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Greg felt a bit down for the next few days. A state that wouldn't change too soon. Running late for work, his stress level was already high. It instantly rose up as he found his car stolen.
"Why didn't you check?!" Nick asked furiously, walking up and down in the break room.
Greg had finally arrived at work, an hour late, and all he could do was listen to Nick's rant. "How often do you use your spare car key? I didn't even think of it."
"Did you even know where you had it?"
"I feel bad about it already, okay? No need to rub it in my face."
"I'm not! I'm trying to help you."
"Well maybe you could try another approach. Yelling at me won't help at all." He rolled his eyes as he got off his seat.
"Yeah? So what would help you?"
"I don't know! Anything but telling me that it's my own fault! Because I know that already!"
Nick sighed. "So what now?"
He shrugged. "Wait and hope that he'll get caught by the police soon. There's nothing we can do at the moment, I guess."
Three days later, Greg was running late for work again. His mind was scattered lately as he had a lot to think about. It caused his work performance to drop noticeable and Russell was getting frustrated with him because of it. "Call me back as soon as you get that message." The supervisor hung up his phone annoyed as Nick walked into the office.
"What's going on?" he asked concerned.
"Greg's not in yet. Do you know where he is?"
Nick shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't. What's going on with him?"
Russell shrugged. "I get that he's frustrated with the whole Riley Fishman thing, but his work's suffering because of it. He needs to get his act together soon or..." Russell got interrupted by Nick's cell phone ringing. "...You should take that."
Nick nodded as he did. "Stokes."
"Hello Mr. Stokes. I'm calling from the Desert Palm hospital. I've got you listed as Greg Sanders' emergency contact."
"...What happened? Is he alright?"
"He's been in a car accident."
Nick was walking up and down the hospital's waiting room all agitated and nervously. "Why won't they let us see him? That's a bad sign..."
"I'm sure they're still working on him, Nick. It's no sign at all." Russell was nervously tapping his foot without looking at Nick. It would only make him more nervous.
A doctor walked up to them with a devastating look on his face.
"...Oh god, no," Nick said, preparing for the worst.
"He's left the hospital," the doctor said to them.
"...What? I don't understand, is he...?"
He shook his head. "His injuries are very serious. We were able to stabilize him, though. But when he was unattended for a few minutes he left."
"...You mean you lost him. Why was nobody with him?!" Nick asked outraged, trying hard not to yell too loudly.
"There was no reason to believe he'd take off. I honestly didn't even think he had the strength to do it, with his injuries... It's important he gets back in here. Do you have any idea where he could go?"
"I don't get it. Why would he leave the hospital?!" Nick walked angrily up to Greg's apartment to open it. Both him and Russell walked in. "Greg?!"
Russell looked around. He couldn't detect a single hint that Greg had come here after the accident. Not even a blood drop or footprint was here. He walked into the bedroom. "Doesn't look like he came here to get some clothes. I don't think he's been here, Nick."
"He must have! Where else would he go? And why?"
Russell gave Nick a worried look. "Maybe he has a head injury and doesn't think straight."
"Don't say that. I'm sure he's fine!"
The supervisor sighed deeply. "I sure hope so..."
"He wasn't at your place, either, Nick. I'm sorry." Sara was talking over the phone with Nick, standing inside his apartment. They had hoped Greg was there, but they were in no luck.
"Alright. Thank you. Call me as soon as you get any news." Nick had a sad look on his face. He was close to giving up.
"I will. You, too."
"I don't get it! I don't understand what's going on!" Nick yelled while they were walking out of Greg's apartment building.
Russell had a thoughtful look on his face. "I have a feeling it has something to do with Riley Fishman. Maybe he was responsible for the accident and Greg's... seeking revenge or something like that."
Nick hastily shook his head. "He'd never do that. Do we even know he wanted to leave the hospital?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if he was taken against his will? The security in Desert Palm sucks. Nobody would've probably noticed."
"You think Fishman took him?"
"Maybe. Who knows? I think he's crazy enough to do something like that. They said they gave Greg enough sedatives to make him sleep for a few hours. How did he just walk out of there, then?"
Russell nodded. "You might be right."
Russell and Nick were back at the hospital to talk to some doctors and nurses the next day, hoping to find out if somebody saw anything when Greg supposedly left the hospital willingly. But so far, it appeared that nobody had seen anything. They walked through the hospital in desperation as they started talking to patients in and near the hospital room the young CSI was in before he got lost.
"...What are you doing in here?" a nurse asked as she walked into a hospital room with four patients in it. Russell and Nick had just started talking to the first one.
"We're with the crime lab. We have a few questions to the patients in this room," Nick explained.
She raised her eyebrow. "Well you have to leave now." She opened the curtain to one of the beds to administer a bag of fluids to the patient. Both Nick and Russell's eyes almost popped out as they looked at the patient. It was Greg.
"...What the hell?! How long has he been in here?!" Nick yelled at the nurse.
She looked at him shocked. "Just came in two hours ago. Why?"
"...That's Greg Sanders! We were looking for him! He left the hospital yesterday after being treated for a car accident." Nick looked Greg up and down. He couldn't find any injuries on him that indicated a car accident. "What the hell's going on?!"