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Chapter 16

A couple of days passed and still they had not gotten any more information to bring them closer to finding out who ran Eve down. Eve's condition had not improved any and it was eating away at Greg. He had taken a few days vacation so he could spend his time at the hospital with Eve.

Nick and Sara were good with coming to visit when they could and updating him on the case, but Greg was growing frustrated. He wanted to work on catching whoever did this to Eve. He felt helpless just sitting at her bedside not able to do anything.

He was rubbing his hand over his five o'clock shadowed face, sitting at Eve's bedside when Grissom walked in. "Greg," Grissom called out his name to get his attention. At seeing Grissom, Greg jumped to his feet.

"Hi! Uh, Grissom, do you have news for me?" Greg felt slightly flustered seeing Grissom there.

"No, but I did want to ask you some questions about Aaron James and your encounters with him. Firstly, how is Eve doing?"

Greg sighed before responding. "No change at all. What if she never…" Greg couldn't finish his thoughts out loud.

Grissom noticed his youngest CSI looked like he had not slept in days. He had dark circles under his eyes. "Greg, give her time. She's been seriously injured. It takes awhile for one's body to heal." Grissom watched as Greg shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess I know that. So what did you want to ask me exactly," he said to Grissom wanting to steer the conversation away from Eve's condition.

"Let's go talk someplace else," Grissom told him.

Grissom studied Greg as they walked to the elevator. "When was the last time you got some sleep or ate something?"

Greg looked sheepishly at him, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. I've been sleeping off and on in the chair. I had a bag of chips a few hours ago." Grissom just frowned at Greg, not saying anything, knowing his expression would say enough. Greg hung his head as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

Grissom led them to the cafeteria to talk but also as a hint for him to eat. They took a table on the far side where no one else was so they could talk privately.

"So tell me in details about your encounters with Aaron James, starting with the first time at the Coroner's Inquest." Greg went into details about each instance, starting with Aaron James coming into the bathroom and calling him a 'killer' to his last time outside the diner parking lot in his car.

Grissom sat in thought for a few seconds before saying anything to Greg after he finished. Then he just looked at Greg.

"Greg, I think you should at least go home for a little bit and maybe get a few real hours of sleep and freshen up. You really look like hell and I am sure Eve wouldn't want you like this. I am sure the hospital can call you if there are any changes in her condition."

Greg frowned but nodded his head that he would go home for a bit. He knew that Grissom was right.

Grissom left him to sit alone in the cafeteria for a few minutes. Finally Greg got up and went one more time to peek in on Eve before he left. It was killing him that she had not improved any. The longer she went without change, the worse her prognosis grew. He felt the anger build up inside him towards whoever was responsible for putting her in that bed.

He took Eve's hand gently into his like he had so often now and stared at her pale face. "Eve, it's Greg again. I am going to go home for a bit and try to get some sleep and freshen up at the orders of my boss." He smirked a bit thinking how everyone was worried about him.

"I love you. Get better for me soon, okay?" He kissed her hand softly and left her room.

Greg slowly went up the stairs to his apartment. He was placing his key in the door when he noticed a piece of paper wedged between the doorframe and door. He pulled out the folded piece of paper, figuring it was a note from his apartment management.

As he entered his place, he dropped the letter on his kitchen table. He decided to take a shower first thing, as he really needed one.

After toweling off and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, he went to his fridge and grabbed a can of soda and pulled a TV dinner out of the freezer. He put the meal in the microwave to cook then sat at the table to go through his mail.

He picked up the letter that had been stuck in his door and unfolded it. Only one line of text was printed on the paper. "How does it feel, Killer?"

Greg stared for a moment at the piece of paper, taking in it's meaning. Then he shifted into CSI mode. He carefully placed the piece of paper back down on the table. He wanted to dust it for fingerprints right away, but if this was connected in anyway to Eve's accident, he could be considered contaminating evidence since they told him to stay away from it.

He groaned, hating that he could not deal with this himself, but any possible evidence leading to his person had to be done correctly.

