"Are you out of your mind?" The principal, Dr. Castro, demanded to Ryan. "You must be; that's the only explanation."
"No sir. Just want to take advantage of the lab equipment that you have to engage the students in scientific investigation," Ryan answered.
Dr. Castro' s expression didn't change. "What if they-"
"Blow something up?" Ryan interjected. "They won't. I'll be there."
"Look Wolfe," Castro took off his reading glasses. "I understand where you're coming from and appreciate your motivation to get the kids engaged, but there are safety and liability issues here. You are not a certified teacher-"
"But I am a certified scientist. Sorry sir," Ryan apologized when Castro raised his eyebrow at his interrupting.
"Be that as it may," Castro continued. "If there is an accident then the school will be liable, and it would be seen as reckless to have students in a room with a non certified teacher."
"I understand sir. But the experiment will not involve any dangerous chemicals. I promise."
"Oh really?" Now Castro was interested. "And just what is this 'experiment' that you plan to do?"
"Uh, actually I don't know yet," Ryan answered. "I'm looking for the right motivation."
"Well, if I let you do this I will have to know what the experiment is first. And then you and I will discuss it with Dr. Sampson, the department chair. All experiments must be cleared through him. In the meantime, you must get permission slips from every student signed by a parent and students must be orientated on safety. There is a video and contract that every student must sign, along with a short test."
"Wow," Ryan said, obviously impressed. "It will be done sir."
"Good. And I want to know what you are planning by the end of day tomorrow. Oh and Wolfe," Dr. Castro stopped him before he left.
"Yes sir?"
"Nice work. I heard the kids talking about you. It was all positive."
"Thank you sir." Ryan couldn't help feeling a little flutter inside.
At CSI
"Rick, we've been through this," Horatio said, his practiced patience wearing thin. "Mr. Wolfe has completed the Gamblers Anonymous classes and the retraining that you demanded he do. What is the hold up?"
"The holdup is that the department is not sure that it wants to risk rehiring a confessed gambler that compromised a case."
"The suspect turned out not to be the one who started the fire. And what was the purpose of the recertification and validating all of his deposits if you weren't going to hire him back?" Horatio demanded.
"So that the department can say that we intervened on his behalf. And the GA meeting were for his own good," Rick answered smugly.
Horatio thought it best that he remove himself before he struck Rick. That wouldn't do much for Mr. Wolfe's case after all.
In the Lab
"Hey guys," Natalia said to Eric and Calleigh, "Did you hear what Ryan's doing now? He's a substitute teacher."
Eric shook his head. "Wow, has he really sunk that low?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Calleigh asked. "My mom was a substitute teacher for a while."
"Sorry Calleigh, no disrespect. What I mean is he has two college degrees and was a cop and CSI, and now he's a substitute teacher. That has to hurt."
"Well he didn't like the news reporter job and he said he was getting pocket change at the gun range and wanted to pick up something else," Natalia replied, coming to Ryan's defense.
"To pay off his bookies no doubt," Eric snorted. Both Calleigh and Natalia glared at him.
"What's that look for?" he asked.
"I don't think you should talk about his situation like that. Gambling addiction is as serious as any other addiction, like alcohol or drugs. And he got help. We should be supporting him and trying to help him get his job back rather than ridiculing him behind his back," Calleigh answered. "Especially considering how supportive he was after you were shot."
"Look I…never mind," Eric said, suddenly defensive that Calleigh had brought up his shooting, and guilty that he had looked down on Ryan and his current situation. Ryan did help him when he couldn't even remember how to use the very instruments the he had trained Ryan on, and had not reported him, which would have raised questions about his competence. "I'm going to run these prints through IAFIS." Eric announced and walked, rather stiffly out of the lab.
"Wow, I think we hurt his feelings," Natalia said.
"It couldn't be helped," Calleigh answered. "He and Ryan have always had a contemptuous relationship; sparring at each other like brothers. He misses Ryan, and is probably feeling bad that he had to result to substituting."
"You're right."
That night, Ryan racked his brain trying to think of a lab that would be both relevant and enjoyable to the kids, but came up with nothing. He turned on the news, just for background noise. He just happened to glance up and saw a picture of a kid in one of his classes flash on the screen. He turned up the volume.
"…Andrew Schiznek was killed in the crash but his older brother Antonio was driving and only sustained minor injuries. Sources say that Antonio had been drinking…"
Ryan saw his colleagues on the scene. As usual, Erica Sykes was pestering Horatio for a statement and of course he refused to give one. Ryan felt a surge of envy that he was home looking at his colleagues working a crime scene on the news. But nothing could be done about it for now.
The next morning, grief counselors were on hand to help students cope and the press was camped out across the street. Dr. Castro had not allowed them on school grounds. They were interviewing students, those who would talk. Many of them told Erica and her crew to get lost. Ryan tried to slide by unnoticed, unsuccessfully of course.
"Ryan, is that you?" Erica asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Working. What about you?"
"Trying to get the students and faculty reaction to the accident that killed Andrew Schiznek last night. None of the faculty will talk. Would you like to-"
"Erica, get that camera out of here. Now. Can't you see what these kids are going through?"
"Ryan, I was just trying-"
"Go try somewhere else. Leave these kids alone."
Even though the kid that was killed was in Ryan's fourth block class, all of his classes were in a somber mood.
