Authors notes/Thanks – Thanks to all who read and reviewed last time I didn't get any answered due to the family ER. Unfortunately said ER isn't over yet it's just at a sort of stand still waiting point now. So chances are I'll be taking off for a few more days again sometime in the near future, but for the time being I'm back and updating.
Summary – Something's wrong in Jason's life and it's not just Tommy's second childhood.
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Secrets
Jason
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Groaning and laying my head on the table, I can't believe she's playing the 'he's a male and I'm not' card. "So you think he'll appreciate me seeing what there is to see more? Besides who said he even needed someone to give him a bath?"
Shaking her head and giving me a 'watch this' look, Kat turns back to the tike calmly and surely. "Tommy, do you take baths by yourself or does your dad help you?"
"He helps me. I slip trying to get out some times, and once I feel asleep and the water was all cold when I woke up and I got sick from it. Makes my arms tired to keep them up and wash my hair too." Should we take him to a doctor or something? We really need his medical information here because what if this condition is something he needs medicine for or I don't know certain care.
Crouching down beside him, I bring his focus away from his breakfast and to me for a minute. "You have quite a few troubles don't you, kiddo? What does your dad do to take care of you? Like how does a normal day go? You go to school? Do you get schooled at home? Do you need medicine for some of the problems?" I need to know. If he gets sick or worse before we find a way to fix him I'll never forgive myself.
Shrugging and playing with his spoon, Tommy nods smally at this. "I can't do things right. I go to school, but the teachers yell at me cuz I'm stupid and can't do anything right like they say. Then sometimes when my daddy has to go on trips I have to stay with other people, and one time I stayed with my aunt Joyce and her boyfriend and they were mean to me. I didn't mean to break stuff. And I can't help not being strong and good at running. The doctors wanted me to take all kinds of stuff and they hurt me a lot when I was little, but my daddy finally said it was enough and they weren't helping as much as scaring me so he said I didn't have to go back unless I wanted when I was older." Sniffling and tearing up, he looks down at his empty bowl trying to execute some control over himself, but failing rather miserably.
Beating me to it, Kat quickly picks him up, rocking him in her arms. "You are not stupid, you're a very special and sweet boy, and they're just mean and stupid people for making you feel bad. You're so special and smart, you just have to be patient and let the rest of you catch up to oh-so smart boy you are inside."
Sniffling and wiping at his eyes he nods smally and lays his head on her shoulder, apparently feeling a bit better at the soft and encouraging words. "But after that time with my aunt and my daddy came home from his trip and got me I told him what happened. I told him I was sorry for being trouble but she scared me and he promised he'd make sure if he ever had to go on a trip again he'd find really really nice people to look after me. Are you guys going to watch me? How come my daddy didn't tell me goodbye before he brought me here?"
"Well…" Looking to me for help, she's apparently stuck at a crossroads. Do we try and bring forth some memories that are possibly just buried in his head, or do we go along fully with this child thing and just make him happy until we can fix it.
"Um, well Tommy, your dad, uh, he…He had an emergency." I know, I know, but come on look at those eyes, how do I tell that nearly sickeningly cute child that his dad is dead and he's not really seven going on eight? "He had to go very quickly to help a friend across seas and he told us to tell you that he loves you very much and he'll bring you back a special present because he didn't get to say goodbye to you properly."
"Really?"
All of us exchanging looks, we all nod quickly and force smiles. "Really."
Seeming that the sharing time is coming to a close for now, Kat sets him back down and picks up his empty bowl placing it in the sink. "Did you get enough to eat? Would you like some juice or toast too?" When he shake his head no and says he's full, Kat nods before taking his no doubt sticky hand and leading him out of the kitchen.
"Where are we going now?" Looking around at the objects and pictures decorating the livingroom and hall, the boy seems fascinated by the interesting objects he's collected over the years. Too bad he can't remember what they are or where he got them.
"We're going to get you all cleaned up and ready for your party tomorrow, and Kira, Conner, and Ethan are going to go back to school before they get in even more trouble than they already are." Giving the three teens a stern no-nonsense look, Kat could definitely be leading her own Ranger team.
"Party?"
