I'm glad you guys like the story! Off to chapter 2, then!
Greg went home rather disappointed and confused. He didn't understand how this could put his job in danger in any way. He didn't think it was fair.
After trying to unwind by watching some TV, there was a knock at the door.
"Hello Mr. Sanders. My name is Scott Ribeiro and I'd like to ask you some questions."
"...I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm writing a story about Nancy Grace. I'd like you to answer me some questions about the case."
Greg stared at the journalist's I.D. Ribeiro was holding up. He needed a moment to grasp the situation.
"In your profesional oppinion, do you think she did it?" the journalist asked while holding up a recorder.
"I'm fine, Russell! This is ridiculous!" Greg was anxiously walking up and down in a doctor's waiting room.
Russell's eyes followed him. "It's the only way to ensure you really are fine. You can get back to work if this doctor gives his okay."
"...If? What, you think there's a chance he won't?"
Russell rolled his eyes over Greg's sensitivity at the moment. "Of course not. You're doing a great job, you know that."
Greg sighed. He finally sat down next to Russell. They sat together in silence for a few minutes until Greg got called into the doctor's office.
Almost an hour later, Greg walked back out into the waiting room with a relieved smile on his face, sitting down next to Russell again. "He says I have nothing to worry, my memory's fine."
Russell patted him on the back. "That's great. I'll get the report to the D.A. I'll let you know when you can come back to work." Russell got off his seat.
Greg kept seated. "Wait, what? I thought I could go back to work today."
"No, you'll have to wait for the D.A. to give us the green light."
"...But I'm fine, we have proof of that."
Russell shook his head. "Denham could question it, you know how these things work."
Greg had to be back in court again. Denham really was ambitious and tried everything to get his client free. "It's too bad, isn't it? That we have to rely on your... rather unreliable memory and can't ask your friend and colleague Warrick Brown anymore..." Denham looked at Greg, waiting for an emotional outburst, but instead got called out by the judge. Greg kept his cool. It wasn't the first time he had to go up against a lawyer like Denham. He knew how to play this game. "...Sorry, let me rephrase. Did Warrick Brown's... personal problems interfere with his work?"
"No," Greg replied with an annoyed look on his face.
"Are you sure? He was supposed to guide you."
"And he did a good job at it."
Denham smirked. "We received your medical report, stating that your memory is fine now. We're glad to hear that, Mr. Sanders. It's soothing to know your current cases are being handled with care."
Greg just looked at the lawyer, wondering what would follow.
"Too bad you didn't tell anyone about your troubles seven years ago. We don't have any reports describing how severe your memory impairment was back then."
Greg sighed.
"Why didn't you tell anybody?"
Greg looked at the D.A. and the judge. Neither one objected to this question. "Please answer, Mr. Sanders," the judge said.
"Because there was no need to. It didn't impair my work in any way. I made sure to write everything I needed to remember down."
"Do you still have these notes?"
"No, of course not, I..."
Denham chuckled. "Why not? Weren't they relevant for your cases?"
"Everything relevant for my cases is in the files."
"What? Come on, Russell!" Greg exclaimed annoyed, walking up and down his supervisor's office.
"I'm sorry, Denham wants an independent doctor to examine you." Russell stored away some books while he listened to Greg's rant.
"It's really not fair. I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, I know I should've told someone about this earlier, but I didn't felt it was necessary to do so..."
Russell nodded.
"I should've just said I remembered and leave it at that."
"You can't lie in court, it's a good thing you didn't."
"I'm starting to think it's not. I mean, how could they have proved me wrong?"
"Greg, there's a reason you didn't lie. You know this could've gotten you in much bigger trouble."
"Did it? Because I could lose my job, you said it yourself!"
Russell shrugged. "That was before the doctor's report. Now I think the worst that could happen is I.A. reviewing some of your cases. Which wouldn't be a problem, right? We have nothing to hide."
"No, but still..." Greg walked towards the door. "This is the last doctor, right?"
"Let's hope so." Russell smiled at him.
"Mr. Sanders!" Scott Reibero, the journalist who went to Greg's home a few days ago, walked up to him as Greg stepped out of the lab.
"...I'm not answering any of your questions. Leave me alone."
"Maybe because you can't remember anything about this case?"
Greg was getting irritated by the whole case, but this journalist was really pushing him. "Let me see that I.D. again."
Reibero briefly flashed it. "Tell me something about the circumstances. How did you lose your memory?"
"I didn't lose my... Show me your I.D. again so I can actually see it."
Reibero was getting defensive. "Look, if you don't want to answer any questions, fine. I'm only trying to help!"
Greg raised an eyebrow. "Who are you really? You're not a reporter, right?"
Reibero looked away rather nervously. "I'll call you later, maybe then..."
Greg grabbed his arm. "Leave me alone, alright? Whoever you are, whatever you're doing... Stop it."
Greg walked back inside the lab and sat down in Russell's office. "What are you still doing here?" the supervisor asked surprised.
"I was just harassed by someone claiming to be a reporter."
"...What do you mean?"
"This guy knocked on my door yesterday, trying to ask me some questions. He must've waited outside the lab today. He asked again and got nerous when I wanted to see his I.D. I don't think he's a real reporter."
Russell frowned. "Who do you think he is?"
Greg shrugged his shoulders. "I think he's working with Denham, trying to make me nervous or something."
"Well... does it work?"
Greg chuckled. "For a moment, it did."
Russell sat down on his desk as he looked at Greg. "I doubt that there's even one CSI who didn't come across a lawyer like Denham at least once in their life. They all overcame it and so will you."
Greg gave his boss a faint smile. "I'm not so sure about it. I mean, he does have a point. I didn't even recognize the suspect when I saw her in the hallway. I don't remember any details about that case."
"It was a tough time for you, that's why you didn't work on your cases solo for a while, right? Grissom was looking out for you and it will pay off now."
"...What do you mean?"
Russell sighed. He didn't really want to say it out loud because he wasn't sure how Greg would react, but he hoped that any kind of solace would help him now. "This wasn't your case. You weren't responsible back then. If they find any... anormalies or something, they'll have a hard time blaming you for it."
"...So they'll slander Warrick's name?"
Russell nodded. "I suspect that this will be Denham's next move."
"...The reporter guy did ask me about Warrick..."
"I know it's not much consolation, but... you might be off the hook."
Russell's hunch proved to be right the next monday. Denham was trying to rip Warrick's carreer apart and with the way the deceased CSI's life tragically ended, it was quite easy for him to make the jury believe that Warrick was a careless, bad CSI.
"This is ridiculous," Nick whispered to Greg as the two were watching the trial.
"I know... I feel like I should do something about this," Greg replied with worry in his voice.
"Unfortunately, you can't." Nick got off his seat. "But I can't bare listening to this any longer, I'm sorry..." Nick left the court room. Greg felt like leaving, too, but he figured he owed it to Warrick to stay.