"One Nightmare to Another"

Chapter Five

By: Faith/Hope&Love951

Sorry that this update took so long, life seems to get in the way of writing. I want to thank everyone that has read this story and those who have reviewed it. Thanks for your encouragement.

Faith Hope and Love

He had just been allowed to enter Robert Stokes room. His best friends brother had just gotten settled in after getting the bullets removed. Warrick closed the door as he went farther into the room. He looked so much like Nick lying there.

He was glad that he was along and that Grissom had headed back to work after getting all the information that he needed. Warrick new that Grissom was like all of them wanting to get any information they can to get their friend back home soon. So now he stood looking down at the last person to have seen Nick. He had been given the job to wait and get Roberts statement while the rest of the team worked on finding Nick.

Heading over to the chair closest to the man's bed he took a seat watching the man sleep and hoping that he would wake up soon. Every minute was essential when working a missing person's case and that went double when it came to the man that had Nick, Nigel Crane wasn't a sane man and he worried what his friend was going through.

Taking in a deep breath he leaned his head forward to rest them in his hands. Moving his eyes up just enough to see the bed and the man lying there. Closing his eyes he could only see his friend, being rushed into the ER just over a week ago. How can things go so horribly wrong so fast?

Sometimes life wasn't fair.

Faith Hope and Love

Gil Grissom sat at his desk looking at the phone before him. He had a knot in his stomach as he picked up the receiver and started to dial the number that was in the file in front of him. He listened as the phone rang once, twice an on the third ring he head a woman answer the phone.

"Hello."

"Hello Jillian, this is Gil Grissom from…"

"Oh hello Mr. Grissom, is there something wrong…is it Nick? Is he having trouble adjusting to going home?" She asked and took in a breath. "I tried to call, but there wasn't an answer. Not from him or Robert and neither of them have called."

"There's something that happened. I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…"

Before he could get anymore out, she interrupted him. "Something happened to them…didn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he said with a heavy heart. What he had to tell her next wasn't going to be easy. "Is your husband at home?" He didn't want her to be alone when he told her what had been happening.

"Yeah, he's standing right here. Please…just tell me."

"Nick and Robert were kidnapped. Robert has been found and is in the hospital…he was shot three times." He heard her gasp and could easily make out that she was starting to cry after a moment Bill's voice came on.

"Mr. Grissom, is Robert going to be alright? And what about my other son? Where is Nick?" The man asked.

"Robert is going to be alright. He is going to be in the hospital for a few days, but he will make a full recovery. Nick hasn't be found yet…"

"What is being done to find him?" Bill Stokes asked. There was fear and desperation in his friend's father's voice. "What are you and the police doing to bring Nick home?"

"We're doing everything we can to bring Nick home, Sir. Trust me this is taking top priority. We're going to find him." Grissom talked to Bill Stokes for another half an hour, before he was able to explain everything that has been happening. Putting the phone back on the hook, Gill Grissom felt ten years older than he had just half an hour before. Looking to his door to see that he was alone he put his face in his hands. They had to find Nick in time.

Faith Hope and Love

His head hurt. It was pounding, as he started to wake. After a moment he forced his eyes open. They felt a little heave, and he had to force hem to stay open more than a few seconds at a time. It took him a minute or two to get them to focus on his surroundings. What he saw made his heart rate started to increase. This couldn't be real.

Looking around he could see a faint light that a small lantern was putting off. "No…you can't keep me in here!" He called out as he remembered that he was in a mine. He couldn't face this…not now. He couldn't be here, he had to get out of here…had to be able to breathe fresh air…he needed fresh air.

""It isn't going to be that long, we can sit around and talk. I've got everything that we are going to need. That friend of mine that I was telling you about had told me that he'd kept this place stocked…and he has, we aren't going to be wanting anything." Nigel said as he came over to Nick and knelt down in front of him. "This is just like camping in the great outdoor, just a little underground."

Nick turned fearful eyes toward Nigel. "I can't be down here. Please. I have to be above ground." He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. "Please, just let me go."

"But you need protected…and I need to be there one to do that. No one else has been doing that." Nigel explained as he stood and started to pace. "We can be friends now."

"But I don't want to be your friend," Nick weakly explained.

Stopping his pacing Nigel shook his head before pacing again. "You don't mean that, you are just remembering what was, there's a lot that is going to change. Now that I took care of some of the problems."