"Yes, after all it is your birthday tomorrow right?" When he nods she goes on happily. "So than we have to have a party to celebrate. With cake, and presents, and apparently now age appropriate games." Well there goes X-rated movie trivia.
Looking over her shoulder at me and the three still concerned Rangers, he points to us sternly. "They're going to be at my party? I want them to be there. Will you be there?" Okay once more thinking this little spell or whatever hasn't completely erased his mind back to eight, but rather maybe just repressed his later years of knowledge and experience. I mean why else would he be so insistent that we, especially the three mostly silent teens come to his party?
"Of course we will." Smiling and nudging her friends, Kira gets nods from both of the boys.
"Yeah we wouldn't miss it for anything…although we might have get slightly more age appropriate presents now too." Shrugging and looking to Ethan and Kira to see if they want to have a go or not, Conner backs up a bit and checks his watch. "Well we'll see you guys later than. Um, we'll fill Hayley in on what happened after school and I guess leave him in your…capable hands." Okay you three we are his friends you know. Are you really worried we won't take the best care of him?
"He'll be fine guys, don't worry. If it makes you feel even better I do work with children at a hospital remember?" At their nods, she makes a dismissive gesture. "Then I think I can take care of a perfectly healthy and normal little boy. Right Tommy?"
Looking very happy that she called him healthy and normal, Tommy nods enthusiastically. "Yes, we'll be fine. Daddy left you instructions and stuff right?" Instructions? See okay now worrying again because what if he is allergic to something that we don't know about or needs something. There's too many things that could happen here without knowing what's wrong with him. And considering he didn't even really tell us he had this sort of condition as a child who knows what other troubles we're clueless on.
"Oh you know what, he did, but he also said that you'd know what you needed best. So if we forget anything like something you might not like to eat, or that might make you sick, or upset you we need you to tell us right away alright?" God she's good. Smiling when the boy nods, Kat turns back to us. "Now you three, school, then Hayley's, we'll need her help trying to figure this out. Jason we need to talk." I know that tone, nothing good is going to result from it in my favor anyway. Well at least on the bright side I can walk normally again.
"Alright, well see you guys later then. Bye D- Um, Tommy." Waving and leading them out, Kira still looks a bit worried. He must really mean a lot to her. I know he told me he looked after them and she seemed to have a sort of child/parental attachment to him. I guess with her dad bailing on her when she was seven and her mom working all the time it makes sense. Still, I don't think even he knows how attached she'd become to him by the sadness in her eyes. Sigh, she losses one father at seven, now might loss her father figure and friend at seventeen, poor kid.
Catching me eye when I turn back to her, Kat nods smally. "I know, I saw her eyes. I'll talk to her."
Looking back towards the hall as the door closes and they head off I shake my head. "No, I will. It wouldn't be the same. At least if I try it'll be close. I'll talk to her tonight and see if I can't ease her worry a bit." I hope I can. Running a hand through my hair and suddenly recalling that Tommy is still here and has been very quiet, I try to focus back on the present matter at hand. I can't help Kira if I don't make sure Tommy's taken care of first. "Alright, so they're off to school and you've eaten, so I guess it's time to get you cleaned up and- oh crap."
"Jason, language if you please." Looking at me sternly and apparently not wanting the 'innocent' boy hearing swear words, she is really getting into this mother thing.
Rolling my eyes and recalling just what colorful language Tommy had in fact rubbed off on the rest of us in his earlier days, I give her a look right back. Come on do you remember what he did every time we forced him to go to the med bay? We couldn't get an IV in him without a string of decorative and descriptive words being thrown at the needle. Oh well, I guess I sort of see her point. Still though, she doesn't see mine. "What is he gonna wear?"
As Kat opens her mouth to answer, she promptly shuts it again as she grasps what the trouble is. "Crap."
Snickering, but refraining from commenting, I check my watch. We could take him to the mall, but I don't know, that is sort of inviting trouble isn't it? "We need to find something here for him to wear until we can get him something his own size. We don't know how long this is going to, er, how long we'll be watching him, and until we figure it out I don't know if we should go crazy and get a ton of kid's clothes."
"Yeah, that's true. Well, I guess we could just grab another shirt from his room and let him wear that until we talk to Hayley and find out what the situation is. I mean, it covers him down to his knees and I'm sure he has other T-shirts that are now just as long on him." Yeah, he'll at least be covered for the time being and kids like to be out of clothes more than in them right? When I was ten I practically lived in my swim suit.
