Author: ShadesOfNick
Title: Touched By Gravity
Genre: General/Angst (Series)
Characters: Nick and Sara. Whole team although light on Greg.
Note: For those readers that might know me from my former fandom-bear with me while I test out to see if I like this new style for writing fanfic. Normally my chapters are very descriptive and, therefore, very long and I'm trying out to see if trimming it down works for me.
Spoilers: None for future episodes, but a few references to past seasons.
Summary: Nick's investigation of a case is abruptly interrupted. It may take a little teamwork to solve the case with him out of commission-or is he really? Just might he still be able to provide an essential connection to the truth?
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Touched By Gravity II
Nick paused in the hallway outside the autopsy room and inhaled deeply until his lungs were filled to the brim. He let his eyelids slide closed and expelled the breath from his body very slowly. There were just some cases that required the simple calming mini ritual before turning over the next card in the deck. The coroner's findings were sometimes the ace you were looking for and other times a real tough card to have in your hand.
Another heartbeat later Nick entered into the subdued lighting of the exam room.
"Hi Nick," Doc Robbins softly greeted him.
"Hey," he responded, stopping on the opposite of the table from the coroner. Robbins glanced up just for an instant and connected visually with him before Nick's voice filled the still air in again.
"Amlyn Marshall, age 17. What can you tell me?"
"Well, Ms. Marshall, is a very interesting young lady."
"Don't you mean was not is?"
"I guess that depends on your perspective. From my point of view she is interesting-her physical form is-the things her body tells me. From your perspective I suspect was is the appropriate choice of wording."
"Oh yeah, how's that?"
"I'm guessing that in order to figure out who killed her and why you would be required to find out who she was when her heart was still beating and her mind was still alive. And why someone stopped them from being that way."
"Good point. Hadn't thought of it that way."
"That's why my job title is coroner and yours is CSI. We share common ground in that our work revolves around a DB, but we go our separate ways on the angles we approach it from."
"Well I'm meeting you on common ground so fill me on why Amlyn here is so interesting."
"I've only had time to do a preliminary. First bet on cause of death would be trauma to the chest," Robbins responded. He folded down the sheet to just above the girl's breasts, revealing a large and severely bruised area around and just below her collarbone.
"Ouch," Nick commented.
"Yeah tell me about it. Broke her collarbone and the top of her ribcage by the looks of it. What that did internally will tell the tale. You said she was at the bottom of a flight of stairs. I'll have to look a bit closer, but we'll still keep the fall as a possible cause for that for right now. Have to have been a real bad one though. See," the other man offered. Using the fingertips of his right hand he demonstrated to Nick how easily her chest sunk inward when the slightest of pressures was applied. After a agreeable nod of the head from Nick, Robbins continued.
"Moving on. As you noted there was blood in her ear and on her earlobe. Whatever caused it is internal. No cuts or anything on her face or ears that would have been the source."
"Blood coming from the ear could be consistent with a head injury, right?"
"It's a possibility. Like I said I only had time for a prelim."
"Or…it's not her blood maybe?"
"Always a possibility. I'll get a sample for you."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Dislocated shoulder, cuts on her tongue and the inside of her right cheek, and that was as far as I got when you arrived. I did, however, do a sexual assault exam as you requested."
"By the look in your eye you found something, didn't you?"
"Like I said earlier this is a very interesting young lady. No sexual assault, but there was something. I'd say one of the most interesting things her body has to say is that she recently gave birth."
"Gave birth?"
"Yep. I'd estimate less than a month ago."
"You're right that sure is interesting. Especially since there was not one hint of a baby in the house she lived in. Or from anyone we've talked to. So if she gave birth, where's the baby?"
Robbins looked up over at him with a slight smirk adorning his face.
"Coroner," he stated, placing the palm of his hand over his own chest for a second. He then lifted it and gestured with a pointed finger to Nick across the table from him.
"CSI," he said. Nick chuckled at the other man. Robbins deserved credit. He had a way of making the simple truth almost new somehow.
"You're one up on me Doc. We're definitely going to have to find out who this young lady was while she was still amongst the living."
"We? Remember Nick. Me, coroner. You, CSI."
"I was actually referring to me and Sara."
"Oh! I thought you were solo on this one."
"By all appearances it would seem that way, wouldn't it? Grissom's got her tied up on that arson case."
"I see."
"Anything else for me here before I get back out there?"
"No. I think that's just about it for now."
"Alright. Thanks Doc. Keep me updated."
"Sure thing."
Nick made his way back out into the brighter sobering light of the hallway.
"Queen of hearts," he commented in a whisper to himself. He had a gut feeling about this case and how it's knots could be unraveled. A faint smile materialized across his face as he headed down the hall, dialing Brass' number on his cell.
"Brass!" he heard after barely having placed the phone to his ear.
