A smack echoed through the air as Nick slowly came to awareness and found that the ground beneath him was unsteady. He tried to move and found that his hands were tied and raised above his head, rendering him helpless. The movement also triggered an intense feeling of nausea.

"We have vat ve have and you need to use eet to make sure Nick Stokes doesn't die," Nick heard an angry voice hiss from just outside the room. "He vas not even supposed to be here…"

A door banged open and Nick suddenly found himself nearly blinded by light, "Doctor Vatelli vill have more supplies ven ve get to hees dock," Ivan spoke coldly. "Just do your best."

Nick squinted and sighed as the light eased up, but he soon heard footsteps and frowned when he saw someone standing over him, "Nick, I'm Doctor Pride," the voice spoke softly. "I…"

The door slammed and Nick exhaled anxiously, "The floor's moving," he breathed weakly.

"We're on my husband's cargo boat," Dr. Pride replied quietly. "We left New York several hours ago and we're on our way to Miami after we make a brief stop in North Carolina…"

Nick struggled with his hands and Dr. Pride quickly freed his hands before setting her supplies on the floor, "I…I think I can fix the damage if you let me," Dr. Pride spoke shakily.

Tears filled Nick's eyes, but he nodded, "I'm probably gonna die anyway," he whimpered.

"You won't die," Dr. Pride replied anxiously as she rummaged through the items on the floor and found some pain medication. "I don't have anything to sedate you, but I have this…"

Nick didn't fight as she gave him some of the medication with some bottled water, "I have to operate on you right here and it's gonna hurt, but try not to think about it," Dr. Pride said softly.

Manhattan, New York

John had passed out nearly an hour ago and Emily had finally gotten bored. She knew John was weak because of the diabetes and past trauma, but she never realized how weak he actually was.

She needed to go find Ellen and get some drugs so they could keep the fun going until Derek got back with Alex. Ellen's house was several blocks away and John was handcuffed to the bed, so he wasn't capable of escaping even if he was awake. Sighing, Emily got out of bed, dressed, and grabbed her wallet before leaving the room. A few moments later, the house was quiet.

Little did Emily actually know that John had pretended to pass out so that he didn't have to hear her pleadings anymore. He didn't love her and he never would, but she didn't seem to get it. He had felt everything she had done to him and he was in extreme pain, but he was still conscious.

Pain shot through John's body as he struggled to get up, but he found that he was still handcuffed to the bed, "Crap," he breathed, coughing as he spoke. "I…I have to break outta here…"

It took all of John's strength to yank at the handcuff as hard as he could, but he did it and ended up having to do it several times before the handcuff snapped off of the railing, leaving only the one piece around his now numb wrist intact. More pain shot through John's body as he shakily sat up and staggered out of bed, the sight of a gray video camera in the corner catching his eye.

McKeen probably wanted to make a porn video out of this and Emily let him. John thought in an anxious voice, his body trembling as he staggered over to the camera and grabbed the tape out of it with his right hand since his left one wasn't working. He then peered around the floor for his wallet, but he was having trouble seeing properly and a wallet on a dark floor was difficult.

All John wanted to do was get out of there and that singular thought kept him upright as he made his way through the brownstone and outside. Cold hit his legs and he realized that his pants were gone, but if he went back for them, he might never get another opportunity to escape.

Cold air slapped John's skin hard as he staggered through the quiet streets. He could see bright lights not far off and knew that they signified a place where he could maybe find some help.

As footsteps echoed through the air, Flack lay alone in the ER after trying and failing to rest. His shoulder wound and broken ribs had been patched up and he had been kept to rest until someone could come and get him, but there was nobody available. He was tired and broken.

The gaggle of cops had gradually left, as had Mac and Danny, and Flack was alone after giving his statement. Exhaustion and pain crippled him, but he couldn't sleep or take medication.

"…I know it's two in the morning, but I'd rather take Caira home and have her there where I know she's safe," a firm voice spoke. "I'm a paramedic and I can take care of her foot."

There was a sigh, "Please, I spent a good deal of my childhood in the hospital for various things and I don't like being here," Caira's voice spoke quietly. "I want to go home with Danielle. She's qualified to take care of me."

"All right," a quiet voice spoke. "I'll get your discharge papers taken care of right away."

Flack frowned as Caira started to cry and was quickly quieted by Danielle's gentle words. He couldn't help but be impressed at Danielle Boscorelli's ability to keep it together even though John was now missing and her family had endured much. She was a lot like her father in that way; she didn't take crap from anyone and she kept going even when life got very hard.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, Caira, what are you doing?" another voice suddenly asked. "Leaving?"

