Crimson Puddles

Summary: Catherine waits in the hospital as the team tries to track down Edward Donovan and Sam Braun.


Sara slowly took in the Plexiglas container in complete silence. It seemed as if she had lost the ability to speak when she looked at the bloody handprints on the inside of the cover that Catherine had thrown off in order to get to Nick. They mocked her silently as she tried to take her eyes off them. Suddenly she felt Warrick's hand land on her shoulder, and her eyes slowly shifted up to meet his.

"He's safe now Sara…"

"Like hell he is. If he even lives… you know what the odds are of his ever walking again? Or of him regaining use of his right arm?"

"No. I don't know, and I don't care if he's incapacitated. All I care about is that he doesn't end up dead, or brain dead… The physical stuff doesn't matter Sara…"

"Mmm, and what is Nick going to be like if he can't be a CSI anymore, Warrick? If he's incapacitated… do you really think he'll ever find a way to be happy? Do you honestly think that he'll be able to move on if he never walks again? No… it does matter Warrick. It matters to all of us. You know it…" She quickly turned away as it suddenly became overbearing to look at him anymore. Instead her eyes focused on the case where Nick's fresh blood was still clinging to the glass.


Greg sighed as he watched the screens change every few moments. He knew it was important, but somehow he found himself wishing that he was either in the field or with Nick. The last thing I want to be doing is sitting in this damn lab watching cars drive by… Archie clicked on another screen and they caught sight of the limousine once more as Greg trailed the vehicle's progress on a map of the city.


Catherine slowly repositioned herself in the chair next to Nick's bed. She let out a soft sigh as her eyes surveyed the multitude of clear pipes. In several she could see clear liquids flowing rapidly to or from her friend's body, and in another she watched sadly as his crimson blood flowed threw the clear plastic. Trying to recompose herself she looked at the Texan's face, and seeing a bit more of the color returning to his skin as more blood was pumped into his system. A hand fell gently on her shoulder, and her watery eyes took in the disheveled doctor.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Willows, but the swelling in his ankle is down enough for us to finish fixing up his leg. We'll need you to stay out of our way in the waiting room."

"Oh… uh… ok. Whatever you need to do to make him better…"

"Listen, I wish I could say that your friend was going to be fine, but I'm not going to offer you any false promises. We'll just have to wait and see."


Grissom moved rapidly through the halls when he came to a halt at Ecklie's office. He quickly entered, and didn't bother to knock as the two men in the room looked up at him.

"Undersheriff McKeen, Ecklie. What do you need to know?" He started confidently, refusing to waste any time while he knew Nick's condition was hardly stable.

"We want to know what the hell is going on Grissom." McKeen answered quickly, cutting Ecklie off.

"Nick is currently in the hospital… and, as for the case itself… Sam Braun is still missing."

"How in the hell did Sam Braun even get involved with this?" McKeen continued, his voice was clearly irritated, and Grissom gave him a questioning glance before answering.

"Because, Edward Donovan demanded him be present. You are aware of the fact that he was actually after Lindsey Willows, not Nick?"

"Yes, Gil, I was aware of that."

"Then I honestly don't see what you're asking. You're making it quite clear that Nick's health and safety aren't your prime concern. You're only concerned about what the media will make of Sam Braun being kidnapped aren't you?"

"I have every reason to care about how the press views this…"

"You want to know something? Quite frankly, I find it disturbing that Sam Braun found his heart before you. He at least realized that Nick ran for eight miles with a bullet in his leg to save Lindsey. Eight miles for God's sake! Nick was willing to sacrifice himself so that Lindsey wouldn't get hurt, or put in further danger! And, that doesn't even account for the fact that he had a bullet in his arm! Nick deserves to get the chance to live his life without it constantly being put on the line, and Sam Braun was willing to give him that chance. So, as far as the media is concerned I don't give a damn. But I will not waste my time explaining why this all happened when I should be at the hospital. So, if you want to apologize you can reach me there." He yelled, and quickly turned to storm out of the office.

"I'm sorry Gil. I really am… I hope he gets better. It'd be a shame to lose such a good CSI."

Grissom turned around in surprise and stared, open mouthed, at Ecklie. "T-thanks, Conrad… it means a lot, and it's good to know he has the lab's support. I'd better go; I need to be there with him."

