Rosalind
This story and all themes and ideas contained in said story are the sole
ownership of J.L. Scott. Any copyright infringements can be prosecuted in a
court of law.
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no money, no sue, please? AN: This is where things get weird and probably confusing. This is more like a collection of scenes from various episodes that make up the part of the story that's important to me. So imagine them stuck in various places in various episodes that are "really" about other things. It might make more sense that way. Hope you enjoy!
"How'd it go last night?" Connie asked. John looked to his left. She and Theo had just gotten out of her car in front of the school.
"Good" he answered, "We ate some mac and cheese. Had Cherios for breakfast" Connie smiled at him. That wasn't exactly what she had meant, he knew, but he didn't feel like telling her everything in front of Rosalind.
"Rosalind, this is Theo" he introduced the two kids, "He's going to go to school with you, then you're going to go with him to the babysitter's house"
"Hello" Theo greeted her chipperly, but Rosalind just hid behind John.
"Hi" she said quietly.
"I like your name" Theo said as they walked into the school building toward the office, Rosalind clinging to John's hand like there was no tomorrow.
"Hi Helen" Connie greeted the lady behind the counter in the office, "This is Detective Clark. I called yesterday about Rosalind"
"Oh, yes. Hello, I'm Helen Hall. We'll get you all settled. Do you have a birth certificate, school records?" Mrs. Hall gave John a few papers, which he employed her help to fill out as he wasn't sure what half the stuff meant anyway. Rosalind sat quietly in one of the chairs behind him, clutching her rag doll and looking frightened yet again. He was surprised at how quickly she had reverted to her solemn silence. When he had finally finnished, thanks to both Mrs. Hall and to Connie, Mrs. Hall told him just to take her to the same room Connie took Theo to.
"All right Theo, you stay with Rosalind and help her learn everything, okay?" Connie told him before she let him go off into the room with the other children who sounded very ready to get on with their day.
"Hello, you must be Rosalind Clark" the teacher, Ms. Branchard?, smiled down at the girl who was still hiding behind John.
"Actually, her last name is Rodriguez" Connie corrected her for him.
"Oh. Well, are you going to come in and learn with us?" Ms. Branchard seemed very nice, and seemed to like kids well enough, but Rosalind was different. Theo noticed she wasn't coming in and came back to the door.
"Come on Rosalind, I'll be your friend" he said, offering her his hand. Rosalind looked up at John.
"Go on" he encouraged her, "I'll pick you up later at the babysitters" She looked reluctant but took Theo's hand and let herself be led to the cubby holes against the back wall.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" Ms. Branchard assured him.
"She, uh, doesn't talk much. And don't try to take her doll from her, she'll throw a fit. And I packed her a lunch, but she doesn't eat much" John tried to think of anything else he could tell the teacher that might be helpful, that he had learned about the girl in the past nineteen hours.
"We'll be fine, I'm sure Mr. Clark" she smiled and Connie pulled him away.
"So?" she prodded, wanting to know more about last night.
"Oh, you should've seen her" John told her, "She watched Winnie the Pooh and she was rocking back and forth and singing the theme song." He smiled at the memory, "It was cute. And then this morning she kept turning around and around in circles trying to zip up the back of her jumper thing, it was funny. She laughs a lot when no one's around, like she's a normal little kid, you know?" Connie gave him an odd sort of smile, and he wasn't sure if it was good or not.
"So no problems then?" she asked as they reached their cars.
"No. She had a bad dream and came and slept in my bed. She asked me if I was her dad"
"What did you tell her?" Connie asked, opening her door.
"The truth" John replied.
Later
"Uncle John!" he heard her cry just before she lept into him and practically climbed up into his arms like a monkey.
"Hey!" he said, "How was school?" She just shrugged. Andy came in just behind him.
"Theo!" The babysitter called, "Your dad is here!" She turned back to the men with a smile, "Hi, Andy. And you must be John Clark"
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you." John extended a hand around Rosalind, "I wanted to thank you for taking her at such short notice"
"Connie said it might only be for a week or so" the babysitter, Caroline, replied. She was handing Michelle to Andy.
"Uh, yeah. We're not sure yet, what's going to happen" John replied.
"Well just let me know if you're going to need me more permenantly" she smiled.
"Hi Dad" Theo said as he approached, dragging a backpack behind him.
"Hey there muchkin" Andy said, "You ready?"
"Yeah. Bye, Caroline" the little boy answered and followed his dad out the door.
"Bye, Theo!"
"Well, thanks again" John said heading that way too.
"No problem. Bye, Rosalind!" Caroline waved. Rosalind looked back at her and wiggled her fingers. John carried her down to the car and strapped her under the seat belt.
"So what did you do at school?" John asked on the way home. She came alive again, telling him about everything she did that day, how the class had a hamster and she got to pet it, and how she was the only one who hadn't had a sandwich for lunch (he'd packed crackers and cheese and slices of apple, the only things he had that were lunch worthy) and.......well everything. He was almost sorry he'd asked by the time they got home. He was happy to find Winnie the Pooh was on the same channel it had been on last night while he made dinner for them (hot dogs and rice). Rosalind insisted she had homework to do, and so he washed the dishes while she colored a picture she'd pulled out of her backpack. As John reflected on the situation, he felt very domesticated, like off some fifties sitcom or something. Father doing the dishes while the little girl colored at the table. Well, maybe not the fifties.