Flack's eyes widened when he recognized Danny's voice, "My husband's still at work, so my father's on his way to pick us up," Danielle explained firmly. "Caira's been having bad anxiety about being here and so I'm taking her back to our apartment. I'm qualified to care for her."

Danny sighed and didn't say anything. A moment later, Flack heard the curtain move.

Flack sighed when he saw Danny standing there looking worried, "I managed to get a break to come take you home," Danny explained quietly. "How's Angell? We haven't heard anything…"

Danny frowned when Flack paled and his eyes filled with tears, "She's gone," Flack whispered.

"I'm sorry," Danny replied in a concerned voice. "Does…does anyone else know?"

Flack sighed, "That's why the circus is gone," he replied numbly. "Everyone's out looking…"

A loud crash and screams suddenly filled the air, prompting Danny and Flack to get over to the noise in a hurry. The nurse on duty and Danielle were kneeling over a bloody, battered mess of a person that was convulsing on the floor while Caira watched from her wheelchair, terrified.

The seizing suddenly stopped and Danielle began doing first-aid, "John, it's Mom," she spoke as she checked him. "Danny, it's John. You need to tell Detective Taylor that he just showed up here half clothed and started seizing. His blood sugar's low…that's why he started seizing…"

Flack's eyes widened, but Danny's attention was on the object he could see in John's right hand, as it looked important. He quickly took his phone out and took a few photos of the injuries and blood that he could see and then he used his sleeve to pluck the item from John's right hand.

"It's a video camera tape," Danny mused in a concerned voice, stepping aside as more nurses and a freaked out Dr. Fields came running with a gurney and Sully came in from outside with Bosco.

Bosco swore as he got a glimpse of John right before the medical personnel swarmed him, "How did he even get here?" he asked in a confused voice, frowning. "It's two in the morning!"

Danny suddenly noticed the trail of blood leading into the hospital and sighed, "That trail of blood may take me back to where he's been," he observed. "I gotta call Mac about this…"

"Danno, I can walk with you," Flack spoke quietly. "Even with a bum arm…"

Danny sighed and nodded before getting on his phone, "I'll call someone to come to the hospital for John's things," he replied, frowning as he noticed the handcuff. "Hey, his wrist."

"Is that a broken handcuff?" Bosco asked in a cross voice, eyeing John's left wrist.

Danielle sighed anxiously as Danny took a photo of the handcuff before the nurses removed it and tossed it on the floor. A moment later, they took John off to a trauma room out of sight and Danny quickly got his phone out, knowing he needed backup so he could follow the blood trail.

Caira whimpered, as she had a pretty good idea what the handcuff meant and a definite idea of what John endured because of Emily Yokas, "I'm going to take Caira home and then come back once she's settled," Danielle spoke in a firm voice. "Maurice, can you stick around?"

Bosco nodded and Danielle hustled Caira outside because she needed to calm the young girl down. The desk nurse passed Sully the discharge papers before hurrying to the trauma room.

"Hey, Mac, it's Danny," Danny said into his phone. "I need back up. John's been found."

Bosco gave Sully a look before walking over to the trauma room window and watching the medical staff work. A moment later, he pulled his phone out and began making calls.

Miami, Florida

Robert was sound asleep in his hospital bed and Tim found himself wide awake. He had volunteered to spend some nights sitting at his colleague's bedside, as had a few others in the department, to give Horatio a break. Since he himself struggled at night ever since Horatio's kidnapping, Tim decided to do something besides sit up and read at home. Emily had understood and had gotten him the afternoon off so he could sleep and prepare to do 'guard duty' that night.

Uniformed patrols also came and went through the evening and night, but they stayed outside and were only to serve as backup if something happened. Most of them didn't want to interact with certain CSI's, as there were still hard feelings about the treatment that Ryan Wolfe and Robert Caine got the previous year. Eric and Calleigh, however, hadn't signed up for a shift.

"…I really appreciate you being willing to look after Carlos tonight," a tired voice suddenly spoke as footsteps echoed down the hallway. "Grissom still hasn't woken up and I'm scared to leave until he does. He's alone out here and his family situation is complicated…"

Tim frowned and poked his head out into the hallway just in time to see Ryan send the call, "Ryan?" he asked quietly, frowning when he noticed the uniform was gone. "What's up?"

Ryan turned to see Tim, "Hey," he spoke nervously. "I'm sitting with Doctor Grissom…"

Tim frowned, "Doctor Grissom?" he asked quietly. "Isn't he from Las Vegas?"

Before Ryan could reply, Natalia came off the elevator and down the hallway carrying a duffel bag, "Natalia?" Tim asked in a confused voice. "I thought you were at home with the kids?"

