Disclaimer; I do not own CSI or the characters in the show which are the property of CBS Broadcasting Inc and Alliance-Atlantis Communications. No copyright infringement is intended. Nor money made.
AN: " " talking
: …. : signing (assume someone is translating to English unless otherwise stated!
Thank to Missing Fairy for beta-ing!
"Hi I'm Catherine Willows, with the Las Vegas crime lab," Catherine introduced herself. The women on the trolley in front of her seemed tense. Catherine set her kit down.
"I would like to process you for..."
"No," the women in the bed cut her off. Catherine was a little shocked.
"Ms Sanders…"
"Hampton, it's Hampton and it's Mrs." she snapped, Catherine took a deep breath.
"Okay, Mrs Hampton the best chance we have of catching who ever hurt you and your family comes from having all the evidence," Catherine was trying to be patient, she had dealt with difficult victims before. The woman scoffed at her;
"Yeah, because you really care a lot about my family – after all you've only blown one of us up," she sneered. Catherine froze, she hadn't expected that.
"Mrs Hampton, that was an accident and no-one feels worse then I do about Greg getting caught in the blast," her voice was shaking slightly as she spoke.
"You're sorry, so that makes everything alright. Tell you what – if someone hurt your daughter and then wanted you help what would you do?" fierce green eyes fixed on with Catherine's blue ones. Catherine nodded and removed the gloves she had put on.
"Sorry to have bothered you, Mrs Hampton," she said as she left the cubicle.
Outside, Catherine lent against the wall and tried to calm down.
"Cath?" Brass' concerned voice made her open her eyes, she gave him a weak smile
"Hey,"
"How's it going?"
"Not good. We're going to need to get one of the others up here to process Mrs
Hampton, probably Nick, he's good with people" she reported, Brass looked confused. Catherine snorted.
"It appears that she blames me for Greg getting caught in the lab explosion." She explained quietly. Brass winced
"Ouch. I thought that you and Greg were good,"
"We are, apparently it's a different story with his family," she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Okay, you phone Nicky, I'll go see if any of the survivors are prepared to talk," with that she collected her kit and headed off. Brass made the call and explained the situation, Nick was more then happy to have an excuse to head over to the hospital. Brass then entered the cubicle that Catherine had just been thrown out of.
"Miss Sanders, I'm sorry it's Mrs Hampton isn't it? Even though you still use your maiden name in the band" he said with a false smile.
"Well you know who I am, who the hell are you?" she sneered not a bit intimidated.
"I'm Captain Jim Brass with the LVPD – work with both your brother and Catherine Willows, and it's the funniest thing I didn't realise that Greg had a problem with
Catherine, in fact I thought they were friends," he said sweetly, Katy rolled her eyes.
"Yeah well Greg is a soft touch," she snapped
"So he needs a big sister like you to look out for him," he said as if coming to some great revelation.
"He's my son," she said quietly. Brass froze for a second
"What you confessing to another crime?" he asked sarcastically, Katy rolled her eyes
"Aris and Gecko – Greg are my kids. I adopted them when got I married," she spoke as if he was an idiot.
"Why would you do that?" he pressed and for the first time that evening Katy looked uncomfortable.
"That is so none of your business," she muttered. Brass grinned at her.
"Maybe, maybe not, but there would have to be a good reason for the CPA allow you to adopt your siblings. So naturally now I'm going to find out," he gloated, Katy swallowed heavily.
"What do you want?"
"Excuse me?" Brass said
"What do you want to let sleeping dogs lie?" she explained
"Lay off, Catherine," he warned
"Done," she said quickly, Brass looked at her. She wasn't uncomfortable, she was scared. Brass nodded but made a mental note to pull the file anyway.
"Hi, I'm Catherine Willows I'm with the Las Vegas crime lab. I would like to process you for trace evidence," she smiled at the man in the bed. He grinned back at her.
"I'm Dan Langston, and not meaning to sound like a bad cliché but why to I recognise you name?" he asked, she cocked her head to one side.
"Ah probably because I work with Greg Sanders" she hedged hoping to get what she needed before he threw her out. He frowned
"Greg…Sanders, I know Aris and Katy Sanders. Gecko? Gecko's first name is Greg? Huh, learn something new everyday. Anyway Gecko don't really talk about his work, just said he was a rat what ever that means," Dan frowned trying to piece everything together. Catherine sighed when his eyes went wide, today was going to be bad for her ego.
"You're the one who got him blown up aren't you?" he asked.
Catherine nodded.
"Shit, I hope you haven't seen the harpies yet," he exclaimed
"Harpies?" Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"Katy and Aris – they aren't exactly fans,"
"Yeah, I just met the elder one," Catherine said ruefully. Dan started to laugh and then winced in pain.
"Oh man, I would have paid to seen that, although I'm guessing Kat isn't feeling to well right now, you still have all your limbs,"
"She threw me out. You going to do the same?" she challenged. Dan shrugged.
"Look, if it will make you feel better I can, but the way Gecko tells it you made a mistake – it was an accident. I've gotta say though, it's nice to finally meet the only person ever to cause those three to actually fight!" he sounded kind of awed.
Catherine winced.
"Well that's something to be proud of," she said sarcastically.
Dan shrugged.
