Issues by SLynn

Disclaimer: I own only the thoughts in my head and the characters you don't recognize.

Chapter 11: Lack of Sleep

The next day had been rough. Again Greg showed up extremely early. He'd little more then three hours sleep in a full day and a half. Amy took one look at him, said he looked like hell and ordered him out of the lab. She wasn't going to turn over anything to him until he got some sleep.

Sulking, he headed off towards the break room, inexplicably getting lost and ending up instead in the locker room. Too tired to continue on he decided to rest on the bench and before he'd known it had shut his eyes.

The next thing he knew someone was shouting his name.

"What are you doing in here?" Nick asked.

Greg mumbled something about the time, sat up and rubbed his back. Sleeping on a bench, he decided, wasn't the smartest move.

"Almost eight."

"Really?" Greg asked surprised as he continued to stretch.

"How long you been here?" Nick asked, opening his own locker to retrieve his things.

"About three hours maybe."

"And you slept here the whole time?"

"Unless I sleep walk."

"That's going to hurt."

"It already does," Greg countered standing now and still rubbing his back.

"Why don't you just go home?"

"Because, after being verbally reprimanded by all of the division heads simultaneously, one shouldn't call in sick."

"Greggo, you look bad."

"If I only had a nickel for every time I've heard that I could retire in Fiji."

"Sara will be back soon, get a ride home with her."

"No."

"Listen to me. Amy will cover for you until I can locate a temp."

"No," Greg said, heading for the door. Nick jogged a few steps until he caught him.

"You're just going to make yourself sick. You're not sleeping, when's the last time you ate?"

"Nick, I'm ignoring you now," Greg said starting to feel his temper flare. "It'll be easier once you stop talking."

"You need to stop."

"No, I need to get to work," Greg said turning on him as they reached the lab. Amy, just inside the door was watching with interest.

"Amy, help me out here? He can't work like this." Nick implored.

"Didn't you sleep at all?" she asked looking Greg over once for confirmation.

"Okay, doesn't involve you," Greg said to Amy and then wheeled on Nick. "Actually, doesn't involve you either. Just give me the changeover Amy and you can go."

Amy looked at Nick, unsure if she should do it or not. Earlier it had been an idle threat.

"Listen," Greg barked at her, "I may have lost my old job but I still have seniority over you. Now give me the changeover."

"Three samples under the hood, CODIS is searching for a match from the swabs you took yesterday and I just cleared two blood samples for a case Grissom's on." Amy answered, her face was blank but her eyes were sharp.

"Thank you," Greg replied, still just as angry as before.

Amy said nothing more, just gave him a very tight smile and pushed the clipboard into his chest as she walked out of the lab. Nick stepped out of her way, looking down and shaking his head.

"Greg…"

"Don't. Okay, just don't."

Nick didn't say anything more, just followed down the hall after Amy.

He felt bad, but he didn't go after them. Greg didn't mean to snap at his friends. Didn't want them angry at him, knowing they were only trying to help. And they were right. He really shouldn't be working right now, not like this. In all honesty, he couldn't even remember the drive to work.

Turning around, Greg scanned the lab with a frown.

"She didn't," he mumbled under his breath. But she most definitely did.

Near as he could figure, Amy must be as much of a control freak as he was or last night had been incredibly slow. Greg, checking the cabinets and counters, couldn't believe it. She'd actually taken the time to rearrange everything back to where she'd had before he'd moved it all yesterday.

Shaking his head, angry again, he started moving the supplies once more out of the cabinets and back to where he knew they belonged.

"What's going on?" Sara asked from the door. Two days in a row now he'd been caught waist deep in a cabinet on the floor. This time he didn't bump his head getting out.

"I'm cleaning."

"Not this," Sara said, waving an arm through the lab, "with you."

At his clueless expression, she stepped in closer. Greg saw that she was upset too, saw it in her eyes. Sara rarely let the emotion get out onto her face, but the warning signs were all there. She was getting ready to explode.

"Amy is crying," she said in a tight whisper.

"Oh man," Greg said, running a hand across his neck. "I didn't… I'm sorry…"

"It's not me you should be saying sorry too."

"Where is she?" he asked feeling really terrible now.

"Not yet," Sara said, stopping him before he got out of the lab, "Just give her some time. I think she's more angry then upset."

Greg rubbed and hand across his eyes, nodding in agreement.

"Besides, Nick might take your head off," Sara said without further comment. "What happened?"

"Let's just say that there were questions about my ability to do my job."

Sara looked at him, really looked for the first time. She'd been too angry before to notice, but Greg looked dead on his feet.

"So you didn't get back to sleep."

"No, but Warrick did tuck me in like you asked."

"Greg," she said with a sigh, "I didn't like leaving you alone after that. I should have told you first."

"No, you should have asked me first. I can take care of myself."

"I don't want a fight right now," she said, knowing that's what this was building too.

"Fine, we won't fight. Just let me get to work."

"What, rearranging the lab? Again? Greg, you need rest. This is not normal."

"No, I need everyone to stop telling me what to do."

"Have it your way then," she said turning to go. Sara now just as angry as the rest.

Greg, an hour later and having finished his reorganization, felt much calmer but not any better about himself. He couldn't remember being this tired before, ever. Not even when he'd been cramming for finals his last year of college. It was so bad, like his blood had been replaced with lead.

Unable to stop himself, and really without knowing he'd done it, he fell asleep.

Sophia, looking for her results, found him there just before eleven. Greg, sitting in his chair with his head buried in his arms resting on the lab table. Snoring even. She shook his arm lightly and said his name.

"What?" he asked with a jump on her third attempt.

She just smiled and waited for it to dawn on him.

"Was I asleep?" he asked suddenly getting to his feet and checking his watch. Sure enough, almost two hours were gone.

"It's tough adjusting from graveyard to days," was all she said.

Greg, despite her friendliness yesterday, had expected a reprimand.

"It won't happen again, I've just, yeah. It hasn't been easy."

Sophia nodded, but said nothing more.

"You probably want your results."

Now she smiled.

"Okay," Greg said turning around and regaining his bearings. "Looks like you've got a near hit."

"Near?" she asked, looking at him with surprise.

"Yeah," he said showing her the print out. "The swap you took off of Davies didn't match, but the genetic make up is similar. Very similar. I'd say you were looking for this guy's brother."

Sophia nodded at him, taking the results and thanking him before starting to go.

"You know," she said, stopping at the door and getting his attention once more. "I'm heading out to a scene after I call the detective about Mr. Davies' brother here. Nothing noteworthy just a hit and run on the east side. Why don't you grab your gear and come with me?"

"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Greg asked, not nearly as amused as he sounded.

"No," she answer, her face set.

"Well, I can't. I'm working here. You were on the board remember?"

"You didn't go into the field as a lab tech?"

"Yeah, sometimes but only because Grissom knew I wanted too."

Sophia continued to fix him with a stare. It made him a bit uneasy, like she was questioning him her eyes.

"It's not like Ecklie is going to let me."

"Ecklie is off today."

She didn't have to say anymore. He understood. Greg smiled at her as way of an answer. Not just smiled, grinned.