Don't Be A Bad Boy

Chapter Thirteen

13 - SAFE

Carl's body had been removed and his tiny apartment cleared and fumigated. The stench would forever be a bane in Greg's mind, forever a reminder of how close he came to meeting the grim reaper. Greg vowed then and there to never, ever leave his clothes on the floor; they would always make it to the hamper and be washed as promptly as possible.
A light spraying of luminol had indeed showed signs of blood matter on the walls and the sheets where Greg had lain. The living room and kitchen had fared no better and there was speculation as to just what exactly had transpired in that tiny living area. Carl Dockery's DNA had been matched to the three previous victims and their families finally had some solace in their deaths.

Greg sat on the couch in the breakroom huddled beneath a blanket. A shower and a change of clothes had taken away most of the feeling of wretchedness, but it still lingered, in the darker recesses of his mind. Images and sensations would crop up unsought to jolt him back to Carl's apartment and the intense fear that had wracked his body. Thoughts of all the possibilities of what might have happened had his friends not arrived when they did only intensified the trauma. He'd shudder when this happened and shut his eyes tight, willing the images and panic to go away and leave him alone.
"You okay?" Sara asked, perching herself beside him and handing him a coffee.
"Hmm, yeah, thanks," he said as he took the steaming cup in his hand and took a sip. He closed his eyes as the sweet sharp taste ignited his taste buds.
"Hey," Nick said quietly, from the other side of him. "Since when do you smoke?"
Greg stared into his cup. "I've always smoked." The words came out quietly, as though he were thinking of another time. "But only when I'm really stressed."
Nick said nothing, letting the words and their meaning seep into him.
"The butts?" Greg said.
"Huh?" answered Nick.
"How did you find me?"
"Oh, yeah, the butts. We tested them. They were yours. And then we found a hankerchief in the alleyway. The DNA was yours and the fingerprints were..." his voice trailed off. Everyone knew.
Greg nodded his head.
Warrick sat forward from his perch on the armrest of the chair that Catherine occupied. "You left them there on purpose?"
Greg looked up at him. "What? Uh, no. I didn't. I didn't know know what was going on until... he put his hand over my face and... dragged me away." He shuddered again, his eyes closing.
Nick spoke again. "Look Greg, I'm really sorry about jiving you about..."
"Hey," Greg said. "Don't worry about it. If you hadn't said that... If I hadn't gone outside... We'd never have caught the guy." He plastered a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. They remained dark and haunted. "Greg cracks the case again, uh?" The smile disappeared.
Nick tried to return the smile. It didn't work. No one else smiled either.
"I'm just glad you're safe, man," Warrick said.
"Yeah, we all are," Catherine said.
Greg smiled at them and a small spark lit in his eyes.
"Now we can get some music blaring in the hallways again!" Sara chirped, getting to her feet.
"Yeah, man, it's been too quiet in here. We need you!" said Warrick, joining Sara.
Catherine smiled, leaned over and patted Greg's leg, and joined Sara and Warrick. Nick rose as well. They all left the breakroom, leaving Grissom sitting on the armrest of another chair, hands clasped on his thigh. He wasn't looking at Greg.
"Well, I guess I should be getting home now," Greg said.
"Greg I'm glad you're safe." His low voice broke the silence with its singular inflection of uncharacteristic softeness toward the young lab tech.
Greg stare up at Grissom. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn he saw the tiniest hint of a smile on the older man's face before he too got up and left, leaving Greg alone.

~*~

Copyright © 2003 Anansay