Title: Teach Me
Summary: From the after effects of Grave Danger, the CSI team are faced with the past and repercussions of the lab explosion. And no one takes it harder than the victim himself; Greg. Just my own little mind trying to vent my frustration over TPTB's lack of continuance over "Play With Fire".
A/N: This was technically supposed to be the last chapter. However, my stupid brain isn't letting me do that. There's probably going to be a couple more chapters to annoy you guys with.
Thanks to Fraying for being my beta-reader.
Disclaimer: Don't own CSI and all its characters, whoever owns them, owns them. But it's not me- though I wish.
CHAPTER 6
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"So, how long?"
Grissom peered over his glasses, "I beg your pardon?"
"For a traumatic experience like this to, you know, disappear." Catherine nestled herself further into the chair and cradled her cup of coffee.
"You mean Nick?"
She nodded while taking another sip. "I'm just wondering if he should be back so early. It all seems pretty raw still, even for me; and I wasn't the one trapped in a Plexiglas state of hell."
"Honestly, I wasn't sure if he was going to be back at all."
In response, Catherine merely continued taking her sip of coffee, which Grissom suspected, was fast becoming into a swig of coffee. He waited a moment longer for Catherine to ask again, but since she hadn't, Grissom concentrated on the files opened before him.
'Pancho.'
"How long did it take Greg?"
Looking up at her again, Grissom followed her gaze out of his office window and saw a familiar figure walk pass. After years of working as a CSI and for knowing him so long, Grissom knew when Greg wasn't his usual self. And when he walked by, Grissom figured there was something on the young man's mind.
Catherine was kidnapped, Sara was held hostage, Greg's lab was blown up with him in it, and Nick had been buried alive. Was his team jinxed?
"He seems so unfazed by the explosion."
Catherine's words twisted Grissom out of his thoughts only to slip him deeper into another.
Greg being unfazed by the ordeal wasn't even close to the truth. Grissom reminisced the time when he entered his lab only to find Greg's hands shaking. Grissom told no one about it, having faith that Greg would overcome it.
Before then, Grissom knew Greg to be an eccentric and loud individual, but the explosion had taken a lot out of him and there was barely much of the old lab tech left in him. He had caught Greg staring at the Bunsen burner with a lighter in his hand and that's all he did; stare. It wasn't until Grissom had called out his name a few times before Greg finally snapped out of it and gave a goofy kind of grin.
Eventually, the hand-shaking stopped; but not before Greg would drop by Grissom's office just to talk about anything. Family, friends, coffee, the odd facts of life to even Greg's dislike of literature. Grissom had come to realise why Greg would escape from the lab ever so often. He had admitted it one day, almost to himself, that he was afraid that anything might happen again if he stayed longer than he had to.
It took Grissom time, but he accepted the fact that in the best interest of Greg's, he let the young man begin his field training. Today, Grissom suspected that he did so only to appease his own guilt rather than to keep Greg's sanity. Grissom had thought Greg wouldn't pass a trip to the morgue let alone be a CSI. The plan was that when Greg failed, he would return to the lab content that the grass was never greener on the other side. But Grissom was surprised by Greg's ability and even managed to find the most secluded evidence.
Maybe Grissom had given Greg his chance because he discovered that Greg was becoming more than his student. He was like a son Grissom never had. Everyone here was the closest thing he had to family.
"Greg did take a long time." The night shift supervisor broke his long-standing silence. "He just chose not to publicise it."
The Styrofoam cup made a low rumble as Catherine's fingernails rubbed against it. "And Nick?"
The folders were closed, piled up into a stack by his side while Grissom sank back into his chair and tapped the armrests. "I don't know."
The blonde CSI didn't look happy at such an unfulfilling answer.
"It's not going to be easy. Just be there for him, no matter what." he added.
"Hey Cath,"
Both the supervisors switched their attention towards the door. Warrick stood at the frame, blocking most of the light coming from outside.
"Was looking for you. You said you wanted my report first thing when I came in?" he continued.
"Right…" she whispered and released herself from the chair. "I need to hand out the worksheets, too." Taking two steps forward, she dropped her stare on Grissom. "You heading out or are you still going to be here a while longer?"
All of a sudden, he felt too exhausted to answer her and he did what he could do to avoid speaking; he shrugged.
"Well, see you later then."
The two of them exited his office and left Grissom to his own, surrounded by his pickled specimens and books. There was a slight buzz coming from the fluorescent light above him as it flickered, but only for a millisecond before settling itself back to norm.
Slowly, he retrieved his mobile phone from his pocket and thumbed the keypad. Reading off the screen, Grissom searched for 'G. Sanders', hit the call button, and waited amidst the ringing tone for Greg to answer the phone.
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TBC..
Many thanks to new creation, remoob1513, ladyjr16 and goblz for the reviews.
new creation: Wow, that is one huge compliment, thanks. But if I was really a CSI story writer, you'll see a lot more of Greg. He's probably one of the most underdeveloped characters along with Brass and Robbins.
remoob1513: Yeah, all going back to Greg, probably 'cause I'm a big Greg fan. ;)
Thanks for reading.
-Cheers
Jo