Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Family
"Willows" Catherine Willows said as she answered her cell phone.
"Catherine, do you know where Nick is, I need to speak with him immediately." Jackie Stokes said.
"Hi, Jackie, is everything ok?" Catherine asked.
"No, Nick's mom just called, his dad had a heart attack tonight, luckily though they expect him to make a full recovery."
"I'm so sorry to hear that, although I am very happy he is going to be alright." Catherine said.
"Thank you, Nick's mom tried to call his phone but couldn't reach him, and I also tried to call him but he didn't answer me either, which is why I called you." Jackie explained.
"Oh yeah, he said something to me earlier about his phone battery dying and he also said he left his charger at home." Catherine said, then she added "Nick's in his office, I will go give him the phone."
"Thank you" Jackie said.
When Catherine got to Nick's office he was writing something down in a notepad.
"Nicky" she said as she knocked on the door.
"Hi Catherine, come in" He said.
She handed him the phone, and he looked at her puzzled.
"It's Jackie" Catherine said. Then Catherine left his office to give him some privacy.
Nick felt a knot form in his stomach, it was three in the morning, Jackie would not be calling if it wasn't urgent.
"Hello" he said.
"Nicky, before I tell you what is going on I want you to know that everything is going to be alright so don't panic ok?" Jackie said.
Nick was now even more worried. "Jackie what's wrong?" he asked.
Jackie took a deep breath before she said "Nicky, you're mom called me tonight, you're dad had a mild heart attack, but they expect him to make a full recovery."
When Jackie didn't get a response she said "Nicky, you ok?"
After a couple of seconds Nick said "yeah, I'm ok, but why would my mom call you and…" He stopped as a thought dawned on him and he said "oh my god, my phone is dead, she couldn't reach me could she?"
Jackie could hear the guilt in his voice. "Honey it's no big deal, she found a way to get in touch with you." Jackie said trying to ease his mind. Then he said with a worried tone "and my poor mom is all by herself at the hospital, with my dad, isn't she?"
"No, your siblings are with her, she isn't alone, I promise." Jackie said.
"That's good." Nick said relieved. "Listen Jackie, do me a favor, call the airport and get the next flight out to Texas, I'll be home in a few minutes."
"Alright I will, but just remember Nick, everything is going to be alright." She said.
"Ok, thank you, see you in a bit." Nick said and with that he ended the phone call.
He grabbed his car keys and cell phone, and then walked over to Catherine's office, handed her back her phone and said "Catherine, I need to take some time off, I don't know how long I'll be gone and I don't have time to explain but I need to go now, it's a family emergency. I will understand if you fire me for not giving you any notice, but honestly I don't care, my family comes first. I will call you later and explain." With that Nick turned around and started running down the hallway towards the parking garage where his vehicle was. He made it home in 20 minutes, for some reason the traffic was worse then normal at this hour. When he walked in the door he found Jackie sitting at the table drinking ice water, and reading a magazine.
"Did you call and get a plane ticket?" He asked.
"Yes, the plane leaves in two and a half hours." She told him.
"Ok great, thank you, I have to go pack." He started up the stairs
"Nicky" she said but he didn't answer. "Nicky" She said again. He still continued up the stairs. "Nicholas" she said.
"What, 'I'm in a hurry Jackie." Nick snapped as he turned around.
She smiled and nodded towards the kitchen where two packed suitcases sat. He smiled and walked back downstairs.
He went over to his wife, wrapped his arms around her and said "Thank you, but how did you do that so fast?"
"I'm a magician." She said with a laugh.
Nick also laughed and then he turned serious "I'm sorry I snapped at you, I am just very worried."
"It's ok, I understand completely." Jackie said with a warm smile on her face.
He gave her a sweet kiss on the neck and then looked at the clock. "We better head to the airport." He said.
The couple arrived at the airport and went through security. When they got to the terminal it was not time to board so they took a seat-well Jackie took a seat anyway, Nick just set his suitcase down and paced back and forth. People were starting to stare at him.
"Honey, come sit down." Jackie said standing up, walking over to him and grabbing his arm.
"I can't sit still right now, I just want to be up moving." Nick replied.
Jackie glanced at her watch, they still had at least a half hour until their plane was scheduled to start boarding.
"Alright then, I am really thirsty, why don't you walk down to the food court and buy me a soda?" Jackie asked.
That was a lie, she wasn't really thirsty but she thought it would take Nick's mind off of things.
"Ok, what kind do you want?" Nick asked.
"I don't care, just something diet." Jackie replied.
