Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with CSI.

I pretty much hated the way the writers ended Grave Danger, so this is what I would have had happened if I could do whatever I wanted.

On the Verge of Falling Apart

Warrick's hands were shaking. Badly. He balled them into fists to get it to stop, but it was no use. Catherhine was rubbing small cirles on his back trying to calm him down. "We got him Warrick. He's safe, he's gonna be okay." Warrick just closed his eyes and let his head fall into his shaking hands. He didn't know how long Nick had been in the emergency room, but it seemed like way too long. He kept playing over worst case scenerio's in his head. He's gonna have a bad allergic reaction to the ant bites and his heart's gonna fail...Fuck...Don't think like that. He's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be okay.

"Are you Warrick Brown?" Neither Warrick nor Catherine had noticed the doctor had come up to them.

"Uhh...Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Dr. Strasser. You're listed as Mr.Stokes' primary contact in case of a medical emergency, and before he went under he told us you were here." Warrick just nodded so the doctor continued. "He's had a severe allergic reaction to the ant bites..." There ya go. He's dead. You didn't save him in time. "But he's going to be okay. We've given him medication for the bites and otherwise he's fine. He's sleeping right now, but if you promise not to disturb him and let him rest you can wait with him until he wakes up." Warrick just nodded and he followed Catherine and Dr. Strasser to Nick's room. Catherine and the doctor were talking about something, but he wasn't listening. He was staring at Nick through the window on the door. He looked so different. His skin was covered with lotion for the bites and his face was extremely pale. He couldn't get the image of Nick holding the gun to his head out of his mind. Catherine's cell phone ringing loudly snapped him back into reality.

"He's gonna be fine, he's sleeping right now...okay...yeah, no problem...alright, bye." Catherine turned around so she was facing Warrick. "That was Grissom. He needs one of us back at the lab to process all the evidence from the nursery that's coming in. Everyone else is out there...You stay here with Nick, I'll go back. Call me if you get to talk to him."

"Thanks Cath." She gently squeezed his arm before leaving. Warrick stood outside of Nick's room for a few more minutes. Everytime he looked up at Nick he had the gun under his chin. Warrick rubbed his eyes. It's over, he's safe. He's alive. Go in there, he needs you to be there for him. He took a deep breath and went in. He silently closed the door behind him. He moved the chair from the corner of the room to the left side of Nick's bed. He carefully slid his right hand into Nick's left and wiped the sweat from his best friend's forehead. Warrick wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there before Nick started having a nightmare.

"Help me...please let me out...I'm sorry...please..."

Tears started falling from Warrick's eyes. He gently shook Nick's should to wake him up, but it wasn't working. "Come on bro. Wake up, it's just a dream. Wake up Nick." He moved and sat on the edge of Nick's bed and shook his shoulder a little harder. "It's not real Nick. You can wake up, you're safe. Wake up Nicky." Nick's eyes shot open and he bolted upright and wrapped his right arm around Warrick's neck and squeezed his hand as hard as he could. He was shaking with uncontrolable sobs. Warrick used his free hand to rub Nick's back to try and get him to calm down. When that didn't work, he gently ran his hand back and forth through Nick's hair. "It's okay Nicky. You're safe. It was just a dream. Everything's okay."

Nick took a couple deep breaths to get his breathing under control. His sobs stopped, but the tears didn't. "It seemed so real Warrick. I could feel the fucking ants...I couldn't breath...and I kept hearing him telling me I was gonna die..." Nick's voice broke and he buried his head against Warrick's shoulder.

"Shhh...I know...I know...It's okay Nicky. You're okay. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you again." Warrick couldn't hold the tears back. Everyone had kept telling him it wasn't his fault Nick had been kidnapped. But if it wasn't his fault, why did he feel so responsible?

"I can't do this Warrick. I'm too scared...I don't wanna be scared. I want it all to just go away...make it go away...please..."

Warrick closed his eyes and pulled Nick tighter. "You can do this. Don't you dare give up on me Nicky. I'm not letting you give up. I wish I could make it go away but I can't...but I can make it better. It's gonna get better, I promise." Nick's arm slipped from around Warrick's neck and he let Nick fall back down onto the bed, but he never let go of his hand. Warrick wiped away the tears from Nick's cheeks and gently squeezed his hand and gave him what he hoped was a comforting smile.

"I almost did it. I almost killed myself down there." Nick said so quietly Warrick wasn't sure he had even said it until he continued, a little louder. "It hurt so much. I was so scared...and I knew I could make it all just stop...I was gonna do it..."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"I should have done it."

"Don't you ever say that again Nicky. You're too strong to give up. You made it through hell and back. You never quit, don't start now. You can't give up on me."

"That's why I didn't do it."

"What is?"

"Because I saw you." Nick's eyes met Warrick's. "I couldn't find a reason not to pull the trigger...I'd rather die that way then suffocate. Then I saw the dirt being brushed away but I thought I was imagining it so I closed my eyes again. Then I heard your voice, and when I opened my eyes you were right there. I don't care what you or anyone else says...but if it were anyone else that was on the other side, I still would have given up. I would have pulled the god damn trigger. I can give up on myself, I can even give up on them. I just can't give up on you...cuz you never gave up on me."

"Nick...if you had pulled that trigger, I would have handed in my badge right there. Loosing you would have been way too much for me. You can't give up now. You've made it this far. I wouldn't have made it as far as you. Hell, no one else could have. You're the strongest person I've ever known. If anyone can do this, it's you Nicky." Nick smiled weakly, but it was a real smile. He closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm staying right here with you bro." Nick smiled again, wider.

"Thanks. Don't let me fall asleep, okay?"

"You need to rest or you won't feel any better. But if you're having a nightmare, I promise I'll wake you up. I'm not going anywhere, you're safe." Nick nodded and closed his eyes. Warrick sighed and got out his cell and called Cath. "He was awake for a little while after a nightmare...he's sleeping now. I'm staying here with him until he can leave."

"Okay, Grissom said he expected as much. Next time he wakes up, tell him we all say hi and hope he feels better soon."

"Will do. Talk to you later." Warrick hung up and turned his phone off. He looked at Nick and watched his chest rise and fall slowly. He looked down and smiled when he realized he was still holding his best friend's hand in his. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you ever again Nicky...I can't loose you bro." Warrick lightly squeezed Nick's hand, and couldn't help but smile when he felt Nick squeeze back.