Title: NyQuil Nightmares
By: AzureHart
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Strange things happen when Greg has a cold. A response to Peja’s Head Cold Improv challenge. Improv response must contain the following: Head cold, swollen, lounger, stormy, Cancun. Bonus points for: a dream scene.

It was a slow night at the lab. Most of the staff was taking the opportunity to catch up on paper work.

Well, except for Archie and Bobby. Hodges didn't even want to think about why they had been in that evidence locker together.

He decided that some of the toxic waste Greg called coffee was just the thing to wipe that image out of his mind.

When he walked into the break room he realized he wasn't the only one in search of a caffeine fix.

Nick and Warrick were sitting at the table going over a stack of paperwork, while Sara sat on the far side of the room with her head buried in a forensics journal, and Greg huddled miserably on the couch.

He nodded to the others as he headed for the coffee pot.

"Watch out for the coffee," Nick called as Hodges walked past. "I think Greg brewed this batch with a few old sweat-socks thrown in for extra kick."

"Very funny Nick" Greg rasped.

One look at Greg let Hodges know his friend was quite ill.

"Greg, should you be at work while you're sick?"

"It's just a head cold Hodges."

"Well you look awful. Your eyes are all puffy and your nose is swollen."

"Thanks for the ego boost. You're middle name must be Compassion."

"Actually my middle name is David."

"Wait, I thought your first name was David."

"It is. I think Dad had a few too many beers before naming me. At least Mom talked him out of his first choice."

Sara looked up from her forensics journal.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what was his first choice?"

"Stormy Weathers."

Sara just shook her head before turning to look at Greg.

"Hodges is right Greg, you shouldn't be working sick."

"I'll be fine Sara."

"Well, how about I make you some nice Echinacea tea?" Sara asked.

"You keep that stuff away from me. It tastes like warm pond scum."

"You need to take something for that cold Greg." Warrick said. "At least promises us you'll take some NyQuil or something when you get home."

"Okay Mom, I promise to take something when I get home, but no NyQuil."

"Why not NyQuil Greg?" Hodges asked.

"NyQuil gives me strange dreams. I took some as soon as I got home yesterday and wasn't even able to make it to the bedroom before it hit. I was lucky I made it to my lounger before I passed out."

"The dream started out great. I was catching some rays and surf down in Cancun. Then the weather turned strange, so I went back to my hotel room."

Nick looked puzzled. "That doesn't sound that bad to me Greg."

"That's because I haven't reached the really freaky part yet."

"So there I am, in my hotel room. I get hungry, so I call down for room service. When room service gets there I open the door. That's when I saw it."

"Grissom was standing there with my tray of food."

"He was wearing cowboy boots, a pink tutu, a sequined bra, and a rainbow wig."

"That's when I woke up screaming."

"Great. There's another mental image I really could have done without." Hodges shuddered.

"You can out-weird me any day of the week Greg. I'm leaving before you infect me with your insanity."

As he grabbed his coffee and made good his escape, Hodges wondered how long it would take to get the mental image of Grissom wearing a rainbow wig out of his head.