"I asked Rick and Lenny to come over so that I could spend some time with Bobby," Natalia replied in a kind voice, not wanting to say that she and Bobby were concerned for Rick and Lenny because of McKeen and Ivan being on the warpath. "You can go home."

Tim nodded and Natalia frowned at Ryan, "Ryan, is everything okay?" she asked softly. "You don't usually work or go out at night because you said that Carlos goes ballistic…"

"I'm here sitting with Grissom," Ryan replied quietly. "He's got cancer and he had a treatment today, but he had a reaction to it. He's in a room just down the hall and doesn't have…"

Natalia's eyes widened and Tim frowned, "Cancer?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Ryan nodded before turning and going back to a room just down the hallway, "Um, Tim, would you mind hanging out just a little longer?" Natalia asked in a concerned voice.

Tim nodded and Natalia speedwalked down the hallway to the room. She was shocked to see Grissom asleep in a bed, sporting several IV's in one arm and a tube in his nose while Ryan sat on the couch with a laptop and backpack beside him, "Wow," Natalia breathed softly.

"I don't fully understand what's happened that he came out here," Ryan replied in a concerned voice, gazing up at Natalia worriedly. "I brought him some things and his laptop. I was checking the site to keep him updated when he wakes and it looks like John Boscorelli was found alive…"

Natalia's eyes widened, "It doesn't say much other than that," Ryan replied softly.

A faint groan filled the air, "Did I hear something about John Boscorelli?" a weak voice asked.

Natalia and Ryan looked at the bed and were surprised to see Grissom peering at them, unable to see properly because he wasn't wearing his glasses, "My glasses," Grissom murmured weakly.

Ryan quickly retrieved the glasses and put them on Grissom's face, "Don't be mad, Grissom, but you passed out on your couch and I got you to the hospital," he spoke anxiously, frowning.

Grissom raised an eyebrow, "Oh," he replied quietly. "Why do you look nervous about it?"

"You told me not to do it and I did it anyway," Ryan replied. "When I visited before…"

Grissom sighed, "If I was passed out, I was in no position to protest your course of action," he replied in a tired voice. "You didn't second guess yourself in the face of an emergency…"

Ryan sighed and Grissom eyed the computer, "Is that my laptop?" he asked sleepily.

"I was checking the site," Ryan replied, placing the laptop on the table before he rolled it over to Grissom. "John was found, but there aren't a lot of details and Nick's case is still unsolved…"

Grissom sighed wearily, "Grissom, I think you should move into a place closer to the hospital," Natalia spoke quietly. "The building you and Emily bought is up and running now…"

Ryan's eyes narrowed, "You and Emily bought a building?" he replied in a confused voice.

"When Emily was out in Vegas for you, we discussed it and bought property," Grissom explained in a tired voice, sighing. "Jesse Cardoza offered to serve as a co-investor and on-site manager."

Ryan nodded, frowning when he noticed Grissom becoming tired again very quickly, "Why don't you get some rest, Grissom?" he suggested kindly.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Nick hadn't yet been found and Catherine was now working with the FBI to see where Nick could have been taken, as he and his captors were no longer in the state. Morgan, Ray, and Hodges were also involved in the investigation while Greg and Sara were on call at the lab.

Instead of working, however, Greg and Sara were sitting in the room where assignments were usually handed out, both of them sitting at the table together.

They were both tired, numb, and not sure how the mess could be fixed. Greg was also playing with his phone, occasionally texting Jenny to see how she and Diana were doing with Parker, Jessica, Matthew, and each other. Jenny responded while resting in bed.

"Sanders, Sidle, I need a moment of your time," Ecklie's stern voice suddenly filled the air.

Greg looked up from his phone and tried to hide it as Ecklie came into the room, but Ecklie scoffed, "Don't play me for a fool, Sanders, but this is one time I don't care about personal calls," Ecklie spoke irritably. "There aren't any new cases yet, but we have visitors."

Just then, an anxious looking Bill and Jillian Stokes came into the room with carry on bags, "We came as soon as we heard what happened," Jillian spoke anxiously, struggling to keep from crying as she and her husband sat at the table. "We thought it would be best to come here."

"Jenny's mother is in town and so she and Jenny have Jessica and Matthew at her family hotel," Greg spoke nervously. "Sara looks after Parker when Nick works, but Parker is with…"

Bill nodded and sighed as he reached into his bag, "We did some talking on the flight here, Greg, and this situation clearly proves that Emily and Derek aren't ready for the responsibility of children," he spoke in a quiet voice, producing a folder. "This grants you and Jenny full custody and gives you the right to adopt Jessica if you wish. We just want to be able to visit her."

