I promise never to publish a story before it's finished again! Please accept my apologies for any unanswered questions and a rather hasty ending. I just wanted it finished to wrap it up instead of leaving it open. Every time someone reviewed it reminded me that it was unfinished and you must all have been annoyed waiting for closure! Sorry again and here you go...

Chapter 7

Warrick and Sara sped through traffic, keeping close to the two white vans containing their friends.

"Did you see those bruises?" asked Sara. Warrick pretended to be concentrating too hard to answer.

"What on earth happened in there to cause all that!" Warrick still ignored her as he changed lanes. He didn't want to go into the whole story right now.

"Unless maybe they weren't from today, it looked like he'd been in a hell of a fight!"

Warrick checked the mirror and said nothing.

Inside the first van Nick and Grissom sat alone in their cage. Both feeling immensely grateful to be out of that disease ridden house. But the day wasn't over yet, Greg was still very sick and they were still at the mercy of the CDC until they were freed.

Nick couldn't get the image of Greg on the floor of the bathroom, surrounded by men in big white biohazard suits out of his head. The pair sat in silence wishing the whole thing could just be over.

Inside the other van was anything but silent. Medics were shouting to each other, passing equipment around and all trying to examine Greg at once. Thankfully he was oblivious, safe in the depths of his mind somewhere, hiding in the blackness.

Nick and Grissom felt their cage pull up to a stop and heard the footsteps of the men coming to get them. The doors flung open and a man in a mask said "come this way please."

They were rushed through a corridor and ushered into a sterile room.

"How long will we be in here for?" Grissom asked.

"Not that long, you'd have got sick already if you were going to."

"How's Greg?" Asked Nick eagerly.

"He's stable, that's all I know." And with that the masked man locked them in.

"Stable" said Nick "that's something at least."

"Yes, its something" replied Grissom.

Sara, Warrick and Catherine all arrived at the CDC at the same time. Rushing up to the desk Catherine blurted "where are the men they just brought in?"

The receptionist coldly replied "Fourth floor for the two cautionary quarantines, sixth floor for medical examinations."

"If you two go check on Greg I'll speak to the others" suggested Catherine.

"I don't think Greg would be too pleased to have me around, I'll go see Grissom and Nick." Said Warrick.

"Why wouldn't Greg want to see you?" asked Sara.

"Well everyone else has heard by now."

"Heard what?" asked Sara.

Warrick sighed. He really didn't want to go into it while the situation was still so dire but the two ladies weren't going to let him go so easily. "I just had an argument with Greg the other day at work" he said.

"I'm sure he'd still want to see you" offered Catherine.

"Well, it was more like a fight than an argument" Warrick saw the concern on the women's faces. "I hit him."

Sara was exasperated. "Ok you and Catherine can figure out whatever you have going on with Greg while I go and actually try to help the guy!" She said, storming off to the elevators.

"What the hell are you doing punching Greg? What on earth could he have done, you've got about fifty pounds on him."

"Look, there's a whole lot you don't know about it and I'm not going to go into it now. Let's just make sure he's ok right now." Warrick blared at her. The pair of them headed off to the fourth floor.

Sara arrived at the sixth floor and ran down the hall towards the frantic sounds. She peered through the thick glass door but only saw people in white suits passing medical equipment around. Tubes and machines were everywhere, a blood infusion was hanging up as well as a drip.

As one man stepped aside and Sara saw Greg lying in the middle of the throng on a hard table. He looked so small. He was covered from the waist down in a thin sheet but his chest was bare. He was already hooked up to countless machines and they were taking what seemed like pints of blood from his arm.

Sara just stood there and watched. A tear running down her cheek.

As Warrick and Catherine arrived at Grissom and Nick's room as a man was leaving with two vials of blood.

"When can they come out?" Asked Catherine.

"We've just got a quick test on these" he said, holding up the vials "but it should be about half an hour"

Catherine turned to the glass door. Grissom and Nick jumped up when they saw her.

"Have you seen Greg?" Nick asked through the glass.

"Sara's with him now"

"Have they said anything about him?"

"No, but hopefully we can talk to someone soon." Replied Sara

Just then Nick saw Warrick standing behind Sara. His face flushed red and he banged his fist against the glass.

"What the hell are you doing here? You've done enough!"

