Fic: Soaps R Us, Chapter 21 (CSI/CSI NY/CSI Miami, Ryan / Eric, Nick / Greg, Flack / Hawkes)
Title: Soaps R Us, Chapter 21
Pairing: Nick Stokes / Greg Sanders,
Ryan Wolfe / Eric Delko,
Don Flack / Sheldon Hawkes
Rating: PG
Genre: AU
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
Summery: Daytime soap Lights of Vegas has a new head writer. Life and fiction don’t always mix nicely, and the line between the two can be very narrow.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 (NC-17)
Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20
CSI Las Vegas Main List CSI Miami Main List CSI New York Main List
“This was my first time.” Sheldon declared lazily and stretched his body against the mattress.
“You don’t really expect me to believe that….?”
“First time I left work early.” He glanced down from the bed. “Any idea what happened to my socks?”
“You left them to your office.”
“I did?”
“Yeah, not that it mattered. People were giving you funny looks anyway.”
“When?”
“In the hallway when we were leaving. Mostly because your shirt was hanging open.”
“Your fault, you tore the buttons.”
“I didn’t tore them, you pulled it off. Your fault.”
“Anyway….” Sheldon listened to his stomach crumbling. “We’re out.”
“Way out.”
“So can we eat now? I don’t need to prove anything anymore?”
“Ask me again after food.” Don reached down to the floor to pick up his jeans. He pulled his phone from the pocket. “I knew I heard something…. I thought it was just you whining again.”
“I don’t whine.”
“You do. Every time I do that thing with the twist and shove.”
“That doesn’t count. Do you need to go back?”
“Wait a sec…” Don checked the caller ID. “Larry called.” He dumped the phone back to the floor where it landed on his jeans. “He can wait till tomorrow.”
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“Oooohhhhhh….”
“Greg.”
“Mmmmmm…..”
“Control yourself.”
“I can’t, I…..” Greg let out another moan. “I just can’t.”
“People are watching.”
“Let them watching, this is too good.” He shoved another piece of his salmon into his mouth. He was interrupted in mid-chew by his phone. “I knew it was too good to last.”
“You should turn that thing off when you come to a restaurant.” Nick groaned.
“Yeah, I should, but someone always tries to call me.” He snapped it open. “Sanders.”
Nick continued eating and observed Greg’s reactions. The hand tapping the fork against the rim of the plate was now still. Greg’s entire face seemed to have gone blank.
“Thank you for calling. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Greg closed his phone and gestured the waitress to bring the check. “I lost my appetite.”
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“Again!” Don complained through a mouthful of half-chewed sandwich.
“Just answer it.” Hawkes groaned. “And then tell them to handle it themselves.”
“Flack.” His face turned serious. “When? How bad is it?” He frowned and Hawkes took a step closer. “Tell them I’m on my way.”
“What is it?”
“Looks like someone broke into Sanders’s office to go through his papers.”
“Is that all?”
“No.” Don pocketed his phone and grabbed his shoes from where they had landed on the floor. “Wolfe walked in on him. They found him on the floor.”
“Is he…?”
“No idea, he’s in the hospital. The police is going through the scene, I need to go there too. Have you checked your phone?”
“No.” Hawkes snapped his phone on. “Three missed calls. I put it on mute and then I forgot it.”
“Get dressed, I’ll drive.”
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Greg headed for the first nurse he saw at the hospital reception.
“Excuse me, I got a call from you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Sanders. Greg Sanders. You called me about Ryan Wolfe.”
“Can I see your ID?”
“For what?” Greg protested but pulled out his drivers licence. “Is that enough?”
“Sorry, but we need to check.” The nurse sat down in front of a computer and started tapping the keyboard. “You were listed as his emergency contact, but we need to be sure that-”
“How is he?”
“According to our database the doctor’s still treating him.”
“And…” Greg tried to gather his thoughts. “What about Eric?”
“Who?”
“You said on the phone that a man came with him in the ambulance.”
“Right.” She gestured him to lean closer and lowered her voice. “There was a little incident. He tried to punch one of our doctors.”
“Where is he now?”
“Our security men took him for a time out. We don’t really have spaces for that, so they always just lock them up in the basement till they calm down or till the cops come.”
“Yu haven’t called the cops, have you?”
“No, they just took him there to cool off.”
“Good.” Greg turned to look at the main door, but Nick still hadn’t arrived. “When are they done? The docs.”
“We’ll let you know when there’s something to tell.”
Nick finally walked in, looking very frustrated.
“You wouldn’t believe how long it took to find a parking space. How is he?”
“They don’t know yet, gimme coins.”
“What?”
“Coins. For the candy machine. I need something to keep me occupied or I’ll start climbing on walls.”
“And you think adding sugar to that situation is a good idea?”
“Your money or your life.”
“Wait a minute.” Nick pulled some change from his wallet. “Knock yourself out. Where’s Eric?”
“Meditating in the basement.”
“Should we go get him some coffee or something?”
“He can stay there as far as I’m concerned. Nervous neo-Norwegian and an agitated Latino is not a good mix.”
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Don eyed the room. The investigators were getting ready to leave and the bright lights made the whole scene look garish. The dark pool of drying blood on the carpet and the desk lamp laying next to it seemed slightly unreal, like a set up for a murder mystery on TV.
“They never look that exciting with all the lights on.” One of the men commented and offered Flack his hand. “Detective Dawson, LAPD.”
“Don Flack, head of security.” He shook the man’s hand. “What happened?”
“The vic was supposed to meet Mr. Delko at the parking lot. When he didn’t come, Delko came looking for him. The door was open and the vic was laying on the floor. He called the ambulance and alarmed the security.”
“Did anyone see the attacker?”
“No, but this room is right next the stairs. Miss Saddle-”
“You mean Siddle.”
“Siddle. She was working late in the…. Whatever they have down there. Anyway, she heard the vic coming in and few minutes later someone coming down.”
“Going where?”
“She couldn’t say. Old metal staircase, you can hear it a mile away, but that’s all. Do you know why Mr. Wolfe would have come here?”
“He and Sanders are always coming and going each in others offices, he even has his own key.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Does Mr. Sanders usually lock his door?”
“If he doesn’t remember, my guys check all the offices when the nightshift comes in at eight. Unless he’s still here working.”
“That’s what I thought, his keychain was on the floor. Looks like the intruder was here when he came in, most of the filing cabinets have been rummaged. The guy just grabbed the first weapon he could find.”
“The lamp.”
“Yeah, that kinda things can do a lot of damage.”
“He just got that thing last week.” Don stated and crouched down to look at the heavy brass lamp. The base of it was covered in blood. “They were throwing out old props and he wanted to keep that.”
“Do you know what the intruder could have been looking for?”
“I have a hunch.” Don nodded. “But you should probably talk to Sanders. If this wasn’t just a way to escape, he may have been the intended victim.”
Chapter 22