Title: Mornings
Author: Carina Scott
Pairing: Warrick/Greg
Rating: FRT
Spoilers: Post Fannysmackin'
Warnings: see spoilers
Summary: Greg's thoughts during his stay in the hospital.
Author's notes: This may suck, I don't know. But the bunny was buggin me to write it (and I've got the marks to prove it), so here it is. Feedback is always appreciated.

Greg's POV

I've never been much of a morning person.

As a child, I always dragged out of bed, after begging my mother to let me sleep ten more minutes.

Christmas morning, when other kids woke early to open presents, my parents woke me up so they could watch me open presents. As happy as I was about my gifts, I was always eager to get back in bed.

On the first day of summer, when all the neighborhood kids were outside early in the morning playing football, I would still be sleeping in my bed. Luckily, my mother was too scared to let me play, so she was content to let me sleep.

For years I had the same routine. I would wake early, go to school, come home, eat, and go to bed early. Everyday was the same.

Then I went to college, and nothing was ever the same again. I discovered the joy of night classes. I could sleep all I wanted during the day, and still wake early enough to enjoy my day before classes started.

When I landed my job as a CSI, I knew it was the perfect job for me when they told me I would be working Graveyard shift. And moving to a town like Vegas was icing on the cake. Vegas is a town for night owls. When the rest of the world is sleeping, Vegas is just waking up.

I enjoyed this not so routine ‘routine' for years. Then the lab exploded all around me, and for once, normal didn't seem so bad. During my time away from the lab, as I recovered, I seriously considered going to the Day shift. But I didn't want to make Cath feel like I was leaving because of her, so I stayed.

Eventually things got back to normal. Well, if you consider what I do normal. Soon I graduated from the lab, and began assisting on cases. My first jury trial went great; I knew my testimony had been the nail the prosecution needed to close the coffin on that SOB. So, when Gil handed me my first solo, I was certain things were looking up.

Boy was I wrong! Not only do I witness a gang of idiots beating up on a helpless tourist, when I step in to help, they turn their wrath on me. And as I lay on that ground bleeding and aching everywhere, slowly losing consciousness, I was certain that I would never see morning again.

Then Sara showed up, and I was so relieved. I had tried to hold, so I could be as much help as possible. But I was so happy when the meds kicked in, and I drifted off into a medicated sleep.

Waking later, I found Grissom there to congratulate me for stepping in to save that tourist. But later that day as I watched one of the young men involved in the beating die from his injuries; the last thing I could feel was proud. Although I had survived, someone had lost their life. He wasn't a victim, but someone was hurt by his death, and that loss deserved to be mourned.

Lying back in bed, I winced as my sore muscles protested the fact that I had been standing for so long. Drifting off to sleep, I wished things could go back to the days when mornings were dreaded and nights were bliss.

Opening my eyes the next morning, I groaned at the stab of pain that radiated through my leg as I shifted. Glancing over to my right, I sighed happily, the pain immediately forgotten.

Seeing the love of my life, slumped in a chair, eyes closed, fast asleep, I never felt more at peace. Looking down at our intertwined fingers, one dark, and one bruised, I couldn't help the smile that threatened to split my face.

Never had a morning looked so beautiful.

THE END