One Week Later

Angel of Mercy Hospital - Manhattan, New York

Concern filled Faith's eyes as she entered the emergency room and saw Mary Proctor at the desk talking with Detective Flack, who had just returned from Miami the day before, "Don, where's Emily?" she asked worriedly.

"Faith, she threw up in lockup and policy said I had to bring her here, but she's handcuffed to the bed with a uniform watchin' her," Flack said in a quiet voice. "She's gettin' charged with obstruction of justice and aiding in the attempted homicide of Nick Stokes, just so you know. Derek Stokes is in Riker's, but we can't send her…"

Faith frowned in confusion, "Riker's has a policy against pregnant inmates," Flack said in a somber voice.

"Emily's pregnant?" Faith asked in a shocked, angry voice. "Please don't tell me Derek Stokes is the father."

Flack swallowed hard and looked at the floor and Faith swore, "She's getting examined now," he finally said.

"Ohh, that's a really nice dress, Detective Salas," Holly said as she looked at a picture of a nice dress that Yelina had on her phone as they sat together in the hospital's therapy room, waiting for Sully and Carlos to come out.

Yelina smiled, "We'll be getting married on Halloween," she replied calmly. "It seemed like a good night to do it."

Holly nodded, a smile on her face, "It will be a rather small ceremony, but I do hope you and Carlos and your children can make it," Yelina said in a kind voice. "We consider you friends and I hope you'll all come."

The door to the examination room opened and Holly smiled as Sully wheeled Carlos out while a doctor and two physical therapists followed, "Holly, the doctor thinks I'm ready to try standing and maybe taking a step or two," Carlos spoke in a tired voice, gazing at his wife. "They want me to do a bit on the parallel bars right now."

"That's wonderful, Carlos," Holly replied in a pleased voice. "I told you that you would walk again…"

Carlos smiled as he was wheeled over to a set of parallel bars that were set up on some blue mats. The physical therapists put their arms under Carlos's shoulders and gently lifted him into a standing position near the bars.

Swallowing hard, Carlos grabbed hold of the bars and winced as he fought hard to put his left foot forward and finally managed, gasping as he felt his leg move. Gritting his teeth, Carlos felt his entire body shaking as he worked to move his other leg forward, "There," he grunted as his right leg finally moved. "Crap, I'm exhausted."

"Re-learning to walk isn't easy, you know," Sully replied reassuringly as he moved to Carlos's side. "I think that you're doing very well, considering what you've been through and the fact you almost died on the operating table."

Nodding, Carlos gritted his teeth and held on to the parallel bars so the wheelchair could be brought to him, "Oh, Holly, did the adoption agency get back to you?" he asked in a tired voice. "They called yesterday, but I was tired."

"They'll come by and talk to us tomorrow," Holly replied reassuringly. "They know what you've been through."

Sully looked surprised, "Adoption?" he asked in a surprised voice. "You and Holly were trying…?"

"We've been wanting another kid for a long time and I'm not sure it's going to happen naturally for us, especially now," Carlos explained in a tired voice as he was helped back into the chair. "I'm completely exhausted."

Smiling, Holly got up and went over to Carlos, "You did great," she replied gently, kissing his forehead.

Sully silently wheeled Carlos back to his room while Holly and Yelina followed behind. With Sully's help, Carlos managed to get back into bed and he immediately dropped off to sleep without so much as a whimper.

Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital – Miami, Florida

"Nick's been fighting the vent since about nine a.m., so it means he's ready and strong enough to breathe on his own," Dr. Russell explained in a calm voice as a nurse came into the room with some supplies while Bill and Jillian sat by the bed, fully rested after spending time at a condo they had rented because it was cheaper than a hotel long-term and they had both taken leaves from their jobs because they wanted to be there for Nick all the way.

Even though Nick hadn't regained consciousness yet, his vitals were improving and his breathing was good enough to be off the ventilator. Both Horatio and Grissom had come to the hospital to serve as emotional support and to also see if Nick woke and could remember anything else. They all watched carefully as Dr. Russell disconnected the vent and carefully extracted the tube from Nick's throat, shocked when Nick started coughing and whimpering.

Grissom frowned as he saw tears coursing down Nick's cheeks and his right hand move as if he were trying to reach out, "I think he's trying to wake up," he observed softly, sighing as a nurse suctioned out Nick's mouth…"

"…Stop," Nick whimpered in a faint voice as his eyelids fluttered slowly. "Please…stop…it hurts…"

Judge Stokes gently took Nick's hand and squeezed it, "Pancho, I'm here," he spoke in a gentle voice.

