Overlooked - by kyrdwyn
Rated: PG
Synopsis: The shift realizes they've overlooked someone.
Spoilers: Burked, Overload, Ellie
Disclaimer: Elisa is mine, everyone else belongs to Anthony Zuiker, Alliance Atlantis, and the other companies and actors who bring life to the characters.
Hope you enjoy - kyrdwyn.
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Nick paused on his way down the hall and stared at the woman in the DNA lab. He walked into the room and regarded her while she still had her back to him. She was about an inch shorter than he was in her business heels. Her black skirt was below her knees, her tailored jacket not quite hiding the telltale bulge of a weapon on her right hip. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. She looked all business.
"May I help you?" he asked.
She turned around, her blue eyes regarding him calmly. She wasn't exactly pretty, Nick noticed, but she reminded him of someone.
"I'm looking for Gil Grissom, or a member of his team," she replied in clipped tones. She wasn't British, but she was very particular about her diction, it seemed. Her eyes never left his.
"I'm Nick Stokes, I'm a member of his team. What can I do for you, Miss…?"
"Agent," she corrected, pulling out her badge. "Agent Elisa Sanders of the U.S. Secret Service."
Nick blinked. "What can I do for you, Agent Sanders?"
She reached into her suit jacket and withdrew a folded paper. "I have here a court order granting me permission to remove all personal effects of one Greg Sanders from this lab." She handed the paper to Nick.
Curious, he opened it. It was a court order, from a Nevada court, recognizing the fact that Elisa Marina Sanders was now the legal guardian of the person and property of Gregory Nicholas Sanders per the Probate Court of Dallas County, Texas, and had permission to take into custody all personal property of said ward that was within the state of Nevada.
"What….what the?" Nick looked up at her, now seeing the resemblance to Greg in her face and eyes.
"Can you show me to where his personal effects are, Mr. Stokes? I have a plane back to Dallas tonight. I can't leave my mother alone for long."
Before Nick could reply, Grissom walked in. "Nick, have you seen Greg? He was supposed to have been back from vacation last week. He's about to get himself fired."
Elisa stiffened. "My apologies, Supervisor Grissom, but Greg Sanders will not be returning to work in the Las Vegas Crime Lab in the foreseeable future."
Grissom regarded her intently. "And you are?"
"Agent Elisa Sanders, U.S. Secret Service. I'm here to recover all of Greg Sanders personal effects from Nevada and take them back to Texas."
Warrick, Catherine, and Sara had entered the lab, wondering what was going on. Grissom glanced at them, then back at Elisa. "Where is Greg and why is a Secret Service Agent collecting his effects?"
Elisa looked at Nick pointedly, and Nick handed the court order to Grissom. The other three read over his shoulder, and then all 4 looked up at Elisa with identical stunned expressions. Elisa would have laughed if she wasn't tired and worried and stretched to her limit.
"If I can be directed to where I can pick up his effects, I will be out of your way," she snapped.
"You still haven't told us where Greg is, Agent Sanders," Grissom replied calmly.
Elisa stared into Grissom's eyes, her own angry. "Baylor University Medical Center, Room 328. His condition is stable, but he's in a coma and the prognosis of the doctors is vague at best."
There wasn't a sound to be heard in the room after that pronouncement. Catherine's voice finally broke it. "What happened?"
"He was driving our mother home from her doctor's appointment when a drunk driver decided to jump the median. Hit their car broadside. Greg has several broken bones in his arm and leg, and when the car hit a pole, Greg's head hit the steering wheel, causing a severe concussion. That was last week, and he's still in the coma." Elisa's voice was strained during the recitation.
The entire lab fell silent again. Elisa finally turned to Nick. "Mr. Stokes, I'd really like to pick up Greg's things now." She was almost pleading.
Nick glanced at Grissom, who looked back at the woman. "I'll escort Agent Sanders to the locker room, Nick."