Deeply stunned, Greg accepted the folder and nodded, but was too shellshocked to speak, "Judge Stokes, do you have any documentation of the wedding or any photos from Derek and Emily's wedding so we can see if there was any signs of the behavior that were missed?" Sara asked in a concerned voice, sighing. "I know you're going through a lot, but it would help…"

"I didn't perform the ceremony," Bill replied nervously. "Derek brought in a priest that he met at one of his recovery groups. He, Emily, and the priest signed the paperwork privately, or so…"

Greg frowned, "No witnesses signed it?" he asked softly. "That's really unusual."

Jillian gave Bill a look and Bill shook his head, "There's a registry online of those who are legally authorized to perform marriages," Greg commented. "Should we run a check?"

Ecklie sighed, "I didn't want you two involved in this, but we may not have a choice," he replied in a distressed voice. "Catherine's working with the FBI and everyone else is at Nick's house."

"I'll brew some coffee," Greg spoke quietly. "I think everyone could use it right now."

Sara got up, "Judge Stokes, if you come with me, we can research that priest to see if he is legitimate," she spoke in a concerned voice. "This may be bigger than we originally thought."

Manhattan, New York

The brownstone seemed quiet on the outside, but the inside was a mess. Danny was deeply relieved that someone had come and carted Flack home instead of making him go inside after helping follow the blood trail, as the sight would have been too much for him to handle.

Even though he knew it would take hours, Danny was fully prepared to process the scene alone because Mac was getting evidence from John to the lab, Jo was investigating the death of Jessica Angell, as was Sid; Lindsay was at home with Lucy because her shift had ended after the diner was processed and he didn't know if Mac had called her out again; Adam had taken possession of the tape found in John's hand and was working with it, and Hawkes was working at the lab.

Sighing heavily, Danny opened his kit as the front door opened, "Hey, this is a crime scene and I told you uniforms to stay outside," he said in an annoyed voice as footsteps filled the air.

Hawkes came into view with his crime scene kit and attempted to offer a smile to Danny, but failed miserably, "Mac got Lindsay to the lab to help with Angell's case and sent me over here so you wouldn't have to take this on alone," Hawkes explained. "Any word on John yet?"

"Sergeant Boscorelli is also at the hospital and is ready to shoot any reporter that comes crawling out of the gutters for information," Danny replied in a somber voice. "Danielle and her father took Caira back to the apartment and Lieutenant Davis is hanging out there as a precaution."

Hawkes nodded, "What about the tape?" he asked. "It might show who else was involved."

Danny got his phone out of his pocket, "I'll call the lab before we start," he replied softly.

While Danny called, Hawkes moved through the house and froze when he got to the bedroom; the floor had dirty footprints all over it that were covered by a pair of jeans and epic amounts of blood. The bed looked used and half of a set of handcuffs were hanging from the headboard.

New York Crime Lab

The lab was quiet, but Adam was pleased because it would allow him to watch the tape that Danny had rescued from John's hand without distraction. He hadn't expected to be assigned to such a serious case, but they were shorthanded and Mac had preferred him being in the safety of the lab just in case John's attackers were still out there. For that kindness, Adam was grateful.

It hadn't been hard for him to figure out that the tape was from a videorecorder and although he felt uneasy about why John had it, Adam knew it was important and put it into the machine.

"…That little brat tried to bite me," a voice snarled against a dark screen. "It hurts…"

A light suddenly flashed on and Adam frowned as two well-built men hauled John into the room and dumped him on the floor. John spit at them and promptly got up again, ready to fight.

"Looks like baby Boscorelli has an attitude problem," McKeen crooned. "I can fix that…"

Reaching down, McKeen grabbed John by his throat and slammed him into a wall. John struggled for several minutes before passing out. Smirking, McKeen unzipped his pants.

Something snapped inside of Adam and he suddenly found himself in a state where he didn't know what was going on around him. He knew that he was at the lab and was supposed to be watching the videos for clues, but his body and mind were numb; he couldn't move or speak.

"Adam?"

Lindsay, who had arrived to help in the lab while Hawkes went out in the field and had come upon Adam working, frowned when Adam didn't respond right away. She watched the video for a few seconds before pausing it and moving around to see why Adam hadn't responded.

She was horrified to see Adam's eyes glazed over and that he was barely breathing. His body was also rigid as if he had disappeared inside himself, "Someone help!" she called out anxiously.

"Lindsay, what's wrong?" Sid, who had just finished Angell's autopsy and had logged the bullets into the evidence locker himself since they were shorthanded, asked as he came into the room. "I just logged the bullets with evidence and I was heading back down to get my notes that I forgot…"

Lindsay frowned, "Adam's breathing, but it's like he's not there otherwise," she replied in a concerned voice. "He was watching some tape of Jeffrey McKeen and John Boscorelli…"

Sid frowned at the paused frame and fought back vomit before turning his attention to Adam, "Can you help me get Adam to the floor?" he asked in a concerned voice. "It sounds like he might have had a sort of seizure. He'll be more comfortable on the floor than in a chair."