"…Dad…" Nick spoke in a shaky whisper as he opened his eyes and saw the crowd in his room. "Mom…"

Jillian nodded and Nick eyed Grissom and Horatio, "Gris, what…are you doing here?" he asked softly.

"Helping figure out what happened," Grissom replied in a kind voice. "Do you remember Lieutenant Caine?"

Nick nodded and sighed tiredly as a nurse fitted a mask over his face, closing his eyes again as he felt the oxygen relaxing his anxiety, "His memory's slowly coming back in terms of knowing who he is and who people are, which is a very good sign," Horatio observed quietly. "I do not think, however, he remembers any new details."

"Is there someone in your department that Nick could possibly talk to who could help him?" Judge Stokes asked.

Horatio nodded, "I can arrange for the department's psychologist to come visit him when he's stronger, but I think that it would be appropriate for Nick to focus on his physical recovery for now," he said in a calm voice.

Jillian nodded and switched seats with her husband, sighing as she gently stroked Nick's hair, "Lieutenant Caine, can I speak with you outside, please?" Judge Stokes asked as he stood up and walked over to Horatio.

Horatio and Judge Stokes went into the hallway while Grissom remained in the room, "What are the police doing about Derek and whatever accomplices he may have had?" Judge Stokes asked calmly. "Who else was involved?"

"The only name Derek gave the NYPD was that of Ivan Sarnoff," Horatio replied quietly. "Nobody else."

Judge Stokes sighed irritably, "Would you and your wife like to talk to the department psychologist or to some sort of counselor during your time here, Judge?" Horatio asked calmly. "This has obviously caused a great deal of…"

"I think that would be a lovely idea," Judge Stokes replied as Horatio got out his phone to call Emily.

Miami-Dade Crime Lab/Police Department

Utterly exhausted and nauseous, Emily lay on the couch in her office even though it was nearly noon and she was technically on the clock. She had been tired and sensitive to certain food ever since James and Julliet had gone back to school, but she attributed it to the fact that she had so many different things going on in her life.

Emily's phone buzzed on her desk, but she couldn't make herself get up because she was just so worn out by the last week. As she lay there asleep, the door opened and Jesse raised an eyebrow at seeing her asleep.

"Hey, Detective Speedle, rise and shine," Jesse said in a kind voice, frowning when Emily didn't wake. "Emily?"

Alarmed, Jesse hurried out of the office and ran into Alexx, who was coming up from the morgue, "Alexx, Emily's asleep in her office and she won't wake up," he said in a concerned voice. "I think she might have passed out."

Alexx frowned and followed Jesse to Emily's office, "Emily, are you all right?" she asked, gently touching her.

The sounds of slow, faint breathing was the only response Alexx got and Jesse quickly got his cell-phone out, "She was tested for that bacteria crap, right?" he asked as he dialled 9-1-1. "Everyone's tests came back clean."

"Hi, this is CSI Jesse Cardoza at the Miami-Dade Crime Lab," Jesse said as a dispatcher came on the phone. "The department psychologist is passed out on a couch in her office and she's not responding to anything…"

Loud sirens suddenly echoed through the building, "Paramedics must have brought someone to the morgue for me," Alexx mused as paramedics came hurrying down the hallway with a gurney. "Jesse, can you lift her?"

"No," Jesse replied in a quick voice, knowing his left shoulder and the left side of his neck tolerated very little in the way of weight bearing even though he just had scars now. "I'm sorry, Alexx, I can't be of help to you here."

Heartsick that his past injury was now serving as a barrier, Jesse silently left the office and secluded himself in the nearest bathroom. He silently removed his shirt and undershirt and stared in the mirror at the nasty cleaver and stitch scars that covered his left shoulder, his collarbone, his forearm, and his lower neck. There were also smaller knife wound scars on the other parts of his torso and back and a gunshot wound scar on his abdomen because Bernard had tried very, very hard to do him in, "Woah!" a voice suddenly said as a toilet stall door opened.

Jesse turned and saw Dave Benton standing behind him, his eyes wide as he looked at the scars, "Stetler's gonna nail you to the wall for gang fighting off-duty, man," Dave said irritably. "What did you do, fight with the Noches?"