"I know, and don't worry about your shift. If any of you need a shift off… whenever, I'll take care of it. So, don't worry about how long you stay with him… just don't let yourselves get worn down too much. I can't lose the lab's best team."

"Thanks, Conrad… you're a good man, and we appreciate this more than you can imagine. If you need anything call my cell. If I'm with Nick it'll be off, but I promise I'll call you with updates." He gave Ecklie a smile. He wondered if the man standing across from him had changed since Nick had first been abducted, or if it had merely taken a terrible situation to draw this side of him out. Either way, I like this 'version' better… He quickly turned, and left Ecklie standing there with his puffy red eyes staring silently after him and a flabbergasted McKeen merely gaping at the doorway.


"Hey Warrick! Did you find anything yet?" Sara called as she moved towards the far end of the warehouse. He turned to look at her as she walked over, and he slowly shook his head.

"Nope… look, we know these guys were wearing gloves, so prints are unlikely to mean anything. Plus, there are all sorts of footprints, so that won't help us either."

"Well, I guess we can head back to the lab then, and let Greg finish processing. I'm sure Sofia and Brass can help out."

"Yeah. Then we can go and see if David or Robbins have found out who our three DBs are."


Grissom paced in the hallway, and he found himself gnawing on a fingernail as they waited. After a few more moments of watching him move back and forth in anxiety, Catherine decided to say something.

"Come on, Gil. Please… just sit down… you're making me nervous…"

"I'm sorry, Catherine… it's just… well… what if he… what if he doesn't make it through this?"

"Gil… I know you're scared… we all are. But, pacing around this hallway, and biting your nails isn't going to help him…" She immediately stood up as they both saw the doctor heading towards them.

"Ah, you must be Dr. Grissom. I'm Dr. William Hawkes, and let me assure you, we are doing our best for Mr. Stokes…"

"How is he? Can we see him?"

"Well… I'm sorry to inform you… that your friend is in a coma…"

"Oh God… uh… do you have any idea for how long?"

"We can't really make accurate predictions I'm afraid… he could wake up in the next hour… or he could be in a coma for the next fifty years… we just don't know. The fact that his body is extremely fatigued isn't helping him out either… you said he ran for eight miles on that leg, right?"

"Yeah… maybe even a bit more…"

"That would explain all the fatigue, and it also explains why his wounds got infected. Now… you can see him, but speaking from experience… it might be better if you wait."

"Why?" Grissom finally managed to speak, and Catherine gave him a worried glance as they all heard how frail his voice was.

"Because… he's got a lot of tubes still in him. Also, he is still quite pale, and… well, I'm speaking from past experience here, but he looks a lot worse than he really is… it'll just take a bit of time for him to start looking like normal. Plus, with the weight loss, and all the machines…"

"Doc… please… I need to see him." Grissom spoke, his voice dwindling to a mere whisper.

"Ok… ok, just don't make any excessive noise, and try not to disturb anything…" He spoke slowly, and he shook his head as let the man enter the closed off room.

"Listen… Miss Willows… if your friend wakes up… he's going to need a lot of time to get past the muscle fatigue, and it could be months before he is even capable of functioning like normal… and don't forget the post traumatic stress… the depression, and it's likely that he'll be forced into a prolonged state of lethargy. Once he wakes up we'll know more about his condition… and it could take a few days, even weeks for him to fully wake up, or even begin to. People don't just 'snap out of it' it'll take time..."


Grissom slipped quietly into the room, and froze in the doorway when he finally saw how frail Nick looked. His skin wasn't as pale as it had been on the screen, but he hardly seemed alive. A sudden wave of fear took over as he watched the various tubes sticking out of Nick's mouth, arms, and even one that had been inserted into his left leg just over the thick bandages. He could see several odd devices attached to Nick's chest, and he desperately fought to hold back the tears. How did it come down to this? How can people do this to each other? Huh… maybe that's why I try to distance myself from people… but I can't do that anymore. Some people get close to you… Just like Nick… and the others as well… I let them get close. But, I guess I wouldn't have it any other way… You're strong Nick, you can pull through this… I know you can.

Her fingers twiddled idly as she waited for any more news. Catherine flashed another fearful glance towards the door her supervisor had just entered. Please… let him be ok… please… The sound of approaching footsteps caused her to finally tear her eyes away from the door. Seeing her mother bringing Lindsey slowly towards her nearly brought tears to her eyes as she thought of how terrified Lindsey must have been.

