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-CSIFanatic08
Nick had slept a good 13 hours before the restless sound of pillows, blankets and breathing finally woke him up. He turned over from his right, to his left side, to observe the people behind him. He sat up in the bed, wanting to get a proper head count of the people in his room. He winced as his hospital gown rubbed the raw flesh on his back. He began scratching his neck as a bite irrated the bright pink skin.
"9," Nick said out loud as he looked at all the familiar faces, with his eyes barely open.
A nurse walking in startled Nick. She walked over to his right to check his monitor. She began jotting down information when Nick finally got the voice to ask her the question.
"When can I go home?" Nick asked with lonely eyes. Nick's voice also startled the nurse as she fumbled with his chart.
"Oh… um, hello," the nurse said trying to brush off her scare.
"Hello," Nick said with a smile.
"Doctor Sparrow said that you could leave…" She said as she tried to find his release date. "Well, you've been in the restraints twice, sedated twice, and you've been out of the bed once, am I correct?" She asked with a concerned look on her face. She wasn't sure he was going to accept her answer. "The chart here says you've got another 4 days," She said while folding of his chart and heading for the nearest exit.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Nick said with an angry tone. "So you're telling me that I have to spend another 4 days in this hospital?" He said irately.
"Yes, your body is not fully recovered. It's still going through a lot of stress. My best recommendation for you is to limit the occupants in you room, to at least 2," She said as she turned her attention to the 9 people in his room.
"You're one lucky guy," she said as she wrote more information onto the clip board.
Lucky? How is that? I've got 4 more days in this….place," Nick said with venom in his voice.
"Some people come into these hospitals with no one. They sit in the beds watching TV and talking to themselves," she said in an upset tone. "But you, you have so many people that care about you," she turned her head to the flowers and cards in the window sill.
"I didn't even notice those," Nick said as a wave of guilt was felt through out his body.
"Just appreciate what you have Nicholas Stokes. You never know when you'll lose it," she said with a smile as she walked out of the room.
Nick sat in the bed thinking about the conversation they had had. Nick looked up from his twiddling thumbs, and looked up at the people in the chairs before him, his family.
Warrick and Greg hopped out of the car and walked towards the door. Warrick opened the door and walked in with Greg not far behind.
"Do you have any idea how much this is gonna cost?" Greg asked as they stood in line.
"No. But it will be worth it," Warrick said with a grin on his face.
Their conversation was cut short when the patron met them at the door.
"Welcome to Sam's Diner! Dine- in or carry out?" she said as Warrick read her nametag.
"Hi Alicia, this is for carry out," Warrick said as he looked at Greg.
Greg had been looking at the patron ever since they walked through the doors. She was a cute girl with thin glasses which took away from her gorgeous blue eyes. She also had blonde hair which was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She stood at about 5'4 and 120lbs. She was exactly Greg's type. Warrick hated to wake him from his day dream, so he let it go.
"Carry out? OK could you please follow me," Alicia said as her face blushed. She looked at Greg and smiled. Greg acted as if he was a 5th grader in puppy love.
"Don't drool now," Warrick said when he was sure that Alicia was out of ear shot. With that comment Greg closed his mouth with a snap.
"I'm not drooling," Greg said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Not yet," Warrick said with a chuckle as they met up with Alicia at the carry out cash register.
"OK what can I get you?" Alicia said, her face still a faded shade of red. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire.
"Well," Warrick started attempting to break the awkwardness in the air. "Can we have 9 sausage and egg meals and 1 deluxe sausage meal with eggs and hash browns? By the way, do the sausage and egg meals come with pancakes?"
She seemed somewhat side tracked as she and Greg began flirting from across the counter.
"Hello?" Warrick said waving his hand in front of her face.
"Oh yes. Sorry. So that was 9 sausage and egg meals which comes with a short stack each, 1 deluxe sausage meal with eggs and hash browns which also includes a short stack. Anything else?" Alicia said with a giggle.