"I'm here for Greg ok? Anything else we can sort out later."

"You're not going to get out of it that easily, you knew what happened to him but you still went mouthing off and kicked him to the floor!"

"I didn't know anything I swear, I only found out afterwards"

"That's bullshit, you knew he was raped but you went shooting your mouth off and when he got upset you dealt with it the only way you knew how."

"I'm telling you I didn't know a thing!"

Catherine stepped in front of Warrick and said in a low, stern voice "I think you should wait in the lobby until Nick's calmed down and we know Greg's ok don't you?" Realizing he was more of a hindrance Warrick turned back to the lobby without a word.

They would all have to play another waiting game.

It only took about twenty minutes for the all clear to come back for Nick and Grissom. They went straight up to Greg's room where Sara was still waiting.

Sara flung her arms around both of them. "I'm so glad you're ok" She murmured.

"What's happening to Greg?" Nick asked, trying to peer through the window.

"It was quite frantic for a while but they seem to have calmed down for now" Sara said, sitting back down on the hard plastic bench. Nick and Grissom joined her and they stayed there for what seemed like days. Just staring at the closed door, wondering what was happening inside.

After each of their minds had clouded over and silence surrounded them they still waited. Warrick and Catherine in the lobby, Nick, Grissom and Sarah keeping vigil outside Greg's room.

Slow footsteps were heard echoing at the end of the corridor, a doctor approaching with no great urgency. The CSIs stood up to hear what he had to say.

He shook each of their hands. "My name is Dr Taylor, I've been working on your friend Mr Sanders." Nobody responded, skipping the small talk for the more important details. "Firstly, I'd like to reassure you that Greg is in a stable condition and being well looked after. He's been through a lot but has shown great strength. We've isolated the virus that started it all and have begun treatment. He's not contagious so you can go sit with him if you'd like. Just one of you though, we don't want to crowd him."

Nick stepped forwards "I'll go" he said. The others made no objections.

"Very well, come with me then." Dr Taylor led Nick into Greg's room.

Grissom turned down the corridor. "I'll tell the others"

As Nick entered the room he heard the doctor speaking behind him. Something reassuring but the actual words were a blur. He was just staring at Greg in front of him. He was so pale, dark bruises standing out against his skin like red roses on a white tablecloth. There were wires and tubes everywhere, piercing his skin. The room was covered in discarded medical instruments, swabs, medical gloves. Carnage. But Greg looked strangely peaceful against it all.

Nick stepped forwards and stood over Greg, looking down at his face, no longer twisted in pain, no longer gasping for air. Calm now.

He took his hand and leaned over to whisper. "Hey Greggo, how you doing?" Behind him, the sounds of someone beginning to clean up. "You had us scared there man. Its ok now, you're going to be fine" He pulled up a small stool and just sat there holding Greg's hand, oblivious to the clean up operation behind him.

Greg was aware of the brightness before he opened his eyes. He screwed his eyes shut tight to keep out the light but it was no good. There were quiet noises around him. Muffled voices but he couldn't make out the words. As he got used to the light he slowly opened his eyes. It was almost blinding as he tried to make out where he was. He was on his back in a bed somewhere. Somewhere very clean and white. There were shapes of people nearby but they were blurry. As his head cleared the voices too became more clear.

"Gr.. Gris.." The blurry shapes jumped up and stood over him.

"Yes Greg, it's me. Don't try to speak, just relax"

"wh… where.." Greg tried to ask

"You're in the hospital Greg. You were very sick and were taken to the CDC before being transferred to the hospital."

Greg was suddenly aware of someone touching his arm. He turned his head and saw Nick was sitting next to him, with the biggest grin on his face. "Hey man, good to see you!" He was bursting with pride that Greg had pulled through it all and was going to be ok. But behind the smile was the knowledge that there would be a long road ahead. Starting as soon as Greg remembered everything that had happened to him.

As Greg slowly regained his strength he was never short of visitors, flowers, chocolates and his CD collection. It took a few weeks for the bruises to fade and for Warrick to visit. Filled with guilt and shame as he stepped into the room. On the surface things were patched up. No hard feelings and a strong handshake. But when Nick talked to Greg he became a lot more vulnerable. His true feelings came to the surface. It would be a long road.