Cut to Warrick examining the prototype coffin they found, and realizing what the light/fan link was.

Nicky's moved into the acceptance portion of Elisabeth Kubler Ross's "Five Stages of Dealing With Being Buried Underground." He picks up the tape recorder and begins speaking: "My name's Nick Stokes. If anyone finds this tape, turn it into the Las Vegas PD...there should be a reward."

In the Labitrail, Sara and Archie watch on one computer while Gil hunches alone, staring at another. Nicky's voice breaks a little as he says, "Mom, Cisco...well, this is a lousy way to say goodbye, but it's all I got. I love you. You raised me right. And I'm going to miss you." What's really getting to me in this scene is how Nicky's trying to keep his voice steady and calm, but his sobs are wobbling on the edge of it. Who else would try to put a brave face on the situation? Gil's looking similarly affected. He's got it easy -- he can't even hear this. Nicky takes a breath, then continues, "As for the rest of you guys...I know you did the best you could to find me --" ["This is where I misted up. Eads acted the hell out of this." -- Sars] Cut to Gil looking stricken as he lip-reads along with this. Nicky gulps again and says, "Grissom." Gil's brow furrows on seeing his name. Nicky mouths, "I'm sorry I let you down." Gil replies out loud, "No. You never did, Nicky." And just as I'm fending off the husband's suspicious glares with, "I've just developed allergies! It can happen all sudden-like! The streaming eyes, the sniffles -- it's all immunoglobulin E! Really! I'm not going soft!" -- well, then Nicky stops making the heart-breaking goodbyes and begins going stiff and screaming. That'll clear the sap right up.

Sara shouts, "He's going into convulsions! He's losing it!" Gil's gaping in horror. We get a coffin-cam shot of Nicky writhing and jerking, and Sara frantically asks the silent room, "What's going on?" Gil's gaping some more, asking, "What the…? Wait a minute…" He clicks to zoom in on the picture and sees a dark mass by Nicky's head swirl into hundreds of discrete points. Gil says heavily, "Ants. My God, he's being eaten alive."

And now, time to watch as Nicky turns into an insect buffet. Those of us who have only now banished the lingering suspicion that we host intestinal parasites -- thanks for that, o last week's episode -- can now spend the next 23 minutes frantically scratching all our phantom itches as we wait for the ants to get us too. Despite being chomped by bugs, Nicky still has the presence of mind to put on a spare pair of latex gloves and tear off some of his t-shirt to use as permeable nose plugs -- this way, he can breathe without ants in his nose, and his hands aren't harmed.