Appreciation by SLynn
Summary: An art heist, an arsonist and a lot of angst. Takes place approximately four months after the end of 'Precious Things' This is the fifth in a series. Greg/Sara and Nick/OC
Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.
Notes: Thanks and such to come! For the time being, thanks for the help to RivenSky, Tripp3235 and Grrlnorth!
Chapter 27: Waiting
Catherine and Grissom had split up upon arriving at the hospital. Brass had called them and filled them in on what he knew, but it wasn't much. They knew that both Greg and Sara had been badly hurt in a fire, had been taken to UMC, but nothing more. While Grissom headed straight to the emergency room, Catherine went to the main reception area.
Before she had a chance to ask any questions, Grissom was calling her name. Wheeling around she saw him and Dr. Jennings. Wasting no time, she hurried to them and began her own inquiry.
"Please," Dr. Jennings said, holding up her hand. "Ms. Willows, I'll explain it all as best as I can, but you need to calm down."
"Just tell me they're okay."
"They are," she assured her. "Both of them. I've just come from checking on Sara. She's being taken up to the ICU, but is in stable condition."
"Then why the ICU?" Grissom asked, he hadn't had the chance to ask anything himself until now. It was lucky he'd even spotted her in the chaos that had been the emergency room.
Dr. Jennings looked down, as if caught in a lie.
"She's going to be fine. Dr. Davidson is her attending and he's confident she'll recover fully, but her lungs have been damaged. Right now she's on a ventilator; they aren't sure how long it will be needed."
"And?" Grissom questioned, knowing there was more.
"She crashed on the way here," Dr. Jennings answered, knowing they needed to know. That they wouldn't rest until they did. "Dr. Davidson will be able to tell you more, but CPR was performed en route. She was stabilized before they arrived, but hasn't gained consciousness."
Grissom and Catherine both looked stricken at the news.
"And Greg?" Catherine asked after a long pause, her voice cautious.
"He's in and out," Dr. Jennings started and then stopped, her eyes moving past them and looking relieved.
Grissom and Catherine turned nearly at once to follow her movement and saw Dr. Tracey moving their way.
"Dora," Dr. Tracey said, ignoring the two investigators for the moment, "what is going on? I just got paged. Why is Greg Sanders in the psych ward?"
Dr. Tracey looked and sounded angry, but it was nothing to the looks of shock and outrage that crossed both Grissom and Catherine's faces as they turned back to Dr. Jennings.
"He was admitted before I arrived," she answered, holding her hands up defensively without realizing it. "There were problems controlling him in the ambulance and the ER. I was told they had no choice."
"Problems? Of course there were problems, he'd come from a fire. They're professionals; they should know how to handle a patient. "
"Dr. Tracey," the younger woman continued, lowering her voice and trying to gently pull her away, "please, if you'd just…"
"No," she said firmly, "I'd like to hear this now. I'm sure Gil and Catherine would as well."
Dr. Jennings took a deep breath before beginning.
"There was an altercation in the ambulance on the way here. The paramedic had no choice but to sedate him; he used a very mild drug. It was just enough to get to calm him and get him here. Once it began to wear off, he began to get out of control again. He ripped out his IV and tried to leave. Greg was restrained by three of the orderlies until he was sedated again. This time they used a much stronger drug and he had a bad reaction. It brought on a second, stronger asthma attack than he'd had at the fire. He had to be restrained in order to insert a tube down his throat to clear an airway. Because of the ruckus, Dr. Phillips the on-call psychiatrist felt that he needed observation. Once he was cleared from the ER, he was admitted upstairs."
"Greg's a patient here," Dr. Tracey said, shaking her head. "Why wasn't I called sooner?"
"Clerical error," Dr. Jennings answered. "They admitted him under the wrong name. Apparently Greg did try to ask for you or me, but without luck. Dr. Phillips called me after he'd been admitted just to verify I wasn't his doctor. He was a bit surprised to learn I was."
"Excuse me," Dr. Tracey said, having heard enough. "I need to go find Dr. Phillips."
There was an awkward pause until finally Dr. Jennings cleared her throat and turned back to the other two.
"I can take you up to see Greg if you'd like," she said with a short nod. "Mr. Brown is with him now, but the more company he has the less likely he is to become despondent."
"What about Sara?" Grissom asked. "Can we see her too?"
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Only family members are allowed. Does she have an emergency contact list on file? Anyone listed there would be allowed as well."
"I'll call the lab and have Gretchen fax it immediately."
Dr. Jennings nodded. She made a slight indication for them to follow as she headed towards the elevator, but knew there was nothing more to tell.
