Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
The Lullaby
Jackie Stokes was awoken in the middle of the night by her 15 month old daughter Jasmine's cries. Jasmine had come down with a cold making the usually great and happy baby understandably fussy. Jackie got up and went into the nursery. She picked up the baby and sat down in the rocking chair.
"I know you don't feel good sweetheart, I'm sorry."
Despite trying to rock her back to sleep the baby continued to cry.
"It's alright baby girl." Jackie said sweetly.
"Dada" the baby cried.
"I'm sorry peanut but dada's not here, he's at work." Jackie sat in the rocking chair for about a half hour and all the baby did was cry.
Jasmine had a runny nose so Jackie tried to wipe it and the baby wailed, Jackie felt really bad for her, she knew her nose was sore.
"Ok, I'm all done, I'm sorry pumpkin, I know that hurt." Jackie said kissing the baby on the forehead.
Another 45 minutes past and still the baby cried.
"Honey, I don't know what I can do for you, I can't give you any more medicine yet."
Jackie stood up and walked around with her, usually Jasmine liked this but it didn't seem to be doing any good at the moment. Finally an hour later Jackie couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't stand to hear her cry any longer.
"Nick's gonna kill me." She thought as she went into her own bedroom and grabbed her cell phone off of her night stand.
She dialed Nick's number. "Stokes" Nick said on the second ring.
"Hi Nick, are you busy?" Jackie asked.
"Nope, actually Greggo and I just sat down in the break room for lunch, is everything ok?" He asked.
"I have a very cranky and sick little girl who wants her daddy."
Nick could hear Jasmine crying. "She still doesn't feel good?" Nick asked.
"No, she has been up and crying for over two hours now and I don't know what to do for her." Jackie confessed.
"Do you want me to come home, we are almost finished with our case, I think Greg could handle the rest of it." Nick said.
"No, you don't have to do that, just talk to her for a minute, I will hold the phone to her ear, just say something to her." Jackie said.
Jackie put the phone next to Jasmine's ear.
"Ok, go ahead." She told Nick.
"Hi peanut." Nick said.
"Dada" the baby said excitedly, smiling for the first time since she had woken up.
The baby looked at her mom "Dada" she said again.
Jackie smiled "Yeah, that's right, it is Dada" she said.
Jasmine took the phone from Jackie's hand, and stared at it very intently, as if she could see Nick if she just stared at it long and hard enough.
"Dada" she said again as she began waving at the phone with her other hand.
Jackie chuckled, "she's waving at you Nick" She said into the phone.
Nick laughed. "Listen Nicky, I'm going to try to lay her down in her crib, maybe if you sang to her she would fall asleep."
"You want me to sing to her now?" Nick asked with a little hesitation in his voice.
"Yeah, please, just try it." Jackie said, almost begging
"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Nick said, not sounding to thrilled about it.
Jackie laid the baby down, but kept the phone by her ear. Nick began to sing Mr. Sandman to her. He noticed Greg giving him an odd look but he ignored it. To Jackie's relief Jasmine's eyes were starting to close.
"It's working Nicky, keep going." Jackie whispered into the phone.
Nick did and by the time he was done with the song Jasmine was out like a light. Jackie tiptoed out of the room, and once she was back in her own room she said "Nice work Nick, she's sleeping. Thank you so much."
"Good, I'm glad it worked, sorry I'm not there to help you." He said.
"That's ok, good luck with finishing your case, thanks again honey." Then she added "for what you just did, tomorrow I will nominate you for father of the year, but as of right now I am exhausted so I am going to hang up now and go back to sleep."
Nick chuckled "Alright, goodnight, love you, I'll see you in the morning." He said.
"Love you too, goodbye" She said.
The couple hung up. Nick looked over at Greg, who had a smirk on his face
"Listen you can make fun of me all you want, but you'll see when you have kids, if they need you, you'd do anything for them. My little girl was sick and she needed me, I did what any father would do." Nick said.
"You're a great guy, and one hell of a father, but you're a terrible singer." Greg said, still smirking.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's go finish our case so I can get home." Nick said.
"Sounds good to me." Greg agreed as the two friends walked out of the break room.
As for Jackie, her head wasn't on her pillow 2 minutes before she was fast asleep.
The End!