"I call it how I see it. Look, Gecko forgives you and the other just want someone to blame – they'll get come round one they meet you. They find it impossible to stay mad at people they know."
"Well that's reassuring," she muttered digging through her kit for everything she would need.
Grissom threw the last pair of gloved into the bin. He'd found quite a large amount of trace on Greg, including a fibre in his neck wound, the dye from his hair had combed out , Gil hoped it wouldn't compromise the sample too much. The lab tech was lying back on the pillows, he had been crying silently since Grissom had found and documented the bruises on his hips and upper thighs. He had debating asking if he needed to run a rape kit but the doctors would have mentioned that sort of injury to Catherine earlier. When he asked Greg if he should stop he had just shaken his head, but it was probably the hardest process he'd ever done. He perched on the side of the bed and stroked the tears off Greg's face; they were quickly replaced by more.
"Greg, please tell me what's wrong?" he asked softly, Greg just shook his head silently. Gil got a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"I didn't hurt you did I?" he whispered.
:No: Greg signed, Gil let out the breath he had not been aware that he had been holding.
"Greg, what's upset you, I can't help if I don't know,"
:I'm being stupid and the drugs are taking away some of my control:
"Doing something stupid has never stopped you sharing it in the past," Gil said trying to keep a straight face, Greg let out a chuff or air that might have been a laugh,
:I'm ashamed:
"You have nothing to be ashamed of Greg, you have done nothing wrong and we will get the bastards responsible," Gil said with absolute confidence. Greg shuddered; being the focus of Gil's attention was a little overwhelming. As was the suppressed rage he felt rolling off his boss. He was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that temper this time. Gil slowly worked a hand behind Greg's shoulders and used it to lift him up. He pulled Greg forward carefully until he had the lab tech cradled against his chest. Gil carded a hand through Greg's hair, since he'd combed it the gel had let go leaving it softer then Gil would have imagined. Greg had tensed when Gil first embraced him but now relaxed allowing the older man to take his weight. He wasn't sure what had caused this new touchy-feely Grissom but he wasn't going to object. Greg turned his head so his cheek was resting on Gil's shoulder and closed his eyes. Gil sat there for a moment running his hand up and down Greg's back. Greg fell asleep on Gil. The CSI didn't have the heart to put him back down just yet. So he kept hold. That was how Brass found them 10 minutes later.
"Something you want to share, Gil?" he asked sounding amused. His voice startled Greg awake, he looked at Brass and blushed when he noticed he was still in Gil's arms. Gil smiled at him before responding to Brass.
"No Jim, nothing I want to share. Come and give me a hand to get him back down," Gil said as he slowly manoeuvred Greg so he could help him back without hurting him. Brass came round the other side and braced Greg's back with one arm and assisted Gil. Once Greg was back on the bed Gil collected his kit and was preparing to leave when Brass decided to broach Greg about his discussion with Katy.
"Greg, were you ever adopted?" Brass asked directly knowing there was no easy way to discuss this. Gil stopped what he was doing and focused on Greg.
:I don't know:
"You don't know?" Brass sounded incredulous
:Long story and not a pleasant one:
"Well Mrs Hampton seemed pretty clear," Brass pushed
:Then she's probably telling you the truth, which means she has been lying to me for 10 years: Greg turned his head to the side and looked very forlorn.
"Care to enlighten me?" Brass looked at the lab tech; he suddenly seemed very small, swamped in the hospital bed.
:No I'm tired:
"Okay, Greg. Feel better alright?" Brass said before leaving. Gris hung back a moment;
"You know you did that to Catherine and Warrick too," he pointed out
:I won't tell them if you don't I thought it was politer then piss off: Gil smiled
"Sure thing, Greg. Get some rest okay?" He pulled the door closed on his way out.
"Hello Ma'am, I'm Nick Stokes I'm with the Las Vegas crime lab…"
"Clothing is under the bed, I'm full of sedative and watching the monkeys climbing the curtains and not going to move sorry," Katy was slurring slightly because of the pain meds. Nick smiled.
"That's okay Ma'am just don't go to sleep on me,"
"No problem,"
Catherine met up with Gris, Brass and Nick in the main foyer. Nick was chewing on a bagel he'd picked up in the canteen.
"How'd you get on with the Harpies, Nick?"
"Harpies?" Nick choked; Catherine grinned and patted him on the back
"It's what the other band members call them?"
"You do realise that they happen to be Greg's sisters and victims in a serious attack don't you?"
"Yes but neither of those things mean I have to like them," she said
"Are you Captain Brass?" a strong male voice asked from behind the group, they turned to see a formal man in his mid-thirties. He wore a tailored suit and was carrying a brief case
"Yeah I'm Brass, who are you?"
"I'm here in as the aid to the legal representation of NI3."
"Legal representation a 2-bit band has a lawyer on retainer?"
"They are more then a 2-bit band, Sir and my company Hampton, Clark and Clare are responsible for the band name and the members. I am just here out of courtesy to inform the LVPD that all members of NI3 are being transported to Formyer Clinic at this address. Negotiations are being made to transfer Mr Sanders as well," With that the man handed Brass a card with an address and left.
"What just happened?" Nick asked looking over Brass' shoulder at the address.
"Good question" Brass replied.