Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any character from the show CSI.
No profit is being made from this story.
First Do No Harm
By Moose
Chapter 8
The next night, Grissom's team was assembled at the break room again, and just like the previous night, Catherine was not there. But instead of a worried-sick Grissom at the head of the table, a cheerful Grissom was listening to his team's update.
"As much as it pains me to say this," Grissom began after they had finished reporting, "but you guys did well without me. Now for tonight, let's all focus on the Fleming case, unless something else comes up. The other case was turned over to the day shift, and I had been informed just before our shift that they had solved it."
"Mugging?" Sara asked.
Grissom nodded. "Your usual mugging set-up. Victim was attacked from behind, hit in the head and knocked unconscious. Mugger got all his valuables and left him. The victim bled to death on the sidewalk, from his head wound."
"No wonder the day shift shut the case," Nick said wryly. Sara and Warrick grinned, and even Grissom had to smile. The competition between the night and the day shifts was no secret.
"Anyway, I think Nick and I have an appointment with Jodie Fleming's third roommate," Grissom remarked, going back to business. "Sara, you go with Nick instead, and I want the two of you to look for clues at their apartment. Here's the warrant," Grissom handed Sara a piece of paper. "Doc Robbins paged me a while ago, said he found something. Warrick, I'd like you to get a copy of Jodie Fleming's school records. It's still pretty early, so I think the school office is not yet closed," Grissom stood up and suggestively headed to the door. He paused just long enough to look back and say, "All right, let's all get to work."
***
"God, I didn't even know she was dead," Meredith Jones wept. Beside her, Lisa Monroe comfortingly handed her a box of tissue.
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had never actually gotten used to breaking the bad - no, the worst - news to people, no matter how many times he had done it. Glancing at Sara, who was looking through Jodie Fleming's things, he could see that she wasn't feeling good about this also.
"I'm really sorry, Meredith," Sara found herself saying with sincere sympathy.
"Why are you investigating her death?" Meredith asked after a while. She seemed calmer now, but still obviously distraught. "Was foul play involved?"
"She died of poisoning," Nick replied. "We're hoping you could help us figure out how that happened."
"I don't know," Meredith shook her head sadly. "She wasn't on any medications, and she practically subsisted on fast food. I don't think she had any enemies. Jodie was a really sweet girl."
"What about boyfriends, rejected suitors?" Nick inquired.
Again Meredith shook her head. "Jodie was really dedicated to her studies, she doesn't have a boyfriend. As far as I know, all the guys she turned down took the rejection pretty well."
Sara picked up an unmarked bottle from Jodie's desk. "What's this?"
"Just some supplements," Meredith said. "Some herbal medicine in capsule form. They're supposed to enhance your memory and Jodie occasionally takes them. She usually just does so when she's studying for an exam."
"We'll take this to the lab," Sara said, bagging the bottle and continuing her search.
"Can you think of any reason why Jodie was poisoned? Anybody who'd do that?" Nick prodded. "Could she have done this to herself?"
"I'm sorry, I really can't," Meredith replied after thinking for a while. "And I don't think she poisoned herself. Academically, I know she's doing fine and if she had any personal problems, well, she hid them well. She actually seemed happy to me."
"Well, thanks for talking to us," Nick concluded his interview. He glanced at Sara and she nodded, indicating that she had finished her search. "We'll be in touch. If you remember anything that you think could help us, you can reach us at this number." He handed her a piece of paper with their office phone number.
Meredith nodded. "I hope you figure out what happen really soon."
"We'll do our best," Sara promised, following Nick to the door. Meredith and Lisa followed them, and closed the door behind the two CSIs.
"I hope Greg's not swamped tonight," Sara said as she and Nick waited for the elevator. "We're running out of leads."
"Yeah," Nick agreed. He smiled wistfully. "You know, this place reminds me of college. I stayed in a dorm pretty much like this one. Man, those were some wild times."
"I bet," Sara commented, returning his smile. "You probably partied all night and dated all the girls on campus."
