Title: Love Is Not Love
By: nicky69
Characters: Gil Grissom, Nick Stokes
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Love is not love which alters when it alterations finds. One of the CSI's is injured in the line of duty, but which one?
Author's Note: This was my first attempt at writing guys, so please forgive any mistakes that you find.

As he pulls into the car park at the hospital he remembers that first night.

Sirens and flashing lights and his own harsh breathing as he runs from his car to the ER. The chaos that is the emergency room, the agonising wait for information and his growing panic and fear as the hours dragged on with no news. His eyes were glued to the door of the waiting room as were those of the rest of the team, each of them saying a silent prayer for a positive outcome. When the surgery was finally over and the doctor had given his news the relief was almost palpable, he's alive. Now all there was to do was wait. Wait for him to wake up and for life to carry on as normal.

But he never awoke, never regained consciousness. Oh, the doctors waffled on about head trauma and Intracranial pressure and taking time to heal and the rest of the guys visited every day, then every second day and then every week until the visits were a rare occurrence. They learned to carry on and the told him to do the same but how could he?

They didn't understand of course, didn't know that the man laying so still and pale in that bed was more than just a co-worker or even a friend, he was his lover, his world. So he never faltered in his devotion, never missed a visit. And every day he would read a little or tell him about his day or just sit with him to let him know that he was not alone. It was just what you did for the one you loved.

So he walks the familiar path to the private room, exchanging hello's with the nurses on the desk. They were not surprised to see him. In his hand he holds a copy of the latest forensics' journal, he will read it aloud today, and imagine what it would be like to hear his voice as they discussed the latest developments. The door is before him now, he pauses for a moment gathering his strength and with a slight push enteres the room. The man on the bed had not changed overnight. He was still pale, and silent, and broken.

Reaching out to grasp the hand of this lover he whispers, "Hey, Peanut. How you doing today?"

This is my own twisted little take on what could have happened if Catherine hadn't gotten to Gil on time to prevent Sid Goggle from hurting him in the season one finale "Strip Strangler".

I stole the title from Shakespear's Sonnet No 116.
Somehow it just seemed appropriate for Nick and Gil.