"Ok. There are some people you're supposed to be able to trust, you know? I was 9, and she was a last minute babysitter…. All I can remember doing afterwards is sitting in my room in the dark, staring at the door, waiting for my… mom to get home…. You know I've never told anyone before…. It's what makes a person I guess." Nick, to Catherine, in CSI episode Overload.



He sat in the darkness and listened. Listened to the slow tick-tick of the clock in the hall, which seemed extremely slow compared to the pounding of his heart. He breathed rhythmically, and waited. He couldn't think, so he just listened and waited. His eyes were dry; he hadn't cried. Even if he wanted to, he didn't think he could. Normal people cried, and he wasn't normal. Not anymore. He was all alone now. All alone. The front door slammed, and he stared at his door, waiting.

Laura Stokes unlocked her front door and walked in followed by 3 girls ages 11, 14, and 15. They had just returned from the girls' dance lesson. Her husband was expected home soon, with Tommy, their oldest boy, who was at a basketball game.

"Nick?" she called for her younger son. She looked in the living room but no one was there. "Nick?" she called again. "Judy?" she called for the sitter. She was luck to have found Judy, a last minute babysitter. At 9, Nick was her youngest, and she didn't like leaving him home alone. But Nick didn't like going to his sister's dance lessons either, so they always got a sitter.

"Nick?" She knocked on his door, but there was no response. Thinking he must be asleep, she opened the door. From the light from the hallway, she could see him sitting up in bed.

She flipped on the light. "Nick, didn't you hear me calling? Where's…." she trailed off. Something was wrong. Her son was sitting with his legs drawn up to his chest, hugging his knees. He was staring blankly at the doorway, not really seeing his mother. Laura rushed to his side. "Nick, sweetie, what's wrong?" She felt his forehead, but he didn't seem to have a fever. "Nick? Can you hear me?"

Nick slowly turned his head to look at his mother, but he didn't speak. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her, but she didn't know what to do. Her 11 year old daughter, Cindy, stood in the doorway. "Mom, Dad's home Tom. Is something wrong with Nicky?"

"Cindy, go get your father, now," Laura said.

Cindy ran out and into the living room. "Hey Daddy, Mom wants you. Something's wrong with Nicky."

John Stokes worked in the District Attorney's office and evenings were the only time he had with his children. Nick was his little boy, and everyone in the family was protective of him. "Is he sick?"

"I don't know. He's just sitting in bed staring and he won't talk. Mom says to come now." But her mother's message wasn't necessary; John was all ready rushing to his son's room.

"Something's wrong with Nicky," Cindy announced to her older siblings.

Tommy, who was 17 and the oldest still living at home, had overheard what Cindy had told her father. "Sounds like he's in shock or something."

"Yeah, I saw this movie where a little kid saw someone murdered and he went into shock and wouldn't talk," said Susan, 15.

"But Nick couldn't have seen anyone murdered," said Jane, 14.

"Sure he could," Susan said. "Maybe someone broke in and murdered the babysitter and Nick saw and the guy was going kill Nick too but-"

"Knock it off Susie," Tommy said. "No one saw anyone murdered. Nick's probably just sick or something."

"Told you he didn't see anyone murdered," Jane said, sticking out her tongue at Susan.

"Then where's the babysitter?" Susan asked, sticking her tongue out in return.

"Grow up, both of you," Tommy ordered. "Why don't we go see what's wrong with Nick?"

"Yeah, common," Cindy said. So they all trooped down to Nick's room.

John hadn't been able to get any response from Nick either. "Where is that sitter?" he asked Laura. "I thought you got a sitter."

"I did. Our regular sitter canceled at the last minute, but I managed to find a replacement."

"I think we need to get him to the hospital," John said.

"What's wrong with him?" Tommy asked.

"You think it's that bad?" Laura asked.

"I don't know," John said, answering both questions. "Nick. Nick!" He shook Nick gently, but Nick only flinched and gave John the same pleading look he had given his mother. "All right, we need to go." He scooped Nick up and carried him past his other children by the door. "Tommy, stay with the girls."

"But-"

"Please Tommy," Laura said.

"Ok, but what's wrong?" However, they were all ready out to the car.