Title: Crushed
Author: Daniela
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Greg/Grissom
Rating: PG13
Category: Angst, Romance
Series/Sequel: Breaking the Ice
Disclaimers: CSI and its characters belong to Anthony Zuiker and CBS broadcasting company. The author makes no profit and no infringement is intended.
Summary: Grissom pays Greg a visit at the hospital.
Warnings: Spoilers from "Play With Fire" and 2. Season, Pre - Slash
Feedback: Yes, please. I will appreciate all constructive criticism.
Email: daniforblue@yahoo.de
Released: July 2003

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Grissom was very tired, but he didn´t feel ready to drive home yet. He didn´t want to be alone. Instead he drove to the hospital. At the desk of the trauma department he asked about Greg´s condition.

The nurse in charge allowed him to visit Greg for five minutes.

Even when he realized Greg was asleep, Grissom sat down on the chair by the bedside.

Greg was breathing deeply in his sleep, looking young and innocent.

Grissom sighed. Why did I come here anyway? To check Greg´s condition personally? Or to watch him sleep? More than ever, Greg was looking like a schoolboy.

His hair is more out of place than usual, Grissom thought amused. It would be much more reasonable to leave, but he was too tired to get up. The last days had been exhausting. The explosion at the lab and Catherine´s involvement, the handling of the messed up cases, director Robert Cavallo´s attitude and finally Sara. Sara´s coming on to him.

Shit! What a mess, indeed! He didn´t know, what to do about her. Maybe he should tell her the truth? Sorry, but I´m not interested in you. Why, Grissom? Because I´m more interested in men. Sure. That would be fun. He could almost see Sara´s shocked face.

Greg shifted and moaned in his sleep.

Speaking of men, seeing his boyish lab tech like this made him sad and unhappy. Plus, he felt very uncomfortable about his feelings. He didn´t like them. Not a bit. Shortly after the explosion, he had feared Greg could be dead. He was worried sick, until it had been clear, Greg´s life wasn´t in danger. Grissom didn´t want to feel. Not now. After all these years of loneliness. And now, feelings for Greg? Please God, can´t it be someone more suitable?

Suddenly Greg´s eyelids fluttered and he opened them. He looked confused, didn´t seem to recognize him.

"Hi. It´s me. Grissom."

Greg blinked amazed. "Grissom! What are you doing here?"

"Just checking on you. I´m leaving now."

"No. Please stay." Greg´s brown eyes were begging.

"Okay, but just a little bit longer. You need to rest."

Silence. Both didn´t know what to say. They felt awkward.

"I´m sorry," Greg started finally.

"Huh? What for?"

"For all the trouble."

Greg´s strange statement amused Grissom a lot. "Don´t be silly. You know, it hasn´t been your fault at all."

"Yeah. Catherine told me."

"She was worried sick about you. The whole team was worried."

"Have you been worried too?" The second the question was out of his mouth, Greg regretted it. What was I thinking? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. How could I expose myself like this?

But Grissom surprised him with unusual humor. "Certainly. My best chemist is injured and now I have to deal with Hodges."

Greg grinned pleased, his eyes were shining brightly. Grissom smiled back, with so much affection, Greg´s heart started beating a lot faster. It pounded almost painfully in his chest. Jeez! Don´t be so sentimental. He is your boss! Get him out of your system. He will be never interested in you. He is just nice to you, because you´re in a hospital.

For some time they were quiet again, both were trying to relax. Greg was chewing on his lower lip; Grissom was staring at his hands. Maybe it was the strange circumstances or the pain killers or Grissom´s mild mood, which gave Greg the courage, for what he did next. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure. Go on." Grissom had to be in a really special mood.

"Are you losing your hearing?"

Grissom winced slightly and stared at him.

After a while Greg become very intimidated by his glare and lowered his eyes embarrassed. "Sorry. Please forget it. I shouldn´t have asked you something like this. It´s none of my business, anyway."

Grissom took a deep breath. "No, it´s alright. I will tell you. It´s true. I´m losing my hearing."

"Why?"

"It´s the same disease my mother has. It´s genetic."

"That´s awful. I´m so sorry."

"Thank you. Please promise me you won´t tell anyone else. Nobody knows...at least, that´s what I thought. How did you figure it out anyway?"

"I´m a good observer." Another stupid mistake.

Suddenly, Grissom was wide awake. "So, you have enough spare time to observe your boss? That´s interesting."

Greg blushed fiercely and Grissom had an astonishing epiphany. Maybe Greg wasn´t fallen for Nick. Maybe he had been blind the whole time.

For the purpose of avoiding more embarrassment, Greg pulled up his blanket and yawned.

Grissom smiled about Greg´s childish trick to change the subject, but he didn´t want to bother him about it. Not now. "You have to go back to sleep now and I´ll leave."

"No. Please stay. Just until I sleep."

"What for?"

"I feel better with you here."

Pure amazement swept through Grissom´s body. He tried to catch Greg´s expression, but the young man had already closed his eyes.

But he went on talking. "Thank you for coming by. It means much to me."

"Well, don´t mention it. Everybody else will pay you a visit. I´m sure of it."

Greg replied seriously: "Perhaps, but maybe I don´t like everybody." After this brave confession, he drifted off to sleep.

Grissom watched him closely and finally mumbled: "Oh boy, you will cause me a lot of trouble."