NOV - 13TH -2004 8: AM
DESERT PALM HOSPITAL
Greg had walked through the hospital entrance and went to the receptionist desk. "Can I help you?" Asked a nurse that looked to be in her 20's.
"Yes I'm looking for Nick Stokes room." Greg said.
She looked at her charts. "He's in ICU still. Are you family?" She asked.
Greg closed his eyes. "No. Sorry is there a list of people who can see him?" Greg asked.
She nodded. "I have a Daisy Stokes. Greg Sanders and Catherine Willows. Are you Greg Sanders?" She asked.
Greg nodded handing her his ID. "Yes Ma'am."
She smiled. 'Come with me. I'll show you to the ICU nurse's station." She said.
4th FLOOR ICU NURSE'S STATION
Greg was stopped at a desk and the nurse smiled. "Gerald will help you here." She said. Greg nodded his thanks.
Gerald being a big black guy stepped up. "Hi can I help you?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"Nick Stokes. Is he allowed visitors?" Greg asked.
He nodded. "I was just in there. Wanna follow me. Don't be alarmed by all the monitors. He's doing better than expected." Gerald said. Gerald stepped into a room where a sleeping Nick laid out on the bed. His left arm was in a sling. His left leg was in a cast from his thigh to just over his knee.
"Has he woken up?" Greg asked.
Gerald nodded. "Woke up about an hour ago. But we gave him some pain medication and he's dozing right now." Gerald said.
"I'll be his nurse til about noon. Then we change shifts." He said. Greg nodded His thanks.
"How do I go about putting a couple of people on the list to see him?" He asked.
Gerald took out his pad. "Tell me and tell the receptionist. What are the names." He asked.
"Sara Sidle, Gil Grissom and Warrick Brown. They're friends of ours." Greg said.
Gerald smiled. "Sure. I'll come back and check on him in a while ." Gerald said leaving the cubicle. Greg walked over to the right side of the bed.
"Hey Babe." Greg said quietly taking Nick's good hand in his.
"You trying to scare me?" Greg asked.
"Daisy told us a couple of stories about how you saved her from a bully in high school." Greg said. Greg heard something at the door he turned to see Daisy standing there a tear sliding down her cheek.
"He also saved me from a lot of brotherly beatings." Daisy said pulling a chair up to the side of the bed and laid her hand on Nick's lower leg.
"Come on Lil brother open your eyes and let us know we aren't just talking to a shell." Daisy said.
Greg smiled. "I think the pain medication they gave him before we got here is working." Greg said.
Just then Greg felt the hand he was holding squeeze his hand. "Nicky you waking up?" Greg asked. Nick turned his head and his left hand tensed.
"Daisy could you go get the nurse?" Greg asked. Daisy left the room and Greg stood up watching Nick as his eyes slowly opened.
"G Greg?" Nick asked.
Greg smiled. "It's me babe. Daisy went to get the nurse." Greg said.
"I'm s sorry." Nick said.
Greg was confused. "What for?" Greg asked.
"N not calling you. I j just needed s some air." Nick said in a shaky breath.
Greg smiled. "It's ok. Do you remember what happened?" Greg asked. Nick laid there trying to think when he started to panic.
"Hey it's ok. If you don't remember it's ok." Greg said reassuringly.
Just then Gerald and Daisy came back in. "Mr. Stokes how you feeling?" Gerald asked.
Nick looked at him and nodded. "Thirsty." He said.
Gerald nodded. ""There's a pitcher behind you there." He said to Greg. Greg let go of Nick's hand and filled the pitcher and touched the straw to his lips. Nick sipped the liquid.
"Mr. Stokes do you know where you're at?" Gerald asked.
Nick nodded which sent pain down his whole body. "Yes. Desert Palm hospital." Nick said.
Gerald nodded. "Good. I'm gonna check you're wounds out. Ok?" Gerald asked. Nick nodded slightly tightening his hold on Greg's hand.
Gerald noticed and smirked. "He has to leave for us to do that." Gerald said.
Nick shook his head. "No." Nick said. Greg and Daisy shared a small smile at how child like Nick was acting.
"Nicky look at me. I'll wait right out in the hall until they're done. Then I'll come back. Ok?" Greg said rubbing the sweat from Nick's fore head.
Nick only nodded slightly. "K. Coming back?" Nick asked meekly.
Greg smiled. "Yes. You need those wounds tended to." Greg said straightening up and letting go of Nick's hand and ushering Daisy out of the room.
