Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

What's Wrong?

AN: happens during season 4; episode 16: "Getting Off."

The grave shift had just started, and Nick Stokes was sitting in the break room with Sara, Catherine, Warrick, and Grissom when his phone rang. "Hello?" Nick mumbled as he attempted to quickly swallow the bite of muffin that was in his mouth.

"Nicky." The sad, hopeless voice on the phone belonged to none other than Nick's sister Donna.

"Donna!.What's wrong?" Nick sat straight up from his chair, and the urgency in his voice had caught his colleagues' attention.

"Nicky, you need to get to the hospital as quick as you can." Donna's voice would not stop shaking as she spoke, she was trying her best not to break down and cry.

"Donna! Who's hurt?!" Nick demanded. He was picturing everyone in his family, and each face he saw in his mind's eye, brought more pain to him; the idea that any of his family could be hurt was killing him.

"Nicky, it's Emma Grace." Even though his sister could not see his reaction, Nick's friends knew that this was not the answer he was expecting and was the worst possible news he could receive, as his face went white and his hand grabbed the table so hard that his knuckles turned white, he looked like he was about to pass out.

"Where- where are you?" Nick managed to ask.

"We're in Vegas Nicky. Emma Grace was back here for work." Nick could tell that Donna was crying now.

"I'm on my way." Nick hung up the phone and jumped out of his seat. Before he could rush for the door, Warrick grabbed his arm.

"Warrick! Let me go!" Nick yelled hysterically while fighting against Warrick's grip.

"Nick, calm down for a minute and tell us what happened." Grissom used a calm voice as he stepped in front of Nick and made the younger man focus on him. The first thing Grissom noticed was the unshed tears in Nick's eyes.

"Nick, what happened?" Grissom over-pronounced each of his words to keep Nick focusing on him.

"Emma- it's- it's Emma," Nick said with pain filling his voice. Then he bit his lip to try and not cry.

"Okay, Nick. What happened to Emma?" Warrick's grip loosened on Nick's arm as Grissom spoke, but Warrick kept his hand on Nick as a way to offer his friend support.

"I don't know Grissom. That was my sister Donna. She told me I needed to get to the hospital because something happened to Emma. Apparently, she's back in Vegas for work. Grissom, I have to go to her." Nick practically was pleading with the older man to let him leave.

"Okay, Nick. But you're not driving yourself." Grissom looked over at Greg. "Greg, I want you to drive Nick to the hospital. As soon as Nick meets with his sister you come back here to the lab to work. Sara, Catherine, I want the two of you to take this case," Grissom handed the file to Sara. "Warrick, you and I are going to go meet Brass. Nick, keep us updated on how Emma is."

When Grissom was finished giving orders, everyone jumped into high gear. Sara, Catherine, and Warrick reassured Nick that Emma Grace was going to be fine as they left the break room. Grissom reminded Nick to stay calm and to call him when there was news about Emma Grace before Greg lead Nick towards the exit and Grissom walked off to catch up with Warrick.

The car ride to the hospital was quiet. Greg knew that Nick needed to process what happened. The car had barely come to a stop in a parking spot when Nick jumped out of the car heading for the hospital entrance like a man on a mission.

The two made it into the lobby when a woman rushed up to them. "Nicky!" was all that was said as the older woman wrapped her arms around Nick in a hug. At that moment the tears that Nick had been holding back fell freely.