"It's not a peep show," Jesse replied coldly, glaring at Dave as he grabbed his shirt. "Aren't you on probation?"

Dave glared at Jesse and swiftly backhanded him hard enough to send him flying back into the metal paper towel dispenser. Pain rocketed across Jesse's back and he slumped to the floor locked in back spasms that were painful enough that he started losing consciousness and slumping downward towards the cold tile floor.

The door suddenly opened and Eric, who had excused himself from the lab to take his meds, froze at seeing Jesse shirtless and on the floor semi-conscious, "ALEXX!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "ALEXX!"

Footsteps filled the hallway as Alexx came running, "Eric?" she asked in a worried voice. "What's…?"

Alexx's voice trailed off when she saw Jesse on the floor unconscious and shirtless, "Jesse!" she said as she hurried over to where he lay and saw that he was gasping in pain with his eyes slightly open. "Jesse, what happened?"

"Benton freaked out on me and knocked me into the dispenser," Jesse spoke in a pained voice. "I think I re-injured my shoulder and hurt my back. If those paramedics are still here for Emily, could you grab one of em?"

Eric frowned, but moved into the hallway just in time to see department medics rolling Emily down the hallway on a gurney, "Hey, there's an injured guy in the bathroom," he said in an anxious voice. "He hurt his back…"

The elevator door suddenly dinged and Rick, who had come to see if Emily would be willing to come talk to Catherine as part of her therapy, froze at seeing the scene before him, "Delko," he finally said sternly.

"Look, I gotta go find AV Tech Benton after I get a paramedic into the bathroom to look at Cardoza," Eric replied.

Rick frowned, "Cardoza said Benton knocked him into the towel dispenser and he might have hurt his back and re-injured his shoulder," Eric explained in an anxious voice. "I wanna see what possessed him to do that."

"I'll call some uniforms up here and they'll put Benton in holding til Cardoza decides whether or not he wants to press assault charges," Rick replied firmly, eyeing Emily and the paramedics. "Take Detective Speedle to the hospital now and send another unit up here ASAP. Delko, go find Speedle and tell him about his wife."

Eric shook his head, "Speed's day off is today and he's doing parent volunteer stuff at his kids's kindergarten class," he replied in a concerned voice. "You don't think it's a delayed reaction to all that bacterial crap, do you?"

Rick glared at Eric and Eric moved down the hallway while the paramedics left with Emily in tow, "Cardoza!" he said as he opened the door and saw Alexx sitting beside Jesse, who had managed to pull himself into a sitting position. "What do you think you're doing? You could have injured your neck when you hit the paper rack."

"I just need a shot of cortisone," Jesse replied through clenched teeth. "I'm fine, sir; I promise."

Rick scowled, "Stay there til paramedics can clear you!" he said as he moved off to find AV Tech Benton.

Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital – Miami, Florida

Grissom sighed as he entered the Audiology Department after getting a frantic text from Greg that he was there and they needed to talk. Greg was seated in a chair near an exam room looking off in another direction.

"Greg?" Grissom spoke in a low voice, frowning when Greg didn't respond. "Greg, what did you need?"

Wondering if Greg was ignoring him or if something was seriously wrong, Grissom moved over to Greg and sat down in the chair next to him, "I got your text, Greg," Grissom said calmly. "I was already visiting with Nick…"

"When we go back to Vegas, I'm resigning," Greg replied quietly. "Before Ecklie can fire me."

Grissom frowned, "Why do you want to resign?" he asked calmly. "Why would Ecklie fire you?"

"I…I caught some pieces of glass in my ears in the shooting and I just got em out a few days ago because I didn't know they were there," Greg replied in a shaky voice. "Since then, I've been taking it kind of easy at the apartment, but I've been noticing that I can't hear whispers, soft footsteps, low TV volumes, or cell-phone vibrations unless the phone's where I can see it. I've been doing experiments around the apartment…"

A person in a white lab coat suddenly came out of the exam room, "Greg Sanders?" he said calmly.

"I'm Gil Grissom, Greg's boss and friend," Grissom said calmly. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

Greg sighed, got up, and silently went into the office, "How bad is the loss?" he asked shakily.

"It's a mixed loss because of the glass that was in your ears for a month causing trauma to your head," the doctor replied in a quiet voice as he and Grissom came into the office. "It can't be repaired, but it can be treated."