"Partied all night - yes, dated all the girls - no," Nick said. The elevator opened and they stepped inside. "There might be a couple of girls that I didn't get to date," Nick jokingly continued. "You know, girls like you who stayed in all night with their books."
"Yeah, I did spend more time with books than boys," Sara admitted, her heart dropping all the way down. Nick could very well have told her that she just wasn't his type. Sara was astonished to find herself very dismayed with this.
They rode down in silence. Nick realized what he had just said, and for the second time in two days, he just wanted to bonk his head. "Hey, Sara, I didn't mean it to sound that way," he feebly apologized. "What I was trying to say was that, well, I was intimidated by girls like you."
Sara didn't reply. When the elevator doors opened, she walked out wordlessly. Nick sighed and followed her out. When they reached the parking lot, Sara turned to Nick and said with a small smile, "Well, if you only knew the truth, I don't think you'd be intimidated at all."
"The truth?"
"Some other time, Nicky," Sara smiled, heading towards the passenger's side of their vehicle. "Don't worry, I won't hold this against you."
Nick reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sara, I'm really sorry," he apologized again, more sincerely this time. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you're unattractive or uninteresting, because you are actually more attractive and really a lot more interesting than any of the girls I ask out."
"Then why have you never asked me out?" Sara asked softly, looking away.
Nick couldn't believe his ears. Is she implying that she had been waiting for me to ask her out? Nick decided to come clean just then and there. "I want to, Sara, you have no idea how much I want to."
Sara looked back at Nick. "So why haven't you?"
"I've always thought that you see me as a brother," Nick answered softly.
"I do," Sara nodded. "Because I thought that's all you want to be to me."
Nick removed his hand from her shoulder and caressed her cheek. Stepping closer, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her, his lips moving gently as he savored the wonderful feeling of her lips responding to his. They reluctantly pulled apart a while later.
"So are we moving on from this brother-sister thing?" Sara asked softly.
"That move's long overdue," Nick replied, kissing her again.
"Long overdue," Sara murmured in agreement.
First Do No Harm
By Moose
Chapter 8
The next night, Grissom's team was assembled at the break room again, and just like the previous night, Catherine was not there. But instead of a worried-sick Grissom at the head of the table, a cheerful Grissom was listening to his team's update.
"As much as it pains me to say this," Grissom began after they had finished reporting, "but you guys did well without me. Now for tonight, let's all focus on the Fleming case, unless something else comes up. The other case was turned over to the day shift, and I had been informed just before our shift that they had solved it."
"Mugging?" Sara asked.
Grissom nodded. "Your usual mugging set-up. Victim was attacked from behind, hit in the head and knocked unconscious. Mugger got all his valuables and left him. The victim bled to death on the sidewalk, from his head wound."
"No wonder the day shift shut the case," Nick said wryly. Sara and Warrick grinned, and even Grissom had to smile. The competition between the night and the day shifts was no secret.
"Anyway, I think Nick and I have an appointment with Jodie Fleming's third roommate," Grissom remarked, going back to business. "Sara, you go with Nick instead, and I want the two of you to look for clues at their apartment. Here's the warrant," Grissom handed Sara a piece of paper. "Doc Robbins paged me a while ago, said he found something. Warrick, I'd like you to get a copy of Jodie Fleming's school records. It's still pretty early, so I think the school office is not yet closed," Grissom stood up and suggestively headed to the door. He paused just long enough to look back and say, "All right, let's all get to work."
***
"God, I didn't even know she was dead," Meredith Jones wept. Beside her, Lisa Monroe comfortingly handed her a box of tissue.
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had never actually gotten used to breaking the bad - no, the worst - news to people, no matter how many times he had done it. Glancing at Sara, who was looking through Jodie Fleming's things, he could see that she wasn't feeling good about this also.
"I'm really sorry, Meredith," Sara found herself saying with sincere sympathy.
"Why are you investigating her death?" Meredith asked after a while. She seemed calmer now, but still obviously distraught. "Was foul play involved?"
