Warrick Brown
He paces back and forward, back and forward, a repeat of Monday night's game playing on his TV. He couldn't sleep. Not unusual but today it was particularly hard. He had felt that feeling creep up on him over the last few days. That feeling that he has lived with for years now. He wanted to escape into the blissful oblivion of sleep. But sleep would not come. The feeling was becoming over powering. He needed to gamble.
Needed to feel that rush of a good win. No, not again. He had fought so hard. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't. His job depended on it. A cheer erupted from his television. The Cowboy's just scored another touchdown with 5 seconds to go. Man, if he had bet on last weekend's games he would be rich enough to retire by now. A perfect round. Typical!
No. Can't think like that. When he was betting he lost more than he won. Always had. But now.... He would be on the winning streak of this life. Everything he would have bet on, came up trumps. Man he could go a game of blackjack right now. NO! NO! NO!
Change channels, find something else. OK, Third Watch, cool. '10 g's says he is the bad guy.' Yep on a roll.
Maybe he should just get this out of his system. After all it had been four years now since he quit. OK.... So there had been some slip ups. But he got over them. No one knew about that and no one needed to know.
Damn, he knew where this train of thought was leading him. Right in the front door of the nearest casino.
What if Grissom found out? Could he handle that. Gris had given him his second chance, and third..... The thought of disappointing him was too much. Not to mention Nick! Oh he wouldn't say anything. He never did. Just say something like "I'm sure you tried your hardest man." And that would be it. He would never bring it up again. Nick had his own demons which is why he never lectured anyone else on theirs. But the look in his eyes would be enough.
'Pull it together man. You can do this. One day at a time.'
He looks over at his wallet sitting on the kitchen bench where he put it when he came home from work. He could see a bill poking out from it. He didn't have much cash. He gets up and checks his wallet. $35. That was all. Maybe he could just take the cash with him. $35 wasn't much. But it would be enough to get this monkey off his back. No wallet so no credit cards. Just the cash. He grabs up his car keys and the cash and leaves.
Ten minutes later he is back. Not far down the road he changed his mind and turned the car back. He walks back to the counter and picks up his wallet with the credit cards. After all he might need to show some ID.
He knows that is a lame excuse but he can't fight it anymore.
By the time he went to work he was flat broke..... again.
He paces back and forward, back and forward, a repeat of Monday night's game playing on his TV. He couldn't sleep. Not unusual but today it was particularly hard. He had felt that feeling creep up on him over the last few days. That feeling that he has lived with for years now. He wanted to escape into the blissful oblivion of sleep. But sleep would not come. The feeling was becoming over powering. He needed to gamble.
Needed to feel that rush of a good win. No, not again. He had fought so hard. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't. His job depended on it. A cheer erupted from his television. The Cowboy's just scored another touchdown with 5 seconds to go. Man, if he had bet on last weekend's games he would be rich enough to retire by now. A perfect round. Typical!
No. Can't think like that. When he was betting he lost more than he won. Always had. But now.... He would be on the winning streak of this life. Everything he would have bet on, came up trumps. Man he could go a game of blackjack right now. NO! NO! NO!
Change channels, find something else. OK, Third Watch, cool. '10 g's says he is the bad guy.' Yep on a roll.
Maybe he should just get this out of his system. After all it had been four years now since he quit. OK.... So there had been some slip ups. But he got over them. No one knew about that and no one needed to know.
Damn, he knew where this train of thought was leading him. Right in the front door of the nearest casino.
What if Grissom found out? Could he handle that. Gris had given him his second chance, and third..... The thought of disappointing him was too much. Not to mention Nick! Oh he wouldn't say anything. He never did. Just say something like "I'm sure you tried your hardest man." And that would be it. He would never bring it up again. Nick had his own demons which is why he never lectured anyone else on theirs. But the look in his eyes would be enough.
'Pull it together man. You can do this. One day at a time.'
He looks over at his wallet sitting on the kitchen bench where he put it when he came home from work. He could see a bill poking out from it. He didn't have much cash. He gets up and checks his wallet. $35. That was all. Maybe he could just take the cash with him. $35 wasn't much. But it would be enough to get this monkey off his back. No wallet so no credit cards. Just the cash. He grabs up his car keys and the cash and leaves.
Ten minutes later he is back. Not far down the road he changed his mind and turned the car back. He walks back to the counter and picks up his wallet with the credit cards. After all he might need to show some ID.
He knows that is a lame excuse but he can't fight it anymore.
By the time he went to work he was flat broke..... again.