Hiya everyone, I've managed once again to sneak on a friend's computer so let's start first off with my thank you's:

Kurama13

CatherineLouise

jewelbaby

dark syrinx

krysalys

Charmin-Lady

crazy-4-csi

Thank you, thank you for your reviews - you are all so great. So without further ado here's...

Chapter 14

Beep. Beep.

The steady sound of the monitor filled the stark hospital room. Tom Walsh lay upon the bed, connected to numerous monitors and wires, fighting for his life. He had come within an inch of the rescuing officer as he walked down the path from his house when a bullet catapulted through the window and landed in his back, sending him to the ground. Since coming to the hospital things had taken a turn for the worst. The doctors had managed to remove the bullet but too much internal damage had been done and currently he was deep in a coma, the doctors unsure when he would wake up or indeed if he ever will.

The doctors had also discovered that when Tom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease he had written a living will stating that if he was ever in a state where he could not breathe on his own then he did not want to be resuscitated. Now that the situation had arrived, the doctors informed Katie that it was her decision.

Katie held tightly onto her father's hand as he lay before her. She had not left his side since he came out of the operating theatre, as she realised these would probably be the last moments of his life. She had always known that he would not live much longer but only now was it truly sinking in that she would never see him again, like her mother.

Not only was her mind worried for her father but she had yet to see if Nick was alright. She knew he would act fine but inside he must have been terrified for his life. Yet she could not tear herself away from her father. He was her number one priority.

She decided to lay her head on the bed and rest her eyes for a few moments, unaware of the doctor who had entered the room.

"Miss Walsh?" he whispered. Doctor Carver gently tapped Katie on the shoulder, startling her.

"What? Has something happened?"

Doctor Carver smiled, "No, I just came to say that you can go home and rest. Your dad's condition is stable for the moment."

Katie shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I'm staying right here."

"Well… have you made a decision about what we were discussing concerning your father? If you have decided to switch off the machines then it would be better for him if you did it sooner rather than later. I know this is a difficult decision…"

"I don't know. Is there no chance that he can recover from this?" Katie asked. She saw the doubt in his eyes and stood up beside him. "Please be honest with me."

"Well… from the extensive damage his brain has from the disease and the internal organ damage the bullet impact has created… there is no chance for a recovery of a good quality of life. If he was ever to wake up, he would most likely be in a vegetative state and would rely on machines to help him survive," he answered.

Katie took a moment to look at her father and then turned to the doctor, "Then I have to do it. We'll close the machines. But can you give me a while with him. I want to say goodbye."

"That is fine. There is actually a man that has been waiting outside since you have been here. Nick Stokes I believe his name is. He is refusing to be examined by doctors until he makes sure you and your father are alright."

"Tell him he can come in." She walked back to her seat and sat down next to the bed. A moment later Nick slowly slipped in the door and stood at the foot of the bed, unsure of what to do.

"Hey," he said, staring at Katie's father lying helplessly on the bed.

"Hi, take a seat." She gestured to the empty seat beside her and he carefully sat down next to her, trying to block out the pain in his ribs.

"How's he doing?"

"It's not good. It looks like this could be it for him."

Nick closed his eyes, "God, this is all my fault."

"Why?" Katie turned to face a bruised and scratched Nick, "You didn't ask to be stalked by this guy. How is it your fault?"

"I shouldn't have lunged at him. Then your dad wouldn't have been shot. It's all my fault."

She took his hands and held onto the tightly, "Yeah, but I would have. You tried to save me and you did. What happened to dad… it was… it was an accident. Do not blame yourself."

"I'll always blame myself."

Katie turned to her father and stayed silent for a moment. "You know something? Everything Clifford said about him being a burden and that I'm better off with him dead? When he was saying those things, for a split second I wanted him to take dad away from me. I wanted him to shoot his so that I wouldn't have to look after him anymore. I can't keep doing it. I can't work and then come home to find him leaving things all over the place, forgetting where I was or losing his temper when he's frustrated. Once he even forgot who I was. You have no idea what that felt like, to hear my own father not knowing who I was. I don't want to remember him as this forgetful person but the loving father that he is. He was. I want to remember him as the one who comforted me when mom died, who used to tuck me in bed at night and who would let me sit on his lap and tell me stories. I want him to be at peace."

"Does this mean you are going to switch the machines off?"

"Yes. I don't want to do it but I have to."

"Do you want some time alone?"

"Yeah."

"I'll leave you to it then."

Katie turned to Nick and smiled, "That's what I love about you. You always know what I want."

Nick leaned in and gently kissed her, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said. "Probably not the best place to say it. At least my dad got to witness it."

"I'll go." Nick gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then quietly left father and daughter alone.

Katie took a deep breath, "I don't know if you can hear me dad. I just want to say how much I love you. I hate myself for thinking the way I did with what Clifford said and I take it all back. You are my life daddy. I have no clue what I am going to do without you. I bet you're saying that I'll be fine but I won't be. I can't lose you. I remember what it felt like when mom died and I don't want to feel that way ever again. I want you to wake up and see me, for me to see you. I want you to walk me down the aisle, see your first grandchild." Katie sobbed for a moment before wiping away her tears and carrying on. "Please forgive me for the decision that I have made. I just want you to be in a place where you are happy and I know you hate that disease and what it makes you do. You are going to the place that you have always wanted to go: you are going to be with mom again. Always remember dad, I love you."

Katie stood up, leaned over and kissed her father on the temple and walked to the foot of the bed. Doctor Carver and a nurse came into the room and as the nurse switched off the machines, Katie closed her eyes as the beeping decreased slowly and then suddenly flat-lined.

She took one final look at her father before leaving the room so the nurse could unhook Tom from all the wires. Nick was sitting on a seat outside the room and stood up when he saw her exit the room.

"He's gone."

Katie was silent as Nick pulled up to her house. A few police officers were standing around her house and yellow tape restricted any stranger from entering the property.

Nick looked at the still-silent Katie, "Are you ok? Do you want me to come inside with you?"

"No, it's ok. I'd rather just be by myself." She was about to climb out of the car when she stopped and turned to Nick, "Thank you for being here."

"It's no problem. Do you want me to call you tonight?"

"I think it's best if I call you. I just want to be alone for a while. I hope you understand. It's nothing to do with you or what happened."

"No, I completely get it. Call me if you need anything." She gave him a kiss and left the car, heading towards her house and the yellow police tape.

She carefully ducked under the tape into her house and stopped when she was in the door-frame of the family room, grazing her eyes over the scene before her: Grissom and Catherine were busy collecting evidence from the shards of broken glass, blood spatter and dishevelled objects. The two CSI's watched as she quietly walked away from the scene and into her bedroom, closing the door.

"I can't even begin to imagine what she is going through," Catherine said.

"We should finish from here quickly to give the cleaners a chance to tidy it up," Grissom noted, as he began to pack his kit away.

"Yeah, the last thing she needs is to come in here and see this mess."

Thank you for sticking with this fic and hopefully I should have another chapter up pretty soon...