They moved silently through the corridors till they stopped in front of room 307. Dr. Jennings peaked inside before opening the door to them both, allowing them in first. Warrick stood up as they did, moving a hand to his mouth indicating silence. Greg was asleep and he thought it best if he stayed that way.
Dr. Jennings asked only that they page the nurses' station when he woke up and then was gone.
Nick didn't arrive at the hospital until nearly daybreak. Their only suspect, booked by now, had offered up a full confession. Of course John Davenport claimed that it was really his friend, the late James Douglas, who had really set all the fires. DNA would prove he had some part in it, but by then he'd have gotten a lawyer and it would be a matter for the courts. The DA was likely to charge him not only with setting the fires but also with attempted murder. Still a minor, Davenport was likely to get a plea bargain deal. That made Nick angry, but now wasn't the time.
Nick knew right where to go. Grissom had called him an hour earlier and filled him in. On the way there Nick had stopped by Greg's house and picked him up a change of clothes. Grissom had told him that Greg was going to be released shortly and would need some of his things. No one doubted that even when he was released he wouldn't be leaving the hospital any time soon. As it turned out Greg was Sara's emergency contact. He'd be the only one allowed up to see her for the time being.
Making his way to the third floor he found Grissom and Catherine in the waiting room.
"I thought Greg was up?" he asked, moving towards them quickly.
Nick still looked rough himself. He'd gotten fairly dirty at the fire but hadn't bothered to change or clean himself up yet. There hadn't been time.
"He is," Catherine practically sighed, "he just doesn't want company."
"Warrick's with him," Grissom added.
"Can I go?" he asked, casting a glance over his shoulder toward the ward.
Catherine didn't answer, but Grissom nodded with a slight smile.
Nick gave them both a half-hearted smile of his own before turning to go. He decided not to knock, just cracked the door and stuck his head inside. Seeing only Warrick Nick made his way in, shutting the door behind him.
"Where is he?" he asked, scanning the room and dropping the bag of clothes off on the nearest chair.
"Bathroom," Warrick answered with a slight nod toward the door. "He's been in there for awhile; I was just about to knock."
"Tell me how bad it is first," Nick said taking a seat.
Warrick looked down, shaking his head. Not able to just say it right away.
"He's not good," he finally managed. "Better then he was, but once he found out how bad Sara is…"
Warrick threw up his hands and shrugged. This wasn't easy for any of them, but Greg was definitely taking it the hardest.
"She isn't better?" Nick asked, worried now himself. They'd filled him in on her condition but he had hoped for improvement.
"No," Warrick returned. "Dr. Tracey and Dr. Jennings have been giving us updates. She's still unconscious; they think she might have slipped into a coma. She went a long time without air."
"How long?"
"Long enough to worry."
Nick looked down before rubbing his hands over his face.
"So why aren't Catherine and Grissom in here?" he asked after a pause.
"Greg," Warrick answered once more. "It's nothing personal, but he didn't want a lot of people hanging around while he was in restraints."
"Catherine seemed to think it was personal."
"Yeah," Warrick said with a tight smile. "She did. Didn't take it well at all but Griss calmed her down."
The both turned as they heard the water shut off in the bathroom. A few minutes later Greg came out, hair still wet and dressed in a hospital gown.
"Hey Greg," Nick said as naturally as he could. "I brought you some clothes."
"Thanks," Greg said, sitting on the bed, "but I've got to stay in this until I'm released."
Nick nodded and took a quick glance at his friend. He knew about the bandaged arm, Nick had been filled in on the fact that Greg had practically ripped open a vein trying to get his first IV out. His second was still in place, although no longer attached to anything. Greg looked pale and a little green, like he might be sick. But that wasn't what really caught his attention.
"What happened to your arms?" Nick asked before he could stop himself.
Greg looked down as if seeing it himself for the first time and shrugged.
"I don't know."
Nick did, he just remembered too late. He'd been told they had to hold Greg down, he just hadn't realized it had been so physical.
"Dr. Phillips should be here soon," Warrick said, drawing Greg's attention. "Do you want us to leave?"
Greg looked as if he was considering it, before finally shaking his head.
"No," he said. "You guys can stay. If you don't mind I'd like you to come up with me to the ICU. I don't think…"
Greg stopped abruptly and looked away from the both of them.
"Of course we'll go," Warrick said immediately.
"Yeah man," Nick seconded. "We'll be there."
Greg nodded and ran a hand across his face.
"Thanks."
Warrick and Nick nodded.
The three of them sat in a steady silence, waiting for the doctor.