First Do No Harm
The break room was silent. No one dared to speak, not when Grissom had that expression on his face. Normally impassive, Grissom's face hinted what the man felt: an unpleasant mixture anxiety and annoyance. Their shift had started almost an hour ago, and they had been in the break room since then. They had been waiting for the team to be completed.
Catherine still hasn't arrived.
At first, the younger three had been kidding around, all wanting to start the shift pleasantly. Nick and Sara had been bugging Warrick about his date the day before. Warrick had been dodging their inquiries and had started a lively good-natured verbal exchange with them. They were all enjoying this until Grissom, who had been sitting in silence at the end of the table, snapped and ordered them to stop. That was about fifteen minutes ago.
Grissom sighed. He looked at his now quiet team. "I'm sorry," he finally spoke up. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just.Catherine should have been here ages ago."
"Maybe the sitter didn't come," Nick offered, not really surprised that Grissom is so concerned about the other female member of their team. He and Warrick exchanged knowing looks.
"She would've called if that was the case," Grissom pointed out, not at all noticing the exchange between Nick and Warrick. Now his face showed only one emotion: worry. "This is so unlike Catherine."
"What is so unlike me?"
All four heads turned to the door, where a flustered Catherine stood. "Coming late and not informing any of us about it," Grissom said, his tone a little too harder than he intended. Now that he knew she was safe, he had to go back to his usual self.
"You don't bite Nick's head off when he does that," Catherine snapped. Nick was the perennial latecomer in the group.
"We have business to take care of," Grissom replied coolly. "We'd better get started."
Nick, Warrick and Sara exchanged knowing looks. Grissom was doing it again, hiding his feelings behind his work. An obviously irked Catherine took the seat next to Warrick, the one farthest from Grissom. Warrick gave her a sympathetic smile.
Just then, Grissom's pager went off. "It's Brass," Grissom reported. He stood up and nodded to Sara and Warrick. "You two go with me. Nick and Catherine, you stay here and do the paperwork for the last case we finished."
Sara and Warrick stood up. As she passed Catherine, Sara squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, a gesture to which Catherine replied with a grateful smile. Sara smiled back and followed Warrick and Grissom wordlessly out of the room. Grissom is such a pain sometimes, she thought.
The break room was silent. No one dared to speak, not when Grissom had that expression on his face. Normally impassive, Grissom's face hinted what the man felt: an unpleasant mixture anxiety and annoyance. Their shift had started almost an hour ago, and they had been in the break room since then. They had been waiting for the team to be completed.
Catherine still hasn't arrived.
At first, the younger three had been kidding around, all wanting to start the shift pleasantly. Nick and Sara had been bugging Warrick about his date the day before. Warrick had been dodging their inquiries and had started a lively good-natured verbal exchange with them. They were all enjoying this until Grissom, who had been sitting in silence at the end of the table, snapped and ordered them to stop. That was about fifteen minutes ago.
Grissom sighed. He looked at his now quiet team. "I'm sorry," he finally spoke up. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just.Catherine should have been here ages ago."
"Maybe the sitter didn't come," Nick offered, not really surprised that Grissom is so concerned about the other female member of their team. He and Warrick exchanged knowing looks.
"She would've called if that was the case," Grissom pointed out, not at all noticing the exchange between Nick and Warrick. Now his face showed only one emotion: worry. "This is so unlike Catherine."
"What is so unlike me?"
All four heads turned to the door, where a flustered Catherine stood. "Coming late and not informing any of us about it," Grissom said, his tone a little too harder than he intended. Now that he knew she was safe, he had to go back to his usual self.
"You don't bite Nick's head off when he does that," Catherine snapped. Nick was the perennial latecomer in the group.
"We have business to take care of," Grissom replied coolly. "We'd better get started."
Nick, Warrick and Sara exchanged knowing looks. Grissom was doing it again, hiding his feelings behind his work. An obviously irked Catherine took the seat next to Warrick, the one farthest from Grissom. Warrick gave her a sympathetic smile.
Just then, Grissom's pager went off. "It's Brass," Grissom reported. He stood up and nodded to Sara and Warrick. "You two go with me. Nick and Catherine, you stay here and do the paperwork for the last case we finished."
Sara and Warrick stood up. As she passed Catherine, Sara squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, a gesture to which Catherine replied with a grateful smile. Sara smiled back and followed Warrick and Grissom wordlessly out of the room. Grissom is such a pain sometimes, she thought.