Greg nodded, his eyes misty, "With hearing aids, right?" he asked shakily. "Will they help?"

"With assistance from hearing aids, you should be able to hear most things," the doctor replied calmly.

Grissom nodded, "Fit him for the hearing aids," he said calmly. "Greg, I'm here to support you."

"Who at CSI is going to want to work with a person who can't hear?" Greg asked in an anxious voice.

Grissom gave Greg a look, "Greg, calm down," he replied firmly. "I will work on arranging accommodations so you can keep your job in Vegas."

Coconut Grove

Robert smiled tiredly as Natalia lifted his casted leg on to a pillow on the hideabed couch in the living room where he was resting after being released from the hospital earlier that day with pain pills and antibiotics. His uncle had been working on the Nick Stokes case, so Natalia had offered to get him from the hospital and take him back to his house so he could rest. Since he couldn't yet tolerate being upstairs, Natalia had made up his hideabed for him.

"Thank you, Natalia," Robert replied as he lay on his hideabed with a pillow under his back and a blanket over the loose pants and button-up shirt he was wearing simply because they were easy to put on. "Join me?"

Natalia nodded and sat on the bed next to Robert, gently stroking his face and hair, "I…I thought of you a lot when I was locked up in that van," he said in a tired voice, gazing up at her. "I might be a little high from painkillers right now, but I honestly started thinking that if I got out, I was going to be a man and tell you how I feel about you."

"I already know, Bobby," Natalia replied gently, smiling at him. "I can see it in your eyes and in your face."

Robert opened his mouth to speak and Natalia promptly kissed him gently on the lips before delivering gentle kisses to his pale face, "Get some sleep," she said in a kind voice. "I'll be here til Rick gets off work."

Nodding, Robert closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep while Natalia got off the bed and tucked him in so he'd be comfortable. She knew that they needed to talk about their feelings and their future, but he needed to rest and recover before they could explore things further. Just knowing how he felt about her was enough.

As Natalia moved into the kitchen to make something for Robert to eat and drink when he woke, the phone rang and Natalia quickly answered it, "Natalia, we're temporarily short staffed because Emily got taken to the hospital and Jesse's being taken there now," Eric's voice filled the phone. "I know you took today off to look after…"

"If you can get someone to come sit with Bobby and help him out, I can come in, but I'm not leaving him here by himself, Eric," Natalia replied in a concerned voice. "He just got out of the hospital and can't do much but rest."

There was a silence and Natalia heard Rick quietly tell Eric that Benton was in holding before telling him that he was going home to sit with his brother-in-law, "Stetler says he's coming home to sit with Bobby," Eric said.

"Okay," Natalia replied in an anxious voice. "I'll come to the lab as soon as Rick gets back here. Bye."

Wondering if Emily and Jesse were all right and what happened, Natalia hung up the phone and sighed heavily.

Manhattan, New York

"When's it gonna snow, John?" Ellie asked in a cheerful voice as John led her and David through a portion of Central Park that went between the elementary school and their apartment. "It's really cold."

David sighed, "Hey, John, I gotta stop and use my medicine thingy," he said in a breathless voice.

Frowning, John nodded and walked over to a bench, "Dad said the cold might do that," he said as David sat down, opened his backpack, and pulled out one of his inhalers. "When we get home, you gotta let Mom check you."

Nodding, David silently used his inhaler, "Just sit for a minute, okay?" John asked calmly. "Ellie, sit down."

"John, can I go play?" Ellie asked, pointing to a playground near the bench. "I'll be careful."

John nodded and used the opportunity to quickly get into his own bag and check his sugar, sighing when he found it borderline because it meant he needed to eat something soon. Not wanting to take any chances, John got a granola bar out of his bag and took a bite; it would keep him stable until he could get home and have a meal.

Suddenly, a rough looking young man dressed in black came across the grass and over to John, "You are John Boscorelli, da?" he asked in a cold Russian accent. "I heard you turned Emily Yokas in to da police…"

John frowned and got up, "David, Ellie, we're going," he said in an uneasy voice. "Look, I don't know who…"

The young man grabbed John's wrist roughly, "Emily asked me to teach you lesson," he replied coldly.

David's eyes widened as the rough looking guy pulled out a switchblade and was shortly joined by two bigger guys who had baseball bats, "I do not like violence, but Emily is pretty," the man replied calmly. "Take him."