Gazing up at us and listening to the conversation, Tommy frowns a bit before tugging on Kat's sleeve. "I don't have anything on under it though, what if someone sees. I don't wanna walk around with nothing covering me but too big clothes. It might fall off, or wind might blow it up, or someone might be mean and pull it up or down." Seeming dead serious, the boy is obviously not happy about going clothes shopping in his current type of wardrobe. So much for my theory.
"Alright, well we'll figure something out, Tommy. Tell you what I'll go look around and see if I can't find something that'll fit you until we go get you some new stuff, while Jason gets you all cleaned up, alright?"
Looking between us again, he slowly shakes his head. Why doesn't he like me?! Pulling Kat down to his level and leaning into her ear he apparently figures I can't hear his whispering. "Maybe you should show him how to do it so he knows. I don't think he's quiet as…um, well, good with kids like you."
Looking stunned and then growling at the laughing Kat, I can't believe this. "He doesn't even remember me and he's still insulting me."
"See, he is a genius." Oh haha Kat. "Alright I'll teach Jason." I know how to give a kid a bath you guys. Well, okay so I had that one little mishap with my cousin over flowing the tub when I babysat him once, but I had to go pay the pizza guy.
Entering the bathroom and waiting patiently for instructions, he seems a little disappointed about something. "Um, can I have a toy? Didn't my daddy bring my toys and stuff too?" Okay how many lies have we told him now? I'm starting to feel bad here.
"Well like we said he had to leave so fast, but it's okay because we're going to get you all kinds of fun new toys and coloring books and such. Okay?" So much for that new motorcycle.
Looking pleased with this promise, he nods. "Okay. Um can you wait on the bath for a minute, I uh, I have to go to the bathroom." Suddenly realizing he hadn't gone since he'd gotten up, and probably hadn't this morning either by the state he was in when I found him I'm not surprised he has to go.
"Alright well Jason and I will go try to find you a toy and you go ahead and go to the bathroom. We'll be back in a minute to help with the bath alright?" I have a feeling she mostly just wants to take this time to tell me what's on her mind. Still though it works.
"K."
Heading out of the room and closing the door most of the way to give him privacy, but also hear if he calls for us, we head back to his bedroom looking around for something that could be used as a toy.
"So what's up, Kat? I mean besides the fact our best friend is now three feet shorter than he was yesterday and thinks he's seven."
"What are we going to do? I mean seriously in the long run. If we can't find some way to get him back to his normal self in the next three days what will do? I have to go back to work or I'll loss my credit hours and a year worth of training and work will be for nothing. Not to mention I made a commitment to those kids, they didn't even want me to leave for this trip. I have to be back. And while, yes I love Tommy and will do whatever I can to help, I can't take him with me or stay here past Saturday. I wouldn't be able to watch him there and again can't just abandon a hospital full of children with cancer no matter how much I'd love to stay here and play house." I don't like where this is going. I mean seriously, I know she's completely right on, but I don't like what that means for me.
"You want me here." At her nod, I shake my head. "Now wait. You have obligations and so do I. What do you expect me to do tell my bosses? I have to take a sabbatical to care for my Power Ranger friend who's been turned into a child?"
"Oh Jason for hell's sake you hate your job and we both know it so spare me." I'm serious is she psychic or what? "Jason I am not even going to get into why I think you left us and Tommy back in Angel Grove. I am not going to tell you what I think your problems are, because we don't have that sort of time. And I am not going to tell you how during the whole drive here I saw how completely and utterly miserable you were inside." Gee thanks.
Taking a breath she composes herself and stares at me dead on. "However I am going to tell you that if you leave for New York and abandon Tommy here, you will be more miserable than you were before. You didn't come here just for his birthday and we both know it. So why don't you tell me right now why after all these years you finally decided that hey, it's time to take a trip to see Tommy." Arms crossed she gives me a heated look that seems to have something more to it than she's sharing.
Debating on what to tell her and torn between being outraged by her accusations or impressed with her insight, I finally go for option three. Sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor, I give her a defeated look. "I messed up my life, Kat."
To be continued…….
