Catherine and Warrick walked into the lab having just gotten back from a crime scene, they had with them evidence that needed processing. They headed over to DNA

“Have you seen Greg?” Catherine asked

“No not since we’ve gotten back” he said

“Okay well we’ll come back later” she placed a beaker under the hood “Lets go find Brass”

They headed out to find the detective leaving their evidence for Greg to find.

Greg walked back into the DNA lab

“Hey Greg” Sara smiled

“Sara” he nodded “Need something?”

“Can you run these?”

“Sure thing” he took some samples from her and she left leaving him to work

---

Greg began processing the evidence, placing samples into individual test tubes and placing them in the distilled water, he was in the middle of this process when he paused and looked up looking in front of him slightly puzzled. He sniffed and turned around standing up he walked over to the hood, slowly he reached his hand forward

---

Sara was walking down the hall towards the DNA lab to find out how Greg was doing with the samples, suddenly there was a loud bang and she was thrown to the ground, looking up she saw Greg lying on the floor he tried to lift his head but fell back down

---

Greg put his hand out to the cooker hood, as he did everything seemed to go in slow motion he felt an incredible force pull him in and then throw him backwards, he felt himself flying through the air and meet with something hard, his body being thrown through it until he landed hard on the glass covered floor.

He could feel intense heat, pain shot through his body causing him to contort his face, he could feel the smoke entering his lungs as he tried to lift himself up, he could hear the shouts growing distant until he could hear nothing any more.

---

Grissom arrived at the lab looking at the chaos as people ran out of the burning building coughing and crying, he stood not knowing what to do.

Catherine and Warrick arrived and got out of the car quickly when they saw the fire engines and ambulances parked out front of the building

She headed over to Grissom “What happened?”

“I don’t know” he said looking up when he saw Sara walking out a large cut on her forehead

“Sara” he called “Paramedic” he went to her and waved someone over, they took her and walked her to one side

“Grissom” Nick said running over

“Nick thank god” Warrick said “Is everyone okay?”

“I think so” he said

They turned when they heard the paramedics shouting, “We got one”

They looked on as they came running out “Caucasian male, extensive burns to the body, lacerations, blood loss, unconscious lets move”

They looked at the person lying on the gurney as they were rushed past “Greg” Grissom looked on as they loaded him into the ambulance

Nick stood there mouth agape as he watched them rush Greg away, his body blackened, battered and bloody, he looked at his co-workers briefly before they all headed to their cars

“What hospital?” asked Grissom to one of the paramedics

“Desert Palms” he replied

“Thank you” Grissom ran towards the cars “Desert Palms” he called before they all drove off

---

Greg was out of surgery; the doctors allowed them all to see him. He was lying in the hospital bed bandages could be seen on his neck covering the burns still unaware of their presence due to the morphine.

“One of us should stay” Sara said softly

“Nick?” Grissom asked causing him to look up “You’re not working now so”

“Yeah I’ll stay” he said

“Keep us posted” Grissom said leading the rest of the team away to the hall “Catherine, Warrick I want you to find out what happened, Sara we’ll keep on our case”

They headed out to their cars leaving Nick watching Greg.

Nick looked at Greg as he laid there, his heart aching to see him in that state

“Greg” he sighed speaking softly “I’m sorry, I’m sorry you had to have this happen, if I could make it so you weren’t in any pain I would, it should have been me, not you, you don’t deserve any of this. I hope you’re going to get better quickly, I’m going to miss you while you’re not in the lab, all the conversations, the witty comments, you. I don’t know what it is but I feel something I know I shouldn’t and I guess it takes moments like these to realise that life is too short. I think about you a lot, more than I should I suppose. Just get better okay because I can’t help but hurt seeing you in pain” he looked at his friend again before standing up to go and get some coffee

Greg opened his eyes sleepily and watched as Nick walked out of the door, he questioned his hearing before a wave of pain surged through him like a lightening bolt and he cried out a little.

Nick came back and found a doctor standing over Greg he walked in quickly “Doctor?”

“Ah Mr Stokes” the doctor smiled “We thought you had left” he turned to Greg “I’ve upped your pain medication a little, hopefully that will help, if it doesn’t within the next hour or so call the nurse and tell her”

“Okay thank you” Greg said the doctor nodded and headed out of the room

“Greg?” Nick said looking over “How do you feel?”

