Chapter 5
In hospital the shaken CSI's gave way to tiredness and collapsed in the waiting room. Nick couldn't stop thinking about the loss Greg had suffered so dramatically and suddenly. He thought of his own family...then quickly tried to avoid that until later, when he was alone. The hospital smelt the same as all hospitals, a disinfectant smell with such connotations of illness and pain that the atmosphere was depressing, and any attempt to lighten that with bright paint or colourful pictures just seemed fake. He didn't expect anyone to say anything, but he tried to give Sara the appropriate amount of attention when she did.
"I haven't called my brother for ages. Last time he phoned his wife had just had another miscarriage. Come to think of it he always seems to phone me."
"Maybe you should give him a call now."
Grissom said simply, and Sara nodded.
"Will you guys..."
"If anything happens we'll let you know."
She smiled in gratitude and left either for a payphone or a quiet area to call from her mobile phone. The others were drawn into a deeper reverie by Sara's comments, knowing that family and friends were in the forefront of everybody's minds.
"I didn't know Sara had a brother."
Nick said suddenly, he didn't want to cry tonight, he felt like he had to stay together for Greg, especially now he didn't have anybody else. The CSI's were all he had left. This realisation sent a shiver down his spine, a feeling he couldn't identify but felt strongly.
"I guess we...don't really know each other that well."
Warrick nodded but Catherine just commented:
"We're work colleagues; so long as we don't not get on we don't get paid to listen to each others' life stories."
"Come on Catherine, we're all on night shift- doesn't leave much room for a social life- how come after shift we never took the time to get to know each other?"
Grissom remained serious in his reply.
"Maybe that says something about night shift CSI's."
"I don't buy that."
Warrick said quickly.
"Look I don't know why we haven't in the past but if we don't pull together to support Greg who will?"
"What about his father?"
"He's coming in from Japan but he won't be in until tomorrow. He was working abroad. When he left he had a happy wife, daughter and son. Now his wife and daughter are dead and his traumatised son is recovering from torture in hospital."
Grissom laid down the facts in his usual way, but while it was useful in cases, the others didn't appreciate it this time as they all looked to the pale blue and cream tiles of the floor striped wildly with various guiding strips of colour.
They returned to a contemplative silence.
*********************************************************************
Sara returned after a couple of hours with a slight smile, though she looked as though she'd been crying.
"So was he happy to hear from you?"
Grissom asked, waking up Catherine and Nick who had drifted off.
"I told him what had happened and he's coming down here tomorrow. It was good to hear from him again."
The others nodded thoughtfully. When the doctor came an hour or so later to tell them they could go in and see Greg, they all felt reluctant. They had been waiting for hours – but the truth was they didn't know what to expect. Catherine Grissom and Nick went in first.
Taking a deep breath it was Catherine who took the lead. Grissom couldn't help but think he was out of his depth; how was he supposed to behave around Greg now? He thankfully took Catherine's lead; somehow she always knew the right thing to do in these kinds of circumstances. Perhaps it was maternal instinct.
"Hey Greg."
Catherine said gently as Greg acknowledged her in the room. Grissom was glad she'd said something, otherwise there would be a prevailing silence as he and Nick choked on the image they saw. Before it was dark, but now they could see Greg in a grey kind of clinical light which seemed to make everyone look ill. His pale skin contrasted horribly against the bruises and cuts. Too many to count. The CSI's had seen too many people dead and alive much worse off than this to be shocked by it; but that wasn't what sent a shiver into them. It was the expression on Greg's face, an expression which didn't seem right on such a vibrant person, someone so young. They recovered themselves quickly for Greg's sake, and out of their daze they realised Catherine was at Greg's bedside holding his hands in hers as she tried her best to comfort him.
They went over.
"How do you feel?"
Grissom asked with concern.
"How do I feel?"
Greg croaked out with some amount of venom in his voice.
"Sorry. Stupid question."
Greg seemed to dismiss him slightly, looking away. His eyes met with Nick's and Nick could feel the anger behind them directed in his direction.
"You should have let me kill him Nick."
"Greg, listen- what's better, him dying of the death penalty and you free, or him dying of a bullet to the head and you in prison?"
Greg seemed to concede to the point and his eyes softened slightly.
"He will get death penalty right?"
"We will make sure of it Greg."
Grissom commented, feeling a little more at ease though he wasn't sure why. He was more than a little relieved at Catherine and Nick's presence.
Greg looked away, and Grissom and Nick took this as their cue to be replaced by Warrick and Sara.
*********************************************************************
Out of the two guests expected to arrive the next day, it was Marc Sidel who arrived first. He seemed friendly, the extroverted sociable type. This surprised the CSI's considerably- they expected him to be more like Sara, quiet and sensitive. Having said this Sara's brother was being considerate and caring towards his sister and even the strangers whom he knew only as his sisters' colleagues.
