CSI: friendly discussion
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigations
Title: Friendly Discussion
Author: Serialbathera
Theme(s): Nights, 22 Stars
Pairing/Characters: Conrad Eckle, Greg Sanders
Rating: Pg-13
Disclaimer/claimer: I only wish I owned these characters
Critiques: Yes
Word Count: 1087
Summary: Set about the time of “Big Shots,” Ecklie is struggling with a headache, when someone knocks on his door.
AN: None
Conrad Ecklie searched through the bottom drawer without looking. In the very back, his fingers found what he was looking for. He very carefully pulled out the aspirin bottle, and set it on the desk. He stared for a few moments at the small stars his daughter had drawn on them ages ago. She had been taunting him, making some of his things pretty.
He had refilled the same bottle hundreds of times, because he couldn’t part with her drawings, especially now that she was so grown up. She was would be married off by the end of the year, and not the little girl he missed sometimes.
He tried to think of when the last time he had taken aspirin was, and couldn’t remember if it was yesterday or the day before. He only knew that in the last month, he had seemed to go through more pills than he usually did. It seemed almost every day there was something new to give him a headache.
A loud knock sounded on his door. Conrad took off his reading glasses, and set them on the edge of his desk next to the bottle. He wondered who could be bothering him now, and hoped it wasn’t the dope Reinn who worked on Day Shift. “Come in,” He called, hoping that he wouldn’t regret it later.
A defeated looking figure appeared in the doorway, and it didn’t dawn on Ecklie it was Greg Sanders until the young man slumped in the chair in front of him. Sanders looked like he was about to see the firing squad.
Conrad frowned a little, not because it was Greg, because Conrad was seriously concerned that this was going to be a long discussion that required closing his office door.
“You wanted to see me?” Greg said softly.
Conrad blinked hard. He generally liked the young man, and it troubled him how much had happened to Greg lately. He didn’t remember actually sending for him though; there was nothing he really needed to talk to him about that he knew of. Also, Conrad hadn’t really felt like going on his random fishing expeditions lately, so he couldn’t think of any violations that they would have a discussion on. Conrad assumed if it was something serious he would remember, he hoped he would anyway. “What did I want to see you about?”
Greg shrugged, “McKeen said you wanted to see me.”
Conrad stared into space a minute. McKeen had his own agenda, and never seemed to clue people in on what it was. Not that Conrad actually listened to the undersheriff; he had a habit of tuning him out when he was yelling about something. He remembered McKeen saying something about Sanders being a liability but it wasn’t like the man hadn’t said that at one time about every single member of the unit, including Ecklie. For awhile, McKeen had also had some kind of weird grudge with Sanders. Ever since McKeen had decided they should settle with the James Family so that the media would stop harassing the department, he had been cleaning egg off of his face. Then, it dawned on Conrad; it had something to do with the DNA that belonged to Aaron James at the limo crash. “It must be because Aaron James was a suspect in the case you were working. He wants me to fire you.”
Greg looked at him with sad brown eyes, almost as if Conrad had struck him hard in the face. His mouth dropped open a little, and he barely managed to whisper, “What?”
Conrad held up his hand a little, as if to say ‘calm down.’ “Look Sanders, I am not going to fire you, especially after what I heard McKeen say when you two were having the discussion.” Conrad assumed he wouldn’t have to repeat the line, that Greg had it burned in his memory. He was sure Gil, who had also been around at the time, had it burned into his memory as well. But of course, both, Sanders and Gil didn’t forget things often.
McKeen had been stupid enough to stay he hoped Greg had been the black guy, which in his tone seemed to imply that he hoped Greg had been killed instead of Demetri James. McKeen’s mistake had been assuming that only Gil and Greg heard the comment, so that it wouldn’t come back to him. McKeen had figured that Gil and Greg wouldn’t say anything, because then he could claim they were lying to cover their own asses. McKeen didn’t notice the four spies who had heard McKeen when he had almost yelled the comment.
“Did you want to file a complaint against McKeen?” Conrad asked paternally.
“I really don’t want him anymore mad at me,” Greg stumbled, unsure what to do in this situation.
“I am not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. It probably won’t go very far though, unfortunately. Too bad he didn’t say it to a reporter.” The last part, Conrad said mainly to himself. He knew that action definitely would have been taken if a reporter had heard him. Conrad had thought about leaking the comment to the press, but McKeen would then be on the war path to fire Greg, if the young man even forgot to dot an ‘i’ in a report, McKeen would have his job. McKeen wouldn’t believe that Greg hadn’t leaked it to the press.
Greg nodded; a little shocked that Ecklie would say anything bad about the undersheriff.
Conrad looked over at the young man, and gave him a soft smile. “Did you want to take a couple of personal days so you can clear your mind and refocus?”
Greg shook his head, “I’ll be okay, but thanks.”
“Why don’t you head back to work then, I know you are working several cases for day shift that you probably want to get finished. If I actually need to talk to you, I’ll send you a message and it won’t be through McKeen.”
“Okay, have a good day.” Greg started to leave.
“Sanders,” Conrad called as he got to the door. “If you ever need to talk about anything, I am here.”
Greg nodded, and headed out.
Conrad opened the bottle of aspirin and popped two dry. His job would be a whole lot easier if the undersheriff didn’t get as involved so much in the lab. The phone rang, making Conrad believe this was going to be another long day.
