Chapter 4
Sean looked down at the small child attached to his arm. The hospital employees had taken Gemma Brown and rushed her away, leaving him alone with her small daughter. Jessica looked up at him, her eyes wide with apprehension.
"Hey? What's the matter?"
"I want my Daddy!" She began to sob.
"He's at work Miss Jessica." Sean frowned, curious why the man wasn't with his wife and child. He began wondering if the nurses could look after Jessica. He didn't want them to call social services, and she was too young to sit in the waiting room by herself.
"Mommy twied to call him. His phone didn't wook." Jessica sniffed, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose.
"Do you know his phone number?" He asked hoping that the young child would know the number. He was really at a loss for what to do.
"No."
"Do you know where he works?" He looked at the child, wondering if he should trust directions given to him by such a small child.
"Yeah. I been to Daddy's Wook." Jessica looked at him as if he should have known the answer to the question without asking.
"Where?" Sean questioned, waiting for her to answer. "Where does he work?"
"In a big bowding. In Gwampa's wab."
"Uh…… Do you know where the building is?" From what Sean could gather, Warrick Brown did some sort of work, possibly with the authorities. He wasn't sure what a 'Cwimagist' was, but it had something to do with cases. Now, he knew it involved a large building and what he guessed was a lab.
"Next to the powice bowding." Jessica answered, as if that explained everything.
"Alright." Frowning, Sean looked around, wondering if he could be arrested for kidnapping if he took the child out of the hospital. No, he rationalized to himself; he was taking her to find her father. Sean stopped a passing hospital employee and got directions to the nearest police station. Leading the girl out of the hospital, he only hoped that it was the correct police station.
"Tha's Daddy's Wook!" Jessica called out several minutes later. She pointed at a building next to the police station. "He on the number four. One, two, three, four."
"Alright." Sean agreed. Taking the girls hand again, he let her lead him into the building. She led him to the nearest elevator, acting as if she had been in the place before. She pushed the fourth floor button and beamed at him proudly.
"Daddy wooks hewe." She told him with a smile.
"Evidently so." Sean smiled back. He liked the kid. She was a cute kid. Her energy reminded him of his oldest daughter at this age. Sadly, his daughters were in there teens. Free smiles were rare once they got interested in boys.
The elevator dinged and the doors rolled open. "Hi Judy!" Jessica called out as they stepped out of the elevator. "I'm hewe!"
"Jessica?" The woman at the receptionist desk looked from the little girl to the man holding her hand. Her eyes widened nervously.
"We hewe to get my Daddy!" Jessica informed her.
"I'll….., see……, if she…., er-ah-he is here." She picked up the phone, punching in the numbers to page every CSI on the graveyard shift. Gil was the first to respond. "Mr. Grissom!" Judy called out, waving him over as he came into the hall. Gil was looking around curiously, as if wondering who was paging him from the front desk.
"Did you page me, Judy?"
"Hi Gwampa!" Jessica cried out, dancing beside Sean, still holding his hand. She was waving frantically.
"Jess?" Gil looked puzzled, looking from the strange man, to his granddaughter, to the receptionist. "What's going on?" What's Jessica doing here?" Who are you?"
"Gwampa, this is my fwiend, Mwista Sean." Jessica introduced him politely, tugging Sean forward. "Mwista Sean….., he my Gwampa. He name Gil Gwissom."
"You did that very well." Sean complimented the little girl before turning his attention to the man. The man looked a cross between perplexed and angry. "Mr. Grissom?" He assumed the name was Grissom and not Gwissom. "We're looking for Warrick Brown?"
Gil opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted when a very tall, irate black man came around the corner and charged over to them. Warrick demanded angrily, "What the hell are you doing with Jessica! Where is Gemma?"
Nick was hot on his tail, trying to catch hold of him before he did something foolish. Grissom put a hand out, holding Warrick back. Seeing that his pal was successfully stopped, Nick played the ever-friendly peacemaker. Putting on his "Texas Charm, he smiled as he stepped between his friend and the man with Jessica. "Hey Jess. What-cha doing here?"
"Warrick Brown?" The man offered his hand to Nick. "My name is Sean Arthur." Nick opened his mouth but no sound came out. No one had ever mistaken him for Warrick before. He was utterly speechless.
"Sean Arthur." Warrick growled, narrowing his eyes as he glared at the man. "You're the guy that keeps coming to the house. Where's my wife? What the hell are you doing with my daughter?"
"Mwista Sean tooked Mommy to the house table!" Jessica pulled on Warrick's pant leg. "My baby wanted to come see me."
"What?" Warrick gasped, paling as he looked down at his daughter.
"We tooked Mommy to the house table."
"Gemma's having the baby?" Gil repeated, looking to the man. Sean Arthur nodded, staring at Warrick as if he were a phantom.
Nick was the first to take action. "Gris, maybe you should drive Rick to the hospital. I'll take care of Jess and talk to Mr. Arthur."
"Yes." Gil took Warrick by the arm and led him to the elevator. The big man went docilely, clearly in shock. Nick watched them disappear then turned to the stranger. Ever since Warrick had stepped forward, the man had gone silent and pale.
"That was Warrick Brown?" He finally questioned.
"But…., he's black." The man sputtered.
"Yes." Nick drawled. "He is-"
"I-I-I never considered that he could be….., a black man." Sean Arthur released Jessica's hand so he could run his fingers through his hair. Just then, Catherine and Sara came rounding the corner.
"Wow." Catherine murmured. "Who is that with Nicky? Hubba-hubba!"
"I don't know who that is, but I'd sure like to know." Sara agreed. Nick heard their comments and frowned in disapproval. The women didn't pay much attention, Nick was the resident "Mr. Nice Guy, he wouldn't make too big of a deal.
"Sara…., Cath…., can you take Jess to the break room. I'm pretty sure Greg is there, he can play vids with Jess or something?" Nick asked.
"Unca Gweggo!" Jessica beamed, happily skipping along with the women in search of Greg.
"See you in a bit Jess." Nick called after the little girl. When she was out of sight, he turned back to the man. "Would you like to sit down Mr. Arthur? You look like you're in shock yourself."
"Could it be the wrong Warrick Brown?" Perhaps I have been led to the wrong man."
"I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for, but if this wrong turn made you help Gemma when she needed it…, I'm grateful." Nick led the man to a quieter place, Grissom's office.
"I have been looking for Warrick Brown for a year. This is the only Warrick Brown born in Las Vegas that I've been able to find…, it must be him! It's not a common name. I only found one more man with that name and he's in a rest home in Florida."
"Mr. Arthur…., perhaps I could help if I knew why you've been looking for Warrick? Or…., any Warrick." Nick offered.
"Not just any Warrick. Warrick Edward Brown." Sean frowned. He looked at Nick with interest. Swallowing roughly, he continued. "The Warrick Brown that I'm looking for is my brother."