Gil didn't like to think about the changes that he had brought to Sara's life, but they were evident in something even as simple as her dinner order. Since it was one of the rare down nights, where they were mostly between cases, or waiting on results, the night shift had gotten together and ordered Chinese food. Nick and Warrick were playfully jockeying for position at the impromptu buffet. Greg was needling Catherine for a taste of her lemon chicken. The atmosphere was light and gregarious, and everyone, even Gil was having a good time – except for Sara.
She sat awkwardly in the corner of the room, with her carton of vegetable lo-mein clutched closely, trying, unsuccessfully to ignore the teasing chaos of her coworkers. They returned the favor, and allowed her isolation. In turn, Catherine, Warrick and Nick had grown tired of her sharp edges and sharper tongue, and ceased their efforts to draw her into their circle. Greg was a bit more inured to her attitude, but even he had been put off by her vehemence when he had playfully offered her an eggroll, earlier. Apparently. he had forgotten that Dragon City put pork in them, or hadn't made the connection to Sara's views on meat.
While Gil knew that he wasn't directly to blame for either the vegetarianism or the isolation, he could see the symptoms of Sara's growing discontent in the affectation of both. She wasn't happy with the state of her life, and was unwilling or unable to change it, believing, hoping that Gil himself held the key to her happiness. Sometimes, when her emptiness echoed his own, Gil wished that he did.