John, however, had been trained in self-defence because his mother had wanted that and as he started fighting, David dropped his inhaler and ran to get on the equipment. One of the guys broke away and grabbed him.

"Hurry eet up!" the small guy snapped angrily, watching as the bigger guy finally got John under control by throwing him against the plastic climbing wall that was in the gravel pit and rendering him unconscious.

David swore and bit the guy who grabbed him, running over to John as the small guy sliced John's forehead, "Pavel, we gotta go before the cops come!" one of the bigger guys yelled as he grabbed David. "We got one!"

Swearing, Pavel dropped the knife and left the playground with David and the bigger guys in tow, "DAVID!" Ellie screamed as she climbed down and saw John lying face down in the rocks. "John, wake up! John, please wake up!"

Footsteps ran across the grass and Ellie started crying as Jimmy, who had been downtown running errands, came running down the path having heard screaming, "Uncle Jimmy, some bad guys threw John against the climbing wall and took David!" Ellie cried as she hurried over to John. "John won't wake up. It's cold and I'm scared…"

Before Jimmy could react, Ty and Brendan came running because they had been on their patrol walk and had also heard the screams, "Davis to dispatch, Code 10-11, Code 10-34 and Code 10-71," Ty said as he grabbed his radio. "We need a bus at Central Park near the Plaza subway station asap to deal with an incident!"

"10-4, Davis," the voice replied. "Appropriate units are being dispatched to your location. Secure the scene."

Jimmy hurried over to John, "He's breathing, but it's slow," he said quickly checking John's breathing.

Brendan suddenly noticed the backpacks as loud sirens filled the air and he turned just in time to see two paramedics rushing down the path with equipment and a gurney, "Come on, Ellie, let's let the paramedics help your brother, okay?" Jimmy said, picking Ellie up in his arms. "Davis, she said bad guys took David…"

Ty and Brendan exchanged a look, "Dispatch, this is Davis again," he said sharply. "We also need CSI's to process a crime scene! We also need an Amber Alert put out for David Boscorelli, age 10, because he was kidnapped…"

More sirens filled the air and Ty was surprised to see Sergeant Christopher marching towards them with other uniformed police officers, cursing when he saw that Danielle's oldest was on the ground unconscious and that Jimmy was crying to console a crying Ellie, "Bad guys took David and beat up John," Ellie whimpered.

"The Amber Alert's being relayed around the city as we speak," Sergeant Christopher said sternly. "Any details?"

Jimmy sighed, "David's asthmatic and doesn't have his inhalers," he replied in a concerned voice.

"Gusler, radio Bed-Stuy Precinct and get Morris to pull Boscorelli off his beat," Sergeant Christopher ordered.

Gusler nodded and moved a few feet away as he got on his radio. Jimmy watched as the paramedics gently rolled John on to a backboard, revealing a head wound and a bloody nose, "He's diabetic and his blood sugar might have dropped when he got hurt, so that's probably why he's unconscious!" Jimmy called out anxiously.

"There was a small guy who mentioned Aunt Faith's daughter," Ellie spoke quietly. "He had a knife."

Sergeant Christopher's eyes widened in shock and Ty swore, as Emily Yokas was currently being investigated for being involved in the kidnapping and torture of Las Vegas CSI Nick Stokes, "Um, Emily Yokas is at the hospital under examination at Angel of Mercy and she was transported there this morning after puking in lockup," Ty said.

"Doherty, call Danielle at her house," Sergeant Christopher barked, horrified by what had just happened.

Ellie continued crying and Sergeant Christopher sighed, "Davis, Finney, secure the scene," he said in a softer voice. "Doherty, you need to stay here with Ellie so she can talk to the CSI's when they get here. What's Danielle's address? I'll go over there and talk to her myself and then come back here to deal with this."

Blocks away, in the safety of her family apartment, Danielle sat on the couch quietly reading a book because Michael and Emily were asleep and she hadn't been asked to work a casual that day. She had fed her little ones and had put them down for naps before having a shower and simply deciding to relax with a book; one of the books that her old colleagues, Greg and Nick, had given her as part of a Christmas hamper for her family.

A faint cry suddenly sounded out and Danielle quickly set the book aside as she got up and moved into the nursery, "Aw, Mikey, you're too much like Daddy," she said as she scooped up the crying Michael. "You're always wanting to be held."

