Title: Hidden Depths

Summary:  Nick turns out to be the victim of a terrible crime, Grissom helps him.

Pairing: Gil/Nick

Rated: R

Warnings: mention of rape and later possible descriptions of said rape may occur.

Archive: anywhere just let me know and at my site www.angelfire.com/weird2/butterflywings

Author notes: Thanks to Em, for if I hadn’t found your stories I would have given up on this fandom.

 

 

“Where in the world is Nick?  I paged him over an hour ago.”

 

Sara stared at her peeved boss, “he probably has a very good reason.”

 

Grissom sighed, “Knowing Nick a very good reason, that doesn’t stop the fact that I need him here or actually there collecting evidence from the victim.”

 

~Nick you so owe me for this.~  “I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”  She glanced around almost expecting him to materialize in the alley with a flippant wave and excuse about the neighbor’s dog or something equally mundane.

 

“Well have him call me on my cell if he does.  Right now have to over to the hospital to do a rape kit.”

 

Sara, while not the best people person, could tell that more was going on then Grissom wanting Nick here to do a rape kit.  Sara placed a comforting hand on Grissom’s arm.  “I’ll have him call you as soon as he gets here.”

 

Rather than moving quickly the twenty minutes to the hospital seemed to take hours.  While Grissom was steamed at Nick he was also worried.  The call for the CSI had come right before shift start and Nick had yet to show up so Grissom had decided to beep him and have him meet at the scene, but he had never shown.  The miles were filled with Grissom swinging from worry to anger and back again.  It was a relief to finally be at the hospital with something to do.  ~Just focus on the evidence.  That’s what’s important now.~

 

A nurse led him to a private room just down the hall.  “I’m glad you’re here the guy in there was getting real worked up earlier.”

 

“What do mean?”

 

“He kept swinging from desperate to be clean and getting out of here to not touching anything and maintaining the evidence.  Once you’ve finished with him he can be released into someone’s care.  Now we just have to find that someone.”

 

“He hasn’t told you?”

 

“No, most of the stuff was gibberish at first, then the doctors gave him something to calm  down and he just fell asleep.”

 

“I see.  Any injuries that I need to be careful of?”

 

“He has some bruised ribs and a little tearing on the anus, but no serious damage was done.  He’s actually damn lucky.  Happen to have a plate on his skull from a previous fracture and the perp or perps hit him in just the right spot to not cause much damage, for him anyway.  Anyone else and they would probably be brain dead right now.”

 

“Could the perp or perps have been aware of this before they hit him?”

 

“Well I suppose depends on if they knew the victim, I thought this was just a random jumping.  We probably won’t know until the victim wakes up.”

 

“Thank you.  I call if I need any help.”

 

Grissom open the door and stepped into the room.  Shock swept over him as he stared at the person on the bed.  He stumbled to find a seat before his legs gave out and whispered one word, “Nicky”.

 

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Grissom sat and stared at Nick, just lost in thought.  The things he had said, the things he had thought, and here Nick had better excuse then any of them had thought.  Who knows how long Grissom would have sat there if Nick hadn’t started to stir.  “Nick, Nick can you hear me?  Nick?”

 

Nick moaned and opened his eyes.  “Grissom?  What’er you doing here?”

 

“Nick do you remember what happened?”

 

“I was meeting a friend.  He was in town for the day and we decided to get dinner together.  I was walking back to my car when I heard something in the alley.  I had my cell phone pulled out,” Nick started to move around, becoming more agitated.  “There were these guys and this woman, it looked like they were attacking her.  I told them to stop and that I was calling the police.  Then something hit me from behind I think.  When I – when I woke up they were on me holding me down, oh God.”  Nick started shivering and shaking.  Grissom slowly reached out, so as not to startle him.

 

“Nick, it’ll be okay.”  Nick fought for a short moment before breaking down in Grissom’s arms completely.  Grissom just held him muttering soothing non-sense and rubbing his back.  Eventually Nick calmed down.  Grissom realized that Nick might not be comfortable with him doing the rape kit, but whoever did it, it had to be done.  “Nick?  You know a rape kit has to be performed right?”  Nick nodded slowly.  “Do you want me to do it or someone else?”