As Lindsay and Sid made to move Adam from his chair, however, he came to and jerked away from being touched, "Adam, it's Lindsay and Sid," Lindsay spoke in a worried voice.

"I'm so tired," Adam squeaked weakly. "I…I was looking at the video…"

Sid sighed, "Lindsay, if you can take over here, I'll take Adam down to the bed that I have in the morgue and get him to rest for a few hours," he spoke gently. "Put in a call to Mac about it and just explain that I have it under control. There's no need for paramedics or anything…"

Deeply confused, Lindsay nodded, "Does Adam have a seizure disorder or something?" she asked in a concerned voice, frowning. "Something on this video must have triggered it."

Sid, however, didn't reply and merely helped Adam out of the room. Lindsay sat in the empty chair and quickly got on the phone, determined to help however she was able to.

Angel of Mercy Hospital – Manhattan, New York

Mac sighed as his phone went off and he fished it out of his pocket as he silently watched Bosco and a doctor talk just down the hallway. John had been stabilized very quickly and had been rushed to surgery not long after arriving. Seeing the doctor already talking to Bosco either meant things had moved very quickly and John was safe or things had gone very, very badly.

"Taylor," Mac spoke in a quiet voice. "What is it?"

There was a sigh, "Mac, Adam was looking at the video Danny found on John Boscorelli and he went into some sort of trance," Lindsay spoke worriedly. "Sid came when I yelled for help and he insisted on letting Adam rest in the morgue. Does Adam have a seizure disorder?"

"It's a difficult thing to explain, but just let Sid look after Adam for now," Mac replied in a quiet voice, a sigh in his voice. "Did you manage to get any information off of that tape?"

Mac frowned when Lindsay explained that McKeen had slammed John into a wall and choked him into unconsciousness before committing sodomy, all of it being on tape. She said that's as far as the video got before Adam got sick, but she would watch the rest and call him back.

Once the call had ended, Mac walked over to the doctor and Bosco, both of whom had been watching his call with interest, "One of my CSI's has started analyzing the tape that was found on John and it appears that McKeen slammed John into a wall and choked him before sodomizing him." Mac explained softly. "I'm sorry to have to inform you of this, but that would explain why there was more than one sample during the rape kit that was taken in the ER…"

Bosco looked horrified, but nodded and maintained his composure, "John dislocated his left shoulder and strained the rest of his arm, but it didn't break even though there's signs of a previous break from his last experience," the doctor explained softly, his expression somber. "He had surgery to fix that and his collapsed lungs. We also had to intubate him…"

"The tape shows Jeffrey McKeen choking John into unconsciousness," Mac cut in quietly.

Bosco sighed irritably, but said nothing because he was emotionally spent, "I've told my boss I'm spending the night in the SICU," he spoke firmly. "They gotta monitor him in there because of the diabetes. His blood sugar was low, which tells me that they didn't feed him…"

Without waiting for anything else, Bosco walked back to the SICU because he didn't want to discuss John's injuries. He just wanted to sit with his eldest adopted son and think quietly. Mac didn't call him back, nor did the doctor, as they both sensed it would only aggravate him.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"…So, this priest that married Derek and Emily Yokas isn't a priest at all," Sara explained in a concerned voice as she sat at the staff table with Greg, Bill, and Jillian. "He's a parolee that works as a mechanic in Austin, Texas. Perhaps him and Derek met at some point?"

Jillian sighed, "Derek went to a lot of different recovery meetings," she replied in a concerned voice, her expression helpless as the sound of footsteps suddenly filled the air.

Greg looked up from the folder in his hands just in time to see Catherine come into the room, "Bad news," she spoke in a somber voice. "The FBI were notified about the murder of a police officer in New York and the survivor gave a description that matches Derek, McKeen, and Ivan. According to the survivor, a Detective Flack, Nick and Doctor Pride were also present…"

"The hostages," Sara spoke softly. "Wait…Emily Yokas wasn't with them?"

Catherine shrugged, "We just found out that the priest who married Emily Yokas and Derek Stokes isn't a priest at all," Sara explained. "So the marriage is fake…"

"Are they still in New York?" Greg asked in a concerned voice, hoping Nick was all right.

Catherine shook her head, "New York tried to locate them, but the tire tracks from McKeen's vehicle go to the harbor and then stop," she replied. "They might have escaped on a boat…"

"I should text Betty to check on the twins," Sara spoke softly, rising. "Excuse me."