Michael continued crying and Danielle carried him out of the nursery, "Mikey, do you wanna see pictures of Mommy's old friends before you were born?" she asked as she carried him over to a shelf where she kept the pictures from her time in Las Vegas. "That one is me with my friends, your Uncle Nicky and your Uncle Greg, on Fremont Street because they thought Mommy needed a break from your brothers and sister. Uncle Warrick got to babysit them while we all went and listened to some awesome live music…"

A knock suddenly sounded at the door and Danielle sighed, "Wanna answer the door with Mommy?" she asked in a kind voice, kissing Michael as she went over and opened the door. "Sergeant Christopher, it's been a while."

"Um, can I come in for a moment?" Sergeant Christopher asked quietly. "Doherty gave me your address."

Danielle frowned, but nodded, "I know I haven't been to the center lately for the Al-Anon meeting you run, but I've been busy," she apologized as he came in and sighed heavily. "Jason, quit looking like someone died…"

"Um, there's been an incident in Central Park," Sergeant Christopher said in a quiet voice. "According to your daughter, some bad guys showed up at this playground where she, David, and Ellie were and they beat John into unconsciousness before snatching David and taking off. There's an Amber Alert out and paramedics…"

Danielle froze and she quickly put Michael in his baby swing, "Um, there's something you should know," Sergeant Christopher continued in an anxious voice. "Ellie heard one of the guys saying that Emily Yokas asked them to teach John a lesson for turning her into the police over the Nick Stokes thing. I don't exactly get…"

"Maurice told me that there's proof that Nick Stokes was in Bed-Stuy and you're telling me now that Emily Yokas was not only involved in hurting Nick Stokes, but also responsible for David going missing and John getting the crap beat out of him?" Danielle asked angrily as her eyes filled with tears. "I thought Emily Yokas was in jail?"

Sergeant Christopher sighed, "She was puking in lockup, so she was transported to the hospital under police supervision," he explained as Sully and Yelina came through the floor. "Sullivan, I gotta talk to you outside."

Yelina frowned as Danielle sank to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably at what she had just been told.

Angel of Mercy Hospital - Manhattan, New York

"…Who's the father, exactly?" Faith asked in as calm as voice as she could manage as she sat beside the gurney where Emily was resting after being declared pregnant and given IV's and vitamins. "Please tell me you know."

Emily sighed, "I honestly don't," she replied quietly. "I dropped Nick Stokes's wallet and shoes off…"

"And you refused to identify Derek Stokes and you also witnessed Nick Stokes being beat up and didn't tell anyone," Faith replied sharply. "You've been charged with assault, being an accessory to attempted murder, soliciting, and withholding evidence. On top of all that, you're pregnant and you don't know who the father is…"

There was a heavy silence as Flack suddenly came into the exam room, "Guess what, Miss Yokas, you've just gotten some new charges," he said in a voice that dared Faith to argue. "You know who was just brought in?"

Emily shook her head, "John Boscorelli was just brought in unconscious and bleeding after being thrown against a plastic climbing wall at a playground in Central Park," Flack said in a tight voice. "John's little sister, Ellie, was atop a play structure and heard some Russian guy tell John that you asked him to teach a lesson for turning you in…"

Faith's eyes widened in horror, "Oh, did I mention that the Russian guy and some bigger guys snatched David Boscorelli when he tried to run?" Flack asked coldly, glaring at Emily. "So, that's two people you've been responsible for hurting and you don't seem to give a crap. You'll be in secure custody until your kid is born and then I wouldn't be surprised if you got life in federal prison. If David Boscorelli dies, you're lookin' at murder."

"I just can't even look at you right now," Faith said in a disgusted voice as she got up. "Flack, let's walk."

Flack nodded and they left Emily alone in the exam room with the uniformed officer, "I need to go up to the Rehabilitation Unit anyway and secure protection for Carlos Nieto since NYPD's worried he might be a target cause he was there when Emily and John had their little argument," he said in a worried voice. "Wanna come?"

Faith sighed, but accompanied Flack up to the Rehabilitation floor, "…Your dad actually took steps today on the parallel bars and that's why he's sound asleep now," she heard Holly's voice say gently. "It tired him out."

Flack and Faith came into the doorway to Carlos's hospital room and saw that Carlos was sound asleep in bed and that Tommy was sitting in the windowsill going homework while Holly sat in a chair by the bed with Kylie in her lap.

"Hey, Holly, you'll be getting some police protection in a few minutes," Faith said in a concerned voice.