"Hello, dear…"

"Mom…"

"H-how is he?" Lindsey spoke quietly as she took in the look on her mother's face.

"I… I don't know Lindsey… all… all we can do is wait and see…"

"I-I'm scared… he… he…"

"He risked everything… because he knows how important you are… how special you are…" Catherine whispered as she wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes.


"Now, Sam… why don't we get down to business." Edward Donovan sneered at the man sitting across from him as they watched each other's movements intently.

"If you honestly believe that after everything you've put my daughter and granddaughter through that I'd actually let you get away with it?" he replied with a slightly amused tone.

"Yes, I do. I know you. Everything is all about self-preservation for you."

"All those years ago you would've been right Ed, but not anymore. I'm getting older… time is running out, and I don't want to leave my remaining family until I've done right by them. You don't understand this isn't about me anymore, I'm here because you tried to kidnap my grandchild. I'm here because Mr. Stokes risked his life for her. Not a single man I've ever met would've done so much… He deserves the chance to live, and my daughter deserves to have people like him around when most of the men she knows are scum!"


"Alright you guys, what have you got?" Brass asked as he looked at the exhausted group. Sara sighed and stared blankly at a wall in an attempt not too look at the others. Greg was sitting at the table with his head resting in his hands, and Warrick was sitting nearby gazing intently at his feet.

"Our leads didn't get us anywhere. Archie is trying to find the limo again, but it isn't looking good… Robbins couldn't find much to help us, and without the limo on the cameras we have no clue as to Sam Braun's location." Warrick replied softly.

"How is Nick doing?"

"He… Catherine… called… he… he's in a coma. Could come out of it in a few hours, a few days or even… years…" Warrick answered once more and Brass suddenly felt a new fury urge through him. The poor kid has been through enough for God's sake! I swear if I ever get my hands on these guys they're going to regret it…

"Hey guys, I think I've found them!" They all jumped as Archie's words slowly registered.

"What? Where?" Sara asked, suddenly glad for the distraction of the case.

"I think they're in this old complex here… a limo just pulled up, and a few people climbed out… and this isn't quite the place you'd expect to find a bunch of rich people…"

"We'll be down there in a few minutes, I'll get backup…" Brass answered as he turned and left to retrieve more officers.


"So, Sam, I hope you know I'm not buying this pathetic attempt to make me believe you actually care about anyone…"

"It doesn't matter what you think. It never mattered, and it will never matter. All you had to do was come to me. Instead you acted like some rash imbecile, and tried to get at me through my family and their friends, so as far as I'm concerned you're the one who only cares about the money."

"You really ought to think before you speak. I want what you took from me all those years ago."

"You have your fifteen million. And I know you're not stupid enough to actually think that you'll be able to go back and start over after everything you've done."

Just as he finished his sharp retort they heard the sounds of various vehicles coming to a screeching stop just outside. Donovan quickly moved to the window and froze when he saw the dozens of police cruisers and officers moving around below. His focus returned to Sam Braun who was standing still, not bothering to hide his smile.

"They're here already, aren't they? You see, you can't beat them. You couldn't even kill Stokes. You're merely the same coward you always were. A coward that hires pathetic psychotic men to do his dirty work…" He paused as they heard the front entry being busted open, and the silence was suddenly interrupted by repeated bursts of gunfire. Several moments later they heard numerous heavy footsteps coming their way.

"I just wanted to… to have it all… to have what I deserved..."

"You don't really think I have it all do you? Are you that thick headed? Money won't buy happiness, Ed. Hell one of my sons killed my other son! The only members of my family that have ever been worthy of anything can hardly bring themselves to speak to me! Catherine… she built a life for herself and for Lindsey. She did something I could never do. She gave her daughter a good life. She allowed herself to find happiness. She didn't turn away the people that really mattered like I turned away her mother. She made friends with people like the man you abducted. She has real friends… friends who would do anything for each other because they care about each other…"

He could see the surprise etched in the other man's face as the door behind him suddenly flew open to reveal several officers racing into the room with their weapons drawn. His head shook slightly as they moved to cuff him until everyone froze.