 

“N-no you can do it.  At least you’re familiar.  I know you won’t hurt me.  I guess we kinda have to do it soon.”  Nick seemed to steel himself, breathing deeply a couple of times before saying, “Okay I’m ready.”  Nick was familiar with the procedure as Grissom went over his body checking for fibers, hair anything that might lead them to the perps.  Grissom was amazed at Nick’s fortitude.  He just lay there breathing deeply and exhaling slowly, controlling his body’s response’s to Grissom’s touch.  That was until Grissom got to the actual rape part of the examine.  Nick’s breathing sped up and his whole body tensed.  Grissom just put a comforting hand on his leg and gave a few minutes to breath.  It seemed to help and Nick’s body slowly loosened and Grissom continued with the examine, while inside he was screaming about even having to perform one.

 

“Okay we’re done.”  Nick breathed a sigh of relief.  “Look Nick I have to get these samples back to the lab and talk to Brass,  is there anyone you want me to call?  Your parents maybe?”

 

Nick shook his head.  “You can call them if you want, but you’re just wasting your time.”

 

“What about someone in town?”  Nick shook his head no.

 

“But if I’m in here overnight could someone go by my place and feed  Thoreau and Spears?”

 

“Who?  My dog, his name is Thoreau and Spears, but I usually call him T.S. for short.”

 

“I didn’t know you had a dog.”

 

Nick looked up a Grissom, an unreadable expression on his face.  “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

 

“Well anyway I’ll be back later to check on you okay?”

 

Nick just nodded.  As Grissom was reaching for the door Nick spoke up, practically shouting, “wait!  I, uh, could you stay” Nick’s eyes were down cast, ashamed for showing weakness, “just for a little while until I fall asleep?”

 

Grissom’s heart softened looking at the forlorn young man on the bed, “of course I can.”  And they sat in companionable silence until Nick drifted off to sleep.

 

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While Nick was sleeping Grissom made preparations.  Taking Nick’s clothes for analysis and his keys to retrieve his car, Grissom headed to the lab to drop the stuff off and tell Brass who their vic was.  Grissom went over to Nick’s place and checked on T.S., grabbed some spare clothes and locked the place up.  When Grissom returned to the hospital he filled out Nick’s paperwork based off his personal file and then checked Nick out.  Approaching Nick’s room nervousness began to build in him.  He hadn’t felt this nervous in years.  Grissom poked his head in and found that Nick was awake and watching tv.  “Nick hey, I came to spring you.”  Grissom held up the bag containing Nick’s clothes.

 

“Oh thank you God!  I thought I’d never get out of here.”  Nick hurried to put on the clothes, but moved a bit more slowly when he reached a little too far and jarred his ribs.  Grissom leaned over and helped him get dressed, painfully aware of the bruises on Nick’s body.  “Grissom you’ve really been great about this, thanks.”

 

“Nick I just wish that I could do more.”

 

“You’ve done more then enough, hell sitting there waiting for me to wake up is more ‘en most would do.”  Grissom’s heart broke a little at this.

 

“No Nick this is the least I could do.  I hope you don’t mind the fact that I got your keys and grabbed you some clothes.  I also checked on T.S. and he’s fine, he plenty of water and food.”

 

“Thank you.”  Nick looked at his feet, he didn’t want Grissom to see him crying.

 

“Nick?  Nick, what is it?”  Grissom was worried, Nick had been doing so well.

 

“It’s nothing, or well something, it’s just I can’t figure out why you’re doing all this for me.”

 

Grissom blinked in surprise, “Nick I’m doing it because you’re my friend and you need help.  Okay?”

 

Nick nodded blinking, “okay.”

 

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The ride was filled with silence and Nick quickly fell asleep with the rhythm of the car.  Grissom gently shook Nick and Nick jumped back startled, pressed against the door his eyes wide with fear.  “Nick, it’s okay, we’re here.  It’s okay it’s just me.”  Nick slowly relaxed and looked around, startled.

