X - SYMBIOTICS
"That is one seriously messed up chick." Warrick muttered. For a few moments after Nancy's revelation, the four men in the viewing room had just stood there in utter shock.
"Did you see her eyes when she looked at Sara?" Greg's voice was shaky. "There is nothing there. They're just.empty."
Nick was still watching Nancy intently through the glass. "That's the problem, there's something missing. I don't think she really knows what's going on. She seems like she's spaced out - not high, just . confused. I think we should try to get a psych exam for her."
Dr. Robbins and Greg both snorted in disbelief, and Warwick retorted, "A psych exam? Let some shrink come in here, say she's crazy and let her get off with murder on a technicality? Nick - c'mon man. You really want to see her get off?"
"No. She killed that kid, she should pay. But, look at her. Something is not right." Nick jerked his head towards Nancy.
Nancy had zoned out, not responding to any of the other questions Sara and Grissom had asked her following her startling admission. Instead, she was sitting at the table, still looking at the pictures of her dead son, smiling and crying. The vulnerability Nick had noticed when he had first seen her was no longer as evident. Instead, she looked very peaceful. Every few seconds, she would caress the image she was looking at, and whisper something. Whatever she was saying was too low to be picked up by the microphones, and Nick wondered if Sara could hear what she was whispering.
Indeed, Sara could hear what she was saying, even though she had to strain to do so. "See, Angel. See? I told you - I told you. I love you, my sweet angel. Your mommy loves you.."
Nancy seemed to have forgotten there were three other people in the room with her. She continued looking at the photos of Timmy, sorting through them, smiling. Sara glanced at Grissom and Brass, to see what there reactions were to this turn of events.
She was not surprised to see Grissom studying Nancy intently, like she was a bug under a microscope. He was normally pretty good at closing his face and not showing his emotions, but Sara detected a very un-Grissom like glimmer of anger in his gaze. Brass had a look of stoic acceptance on his face. After so many years as a police officer, he had seen pretty much everything. This didn't seem to phase him too much.
Grissom suddenly looked up at Sara, his eyes flicking to the mirror behind her, and then to the door. Sara didn't think twice before nodding her agreement - they did need to regroup, and it would be valuable to see what Warrick and Nick both thought of Nancy and her confession. She silently headed out the door, in search of a babysitter.
"Nancy?" Grissom said softly, "we're going to step out for a minute, but we'll be back. I need the pictures." Nancy merely looked at Grissom and smiled.
"Okay, Mr. Grissom. Can I keep this one, just until you come back? He looks so peaceful, just like an angel." She flashed a close up shot of a photo of Timmy's face taken while he had been lying in the autopsy room. The way the flash had reflected off the sterile silver table under his head had caused a photographic anomaly in the print - making it look like the child was wearing a halo.
Grissom glanced quickly at Brass, who simply shrugged as if to say, "What do I care?"
"Fine. You can keep that one until we come back." The door to the conference room opened, and Sara re-entered with officer in tow. "In the meantime, O'Reilly will sit here with you and keep you company."
*****
Sara stuck her head in the viewing room, her smile acknowledging Greg and Doctor Robbins even as her gaze fell squarely on Nick. "Hey everyone - Gris wants us in the lounge. We need feedback."
"And he told you this how?" Warwick responded dryly. "Telepathic mind- meld?"
Sara teased back, "C'mon Warwick, cut me some slack. You know Grissom and I have a symbiotic relationship. You're just jealous."
'Nope.' Nick thought to himself. 'That would be me.' He followed the other men out into the hallway, and nodded as Dr. Robbins excused himself and headed back towards his office.
Greg had picked up on Warwick's and Sara's easy banter, and in typical Greg fashion was offering his two cents. "Well, actually, guys, I think Sara and Grissom are more like the Wonder-Twins." At their blank expressions, he rambled on. "You know, the Wonder-Twins? Saturday morning cartoons? The International League of Justice? 'Form of bucket! Form of water?' The two super heroes with the weird purple monkey?"
He sighed in exasperation. "Oh, come on! Work with me here, people. You'd think that none of you ever watched TV when you were kids."
Warwick laughed as they entered the lounge, sliding easily into a chair opposite Grissom. "Once again, Greggo, you're weird pop-culture references escape us all."
Grissom looked at Greg and raised a questioning eyebrow. Greg sighed. "I told them I thought you and Sara were like the Wonder Twins." he muttered at him.
"You mean those weird super hero twins from the planet Exxor who joined the Justice League? The ones with the purple monkey? Interesting. I'd say we have more of a symbiotic relationship, myself."
Warwick and Sara started laughing. Even Nick chuckled. Sometimes, Grissom surprised them all.
