Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me

Chapter 1

    "What?!" Greg Sanders asked, disbelief covering his face.

    Nick Stokes stood in front of him, arms crossed. "You are being taken off all your cases until you get some sleep. You're lucky--"

    "How am I lucky?" Greg snapped, rolling up the sleeves of his lab coat. Nick was really starting to piss him off. "I'm doing well and finally getting some answers on all of my cases, and all of a sudden, I'm pulled off the cases? And for what? Because you feel like I'm not getting enough sleep?" Greg glared at Nick.

    Nick's eyes shifted quickly between anger and sadness--almost as if he were pleading with Greg to not do this. To not get worked up. To not say something he would regret.

    But Greg just scanned his desk. He shrugged off his lab coat, throwing it over the back of his chair and grabbing his keys. He glared at Nick again as he shoved them in his pocket, along with his phone. "I can see that you're just jealous that I'm almost as good as you." He walked briskly past Nick, hitting his shoulder against Nick's as he passed.

    This made Nick snap. Nick's eyes widened in anger as he tackled Greg right into the hallway in front of everyone else. Nick had Greg pinned, Greg throwing punches at Nick's face.

    "Get off!" Greg screamed, grabbing Nick's hair and yanking.

    Nick yelled in frustration--adrenaline kept him from feeling the pain. Nick held Greg's arms by his head, looking him in the eyes. Both men could see people gathering around, but they were both too stubborn to back down. Instead, Nick began speaking without paying much attention to his words. Just let them flow.

    "I'm done putting up with your comments and immature reactions, Greg! You're pathetic, and I regret ever letting myself get to know you. If I wouldn't have gotten to know you, then I wouldn't see how big of a cocky, narcissistic punk you are."

    Gasps echoed lightly through the hallway, and Greg finally gained the courage to look to his left. Morgan Brody and Sara Sidle were standing in front of the large group, D.B. Russell, David Hodges, and Julie Finlay were standing behind them. He blinked back tears as some guys he didn't recognize pulled Nick off of him. But Nick wasn't done. Greg was about to start yelling back, when Nick cut him off.

    "Maybe you should do all of us a favor and go home and not come back. You're no help when you're here anyway."

    Those words hit Greg in the chest like a bullet. He couldn't breathe. All he could do was push his way to the front door, ignoring the calls of his coworkers. He climbed in his car and quickly drove over to a bank parking lot. Someplace quiet, someplace the team wouldn't think to look.

    He had managed to get his breathing under control and was about to pull out of the lot when his phone went off. Caller ID read 'Morgan.'

    He pressed 'Decline.'

    Then the sobs came. Racking his body, they came hard and fast. Tears ran down his cheeks. Nick had been like an older brother to him ever since . . . well, as long as he could remember. And for him to say those things . . . it made Greg wonder yet again if he was really fit for the job. When the crying slowly came to a stop, he checked the time on the dash of his car. 12:27. His shift wouldn't end for another four and a half hours, so he probably wouldn't be able to sleep. Maybe later, he always told himself. Instead of going home, he wiped his eyes and went through a drive-thru across the street from his apartment, sitting in the parking lot to eat.

    Finally, at 1:40 A.M. according to his car, he felt up to going inside. He dumped his trash by the door of his apartment building's front doors and walked in. He tried to hide his face from the people in the lobby, and luckily made it to his floor without having to speak to anyone.

    Once in his apartment, he collapsed on his bed. He didn't bother getting changed, brushing his teeth, or doing anything. He just layed there. Staring at the ceiling and replaying the scene over and over in his head.

    He plugged his phone in, noticing the missed calls from Sara, Julie, Morgan, and even one each from Brass and Russell. He sighed as he turned his ringer off and climbed under the covers. He was determined to get enough sleep to be able to walk in the next night as if nothing Nick said had affected him. That he was above that. That he was stronger than that. He would never let anyone see him hurt ever again. Today was enough.

    Those were his last thoughts before he, surprisingly, drifted into a deep sleep.