Without waiting for a reply, Sara left and retrieved her phone from her pocket. Instead of texting Betty, however, she texted Grissom because he hadn't texted in hours and she was worried.

Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean

A whimper filled the air as Dr. Pride came into the cargo hold and froze at seeing Derek laying on top of Nick, doing unspeakable things while Nick cried weakly. She had reluctantly joined Ivan for a meal and had even more reluctantly allowed Derek to guard Nick, but it had obviously been a mistake to give Derek responsibility. His mood swings and behavior were unpredictable.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Dr. Pride roared as she hurried forward and grabbed Derek's shirt.

Derek roared angrily and launched himself at her, quickly pinning her to a wall by her throat, "Do not tell me what to do with Nick," he hissed coldly. "Do it again and I'll kill you."

"Stop," Nick croaked through his tears, pain shooting through his body as he spoke.

Derek gave Dr. Pride a hard look, but released her and stormed out of the room. Dr. Pride massaged her throat before slowly moving to Nick's side. Nick's pants were lowered and she used her sleeves to put them back in place before stepping away and coughing anxiously.

"Let me check your wound," Dr. Pride spoke anxiously when she could finally speak again.

Nick frowned, but let Dr. Pride check his wound and change the bandage covering the wound on his abdomen without complaint, "ANDREA!" an angry voice suddenly roared from outside.

"Don't go," Nick whispered shakily, cringing as he spoke. "They'll…they'll kill you."

Dr. Pride sighed softly, "I'll see if someone can bring you a blanket," she replied. "Sleep."

Without waiting for a response, Dr. Pride left the cargo hold and went through the ship to the common area where she knew someone had shouted from. True to form, McKeen, Derek, and Ivan were sitting around and Derek was injecting himself with stolen insulin while McKeen and Ivan played cards. Derek gave Dr. Pride a death glare, but didn't move from his spot.

"Who yelled?" Dr. Pride asked in a quiet voice, staying quiet because her throat hurt too much.

Ivan smirked as he dropped his cards on the table and got up, "You assaulted Derek," he replied.

"Derek was trying to rape Nick after I patched Nick up," Dr. Pride replied coldly, refusing to be intimidated by her ex-husband. "I don't need my work wrecked by someone who's needing a…"

Derek swore, set his used needle on the table, and got up. He knocked Dr. Pride to the floor and proceeded to try and strip her before kicking her hard repeatedly in front of everyone. Dr. Pride finally managed to shove him off and he rolled to the floor, suddenly passing out cold.

"Anozzer fit," Ivan grumbled. "Just leave him there and he'll wake up veeth no memory of eet."

Dr. Pride frowned as she struggled to her feet, "Fits?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"When his blood sugar gets low, he gets insanely aggressive and then passes out after he gets insulin," McKeen hissed as he stood up. "Shall we pay a visit to the younger Stokes?"

Dr. Pride sighed, "He needs a blanket," she spoke weakly. "I told him I'd see about it…"

McKeen looked amused, "That crap's in the bedroom," he replied in a wolfish voice.

Nodding, Dr. Pride silently went into the bedroom and began looking for a blanket, but she suddenly found herself pinned down on the bed, "Nice try," Derek's cold voice spoke.

The door suddenly slammed shut and Dr. Pride knew she was now alone and helpless.

Manhattan, New York

It was with great reluctance that Mac returned to the lab after getting John's clothes and photographic evidence of his injuries. He had logged it in and it was now in the hands of the changing shifts as night yet again turned to day. Danny and Hawkes had spent hours at the brownstone and had come back with evidence and Jo was working on Angell's murder.

Now, as everyone else worked, Mac found himself down in the morgue to check on Adam and send him home if necessary. He knew that Adam had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to childhood abuse, but it had never escalated into a seizure and he knew it would have to be addressed immediately. He was surprised, however, to see both Lindsay and Sid in the nap room, both of them talking quietly while Adam slept soundly on the bed Sid used for naps.

"Sid, Lindsay?" Mac spoke quietly as he approached. "How are things with Adam?"

Lindsay sighed, "I watched the rest of the video and after McKeen finished, John was tied to a chair and left alone until Derek Stokes and Emily arrived," she explained quietly, her expression sad. "Derek Stokes beat John up before they left and Emily had her way with him. After a few hours, she left and John broke free before the video ends. That must have been when he…"

Mac nodded, not needing to hear the rest right away, "Lindsay, I need your help processing more evidence," he spoke seriously. "I just got back from the hospital with John's clothes…"

Nodding, Lindsay reluctantly followed Mac upstairs, leaving Sid to watch over Adam.

