I braced myself as I saw Grissom coming my direction as I headed down the
hallway toward the break room. Nick was still right behind me. As much as
I would like to have avoided my boss at that moment, I knew there was no
way I was going to be able to.
He had concern written on his face. "How's your hand, Sara?" The expression on his face was the same that he'd given to me after the lab explosion, when I'd injured the same hand, when he'd called me 'honey'.
I hardened my resolve. I was not about to go down that road again. I looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression as I lifted my splinted hand. "Hairline fracture." That was about as much information as I was willing to dish out at the moment. What I really wanted was to lose myself in a cup of coffee. I sure as hell hoped Greg had been in the break room recently.
Grissom must have looked at Nick, because he began to give him a little more information. "Two of the bones in her hand have a hairline fracture. She's jammed her wrist and the doctor said she's not supposed to drive for a least two weeks so she doesn't put any undue pressure on the bones."
I glared at my coffee cup. As much as I appreciated Nick filling Grissom in, I would much rather have just faded into the paint on the wall. I did not want to be the center of anyone's attention right now. I just wanted to work the case and find out who had murdered our victims. The least I could do was to get justice for the victims. We were their last voice and it was something that I felt that I owed to them.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I immediately stiffened and then relaxed as I realized that it was Nick and not Grissom. "Sara."
I turned around and noticed that Grissom had retreated somewhere down the hall. "Yeah?" I looked at Nick quizzically and took a sip of my coffee, hoping that I looked ready to get back to work.
He looked concerned, but tried to mask it. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrow at me, trying to look stern. "Shift is almost over and Grissom said the husband is going to be here this afternoon. So why don't you go home and get some sleep since we need to be back in here early?"
I rolled my eyes at him, I'm sure there was a flash of anger in my expression. "Nick, I'm not supposed to drive, remember?" I took a sip of my coffee and knit my brows together in frustration.
A smirk played at Nick's lips. "Sara, I know that. I'll drive you home and pick you up." He held up the prescription slip that I'd left in his Denali. "You also need to get this filled."
I groused for a moment. "I don't need it, it'll knock me out."
He chuckled. "That's the point." He reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "Besides, you're in a pretty foul mood and I think everyone would be a lot happier if you went home and got some sleep."
I tried to glare at him, but with Nick that's hard. It's impossible to be mad at him for very long unless he's actually done something to piss you off. I ended up laughing. "Ok, fine. You can take me home, but don't expect me to be happy about it."
He grinned at me. It was the first real smile I think I'd seen on him all night. I think Nick needed sleep as much as I did and I hoped that he'd go home and get some rather than come back to the lab for the rest of shift.
I went and grabbed all the things I'd left behind in my haste when I'd walked out before. Things like my cell phone and my purse. I almost forgot my keys until I realized I'd have a hard time getting into my apartment without them. I had several files in my hand as I went to meet Nick in the break room, but upon seeing me approach with them, he plucked them right out of my hand. "I'll just put these away and then we can leave."
"Nick." If I was a child, I think I would have been tempted to ask if I wanted cheese with that whine. Instead, Nick just chuckled at me and disappeared for a few moments.
When he returned we made our way out to his Denali and stopped by a 24-hour pharmacy to get my prescription filled. Ever much the southern gentleman, Nick made sure I was settled in my apartment and had eaten something so he could witness me taking one of the painkillers before he left with assurances that he'd be back at three that afternoon to pick me up so we could talk to Lieutenant Smith when he arrived.
I changed into my pajamas and suddenly I was overwhelmed by fatigue. The events of this case had exhausted me as much as they had frustrated me. I crawled under the covers and fell asleep in minutes.
He had concern written on his face. "How's your hand, Sara?" The expression on his face was the same that he'd given to me after the lab explosion, when I'd injured the same hand, when he'd called me 'honey'.
I hardened my resolve. I was not about to go down that road again. I looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression as I lifted my splinted hand. "Hairline fracture." That was about as much information as I was willing to dish out at the moment. What I really wanted was to lose myself in a cup of coffee. I sure as hell hoped Greg had been in the break room recently.
Grissom must have looked at Nick, because he began to give him a little more information. "Two of the bones in her hand have a hairline fracture. She's jammed her wrist and the doctor said she's not supposed to drive for a least two weeks so she doesn't put any undue pressure on the bones."
I glared at my coffee cup. As much as I appreciated Nick filling Grissom in, I would much rather have just faded into the paint on the wall. I did not want to be the center of anyone's attention right now. I just wanted to work the case and find out who had murdered our victims. The least I could do was to get justice for the victims. We were their last voice and it was something that I felt that I owed to them.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I immediately stiffened and then relaxed as I realized that it was Nick and not Grissom. "Sara."
I turned around and noticed that Grissom had retreated somewhere down the hall. "Yeah?" I looked at Nick quizzically and took a sip of my coffee, hoping that I looked ready to get back to work.
He looked concerned, but tried to mask it. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrow at me, trying to look stern. "Shift is almost over and Grissom said the husband is going to be here this afternoon. So why don't you go home and get some sleep since we need to be back in here early?"
I rolled my eyes at him, I'm sure there was a flash of anger in my expression. "Nick, I'm not supposed to drive, remember?" I took a sip of my coffee and knit my brows together in frustration.
A smirk played at Nick's lips. "Sara, I know that. I'll drive you home and pick you up." He held up the prescription slip that I'd left in his Denali. "You also need to get this filled."
I groused for a moment. "I don't need it, it'll knock me out."
He chuckled. "That's the point." He reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "Besides, you're in a pretty foul mood and I think everyone would be a lot happier if you went home and got some sleep."
I tried to glare at him, but with Nick that's hard. It's impossible to be mad at him for very long unless he's actually done something to piss you off. I ended up laughing. "Ok, fine. You can take me home, but don't expect me to be happy about it."
He grinned at me. It was the first real smile I think I'd seen on him all night. I think Nick needed sleep as much as I did and I hoped that he'd go home and get some rather than come back to the lab for the rest of shift.
I went and grabbed all the things I'd left behind in my haste when I'd walked out before. Things like my cell phone and my purse. I almost forgot my keys until I realized I'd have a hard time getting into my apartment without them. I had several files in my hand as I went to meet Nick in the break room, but upon seeing me approach with them, he plucked them right out of my hand. "I'll just put these away and then we can leave."
"Nick." If I was a child, I think I would have been tempted to ask if I wanted cheese with that whine. Instead, Nick just chuckled at me and disappeared for a few moments.
When he returned we made our way out to his Denali and stopped by a 24-hour pharmacy to get my prescription filled. Ever much the southern gentleman, Nick made sure I was settled in my apartment and had eaten something so he could witness me taking one of the painkillers before he left with assurances that he'd be back at three that afternoon to pick me up so we could talk to Lieutenant Smith when he arrived.
I changed into my pajamas and suddenly I was overwhelmed by fatigue. The events of this case had exhausted me as much as they had frustrated me. I crawled under the covers and fell asleep in minutes.