Nick was playing with Billy a couple of hours later when Greg and Archie
popped into the break room.
"Whoa, what's with the goat, Nick?" Greg inquired.
"Uh, he's part of a crime scene. I'm keepin' him 'til the owners get back in town and reclaim him." Nick explained.
"Ah, he's cute! What's his name?" Archie exclaimed. He sat in the chair beside Nick and began rubbing the little goat behind the ears.
"Billy, although I'm not sure that's his 'official' name. I sorta decided to call him that. What're you guys up to?" Nick asked.
"Well, we've got a breather for awhile and thought we might play a little Blackjack. Looks like you got better fun, though." Greg answered, then raced out of the break room.
"Where's he going?" Nick drawled.
"Who knows." Archie replied.
After a short while, Greg returned with one of his juggling balls. "Hey, let's see if he likes to play ball!" With that, he rolled the ball across the floor in the front of the goat.
"He's not a puppy, you idiot!" Archie informed.
"Okay, so he doesn't fetch but he looked pretty interested in that ball." Greg replied. He retrieved the ball and rolled it straight at the little goat. They were all surprised when he splayed his little front legs and stopped the ball with his nose. He cocked his head at the ball, gazed at it for a second, then whacked it back toward Greg with his nose.
"Oh, man, that's great!" Nick cried. After a few minutes, they were all out in the hall taking turns rolling the ball to the goat. It was all great fun until Hodges chose an untimely moment to exit the lab he was occupying. He tripped over the goat, papers flying in all directions, and bounced his nose firmly on the linoleum floor. Nick sped in, scooped up the goat and whisked him into Grissom's office.
"He, He, good job, little guy!" He whispered, affectionately scratching the goat behind the ears, as he hid behind one of the shelves lined with specimens. "Let's just make sure you're okay." He began to examine the goat for injury.
"Dude, you alright!" Greg gasped. He rushed into the break room and grabbed a roll of paper towels.
"I think so, what was that?" Hodges sat up and tried to stem the flow of blood from his nose.
"What was what?" Archie inquired.
"What did I trip over?" Hodges snuffled exasperatedly.
"Your own feet? I didn't see anything else. How 'bout you?" Archie nudged Greg.
"I didn't see a thing, except you taking a dive into floor. Man, that had to hurt. Maybe you ought to go get it checked. You might have a broken nose or something."" Greg affirmed.
Hodges rubbed his jaw a little; then decided that maybe Greg was right. "Yeah, maybe I should get this checked. It hurts like hell. I think my front teeth are loose."
He stumbled off toward the exit to the CSI building. Greg and Archie high- fived each other as he disappeared. "Maybe one of us should go with him." Archie suggested as they sat about gathering up Hodges' papers.
"With that hard head, no way. He'll be okay, unfortunately." Greg replied. He walked to the entrance of Grissom's office and called out. "Hey, Nick, you can come out now."
"Whoa, what's with the goat, Nick?" Greg inquired.
"Uh, he's part of a crime scene. I'm keepin' him 'til the owners get back in town and reclaim him." Nick explained.
"Ah, he's cute! What's his name?" Archie exclaimed. He sat in the chair beside Nick and began rubbing the little goat behind the ears.
"Billy, although I'm not sure that's his 'official' name. I sorta decided to call him that. What're you guys up to?" Nick asked.
"Well, we've got a breather for awhile and thought we might play a little Blackjack. Looks like you got better fun, though." Greg answered, then raced out of the break room.
"Where's he going?" Nick drawled.
"Who knows." Archie replied.
After a short while, Greg returned with one of his juggling balls. "Hey, let's see if he likes to play ball!" With that, he rolled the ball across the floor in the front of the goat.
"He's not a puppy, you idiot!" Archie informed.
"Okay, so he doesn't fetch but he looked pretty interested in that ball." Greg replied. He retrieved the ball and rolled it straight at the little goat. They were all surprised when he splayed his little front legs and stopped the ball with his nose. He cocked his head at the ball, gazed at it for a second, then whacked it back toward Greg with his nose.
"Oh, man, that's great!" Nick cried. After a few minutes, they were all out in the hall taking turns rolling the ball to the goat. It was all great fun until Hodges chose an untimely moment to exit the lab he was occupying. He tripped over the goat, papers flying in all directions, and bounced his nose firmly on the linoleum floor. Nick sped in, scooped up the goat and whisked him into Grissom's office.
"He, He, good job, little guy!" He whispered, affectionately scratching the goat behind the ears, as he hid behind one of the shelves lined with specimens. "Let's just make sure you're okay." He began to examine the goat for injury.
"Dude, you alright!" Greg gasped. He rushed into the break room and grabbed a roll of paper towels.
"I think so, what was that?" Hodges sat up and tried to stem the flow of blood from his nose.
"What was what?" Archie inquired.
"What did I trip over?" Hodges snuffled exasperatedly.
"Your own feet? I didn't see anything else. How 'bout you?" Archie nudged Greg.
"I didn't see a thing, except you taking a dive into floor. Man, that had to hurt. Maybe you ought to go get it checked. You might have a broken nose or something."" Greg affirmed.
Hodges rubbed his jaw a little; then decided that maybe Greg was right. "Yeah, maybe I should get this checked. It hurts like hell. I think my front teeth are loose."
He stumbled off toward the exit to the CSI building. Greg and Archie high- fived each other as he disappeared. "Maybe one of us should go with him." Archie suggested as they sat about gathering up Hodges' papers.
"With that hard head, no way. He'll be okay, unfortunately." Greg replied. He walked to the entrance of Grissom's office and called out. "Hey, Nick, you can come out now."