"Do you guys want to talk about it?" Ryan offered.
"What are you gonna tell us that those lousy ass grief counselors didn't? They always send the same ones," as usual, Guillermo was speaking for the class. "Besides, you might go back and tell Fidel."
"Fidel?" Ryan asked, knowing perfectly well who G was referring to.
"You know. Dr. Castro. But he acts just like a dictator. He knows we call him that."
"It's not nice."
"Whatever. Anyway, back to Drew. What's to talk about? "
"Well, are you aware of what caused the accident?"
"Yeah, we heard. Tony was drinking."
"But he only had two drinks," Brittany insisted.
"How do you know that?" Another student demanded.
"Because…never mind," she broke off, peering at Ryan.
"Guys whatever you say here is confidential," Ryan insisted. The class looked at him doubtfully, but Guillermo came to his defense.
"Say what you gotta say. He's not going to tell Fidel on you."
"Look, it was just a little get together my sister had; for the cheerleaders and players after the game last night." Andrew was on the basketball team, and Brittany's sister Briana was a cheerleader.
"You were drinking on a school night?" Another student asked. Brittany rolled her eyes.
"Look, that's not the point. The point is he couldn't have been drunk because he only had two drinks. But those cops arrested him anyway," she looked at Ryan accusingly.
"Well he was drinking," the student who questioned her earlier, whose name was Ariana said. "And he's not twenty one."
"What are you, the cops?" Guillermo snapped.
"No, but I'm just saying. It was irresponsible of him-"
"Shut up!" Brittany yelled, leaping out of her seat. "Who do you think you are?" Ryan was at her desk in a flash.
"Brittany, no one is blaming you. Ariana was just making a point. You need to calm down, or I will have to close this discussion."
"Look it was just two drinks. It wasn't a big deal," Brittany insisted.
"Oh yeah? Tell that to Andrew. Oh right, you can't because he's DEAD!" Brian, a normally quiet student exclaimed.
"What's it to you?" Guillermo asked.
"Andrew and Antonio live next door to me. I was on my porch when all those cops pulled up to their house. Do you know what it was like to see them tell his mom and stepdad that one son was dead, and the other one killed him? That's like losing two sons at the same time! And you're sitting here claiming it's 'not a big deal'. So what he had two drinks. He was obviously drunk."
"Look man, I feel you but no one get's that drunk off of two drinks. He must have been taking something else," Guillermo said, peering at Brittany.
"Alright that's enough," Ryan intervened before the situation got really ugly and he found out more about the situation that he probably should. "Look guys, it's not Brittany's fault. But let this be a lesson to all of you. Drinking and driving is serious business; especially if you are not twenty one. I am talking to you both as a cop and a teacher. We see it all the time, one drink, two drinks or a half drink. Any amount of alcohol can affect your judgment."
"Yeah, and Tony was a little pipsqueak," Guillermo commented. "Probably couldn't hold his liquor. But I stand by what I said before B, look at me like that if you want to. You all were doing more than drinking at that little 'party' last night."
Brittany burst into tears.
"Alright enough, seriously." Ryan said with a finality that let the kids know to let it go. "Let's move on to something else. I talked to Dr. Castro and he is considering whether to let you all go into the lab or not. But your parents have to sign permission slips and you have to watch the safety video and take a test."
The kids grumbled something that sounded like 'not again'.
"Why should we? We're going to go through all of this again so Fidel can say no?"
"Nah, if he was going to say no he would have done so already," Guillermo decided.
"Perhaps. In any case, get these signed by your parents." He passed out the letters just as the bell rang. "See you tomorrow guys. Brittany and Ariana, hold on a second."
He waited until everyone was gone before he addressed the two girls. "Look Brittany, I don't think Ariana is blaming you for what happened, were you Ariana?" Ryan prompted, looking at Ariana, who still wore an expression of righteous indignation.
"No Brittany I wasn't, just…never mind," she decided against whatever she was going to say.
"Look, I wasn't trying to say it wasn't a big deal, we just didn't know he was that drunk."
"Look girls, none of you is to blame. I can tell that you feel very guilty Brittany, which you shouldn't. It wasn't your party and I'm sure you didn't put those drinks in Antonio's hand. Now both of you get to class, and remember what happened here stays here."
"OK," they chimed together. "But we're late and we need a note."
"No problem." Ryan scribbled two notes for them and they left. Then Charlie appeared out of nowhere.
"Geez Charlie, if I wasn't a cop you would have scared me to death."
"Who, little old me? I heard what you and those kids were talking about. That was nice of you to let them express themselves like that. But be careful, if it gets out, the higher ups might feel differently, especially if they find out how much Brittany York knew about it. Should have suspected her and her sister were involved."
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked.
"Well, let's just say that that sister of hers isn't quite the 'good girl' that everyone seems to think."
"I see."
"Well anyway, I hear Castro is going to let you take those kids in there. So what type of experiment are you going to do?"
"I think, Charlie, that these kids need to see just how 'drunk' you can get off of a few drinks. We're going to simulate intoxication and run some tests."
So, do you like? Please review!
The inspiration for this topic came to me the other day, when I was doing a simulation on drinking with my kids (was that a confession?). Forgive any mistakes, I do my own editing.
Much luv,
Ng714