Lifelong Lessons
Rated: PG
Category: Ficlet (264 words). Gen, John Sheppard Backstory.
Season: Pre-Series/Young John Sheppard.
Spoilers: Knowledge of Sunday and Outcast helpful.
Summary: What exactly do sports teach children, anyway? That depends.
---
The clubhouse locker room was empty save for one boy, age ten, slowly packing his things into a duffle bag.
The boy sniffled once and ran his sleeve under his nose to dispose of the snot that had collected there only minutes before as hot tears had run freely down his face.
As he did, a gruff voice called out to him from outside.
"You almost ready, son?"
The boy cleared his throat and answered in a confident voice.
"Yes, sir."
"Alright. I'll meet you in the car," answered the voice.
The boy heard footsteps leave, and he sighed audibly.
He was far from ready. He wanted nothing less than to join his father in the car.
For he'd lost at golf today, and that was unacceptable. His loss had come against an opponent two years his senior in the final round of the tournament, and only by one stroke, but none of that mattered.
At least not to his father, who had already insulted him about his second place finish.
But though he wanted to delay the drive home forever, the boy stood up only a moment later and walked out of the locker room with his head held high.
His tears, shed only in private, were long gone, and his face was scrubbed clean of any evidence of them.
They say that sports teach children many things, and in this case that was very true.
For though he hadn't boxed a day in his life, young John Sheppard had learned long ago to never let your opponent know they'd scored a blow.
His father and golf had seen to that.