Elisa's lips thinned, but she nodded sharply and went with Grissom, leaving the others in the lab with their memories and fears. The room had been clouded with fear and worry, and Elisa couldn't take it. Not with her own problems - her own fears and worries.
Grissom indicated the locker that was Greg's, and Elisa opened it. Hawaiian shirts and punk CD's and empty bags of his specialty coffee were removed and carefully folded into the bag Grissom provided. Elisa's movements were stiff, like she was trying to prevent herself from breaking down. She was aware of Grissom standing a few feet away, watching her. She didn't say anything to him.
"You don't like me, do you?"
Elisa paused in folding a particularly obnoxious shirt. She recognized it as one from their grandparent's house. "No, I don't."
"May I ask why?" His voice was quiet, but she could tell he was startled at her blunt answer. Too bad, Elisa wasn't going to tell a polite lie.
"You may ask."
The silence continued as Elisa removed some CD's from the locker, looking through them.
"Why don't you like me?"
"Because of the way you treated him."
He blinked at her. Elisa set the CDs into the bag.
"What do you mean?"
Elisa finally looked at him, and the anger in her eyes was intense. "My brother and I are very close, Supervisor Grissom. He loved this job. He's been offered jobs at private companies for more money, but he stays because he really likes the work and most of the people. But no one here really appreciated his work."
Elisa's virulence was surprising. "I appreciated his work," Grissom began, trying to defend himself.
"Oh really. Did you ever tell him that? If you did, he never heard it. He respected you a lot, but never got any respect from you. You were constantly getting snappy with him, complaining about things extraneous to his job. Heaven forbid that he play punk music in the lab, or turn a crossword puzzle into origami. So what if he brings in his own coffee to drink? Or tries to lighten the mood here with humor? This is a grim job, Supervisor. I've been in enough crime labs to know that. Humor keeps people from going nuts, or shutting down to the point where their job is all they have in their life.
"Not once have you ever told him good job. Ever thanked him for doing his work, for getting the results as fast as possible? No. All he ever got around here was a lot of grief for his oddness, or for taking his time to make sure the job was done right so the evidence was solid. I encouraged him to leave, and he wouldn't because he still liked this place. He liked working with the police. Greg's a chemist at heart, he never wanted to be a CSI or do field work. But he wanted to help people, so he stayed here. For that he got nothing but grief over everything, and not a hint of 'thanks, Greg,' or 'good job, Greg,' or 'hey - want to go out for a beer, Greg?'"
Elisa slammed Greg's locker door shut, the angry sound echoing in the room. "It has been over a week since Greg was scheduled to return from his vacation. I've been to his apartment. He has not gotten one single phone call inquiring as to his whereabouts or if he was okay. His neighbors haven't seen anyone stop by, and I know no one called the police to report him missing. Instead, you all naturally assumed that he was being a flake and taking an extra week of vacation. My brother could have been dead on his living room floor, and no one would have known. Or apparently cared."
Elisa picked up the bag. "I'm returning to Texas tonight, Supervisor Grissom. My mother is worried about Greg and is still recovering from her own injuries. I wouldn't have come up here but since no one from the lab had contacted us, we felt that someone needed to inform you of Greg's condition. I've done that."
She tried to walk past Grissom, but he didn't move. She glared up at him. "Elisa…I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything, just continued to glare. She wasn't going to give an inch. She was hurting and Grissom knew he was just a convenient target for her anger. He stepped aside and followed her down the hallway. She stopped when the others came out of the break room and expressed their concerns over Greg's condition. Elisa accepted them calmly, but they could all tell she was anxious to get out of the lab and back to her brother.
As they watched Elisa's car drive off, Sara sighed. When Nick looked at her, she shrugged. "I never thought about seeing if Greg was okay. I guess I just took it for granted that he was slacking."
"I think we all took him for granted," Catherine said quietly. The others agreed. Not one of them had noticed the lack of Greg's humor and originality in the past three weeks, but they all keenly felt the lack now, and they all prayed for his recovery to lighten up their lab again.
