A/N: this one goes outto those of you who thought John over-reacted in my other fic, No Place For Heroes. This is part of the reason :-)
Thanks goes out to my beta, moreteadk. What a life saver! A virtual basked of choco popsis on it's way!
On with it!
"I'm serious, Doc. It's like I can't control myself. I'm hot-headed, I can't
sit still, I can't keep my mouth shut, not to mention, you know, girls.
That's what's creeping me out the most."
Janet Fraiser made the proper noises as she listened to the cloned
body of Colonel Jack O'Neill, now known as John O'Neill, rant about
his condition. Honestly, it sounded like any other teenager, but she
had to remember that though the body was only 17 years old, the
mind was almost 50, and knowing what Janet knew about Jack
O'Neill's childhood, he hadn't had time or opportunity to really notice
what it meant to be a teenager. She almost felt pity for the man...
boy... whatever in front of her. He really had no idea.
"So, hot-headed, out of control, restless, unable to keep your mouth
shut and... girls?" She looked at him with her best poker face. After all,
he was still a colonel.
He nodded and looked up from his lanky legs to meet her eyes. Still
that penetrating look that could cut to the core of all the bull. She
smiled a little to lighten his mood.
"So, nothing's changed, huh?"
He didn't look like he found that particularly funny, so she turned
around, putting down the thermometer she had had in his ears only
moments ago, also wiping away her smile. She turned back, crossing
her arms in front of her.
"Well colonel, unless the bloodtests tell us differently, which I highly
doubt they will, there's nothing physically wrong with you." At his
incredulous stare at her, she explained further, "Your body is in control
right now, not your brain. You're a bundle of messed up hormones
and since you're not really used to that, your brain doesn't know how
to take back the control. That's why you react the way you do to all the
stimuli that surround you in your every day life. Boys at your age are
usually more prone to hormone induced behaviour than girls."
His eyes had become as big as stargates and suddenly something
clicked in his head.
I'm a kid," he whispered, as if only just realising it now two years after
the cloning process. She reached up and gave his shoulder a
squeeze.
"Yeah," she said quietly, knowing what a blow that must have been for
the former commanding officer. She moved her arm as he looked up
at her again. His physique was back... or, rather, had devoleped to its
6'2'' height, and his face had lost its childish features. He had been
building up his strength and was now probably faster and stronger
then ever before. He was truly a younger version of O'Neill. Well,
aside from his raging hormones.
"Look on the bright side, Colonel. Your physical age is 17, which
means it won't be long before your body chemistry starts to slow
down. You'll be back in control in no time."
He looked up at her with a determined expression in his dark eyes.
"Are we done here, doc?" He jumped down from the gurney he had
been sitting on, and his change of mood took her a little by surprise.
"Uhh yeah, I think so..."
He took his jacket and went for the door of the infirmary before she
was done talking.
"Where are you going, sir?" she asked, a little concerned by his
change of mood, but mostly curious as to what he was up to.
As he broke through the swing doors, she heard him answer in a
determined voice.
"I'm taking back control, doc." And with that he was gone, out of sight.
All concern left Janet Fraiser as those words lingered in the air behind
him.
He was back. Colonel O'Neill was back and she was glad. She had
missed him. Now she just wished she could be a fly on the wall once the
General found out!