TAKE MY BREATH AWAY -- THE SERIAL STRANGLER
 A CSI Fan Fiction by sarahcanrana

"Another Day in the Lab"

With Greg's hopes all dumped into a body bag, he didn't seem like his cheery self again…but of course, what did he have to lose? He had only just met her. He still stands there in front of everybody. Suddenly, Grissom breaks him out of his dreamland again.

GRISSOM: Greg, take Sharlene to your lab.
SHARLENE: Yea, I need to accustom myself with your equipment. [said with a cheery smile]
GREG: Uh, of course. No problem. [outstretches his hand in the direction of the lab] This way…
SHARLENE: [as she walks with Greg, spins around to Tracie] Call us when you're going over the case!

Greg and Sharlene walk into the lab. Everything was just as Greg left it the day before – relatively clean. That is, except for the box of evidence that was sitting on his desk, and for Sara, who was sitting on his lab stool.

SARA: Hey Greg! Who's your friend?
SHARLENE: Sharlene Chang – CSI: New York
SARA: Wow, New York. I'm from San Francisco, myself… Sara Sidle… [shakes hands, smiles and then turns over to Greg] Okay Greggo, I need you to process these samples for Nick and me, okay? Get DNA, find hairs, fingerprints…the works…
GREG: Wow. [looks at the loads and loads of samples] that is a lot of… stuff…for one person to handle.
SHARLENE: Oh, don't worry, Greg, I can help you…Where are your extra lab coats?
SARA: Thanks a lot, guys…Sharlene, great to have you aboard. [leaves lab]

Greg grabs an extra coat from the A/V room where his buddy, Archie Johnson, works.

ARCHIE: Hey, I heard CSI: New York invaded Vegas.
GREG: They did. And they sent over really nice-looking conquerors.
ARCHIE: [looks across the hall to where Sharlene stretched her arms over her head. Dirk enters the room at this point. Archie whistles.] She can conquer me any day. [Archie nudges Greg] Anyway, back to Warrick's case…Have fun.
GREG: Yea… [reluctant smirk]

As Greg turned from Archie, he spots Dirk holding Sharlene's wrist, almost pulling her out of the lab with just his hand.

DIRK: Sharlene! Come on. We've got a case to work!
SHARLENE: Yea, but Greg is apart of this case now and I'm bringing him with us.
DIRK: Look, we're going to the morgue. I highly doubt that a lab tech like him is going to want to be in there…besides, he'd hold us back. [Sharlene sees Greg by the doorway and Dirk turns around. He leaves the room in a rush. Greg looks, kind of hurt.]
SHARLENE: He didn't mean it.
GREG: He's right…I'm just a lowly lab technician.
SHARLENE: Come on…Let's get to the morgue.
GREG: No, you go ahead. I've got to stay here and do…"lab tech" stuff.
SHARLENE: I can't do that, Greg. [smirk] Come on, let's go...We'll do all that "lab tech" stuff tomorrow.
GREG: ...But I really should --
SHARLENE: Come on, just for 15 minutes, okay?

Sharlene pulls Greg out of his lab stool and they leave together down the hall towards the morgue. Archie stops working and watches the two walk away.

ARCHIE: [says it quietly] You go, Greg...