"Hey Brass. It's Nick."
"Got anything for me?"
"Oh yeah. Lots of questions Jim. Not many answers-yet that is."
"Throw me a bone here Stokes."
"Maybe I need to get my vision checked. Did you see a baby at Amlyn Marshall's house."
"Uh no. No baby. Unless you count the baby snake I saw underneath the porch. Why?"
"Amlyn Marshall had a baby. Less than a month ago."
"That does raise a few questions, doesn't it?"
"Can you see what you can find out about it for me?"
"Birth certificate. Hospital records. Adoption agencies maybe. I'm on it. I'll be in touch as soon as I've got something."
"Perfect. Thanks!"
"I'm there for ya Nicky," was Brass' reply, saturated with a friendly sarcasm.
"Goodbye Brass," Nick stated with a slight annoyance to his tone. Jim returned the goodbye and Nick ended the call. As he was returning the phone to it's proper place a voice a few feet away gained his attention.
"Nick! Nick!"
"Hi Sara," he said and stopped to wait for her to catch up with him.
"Listen, I'm sorry that I didn't get out to the crime scene or for that matter haven't even caught up to you at all. I swear sometimes Grissom forgets there's other cases beside the one he is obsessing over at any given instant."
"I'm not going to put up a fight on that last point. But as for you neglecting me and my case…I forgive you."
Sara smiled softly and when she responded she did so in the best southern belle accent she could conjure up.
"My goodness such a heavy weight off my mind. Because you know I was feelin' faint over the mere thought you'd think I was abandoning you, darlin'."
Nick freely laughed out into the air surrounding them. After a few seconds he had contained his amusement long enough to speak.
"You know what if you promise to never use that accent again I'll even credit you for one future 'I forgive you'."
"That was bad, wasn't it?"
"Yes, darlin', it sure was."
"Well, I think I've almost tackled what Grissom needs for the moment. I might be able to escape in about an hour so you can bring me up to speed."
"Sounds like a plan. Just come find me when you're relieved from Grissom duty."
"You got it!" Sara responded and walked hurriedly down the hallway towards the A/V lab. Nick turned and headed in the opposite direction, but only made it a few feet before Sara's voice recaptured his attention.
"Oh and Nick!"
"Yeah." He pivoted around to see her stopped down at the corner of the hallway, looking back at him.
"Deal on that future 'I forgive you'."
"Thank goodness for that!"
"Hey! Watch it mister! Cuz now I have the knowledge and power to torture you. And I'm not afraid to use it."
"Afraid to use what?" Grissom inquired, stepping out of the break room into the hallway.
"You wouldn't be interested," Nick called out back down the hallway.
"Oh and why not?"
"It doesn't involve bugs."
"Oh. You're missing out then. Bugs are some of the most interesting things out there. Fascinating even."
"We know!" Sara and Nick responded in unison.
"Fine. Just ruin all my fun."
"You alright Nick?" Catherine inquired, stepping out of the break room with Warrick in tow. She had noticed him rubbing his eyes and running a hand over his hair.
"Today's just one of those days…you feel like you've been here forever."
"Although not technically forever, you have been here quite a long time. In fact, we're all past due to go home and get some sleep," Grissom answered.
"Amen! I'm going home to do just that," Catherine announced and gave a little wave before making a beeline towards the locker room.
"She's got the right idea. I'm out of here. Catch you guys later!" Warrick seconded.
"See ya later!" was the threefold answer they received from Grissom, Sara, and Nick.
"What about you two? Lunch?" Grissom asked.
"I, for one, still have work to do," Sara stated and was off again towards the A/V lab.
"I guess that just leaves you and me."
"Sorry, Gris. I just got a whole stack of information to go over for the Marshall case. It's a working lunch for me."
"I don't want to see you still here when I get back in for shift. Remember the mind works better well rested."
"Yes, sir," Nick responded and headed off to get his notes and files. He'd review them over a bite to eat in the break room and see if any of the puzzle pieces fit together now that more of the picture was illuminated.
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Nick stuffed a few pairs gloves into the pocket of his vest, replenishing the supply there, then locked up the Tahoe. He'd sat in the break room for a long time, what somehow had turned into a couple hours. Taking inventory mentally had reminded him of a few details that had faded into the background in light of the newer and more colorful information. Both Brass and Robbins had touched base with him as well. Sara hadn't arrived, but Nick understood. She tended to lose track of time in the same way he did. Also it seemed everybody had been overloaded lately-too many cases and not enough hands to cover them all. So he had made another pass over everything again on his own, this time including the additions that Brass and Robbins had supplied. It was wasn't long before he had found himself back at the eerily empty Marshall house.
