Disclaimer: Corrie, neither Jacks, nor Tyrone are mine.
Granddads Puddleduck
Sleep evaded two of the four members of the house that night, and as Tyrone got into bed next to Molly, he knew he had to hold his tears in until she went to sleep. She had had such a great night and he had been told by Jack not to wreck it for her. She was in blissful ignorance and for a little longer she was going to remain there. He wished he still was.
Jack, the only man who had ever even tried to be a dad to him, and the only man he would even want as a dad, was dying. He was soon going to be gone from him, and there was not a thing in the world he was able to do about that – and it killed him.
He felt as if someone had reached inside of him and twisted his guts round one another – as if he was going to be in this agony for ever – but then Jack was the one in real pain, wasn't he?
He had been so calm when he had told him. As if it had not scared him at all.
But to Tyrone, Cancer was a scary word. And incurable was worse.
Tears slipped almost unnoticed on to his cheeks and he wished and wished and wished that Vera was there with them. She would make Jack see sense. Make him see he had to at least try and go on for their sakes. He had to try and get some sort of therapy or cure...
He had only just been blessed with his son. Why was it he had to lose his dad? Why did life give with one hand and take away with the other?
As if he had known he had entered his father's thoughts, he heard a cry from the nursery. Apparently baby Jack couldn't sleep either. He wanted so much for Jack Sr to hear the baby turn to him and call him granddad. He wanted him there for his son at Christmas. For his first day of school... there to meet his first girlfriend even... he couldn't die! Not yet...
"I'll go," he whispered to Molly, even though he knew she was still in her peaceful sleep. It was only right she remained there. He knew he was not going to get any rest that night. In fact he did not think he was going to sleep well for many nights to come.
Just as he left the room though his son stopped crying. Once he saw Jacks door open though he understood why – in the time he had been thinking about everything that had gone on that night, the elder Jack had got out of bed and went to his grandson.
Having leaned over into the crib, Jack now had the child in his arms and had a look of delight on his face. He had said to him that night that he was going to get every last drop of goodness out of his life – he was going to hold on to every last moment of joy. The time he got with the baby was precious to him. All Tyrone had to do was look at the two of them together to know that.
"It's ok Puddleduck," his father reassured the boy as they stood at the window together, looking down on the street which he had lived on for the past three decades. "I'm here for now... you'll always be my Puddleduck you will... always. I know, I know, I know." The now rapidly aging man soothed the boy as he whimpered. "Your granddads here, you're ok laddy. Shhh." He muttered he gently rocked him back and forth. Tyrone could not decide if Jack was absent minded or completely focused on the child.
Ty felt tears well again. He knew no matter how much time he had left with both Jack's the days were going to be excruciatingly short. How was he ever going to say all he wanted too? Where did he even begin?
He walked down the stairs to fetch two mugs of tea and a bottle of milk with tears streaming. Just one more year? Was it so much to ask for?
He loathed the feeling they had suddenly been put on a stop clock and he had no idea when time was going to run out for them. And there was not a thing in the world he could do to stop it.
He wanted his baby to know Jack and how much of a family they were. He had been taught by Vera and Jack the last thing that made a family was blood.
Once he had gently warmed the infant's milk, he made his way back up the stairs with the bottle under his arm and the mugs in his hands. Walking in to the room he saw Jack had moved in to the rocking chair which they had installed in to the baby's room purposely for the night feed.
Putting down the mugs, he handed Jack the bottle and realised that getting up for the night feed with his grandson was the beginning of Jack squeezing every last drop of joy out of the time he had left.
"You should be resting," Ty felt as if he had been compelled to say it but he did not think Jack took it very seriously. He was not sure if he meant it even.
He looked at the very happy baby boy. He knew he was loved by his daddy, his mummy and his granddad. And when they were four weeks hold, surely that was all a child really needed? He clearly adored the elder Jack... and that made everything they were going through so much worse.
"If you say so, son," said Jack with a roll of the eyes. He had been hen pecked by his wife since the day he had been wed and if Ty thought that was going to have any effect then he was wrong.
Having wiped off the tears from his cheeks, Tyrone's red eyes nevertheless betrayed his heart break to Jack…
"I am going to do everything and anything you want me too these next few weeks... if you need anything, just ask."
Jack nodded. "You're a good lad." He said through a thick throat. He didn't want to leave the two boys and Molly.
But at the same time, he was ready to go to V. He missed his little swampduck more than he had ever missed any one and anything and he could not lie and say he was not ready to go to her because he was. Vera was his soul mate and he had been incomplete since she had been gone. He knew once he was with her she was going to nag him right up to and then passed the pearly gates... but he couldn't wait to see his lass again. Not now... not when he was so close.
But then he was sorry to leave. And as he sat there with the baby looking up at him he did not think he could be more sorry.
"This wee baby is always going to be his granddads Puddleduck," he muttered. He had three biological grandkids, but he did not think he had ever felt so close to any of them save perhaps Tommy. Certainly not Brad or Paul.
He was desperate to see him grow in a way he hadn't been with the others. The certainty he had of knowing if he lived he would see him grow was what he had always wanted. With Terry, there had always been a chance he would deny him access or take them away. But Tyrone would never do something like that to him. It would never so much as enter his head.
But he was not going to see him grow, was he? He had no time left...
"I know." Sighed Ty.
"And you'll always be my son."
The two of them shared a smile. Both were on the edge of tears.
But suddenly, Ty begun to feel grateful for the time they had been given. Jack had met his son. He had to give thanks for that didn't he?
"It didn't even need saying Jack." He sighed as he sat down against the wall and watched as his father feed his son and he promised himself he would live that memory time and time again as long as he lived.
And he made another promise... whatever time they had left, it would be filled with joy not sorrow.
Jack would be smiling at the end as he had been in life.
"I'm going to do you proud."
"Ty, there is no need. You did me proud long, long ago. You just be you son. You're going to be fine."
Silence claimed the three of them as the baby enjoyed his feed. Whatever time they had left...
They would spend it in the best way; as a family.
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