A thanks to death-on-arrival, who poked my CSI plot bunnies out of hibernation a little.

And, yes, this is based on a true story - my own.

A Random Day at the Vegas Crime Lab: I Got…

It was a well known fact that Gregory Sanders was going to spend two weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was also common knowledge that he was leaving to go to the tropical island right after his shift ended tonight. And it was only a comatose man who could not tell that the youngest CSI was ecstatic about the event.

Throughout the entire week, his co-workers had had to endure the incessant explanations about where he was going, what he had planned to do and what he was going to see.

"I got a picture that my mom gave me when she and my dad went there," he told Grissom early in their shift on Monday, while they were processing a car. "They had hiked down to see to lava flow into the sea on the island's south side."

He was going to go Scuba Diving on the island's west side twice during the trip, then a third time at night so that he could see the enormous creatures called 'Manta Rays'; he was going to go to Hilo and see if it was as rainy as everyone said it was; he was going to go to the Volcano National Park and walk through calderas and lava tubes; he, like his parents, was going hike down to see the lava flows; he was going to go up both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa just to say that he had been on two of the world's tallest mountains (1); he was going to go on a helicopter tour so that he could go around the entire island in under three hours and, above that…

"I got green sand of all things when a friend went there a few years ago," he said to Warrick, completely oblivious to the fact that he might as well have been conversing with the lockers around him. "So I want to hike down there and get some sand (2) and take a few pictures."

Then, of course, he wanted to go to the Farmer's Market in Kona because, apparently, there were some really interesting things for sale there, and a "Place of Refuge"(3), which was sacred to ancient Hawaiians. One evening, though, he made the decision that he had to see a Lu'au (4).

"Because I got a video of a part of a Lu'au," he explained to a glassy-eyes Sara as they went through the tedious task of cataloguing evidence. "They have fire dancers at some of them and it's amazing what they can do…"

And so, the whole Crime Lab punctuated the air with a collective sigh of relief as the sun rose over Las Vegas and Greg, grinning madly, clocked out and meandered to his car. He waved madly as he drove past them – which they returned only half-heartedly – and began making his was to McCarren International Airport.

The following week at the Vegas Crime Lab was blessedly quiet. The nightshift staff would quite often receive random text messages from their absent colleague, though, such as the "I got lei'd!!" text that Nick received two days after Greg had departed, or Catherine's find, which stated "I got to see a SHARK!!"

At one point during the first week of the young CSI's absence, Archie received an e-mail with thirty pictures attached, revealing several species of tropical fish, half a dozen of a shark, a few more of some rather attractive hula dancers and some more of slowly flowing lava. The e-mail proper was addressed to everyone at the lab, promising macadamia nuts or coconuts or leis – or all three – as souvenirs for "the unfortunate souls left behind".

The last they heard from Greg was through a text message to Warrick that exclaimed "I got to see some lava!!"

Then, all messages stopped without warning and he seemed to fall off the face of the Earth.

Finally, the day came – Greg was due back at the Crime Lab for his first shift in two weeks. While not exactly worried, many of his co-workers were curious as to why he had stopped contacting them so abruptly and, as a result, where waiting for him in the locker room.

There was much joking about how many of Greg's sentences would begin with "I got…". All went suddenly quiet, though, as the subject of their conversations entered the room.

Wearing long sleeves and pants, but still unable to hide the fact that he was lobster red from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, the young CSI glared at aoo of them as though challenging them to comment on his appearance.

"What?" He finally grumbled, as they continued to stare. "I got a sunburn."

Footnotes:

(1) Both mountains (actually, volcanoes) are about 14 000 feet tall above sea level, but extend over 18 000 feet below sea level. Measuring about 32 000 feet, they are actually the world's two tallest mountains, with Everest coming in third.

(2) It's really a black sand beach with particles of a semi-precious stone called olivine it in (long story how it got there). It's actually illegal to take the stuff, if I'm not mistaken.

(3) The Place of Refuge on the Big Island is known as "Pu'uhonua o Honaunau". Those who broke the ancient laws ("Kapu") were sentenced to death but, if they could make it to a Place of Refuge, they could take part in rituals and be forgiven by the god - and the other Hawaiians.

(4) Elaborate Hawaiian feast with hula dancers, singers, ukuleles and fire dancers as entertainment. Still done often for the amusement of tourists.

Final note: If you get a sunburn, and you don't want it to get worse (because, when I was there, it slowly got worse as the day wore on, even when I was inside), take a lukewarm-ish shower as soon as you realize you got on and put on aloe on it. Ice feels good, too.

In Hawaii (or any tropical place), use at least SPF 25 sunscreen if you're not used to the sun, and SPF 15 even if you are.

Cheers!

xCxBxBx