Jackie watched as her husband walked away. She sighed, she knew all too well what Nick was going through and she wished there was something she could do for him. Jackie remembered the way she felt the day her mom had called her crying, saying that her dad had been diagnosed with cancer. Jackie had felt extremely guilty for not being there, and all she could think about was getting to her parents as fast as possible because unlike Nick's mom, her mom had to face that news alone, Jackie had no brothers or sisters, so Jackie was all her mother had. Like Nick had done for his parents, Jackie had insisted that they catch the next flight out to her parents. Jackie also recalled sitting on the plane, on one side of her sat her grandmother, on the other side Nick sat. Jackie sobbed the entire flight, she had alternated between putting her head on her grandmothers shoulder and on Nick's. Both tried to calm her down, but there was nothing either could do.
"Here honey." Nick's voice pulled her from her thoughts and back into the present.
"What?" she asked looking at him.
"Here's your soda." Nick said extending it out to her.
"Oh, thank you" She said taking it from his hand.
For the first time since arriving to the airport Nick took a seat next to her. They sat there for a couple of minutes and then Jackie's cell phone rang.
"It's Catherine" she said glancing at the caller I'D.
"Here let me talk to her, I should apologize for the way I spoke to her earlier." Nick said taking the phone.
"Hello" he answered.
"Hey Nicky, listen….."
but before she could say anymore Nick interrupted her. "Catherine, I am sorry for the way I left earlier, it's just that my dad had a heart attack and I was in such a hurry to get back to Texas, but that's no excuse and I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about Nicky, I knew about your dad before you left, Jackie told me before I gave you the phone."
"Oh ok, thanks for being so understanding." He said.
"Sure anytime, listen the reason that I called was just to say that if you guys need anything, just let me or one of the others know, we are all here for you." Catherine said.
"Thanks Cath, that means a lot and I really appreciate."
"Hey you would be right there for us if we needed you." She reminded him.
Nick smiled "Yeah" he replied.
"Take as much time as you need off, and again if you need anything don't hesitate to call us." Catherine said.
"Thanks again for everything Catherine, I will see you when I get back." Nick said, then the call was ended.
"Everything ok?" Jackie asked him.
"Yes, she just wanted to tell me that if we needed anything to give one of them a call."
Jackie smiled "That was nice of them."
"Yes it was, they really are an extended part of our family." Nick said.
A few minutes passed and neither said anything, then out of nowhere Jackie remembered something they had forgotten to do.
"Nick, we didn't arrange for anyone to take care of Chief." (the couples' dog).
"No we didn't, I didn't even think about it." Nick said, ashamed of himself.
"I'll call Sara, she lives the closest to us out of any of them." Jackie said and then she dialed Sara's number. Sara answered on the second ring.
"Sara, hi it's Jackie, listen…"
Sara cut her off "Jackie, Catherine just told us what happened, I am so very sorry, tell Nick that I am here for him if he needs anything."
"Thank you very much Sara, and actually we do need a favor." Jackie said.
"Name it" Sara said without hesitation.
"We need someone to feed and water the dog, and let him out a few times a day." Jackie said.
"Consider it done" Sara said immediately.
"Thank you Sara, we owe you one." Jackie said.
"You don't owe me anything." Sara protested.
"Thanks again, and we will call you guys with an update when we have one." Jackie said.
"Yes please do that." Sara said.
After that the two women said their goodbyes and hung up.
"Not to worry, Sara is going to take care of it." Jackie said.
Nick gave Jackie a small smile "that's nice of her." He said.
"Yes it is, and she also told me to tell you to let her know if you need anything." Nick once again smiled
"What would I do without those people?" He asked.
"I don't know, they are an incredible bunch of human beings, that's for sure." Jackie said.
Just then the announcement came on that it was time to board.
"Finally" Nick said standing up and grabbing both him and his wife's suitcase.
When they got on the plane Nick placed the bags in the overhead compartment, or at least he attempted too. He thought he had them securely in place but Jackie's bag was stubborn and it fell out of the compartment, narrowly missing her head as it crashed to the floor.
Nick had a shocked expression on his face as he said "Sorry honey, are you alright?"
His wife grinned at him "Watch it Nicky, or my COD will be BFT."
Nick laughed and said "you packed enough crap in there, it very well could have killed you."
"Oh hush" Jackie said, playfully smacking Nick on the arm.
Nick finally got her bag in the compartment so the couple took their seats. During the flight Jackie noticed Nick staring blankly out the window.
She grabbed his hand, "You ok?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Nick said as he glanced over at her and then went right back to staring out the window.
"Nicky, you can talk to me." His wife encouraged.