Nick chuckled faintly. At least he'd be absent when Grissom arrived back for shift. And unless he noticed the missing Tahoe he'd have no reason to believe that Nick hadn't simply gone home and gone to bed like he told Grissom he would do instead of blending the prior work day into the next. Hence, one argument avoided. He had confessed to himself only a few minutes earlier that he could really use a few hours of rest, but something had drawn him back out to the crime scene. That and Ecklie had driven him away with his numerous and intentional passes by the break room window. Ecklie, territorial to a fault, Nick reminded himself.
After retracing his own footsteps inside the house, starting in the basement and ending upstairs in Amlyn's bedroom, nothing new had surfaced. Frustration had started to fester inside him a little while he stood in the room where the girl had probably lived a large portion of her young life. With a weighted sigh he had moved to the window and peered out into the fading daylight. His gaze was caught by the small building that stood out back of the house. It was an artist's studio that Amlyn's mother had had built for herself so she could work at home and save renting expensive studio space. Greg had accompanied him on the initial call because Sara had still been tied up with Grissom's case. Nick had instructed Greg to check the studio while he worked the house, but the younger CSI had not reported back any relevant finds. Greg was learning, quickly, about working in the field, but he had a long way to go yet. With that thought inside his head Nick had exited the house and gone to the Tahoe to deposit his kit and notes and refresh the supplies in his vest. He'd go over the studio once more for good measure. Two sets of eyes were better than one.
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"Weren't we just here?" Catherine asked entering the locker room. Sara, halfway though a yawn, looked up at her from her seat on the bench.
"Sure feels that way," she replied.
"Hi folks. And how is everyone this evening?" Warrick inquired, overflowing with energy.
"And where did you get your energy from. Wait! Never mind. You went home to Tina, didn't you? I don't need details," Catherine said and lethargically put her jacket and purse inside her locker.
"That's okay I wasn't going to offer any. I was leaving those to your imagination," Warrick answered with a mischievous smirk.
"My imagination has declined your offer," Catherine responded with a grin.
"Yeah. Me too. I'm so tired my imagination is on strike," Sara added. She closed her eyes and let her head hang so her chin was to her chest.
"Geez! Did you get any sleep Sara?" Warrick asked while in fast forward storing his jacket, retrieving his id, and checking his gun. Sara didn't look up, just held up her hand with two fingers raised.
"Two hours, that's it. You're gonna be hurtin' tonight," Catherine said. Closing her locker she sat down beside Sara. Sara uttered out an agreeable but exhausted moan then let her body list to the left. Her head landed on the very edge of Catherine's shoulder.
"You make a good pillow," Sara commented groggily.
"Thanks…I think. But it's going to be hard to process crime scenes with you attached to my shoulder."
"Oh come on. Just for a little while Catherine. Please," Sara begged.
"Well, I suppose we could give it a shot. It'll be easier if we get assigned the same case by Grissom. Otherwise you're out of luck."
"Hey! Either of you seen Nick?" Warrick asked. Catherine looked up at him and nodded in the negative. Sara just released a sound that vaguely resembled a "ugh".
"What's up Sara?" Catherine asked. It took Sara a few seconds to gather up the energy to reply, but managed a few coherent sentences.
"I'm supposed to be helping Nick on his case, the teenager found at the bottom of the stairs. But Grissom had me climbing Everest for him on that hotel arson so I haven't lifted a finger to help out Nick."
"I'm sure Nicky understands. We've all been slammed lately," Warrick reassured her.
"Maybe one of us should give him a call. Make sure he didn't oversleep," Catherine suggested just as Grissom poked his head through the door to the locker room.
"Got assignments," he announced before disappearing back out into the hallway.
"Too late. Our presence is requested by the boss man," Warrick stated and headed out of the room. Catherine and Sara trudged after him by a few feet.
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The beeping of the alarm on Nick's watch tore him from the spider web of thoughts that entangled his mind. He looked down at its display and spoke to nothing but the air surrounding him.
"Are you technically late if you never really left?" he asked, shutting off the nerve grating noise. Returning his gaze to the items laid out before him he could feel it, that tingle that meant he was on to something. The first floor of the studio had given up nothing, but the second, what appeared to be a storage area for supplies, had spoken loudly to him. He had one last corner to explore and then he'd go for his kit and dig in.
Moving the beam of his flashlight to the far end of the room he proceeded carefully through the maze of cans, containers, canvases, frames, and other assorted artist paraphernalia. He scanned each thing briefly until one particular item in the very back against the wall begged more intense study. He painstakingly managed to make his way closer to it without disturbing anything and was finally able to light it up with the beam of his flashlight more thoroughly.
"Sometimes it's what doesn't fit that matters," he whispered. He was about to squat down and lean in to get a more certain look, but was robbed of the chance.
The sharp cracking sound that should have made Nick jump back, froze him instead. Just for a split second, just for a lone breath. The one in which the floor gave way underneath his feet.
To Be Continued…