"Damn it!"
     Nick halted at the sound of broken glass, and peered worriedly into the temporary DNA lab. Greg stood hunched over, staring at the broken test tube on the floor.
     His hands were shaking. And his voice... there'd been anger there, and frustration.

     And fear.

     Nick hurried into the lab and wrapped an arm around the chemist's shoulders.
     "Hey G... don't worry about it. We got plenty more."
     Greg's shoulders had tensed at Nick's touch, a cause for worry in itself. He refused to look at the CSI, and crossed his arms across his chest, tucking his hands out of sight.
     "I'm OK." But his voice was shaky, just a little, but loud and clear to Nick, who knew every nuance and timbre of the younger man's articulation.
     "No you're not." Nick urged Greg to a seat, almost forcing him to sit then crouching down in front of him, hands resting against the chemist's thighs. "C'mon Greg. What's up?"
     Greg raised his head, haltingly, and Nick felt his jaw clench at the... lost look in those big eyes. The younger man regarded him for a moment or two, as if debating whether he was serious or just teasing – then bit his lip and slowly pulled his shaking hands out from their hiding place, staring down at them.
     "It won't stop." It was whispered, just loud enough for Nick to hear. "Grissom said it would." Tear-sheened eyes in a suddenly gaunt face turned to him. "... what if it doesn't...?"
     All the different responses he could make flooded through Nick's mind, all the usual clichés, the platitudes – but Greg needed, deserved, more than that. He gently wrapped strong fingers around the cold, thin trembling hands before him, holding them carefully.
     "I know you, Greg. I know how much your work means to you. I know how much you need to be needed, too. You're too important to us all to let somethin' like this make you let us down."
     Greg stared at him, startled, and Nick very gently squeezed the hands in his grasp.
     "You know it all comes down to DNA in the end. An' you're the best there is."
     "Oh." Greg frowned, as if about to argue – but Nick felt the hands in his relax, the shaking ease. He nodded.
     "We can't do this without you." He grinned, eyes sparkling. "No pressure, though!"
     Greg snorted a half-laugh and managed a half-smile. "You have the weirdest bedside manner..."
     "But you're not in bed. And I know you can do this." He growled mentally as he caught sight of Catherine outside the lab, pointing ostentatiously at her watch. "Greg, I gotta go. But if you need to talk, come find me. Never mind what time."
     Greg sighed, but the worrying stress lines around his eyes had eased a little. Nick wasn't naïve enough to think that would be the end of it – much of Greg's self-worth came from his sense of his own usefulness – but... the hands still clasped in his were warmer now, and had stopped shaking for the moment. Nick squeezed them gently, then gently let them go.
     "OK?"
     Greg nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
     Nick laid his hand very lightly against Greg's cheek, just for a second.
     "You take care of yourself, y'hear? Otherwise I'll have to, and who knows where that'll end up!"
     And Greg chuckled, and blushed, and gently pushed Nick away from him.
     "You'd better go bring me some distracting samples then..."