He looked back at her again "I don't know, it all seems so surreal you know?" I mean I always saw my dad as unbreakable, the tough guy judge, not the guy that has a heart attack."
"I know what you mean, I always thought of my dad that way too, I think everyone sees their parents that way, they spend so many years taking care of us, loving us, protecting us that we view them as invincible, but the sad truth is, they aren't." Jackie said.
"You never realize the things you take for granted until you come close to losing everything. You know, my dad called me a couple of days ago, I missed his call and I didn't realize he called me until I got home from work, but I had just come off working a double and was so tired, so I told myself that after I slept for a while I would call him back, when I woke up it slipped my mind, I never did return his phone call." Nick said, then with a shameful look in his eye he added "some son huh?"
Jackie gave his hand a squeeze, "Nicky, you are a wonderful son, your parents love you and they are so very proud of you." Jackie said.
Nick looked at her and smiled "Thanks babe"
She returned the smile.
After a couple moments had passed Nick looked at his wife, smirked, and asked "I'm a pretty good husband too aren't I?"
She gave him a devilish smirk of her own and said "oh for the most part."
"HEY" Nick said, and because of the look on his face she burst out laughing.
Nick joined in on the laughter and after they had calmed down it was his turn to squeeze her hand
"Thank you Jackie, I needed the laugh." He said.
She didn't say anything, she just smiled.
Soon after the plane landed in Texas, before long the couple was headed to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital Jackie said "he is in room 112"
Nick looked at her quizzically "How do you know that?" He asked.
"You're mom told me when she called." Jackie explained.
"Oh ok, that makes sense." Nick said.
They walked down the hall and entered the room. His mother was very happy to see both of them, and much to Nick's relief Jackie had been correct, Nick's sisters and brother were there, his mother had not been alone. There were hugs, all around. Nick stood by Jackie, talking to his mother, and then for the first time he glanced at his father. Nick was horrified at what he saw. He was so shocked at what he saw he almost fell over, had he not reached out and grabbed his wife's arm for balance he would have hit the floor. His father was pale, extremely pale, he had an IV hooked up to him, as well as a heart monitor, he looked very disheveled and he was sleeping, or at least that is what Nick hoped was happening.
"mmmm….mom….he is just slee…sleeping…right?." He stammered.
She offered him a warm smile "Yes Nicky he's just sleeping."
Nick regained his composure "Good, he needs his rest." Nick said, sounding much calmer then he felt. Then Nick asked "So what exactly did the doctor say?"
"They said that the heart attack was mild, and that they expect him to make a full recovery, but they still want him to stay in the hospital a day or two for observation." Nick's mother said.
"That's great news" Nick said extremely happy and relieved.
"Yes it is" his mother said smiling.
The family stayed and visited with one another for a while, but soon his brother and sisters wanted to go home, check on their children, take a shower and get some rest, but they promised they would be back in a few hours. Everyone tried to talk Jill into going home for a while, but she refused, she wanted to stay by her husbands' side.
After everyone had left, Nick, Jackie and Jill were all around Roger's bed talking with one another when all of a sudden Roger's I.V monitor went off, making a horrendous noise.
"What's happening?" Jill asked, almost in hysterics.
Jackie wrapped her arms around her mother in law, "It's ok Jill, sometimes it makes that noise if the patient moves a certain way because the I.V can come loose or even come out, so the machine is just a warning to the patient to keep their arm still so that doesn't happen, or if it does come lose or out it just tells the nurse that it needs to be fixed, it's nothing to be concerned about."
A nurse came rushing in, "No need to worry folks, he just loosened his I.V."
The nurse fixed it, smiled at the anxious looking family and left the room.
"How did you know that Jackie?" Jill asked her daughter in law in surprise.
"That happened to my dad more times then I care to count." Jackie said, with tears filling her eyes.
Suddenly she raced out of the room. Nick ran after her. He found her outside in the hallway, sitting on the floor with her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Nick immediately sat down on the floor next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Shhh, it's alright." He said soothingly.
"I'm sorry Nick, I should be supporting you right now, not the other way around."
"It's alright don't worry about it." He said smiling and pulling her close to him.
"It's just one day, when my dad was so sick, I remember I had to hold his hand so he wouldn't move and yank his I.V out. He had unknowingly done so a couple of times already that day and that dreadful machine made that awful noise. His hand felt so cold, and I remember looking at his face, he looked terrible, like he was on death's door. Everyone except my uncle and I had stepped out of his hospital room for a minute, and I just remember completely falling apart. I was so grateful my uncle was there and that I was not alone at that moment."