Miami, Florida

Sara had sent him approximately 30 text messages throughout the night, all of them providing updates on the situation and also asking if he was okay. Grissom didn't want to tell her that he was now in the hospital with low blood pressure and other reactions to chemo, but he also didn't want to lie to his wife. He knew that Sara didn't need his lies complicating her life even more.

The night in the hospital hadn't done much, for helping him feel better, sadly. With great effort, Grissom composed a text that explained the truth, as he knew Sara could handle it and that she would be mad if he downplayed it. As he hit 'Send,' his phone slipped from his hand and hit the blanket he had been covered with all night as Dr. Stokes came into the room with his chart.

"Good morning," Dr. Stokes spoke in a calm voice. "I heard you're here for a few days."

Grissom sighed tiredly, "I'm afraid so," he replied. "I'd like to offer you an apology."

Dr. Stokes looked confused, "If I had been there for my team more and hadn't left, perhaps I could have prevented what happened to Nick," Grissom spoke softly. "I…I'm sorry."

Dr. Stokes frowned and promptly sat in the chair that was beside the bed, "As much as you want to, you can't always help everyone or prevent bad things from happening to others," she explained in a gentle voice. "Nick and his captors are no longer in New York, unfortunately. I got a call from NYPD this morning and they believe that the group went off on a boat…"

Grissom looked unsettled, but he also had no energy to do anything about it and knew if he tried to help, he would only hurt himself, "Your vitals aren't looking really encouraging this morning," Dr. Stokes spoke, eyeing the chart. "Did you eat at all yesterday? This morning?"

"I didn't regain consciousness until last night," Grissom replied quietly. "I didn't want to overburden Ryan or Natalia with getting me something to eat. I saw both of them…"

Dr. Stokes nodded, "And where is Ryan now?" she asked in a confused voice. "Natalia…?"

"Natalia went to be with her children and Ryan was gone when I woke up, so I assume he went home to his son," Grissom replied softly. "I took everyone by surprise when I came here…"

Dr. Stokes looked concerned as she got up, "Let me see if I can get you something from the cafeteria," she spoke in a kind voice. "Nick said you were a vegetarian or something…"

"I'd honestly prefer juice," Grissom spoke softly. "The mere thought of eating…"

A wave of nausea suddenly overcame Grissom and he found himself puking on the floor, barely missing Dr. Stokes's shoes. Dr. Stokes quickly got a cup from the sink area, filled it with water, and brought it back over to Grissom. She helped Grissom drink all of it and he exhaled softly.

Just then, Ryan came into the room carrying a bag. He froze at seeing the puke on the floor.

"I take it you're not feeling good this morning?" Ryan asked worriedly. "I went and got…"

Grissom exhaled and sighed as Ryan extracted a large smoothie from the bag along with several small containers of soup, "Just set it on the portable table," he spoke softly. "I'd rather rest."

Dr. Stokes nodded and made a few notes on the chart before leaving the room. Ryan set the food on the table and followed her into the hallway, "Is him being so sick normal?" he asked.

"He's also got a lot on his mind," Dr. Stokes replied calmly. "It may be a contributing factor."

Ryan watched as Dr. Stokes went over to the nurse's station with Grissom's chart before returning to Grissom's room. Grissom was asleep and Ryan noticed the phone on the bed, so he quietly put it on the portable tray next to the food and sat on the couch, needing to think.

Manhattan, New York

The Boscorelli apartment was quiet and even though it was morning, everyone was still asleep in their beds with Caira keeping her studio door open in case she needed help. Danielle also left the door to the master bedroom open during the night in case anyone needed her help at all.

It was about three a.m. when Danielle was finally able to settle down to sleep after getting home and settling Caira in her room, so nobody wanted to bother her. With that in mind, Sully had gotten up early and had closed Danielle's door while he had snuck down to the corner café to get breakfast for everyone. When he had gotten home, he had set everything up before turning on the news and the computer to see if anyone had any new information on the recent attacks.

Unfortunately, there was nothing on the news he hadn't already heard and so he turned it off and moved to the computer. He wasn't a fan of computers, but when Nicolas was born, he knew he would eventually need the skills for when the kid started school and needed help with homework, so he had reluctantly taken some computer courses geared towards mature learners.

"Grandpa?"

Sully turned from the computer and was surprised to see David standing behind him with his inhaler in hand, "I think this is empty," David spoke, a slight wheeze in his voice.

Nodding, Sully took the empty inhaler as he got up and walked over to the kitchen cupboards where John and David's medicines were stored. He put the empty inhaler in a container and quickly got David a fresh one before locking the cabinet again, as it was safer to do that.

"Here," Sully said as he handed David the inhaler. "You sound off this morning."