Rated: PG
Synopsis: The shift realizes they've overlooked someone.
Spoilers: Burked, Overload, Ellie
Disclaimer: Elisa is mine, everyone else belongs to Anthony Zuiker, Alliance Atlantis, and the other companies and actors who bring life to the characters.
Hope you enjoy - kyrdwyn.
----------------------------------------
Nick paused on his way down the hall and stared at the woman in the DNA lab. He walked into the room and regarded her while she still had her back to him. She was about an inch shorter than he was in her business heels. Her black skirt was below her knees, her tailored jacket not quite hiding the telltale bulge of a weapon on her right hip. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. She looked all business.
"May I help you?" he asked.
She turned around, her blue eyes regarding him calmly. She wasn't exactly pretty, Nick noticed, but she reminded him of someone.
"I'm looking for Gil Grissom, or a member of his team," she replied in clipped tones. She wasn't British, but she was very particular about her diction, it seemed. Her eyes never left his.
"I'm Nick Stokes, I'm a member of his team. What can I do for you, Miss…?"
"Agent," she corrected, pulling out her badge. "Agent Elisa Sanders of the U.S. Secret Service."
Nick blinked. "What can I do for you, Agent Sanders?"
She reached into her suit jacket and withdrew a folded paper. "I have here a court order granting me permission to remove all personal effects of one Greg Sanders from this lab." She handed the paper to Nick.
Curious, he opened it. It was a court order, from a Nevada court, recognizing the fact that Elisa Marina Sanders was now the legal guardian of the person and property of Gregory Nicholas Sanders per the Probate Court of Dallas County, Texas, and had permission to take into custody all personal property of said ward that was within the state of Nevada.
"What….what the?" Nick looked up at her, now seeing the resemblance to Greg in her face and eyes.
"Can you show me to where his personal effects are, Mr. Stokes? I have a plane back to Dallas tonight. I can't leave my mother alone for long."
Before Nick could reply, Grissom walked in. "Nick, have you seen Greg? He was supposed to have been back from vacation last week. He's about to get himself fired."
Elisa stiffened. "My apologies, Supervisor Grissom, but Greg Sanders will not be returning to work in the Las Vegas Crime Lab in the foreseeable future."
Grissom regarded her intently. "And you are?"
"Agent Elisa Sanders, U.S. Secret Service. I'm here to recover all of Greg Sanders personal effects from Nevada and take them back to Texas."
Warrick, Catherine, and Sara had entered the lab, wondering what was going on. Grissom glanced at them, then back at Elisa. "Where is Greg and why is a Secret Service Agent collecting his effects?"
Elisa looked at Nick pointedly, and Nick handed the court order to Grissom. The other three read over his shoulder, and then all 4 looked up at Elisa with identical stunned expressions. Elisa would have laughed if she wasn't tired and worried and stretched to her limit.
"If I can be directed to where I can pick up his effects, I will be out of your way," she snapped.
"You still haven't told us where Greg is, Agent Sanders," Grissom replied calmly.
Elisa stared into Grissom's eyes, her own angry. "Baylor University Medical Center, Room 328. His condition is stable, but he's in a coma and the prognosis of the doctors is vague at best."
There wasn't a sound to be heard in the room after that pronouncement. Catherine's voice finally broke it. "What happened?"
"He was driving our mother home from her doctor's appointment when a drunk driver decided to jump the median. Hit their car broadside. Greg has several broken bones in his arm and leg, and when the car hit a pole, Greg's head hit the steering wheel, causing a severe concussion. That was last week, and he's still in the coma." Elisa's voice was strained during the recitation.
The entire lab fell silent again. Elisa finally turned to Nick. "Mr. Stokes, I'd really like to pick up Greg's things now." She was almost pleading.
Nick glanced at Grissom, who looked back at the woman. "I'll escort Agent Sanders to the locker room, Nick."