"Yeah," Warrick said as he looked back at Greg who had the geekiest smile on his face. "9 coffees and 2 orange juices."
"Alright the total is," Alicia started as she waited for the receipt to finish printing. "$101.59. Would you like cup holders?"
"Oh snap," Greg said as he looked at the receipt over Warrick's shoulder. The statement caused Alicia to giggle her.
Warrick dug into his pocket and pulled a hundred dollar bill and a five out. He placed it on the counter as he put his wallet back in his pocket and turned his back to Greg.
"Well, that just sucked me dry," Warrick said as he leaned against the counter. "Man, I remember when meals at this place were 5 dollars each. You know what I'm talking about?" Warrick said as he shifted his attention to the annoying giggling sound that was coming from behind him. He turned around to see Greg exchanging numbers with Alicia.
"Apparently not," Warrick said a little louder then usual so that the sickening couple would hurry up with their little exchange.
"Oh sorry sir," Alicia said as she realized that she was on the clock. "Your change is $3.41,"
"No," Warrick said, "keep the change."
"Thank you sir," Alicia said. "Have a great day!"
"You too," Warrick said as he waved good-bye to her.
"Ah man, do you have it bad or what? You were back there, all smitten. God, could you have been any more obvious?" Warrick asked. When he didn't get a response he turned around, where he would expect to find Greg. However, Greg was M.I.A. As he looked back at the cash register, he saw Greg bend down and kiss Alicia's hand.
"GREG!" Warrick said as he motioned for the door.
Greg looked more embarrassed then ever. His face was a dark shade of red. He said his good byes to his dream girl and then found his way back to Warrick.
"Tell me you did not just do what I think you did?" Warrick asked as he looked at Greg with laughter in his eyes.
"Do what?" Greg asked with a dumb expression on his face.
"Don't play dumb with me Sanders," Warrick said with a smile on his face. "Just, don't," Warrick said as he held up a hand. They laughed as they walked over to the condiments table. They loaded the bag with creamer, sugar, syrup, salt, pepper, and plastic forks and spoons.
"Receipt number 187, order's up," A man said over the intercom.
"Go get it Sanders. I'm gonna get cup holders," Warrick said as he pointed to the pick up line.
"Alright, my pleasure," he said as he spotted Alicia holding their food.
"On second thought, you get the cup holders. I'll get the food," Warrick said as he pushed Greg back towards the condiment table.
"But…" Greg said but by the time the word left his mouth, Warrick was already picking up the bags.
They met up by the door.
"The coffee is still over there," Warrick said as he looked towards Alicia holding two cups in her hands. "Go get em'….. Or should I say her, tiger."
"Don't mind if I do," Greg said as he headed over to Alicia behind the counter. Half way towards her, he tripped dropping the cup holders.
The people in the diner laughed and pointed at Greg. Warrick felt horrible but knew that he was resilient. Alicia put the coffees down and jumped over the counter. She grabbed Greg by the right arm, and helped him up.
"You OK?" She asked as she brushed the crumbs from the floor off of his shirt.
"Yep just fine…now," Greg said as he brushed the rest of himself off. "Thanks," Greg said with a sheepish smile.
"My pleasure," Alicia said as she helped him out to the car with the coffees.
They made their way out of the diner and to Warrick's SUV. She opened the door for Warrick who was struggling with the keys.
"Thank you," he said with a sincere smile as he placed the bags in the back seat. Alicia went around the front of the car and opened the door for Greg.
"Thank you very much," Greg said as placed the hot coffee on the seat.
"It was nice meeting you, Greg," Alicia said as she extended her hand to him.
"It was nice meeting you too, Alicia," Greg said with a mile wide smile on his face.
Alicia walked back over to the driver's side of the vehicle. "You too……" Alicia said as she realized that she hadn't asked him for his name.
