Nick fidgeted in his seat, he had been told to wait outside for the doctor to finish the exam, The girl was less than cooperative when he left she screamed and cried for him to come back but they wouldn't let him.
"Nick Stokes?" A voice asked, Nick lifted his eyes from the floor to see a doctor standing looking at him. He stood to greet her noting the grim look on her face, her eyes sullen, her lips set in a deep frown.
"How did you find this little girl?" She asked.
"She ran into my arms at a crime scene and I brought her straight here." Nick explained as he nervously fidgeted with the loop on his jeans.
"Well, she had some extensive bruising on her arms legs and and thighs. Nick looked up sharply at that last bit.
"Yeah that was my reaction so i did a rape kit, i would say by the tears and scaring shes been raped repeatedly." The doctor reported. Nick felt his world go sliding out from under him, he felt dizzy and sat down in the nearest chair.
"She's resting now, i had to sedate to do the exam. But, you can go in and sit with her, she wanted you before, I'm sure she'll want you when she..." The doctor was cut off by a nurse rushing in.
"She's awake doctor. we can't seem to calm her down ,she keeps screaming N. Stokes." She explained looking frazzled. Nick stood and followed the doctor down the hall, when he heard her screams he broke into a slight jog and came straight to the bed she flew into his arms and cried into his shoulder.
"Shh its okay I'm here now. calm down." He soothed swaying from side to side with her. she did calm down and curling into him fell asleep there in his arms. He looked down at her, and watched her for a moment before laying in the bed, and covering her with the sheet and the blanket from earlier.
"Well, that was interesting, she seems to have formed a bond with you." A strange female voice spoke up from the door way. Nick turned to see a short, middle aged women standing there watching him. Her red hair was fastened into a tight bun, and her green eyes shone brightly.
"Yeah, i guess." Was all he could think of to say.
"Don't take it lightly Mr." She hesitated and nick smiled.
"Stokes, Nick stokes." He filled in.
"Mr. Stokes, Ann Bradly I'm A child physiologist here at the hospital, they called me when rape was confirmed." Dr. Bradly stepped further into the room and eyed the sleeping girl on the bed.
"Has she spoken at all" She asked, Nick shook his head.
"She told me two men where trying to hurt her and that was it." He explained.
"Well. Give it time she'll talk when she's ready to," She told him.
"Some children well close up after a traumatic experience like hers. I'm surprised she toke to you like she did, its not common for a traumatized child to open up like that to a stranger so quickly."She continued, Nick nodded his eyes focusing on the girl dozing the bed next to him.
"Well, if she starts talking before you leave, call me."She left her card with him and excused herself closing the door behind her. Nick pulled a chair close to the bed and sat for awhile watching her sleep. She looked so innocent sleeping there all curled up in her blanket, he let a smile play at his lips, she was a sweet girl, if only she'd talk. He would settle for just her name, if nothing else it would be better than calling her kid. He watched as the object of his thoughts stirred and rolled over facing him, her eyes still closed she slept on.
"Sweet dreams, munchkin." He whispered to her, pulling the covers a little further up and tucking them around her. He wondered if this how Cathrine felt every time she got to put Lindsey to bed at night. Oh no, in all the commotion of trying to calm her down, he had forgotten his promise to call Grissom. He toke his phone into the hall and dailed Grissoms number at light speed.
"Well it's about time I was starting to think you had forgotten." Grissom smiled on his end of the phone, he had informed every one what had happened and now they piled around him waiting to hear about the child.
"She's sleeping right now. they had to do a rape kit Gris, she was abused over and over again, and not just sexually, physically too." Nick explained. Grissom was silent a moment.
"She woke up screaming for me. The shrink said she formed a bond with me." Nick went on Grissom chuckled.
"I'm Not surprised, I kinda figured that what would happen by the way she clung to you at the crime scene." Grissom replied Nick sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"So what happens now?" He asked.
"Well, we don't have to send her back to her home, but we do have to find her parents and inform them about their daughter, and that they well not be able to take her home for long time. Till then we'll have to find a suitable place for her stay." Grissom explained already knowing the answer to that riddle.
"She can stay at my place till we find her parents, i have an extra room and i have plenty of vacation time coming." Nick gave the expected answer, Grissom smiled.
"Well, sounds to me like you have everything settled already." Grissom said his smiled coming out in his voice.
"Yeah, I guess i do. I just feel i owe it to her since she formed this bond with me I'd hate to send her to live strangers." Nick smiled.
"Well, take two day to get her settled and then we figure out some thing for her so you can work," Grissom said Cathrine motioned for the phone.
"Hang on Nick the mother hen whats to speak." He handed her the phone.
"Hey Nicky, Don't worry about finding someone to sit with her while you work. Lindsey is a competent a babysitter now." Cathrine offered, Nick laughed.
"Thanks Cathrine sounds great, she'll have some close to her age to hang with." Nick said.
"I'm proud of you, for doing this. Most people would let her go to an orphanage or something but, not you." Cathrine said, Nick felt overwhelmed for a moment.
"I'm just taking care of her temporarily Catherine, its not like i claimed her as my daughter or anything." He tried to play it down.
"You still stood up and accepted responsibility for a child that isn't your's. that takes courage." Cathrine went on Nick felt himself blush.
"Well, i guess I'd better go, I don't want her to wake up and find me gone again." They said their good byes, and Nick hung up the phone. Smiling and shacking his head he reentered the room, toke his seat and continued to watch her sleep.
"Ya know I don't think the girl was the only one the form a bond." Cathrine pointed out Handing Grissom his phone.
"He talks about her like its his own child." Grissom observed.
"Thats good I guess, lets just hope he doesn't get attached to her." Warrick interjected.
"Alright first we ave to find her parents, Warrick why don't you go down the hospital. You and Nick can work on finding her parents together,"Grissom instructed.
"The rest of us will concentrate on the DB downstairs."He finished.
Well another chapter. I think is kinda sweet, but then it is my story. Hope you like it.