Holly frowned and Carlos suddenly stirred, frowning as he saw the detectives, "What did I do now?" he asked.

"John Boscorelli was attacked by some Russian thugs in the park who were doing a favor for Emily Yokas and they also snatched David Boscorelli," Flack explained, frowning as Tommy set his books aside and got up. "Kid…"

Quickly realizing that Tommy intended to go find out who hurt his buddy and possibly put himself in harm's way, Carlos snapped his fingers, "Tommy, come sit here with me," he said in a firm voice. "Don't argue with me either."

Tommy sighed, but silently went and sat on the bed with his father, who put an arm around him, "Just sit here with me and chill out," Carlos said in a gentle, but firm voice. "You just turned 16 and don't need to be involved in gangbanging crap even if Emily Yokas thinks it's cool to walk the streets in clothes that are worse than rags."

"Okay," Tommy replied softly, sighing as he felt his father weakly rubbing his back. "I'll stay here."

Carlos nodded and sighed as Tommy began to cry, "A uniform's here and they'll help you with anything you need," Flack said in a calm voice. "Detective Miller and I have to go downstairs and check on how John's doing…"

Tommy curled into a ball on the bed and Carlos simply held him while Kylie buried her face in Holly's chest as Flack and Faith left the room. The walk back down to the ER was a somber one for both Faith and Flack.

"…I swear that if David dies, I will be asking for you to get the chair!" Faith heard Bosco yell. "Heartless brat!"

Faith and Flack came down the hallway just as Bosco stormed away from the doorway that led to Emily's temporary room, "Bosco," Faith said quietly. "I'm sorry this happened. Can I do anything to help?"

Bosco froze and turned to face Faith and Flack, "Danielle's at the apartment with Sully and Yelina and Christopher's over there guarding the place," he replied coldly. "She wants to stay close to Emily and Mikey and I think there's a detective from CSI there with Ellie getting a feel for what happened. She asked me to call this Grissom guy…"

Without really providing an answer, Bosco turned and stalked off back into the ER angrier than ever.

Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital – Miami, Florida

Jesse Cardoza sighed heavily as he slowly dressed and made his way out of the exam room after getting an exam, cortisone shots, and some Vicodin to take home where he would be resting for the next three days. His shoulder was fine, but it and his back hurt along with some ribs that had cracked when Benton had knocked him into the paper towel rack and he had already been ordered by Stetler to not show his face at work for at least three days.

The sight of Emily laying on a gurney in a sealed exam room nearby prompted Jesse to freeze and he watched as Tim and Alexx lingered outside the window, "…I'm frustrated that she's in isolation, but they don't know if it was a delayed reaction to exposure cause she was in contact with that Stokes guy," Tim said in a tired voice. "They took some blood, gave her fluids, and I'm just supposed to stand here. I'm not sorry she helped that guy, but…"

"Jesse," Alexx said as she suddenly turned and saw Jesse standing there holding a bag. "Are you all right?"

Tim turned, "I got cortisone shots for my back and shoulder and I also got some tape for a few cracked ribs," he replied in a tired voice. "I have some Vicodin for pain and Stetler ordered me to take three days off."

"I'm guessing IAB's investigating what Benton did, then," Alexx replied calmly. "You need a lift home?"

Jesse sighed tiredly, "No, I'll just get a cab or the bus," he replied softly. "You guys should stay here."

Too tired to keep up a conversation, Jesse silently went outside and leaned against the bus stop marker for support, as there was no bench and the meds were making him tired. As he stood there trying to keep himself awake, he heard footsteps approach, "Sir, are you all right?" he heard a voice ask. "You look sick."

Jesse turned to see Grissom, who had just helped Greg get some hearing aids and was now driving him back to the Victims Assistance Headquarters condo where he could rest, and Greg, "No, I'm all right," he replied quietly.

Grissom eyed Jesse, "Natalia told me about you," he finally said calmly. "You're Jesse Cardoza, right?"

Jesse nodded and frowned, "Gil Grissom," Grissom said calmly. "I'm the head of Victims Assistance."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Jesse replied, too tired to shake hands. "I got a little banged up over at the CSI lab."

Grissom sighed, "She said you live in an apartment in Calle Ocho," he said. "Do you want a ride home?"

"That…would honestly be great," Jesse replied as he slowly stood up. "I wanted to talk to you anyway."

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