Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Tragedy
Nick Stokes came in the front door of his house and took off his shoes. He sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V. He was going to have the house to himself for a little while, about a half an hour earlier his wife Jackie called to say she was at the mall, and that when she was done shopping she was going to go pick up their 14th month old daughter Jasmine from her mothers house and then she was coming home. He had been on the couch for about ten minutes when the doorbell rang. Jackie must have her hands full and can't get to her key he thought to himself as he got up to answer the door. When he opened the door he was surprised to find that it wasn't Jackie, but a police officer, one he didn't recognize.
"Nick Stokes?" The officer asked.
"Yes" Nick answered.
"Mr. Stokes I'm Officer Adam Johnson, I'm sorry to have to tell you this but there has been a car accident and your wife is in the hospital, her condition is quite serious."
Nick was stunned, he stared at the man as if he didn't believe him.
Finally Nick asked "What about my baby girl, is she alright?" Nick asked, bracing himself for what he could hear.
"Baby girl, is your wife expecting?" The officer asked.
"No, I mean my daughter, she is only 14 months old." Nick said.
"Sir, your wife was the only one in the car, there was no baby with her."
"Oh thank God, she must not have picked her up yet." Nick said, breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Nick then asked "What happened, what caused the accident?"
"She was hit head on by a drunk driver, there was nothing she could have done to avoid it."
Nick felt a flash of anger hit him.
"Sir, you should probably get to the hospital quickly." Officer Johnson said.
Nick quickly put on his shoes and sped to the hospital. When he got there a doctor brought him into a quiet meeting room.
"Mr. Stokes, I'm doctor Williams I am taking care of your wife.
"How is she?" Nick asked.
"We are doing everything we can, but right now her condition is very critical."
"Are you telling me my wife could die?" Nick asked, his voice just a whisper.
"Yes sir, I'm very sorry, but right now it doesn't look too good, but we are going to do everything we possibly can." The doctor promised.
Tears welled in Nick's eyes "can I see her?"
"Yes, but I have to warn you, she is badly injured, and she is unconscious, it is going to be difficult for you to see her like that." Doctor Williams said.
"I don't care, I want to be by her side." Nick said.
The doctor smiled and said "I understand, follow me."
He led Nick into a hospital room and what Nick saw shook him to his core, his wife had wires hooked up to her and bandages covering her entire body, she was unrecognizable. In fact the only proof Nick had that this was actually his wife was the wedding ring on her finger. He grabbed a chair and immediately grabbed her hand.
"Hi honey, it's Nicky, I love you so much, I'm right here and I'm not leaving." He gently kissed her hand and then said "You have to be strong, not for me, not even for you, but for Jasmine, she ne.." His voice trailed off as he began crying as he thought of the possibility of Jasmine growing up without her mom.
He let go of her hand, and put his head in his hands and just sobbed. He pulled himself together This is not helping Nick, he thought to himself.
He grabbed her hand again "Honey, I would really love it if you opened your eyes for me." He said, but of course she didn't.
"Everything is going to be alright Jackie, I love you." He whispered sweetly in her ear.
Just then her heart monitor started going off, and in seconds dozens of doctors and nurses came running through the door.
"What's happening?" Nick asked in pure panic.
"Sir, you need to step out please." A nurse said to Nick.
"No, I'm not leaving." Nick said stubbornly.
"Sir" the nurse said, gently grabbing his shoulders and escorting him out of the room. She led him into the hallway. He sat down in a chair and waited nervously for an update. About twenty minutes later Dr. Williams came out into the hallway and he once again led Nick into the quiet back room. The two men sat down.
"Mr. Stokes, I'm very sorry but despite all of our efforts, your wife didn't make it." Doctor Williams said sadly.
Nick's head was spinning, he felt dizzy, and he thought that he might vomit.
"Would you like me to call someone for you?" Doctor Williams offered.
"No" Nick said.
"Alright, and again I am so sorry." The doctor said standing up, he gave Nick's shoulder a sympathetic pat before leaving the room.
Nick sat there feeling empty and alone, he hung his head and just cried, he didn't even care if anyone saw him. He didn't know how long he sat there but he eventually got up, left the hospital, and got into his truck. He knew where he had to go, although he would rather be going anywhere else at that moment. He parked his car in his in-laws driveway and just sat there for a couple of minutes. During his career as a CSI he had had the unfortunate task of telling many people their loved one were deceased but he knew this would be the hardest thing he would ever have to say to anyone. He took a deep breath and opened the truck door, he walked up the steps and onto the porch and rang the doorbell.
His mother in law answered it and she looked surprised "Oh hi Nick, I had assumed Jackie was coming to get Jasmine." She said cheerfully as she stepped out of the way so Nick could enter the house.
Her words cut into Nick's heart like a knife. He looked around his in-laws living room and he noticed his little girl sitting on the floor happily playing with her grandpa.
"Dada" Jasmine said happily when she saw him standing there.
"Hi angel" Nick said quietly, he couldn't even manage to smile at her.
Finally Aubrey-Nick's mother in law noticed the look on his face. "Is something wrong Nick?" She asked.