"She died of poisoning," Nick replied. "We're hoping you could help us figure out how that happened."
"I don't know," Meredith shook her head sadly. "She wasn't on any medications, and she practically subsisted on fast food. I don't think she had any enemies. Jodie was a really sweet girl."
"What about boyfriends, rejected suitors?" Nick inquired.
Again Meredith shook her head. "Jodie was really dedicated to her studies, she doesn't have a boyfriend. As far as I know, all the guys she turned down took the rejection pretty well."
Sara picked up an unmarked bottle from Jodie's desk. "What's this?"
"Just some supplements," Meredith said. "Some herbal medicine in capsule form. They're supposed to enhance your memory and Jodie occasionally takes them. She usually just does so when she's studying for an exam."
"We'll take this to the lab," Sara said, bagging the bottle and continuing her search.
"Can you think of any reason why Jodie was poisoned? Anybody who'd do that?" Nick prodded. "Could she have done this to herself?"
"I'm sorry, I really can't," Meredith replied after thinking for a while. "And I don't think she poisoned herself. Academically, I know she's doing fine and if she had any personal problems, well, she hid them well. She actually seemed happy to me."
"Well, thanks for talking to us," Nick concluded his interview. He glanced at Sara and she nodded, indicating that she had finished her search. "We'll be in touch. If you remember anything that you think could help us, you can reach us at this number." He handed her a piece of paper with their office phone number.
Meredith nodded. "I hope you figure out what happen really soon."
"We'll do our best," Sara promised, following Nick to the door. Meredith and Lisa followed them, and closed the door behind the two CSIs.
"I hope Greg's not swamped tonight," Sara said as she and Nick waited for the elevator. "We're running out of leads."
"Yeah," Nick agreed. He smiled wistfully. "You know, this place reminds me of college. I stayed in a dorm pretty much like this one. Man, those were some wild times."
"I bet," Sara commented, returning his smile. "You probably partied all night and dated all the girls on campus."
"Partied all night - yes, dated all the girls - no," Nick said. The elevator opened and they stepped inside. "There might be a couple of girls that I didn't get to date," Nick jokingly continued. "You know, girls like you who stayed in all night with their books."
"Yeah, I did spend more time with books than boys," Sara admitted, her heart dropping all the way down. Nick could very well have told her that she just wasn't his type. Sara was astonished to find herself very dismayed with this.
They rode down in silence. Nick realized what he had just said, and for the second time in two days, he just wanted to bonk his head. "Hey, Sara, I didn't mean it to sound that way," he feebly apologized. "What I was trying to say was that, well, I was intimidated by girls like you."
Sara didn't reply. When the elevator doors opened, she walked out wordlessly. Nick sighed and followed her out. When they reached the parking lot, Sara turned to Nick and said with a small smile, "Well, if you only knew the truth, I don't think you'd be intimidated at all."
"The truth?"
"Some other time, Nicky," Sara smiled, heading towards the passenger's side of their vehicle. "Don't worry, I won't hold this against you."
Nick reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sara, I'm really sorry," he apologized again, more sincerely this time. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you're unattractive or uninteresting, because you are actually more attractive and really a lot more interesting than any of the girls I ask out."
"Then why have you never asked me out?" Sara asked softly, looking away.
Nick couldn't believe his ears. Is she implying that she had been waiting for me to ask her out? Nick decided to come clean just then and there. "I want to, Sara, you have no idea how much I want to."
Sara looked back at Nick. "So why haven't you?"
"I've always thought that you see me as a brother," Nick answered softly.
"I do," Sara nodded. "Because I thought that's all you want to be to me."
Nick removed his hand from her shoulder and caressed her cheek. Stepping closer, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her, his lips moving gently as he savored the wonderful feeling of her lips responding to his. They reluctantly pulled apart a while later.
"So are we moving on from this brother-sister thing?" Sara asked softly.
"That move's long overdue," Nick replied, kissing her again.
"Long overdue," Sara murmured in agreement.