Chapter Five

"Mr. Grissom," Clara said upon opening her front door. "It's awfully early, what can I do for you?"

"We have another search warrant."

"Oh, please. This is really becoming tedious." Clara couldn't quite keep the exasperation out of her voice. Her innocent facade cracked slightly.

"Nick Stokes is still missing. This is the last place I saw him." No longer worrying about being rude, Grissom and Warrick stepped into the house without waiting to be invited.

"I'll start upstairs," Warrick stated as he headed up the stairs.

"I'm starting in the basement. Brass, could you escort her outside?"

"Certainly." Brass stepped aside and waited for Clara to accompany him to his vehicle.

In the basement, Grissom turned on every light switch he could find. Methodically, he used a cloth to unscrew each light bulb just enough to cause it to go black. He'd reached the bulb hanging in front of Nick's cell when he was joined by Warrick, his flashlight leading the way.

"Two blankets are missing from the closet as well as a basin, face cloth, towel and bar of soap. I haven't found them anywhere in the house," the younger man informed his boss.

"Nick's here. I know it." As he spoke, Gil unscrewed the light bulb. In the ensuing darkness a thin stream of light issued from the edges of the wall. When the lights had been on, it had been impossible to see. Even in the dark it was a line barely a quarter of a millimetre thick. Grissom and Warrick exchanged looks before they began running their hands over the wall in hopes of finding the release.

"You'll never find it." Harry had come over after being unable to concentrate at work. It felt like providence that the CSI's were there when he arrived. Both men jumped.

"We know there's a room beyond this wall." Grissom barely kept control of the urge to throttle the man.

"You're right," Harry agreed. He stepped by the two men to the wall beyond where they'd been searching. "But you still won't get in."

Relief flooded through his mind and body as Harry pressed the release. It was finally over.

Grissom was the first one through the door. What he found angered him almost beyond reason.

Nick lay on the cot, naked and uncovered. His face was a ghostly white and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Blood was clotted and drying on the wounds on his wrists and ankles. Blood was also slowly seeping out around the catheter and collecting on his belly.

"Get the paramedics in here," Grissom ordered Warrick. He pulled the gag out of Nick's mouth.

Anxious about his friend's well being, the younger CSI quickly left the basement.

"I`m sorry," was all Harry could come up with.

Disgusted, Grissom knelt down beside Nick. Gently, he laid his hand on the younger man's closest shoulder. The dark eyes fluttered. A loud grunt escaped from his lips as the pain registered. "Nick?" Gil asked tentatively.

"Gris?" Nick's voice was barely above a whisper. Moans and groans continued to come out with each breath. Shame burned in his belly.

"You're okay, Nick. We found you."

Nodding slightly, Nick gave into the pain and sank back into darkness. He was finally safe.

CSICSI

"How is he?" All the CSI's from third shift were gathered in the hospital waiting room. Katherine had been the last one to get there.

"He'll heal," Grissom responded non-commitedly. He didn't want to go into the extent of Nick's wounds. The young man had all ready expressed enough shame without the entire truth coming out.

"He was there the whole time?" Katherine asked.

"Yeah," Warrick answered. He and his boss had their own dose of shame as far as that was concerned. "Hidden room in the basement. Apparently she dumped Nick down a hole from the main floor."

"Can we see him?" Greg asked.

"He's in recovery and under some pretty strong pain killers. He probably won't be coherent until later today," Grissom told his subordinates. "Go home and get some sleep. We all have to work tonight."

"You're sure he's okay?" Greg asked. He was reluctant to leave until he'd seen Nick for himself.

"Yeah." Silently, the CSI's shuffled out of the room. All except Grissom. He had no intention of leaving the young criminalist now.

CSICSI

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore." Nick flashed a crooked grin from his hospital bed. The nurses had him propped up on his right side. Bed sores had begun to develop on his back. Despite his best efforts, Nick's face turned red.

"I'm really sorry. I completely misjudged the situation," Nick said.

"We both did," Grissom assured him, "She didn't fit any profile and the evidence was hidden." What they had found in the secret room had been enough to connect Clara to all four disappearances and a few others they hadn't known about.

Nick was quiet for a few minutes, his brown eyes trouble as he picked at the hospital blanket.

"What did you tell the others?" The doctors had done wonders in relieving the pain from the damage done with the oversized catheter. But it was still going to take Nick a while to heal completely.

"No more than they needed to know."

"Will I have to testify in open court?" Nick tried to swallow a lump that had developed in his throat, to no avail. He couldn't quite bring himself to look his boss in the eye so he kept playing in the blanket.

"No. Clara's father has confessed to everything. She's been admitted for psychiatric evaluation pending sentencing. No one but myself, the DA and the Nelson's lawyers know the extent of your injuries. The doctor says that you should heal just fine.

"Thanks. Thanks for everything." Tears threatened to flow. Nick closed his eyes against them.

"I'll never leave you like that again," Grissom said quietly. He pulled a chair over, sat down and placed his hand on Nick's shoulder. He remained in that position as Nick's shoulder began to shake with choked sobs. He stayed there until Nick's tears dried and he fell sound asleep.

Finally, Grissom sat back in his chair and prepared to watch over the younger man until he could look after himself once again.

THE END

A/N: Thanks for your support! I thought about making this story longer but this seemed like a good place to end it. I don't want to keep torturing poor Nick after all. Maybe. Well, it did seem like a good place to end it at the time. ;)