Title: Friendly Discussion
Author: Serialbathera
Theme(s): Nights, 22 Stars
Pairing/Characters: Conrad Eckle, Greg Sanders
Rating: Pg-13
Disclaimer/claimer: I only wish I owned these characters
Critiques: Yes
Word Count: 1087
Summary: Set about the time of “Big Shots,” Ecklie is struggling with a headache, when someone knocks on his door.
AN: None
Conrad Ecklie searched through the bottom drawer without looking. In the very back, his fingers found what he was looking for. He very carefully pulled out the aspirin bottle, and set it on the desk. He stared for a few moments at the small stars his daughter had drawn on them ages ago. She had been taunting him, making some of his things pretty.
He had refilled the same bottle hundreds of times, because he couldn’t part with her drawings, especially now that she was so grown up. She was would be married off by the end of the year, and not the little girl he missed sometimes.
He tried to think of when the last time he had taken aspirin was, and couldn’t remember if it was yesterday or the day before. He only knew that in the last month, he had seemed to go through more pills than he usually did. It seemed almost every day there was something new to give him a headache.
A loud knock sounded on his door. Conrad took off his reading glasses, and set them on the edge of his desk next to the bottle. He wondered who could be bothering him now, and hoped it wasn’t the dope Reinn who worked on Day Shift. “Come in,” He called, hoping that he wouldn’t regret it later.
A defeated looking figure appeared in the doorway, and it didn’t dawn on Ecklie it was Greg Sanders until the young man slumped in the chair in front of him. Sanders looked like he was about to see the firing squad.
Conrad frowned a little, not because it was Greg, because Conrad was seriously concerned that this was going to be a long discussion that required closing his office door.
“You wanted to see me?” Greg said softly.
Conrad blinked hard. He generally liked the young man, and it troubled him how much had happened to Greg lately. He didn’t remember actually sending for him though; there was nothing he really needed to talk to him about that he knew of. Also, Conrad hadn’t really felt like going on his random fishing expeditions lately, so he couldn’t think of any violations that they would have a discussion on. Conrad assumed if it was something serious he would remember, he hoped he would anyway. “What did I want to see you about?”
Greg shrugged, “McKeen said you wanted to see me.”
Conrad stared into space a minute. McKeen had his own agenda, and never seemed to clue people in on what it was. Not that Conrad actually listened to the undersheriff; he had a habit of tuning him out when he was yelling about something. He remembered McKeen saying something about Sanders being a liability but it wasn’t like the man hadn’t said that at one time about every single member of the unit, including Ecklie. For awhile, McKeen had also had some kind of weird grudge with Sanders. Ever since McKeen had decided they should settle with the James Family so that the media would stop harassing the department, he had been cleaning egg off of his face. Then, it dawned on Conrad; it had something to do with the DNA that belonged to Aaron James at the limo crash. “It must be because Aaron James was a suspect in the case you were working. He wants me to fire you.”
Greg looked at him with sad brown eyes, almost as if Conrad had struck him hard in the face. His mouth dropped open a little, and he barely managed to whisper, “What?”
Conrad held up his hand a little, as if to say ‘calm down.’ “Look Sanders, I am not going to fire you, especially after what I heard McKeen say when you two were having the discussion.” Conrad assumed he wouldn’t have to repeat the line, that Greg had it burned in his memory. He was sure Gil, who had also been around at the time, had it burned into his memory as well. But of course, both, Sanders and Gil didn’t forget things often.
McKeen had been stupid enough to stay he hoped Greg had been the black guy, which in his tone seemed to imply that he hoped Greg had been killed instead of Demetri James. McKeen’s mistake had been assuming that only Gil and Greg heard the comment, so that it wouldn’t come back to him. McKeen had figured that Gil and Greg wouldn’t say anything, because then he could claim they were lying to cover their own asses. McKeen didn’t notice the four spies who had heard McKeen when he had almost yelled the comment.
“Did you want to file a complaint against McKeen?” Conrad asked paternally.
“I really don’t want him anymore mad at me,” Greg stumbled, unsure what to do in this situation.
“I am not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. It probably won’t go very far though, unfortunately. Too bad he didn’t say it to a reporter.” The last part, Conrad said mainly to himself. He knew that action definitely would have been taken if a reporter had heard him. Conrad had thought about leaking the comment to the press, but McKeen would then be on the war path to fire Greg, if the young man even forgot to dot an ‘i’ in a report, McKeen would have his job. McKeen wouldn’t believe that Greg hadn’t leaked it to the press.
Greg nodded; a little shocked that Ecklie would say anything bad about the undersheriff.
Conrad looked over at the young man, and gave him a soft smile. “Did you want to take a couple of personal days so you can clear your mind and refocus?”
Greg shook his head, “I’ll be okay, but thanks.”
“Why don’t you head back to work then, I know you are working several cases for day shift that you probably want to get finished. If I actually need to talk to you, I’ll send you a message and it won’t be through McKeen.”
“Okay, have a good day.” Greg started to leave.
“Sanders,” Conrad called as he got to the door. “If you ever need to talk about anything, I am here.”
Greg nodded, and headed out.
Conrad opened the bottle of aspirin and popped two dry. His job would be a whole lot easier if the undersheriff didn’t get as involved so much in the lab. The phone rang, making Conrad believe this was going to be another long day.