It seemed to Nick that Marc and Sara had the kind of bond that only siblings could have. Close despite their different personalities; a friendship that probably wouldn't exist were they not related.
The first thing they did was hug, and it was immediately obvious that Marc was the older of the two.
"How are you holding up?"
He asked in concern. Sara looked at him and shook her head.
"I never really thought of my job putting you in danger before now, but...."
"Hey, hey... it's ok. sounds like this guy was a nutcase. He was looking for somebody to blame, that doesn't mean that it was this kid's fault."
She still didn't look entirely reassured, but said forcefully:
"I know it's not Greg's fault! But it still happened, and if Greg wasn't a CSI lab tech it wouldn't have happened."
"Sara listen, I've never been as smart as you but I know this: Greg was just doing his job. This psycho guy was looking for revenge, because Greg did his job well. It happens to police, doctors, firemen- people look for someone to blame; it's human nature. But if one psycho stops thousands of people becoming doctors or police, or CSI or CSI lab technicians, or whatever- they win. And the people who lose are the innocent people who would have been saved, the ill or injured, or the victims of crime. Do you understand that?"
The other CSI's stared at him after this little speech in admiration. Warrick spoke.
"Sara you're brother's right."
Sara nodded and blinked back some tears. She changed the subject.
"Do you know when Greg's father is arriving?"
Grissom looked at his watch.
"He should have arrived by now; taken into account time to get settled into a hotel I would guess he'll be in around midday."
Sara noticed her brother's eyes light up with joy and turned to see what the cause of this was. Catherine had come in with Lindsey. Marc smiled.
"Who is this beautiful princess who stands before me?"
He said as he knelt to her level.
"I'm Lindsey, are you a friend of Greg's?"
Lindsey said solemnly.
"I'm Sara's brother, I've never met Greg, what's he like?"
"He's funny and he gives me sweets. Sometimes he tells me sciencey stuff and how to catch naughty people..."
Grissom raised an eyebrow at Catherine and she looked away innocently.
"...but mommy said he's upset because somebody hurt his family and now they're gone."
Marc looked at her sadly.
"That's why he needs us all to help him and make sure he knows he has another family that will make sure he's ok."
Lindsey nodded.
Their conversation was interrupted by a new arrival. In through the revolving hospital doors, the unshaven face of a man in distress appeared and none of the staff so much as blinked. With bloodshot eyes and uncombed hair the man walked over to them, glancing at their CSI badges.
"Jon Sanders."
TBC
In hospital the shaken CSI's gave way to tiredness and collapsed in the waiting room. Nick couldn't stop thinking about the loss Greg had suffered so dramatically and suddenly. He thought of his own family...then quickly tried to avoid that until later, when he was alone. The hospital smelt the same as all hospitals, a disinfectant smell with such connotations of illness and pain that the atmosphere was depressing, and any attempt to lighten that with bright paint or colourful pictures just seemed fake. He didn't expect anyone to say anything, but he tried to give Sara the appropriate amount of attention when she did.
"I haven't called my brother for ages. Last time he phoned his wife had just had another miscarriage. Come to think of it he always seems to phone me."
"Maybe you should give him a call now."
Grissom said simply, and Sara nodded.
"Will you guys..."
"If anything happens we'll let you know."
She smiled in gratitude and left either for a payphone or a quiet area to call from her mobile phone. The others were drawn into a deeper reverie by Sara's comments, knowing that family and friends were in the forefront of everybody's minds.
"I didn't know Sara had a brother."
Nick said suddenly, he didn't want to cry tonight, he felt like he had to stay together for Greg, especially now he didn't have anybody else. The CSI's were all he had left. This realisation sent a shiver down his spine, a feeling he couldn't identify but felt strongly.
"I guess we...don't really know each other that well."
Warrick nodded but Catherine just commented:
"We're work colleagues; so long as we don't not get on we don't get paid to listen to each others' life stories."
"Come on Catherine, we're all on night shift- doesn't leave much room for a social life- how come after shift we never took the time to get to know each other?"
Grissom remained serious in his reply.
"Maybe that says something about night shift CSI's."
"I don't buy that."
Warrick said quickly.
"Look I don't know why we haven't in the past but if we don't pull together to support Greg who will?"
"What about his father?"
"He's coming in from Japan but he won't be in until tomorrow. He was working abroad. When he left he had a happy wife, daughter and son. Now his wife and daughter are dead and his traumatised son is recovering from torture in hospital."
Grissom laid down the facts in his usual way, but while it was useful in cases, the others didn't appreciate it this time as they all looked to the pale blue and cream tiles of the floor striped wildly with various guiding strips of colour.
They returned to a contemplative silence.
*********************************************************************
Sara returned after a couple of hours with a slight smile, though she looked as though she'd been crying.
"So was he happy to hear from you?"
Grissom asked, waking up Catherine and Nick who had drifted off.