He picked up his phone and dialed Nick. "Hey Nick. It's Greg. I think you should come by here with your kit. I received an ominous note in my door when I came home. I just opened it. All it says is 'How does it feel, Killer?'"

"Really? Okay, I'll get Sara and we will be at your place in 20 minutes."

Greg's microwave beeped that his food was ready, but suddenly he had no appetite again. He just stared at the note and the words typed on it.

How does it feel, Killer? Greg could only picture Aaron James being the one to write this. Was he really that stupid that he would not be suspected in doing this? Greg had a headache brewing as he mulled over the note.

The knock came on the door at just about the time he was expecting it.

"Hey guys," he said through a yawn as he opened the door for Nick and Sara.

"Damn, you look like hell, man." Nick exclaimed seeing his friend's tired eyes and rumpled hair.

"Thanks Nick. I sort of feel like it right about now too." He gestured for them to come inside.

"Do you ever clean this place up," Sara asked as she looked around at the mess that was his living room.

"What is it? Pick on Greg day? Give me a break will ya. I have not been home much lately. Remember I was in the process of moving too." Greg sighed and then pointed to the kitchen table, where the note was.

"There is the note." Nick already had his latex gloves on and picked it up. He read it then flipped it over to examine the paper.

"Looks like plain copy paper, printed on an ink jet printer." Greg rolled his eyes because he already had figured that much out.

"We'll take this back to the lab and check for prints." Nick bagged the note.

"I'll go dust your door for fingerprints. Maybe our person left some behind without thinking." Sara got out her print stuff and went to the door.

Greg sat down on his sofa and just watched, begrudgingly, while Sara and Nick worked. He rubbed his temples, willing away the headache pounding at him. His eye caught a picture he had of him and Eve that they took at an amusement park in town. She looked so beautiful and happy in the photo. What if she never came out of the coma she was in? He closed his eyes and told himself not to think such thoughts.

"Greg? Greg!" He opened his eyes and realized Sara was staring at him.

"I'm sorry." He rubbed his hands over his face.

Sara looked over at Nick who also seemed concerned about Greg. "I'll meet you outside in a couple of minutes, Nick."

Nick nodded in understanding and left Sara with Greg.

Sara sat down next to Greg on his sofa. Greg looked sideways at Sara. "I feel another speech coming on."

Sara frowned at him. "Greg, you really need to get some sleep. You do not want Eve to see you looking like this when she wakes up."

Greg gazed down at his hands folded in his lap. "I know, you are like the 3rd person to tell me today. I came home to do that but then here was that note. Now I doubt I will be able to sleep thinking about that…and Eve."

He lifted his sad eyes to her. "I'm really getting more worried that she may never wake up. Her injuries are bad. Demetrius James died from his injuries; I am lucky she is still even alive."

Sara hated seeing Greg hurting like he was. "But that is the key though, she IS still alive, so there IS still hope."

He nodded his head slowly. "I know, I know. And I will try to get some sleep, I promise."

"Okay, I am holding you to that promise. I will leave you alone now so you can try to sleep. I'll be checking up on you later on to see for myself."

Greg rolled his eyes at her. "Yes Mommy," a slight smirk curving on his lips as he said it.

"Later," she replied with her own smirk and left him alone.

She got into the Denali, where Nick had been waiting for her. Nick gave her a questioning look. "He's really worried about Eve not recovering. He promised me he would try to get some sleep. I told him we would check up on him later to make sure he did." She smiled.

Nick nodded. "Good! Then let's at least try to find out who did this note and if it is part of what happened to Eve and catch this bastard for both their stakes."

Back at the crime lab, Nick took the note immediately to Mandy for fingerprints along with the prints Sara got off of Greg's door.

While they waited on results from Mandy, they filled Grissom in on the note. Grissom remained quiet for a few moments pondering over the new evidence.

Finally he spoke up. "I think it might be time to bring in Aaron James for some questioning." Nick looked at Sara, a grin growing on his face.

Sara ignored his brief show of arrogance and looked to Grissom. "If the under-Sheriff hears about this he will not be happy."

"You let me worry about him. But we will wait for results from Mandy just to see if she gives us something more definitive to go on."