Nick looked at his wife, tears were streaming down her face, he knew that seeing her dad so sick was devastating for her but she rarely opened up about it to him. He felt horrible that he had not been for her when she had needed him most.
"Jackie I'm so sorry I wasn't in the room then."
Jackie looked at him and gave him a smile "It's not your fault, you didn't know that I was going to pick that precise moment to have a breakdown." She said.
As far as Jackie was concerned Nick had been extremely supportive through the entire ordeal, she knew that she could not have gotten through it without him and she was extremely grateful to him for all his love and support during what was without question the worst time of her life.
After a couple of minutes Jackie calmed down. "We should go back in there with your mom." Jackie said nodding towards the hospital room.
"You sure you're alright?" Nick asked.
She smiled "I'm fine, thank you."
Nick got up off the floor and then gave his wife a hand up.
When they walked back into the room Jill immediately noticed her daughter in laws' red eyes.
"What's wrong, are you alright?" Jill asked.
Jackie smiled "Yeah I'm fine, thank you."
Jill wasn't convinced so she looked at Nick who just smiled so Jill let it go.
A couple of minutes later Nick said "Mom, you are probably starving, why don't I take you down to the cafeteria and get you some breakfast."
"That's alright Nicky, I'm not hungry, but thank you sweetheart." She said.
"Have you eaten anything lately?" Nick asked raising his eyebrow at her.
"No, but I'm not hungry, plus I don't want to leave your dad." She said.
"I'll stay with Roger, you go with Nick and eat something." Jackie offered immediately.
"Thank you dear, but really, I'm not hungry." Jill insisted.
"Mom you have to eat." Nick said.
Jill sighed "You're not going to give up until I agree to go are you?" She asked her son.
Nick grinned "Nope."
"You are just as stubborn as your father." His mom said.
Nick smiled, "So does that mean you agree to go with me?" He asked.
"Yes I'll go, but we have to hurry, I don't want to leave your father for very long." She said.
Jill turned her attention to Jackie "Promise me you will stay with him until we get back?" She said.
Jackie smiled "You have my word." She said sincerely.
So Nick and his mom left and since Roger was still asleep Jackie sat on the chair at the foot of his bed and turned the T.V on.
She had been watching it for about ten minutes when she heard a weak voice say "Jill?"
Jackie turned and saw her father in law was awake.
"Jackie" he said sounding surprised.
"Hi, how are you feeling?" Jackie asked getting up from her chair and grabbing his hand.
"I'm fine, where's Poncho?" He asked.
"He went with Jill to grab something to eat." She said.
"Good, I don't think Jill has eaten all day." He said.
Jackie smiled "Can I get you anything?" she asked him.
"No but could you do me a favor?" Roger asked her.
"Sure, anything." Jackie said.
"Help me escape and get the hell out of here." Roger said.
"What?" Jackie asked him with a shocked expression in her voice.
"Help me get out of here." Roger repeated.
"Roger, the doctors said you need to stay here for a day or two so they can keep an eye on you." Jackie said.
"Horse crap, I don't need to stay here, I feel fine." He said stubbornly.
"Why don't you try to go back to sleep, rest would be really good for you." Jackie said.
"I don't want to sleep I want to leave." Roger said tugging on his I.V
"Roger stop that or they will have to put it back in again, and it'll hurt." Jackie said grabbing his hand and pushing it away from the other one before he really did pull out the I.V.
Roger fought her, trying to get the I.V out of his arm, but he stopped when a nurse came in. The nurse had a friendly look on her face
"Hi, you must be one of his daughters, I'm Stephanie, I will be his nurse for the day." She said extending a hand out to Jackie.
Jackie smiled, shook her hand and said "Hi, it's nice to meet you, I'm his daughter in law actually."
"Oh ok, and what is your name?" Stephanie asked, still smiling.
But before Jackie had a chance to answer, Roger said "This here is Mrs. Poncho."
Stephanie grabbed Jackie's arm and said in a comforting voice "Don't worry, that's just the medication talking."
Jackie smiled and Roger ignored the comment and continued "And out of all my children's spouses she was my favorite, but she won't help me get out of here so she has slipped down a couple spots."
Stephanie smiled at her patient "Judge Stokes, we haven't treated you that bad have we, how come you want to leave us?" She asked.
"Because I have to work in the morning." Roger said.
"I'm sure after you rest here a day or two, you will be ready to go back to work with lots of energy, in the meantime, you just rest." Stephanie said.
She turned to Jackie "If either of you two need anything, you just let me know."
