In a World They Forgot

When Are You Going To Give It Up?

   *Grissom*

It wasn’t easy when it was one of my team who was the potential victim of a murder. Miki had been putting on a brave face at the hospital, but I could tell that it was more for show than anything else. The girl was haunted by what had happened but was keeping herself together for Greg’s benefit. It was something that I had noticed about Miki since the first crime scene she had processed; she pulled herself together and forced herself to move forward despite the pain or horror that was on her mind. She wouldn’t let herself become weak when there was a killer on the loose. It was an admirable trait, but it also worried me. When was her smile real?

I was filling in some paper work about Miki's attacker when my office door swung open.

"Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?" I said without looking up.

"Where the hell is Sanders?" Ecklie's voice was never a happy one and it only added more stress to my night.

"He's at the hospital." I put the pen down and leaned back in my seat, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Why isn't he in the lab? You haven't managed to get another CSI shot have you?"

"You best hope that none of my team heard you saying that."

"Why isn't Sanders working in the lab?" Ecklie leaned on the desk. “I have evidence that needs processing.”

"Because I let him have some time to talk with Miki Romani."

"I thought you said nothing was going on between the two of them?"

"There isn't. However, they are both young partners and one of them was shot. It should be expected that they'd be shaken up. I thought that it was appropriate that Greg should speak with Miki so that he can focus on his work again."

"So he's been affected by her recently?"

"She was shot right in front of him. Of course he was going to be affected by it!"

"I want him back in that lab now!"

"Why don't you just drag Miki back from her hospital bed too!?"

"I want her suspended."

"You haven't got a plausible reason to suspend her."

"She is--"

"She is one of the best young CSI's I have ever met and she will go far. Now Conrad, unless you can give me an at least half decent reason to suspend any of my team, I suggest you leave my office and my team alone!"

There was no doubt that Ecklie was shocked. I was usually the calm one out of the two of us, but when one of my team gets hurt...well I'm not so calm about it.