"You have to take a bath tonight" he said when she was putting her crayons away. It was general knowledge that kids didn't like to take baths so he was ready to put up with some heavy objections, maybe even a temper tantrum. But she just finnished putting the crayons away and got her nightgown.
"I'm ready" she announced, standing by the door to the bathroom. John wasn't really sure what to do now.
"Uh. Okay" He showed her how to work the tap, and put a towel on the floor for her so she wouldn't slip when she got out.
"Can you do this by yourself?" he asked, hoping she'd just say yes and he could go open a beer and cool out for a few minutes. But children aren't all that obliging.
"I can't do my back, or my hair." she told him, starting to strip. He had to wash her hair? How do you wash a little girl's hair? He was nervous enough about being in the same room with her while she took a bath. He wasn't positive about the rules regarding giving a five year old a bath, especially when she wasn't really his daughter. But then, he was her guardian and she had to have help, so....
"Uh, okay, you get in and I'll go get a cup" he said. He remembered something about kids being paranoid about getting shampoo in their eyes. He'd just use the cup to rinse her hair out and then he wouldn't have to worry about that. When he got back she was already in the tub with a soapy washcloth, rubbing it up and down her arms.
"Here" she handed the sopping cloth to him, splashing soapy water all over the (towel covered) floor and his shirt, then turned her back to him. He wiped it across her back, making sure to lift her hair and get her neck. He didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would.
"Okay, now your hair. Hold your breath and lay down in the tub to get it wet" he instructed her and she complied, scrunching her face up as she did so. When she sat up he rubbed the shampoo into her hair, making sure to scrub her scalp a little. This wasn't so hard. He could do this. Hopefully.
"Okay, close your eyes" he told her and filled the cup he'd brought up with water, then poured it over her hair. He repeated until all the shampoo was apparently gone. He got her out of the tub and into a towel, dried her all off and left her to get into her nightgown by herself. He had her bed all pulled out and ready to go when she came out. Her hair was all stringy and wet and clinging to her cotton nightgown that had those same pickle and tomatoe on it that her blanket did. He glanced at his watch. Nine, on the dot. He had a feeling he was going to be going to bed much earlier than he was used to for a while. He had a feeling he was going to need to, he was beat. Rosalind crawled across the bed and under the covers. He bent over and kissed her forehead.
"Good night Uncle John" she said sleepily.
"Night sweetheart"
To borrow a phrase: NYPD Blue no mine......no money, no sue, please? AN: This is where things get weird and probably confusing. This is more like a collection of scenes from various episodes that make up the part of the story that's important to me. So imagine them stuck in various places in various episodes that are "really" about other things. It might make more sense that way. Hope you enjoy!
"How'd it go last night?" Connie asked. John looked to his left. She and Theo had just gotten out of her car in front of the school.
"Good" he answered, "We ate some mac and cheese. Had Cherios for breakfast" Connie smiled at him. That wasn't exactly what she had meant, he knew, but he didn't feel like telling her everything in front of Rosalind.
"Rosalind, this is Theo" he introduced the two kids, "He's going to go to school with you, then you're going to go with him to the babysitter's house"
"Hello" Theo greeted her chipperly, but Rosalind just hid behind John.
"Hi" she said quietly.
"I like your name" Theo said as they walked into the school building toward the office, Rosalind clinging to John's hand like there was no tomorrow.
"Hi Helen" Connie greeted the lady behind the counter in the office, "This is Detective Clark. I called yesterday about Rosalind"
"Oh, yes. Hello, I'm Helen Hall. We'll get you all settled. Do you have a birth certificate, school records?" Mrs. Hall gave John a few papers, which he employed her help to fill out as he wasn't sure what half the stuff meant anyway. Rosalind sat quietly in one of the chairs behind him, clutching her rag doll and looking frightened yet again. He was surprised at how quickly she had reverted to her solemn silence. When he had finally finnished, thanks to both Mrs. Hall and to Connie, Mrs. Hall told him just to take her to the same room Connie took Theo to.
"All right Theo, you stay with Rosalind and help her learn everything, okay?" Connie told him before she let him go off into the room with the other children who sounded very ready to get on with their day.
"Hello, you must be Rosalind Clark" the teacher, Ms. Branchard?, smiled down at the girl who was still hiding behind John.
"Actually, her last name is Rodriguez" Connie corrected her for him.
"Oh. Well, are you going to come in and learn with us?" Ms. Branchard seemed very nice, and seemed to like kids well enough, but Rosalind was different. Theo noticed she wasn't coming in and came back to the door.
"Come on Rosalind, I'll be your friend" he said, offering her his hand. Rosalind looked up at John.
"Go on" he encouraged her, "I'll pick you up later at the babysitters" She looked reluctant but took Theo's hand and let herself be led to the cubby holes against the back wall.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" Ms. Branchard assured him.