"Thank you, we will." Jackie said, and then the nurse left the room.
Jackie turned her attention to her father in law, who was glaring at her. "Come on Roger, you can't be that mad at me for not helping you escape." Jackie said.
"Like hell I can't." Roger said stubbornly, Jackie just rolled her eyes, she didn't know what to say.
A couple of minutes later Roger was reaching for his glass of ice water on his bedside table.
"Here, let me help you." Jackie offered.
"I can get it." Roger snapped, so Jackie backed off.
Roger finally reached his glass but in the process he knocked the straw out. It landed on the floor. "Damn it." Roger growled angrily.
"I'll go get you another one." Jackie said, she started walking to the door but quickly turned around, "Roger, while I am out in the hall do no pull out your I.V. do you hear me?"
"Yeah yeah" Roger muttered.
"Promise me you won't" Jackie said.
"I promise." He said grumpily, it was clear he was not happy about having to promise Jackie anything.
As Jackie walked out of the room she heard her father in law mumble "And I thought she was the nice one."
Jackie ignored him and walked out into the hallway, she walked the few steps to the nurses station where she saw Stephanie. "Hi, sorry to bother you but he dropped his straw, can I get another one?" Jackie asked.
"Of course" Stephanie said walking a few steps to a storage compartment and grabbing a straw. She handed the straw to Jackie.
"Thank you." Jackie said.
Stephanie smiled and said "You know, I never did catch your name."
"Sorry about that, I'm Jackie." Jackie said smiling, once again extending her hand to the nurse.
"It's nice to meet you Jackie" Stephanie said.
"Like wise." Jackie said. "I better get back in there; there is no telling what he is doing to the medical equipment." Jackie said, only half kidding.
Stephanie laughed, and Jackie turned around and walked back into Roger's room. Roger had kept his promise and left his I.V alone, much to Jackie's surprise. Roger was still holding his cup of ice water so Jackie leaned over and stuck the straw in the cup, but to Jackie's surprise the cup was empty.
She looked at her father in law "I didn't need a straw." He said.
"Ok" Jackie said taking a deep breath so she wouldn't explode. Much to Jackie's relief Nick and Jill then walked into the room.
"Dad, you're awake, how are you feeling?" Nick asked.
"Poncho." Roger said happily as his son came over and gave him a tight hug. "Listen Poncho, I need a favor, and your wife wouldn't help me."
Nick gave his wife a surprised look, and said "sure, what do you need?"
"I need you to help me get the hell out of this hospital." Roger said.
"Huh?" Nick asked his father completely stunned.
"I want to leave." Roger repeated.
"Dad you can't leave, you have to stay here at least until tomorrow for observation." Nick said.
"Nonsense, I feel fine, not get me out of here son."
"Roger, don't be ridiculous, you had a heart attack, you can't just leave the hospital." Jill said.
"Bullshit, I am fine, and I have four cases tomorrow and three on Tuesday, now I have to get home."
"Dad, you're talking crazy, work will just have to wait." Nick said.
"Nicholas Michael Stokes, do not talk to me that way." Roger bellowed.
"Ok then I will, you are not leaving this hospital tonight, and that is final." Jill said.
She then turned to Jackie who was standing right next to her and whispered "After living with him for so long it is a wonder I have not dropped dead from migraine headaches."
Jackie laughed, and said "well at least now I know why Nick is so stubborn."
"I hope for your sake Nicky is not that stubborn." Jill said.
"Well maybe not quite that bad but he definitely has a stubborn streak in him." Jackie said with a smile.
Within a few minutes Roger gave up on going home and fell back asleep. The next afternoon the he was allowed to go home, but he wasn't allowed to go back to work for a week, he started to argue with the doctors but Jill gave him a stern look and said "Do not say a word Roger." So he smartly kept his mouth shut.
Nick and Jackie stayed in Texas following Roger's release from the hospital just to make sure he was going to be alright, and to help his mom around the house so his dad could rest without worrying, plus it was nice to visit his family since he didn't get to see them very often.
Within a few days though it was clear that Roger was going to be just fine, so Nick and Jackie decided it was time to head back to Vegas.
As they entered their living room Nick said "It's been a long few days, it's good to be home."
Jackie nodded in agreement.
Nick carried the suitcases up to their bedroom and started unpacking.
"Nicky, I'm tired, let's just go to bed, we will unpack in the morning." Jackie said.
"Good idea." Nick said.
So the couple got ready for bed, and within minutes after their heads hit their pillows both of them were fast asleep.
The End! I hope you enjoyed reading this story! Reviews very much appreciated!