This was only supposed to be a really short Grave Danger-esque piece but looks like it might be going for a few chapters yet. I've been thinking of where it'll head and have a few ideas so we'll wait and see where it ends up.

CHAPTER 3

Almost three hours after Catherine and Warrick arrived at the hospital, the doors of the waiting room to ICU opened and Grissom, Sara and Jim Brass arrived. Sara and Brass looked tired, but Grissom looked exhausted. He looked as if he had aged at least 10. He sat heavily in the seat next to Catherine and held his head in his hands for several long moments. Sara and Brass sat down next to Warrick and started grilling him with questions about Nick.

Grissom sat up, hands on his knees, and looked from Catherine to Warrick and back again. "How's Nicky doing?" he asked, his voice gravelly and hoarse from tiredness. Catherine smiled at him wanly and lay her hand over his. "He's OK, Gil. He went into anaphylaxis and has been intubated, but the doctors are saying he'll be fine physically."

Grissom was quiet for a moment longer, staring at his hands tucked under Catherines. Glancing back at her he asked quietly "What about psychologically? How was he mentally?" Catherine squeezed his hands tightly and her eyes welled with tears momentarily as she replied, "We didn't get to talk to him. It all happened so quickly. They're organising counselling for him. That will start as soon as he wakes up." Grissom exhaled deeply and rubbed a hand over his eyes again. "Gil, go home and get some sleep. I'll stay and see if I can see him. His parents are with him." Grissom nodded dimly - "Good." he commented.

The door to the waiting room opened and Judge Stokes' tall and previously imposing figure appeared. He looked almost as exhausted as Grissom, his shoulders slumped a little and his suit jacket and ties were gone, his top buttons unbuttoned. He smiled grimly and moved to sit in the only vacant seat avilable - next to Catherine. He cleared his throat awkwardly, choking with emotion as he thanked them all for finding Nick in time. Catherine smiled at him kindly and lay a hand against Judge Stokes' arm.

Despite his demeanour in the lab when his son was missing, Roger Stokes was reknown as a loving family man. He had a reputation as being tough but fair - with the people passing before him in court, and with his seven children - but he adored his wife of forty six years and his greatest joy in life was his family - his children and, now, his grandchildren. Nick had felt a certain suffocation living in Texas and carrying the Stokes name. His father had appreciated the need for him to leave, to find his own space in life and to grow into his own person. But, both Nick and Roger knew that, no matter the distance, Nick would always be his fathers little boy - and he was happy to wear that label - to have that close connection with his Cisco. The thought of how close they had come to losing Nick broke Roger Stokes' heart. Knowing his boy would be terrified and that there was nothing he could do to save him from the pain and trauma had been like a knife to the chest for the hardened State Supreme Court Judge.

As Catherine lay her hand against his arm, the hard walls disintegrated and he brought one of his hands up to cover hers, smiling a tired smile at her.

"Hows Nick?" she asked quietly. Judge Stokes nodded. "He's doing OK." he answered, "He's getting a good rest. The doctors are planning to reduce his sedation tomorrow morning and letting him wake up, so all we can do is wait at the moment."

Catherine nodded. "And how are you doing? And Mrs Stokes?" Judge Stokes interlaced his fingers and rested then on his knees, bending forward - too exhausted to sit up straight - "We're alright. Tired, but alright. We're just so relieved to have Nick back." His voice cracked as he struggled to regain his composure.

Catherine smiled kindly at him again and leant forward too, mirroring him and keeping theirconversation intimate - just between the two of them. "Why dont you and Mrs Stokes go back to your hotel and get some sleep?" Roger Stokes' was shaking his head before she had even finished her sentence. "No, no. We dont want to leave Nick alone."

Catherine was a good negotiator though - lots of recent practice as a mother of a strong willed teenage daughter. "Judge Stokes,"..."Please, call me Roger." "Roger, Nick will need the two of you when he wakes up. He'll need your support in a way he's never needed it before. Take the opportunity while he's sedated to get some sleep. I'll sit with Nick, I promise he wont be alone and I promise I'll call you if there's the slightest change. But you'll need all your strength and energy to get through the next few days and weeks. Please. He'll be fine. I'll take good care of him."

There was silence for several moments as Roger Stokes thought it through and battled the inner war waging in his mind - abandoning his son to give into the desperate need for sleep.
"He'll be OK with me. I promise." Catherine wasn't going to back down.

Roger Stokes nodded his head so softly it was almost imperceptable. "You will call us? If there's any change?" "Of course." said Catherine.

They both got up and Judge Stokes gave Catherine a quick hug of thanks. Grissoms quiet voice asked the question the others so badly wanted answered - "Judge Stokes, can we see Nick?"

Roger Stokes stopped to smile at the group - a genuine and warm smile - "Of course. Its only family allowed to visit at the moment, but Jillian and I have already discussed this with his medical team and you're all on the family list. You saved his life." He started to head leave, pausing at the doorway to add "And, please....call me Roger."

Catherine entered the ICU with Roger Stokes while the others stayed in the waiting room. They thought it would be best of there wasn't an audience while Roger and Catherine convinced Jillian Stokes to leave her son for some much needed sleep. Judge Stokes went to his wifes side and knealt next to her chair, talking to her softly and gripping her hands as she shook her head and glanced back and forth from her husband to her son. Catherine stood back to give them some privacy and looked at Nick. He looked as if he was in a deep sleep, thankfully unaware of the tubes snaking into his lungs, into his stomach and into his bladder. There were intravenous lines delivering fluids, pain relief and sedation through his central line, and the ant bites, which were too numerous to count, had risen into ugly pustules. And there were cardiac monitors and a blood pressure cuff connecting him to monitors above the bed.

Catherine moved to the side of the bed and took hold of one of his hands, her other hand moved to stroke his hair - it had grown over the last few weeks. She smiled gently down at him and whispered "Hey, Nicky. You're safe now, sweetie." She continued to smile at him and stroke his hair until she realised Roger and Jillian Stokes were both standing at the bed too. Jillian lay a gentle hand on Nicks arm and glanced at Catherine as she asked "Do you promise to call if there's any change at all?". Catherine nodded slightly "I promise." she answered.

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