Title: Epilogues
Chapter 4
Spoilers: "Playing with Fire," "Grave Danger"
Notes on this Chapter: This is about one week after Nick's ordeal.
PATIENT: Greg Sanders
COUNSELOR: Dr. Matthew Harris
DATE: May 26, 2005
The following is a partial transcript of the mandatory post-traumatic counseling session for Greg Sanders, Las Vegas Crime Lab.
Sanders: No, the dream's the same every night. I'm working in my lab, and I smell something burning.
Harris: What does it smell like?
Sanders: Plastic. Anyway, I smell the plastic, and I go turn to see what it is. Then, Warrick—I work with him—well, he runs into the lab, and he has a shovel. And I'm like, "Warrick, man, what's the shovel for?" And he says, "Are you stupid, Sanders? Nick's buried under the lab."
Harris: (coughs) Then what?
Sanders: Well, I say, "Nick's not under the lab." But then, I believe him. I don't know why, and we start to dig. And then Catherine runs in and says, "You have to get out of the lab. It's gonna blow up." And then I ask her why she'd want to blow Nick up. Then I smell the plastic even stronger. It almost makes me sick.
Harris: Go on, Greg.
Sanders: What are you writing?
Harris: I'm just taking notes to help me remember what we talk about.
Sanders: I thought that's what the tape was for.
Harris: It is. Has the lab ever blown up in your dream?
Sanders: No. I wake up smelling the burning plastic. Is that necessary?
Harris: Hmm? Is what necessary?
Sanders: Do you have to write down everything I say?
Harris: Does it make you uncomfortable?
Sanders: (brief comment, muffled)
Harris: I can put them away. Do you ever see Nick in the dream?
Sanders: No, but I can feel his presence.
Harris: How so?
Sanders: (coughs) I can't explain it. I just feel him.
Harris: Do you ever see the ants?
Sanders: I probably will now. Thanks for putting it in my head.
Harris: (laughter) It sounds like Nick's recent experience is merging with your experience in the lab.
Sanders: Wow. That's brilliant. No wonder they pay you a mint.
Harris: You have some hostility.
Sanders: No I don't. I was just being snarky.
Harris: Snarky?
Sanders: Never mind.
Harris: You had an episode at the hospital.
Sanders: (sighs) It's no big deal.
Harris: You were sedated.
Sanders: So I was sedated. Maybe the hospital staff overreacted.
Harris: Do you think they overreacted?
Sanders: I just said maybe. I don't know. Whatever.
Harris: Do you have any hostility toward Warrick or Catherine?
Sanders: My "episode" wasn't hostile.
Harris: I never said it was. I asked if you had any hostility toward Warrick and Catherine.
Sanders: We were talking about the hospital. You just jump to Warrick and Catherine?
Harris: Do you want to talk about the hospital?
Sanders: No.
Harris: Let's talk about Warrick and Catherine.
Sanders: Why would I have any hostility toward them?
Harris: You tell me.
Sanders: I don't.
Harris: You're closer to Nick than you are to Warrick.
Sanders: Yeah, so?
Harris: So do you resent the fact that Nick was—
Sanders: Don't you even imply that I would want Warrick to be the one who got kidnapped. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone! Catherine could have assigned that case to either of them.
Harris: But she didn't assign it to anyone. Nick wound up with it.
Sanders: (muffled)
Harris: And in your dream, you ask her why she'd want to blow Nick up.
Sanders: That's just a nightmare. She wouldn't blow Nick up.
Harris: She blew up the lab, though, didn't she? With you in it.
Sanders: We're done here.