"That is one seriously messed up chick." Warrick muttered. For a few moments after Nancy's revelation, the four men in the viewing room had just stood there in utter shock.
"Did you see her eyes when she looked at Sara?" Greg's voice was shaky. "There is nothing there. They're just.empty."
Nick was still watching Nancy intently through the glass. "That's the problem, there's something missing. I don't think she really knows what's going on. She seems like she's spaced out - not high, just . confused. I think we should try to get a psych exam for her."
Dr. Robbins and Greg both snorted in disbelief, and Warwick retorted, "A psych exam? Let some shrink come in here, say she's crazy and let her get off with murder on a technicality? Nick - c'mon man. You really want to see her get off?"
"No. She killed that kid, she should pay. But, look at her. Something is not right." Nick jerked his head towards Nancy.
Nancy had zoned out, not responding to any of the other questions Sara and Grissom had asked her following her startling admission. Instead, she was sitting at the table, still looking at the pictures of her dead son, smiling and crying. The vulnerability Nick had noticed when he had first seen her was no longer as evident. Instead, she looked very peaceful. Every few seconds, she would caress the image she was looking at, and whisper something. Whatever she was saying was too low to be picked up by the microphones, and Nick wondered if Sara could hear what she was whispering.
Indeed, Sara could hear what she was saying, even though she had to strain to do so. "See, Angel. See? I told you - I told you. I love you, my sweet angel. Your mommy loves you.."
Nancy seemed to have forgotten there were three other people in the room with her. She continued looking at the photos of Timmy, sorting through them, smiling. Sara glanced at Grissom and Brass, to see what there reactions were to this turn of events.
She was not surprised to see Grissom studying Nancy intently, like she was a bug under a microscope. He was normally pretty good at closing his face and not showing his emotions, but Sara detected a very un-Grissom like glimmer of anger in his gaze. Brass had a look of stoic acceptance on his face. After so many years as a police officer, he had seen pretty much everything. This didn't seem to phase him too much.
Grissom suddenly looked up at Sara, his eyes flicking to the mirror behind her, and then to the door. Sara didn't think twice before nodding her agreement - they did need to regroup, and it would be valuable to see what Warrick and Nick both thought of Nancy and her confession. She silently headed out the door, in search of a babysitter.
"Nancy?" Grissom said softly, "we're going to step out for a minute, but we'll be back. I need the pictures." Nancy merely looked at Grissom and smiled.
"Okay, Mr. Grissom. Can I keep this one, just until you come back? He looks so peaceful, just like an angel." She flashed a close up shot of a photo of Timmy's face taken while he had been lying in the autopsy room. The way the flash had reflected off the sterile silver table under his head had caused a photographic anomaly in the print - making it look like the child was wearing a halo.
Grissom glanced quickly at Brass, who simply shrugged as if to say, "What do I care?"
"Fine. You can keep that one until we come back." The door to the conference room opened, and Sara re-entered with officer in tow. "In the meantime, O'Reilly will sit here with you and keep you company."
*****
Sara stuck her head in the viewing room, her smile acknowledging Greg and Doctor Robbins even as her gaze fell squarely on Nick. "Hey everyone - Gris wants us in the lounge. We need feedback."
"And he told you this how?" Warwick responded dryly. "Telepathic mind- meld?"
Sara teased back, "C'mon Warwick, cut me some slack. You know Grissom and I have a symbiotic relationship. You're just jealous."
'Nope.' Nick thought to himself. 'That would be me.' He followed the other men out into the hallway, and nodded as Dr. Robbins excused himself and headed back towards his office.
Greg had picked up on Warwick's and Sara's easy banter, and in typical Greg fashion was offering his two cents. "Well, actually, guys, I think Sara and Grissom are more like the Wonder-Twins." At their blank expressions, he rambled on. "You know, the Wonder-Twins? Saturday morning cartoons? The International League of Justice? 'Form of bucket! Form of water?' The two super heroes with the weird purple monkey?"
He sighed in exasperation. "Oh, come on! Work with me here, people. You'd think that none of you ever watched TV when you were kids."
Warwick laughed as they entered the lounge, sliding easily into a chair opposite Grissom. "Once again, Greggo, you're weird pop-culture references escape us all."
Grissom looked at Greg and raised a questioning eyebrow. Greg sighed. "I told them I thought you and Sara were like the Wonder Twins." he muttered at him.
"You mean those weird super hero twins from the planet Exxor who joined the Justice League? The ones with the purple monkey? Interesting. I'd say we have more of a symbiotic relationship, myself."
Warwick and Sara started laughing. Even Nick chuckled. Sometimes, Grissom surprised them all.
