Cat's In The Cradle, a m*a*s*h fanfic

Cat's In The Cradle – By Mirandabelle

I do not own MASH or Charles Winchester. Charlie and his personality are my own though!

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way

I first heard about my son's birth on the hospital PA system.

"Attention Doctor Winchester, please report to obstetrics immediately, your wife has given birth to your son." Of course, I had to be in the OR then, and didn't see little Charlie until he was 4 hours old.

But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away

And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

I missed more things in time too, being Boston's most talented cardio-thoracic surgeon has its disadvantages. It did mean that little Charlie and his mother were able to live in comfort and I continued to work hard, missing his first steps, first tooth, first Christmas, his first word, a stuttered "Dada" at the butler, whom he mistook for me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My being away so much didn't change anything for little Charlie, he adored me as much as a 9month old could. He beaming toothy grin was the first thing to greet me when I did come home, and his arms would be flung wide, an entreaty to play.

For me however, seeing his mother understand his baby talk that I barely understood as though it was the most natural thing in the world, hurt. I missed my son immensely while I was away, and as I left for another conference, I made a promise to him, to make my next visit home more fun, so that we could get to know each other.

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

That wasn't to be, if anything I saw less of Charlie than ever. I barely made his 10th birthday in between conferences, surgeries and a few prestigious awards. Charlie's mother had tipped me off about his growing baseball obsession, and a ball and glove (signed by the entire Red Sox) seemed perfect. He didn't even mind when I had to rush off to the hospital again, telling me that he was going to save lives like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

So, as my career soared I saw less of Charlie, but spoke to him on the phone every night, and as always I promised to be back soon, and to take him to the zoo, the movies all those things I never had time to do. I missed him terribly, and in time when his mother had enough of my never being there, walked out leaving Charlie in my care, I felt even worse about having to hire a nanny for him.

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

Charlie was going to be a doctor, he'd been accepted to Harvard, just like me, and I was in the beginning of retirement when he returned, just graduated, and about to start his residency, when I realised things between us were too different. He preferred his friends to me, and now even though I lived in the house with him, I saw as much of him as I ever did.

I began to look forward to the rare times we saw each other, and as he got a permanent job, found a steady girlfriend and his own hobbies, those times grew rarer still.

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

It became Charlie's turn to phone every night, promising to visit soon and to catch up. He was on the way to making a comfortable life for himself, and his new family. I realised that he was doing exactly what I had when he was a boy, promising to visit soon, to have fun, to laugh and be the son to the father I never was.

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

Charlie had become so like me in many ways, including when his wife moved away. I don't know what hurt more, being so far away from him, or realizing the boy I had once called Little Charlie, was just like me, doomed to be another lonely Winchester.