Nick once again took a deep breath. "Yeah, why don't you both come and sit down." He said, grabbing his mother in law by the back of the arm as he gently led her to the couch. Rich-his father in law joined them on the couch, leaving Jasmine on the floor by herself.
"What is it Nick?" Aubrey asked growing even more concerned.
"I don't even know how to say this." He admitted as he rubbed his face.
Aubrey felt a knot form in her stomach, as she reached for her husband's hand.
"Jackie was killed in a car accident this afternoon." He said, as tears began to stream down his face.
Over the years he had witnessed many different reactions from the family members of victims after learning their loved ones were dead, but never had he heard anyone make the horrible shriek of pure sadness that his mother in law made when he told them what had happened to their only child. Rich looked like he was in shock, he was speechless.
Jasmine crawled over to Nick and he picked her up. The baby had a sad look on her face as she said "Dada, uh-oh" as she sweetly wiped away one of his tears. This caused Aubrey to shriek once more and dart out of the room, her husband racing after her. Nick clung to his little girl tightly, as devastated as he was about his wife's sudden and sickening death Nick was so grateful he still had his little girl, he thanked God Jasmine was not in that car with her mother.
Nick stayed at his in-laws house until late in the evening but nobody said much of anything they were all still in shock.
Finally Nick took Jasmine home, he could tell she was tired, and he himself was exhausted. He carried the little girl into the house and set her down on the living room floor. Jasmine stood up and walked around the living room
"Mama" she said, and Nick begin to sob once more.
Jasmine then toddled into the kitchen "Mama" she called again.
Jasmine then stood at the bottom of the stairs "Mama" she yelled up the stairs.
Nick couldn't take it anymore, he went and scooped her up in his arms. "Come here sweetheart." He said as he carried her back into the living room and sat down with her on the couch.
Jasmine playfully grabbed his nose "Mama" she said to Nick, her voice almost sounding like she was asking a question.
"God what am I going to do?" He said to himself quietly.
"I have an idea peanut, why don't I read you a bedtime story and then you go night, night." He said as he stood up and carried her upstairs.
He put on her pajamas, grabbed a book, and sat in the rocking chair. To his relief while he was reading to her she fell asleep. Nick laid her down in her crib and then got ready for bed himself.
He lay down, but couldn't sleep, he just cried. Then he heard Jasmine start to cry and so he immediately went into her nursery to soothe her. But when she saw Nick she seemed to just cry harder.
"Mama" she wailed.
He picked her up and once again sat in the rocking chair with her. He tried rocking her gently but she wouldn't stop crying, and she just kept saying "Mama, Mama"
Nick didn't know what to do, she was way too little to understand why her Mama wasn't there.
Finally he said "Sweetie, I wish I could trade places with your mama, I would do it in a heartbeat, I would love nothing more then for your mama to be sitting here with you. But listen to me, I love you more than anything, more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life, and somehow, you and I will get through this, you'll have to be patient with me because I'm going to make mistakes, but I'll learn. You don't know how much you have enriched my life, and how so very grateful I am that you are still here with me, without you, I wouldn't have a reason to go on right now, I love you so very, very much."
Even though Nick knew she didn't, Jasmine seemed to understand what he was telling her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and said "Dada"
He smiled at her as tears begin to trickle down his cheeks, "Yeah Dada" he said as he gently kissed the top of her head.
Not long after that she fell back asleep.
The next few days flew by in a blur, then came the day of Jackie's funeral, this was by far the worst day of Nick's life. He thought losing Warrick was hard, but this, this was pain that absolutely no one should have to endure. He got up to give a eulogy,
"Jackie was, she was" then he lost it, "I'm sorry, I can't, I can't do this." He said as he quickly returned to his seat.
That evening he laid down in his bed, and as he slept he could almost hear his wife's voice "Nicky, Nicky, I'm right here, I haven't left you and Jasmine, I love you too Nicky."
Nick opened his eyes, his wife was looking at him with concern obvious on his face. He sat up, and immediately touched her arm, he had to feel her, he had to prove to himself that she was really there, alive and safe.
"Are you alright?" She asked him.
"I think so." He said still trying to calm down. "
Where's Jasmine?" He asked.
Jackie smiled at him "In her crib fast asleep, I just checked on her." She answered.
Then she asked "Did you have a nightmare?"
He nodded.
"About the kidnapping?" She asked.
"No, it was worse, much, much worse." He said.
"What was it about?" She pressed.
"I don't even want to talk about it." He said as reached out and took her in his arms.
Jackie didn't ask anymore questions and they fell back asleep wrapped in each others arms. They had only been asleep for about an hour when Jasmine started fussing.
Jackie smiled "I'll go" she said getting up and going into Jasmine's nursery.
Nick followed her and watched from the doorway of the nursery.
"Mama" Jasmine said smiling as Jackie reached into the crib and picked the little girl up.
"Hi sweetheart, what's wrong, can't you sleep." Jackie said to Jasmine as she kissed her on the head.
Jackie sat down in the rocking chair with the baby in her arms. She rocked her gently back and forth. Nick smiled as he watched Jasmine fall asleep in her Mama's arms and he knew then that everything was just fine.
The End!