Lover's Eyes
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.
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Ch8: Breathless

Nick panted fighting for each breath as Mandy frantically put her clothes back on. Nick held his chest as he panted, he sounded as if he was truly out of breath but wasn't hyperventilating. Mandy tried to maintain her panic as she helped Nick to his feet supporting almost all of his weight. Mandy brought him to the bench, unable to bring him away further.

"Babe… I can't breathe…" Nick said with a new sense of panic as he hunched forward.

"Nick, what do I do?! What do I do?!" Mandy said back her voice was just as panicked as his. Nick couldn't muster up the strength to tell her anything, or even try to help her. She felt helpless watching him struggle for each breath; she had left her phone inside. "Help!" Mandy began to shout as she searched his undo wrinkled jeans. "Nick, where's your phone?" she asked, she saw his color start to drain away, as he began to get sweating. Nick held his chest and moved so that Mandy could pull it out of his back pocket.

"Is there something wrong?" Luann asked as her and her husband went for a midnight stroll.

"Luann, go get your mom!" Mandy shouted and Luann kicked off her shoes and began running towards her home as her husband went to their aid.

"What's wrong?" Hank, Luann's husband, asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

"I don't know… he can't seem to catch his breath and is complaining of chest pain." Mandy said holding Nick's hand tightly.

"Let's lay him down, and I need you to call 911." Hank said as they eased Nick onto the ground as hypoxia started to set in. As Mandy began talking with the 911 dispatcher Hank moved Nick's hand and saw a bruise forming around his scar. Mandy hung up the phone and kissed Nick hand and gently stroked his face.

"You are going to be okay, Nick. Help is on its way, okay. Okay, Nick? Talk to me, Nick?" Mandy said grabbing his face to make him look at her. Nick looked at her and nodded subtly as he continued to gasp. "Breathe with me?" Mandy said as she tried to coach Nick through his breathing.

Everything around them zoned out and Mandy's only focus was getting Nick's breathing under control until EMS arrived and keeping him conscious. Nick's only concern was to listen to Mandy and not panic. Nick felt like someone was sitting on his chest almost pushing the air out of his lungs, Nick squeezed Mandy's hand as she provided him comfort.

It had been about two months since the shooting and today was Mandy's first day back to work as a day shift tech. she had called and checked on Nick several times. She was very nervous to leave him because he was still kind of bed ridden and just started gimping around the house and Mandy was worried he was going to fall. She didn't want to treat him like a child but she couldn't help it.

When she got home she quietly sneaked in. The TV was off and it was quiet so she assumed he was asleep. Mandy touched her stomach as she took her shoes off, she was just starting to show, and just out of the 'dangerous' period. She tip toed into their bedroom hoping to cuddle with him a little, but he wasn't there. Just before she started to panic she heard some crumbling coming from his office. She opened up the door and saw him sitting on the floor grimacing as he moved some papers.

"Nick… what are you doing?" Mandy asked greatly confused. Nick looked up at her and smiled embarrassedly.

"I dropped my pen… I can't get up…" Nick said looking around embarrassed. "You want to go for a walk? I'm going stir crazy…"

"How about we get you off the floor, champ?" Mandy said smiling. Nick had the blurry drowsy look on his face from the pain medicine. Mandy gently moved to help Nick up.

"You know, I was thinking we could make this her room." Nick said putting his arm around Mandy as she provided him stability.

"Her?" Mandy teased, Mandy was only three months pregnant and they didn't know the sex of the baby but Nick was positive it was a girl.

"I want to keep my girls close." Nick said kissing Mandy's forehead. Nick slowly made his way to the door holding her hand.

"Are you sure you want to go for a walk?" Mandy asked apprehensive.

"It's just a walk, babe. I'm not running a marathon."Nick said trying to put his shoes on but just settled for slippers. Nick stuck out his hand for Mandy to take, Mandy took it like a giddy school girl. She knew Nick was getting stir crazy from staying in the house for days; she caught him just staring out the window.

This was the slowest walk they had ever been on together. Nick instinctively put on hand on his wound and put the other around Mandy. This was a challenging time in both their lives, especially for Mandy. Mandy was having a child grow inside her and started to have moments where she needed to fan herself. She didn't know if it were the hormones changing or the fact that her and Nick hadn't been intimate since before the shooting, but it seemed that everything he did had her biting her lip.

"I think this is far enough. I'm getting tired." Nick said, Mandy smiled as they turned around. They had gone about two houses down from theirs.

"Okay…" Mandy said having her arms around his waist.

When they got home, she brought him to the bedroom so that he could rest. Nick pulled Mandy onto the bed, and lazily put his arm around her. Mandy had her head on his shoulder and put her hand over his that covered his wound.

"How was your first day, at days?" Nick asked.

"Different…" she replied and then they laid together in peace for a while. However after a while Mandy couldn't help herself as she started to play with the hem of his shirt. Nick peeked his head up and gave Mandy and apprehensive look as she kissed him passionately. "I've missed you…"

"I… I… I don't know… I don't know if I can…" Nick said insecurely.

"We can go... slow." Mandy said reassuring him.

"Where is he?" Mama Stokes asked surprised not to see a worried Mandy.

"He's in with the doctor." Mandy said standing.

"So, what's the word?" Mama Stokes asked, Mandy fought the urge to make a Family Guy reference. Mandy released a relieved sigh.

"Nick's diaphragm is bruised and part of his lung, and a cracked rib that led to a hematoma forming under his rib that was putting pressure on the scar tissue that was on his diaphragm." Mandy said scratching her head. "He's getting it drained now… how's Lily?"

"She's alright… she was still asleep when I left." Mama Stokes said as Nick's nurse waved to them. Mandy went right to Nick's side holding his hand. He looked just about normal, it was mind blowing for her and relieving.

"How are you feeling?" Mandy asked stroking his cheek.

"Better…" Nick said as his doctor reentered.

"Mr. Stokes, I understand you have had a laparotomy?" the doctor said looking at Nick's chart. Nick just nodded. "when the diaphragm heals, especially after a rupture from a penetrating injury, the scar tissue is weaker than the rest of the surrounding tissue and doesn't stretch as well… you are very lucky that your diaphragm did not tear because that would have to a possibly more grim outcome. When you get back home make sure you make a follow up for your pulmonologist, you may need another surgery to reinforce that weak spot, because next time it will tear." The doctor said and the mood in the room kind of got gloomy. "But on the other hand, I can't see a reason why you can't be released within the next few hours as long as you promise to get some rest."

"Yes sir." Nick said, the doctor smiled and shook Nick's hand before leaving. Nick looked at his mother and then at Mandy. "Well, that kind of sucks." Nick chuckled; Mandy smiled and kissed his hand.

Another bump in the road for Nick and Mandy. Can they overcome or wilt away? What do you think? Please Review!