Title: What Friends Are For
Genre: Friendship, angst, drama, possible action
Show: CSI Vegas
Timeline: Post "For Gedda" - possible spoilers
Rating: PG-13/TV-14
Nick stood up from the table and his phone rang. He picked it up off the table and answered it, pulling out his car keys at the same time. "Stokes." He answered.
"Hey, Nick." The familiar voice said.
"Oh, hey, Greg. You at the airport yet?"
"Not yet. I couldn't remember if I gave you my key or not. I wanted to call and check before I got too far. Wouldn't want poor Draven to go hungry because I was too distracted to remember to give you the key to my place."
"No worries, Greggo. You gave me the key." He said as he walked outside, toward the alley.
"Oh, good. Thanks again for agreeing to take care of my dog while I'm gone. I really appreciate it."
"It's not a problem, Greg. Hey, I thought Warrick left."
"What?"
"His car is still here." He started walking toward Warrick's car. That's when Greg heard the most terrifying sound. He heard his friend scream. "Noooooo!" Nick screamed.
"Nicky?" Greg asked, worried. "What's wrong?" He heard the phone clack against the pavement. "Nicky!"
Nick had dropped the phone and had pulled Rick out of the car. "Rick, no!" Nick cried out, cradling his best friend in his arms. "Warrick was trying to talk, but nothing came out except for blood. "Warrick, please don't die!" Warrick's eyes closed and his movements stilled. Nick checked his pulse and didn't find one. Nick tried CPR, but to no avail. He had no idea how long Warrick had actually been bleeding, but Nick noticed the two bullet holes in his friend. "Noooo!" Nick cried again, cradling Warrick closer to his chest.
"Oh My God!" Greg said. He could tell by the sound of Nick's voice that he was going into shock and would be in no shape to call anyone. Greg disconnected the call and dialed another number.
"Grissom." His supervisor answered.
"Griss, it's Greg."
"Aren't you supposed to be at the airport?"
"I was, but I'm coming back. Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I was talking to Nick on the phone as he was leaving the diner. He saw that Warrick's car was still in the alley. He went toward it and then I heard him scream out Warrick's name and he dropped the phone. He was begging Warrick not to die." Greg was freaking out. "I'm on my way back there... to the diner now. Nick is going to... if something's happened to Warrick, Nick's going to need all of us to lean on for support. It sounded like Nick was going into shock."
"Calm down, Greg. I'll call Brass and Cath and let them know what's going on."
"Griss, if you get there before I do, please tell Nicky that I'm on my way."
"I will, Greg. See you soon." They both hung up their phones.
~ ~ ~
Catherine, Grissom and Brass did make it to the diner before Greg. They couldn't get Nick to let go of Warrick. Even Dave and Doc Robbins tried to persuade Nick to turn Warrick over to them, but he still wouldn't let go.
Greg arrived and Brass greeted him. "Hey, Greg." He sighed heavily. "Rick's gone." He said sadly. "Nicky's not taking it well at all. He won't release Rick to Doc Robbins."
Greg nodded and walked over to where Nick was. Seeing all of the blood, knowing it was Warrick's nearly made him sick at his stomach. He forced it away. He had to be strong for Nick now. He knelt next to his friends. "Nicky, you have to let Warrick go with Dave and Doc Robbins now, okay? They'll take good care of him." Greg put his hand on Nick's shoulder.
Nick gently leaned Rick's body against the asphalt. He collapsed in tears and Greg wrapped his arms around him.
"Greg, maybe you should take Nick home." Brass suggested. "You seem to be the only one who can get through to him right now. You should probably stay with him too. He shouldn't be alone."
Greg nodded. "I was planning to anyway. Nick, lets get you out of here, okay?" Nick allowed Greg to help him up and lead him to his car. He helped Nick into the car and buckled his seat belt. Nick was still in shock. Greg drove to Nick's place, helped him out of the car, unlocked the door and guided Nick inside. He put on a pair of gloves to bag Nick's blood soaked shirt for evidence. He helped Nick clean up and got a t-shirt and pair of sweat pants for Nick to change into. He changed his own clothes (using spare clothes from an overnight bag he always kept in his trunk) as well. He helped a still disoriented Nick into the bed and he went to lay down on the couch himself.
Later that night, Greg heard a scream coming from Nick's bedroom. He jumped up and ran to the bedroom. He flipped on the light and quietly went to Nick's side, so as not to startle him. He tried to wake him gently. "Nicky, wake up." He said, shaking him lightly.
Nick suddenly opened his eyes. He saw Greg and relief washed over his features. "Greg?"
"Yeah."
"You're okay!"
"What?"
"You're not... you're not hurt?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Thank God!" Nick said, a tear falling down his cheek as he pulled Greg into a hug. "Don't leave me, Greg!"
"What?"
"I've already lost one best friend. I couldn't stand to lose another. Please, Greg!"
"Oh, Nicky." Greg said, realizing what Nick's nightmare must have been about. Greg hugged him tighter. "I'm here, Nick. I'm not going anywhere." Greg said as Nick clung to him like a frightened child. "I'm right here."
~ ~ ~
"How can this be happening, Gil?" Cath asked in tears.
"I don't know." Gil replied, holding Catherine as she broke down.