"I told him what had happened and he's coming down here tomorrow. It was good to hear from him again."
The others nodded thoughtfully. When the doctor came an hour or so later to tell them they could go in and see Greg, they all felt reluctant. They had been waiting for hours – but the truth was they didn't know what to expect. Catherine Grissom and Nick went in first.
Taking a deep breath it was Catherine who took the lead. Grissom couldn't help but think he was out of his depth; how was he supposed to behave around Greg now? He thankfully took Catherine's lead; somehow she always knew the right thing to do in these kinds of circumstances. Perhaps it was maternal instinct.
"Hey Greg."
Catherine said gently as Greg acknowledged her in the room. Grissom was glad she'd said something, otherwise there would be a prevailing silence as he and Nick choked on the image they saw. Before it was dark, but now they could see Greg in a grey kind of clinical light which seemed to make everyone look ill. His pale skin contrasted horribly against the bruises and cuts. Too many to count. The CSI's had seen too many people dead and alive much worse off than this to be shocked by it; but that wasn't what sent a shiver into them. It was the expression on Greg's face, an expression which didn't seem right on such a vibrant person, someone so young. They recovered themselves quickly for Greg's sake, and out of their daze they realised Catherine was at Greg's bedside holding his hands in hers as she tried her best to comfort him.
They went over.
"How do you feel?"
Grissom asked with concern.
"How do I feel?"
Greg croaked out with some amount of venom in his voice.
"Sorry. Stupid question."
Greg seemed to dismiss him slightly, looking away. His eyes met with Nick's and Nick could feel the anger behind them directed in his direction.
"You should have let me kill him Nick."
"Greg, listen- what's better, him dying of the death penalty and you free, or him dying of a bullet to the head and you in prison?"
Greg seemed to concede to the point and his eyes softened slightly.
"He will get death penalty right?"
"We will make sure of it Greg."
Grissom commented, feeling a little more at ease though he wasn't sure why. He was more than a little relieved at Catherine and Nick's presence.
Greg looked away, and Grissom and Nick took this as their cue to be replaced by Warrick and Sara.
*********************************************************************
Out of the two guests expected to arrive the next day, it was Marc Sidel who arrived first. He seemed friendly, the extroverted sociable type. This surprised the CSI's considerably- they expected him to be more like Sara, quiet and sensitive. Having said this Sara's brother was being considerate and caring towards his sister and even the strangers whom he knew only as his sisters' colleagues.
It seemed to Nick that Marc and Sara had the kind of bond that only siblings could have. Close despite their different personalities; a friendship that probably wouldn't exist were they not related.
The first thing they did was hug, and it was immediately obvious that Marc was the older of the two.
"How are you holding up?"
He asked in concern. Sara looked at him and shook her head.
"I never really thought of my job putting you in danger before now, but...."
"Hey, hey... it's ok. sounds like this guy was a nutcase. He was looking for somebody to blame, that doesn't mean that it was this kid's fault."
She still didn't look entirely reassured, but said forcefully:
"I know it's not Greg's fault! But it still happened, and if Greg wasn't a CSI lab tech it wouldn't have happened."
"Sara listen, I've never been as smart as you but I know this: Greg was just doing his job. This psycho guy was looking for revenge, because Greg did his job well. It happens to police, doctors, firemen- people look for someone to blame; it's human nature. But if one psycho stops thousands of people becoming doctors or police, or CSI or CSI lab technicians, or whatever- they win. And the people who lose are the innocent people who would have been saved, the ill or injured, or the victims of crime. Do you understand that?"
The other CSI's stared at him after this little speech in admiration. Warrick spoke.
"Sara you're brother's right."
Sara nodded and blinked back some tears. She changed the subject.
"Do you know when Greg's father is arriving?"
Grissom looked at his watch.
"He should have arrived by now; taken into account time to get settled into a hotel I would guess he'll be in around midday."
Sara noticed her brother's eyes light up with joy and turned to see what the cause of this was. Catherine had come in with Lindsey. Marc smiled.
"Who is this beautiful princess who stands before me?"
He said as he knelt to her level.
"I'm Lindsey, are you a friend of Greg's?"
Lindsey said solemnly.
"I'm Sara's brother, I've never met Greg, what's he like?"
"He's funny and he gives me sweets. Sometimes he tells me sciencey stuff and how to catch naughty people..."
Grissom raised an eyebrow at Catherine and she looked away innocently.
"...but mommy said he's upset because somebody hurt his family and now they're gone."
Marc looked at her sadly.
"That's why he needs us all to help him and make sure he knows he has another family that will make sure he's ok."
Lindsey nodded.
Their conversation was interrupted by a new arrival. In through the revolving hospital doors, the unshaven face of a man in distress appeared and none of the staff so much as blinked. With bloodshot eyes and uncombed hair the man walked over to them, glancing at their CSI badges.
"Jon Sanders."
TBC