"She, uh, doesn't talk much. And don't try to take her doll from her, she'll throw a fit. And I packed her a lunch, but she doesn't eat much" John tried to think of anything else he could tell the teacher that might be helpful, that he had learned about the girl in the past nineteen hours.
"We'll be fine, I'm sure Mr. Clark" she smiled and Connie pulled him away.
"So?" she prodded, wanting to know more about last night.
"Oh, you should've seen her" John told her, "She watched Winnie the Pooh and she was rocking back and forth and singing the theme song." He smiled at the memory, "It was cute. And then this morning she kept turning around and around in circles trying to zip up the back of her jumper thing, it was funny. She laughs a lot when no one's around, like she's a normal little kid, you know?" Connie gave him an odd sort of smile, and he wasn't sure if it was good or not.
"So no problems then?" she asked as they reached their cars.
"No. She had a bad dream and came and slept in my bed. She asked me if I was her dad"
"What did you tell her?" Connie asked, opening her door.
"The truth" John replied.
Later
"Uncle John!" he heard her cry just before she lept into him and practically climbed up into his arms like a monkey.
"Hey!" he said, "How was school?" She just shrugged. Andy came in just behind him.
"Theo!" The babysitter called, "Your dad is here!" She turned back to the men with a smile, "Hi, Andy. And you must be John Clark"
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you." John extended a hand around Rosalind, "I wanted to thank you for taking her at such short notice"
"Connie said it might only be for a week or so" the babysitter, Caroline, replied. She was handing Michelle to Andy.
"Uh, yeah. We're not sure yet, what's going to happen" John replied.
"Well just let me know if you're going to need me more permenantly" she smiled.
"Hi Dad" Theo said as he approached, dragging a backpack behind him.
"Hey there muchkin" Andy said, "You ready?"
"Yeah. Bye, Caroline" the little boy answered and followed his dad out the door.
"Bye, Theo!"
"Well, thanks again" John said heading that way too.
"No problem. Bye, Rosalind!" Caroline waved. Rosalind looked back at her and wiggled her fingers. John carried her down to the car and strapped her under the seat belt.
"So what did you do at school?" John asked on the way home. She came alive again, telling him about everything she did that day, how the class had a hamster and she got to pet it, and how she was the only one who hadn't had a sandwich for lunch (he'd packed crackers and cheese and slices of apple, the only things he had that were lunch worthy) and.......well everything. He was almost sorry he'd asked by the time they got home. He was happy to find Winnie the Pooh was on the same channel it had been on last night while he made dinner for them (hot dogs and rice). Rosalind insisted she had homework to do, and so he washed the dishes while she colored a picture she'd pulled out of her backpack. As John reflected on the situation, he felt very domesticated, like off some fifties sitcom or something. Father doing the dishes while the little girl colored at the table. Well, maybe not the fifties.
"You have to take a bath tonight" he said when she was putting her crayons away. It was general knowledge that kids didn't like to take baths so he was ready to put up with some heavy objections, maybe even a temper tantrum. But she just finnished putting the crayons away and got her nightgown.
"I'm ready" she announced, standing by the door to the bathroom. John wasn't really sure what to do now.
"Uh. Okay" He showed her how to work the tap, and put a towel on the floor for her so she wouldn't slip when she got out.
"Can you do this by yourself?" he asked, hoping she'd just say yes and he could go open a beer and cool out for a few minutes. But children aren't all that obliging.
"I can't do my back, or my hair." she told him, starting to strip. He had to wash her hair? How do you wash a little girl's hair? He was nervous enough about being in the same room with her while she took a bath. He wasn't positive about the rules regarding giving a five year old a bath, especially when she wasn't really his daughter. But then, he was her guardian and she had to have help, so....
"Uh, okay, you get in and I'll go get a cup" he said. He remembered something about kids being paranoid about getting shampoo in their eyes. He'd just use the cup to rinse her hair out and then he wouldn't have to worry about that. When he got back she was already in the tub with a soapy washcloth, rubbing it up and down her arms.
"Here" she handed the sopping cloth to him, splashing soapy water all over the (towel covered) floor and his shirt, then turned her back to him. He wiped it across her back, making sure to lift her hair and get her neck. He didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would.
"Okay, now your hair. Hold your breath and lay down in the tub to get it wet" he instructed her and she complied, scrunching her face up as she did so. When she sat up he rubbed the shampoo into her hair, making sure to scrub her scalp a little. This wasn't so hard. He could do this. Hopefully.
"Okay, close your eyes" he told her and filled the cup he'd brought up with water, then poured it over her hair. He repeated until all the shampoo was apparently gone. He got her out of the tub and into a towel, dried her all off and left her to get into her nightgown by herself. He had her bed all pulled out and ready to go when she came out. Her hair was all stringy and wet and clinging to her cotton nightgown that had those same pickle and tomatoe on it that her blanket did. He glanced at his watch. Nine, on the dot. He had a feeling he was going to be going to bed much earlier than he was used to for a while. He had a feeling he was going to need to, he was beat. Rosalind crawled across the bed and under the covers. He bent over and kissed her forehead.
"Good night Uncle John" she said sleepily.
"Night sweetheart"