David took the inhaler and used it, "I'm just worried about John," he replied quietly.

Sully nodded and sighed gently, "Is that stuff from the diner?" David asked softly, seeing the food on the table. "Do you think anyone would care if I ate? I'm hungry."

"Go ahead," Sully replied calmly. "Just eat what you take."

David nodded and settled himself at the table, helping himself to a muffin, "Why's Mom still asleep?" he asked with his mouth full. "She's usually up by now to get us off to school."

"She and Caira got home at two in the morning," Sully replied. "Caira didn't want to stay at the hospital and so she asked your mom to bring her home. As they were leaving, John showed up."

David's eyes went wide and Sully swore, as David had been asleep at the time and hadn't known about John, "Grandpa, you said a bad word," David spoke worriedly. "Mom's gonna be mad."

Before Sully could reply, there was a faint groan and he paled at seeing Caira leaning against her open door with her bandaged foot elevated. He hurried over to the door and helped her move over to Bosco's recliner, "You shouldn't be up," he spoke sternly. "Danielle left you a bell."

"I've been hurt worse than this," Caira replied in a groggy voice. "Thanks for the help."

Sully nodded, "Do you need anything?" he asked worriedly. "I can make up the hideabed."

Caira sighed and promptly drifted off in the recliner. Sully quickly adjusted the recliner so her feet were elevated and then retrieved a blanket from the closet, being gentle as he covered her.

The phone suddenly rang, but Caira didn't stir and so Sully answered it, "Hello?" he said.

"Is Danielle there?" a weak voice asked. "Gil said I could talk to Danielle anytime."

Sully sighed as Yelina came out of their bedroom with Nicolas, "Uh, hi, Ellen," he spoke in a reluctant voice, giving Yelina a worried look. "Danielle's walking the kids to school today."

Yelina looked worried, but Sully remained calm, "Oh, John, can you please ask Danielle to go by my house and check it?" Ellen asked cheerily. "I'm worried about whether or not it's safe."

"Yeah, I'll ask her when she gets back," Sully replied calmly. "Gil mailed her a key."

There was a pleased sigh and a click, "Danielle's sleeping, isn't she?" Yelina asked softly.

Sully nodded, exhaling anxiously, "I'm not about to tell Ellen that," he replied firmly.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Gil's short, but blunt message about how he was feeling wasn't encouraging and Sara very much wanted to go to Miami to be with him. She couldn't, however, as the lab was shorthanded and she needed the income to support her, Gregory, and Danielle since Gil wasn't making income.

It wasn't as if he could come back either, as he had been threatened repeatedly by the higher-ups before he had finally resigned and had told it would be better if he left town for a while til things settled down. Las Vegas PD had blamed both Atwater and Grissom for the failure of the pilot project and had fired Atwater without hesitation. However, there had not been much that they could do to Grissom since he was not a cop. He had eventually chosen to leave on his own.

Those outside of Las Vegas, however, blamed the higher-ups and were disgusted with how Grissom and Ryan Wolfe were treated. Perhaps, Sara thought as she sat in the locker room with her phone in her hands, that's why Grissom felt that he had to run all the way to Miami.

"Sara?"

Sara looked up and saw Greg ready to leave, "Do you want a ride home?" Greg asked. "I know you cabbed it here cause you wanted to leave the car for your mother-in-law…"

"I heard you talking to Jenny on the phone earlier," Sara spoke quietly. "About what?"

Greg looked worried, "About you and how you've seemed so tired and withdrawn lately," he explained as he joined her on the bench. "I heard that Grissom also left Vegas and I've been wondering if I should go visit him. He's my father and I feel like we haven't gotten to…"

"He's got lymphoma and went away to Miami cause of all the crap LVPD was putting him through," Sara spoke quietly, sighing. "He's in the hospital there after having a very bad reaction to chemotherapy. I wish I could take the kids and visit him, but I need to keep working…"

Greg's eyes widened, "I could go," he offered. "I've got a few sick days…"

"Greg, I was on the phone with Nick before the attack and I heard everything," Sara spoke in a quiet voice, recalling what she had told Catherine and Ecklie. "Nick told Derek you and Jenny were in Miami. He lied to protect Derek from trying to find you, so you can't go…"

Greg sighed, as he too had been told that when he had come to work, "Unfortunately for both of us, all we can do is stay here for now," Sara spoke softly. "It would be too dangerous to go."

Nodding, Greg got up, "I'll take you back to your kids," he spoke in a tired voice. "And Parker."

"Judge Stokes and his wife went to the hotel to collect Parker," Sara replied softly.

As Greg and Sara left the building, Sara began to cry softly and Greg gently held her in a hug.

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