"What's with the silent treatment, Greg?"
Greg shifted slightly in his seat. "Nothing," he said unconvincingly.
Sara gripped the wheel tighter. "You don't have a very good poker face. You worried about Nick?"
Greg looked out the window, anywhere but at the driver. "Yeah, of course."
Sara's eye drifted over again and she sighed loudly. "You know it was Nick's inability to talk to his coworkers about what was bugging him that caused him to lose sight of the case."
Greg whipped his head around. He didn't hide the accusation in his voice. "You ratted him out."
Sara quickly swerved the truck out of their lane and into a laundromat parking lot. She yanked on the brake and glared at him.
"Don't make me the bad guy here, Greg. I didn't 'rat' him out. I did what I thought was best for him, when everyone else was too busy trying to give him enough rope to hang himself with."
Greg crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He pushed the case along and forced Matt Todd to confess about his previous crimes. He put together clues and connections way before any of us," he defended.
Sara leaned over. "At what cost, Greg? He checked himself out of the hospital after a brutal attack. He went back to work against medical advice, pushed himself so hard until he collapsed. Would the case be any good if he di---"
Sara cut herself at mid-sentence, almost losing her composure. She rested her back against the seat and played with her hands. Her face softened and she looked back fearfully.
"I know what its like to be pulled into the abyss, and for no one be there for you. We just stood around and let Nick get sucked in deeper and deeper. He ignored Warrick and dismissed me. Nick needed someone he'd listen to. to keep him from going all the way in."
Greg licked nervous lips. "So you called Grissom."
Sara pushed back strands of hair that had fallen in her face. "Yeah, I did. " She looked at him. "And look what good it did."
Greg looked down at his lap, without a word. Sara cleared her throat and started the vehicle again as they made their way back to the lab.
Catherine carefully pulled down the sheet to Nick's waist and undid the tie at the neck of his gown and thesnaps along his arms. She folded it down to unveil his chest. She took the basin with tepid water and soaked the sponge. Then she applied the damp item over his shoulders, down his torso and back up to his throat. She dunked the sponge back into the cool water and started wetting the sides of his neck, his flushed cheeks and forehead.
The nurse had come in a few minutes earlier, explaining that the physician wanted to try to lower Nick's temperature down a bit with a cool bath. Wanting to feel helpful, Catherine explained to the nurse that she would like to do it. Catherine had seen the disappointed expression on the other woman. The CSI narrowed her eyes and ushered her out of Nick's room, like some fierce lion.
Catherine continued her ministrations, wiping the soaked sponge over Nick's chest, as she talked softly to him. "See what you're doing to the nurses, Nicky? I might not be able to leave you alone till you can fend them off for your self."
Catherine looked up when she heard the door open to the room and a tired Dr. Taylor entered. The physician had a chart in her hands that she studied intently. She flipped through the pages and then rested her eyes on the still form of the patient.
Catherine momentarily ceased her actions. "How's Nick doing, Dr. Taylor?"
The CSI had been at the hospital for the last three hours and gotten to speak to Nick's caregivers as they continued to bring more bags of fluids, injections of drugs and repeated cursory examinations.
The female doctor shook her head which only made Catherine tense up even more.
"I've run CBC's, Chem 7s, and I'm still waiting on more blood cultures." The frustrated doctor walked over to the bed. "I have him on Ampicillin and Sulbactam. I'm going to try something else, see if we can find something that works until I can get the sensitivity tests back. Hopefully we can figure out what is making him sick."
The doctor gave the CSI a sympathetic smile. "I'm going to replace his vasoactive support since he has hypotension. A nurse will give him a dose of Norepinephrine, which will help bring his blood pressure back up."
Catherine kept her composure as the doctor went over to her patient and removed the surgical dressing to inspect the wound closely.
"This had remained clear at least." The physician looked over at the female investigator. "The nurse will be in soon to add the meds to his line and increase his fluids in a few minutes."
"I've noticed the large amount he's been given so far."
