Disclaimer: I own no part of the CSI franchise.
Note: This piece came to me while watching last week's episode, Unleashed, in which Doc Robbins and Nick performed an emergency C-section to deliver the baby of a teen who had committed suicide. It is written from Nick's perspective; this story contains his thoughts. Please read and review!
CSICSICSICSICSI
Wow. Seeing Doc revive that little baby was just about the coolest thing in the world. That baby's death certificate had practically been signed, but Doc noticed her in the nick of time. And I got to help. I got to watch. Catherine said childbirth was a messy business, but all I saw was beauty. I just can't get over how one minute, there was no living, breathing baby, and the next, she was suddenly a part of this world, crying in Doc's arms.
We called her ours, Doc and I. The un-loved little baby we brought into this world. We visited her. We prayed for her. We appreciated the miracle she was.
Then, her teenage dad visited. Finally. His baby was 3 days old before he even came to see her. I practically had to drag him into the N-ICU to hold her. Poor kid was scared to death. I'm sure teenage moms are scared to death when their babies are born, but I think it might have been harder on this kid than babies are on most teenage moms. The mom was dead. Most teenage dads statistically aren't involved with their babies. Most of them have no money to give to the mom and most of them are shunned by the mom's family for putting their little girl in the position of being a teenage mom. In this kid's case, there was no mom. He was left with a baby. At 17.
He asked me to adopt her. He said I seemed like a good guy who would love her and take care of her. He said I was brave enough to bring her into this world when he was too scared to. Man, my whole world just kind of stopped right then. I wanted to do it. I've always wanted to be a dad. But I couldn't. This beautiful little girl was his, not mine. I've never met a special woman who wanted to be the mother of my children. It's getting a bit late in life for that for me anyway.
I told the kid I would love to have a daughter, but that I couldn't have his. He needed to raise her. He needed to love her. He needed to protect her. I told him that with my job, the life I'd give his little girl wouldn't be ideal. I sleep during the day. I wouldn't see her much. I've been stalked, held at gunpoint, not just once either, and buried alive in the desert. I'd fear for the baby's safety; what if my house was rigged with explosives again and I missed seeing the trip wire and got the baby blown up? In my line of work, I've seen the horrible things that can happen to babies, to kids, to innocent lives of all ages. I'd constantly be afraid for the baby. I told the kid he'd be a great dad and that he could keep his little girl safer than I could. I patted him on the shoulder, wished him the best, and left.
God, I hope I don't see that baby girl with Doc Robbins again. I don't really trust that kid to treat her right. He practically killed the baby's mom. But what choice did I have? He is her dad. Poor little girl. I could have loved her more.