Genre: Friendship, angst, drama, possible action
Show: CSI Vegas
Timeline: Post "For Gedda" - possible spoilers
Rating: PG-13/TV-14
Chapter One
Nick stood up from the table and his phone rang. He picked it up off the table and answered it, pulling out his car keys at the same time. "Stokes." He answered.
"Hey, Nick." The familiar voice said.
"Oh, hey, Greg. You at the airport yet?"
"Not yet. I couldn't remember if I gave you my key or not. I wanted to call and check before I got too far. Wouldn't want poor Draven to go hungry because I was too distracted to remember to give you the key to my place."
"No worries, Greggo. You gave me the key." He said as he walked outside, toward the alley.
"Oh, good. Thanks again for agreeing to take care of my dog while I'm gone. I really appreciate it."
"It's not a problem, Greg. Hey, I thought Warrick left."
"What?"
"His car is still here." He started walking toward Warrick's car. That's when Greg heard the most terrifying sound. He heard his friend scream. "Noooooo!" Nick screamed.
"Nicky?" Greg asked, worried. "What's wrong?" He heard the phone clack against the pavement. "Nicky!"
Nick had dropped the phone and had pulled Rick out of the car. "Rick, no!" Nick cried out, cradling his best friend in his arms. "Warrick was trying to talk, but nothing came out except for blood. "Warrick, please don't die!" Warrick's eyes closed and his movements stilled. Nick checked his pulse and didn't find one. Nick tried CPR, but to no avail. He had no idea how long Warrick had actually been bleeding, but Nick noticed the two bullet holes in his friend. "Noooo!" Nick cried again, cradling Warrick closer to his chest.
"Oh My God!" Greg said. He could tell by the sound of Nick's voice that he was going into shock and would be in no shape to call anyone. Greg disconnected the call and dialed another number.
"Grissom." His supervisor answered.
"Griss, it's Greg."
"Aren't you supposed to be at the airport?"
"I was, but I'm coming back. Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I was talking to Nick on the phone as he was leaving the diner. He saw that Warrick's car was still in the alley. He went toward it and then I heard him scream out Warrick's name and he dropped the phone. He was begging Warrick not to die." Greg was freaking out. "I'm on my way back there... to the diner now. Nick is going to... if something's happened to Warrick, Nick's going to need all of us to lean on for support. It sounded like Nick was going into shock."
"Calm down, Greg. I'll call Brass and Cath and let them know what's going on."
"Griss, if you get there before I do, please tell Nicky that I'm on my way."
"I will, Greg. See you soon." They both hung up their phones.
~ ~ ~
Catherine, Grissom and Brass did make it to the diner before Greg. They couldn't get Nick to let go of Warrick. Even Dave and Doc Robbins tried to persuade Nick to turn Warrick over to them, but he still wouldn't let go.
Greg arrived and Brass greeted him. "Hey, Greg." He sighed heavily. "Rick's gone." He said sadly. "Nicky's not taking it well at all. He won't release Rick to Doc Robbins."
Greg nodded and walked over to where Nick was. Seeing all of the blood, knowing it was Warrick's nearly made him sick at his stomach. He forced it away. He had to be strong for Nick now. He knelt next to his friends. "Nicky, you have to let Warrick go with Dave and Doc Robbins now, okay? They'll take good care of him." Greg put his hand on Nick's shoulder.
Nick gently leaned Rick's body against the asphalt. He collapsed in tears and Greg wrapped his arms around him.
"Greg, maybe you should take Nick home." Brass suggested. "You seem to be the only one who can get through to him right now. You should probably stay with him too. He shouldn't be alone."
Greg nodded. "I was planning to anyway. Nick, lets get you out of here, okay?" Nick allowed Greg to help him up and lead him to his car. He helped Nick into the car and buckled his seat belt. Nick was still in shock. Greg drove to Nick's place, helped him out of the car, unlocked the door and guided Nick inside. He put on a pair of gloves to bag Nick's blood soaked shirt for evidence. He helped Nick clean up and got a t-shirt and pair of sweat pants for Nick to change into. He changed his own clothes (using spare clothes from an overnight bag he always kept in his trunk) as well. He helped a still disoriented Nick into the bed and he went to lay down on the couch himself.
Later that night, Greg heard a scream coming from Nick's bedroom. He jumped up and ran to the bedroom. He flipped on the light and quietly went to Nick's side, so as not to startle him. He tried to wake him gently. "Nicky, wake up." He said, shaking him lightly.
Nick suddenly opened his eyes. He saw Greg and relief washed over his features. "Greg?"
"Yeah."
"You're okay!"
"What?"
"You're not... you're not hurt?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Thank God!" Nick said, a tear falling down his cheek as he pulled Greg into a hug. "Don't leave me, Greg!"
"What?"
"I've already lost one best friend. I couldn't stand to lose another. Please, Greg!"
"Oh, Nicky." Greg said, realizing what Nick's nightmare must have been about. Greg hugged him tighter. "I'm here, Nick. I'm not going anywhere." Greg said as Nick clung to him like a frightened child. "I'm right here."
~ ~ ~
"How can this be happening, Gil?" Cath asked in tears.
"I don't know." Gil replied, holding Catherine as she broke down.
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