Nick was the second to arrive, but he felt his heart take a dangerous nose-dive-bomb when he noticed Brass standing next to the car, kicking sand.

He practically jumped out of Catherine's SUV. "Is he-?"

Brass looked away and slowly ambled away from the car.

Nick noticed the doors were locked, or the locks were missing. He and Catherine approached, guns drawn. Suddenly, Catherine stowed her's away and started trying the handle.

Nick realized why.

Greg lay there, across the front seats. His face was maroon with blood flakes. His eyes were open, but he seemed distant, almost not there. He was fully dressed, even his shoes were on.

Nick slammed his flat palm against the glass. "GREG!"

There was no response.

Brass grabbed Nick's wrist when he went in for another hit. "I've got ambulance and fire rescue on their way. He's been unresponsive since I arrived."

As if on cue, two paramedics ran up with a firefighter and his Jaws of Life.

Nick backed away. His nose-dive turned into a Kamikaze downward spiral. What if, just what if, they were too late? What if Greg had suffocated in the car? Was there a possibility that Greg wasn't even still around?

The paramedics were pulling his limp body out.

Nick put both of his hands on his head and tried to walk away. But he couldn't, he turned right back around and joined Catherine and Brass as they loomed over the paramedics. There was a lifelessness to Greg's gray eyes.

"He's still got a pulse!" the female paramedic called. "Get the stretcher!"

Nick felt the Kamikaze stop. There was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

The firefighter was helping lift Greg onto the gurney. It was then that they noticed Greg close his eyes and his head roll to one side.

That revealed a nasty bruise across the back of his neck. His broken knuckles turned white for a moment as the dried blood holding his hands in fists flexed. There seemed to be something holding Greg to this life.

It wasn't clear yet.

-Sara and Langston-

"Anything?" Langston asked, holding his file.

Sara nodded. "You got anything?"

"Something strange. Greg has an alarm system. The system was tripped but shut off early the morning he vanished." Langston laid the file on the light table. "Also, Greg's reported a neighbor multiple times for abuse against his daughter."

Sara made a face and then smiled. "Well, that makes sense. Here's what I got." She readjusted the photos on the light table. "The open soda we found on the counter has unknown male DNA all over it. There's no prints in Greg's house, save for the outside handle of the front door as well as the bedroom. Most of the prints are Greg's. But, when I re-did the prints on the laundry stuff, there's the unknown male again."

"You don't think Greg's..."

"We don't know much about Greg's life beyond work." Sara leaned on the table. "Greg's hiding something in his house to keep it finger-print free like this."

-Nick-

He was leaning on the wall when Sara and Langston showed up. Pushing off the wall, he picked up his kit.

The doctor came out of Greg's room. He stopped when he saw the trio. "Hold up, he's not up for questioning right now."

"We're not here for the questions," Nick answered.

The doctor sighed and looked at the closed door. "I'm not sure you want to do that. Mr. Sanders sustained multiple wounds to his torso and face. You may not be able to get much." The doctor held out the bag he'd been holding. "However, we saved his cloths."

Nick thanked him and went into the room and stopped.

Julie was standing beside Greg's bed.

Or, it should be Greg.

Bandages covered most of his face, a tube was pumping oxygen in his mouth. Greg's mouth was all that was visible and it was torn and cut. His arms were resting at his sides, both forearms bandaged with white casts. His right leg was cast as well. His neck was supported by a brace. All the bandages and casts had stains of red.

Nick had to hold his breath. "Julie, go back to your room."

Julie shook her head. She reached out and grabbed Greg's hand. "I want to be here for him." She smiled at Nick, her hand hovering above Greg's hand now. "Did you know he's psychic?"

Nick ignored her and started working on Greg's exposed knuckles. Sara and Langston joined him in getting the last of the things left on Greg's motionless body. They got the nail scrapings, chips from his knuckles, and a bit of the dried blood on his chin.

Nick watched Sara and Langston escort Julie back to her room. When he turned back, his eyes lingered on Greg's lips, the only part exposed for the world to see. His eyes traveled down Greg's neck and slender shoulders to his up-turned left hand. Nick gently put his left hand in Greg's as he felt his throat choke. He brushed his fingertips against Greg's casted palm before he pulled away. "I'll see you later, Greg."

Greg's monitors continued to beep as Nick quietly closed the door.