-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Deep Chill
Abby stares out the window that is almost buried in snow. She turns to look at her machines again, mentally willing them to speed up so that if the power goes out the results will already be ready. But deeper inside herself, she doesn't really want the day to end. She always hates days exactly like today. She loves snow and she loves winter. She just hates the threat of blizzards. She does not want to have to go home and have all that time to think about things that happened during another blizzard. To distract herself from those thoughts she picks up Bert the farting hippo and wraps her wool scarf around his body.
"Don't worry Bert I won't let you get cold." Abby promises hugging the stuffed toy close to her chest. The usual flatulent noise does not bring a smile to her face this time.
Special Agent Gibbs looks up from his paperwork toward the autopsy assistant who was standing silently in front of his desk.
"What is it Palmer?" he gruffly asks looking back down to his paperwork.
"Dr. Mallard went home at lunch with that cold and all the paperwork is done and there are no more bodies and lab is cleaned up and …" The young man blurts out nervously.
"What do you want?" He asks without looking back up.
"I was just wondering if I could go on home before this storm gets any worse? The radio said that there is a real chance for blizzard conditions before nightfall and I don't drive so well in these…" Gibbs silences the young man with a glare. Gibbs looks out the large windows of the office. The snow is swirling thickly and the skies look much greyer than when he had gone to get his last coffee. He looks back to the young man fidgeting nervously in front of his desk.
"Sure Palmer. Go on home. There are only three hours left anyway."
"Can we go home too Boss?" Chimes from across the bullpen as Palmer quickly leaves before Agent Gibbs can change his mind.
"Have any of you finished your paper work?" Gibbs asks his agents.
"No boss."
"Not yet."
"No Gibbs."
"Well then get back to work." Gibbs barks grabbing another file to read and sign off on.
Twenty minutes later Director Leon Vance walks down the stairs and stops in front of Gibbs desk.
"My wife just called and said that I would have to go pick up the kids because the schools are letting out early. She refuses to let me put chains on her Corvettes tires."
"That could Reeally mess them up Director" Tony says from his desk. Receiving questioning glares from Gibbs and Vance, Tony quickly qualifies his statement by saying, "I mean the tires. Chains could really mess up the tires up on a sweet ride like a 'vette. Shutting up now bosses."
"Do you think it is bad enough to close down?" Gibbs asks looking out the window again.
"The schools just have to be extra precautions because of the buses. Just use your own judgment Gibbs. It is not suppose to get bad till much later tonight. And I already sent my assistant home. She was finished with her work." Vance laughs softly as he walks past the team toward the elevators.
Below in the lab, Abby looks out her small ceiling high windows and notices that they are almost covered by snow. She wipes a tear from her cheek.
2