All eyes in the room were staring cautiously at Edward Donovan who was now holding a pistol in his outstretched hand. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked around the room, and allowed his eyes to finally rest on Sam Braun. Just seeing him seemed to make his rage die. He finally thought about what the man he had had abducted went through. He ran for miles with a bullet in his leg to save his friend's daughter… he was right…

"You were right Sam. We can't go back. We can't right the wrongs of the past. Never… it's too late… Now it's going to end, once and for all…"

They watched in horror as the gun quickly went up to the man's ear, and before anyone had the chance to react they heard the explosive gunshot echo through the room. Two officers slowly led the millionaire from the room, while another officer began to tape off the scene. No… it's not over… you might not have been able to correct your mistakes, but I'm not going to let Catherine down… she's earned so much more from me…


Catherine stood with Lindsey off to the side of the simple bed watching in a daze as a nurse checked Nick's vitals. She nodded slightly to them as she moved to leave, and she slowly excused herself from the room after giving them a quick morose glance. Lindsey slowly walked up towards the unmoving man, and slowly touched his cheek.

"He… doesn't look scared… like he did before… he doesn't look mad… or like he's in pain… he… he looks so…"

"I know, Lindsey… he looks calm, and at peace… his skin is starting to regain some color, and the doctors say he's doing better…"

"Then why can't he wake up?" Lindsey asked quietly as she stared intently at the man's unmoving form, and she cautiously eyed the tubes that stuck out of his throat.

"Because… he… went through a lot… and he's gone into a coma…"

"Will he ever wake up?"

"I… I honestly don't know… All we can do is hope… hope for the best…"


Warrick looked in on the dismal scene. They had finally been able to verify that they had indeed found all of Donovan's henchmen. Vega had taken the two sole survivors of Donovan's men back to the station. Just seeing how this man had shot himself made Warrick's blood begin to boil. Why did he have to put Nick through all this and then commit suicide?

"Hey Warrick… you ok?" Greg asked a bit timidly.

"How do you think I am?" Warrick snapped viscously.

"I… he'll wake up, man… he has to… he'll snap out of it…" Greg's voice clearly displayed the uncertainty he felt inside him.

"God… Greg, did you ever stop to think of what'll happen if he does wake up? What is he going to do if he can never walk again, Greg, huh? What is he going to do? He won't be able to be a CSI… he won't be able to do most of the things he used to enjoy. He might never be able to lift another weight in his life. He may never run, jog, swim, hell, he may never play baseball again! Do you really think he's ever going to be the same? For crying out loud he'll probably end up moving back to Texas or something!"

Both of them fell silent as the older man's words sunk in. Greg's shoulders slumped and he slowly let himself sink to the floor with his head coming to a rest between his knees.

"I-I've been so stupid haven't I? Nick's just so… I can't help but think… think that he would've been better off if he hadn't made it…"

Warrick watched as the younger man slowly ran his hands through his hair, and he suddenly took in the other's appearance. Greg's posture, his voice, even his eyes suggested that he had been defeated. His hair was dull and lifeless, and his clothes lacked the usual intensity. This is wrong… we're falling apart… and there's nothing we can do about it.


Grissom sat wearily behind his desk, and glanced around his office. Things had so drastically. It had been four days since Nick had gone into a coma, and it had practically torn the entire team apart. His head rose slowly as he heard more shouting erupt from somewhere in the lab. He could distinctly make out Warrick and Sara's voices as they fought, but their words were incomprehensible from his office. He let out a deep sigh and went back to his paperwork. Every other time he had tried to intervene and calm someone down had ended up in Catherine taking a few days of unpaid leave, and having everyone exceptionally furious not only with each other, but with him as well.

They had even stopped visiting Nick together. Nothing could hide the fact that they were no longer functioning well together. The last scenes they had processed in complete silence, and had only spoken when necessary unless someone was fighting. His eyes focused on a picture of the whole team while eating breakfast together. Each of them was smiling, laughing. I doubt we'll ever see that again. It's been too long since I've heard any laughter coming into this office. It's been too long since we've had Nick to keep us together… to keep us strong… I just hope you can wake up soon, Nick…otherwise it'll be too late… we need you so much more than any of us have managed to realize…


To Be Continued…


Notes: Sorry it took me so long to update! Hope this was worth the wait, and that you enjoyed it! As always please review, and I want to thank everyone for their comments so far!


Next Chapter: Sam Braun talks with Catherine, and the team receives more news on Nick.