"Where's everyone else?" Jack asked.
"Daniel's getting up, and Murray is gone. I just got dressed and came down here, but everyone's awake. Daniel put Tyler in charge of the watch today."
"In charge of the watch?" Sam asked, confused.
"That's the person whose job it is to make sure all of us are down here for breakfast on time. Everyone has to do what he says, and if he does a good job, he gets to be runner."
"Ah. Makes sense." Leave it to O'Neill to be able to figure out a way to delegate authority, even with nine year olds.
"Well, I have my moments," Jack said, smiling. "I'd better go check on Daniel, though. Make sure that arm isn't bothering him." He looked at Shawn, "Will you do me a favor and keep Sam company?"
"Sure, Jack." He reached over and took Jack's coffee cup, and pulled it up to him, imitating the way Jack tended to nurse his cup as he was drinking it.
"Thanks." O'Neill grinned at Sam, and headed back outside.
It was pouring, now, and he stopped at his truck and grabbed his jacket before heading up to China. A few girls were running down the hill, shouting good morning as they ran past, but not stopping to say hi. Jack had a feeling if he was Daniel, the girls would have stopped, rain or no rain. Ah well. The price of obscurity. He walked up to the door of the cabin and opened it, wiping his feet on the doormat before he actually went in.
"Jack!"
"Hi Jack!"
"It's really raining out, huh, Jack?"
"I can't find my shoes, Jack!"
"They're in my bed, I told you already."
"Shawn went looking for you," Daniel said, walking out of the bathroom, trying to clean his glasses one handed.
"Yeah, he found me." He took Daniel's glasses from him and cleaned them on his T-shirt. "How's the arm?"
"Thanks," Daniel took his glasses back. "The arm's fine. How's the head?"
"Head's fine. Just bruised. Looks like we'll be doing a group activity today, because of the rain. I guess they don't like people sailing in the rain, or riding in the rain. Too dangerous."
"Ah. That's ironic, don't you think?"
"Yeah, well." He looked around at the chaos on the floor as kids dug through their bags looking for sweatshirts and coats.
"You packed a coat?"
"Yeah."
"You guys all have coats?" Jack asked.
There were assorted shouts of affirmation, and Jack nodded. "Make sure you wear them, okay? I don't want you getting sick."
"Okay, Jack."
"Who's watch guy today?"
"Tyler!"
"Everyone awake, Tyler?"
"Yeah! We'll be to breakfast on time, Jack."
"Good. I'm going to head back down and get our seats saved. If you guys are ready, come with me, otherwise make sure you're there when Tyler tells you to, okay?"
"Coming, Daniel?"
"Yeah. I could use a cup of coffee."
The two men headed out the door, followed by five of the boys, all who stopped to hold their hands out and catch raindrops.
"Keep that cast dry," Jack told Daniel.
"I know."
"Do I get to sign it?"
"Sure."
"I'll see if one of the girls has a pen I can borrow." He grinned at the immediate scowl this produced.
"Daniel!" This was shriek, and there was no denying the direction it came from.
"Speaking of which..." Jack said softly, looking over to see a small group of girls from Sam's cabin come running up, with Sally and Jean walking at a more sedate pace behind them.
"Good morning," Daniel said to the group as they approached.
"Hi! How's your arm?"
"It's fine. Just a little sore."
"How's your head, Jack?" Jean asked, wincing as she walked up and saw the bruises were just as purple.
"Oh, it's better. Doesn't hurt at all. Thanks."
"Can we sign your cast, Daniel?"
"No, we haven't signed it yet."
"Devon did. I see his name on it."
"That's because he won the rummy tournament. The rest of us get to sign it before you do."
"So sign it already. What's taking so long?"
"They'll sign it when we get down to the cafeteria, then you girls can sign it." Daniel sounded like he normally sounded when talking to Jack; exasperated.
"Girls, you can wait your turn," Sally told them firmly. "Why don't you run down and get out of the rain? We'll be there shortly."
They did as they were told, and Jack sent the boys after them. "Go tell Sam we're coming," he told them, more to get them out of the rain than anything else.
"I could kiss you," Daniel said to Sally, shaking his head.
"Well, that's a thought," Sally said, laughing. "Seriously, Daniel, don't let them pester you like that. If they get too annoying, send them to me, or Jean."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jack privately thought that if Daniel sent the girls to Sally or Jean every time the girls became annoying, the two counselors would never have a moments rest. Or a minute alone. Again he thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to counsel girls.