Daisy sighed,. "He hates hospitals." Daisy said.
Greg nodded. "When Nigel Crane through him out the window it took 2 sedatives to get him to relax enough for them to be able to do a scan of his ribs." Greg said.
Daisy smirked. "He has someone else to hold on to now." Daisy said.
Greg pulled her to him. "He still needs his family. He'll need em more than ever after that little one comes." Greg said hugging her.
Daisy closed her eyes. "Telling momma and Daddy about this won't be easy. Are you ready for that?" She asked.
Greg hugged her tighter. "Yes I am. Are you?" Greg asked.
Daisy nodded. "Been ready." Daisy said.
8: PM
DESERT PALM ICU WARD
Nick had been checked and now he was laying on the bed dozing in and out of sleep. Greg had told him he would come by before he went to work. Nick knew that this might break their relationship. Just then the curtain was pulled back and he seen Greg standing there looking mighty proud of himself. "Hey." Greg said coming over to the right side of the bed and taking Nick's hand.
"Hi. Thought you weren't coming til 10?" Nick asked.
Greg smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead. "Visiting hours for ICU end at 9. Figured an hour with you would be better than nothing at all." Greg said.
Nick tried to pull himself up but the ribs that were damaged weren't letting him. Greg put his hand on his shoulder.
"Relax there. You have 4 bruised ribs. So they're gonna be tender." Greg said keeping his hand on Nick's shoulder.
Nick leaned his head back and sighed. "Any idea when I'll be able to go home?" He asked.
Greg shook his head. "No. They want you to. I think be in a regular room first." Greg said.
"K. Daisy ok?" He asked.
Greg nodded. "Home resting. She was getting tired. Said she had to take some medicine." Greg said.
Nick nodded. "K. I guess this gets me out of going to Dallas with her." Nick said.
Greg smirked. "I don't think so." Greg said. "I got a question." Greg said.
Nick looked at him. "K. What is it?" He asked.
Greg pulled a black box out of his pants pocket and opened it for Nick. "Will do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?" Greg asked. Nick was about to answer when Catherine came in.
"Hey there." She said.
Catherine leaned over and hugged Nick carefully. "How you feeling tonight?" She asked.
Nick smiled. "Not to bad. Course that might be from the morphine they've been giving me." He said.
Catherine smirked. 'Well you gave us all quite a scare." Catherine said.
Nick just ducked his head. "I just needed air. The boys case was getting to me." Nick said.
Catherine smiled. "No one told you?" Catherine asked.
Nick shook his head. "No. Told me what?" He asked.
"The boy was found this morning. He's in a regular room just some cuts and bruises." She said.
Nick laid his head back sighing in relief. "Thank you lord." He said with emotion in his voice.
Catherine smiled. "Well I better go and see if Warrick needs a ride into work. Greg I'll see you in a while. Nicky when you get into a regular room I'll bring Lindsay by to see you. She's worried about you." Catherine said.
Nick smiled. "Please bring her by. I would love to see her." Nick said. Lindsay Willows was Nick's good little friend. When him and Greg had started going together it was Lindsay's idea for them to tell everyone by doing it at breakfast. And when the house was bought Lindsay suggested they have a pool party. And if they both had a day or 2 off they had Catherine bring her by and she would stay with them and they all 3 enjoy the pool.
"Alright you get some rest." Catherine said hugging Nick carefully.
Greg smiled when she hugged him. "See you in a while. And I want details." She said.
Greg looked at her shocked. "You knew?" He asked.
She nodded. "I did. I'm a CSI Greg. See you later." She said leaving the room. Nick let his head fall back and Greg seen the tear roll down his cheek.
"You ok?" Greg asked.
Nick nodded. "I'm just glad the kid is ok." Nick said.
Greg nodded. "Alright well visiting hours are about over. So I'm gonna get out of here." Greg said.
Nick nodded. "Sounds good. See you in the morning?" Nick asked.
Greg nodded. "I'll be here. Maybe they'll move you by then." Greg said leaning over Nick to adjust the sling Nick had almost twisted around.
"I love you." Nick said.
Greg smiled faintly and touched their foreheads together. "I love you too. So much." Greg said closing his eyes and leaning in for a kiss.
"I need to go and get to work." Greg said getting up off the bed. Nick closed his eyes and listened to the curtain being pulled back as Greg left the cubicle.
TBC