"We've doing everything we can for him"
Catherine stood up immediately not taking very kindly to the despondency in the physician's voice. "I know this is serious, Dr. Taylor, but you make it sound like Nick might not recover."
Dr. Taylor matched Catherine's aggressive stance. "This is incredibly serious, Ms. Willows. I've got to lower his temperature. His body is in danger of just shutting down"
Catherine was shocked into silence. She had come straight from the airport to the lab, only to have Nick who had in prefect health earlier only days early, collapse on her. Ever since then, she'd been working on the case that drove him to this point and back in his hospital room. She quickly busied herself with the sponge bath, not wanting to think about what the doctor had just informed her.
Dr. Taylor sighed loudly and went over to the other side of the bedrail. "I guess some of the cases you work on are very difficult to deal with. Facing and dealing with death all the time."
Catherine was dripping water into Nick's hair, wiping away the beads of perspiration around his face again. "Yeah. Except this case involves a child who may still be alive." Catherine looked at Nick while trying not to break down. "I think Nick felt at fault for his abduction."
Dr. Taylor patted Nick's shoulder. "He was very determined to help the boy" Her hand lingered for a moment before turning to the other woman. "I'm going to try hard to help him. I'm sure Mr. Stokes is a real fighter. From what I've seen of him, he'll beat this infection."
Catherine watched as the physician removed her hand and left the room quickly. She looked back down at Nick for the very first time and became very afraid for him.
Gil Grissom found the unofficial church documents in a stack on his desk. He had inputted the name of Trent N. Walker into CODIS as well as every other database available to them. Labs had come back on all the linen collected in Jason's room, and thankfully it had been negative for any fluids or sexual abuse.
Greg and Sara had arrived earlier both in very tense moods and were copying and entering the prints that had found of "Brent Nero". Grissom looked over at Warrick who had been diligently going over interviews with school employees about Nero's activities. They tried to dig into where the coach liked to go in town, who he knew, and where he might be hiding.
Nero had been very active in school activities, but remained a total mystery to the administration. It seemed that no one knew anything about him. He was like a ghost who was visible only on the surface.
Grissom was waiting on more results when Greg and Sara nearly raced inside the conference room.
Sara was first to speak, holding out a file for all to see. "Trent N. Walker is definably the man who posed as Coach Brent Nero. He simply stole his social security number, personal, and financial information from the real guy in Utah. They have the same physical characteristics as well as their age in common."
"Basic form of identity theft," Greg added.
Warrick slid his papers way and looked over. "So, who is Trent Walker?"
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Captain Trent Walker was honorable discharged from the Army Rangers in 2002. He served for 12 years specializing in demolitions. He moved around quite a bit and was stationed in Japan and Korea before staying in the states during his last tour of duty."
Grissom took a cursory look at the information and back at his team. "The knife that was used to kill Johnny Todd as well as to injure Nick might have been military issued. Some Special Forces' blades have a very unique serrated edge to them."
Warrick swiveled in his chair. "If he was Special Forces, then we're dealing with a very resourceful guy. Detail-oriented, professionally trained, and smart."
"And elusive," Sara added.
Grissom stood up and paced across the room. Photos of the crime scene, reports, and important documents were pinned on bulletin board in front of him. He looked a chart with the timeline of several missing kids from the same schools that Johnny and Jason had attended.
"We have a guy who was molested by Matt Todd when he was ten years old. The case is covered up, the clergy and Matt Todd move away. This child grows up, joins the military, and then after he leaves, he suddenly starts following the man responsible for this abuse around the country, kidnapping and killing kids."
"Nick said he was 'testing' them," Greg interrupted.
Grissom paused. "Then he decides to take Matt's own children, when he's unsatisfied with whatever he was seeking with those other victims." Gil turned to face his team.
"Do we have a timeline from when some of those children were taken and when their bodies were discovered from those past police reports?"
"Nick determined there was a two-day window. That's why he was so adamant about going back to the house in search for the Gameboy," Greg offered.
