labgeekluvr
Lab Technician
TIGER, TIGER
Prosecuting attorney Chelsea Snow left her office and made her way to the hospital. She had heard on the news about the latest victim of a gang of youths who were preying on tourists, beating and robbing them. One man had already died, a lady was severely beaten. But this latest report struck Chelsea to the heart–there were two victims, and one of them was CSI Greg Sanders, with whom she had dinner the night before.
Greg had been en route to pick up a piece of evidence related to the beatings when he encountered the gang in an alley, assaulting tourist Stanley Tanner. He called for back-up, but knew he had to do something to stop the assailants from killing their victim. So he coasted down the alley in his Denali, lights flashing, scaring off most of the assailants–except for one. One youth reached down and picked up a large, heavy object, prepared to hurl it through the windshield at Greg’s head. But Greg stepped on the gas, striking the youth Moments later, the other assailants returned, and Greg was dragged from the Denali and beaten.
As Chelsea made her way to the hospital, her mind raced back to the events of the day before. She remembered how impressed she had been by this new CSI, his handling of the testimony and his confident demeanor. She was also quite suprised that he took her up on her offer to have dinner that evening. They had each ordered a glass of wine with dinner, but Greg had only finished half when his beeper went off.
“Looks like our evening’s about to be cut short,” he said.
“So soon?” Chelsea asked, disappointed. “Another beating?”
“Doesn’t look like it. They just might need an extra hand processing evidence. I’m sure we’ll hear from these thugs again before the night is over.”
“Well, I had a great time getting to know you, and I hope we can do this again”, Chelsea smiled.
“Same here. I hate to eat and run, can I at least get the tip?”
“Don’t worry about it. I asked you to dinner, remember?”
“Right. Well, have a good evening, and be careful driving home,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. She returned his kiss and said, “The same to you. Go get’em, Tiger”.
She remembered his smile, and how her cheek tingled as she watched him leave, and how hard it was for her to sleep that night for all the excitement. Now her heart filled with dread as she made her way to Greg’s hospital room. She had heard that things were not going well with Demetrius, the young man that Greg had hit with the car. If Demetrius died, she knew there would be an inquest and that she may be at the very least called as a witness against Greg. The thought of that made her ill.
She drew a deep breath as she softly entered his room, carrying a stuffed tiger that she had bought for him. She could see him sitting on the bed, bandaged and bruised, and visibly shaken.
“Greg,” she whispered.
He stood up slowly and shakily and turned to face the gentle voice he heard.
“Chelsea...you shouldn’t be here,” he whispered.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Chelsea asked, drawing closer and touching him softly.
“Demetrius, the kid I hit with the car...he’s dead,” Greg stammered. “He died just about an hour ago”
“Oh, Greg,” Chelsea whispered, opening her arms to him. Greg fought back tears as she wrapped her arms around him and began to rock him slowly.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“That means there’ll be an investigation now. It’s not good for you to be here with me,” Greg whispered.
“Well, if it just happened an hour ago, I think we’re safe for a little while. But you’re right, once the investigation starts I probably won’t be able to talk to you until the inquest is over. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“Yeah,” Greg lowered his head.
“Listen to me. You’re a good man. It’s unfortunate a life was lost, but if you hadn’t done what you did, the life lost would have been yours, and possibly Stanley Tanner’s and God knows how many more before those thugs were stopped. You’re a hero, Greg Sanders. I just pray that if I’m called to be part of this investigation that it doesn’t damage your case,” Chelsea said, eyes welling with tears.
“Chelsea,” Greg whispered, taking her face in his hands, “the best way for you to help me is to tell the truth about what you know, and don’t speculate on what you don’t know. Just tell the truth”.
“The truth shall set you free,” Chelsea smiled.
“So I’ve heard. You’d better go now.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Chelsea asked.
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I’d be willing to take that risk if you’d want me to stay.”
Greg smiled tenderly at her. “No, I’ll be fine. I’m sorry though we’ll have to cancel our next date”.
“Not cancel, postpone,” Chelsea smiled. She handed him the stuffed tiger. “I brought this for you,” she said, lightly kissing him on the lips. “Go get ‘em, Tiger”.
“See you later, alligator.” Greg whispered.
“After a while, crocodile”, Chelsea laughed, turning to leave.
“Wait a minute, I thought I was Tiger”, Greg protested. Chelsea smiled and blew a kiss as she walked out the door. Greg looked down at the stuffed tiger in his hands, “Tiger, huh?” He said, half to the tiger and half to himself. “Felt like a tiger two days ago, not so much today, my friend. But I guess that’s why you’re here”. He set the stuffed tiger on the bedside table, lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to block out his thoughts of Demetrius by focusing on Chelsea and her smile.