"The name's Warrick," Warrick stated with his hand extended. "And it was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you too," Alicia said as she stepped back long enough for him to close the door. Greg closed the door and waved through the window.
Alicia walked back into the diner as she watched Greg and Warrick drive off. She looked out the window until they were out of sight. Butterflies flew in her stomach as she replayed the last events in her mind. Was she in love?
"I think I'm in love," Greg said as he handed Warrick a coffee at a red light.
Warrick scoffed and continued with a, "Sure your right G,"
"I really think I am," Greg said as he sipped the coffee but quickly spit it back in the cup.
Warrick had been working up the courage to ask Greg about the other night for the last couple hours.
"What happened last night, man? You just exploded on me," Warrick said in the softest voice he could muster.
The smile on Greg's face faded as quickly as it came. "I don't want to talk about it," Greg said as he looked out the window.
"Well, we need to talk about it. I need you to explain to me, where those feelings came from," Warrick said as they approached another red light.
"I can't tell you where they came from because I don't know where they came from," Greg said as he looked back at Warrick. "I have no idea what I said last night, but I know that I meant every single word. I apologize for the delivery and the timing, but not what was said," Greg said as he looked back out the window.
Warrick didn't say another word the rest of the drive. He made the left turn into the hospital parking lot and found a spot. Greg saw Catherine and Lindsay walking hand in hand back into the hospital. Warrick and Greg got out of the car and grabbed the food.
"Where were you guys?" Warrick asked with 4 bags of food in his hands.
"Oh, we just took a nice little walk through the garden," Catherine said as she ran a hand through Lindsay's hair.
"How's my favorite niece?" Warrick asked as he lowered himself to her level.
"I'm good Uncle Warrick how are you?" Lindsay said.
Warrick was hoping that she would have said 'favorite uncle' but he accepted just plain 'uncle'.
They had a quick hug before it was Greg's turn for a hug. He too received the label 'uncle', but he wasn't one to gripe.
"What are these?" Warrick asked as he noticed Catherine holding a bouquet of hand picked flowers.
"Oh, Linds and I had a talk about what happened last night while we picked flowers," Catherine said as she held her daughter close to her.
"Guys. Coffee is hot," Greg said as he fumbled with the cup holder which was not insulating the heat at all.
Warrick looked at Greg as an attempt to shut him up. "What happened last night?" Warrick asked as he gripped the bags tighter.
"You guys didn't hear?" Catherine asked as Lindsay and her looked at each other.
Both men shook their heads as they imagined what could have happened.
"Well, how about we have breakfast first and then we'll talk. All four of us," Catherine said while trying to hold the matriarch role of the unit.
Warrick wasn't up for an argument and so he agreed with a nod of the head.
Greg and Warrick walked silently into the lobby, as thoughts ran through their heads. What could she be talking about?
As the walked past room 7 they heard the faint sound of a flat line throughout the hall. Before they were able to locate the sound of the beep, Grissom, Sara, Mr. Stokes, Mrs. Stokes, and Brass were all pushed into the hallway. The door closed behind them but for the few seconds that the door was open it was very apparent where the flat line was coming from.
Warrick dropped the food as he sprinted to the group of 5 outside of the door. Greg sat the coffee on the end table in the lobby and Catherine let the flowers loosely fall from her fingers. They all ran to the door way, as they waited for an answer. Lindsay however, sat there with flowers scattered at her feet, not able to move. She stared down the hallway as Mrs. Stokes buried her face into Mr. Stokes chest. Warrick balled his hands into fists. Greg stood there and swallowed his pain, bottling it for another time. Grissom crossed his arms over his chest in a protective manner. Brass sat there fiddling with his finger nails, picking the last layer off of the pinky finger. Catherine held her hand over her mouth as the news hit her ears. She turned her head towards the lobby and what she didn't find, shocked everyone.
Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I will be writing many more. Quick poll: Should Nick live or die? Send me a review with what you want!
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-CSIFanatic08