Elisa's lips thinned, but she nodded sharply and went with Grissom, leaving the others in the lab with their memories and fears. The room had been clouded with fear and worry, and Elisa couldn't take it. Not with her own problems - her own fears and worries.
Grissom indicated the locker that was Greg's, and Elisa opened it. Hawaiian shirts and punk CD's and empty bags of his specialty coffee were removed and carefully folded into the bag Grissom provided. Elisa's movements were stiff, like she was trying to prevent herself from breaking down. She was aware of Grissom standing a few feet away, watching her. She didn't say anything to him.
"You don't like me, do you?"
Elisa paused in folding a particularly obnoxious shirt. She recognized it as one from their grandparent's house. "No, I don't."
"May I ask why?" His voice was quiet, but she could tell he was startled at her blunt answer. Too bad, Elisa wasn't going to tell a polite lie.
"You may ask."
The silence continued as Elisa removed some CD's from the locker, looking through them.
"Why don't you like me?"
"Because of the way you treated him."
He blinked at her. Elisa set the CDs into the bag.
"What do you mean?"
Elisa finally looked at him, and the anger in her eyes was intense. "My brother and I are very close, Supervisor Grissom. He loved this job. He's been offered jobs at private companies for more money, but he stays because he really likes the work and most of the people. But no one here really appreciated his work."
Elisa's virulence was surprising. "I appreciated his work," Grissom began, trying to defend himself.
"Oh really. Did you ever tell him that? If you did, he never heard it. He respected you a lot, but never got any respect from you. You were constantly getting snappy with him, complaining about things extraneous to his job. Heaven forbid that he play punk music in the lab, or turn a crossword puzzle into origami. So what if he brings in his own coffee to drink? Or tries to lighten the mood here with humor? This is a grim job, Supervisor. I've been in enough crime labs to know that. Humor keeps people from going nuts, or shutting down to the point where their job is all they have in their life.
"Not once have you ever told him good job. Ever thanked him for doing his work, for getting the results as fast as possible? No. All he ever got around here was a lot of grief for his oddness, or for taking his time to make sure the job was done right so the evidence was solid. I encouraged him to leave, and he wouldn't because he still liked this place. He liked working with the police. Greg's a chemist at heart, he never wanted to be a CSI or do field work. But he wanted to help people, so he stayed here. For that he got nothing but grief over everything, and not a hint of 'thanks, Greg,' or 'good job, Greg,' or 'hey - want to go out for a beer, Greg?'"
Elisa slammed Greg's locker door shut, the angry sound echoing in the room. "It has been over a week since Greg was scheduled to return from his vacation. I've been to his apartment. He has not gotten one single phone call inquiring as to his whereabouts or if he was okay. His neighbors haven't seen anyone stop by, and I know no one called the police to report him missing. Instead, you all naturally assumed that he was being a flake and taking an extra week of vacation. My brother could have been dead on his living room floor, and no one would have known. Or apparently cared."
Elisa picked up the bag. "I'm returning to Texas tonight, Supervisor Grissom. My mother is worried about Greg and is still recovering from her own injuries. I wouldn't have come up here but since no one from the lab had contacted us, we felt that someone needed to inform you of Greg's condition. I've done that."
She tried to walk past Grissom, but he didn't move. She glared up at him. "Elisa…I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything, just continued to glare. She wasn't going to give an inch. She was hurting and Grissom knew he was just a convenient target for her anger. He stepped aside and followed her down the hallway. She stopped when the others came out of the break room and expressed their concerns over Greg's condition. Elisa accepted them calmly, but they could all tell she was anxious to get out of the lab and back to her brother.
As they watched Elisa's car drive off, Sara sighed. When Nick looked at her, she shrugged. "I never thought about seeing if Greg was okay. I guess I just took it for granted that he was slacking."
"I think we all took him for granted," Catherine said quietly. The others agreed. Not one of them had noticed the lack of Greg's humor and originality in the past three weeks, but they all keenly felt the lack now, and they all prayed for his recovery to lighten up their lab again.