Prosecuting attorney Chelsea Snow left her office and made her way to the hospital. She had heard on the news about the latest victim of a gang of youths who were preying on tourists, beating and robbing them. One man had already died, a lady was severely beaten. But this latest report struck Chelsea to the heart–there were two victims, and one of them was CSI Greg Sanders, with whom she had dinner the night before.
Greg had been en route to pick up a piece of evidence related to the beatings when he encountered the gang in an alley, assaulting tourist Stanley Tanner. He called for back-up, but knew he had to do something to stop the assailants from killing their victim. So he coasted down the alley in his Denali, lights flashing, scaring off most of the assailants–except for one. One youth reached down and picked up a large, heavy object, prepared to hurl it through the windshield at Greg’s head. But Greg stepped on the gas, striking the youth Moments later, the other assailants returned, and Greg was dragged from the Denali and beaten.
As Chelsea made her way to the hospital, her mind raced back to the events of the day before. She remembered how impressed she had been by this new CSI, his handling of the testimony and his confident demeanor. She was also quite suprised that he took her up on her offer to have dinner that evening. They had each ordered a glass of wine with dinner, but Greg had only finished half when his beeper went off.
“Looks like our evening’s about to be cut short,” he said.
“So soon?” Chelsea asked, disappointed. “Another beating?”
“Doesn’t look like it. They just might need an extra hand processing evidence. I’m sure we’ll hear from these thugs again before the night is over.”
“Well, I had a great time getting to know you, and I hope we can do this again”, Chelsea smiled.
“Same here. I hate to eat and run, can I at least get the tip?”
“Don’t worry about it. I asked you to dinner, remember?”
“Right. Well, have a good evening, and be careful driving home,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. She returned his kiss and said, “The same to you. Go get’em, Tiger”.
She remembered his smile, and how her cheek tingled as she watched him leave, and how hard it was for her to sleep that night for all the excitement. Now her heart filled with dread as she made her way to Greg’s hospital room. She had heard that things were not going well with Demetrius, the young man that Greg had hit with the car. If Demetrius died, she knew there would be an inquest and that she may be at the very least called as a witness against Greg. The thought of that made her ill.
She drew a deep breath as she softly entered his room, carrying a stuffed tiger that she had bought for him. She could see him sitting on the bed, bandaged and bruised, and visibly shaken.
“Greg,” she whispered.
He stood up slowly and shakily and turned to face the gentle voice he heard.
“Chelsea...you shouldn’t be here,” he whispered.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Chelsea asked, drawing closer and touching him softly.
“Demetrius, the kid I hit with the car...he’s dead,” Greg stammered. “He died just about an hour ago”
“Oh, Greg,” Chelsea whispered, opening her arms to him. Greg fought back tears as she wrapped her arms around him and began to rock him slowly.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“That means there’ll be an investigation now. It’s not good for you to be here with me,” Greg whispered.
“Well, if it just happened an hour ago, I think we’re safe for a little while. But you’re right, once the investigation starts I probably won’t be able to talk to you until the inquest is over. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“Yeah,” Greg lowered his head.
“Listen to me. You’re a good man. It’s unfortunate a life was lost, but if you hadn’t done what you did, the life lost would have been yours, and possibly Stanley Tanner’s and God knows how many more before those thugs were stopped. You’re a hero, Greg Sanders. I just pray that if I’m called to be part of this investigation that it doesn’t damage your case,” Chelsea said, eyes welling with tears.
“Chelsea,” Greg whispered, taking her face in his hands, “the best way for you to help me is to tell the truth about what you know, and don’t speculate on what you don’t know. Just tell the truth”.
“The truth shall set you free,” Chelsea smiled.
“So I’ve heard. You’d better go now.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Chelsea asked.
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I’d be willing to take that risk if you’d want me to stay.”
Greg smiled tenderly at her. “No, I’ll be fine. I’m sorry though we’ll have to cancel our next date”.
“Not cancel, postpone,” Chelsea smiled. She handed him the stuffed tiger. “I brought this for you,” she said, lightly kissing him on the lips. “Go get ‘em, Tiger”.
“See you later, alligator.” Greg whispered.
“After a while, crocodile”, Chelsea laughed, turning to leave.
“Wait a minute, I thought I was Tiger”, Greg protested. Chelsea smiled and blew a kiss as she walked out the door. Greg looked down at the stuffed tiger in his hands, “Tiger, huh?” He said, half to the tiger and half to himself. “Felt like a tiger two days ago, not so much today, my friend. But I guess that’s why you’re here”. He set the stuffed tiger on the bedside table, lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to block out his thoughts of Demetrius by focusing on Chelsea and her smile.