Nick started to laugh, what in the world did Nigel think he was going to do, be grateful that he had killed that officer and his brother. "I didn't ask you to kill them! I don't want this…any of it!"

Knelling back down Nigel whispered, "But I have to protect you."

"Do you hear yourself!" Nick shouted. "It isn't anyone out there that I need protected from…you're who I need protected from. You're the one that I want to be away from, please just leave me alone." The CSI was crying now, not wanting to face anything else that day, he just wanted it all to end, one way or another.

"You can't mean that."

"You think I needed you… a few years back," Nick asked between sobs. "I didn't need you then and I sure as hell don't need you now, just get out of my life." He wished that he could get free so he could make this man see that he wanted nothing to do with him. "I will never want to be your friend, not now, not ever. You are nothing to be but a nightmare. I went from one to another because of you and the man that kidnapped me at least he wasn't nearly as crazy as you are."

Nigel just stared at the man before him; this isn't how it was supposed to be. Nick was supposed to be his friend. He was supposed to take care of him and protect him. No, they had turned him against him. They all had turned Nick against him.

Faith Hope and Love

He must have fallen asleep; the next time his eyes opened he was hearing a moan. Lifting his head, Warrick looked at Robert Stokes. Going to the man's side, the CSI gently called his name.

"That's It Robert, you can do it," He called out as he watched Robert's eyes open.

It took him a few moments to start processing where he was and it finally hit him. Bolting up in his bed he gasped from the pain that it caused him. "Nick! You have to find him."

Jumping to his feet Warrick helped his friends brother lay back down and quickly grabbed the Button, calling for someone to help Robert with the pain. "Don't worry, were on it, but you need to just take a few breaths… that's right, one more…good." He was worried Robert's face went deathly pale.

Robert was shaking his head profusely, "No, you…have to get…to him, he…"

Finally the nurse came into the room with a small tray. After putting the pain medication into Robert's IV to call his doctor back. "Dr. Padgett will be back in about half an hour."

Warrick nodded his thanks as he turned his attention back to Robert. "After a few minutes he seemed to relax more. The CSI could tell the young man was righting the effects of the medication needing to tell Warrick something.

"Nick, saw me get…shot," He said his voice coming out in a whisper. "He need's your help…needs to get away from that man." He met Warrick's eyes. "I'm scared. He isn't…isn't doing good."

"We're going to find him, did you hear anything that could help us find Nick?"

Robert was finding it hard to concentrate, but he had to help his brother. "Cellmate. Chett something. Up in the mountains." His eyes were getting extremely heavy. "Mine, heard him say in the car."

Warrick patted the man's hand, "we'll find him, you did good, real good." The other man sighed as his eyes closed for the last time. "Nick would be proud of you," the CSI whispered as he stood to his feet. He had to check into who Nigel's cellmate was, and hoped that Nick wasn't anywhere near a mine

Faith Hope and Love

Nigel kicked one of the rolled up sleeping bags across the rocky floor. "You're never survive here alone without me to protect you," he shouted at Nick as he came closer to his captive. "Never survive."

"At this point, I don't care anymore!" Nick shouted back.

"You really think you can just choose to be away from me, it isn't that simple." Nigel whispered.

"Why don't you just leave and be done with it," Nick leaned his head against the hard wall of the shaft. He just needed some rest. To just be alone."

"Fine, have it your way."

Nick's head shot up, looking at Nigel as if he had just grown a second head. Was Nigel really going to just leave him along? "What?"

"I said fine," Nigel called out angrily as he went to start gathering a few things. "You can stay here and rot for all I care. They turned you against me… they are the reason that you want to be away from me."

Nick watched him and after a few minutes Nigel headed his way and knelled down beside him. "I'm going to leave you like you are, but I'm going to make sure your last hours on earth is like hell." With that he cut on a flashlight and stood up heading over to the only source if light and made sure that the mineshaft was dark, with the exception if the light he was holding. "Enjoy being in the dark, scared, alone, with no hope that anyone will come safe you. Just remember that you are the reason that No good cop is dead and you're the reason your brother died back there. Before tonight is over your parent's will have no son's left and only one they will be able to bury, cause no one is going to find you any time soon."

As Nigel left, Nick gasped for breath, he could feel a panic attack starting. He never expected Nigel to leave him in the dark, and under ground. This was his worse nightmare coming true. As he started to sob, he just hoped that his parent's wouldn't blame him for getting his brother killed.

To be continued…