Grissom went to the board and found one of the photos. "The stuffed donkey was found at the scene. Any other toys or items missing or discovered in the other investigations?" he inquired.
"I recall various amounts of items, blankets, stuffed bears, a pair of roller skates," Greg explained while trying to remember the reports.
"What about Walker's family? He have any?" Warrick asked.
Sara put her pile of papers down and flipped through them. "Both his parents were killed in a car accident when he was 17, he joined the military soon after," she explained.
"Check for property inheritance. See if he has any family whatsoever out here," Grissom instructed.
His team was gathering items when Grissom's cell phone went off. He picked it up, listening intently to the frantic voice.
"Okay, Cath, I'll get over there."
Grissom clicked the cell off and saw three sets of apprehensive eyes. "Catherine says Nicky is getting worse. I'm going over there."
Warrick stared at his folders, and back to the board. "Let me go with you, and then I'll come back."
Grissom sized the man up. "Okay, Warrick." He looked back at his other CSIs.
"Find out about his family ties. See if you can find anyone who might know where he's hiding." Grissom looked at his watch. "It's been two days, and we don't have any time to spare.
Catherine was holding Nick's hand as he started to thrash around in his bed. His face was hotter to the touch than before, and he started mumbling under his breath. Catherine tried to gently brush his face with her hand and settle him down.
One of the nurses had entered and was in search of his physician as the female criminalist continued to talk gently to him.
"It's all right, Nicky," she soothed.
Nick moaned in his sleep.
"Luna. Mercurius. Sol."
Catherine shook her head at the gibberish. Was Nick speaking in Latin?
Catherine felt his fingers crush her hand as Nick sat up in his bed frantically. He shivered and coughed loudly. He turned to face her, his eyes dull and hazy.
"Terra firma," he stammered.
Catherine placed her hand gently on his shoulder, guiding him back down to the bed. He slowly released the iron-clad grip over her other hand, while he continued to talk to himself.
Nick slowly moved his head to the side, breathing raggedly. "Cath?"
She tried to smile at him, rubbing her thumb over his fingers.
"I'm here, Nicky. Just try to rest, okay."
Nick placed a shaky hand to his face, and then stopped to look at his IV. Confused, feeling miserable, hot and achy, he just wrapped his arms around the pillow resting on his stomach.
"J-jason. h-have you f-found him?"
Catherine kept her emotions under control. Nick was battling literally for his life and the child was still on his mind. "No, Nicky. We haven't."
Nick seemed to sink into the bed further. "No." he croaked- a low, painful, guttural noise.
Catherine tried to give him reassurance but he seemed to drift back into some sort of semi-consciousness again. His body shivered more and it took everything in her willpower to not sob uncontrollably at the pain she witnessed.
Catherine felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she spun around and wrapped her arms around Warrick who gripped her in a fierce hug. Grissom moved over to the bed and looked helplessly on.
Warrick let go of his embrace as his coworker wiped at her moist face. "His fever jumped to over 106," she said, her voice cracking.
Warrick rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "He'll get through this, Cath."
Grissom leaned over the railing, taking in the fragile appearance of his criminalist. Grissom lifted his hand up, and it hovered over the still man's shoulder.
Grissom kept his hand in the air, and quickly snatched it back at the approach of other people. He immediately turned to face the new visitors.
Dr. Taylor and a nurse arrived. The redheaded woman faced the trio of distraught people. "The cultures came back. It's a resistant strain of coagulase positive staphylococci. I'm going to switch to Vancomygin and take him off of the other antibiotics. We'll know if less than four hours if he responds to the new treatment."
"Then he'll be all right?' Warrick pressed, as he held onto to Catherine.
Dr. Taylor tried to give them reassurances. "We found the culprit, we can only wait to see how he responds."
It wasn't the reaffirmation that the criminalists were looking for, but they would take the news and pray that Nick would react to it.
tbc...
Author's notes at my bio.