“Like I got blown up” he said with a slight smirk

Nick sat down “You had us worried” he sighed

“You worried about me?” Greg looked at him “Nick?”

Nick looked up at him

“What you said”

“You heard that?” Nick asked turning away “Greg i…”

“Did you mean it?” he waited for a response “Nick did you mean it?”

Nick turned around his eyes beginning to tear up “Greg” he walked over to the bed “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s wrong, you don’t have to say anything I’ll go”

Greg placed a hand on Nick’s arm “Don’t” he said “Please I don’t want to be alone right now”

“But what about?”

“What you said?” Nick nodded Greg took a breath “I understand”

“You do?”

“Uh-huh” he nodded “See I have feelings for someone I shouldn’t too” he paused “But now I know they feel the same, maybe they’d be up for getting to know each other?”

Nick looked at him “You mean?”

“Nick I like you okay” he chuckled “I think the morphine’s having some sort of effect on me but seriously I do, didn’t you figure that out at the party?”

“The party?” Nick looked confused “The only thing was… the kiss” he whispered

“I saw an open window” Greg smiled “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have”

“Greg no, that, that was amazing, I mean I never thought that”

“See you’re going to freak out now” Greg said

Nick put his hand on Greg’s arm “Greg”

Greg looked into Nick’s eyes an saw a mixture of fear and want, Greg knew he probably saw the same thing in his own eyes but he knew Nick was worried, slowly he moved his hand to Nicks and interlaced his fingers with his and he smiled “I know and it’s okay”

Nick leant forwards and Greg pulled him into an embrace, Nick gently put his hands on Greg’s arms so as not to cause him any pain. Greg smiled and placed a small kiss on Nick’s cheek

---

Catherine and Warrick had recreated the explosion using a diagram, marking out anything they found that could have caused it.

“That was Nick” Warrick said flipping his phone shut “Greg’s awake”

“Thank god” she sighed, “Okay so what do we have?”

They looked at the diagram

“Well” Warrick said “the explosion looks to have originated from this area” he pointed to where the hood was located

“Whats this green stuff?” Catherine asked

“I don’t know but there’s a lot of it” he looked at the green spots on the diagram

Catherine thought for a second as she looked, her eyes growing wide

“Catherine?” Warrick asked looking at her “Something wrong?”

“It’s my fault” she said quietly “It’s all my fault” she turned and headed out of the room leaving Warrick standing looking at her worried and confused

She headed to Grissom’s office and knocked on the door

“Come in” he called he looked up as he entered “Catherine?”

“I know what happened” she said Grissom looked on as she explained

“Catherine, you almost killed him, you should know not to put unidentified possibly volatile substances in the hood before checking the heat stand is off”

“I know I made a mistake”

Grissom sighed “Catherine you know what I have to do”

“I know” she stood up and walked to the door “Grissom” he looked up “I’m sorry”

---

Catherine walked into the hospital and headed to Greg’s room, she saw him lying there alone

“Greg?” she said from the doorway

“Catherine” he said, “Come on in” he smiled

She walked in and sat down, her face solemn “Greg we know what happened” she said closing her eyes, he looked at her “The heat pad under the hood was left on and one of the chemicals under there became unstable”

“Wait the heat was left on?” he asked “How? I always double check that?”

“I know, but I should have made sure” he looked at her confused “I placed the chemical under there, it was my fault, I should have checked it” she paused “Ecklie is going to talk to you later about the heat being on, I’ve told him it was my fault and they’ve suspended me until the investigation is finished”

Greg turned away from her and looked at the ceiling

Catherine’s eye’s filled with tears “I’ll see you later” she stood up and walked out of the room her tears falling as she walked out of the doors to her car.

Nick walked back into the room with some water for Greg, he saw him lying there, tears building in his eyes and he walked quickly over

“Greg?” he asked his voice filled with concern “What happened? Does it hurt? Are you in pain?”

“It was her” he whispered

“What?” Nick asked

“Catherine, it was her fault”

“Greg” Nick took his arms and held him close placing a small kiss on his head as Greg allowed his tears to fall “It’s okay, you’re okay”

Nick felt his own eyes filling up as he sat holding Greg, stroking his head as he cried.