"Daniel's getting up, and Murray is gone. I just got dressed and came down here, but everyone's awake. Daniel put Tyler in charge of the watch today."
"In charge of the watch?" Sam asked, confused.
"That's the person whose job it is to make sure all of us are down here for breakfast on time. Everyone has to do what he says, and if he does a good job, he gets to be runner."
"Ah. Makes sense." Leave it to O'Neill to be able to figure out a way to delegate authority, even with nine year olds.
"Well, I have my moments," Jack said, smiling. "I'd better go check on Daniel, though. Make sure that arm isn't bothering him." He looked at Shawn, "Will you do me a favor and keep Sam company?"
"Sure, Jack." He reached over and took Jack's coffee cup, and pulled it up to him, imitating the way Jack tended to nurse his cup as he was drinking it.
"Thanks." O'Neill grinned at Sam, and headed back outside.
It was pouring, now, and he stopped at his truck and grabbed his jacket before heading up to China. A few girls were running down the hill, shouting good morning as they ran past, but not stopping to say hi. Jack had a feeling if he was Daniel, the girls would have stopped, rain or no rain. Ah well. The price of obscurity. He walked up to the door of the cabin and opened it, wiping his feet on the doormat before he actually went in.
"Jack!"
"Hi Jack!"
"It's really raining out, huh, Jack?"
"I can't find my shoes, Jack!"
"They're in my bed, I told you already."
"Shawn went looking for you," Daniel said, walking out of the bathroom, trying to clean his glasses one handed.
"Yeah, he found me." He took Daniel's glasses from him and cleaned them on his T-shirt. "How's the arm?"
"Thanks," Daniel took his glasses back. "The arm's fine. How's the head?"
"Head's fine. Just bruised. Looks like we'll be doing a group activity today, because of the rain. I guess they don't like people sailing in the rain, or riding in the rain. Too dangerous."
"Ah. That's ironic, don't you think?"
"Yeah, well." He looked around at the chaos on the floor as kids dug through their bags looking for sweatshirts and coats.
"You packed a coat?"
"Yeah."
"You guys all have coats?" Jack asked.
There were assorted shouts of affirmation, and Jack nodded. "Make sure you wear them, okay? I don't want you getting sick."
"Okay, Jack."
"Who's watch guy today?"
"Tyler!"
"Everyone awake, Tyler?"
"Yeah! We'll be to breakfast on time, Jack."
"Good. I'm going to head back down and get our seats saved. If you guys are ready, come with me, otherwise make sure you're there when Tyler tells you to, okay?"
"Coming, Daniel?"
"Yeah. I could use a cup of coffee."
The two men headed out the door, followed by five of the boys, all who stopped to hold their hands out and catch raindrops.
"Keep that cast dry," Jack told Daniel.
"I know."
"Do I get to sign it?"
"Sure."
"I'll see if one of the girls has a pen I can borrow." He grinned at the immediate scowl this produced.
"Daniel!" This was shriek, and there was no denying the direction it came from.
"Speaking of which..." Jack said softly, looking over to see a small group of girls from Sam's cabin come running up, with Sally and Jean walking at a more sedate pace behind them.
"Good morning," Daniel said to the group as they approached.
"Hi! How's your arm?"
"It's fine. Just a little sore."
"How's your head, Jack?" Jean asked, wincing as she walked up and saw the bruises were just as purple.
"Oh, it's better. Doesn't hurt at all. Thanks."
"Can we sign your cast, Daniel?"
"No, we haven't signed it yet."
"Devon did. I see his name on it."
"That's because he won the rummy tournament. The rest of us get to sign it before you do."
"So sign it already. What's taking so long?"
"They'll sign it when we get down to the cafeteria, then you girls can sign it." Daniel sounded like he normally sounded when talking to Jack; exasperated.
"Girls, you can wait your turn," Sally told them firmly. "Why don't you run down and get out of the rain? We'll be there shortly."
They did as they were told, and Jack sent the boys after them. "Go tell Sam we're coming," he told them, more to get them out of the rain than anything else.
"I could kiss you," Daniel said to Sally, shaking his head.
"Well, that's a thought," Sally said, laughing. "Seriously, Daniel, don't let them pester you like that. If they get too annoying, send them to me, or Jean."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jack privately thought that if Daniel sent the girls to Sally or Jean every time the girls became annoying, the two counselors would never have a moments rest. Or a minute alone. Again he thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to counsel girls.