4) The Ever-Growing List

Weeks had passed since his glowing blood trace incident and it had been busy. It was the first time he'd been able to return to The Wall. He was itching to add a couple lines of a song he'd heard earlier that week, something with a lot of angst.

Greg slipped into the room and flicked on the light switch. He looked for a spot but his eyes stopped at the list he'd begun earlier. Items had been added under his three. Greg walked over, reading the writing. He recognized all the handwriting, save one. He guessed that one was Gina's. Added to the list were:

4. May no longer admit to a superior, no matter how calm he or she may normally be, that you don't know where you put the trace results. (Hodge's handwriting.)

5. Can't convince a rooky that you are in charge of the lab without knowing where the person who is really in charge is standing at the time. (Hodge's handwriting.)

6. Never admit to swing or graveyard that you have drunk the last Mountain Dew. (Archie's handwriting.)

7. Never tell your partner or superior how a victim looks like Carmen when he was shot. (Sara'shandwriting. What!? When did she do that? he wondered.)

8. Not allowed to blame medical and criminology misspellings on the Microsoft Dog™. (Bobby's handwriting.)

9. Not allowed to perform religious rights for deceased vermin caught in the line of fire. (Archie's handwriting. What was that about? Greg wondered.)

10. Not allowed to write and install applications on supervisor computers that do any of the following: warn him/her of a fake virus, give blue or black "screen of death", portrays an emergency firewall breech, or makes the computer continuously reboot. (Archie's handwriting. He had far too much time on his hands.)

11. Not allowed to write or install this application on ANY computer in the lab. (Sara's handwriting.)

12. Not allowed to compliment a man on his nice brass, even if it is exceptionally well formed in a certain type of tight Levis. (Suspected Gina's handwriting. He was going to have to pry who she wrote that about.)

13. May not replace a superior's camera card with a blank card as a practical joke. (Sara's handwriting.)

14. My name is CSI Sidle, not Princess Mononoke. (Sara? She watched Princess Mononoke? He learned something new about her every time he came in this room! Wait… When did she ever refer to herself as Princess Mononoke and where was he when that happened?)

Greg was laughing hard by the time he reached fourteen. He grabbed a chair and climbed up to add:

15. Black magic is only allowed off duty.

16. Not allowed to make wanted posters of co-workers we wish would go away, even if they are a stupid under-sheriff.

17. Not allowed to form gothic bands with the DNA strands on the computer.

18. Not allowed to title any case file "Get Over It."

19. Never use the centrifuge to mix drinks.

Greg stepped down and grabbed the chair. He sat the chair back down. It would be good incentive for the others to continue the list. Greg sat the piece of chalk on the seat and left. He would have to come back as soon as he could to see what else he would learn about his fellow wall writers.