 

“This is work.”  He blinked in surprise.  “Grissom I don’t think I should process evidence, I’m not even allowed to drive on this medication.”

 

“You’re not here to process evidence, I am.  I didn’t want you to be alone,” Nick glanced away.  “It’s not because I think less of you, it’s because I don’t think I would want to be alone after an attack like that either.  I figured you could crash on the couch in the break room until the end of my shift okay?”

 

Nick nodded slowly processing Grissom’s words, “Yeah, that would be good, thanks.”

 

When they got to the break room it was empty.  Nick carefully lay on the couch, “ribs hurting you?”

 

Nick nodded, “not to mention my head.”  Grissom handed him a glass of water and two pills.  Nick lifted an eyebrow in question.

 

“Pain pill and an antiboditic.”  Nick nodded and swallowed.  Grissom stayed with Nick until he feel asleep which wasn’t long considering the pain medication.  Grissom was leaving the break room when he ran into Sara entering.  He pulled Sara out into the hall, “be quite when you go in okay?  Nick’s asleep on the couch.”

 

“Wow his excuse must’ve been good if you’re letting him sleep on his shift.”

 

Surprise colored Grissom’s voice, “you mean Brass didn’t tell you?”

 

“Tell me what?”  Sara looked at Grissom more closely, “what should Brass have told me?”

 

Grissom’s eyes darted to the lounge, “Nick was the victim.”

 

“WHA-“ Grissom clapped a hand over her mouth hoping she hadn’t already woken Nick.  He brought his hand slowly down.  Sara had gotten the point and kept her voice suitably lowered.  “What do you mean Nick is the victim?”

 

Grissom sighed looking world-weary, “Just that, he didn’t show up from the page because he was in the hospital.”

 

“God.  Is he okay?”

 

“Physically?  Maybe, depends on if the perps had any sexually transmitted diseases.  Mentally, he’s doing better then I would have been.  I don’t know how he does it.”

 

“Okay,” Sara could see that Grissom was really disturbed about this, “we’ll find who did this Grissom, and we’ll make sure that they never hurt Nick again.  In the mean time, you might want to put up a sign on the door letting people know before they enter.  I’m gonna go back and finish processing his clothes, nothing unusual so far, just regular fiber and hair.”

 

“Yeah we have to keep processing.  You guys have done really good while I wasn’t here.”

 

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Several hours later found them with a DNA match from a local gang member.  They brought him in for questioning where he sang like and bird, placing several other gang members at the scene.  They had all been arrested and blood samples taken.  None of them had an STD and two were DNA matches from the samples taken.  They were all going to prison for a very long time and never had Grissom been so happy to see the end of case wrapped up so quickly.

 

He was plodding back to the break room to tell Nick the news and take him home.  It was past time for them to leave.  When he got there Catherine was reading the sign he had put up per Sara, “Hey Griss, what’s up with the sign?”

 

“Seems pretty self-explanatory to me, Nick’s asleep in the lounge.”

 

“And, you’re going to let that go?”

 

Grissom stared at Catherine in shock, “He was raped, so yeah I don’t expect him to work.”

 

“That was years ago, don’t you think he would want us to treat him normal?”

 

“Years ago?  What are you talking about?”

 

Catherine’s eyes widened, “what are you talking about?”

 

“You first.”

 

“Nick, he told me that he was molested by a last minute baby-sitter when he was nine.  Now what are you talking about?”

 

“Nick he was the vic that Warrick, Sara, and I have been processing.”

 

“The gang rape?  That was Nick?  Oh my God!  How is he?”

 

“Surprisingly good, actually.  He’s been taking everything in stride.  He’s a lot stronger then I am.”

 

They walked into the lounge together, where Nick was pulling on his shoes.  “Hey I heard ya’ll out there and figured it was about time to go.  Catherine.”  He nodded to Catherine as the walked out the door with Grissom on his heels.  If Catherine hadn’t known any better it was just a usual day for Nick.