Author's note: It's alive! It's aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive! Many thanks to Xaviere Jade for forcing me at gunpoint to continue this story.
CHAPTER 2: Home
Nadine Robinson was waiting for her brother at the airport. It took him no time at all to find her, waving exuberantly over the crowd, calling his name.
"You're HERE!" She cried, rushing over and wrapping him in a childish hug, which had been her customary greeting for him since she was a child.
Though there were 19 years between them, and Gil had rarely been at home while Nadine was growing up, the two had always been close. Gil thought that perhaps the fact that he was so much older than his sister was the reason for their bond; she had, as a little girl, admired him greatly, and wanted to be just like him. Nadine, however, did not acquire Gil's solemn nature and poor people skills, and for that Gil was thankful.
Nadine was, in fact, the complete opposite of her brother. Energetic and outgoing, she had studied dance and eventually became an instructor at a local high school. She also found love, something that had evaded Gil thus far, and was happily married with a young daughter.
The two siblings were vastly different in appearance as well. On this day, Nadine wore a simple light brown tank top with a long, light and flowing skirt covered with a paisley pattern in earthy tones. Around her neck hung a flimsy scarf tie-dyed with similar colors, serving no real function other than aesthetic appeal. She shared virtually none of Gil's physical traits. Nadine was slender and petite, with a freckled face, green eyes, and waves of unruly red hair. She was 27, but did not look her age, and a passer-by might have guessed that she was Gil's daughter rather than his sister.
"You look great," she said. Gil thought that was a lie, but if Nadine had noticed the exhaustion etched in his face, she didn't show it.
"So do you," Gil responded sincerely.
"Come on," said Nadine, "let's get the your stuff so we can go!" Without waiting for a response, she headed off in the direction of the baggage checkout.
Gil collected the large duffel bag he had brought, and Nadine insisted on carrying it. She threw it in the trunk a little less gently that he would have liked, and he laid his small carry-on bag, which contained his toothbrush and several forensic magazines, beside it.
"Hop in!" she said, and Gil complied.
Gil had predicted that the first thing Nadine-- or anyone in his family, for that matter-- would want to talk about would be him. He had not been wrong.
"So, tell me. Are you okay?" Gil tried not to show his annoyance. At the moment, this was far from his favorite subject.
"I'm all right. And you?"
"I'm great," she said. But Nadine, whether deliberately or not, did not allow the subject to be changed to her for long. "Everyone's worried about you, you know. Especially Mom. I think she feels like she's to blame."
"No one's to blame. It's just genetics. No one makes it happen."
"How can you be so calm?" she asked.
Gil replied simply, "What else can I be, Nadine?"
"Point taken." After an awkward silence, Gil decided to seize the opportunity to change the subject. "How's Lily?"
Nadine brightened. Gil knew she could talk about her daughter for hours on end and never tire of it. "She's in Kindergarten now. She absolutely loves school. Oh, and she's so excited about your visit. I swear, she hasn't talked about anything else all week. And did I tell you she's learning to sign?"
Gil smiled, remembering that he had been about Lily's age when he had begun learning Sign language. "You didn't mention it."
"She learned three new words yesterday. Flower, Rain, and... you'll love this... Microscope."
Gil's smile turned into a grin. "Who taught her that?"
"Layla. She has quite a vocabulary."
Gil nodded. He had carried on long conversations in sign language with Layla, the daughter of his other sister. He hoped Lily would eventually become as fluent in signing as her cousin. Even if she didn't, their grandmother was amazingly good at reading lips, a talent that Gil hoped he would never have to master.
"Almost there," said Nadine, as they drove up the street on which they lived as children. Gil could see their parents' house coming into view. Putting all thoughts of Las Vegas, CSI, and even his ailment aside, at least for the moment, he felt a sense of comfort. Soon he would be home.
CHAPTER 2: Home
Nadine Robinson was waiting for her brother at the airport. It took him no time at all to find her, waving exuberantly over the crowd, calling his name.
"You're HERE!" She cried, rushing over and wrapping him in a childish hug, which had been her customary greeting for him since she was a child.
Though there were 19 years between them, and Gil had rarely been at home while Nadine was growing up, the two had always been close. Gil thought that perhaps the fact that he was so much older than his sister was the reason for their bond; she had, as a little girl, admired him greatly, and wanted to be just like him. Nadine, however, did not acquire Gil's solemn nature and poor people skills, and for that Gil was thankful.
Nadine was, in fact, the complete opposite of her brother. Energetic and outgoing, she had studied dance and eventually became an instructor at a local high school. She also found love, something that had evaded Gil thus far, and was happily married with a young daughter.
The two siblings were vastly different in appearance as well. On this day, Nadine wore a simple light brown tank top with a long, light and flowing skirt covered with a paisley pattern in earthy tones. Around her neck hung a flimsy scarf tie-dyed with similar colors, serving no real function other than aesthetic appeal. She shared virtually none of Gil's physical traits. Nadine was slender and petite, with a freckled face, green eyes, and waves of unruly red hair. She was 27, but did not look her age, and a passer-by might have guessed that she was Gil's daughter rather than his sister.
"You look great," she said. Gil thought that was a lie, but if Nadine had noticed the exhaustion etched in his face, she didn't show it.
"So do you," Gil responded sincerely.
"Come on," said Nadine, "let's get the your stuff so we can go!" Without waiting for a response, she headed off in the direction of the baggage checkout.
Gil collected the large duffel bag he had brought, and Nadine insisted on carrying it. She threw it in the trunk a little less gently that he would have liked, and he laid his small carry-on bag, which contained his toothbrush and several forensic magazines, beside it.
"Hop in!" she said, and Gil complied.
Gil had predicted that the first thing Nadine-- or anyone in his family, for that matter-- would want to talk about would be him. He had not been wrong.
"So, tell me. Are you okay?" Gil tried not to show his annoyance. At the moment, this was far from his favorite subject.
"I'm all right. And you?"
"I'm great," she said. But Nadine, whether deliberately or not, did not allow the subject to be changed to her for long. "Everyone's worried about you, you know. Especially Mom. I think she feels like she's to blame."
"No one's to blame. It's just genetics. No one makes it happen."
"How can you be so calm?" she asked.
Gil replied simply, "What else can I be, Nadine?"
"Point taken." After an awkward silence, Gil decided to seize the opportunity to change the subject. "How's Lily?"
Nadine brightened. Gil knew she could talk about her daughter for hours on end and never tire of it. "She's in Kindergarten now. She absolutely loves school. Oh, and she's so excited about your visit. I swear, she hasn't talked about anything else all week. And did I tell you she's learning to sign?"
Gil smiled, remembering that he had been about Lily's age when he had begun learning Sign language. "You didn't mention it."
"She learned three new words yesterday. Flower, Rain, and... you'll love this... Microscope."
Gil's smile turned into a grin. "Who taught her that?"
"Layla. She has quite a vocabulary."
Gil nodded. He had carried on long conversations in sign language with Layla, the daughter of his other sister. He hoped Lily would eventually become as fluent in signing as her cousin. Even if she didn't, their grandmother was amazingly good at reading lips, a talent that Gil hoped he would never have to master.
"Almost there," said Nadine, as they drove up the street on which they lived as children. Gil could see their parents' house coming into view. Putting all thoughts of Las Vegas, CSI, and even his ailment aside, at least for the moment, he felt a sense of comfort. Soon he would be home.