A/N: Thank you for the reviews! See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this one, and please review. :)

Chapter 8: "…I'll Live"

His ringing phone annoyed him, so Greg answered it with a groggy, "yeah?"

"Dude," Adam replied, concerned. "Please tell me you're tired because I woke you up."

"M'tired 'cuz you woke me up," Greg slurred sleepily, keeping his eyes closed.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I was sleeping."

"Where are you sleeping?"

Greg furrowed his brow, still with closed eyes. "Huh?"

"Didn't your lab just blow up?"

Greg was too tired to be sarcastic. Or do much thinking or remembering, for that matter. But he did anyway. "Yeah," he told Adam.

Silence. Followed by an even more worried, "how bad are you hurt?"

Greg paused. "…I'll live."

"Wasn't my question," Adam pressed.

"Still my answer," Greg muttered.

"Dude…"

Greg sighed, finally opening his eyes to look around the dismal hospital room. "The epicenter of the explosion was my lab."

"…And?"

"And, I got blown through a glass window. Which would've been a really cool stunt, if it was fake."

Adam sighed, and Greg could just imagine Adam's concern being quasi-relieved by the humor. "How bad are you hurt?" Adam repeated.

"Burned, mostly," Greg answered. "Not a lot of places, I think. I don't know. I know there's a lot of hurt. And being tired right now."

Adam scoffed slightly. "Morphine?"

"Nah, Vicodin. You know that morphine does weird things to me. Then again, so does codeine."

"I'm not surprised. Morphine and codeine break down on the same pathway."

"Pfft. I know that. M'an analyst. Or, at least I was. Until the lab blew up."

"It's not your fault," Adam said.

"Isn't it?" Greg replied. "It's my lab. My responsibility."

"A lot of other people use that lab too, you know."

Greg shrugged. "But still…"

"You think you did it?"

Greg nodded silently.

After a pause, Adam said, "you know, I can't see you when you nod."

Greg furrowed his brow again. "How'd you know I nodded?" he asked.

"Dude, I know you so well."

Greg frowned slightly. "You suck."

Adam snorted softly. "Now I really know you're okay."

"Hmm… yeah…" Greg said tiredly.

"…You'd tell me if you weren't, right?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. As long as I can."

"Okay. Well, I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too."

"I'll let you get some sleep."

"Okay."

"Take care, man."

"You too," Greg muttered. "Nighty night…"

A/N: Episode is Play with Fire (CSI).