the turbulent roller coaster ride of his emotions, the graveyard shift supervisor let out a strangled sob.

Gil Grissom, the Vulcan of the crime lab, rested his chin on the top of Nick's head and closed his eyes. Gil rocked back and forth with his charge, murmuring quietly. His responsibility was to teach his colleagues and keep them safe. With Nick, Grissom felt like a miserable failure.

"Oh, Nick," he sighed. All he could do was pray and Grissom didn't even have the strength for that.

TBC...

sokerfreak-

Glad you're enjoying things. When I write a story, I complete the whole thing and break it up in parts that make sense. I didn't try to end each chapter the same way. I think Nick's frame of mind were different at the end of each section. I hope it comes off like that. From terrified and confused to, enraged and out of his mind.

higherbeingfriendsfan-

Thank you very much. Trying to keep these two men in character was tough, with what each is going through, but I've loved it!

Amy-

Thank you for taking the time to provide such wonderful insight. I did a ton of research on PCP, and I'm glad Nick's reactions and actions were believable with such an injection. It would totally bring out his paranoia, fear, and insecurities, as well sadly, violence and uncontrolled aggression.

a.remains-

You're welcome! So you like it:-P

Designation-

Got your e-mail. Thank you for taking the time to write!

Groban-

Maybe I should put heart rating on this! Glad it has such an impact, it means a lot as a writer to hear such things from a reader. hugs you back Hoped you liked this current one as well.

amarawind-

Thank you! After all the pain from Grave Danger, I thought this fic might be too dark and too much right now. Wished I was able to finish it before the finale, but I did a lot of rewriting. Glad you can still read through it.

wolfwood-

Thank you again. I'm so thrilled that Nick and Gil come across as real! Makes me very happy to hear. As far as GD, Shacky and I are making good progress!

rozzy-

My pal, my wonderful reader! Loss of words? I feel the same way. I could never imagine having this kind of impact on a reader, and its very gratifying to hear. I love writing in great detail, my whole point is to convey emotion from the characters and I do so by lots of description, getting into their psyche, and I will always strive to be rich in imagery and try to come up with some original stories.

mad maggie-

Thanks again for the support. I hoped chapter 5 was fast enough..it certainly goes in a different direction.

Misss anoymous hp-

Thanks again. I hope you're still breathing after this little one. this was a tough one for my little heart. Poor Nicky. Poor Gil

mudhousejunkie-

I know its quite a shock and Nick will have to deal with it later. However PCP really, messes with your mind..its a nasty drug. Nick has no idea what he is really doing.

cl-

Glad to see you back. Saw you read 3, hoped you liked 4!