The warm night air hung silently in the dimly lit car park of the CSI labs, clinging to Catherines clothes as she stepped out of the car. Brushing her hair back from her face, she pulled her kit and evidence bags from the passengers seat before casually nudging the door shut with her hip. It seemed like a simple enough case and she was looking forward to going home on time for the first time in what seemed like weeks. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into air-conditioned foyer and made her way over to the reception desk, resting her kit on the polished desk surface.
"Hi Catherine."
"Hey." She greeted the receptionist with a smile. "You got anything for me?"
"Let me see." She rummaged under the desk and pulled out three brown envelopes placing them down when she realised none were for Catherine. She then glanced down at the large book in front of her, checking the phone messages. "No, nothing today. But I do have this for Wendy if you're heading up to the labs. Some guy dropped it off for her earlier. You don't mind do you?" She said holding out the top envelope for Catherine to take.
"No problem." She said, taking the package and tucking it under one arm before retrieving her kit and heading for the stairs. "I'll see you later." She called over her shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks Catherine." The receptionist replied before returning to her work.
She hadn't even gotten to her office when she began to suspect the night was going to be busier than she had hoped. Saras head emerged from around the door of the layout room with a look of utter defeat spread across it. "Catherine, you got a minuet?" Sara did not often ask for Catherines help with anything, their relationship often strained by personal and more often professional differences.
"Sure." She smiled. "Let me just get rid of all of this." After dumping her kit unceremoniously on her desk, she quickly logged her evidence was on her way to see Sara when Grissom, his head buried in a file of papers almost walked straight into her.
"Ah Catherine. Just the person I was looking for. Can I speak to you in my office for a minute?"
"I was just on my way to help Sara with something. Can it wait?" She asked hopefully, not really in the mood for one of Grissoms little talks.
"Um yeah sure. I'll be in my office." He said, waving his hand at her as he walked away, his focus back on the papers in his hand. Shaking her head, Catherine continued towards the layout room, only remembering the post she still held for Wendy as she passed her lab. She chuckled to herself on noticing that Hodges had Wendy cornered, probably trying to impress her with some story of how he and Grissom had together cracked a case that seemed unsolvable. Although his kiss-ass attitude could be annoying, Catherine had to admit was slightly entertaining at times.
"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, walking into the lab and raising an eyebrow in Wendys direction.
"No." She replied, shaking her head defiantly. Hodges looked a little disappointed to have his time with Wendy cut short but he nodded politely at the CSI and made his way to the door.
"I was just leaving." He cast a smile in direction of the lab tech as he left, which did not go unnoticed by either woman.
"So Hodges seems…" Catherine searched for the right word as she walked over to Wendy and lent against the workbench.
"You got something for me?" Said Wendy, abruptly changing the subject.
"Yeah. This is from reception, said some guy dropped it off for you earlier." She handed the package to Wendy who took it and examined the envelope.
"Ok thanks." She smiled.
"So are you and him…" Catherine persisted, gesturing her head in the direction of Hodges' lab.
"Bye Catherine."
"Ok." She smiled, deciding to drop the subject for now at least and leaving the lab to speak to Sara. Wendy waited until Catherine had reached the door before eagerly opening the package she had been given, completely clueless as to what it might be. She pulled a small cardboard box and carefully opened the lid. Immediately, a cloud of white powder exploded into her face with a dull bang, making her stumble backwards, coughing and retching. She reached out a hand to steady herself as she doubled over but managed only to knock several glass beakers onto the floor causing them to shatter around her as she descending into darkness. Catherine and Hodges reached the entrance to the room just in time to see her limp, unconscious body fall to the floor.
"Wendy!" Hodges ran forward to help her but was stopped by Catherine grabbing his arm and urgently pushing him away from the room.
"Don't Hodges. We can't go in there."
"So we're just supposed to leave her?" He shouted, shocked by Catherines reaction. "Wendy!" He called again, trying to push past the woman in front of him but she wouldn't give in.
"David!" She forced him back further, turning to glance at the still unconscious Wendy over her shoulder. "Call an ambulance and tell them we have a potentially dangerous contaminant on the premises."
So what do you think? I know it's only short but I will update it for you soon.
