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PART 6: Shock
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Jack stared at the boy.
And still, no one said a word.
Finally, Jack knew that he had to break this frozen tableau. "Carter…?"
"It's not a trick, sir," she said softly.
"No… uh… alien crystal entities?"
"No sir."
"Cloning?" he asked.
"No sir."
"Alternate reality quantum-mirror thingy?"
"No sir."
"Harlan… and his robots?"
"No sir."
"Ohhkkayy… then I'm out of ideas… what…?"
"Dad, it's me, Charlie," and it was his voice. Charlie's voice.
"But it can't…," Jack started to object.
"It is Charlie, sir," she was still speaking softly.
"No," and he looked at her with exasperation and he could feel his anger building.
"Charlie… my Charlie died," and he felt sorry for saying that in front of this boy.
But the boy didn't get upset. Instead, he spoke up and shocked everyone (except Carter), "Yes, I shot myself. I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have been playing with your gun."
And Jack reeled. Whatever was going on here… Jack was not prepared to deal with it.
Carter was back. And so was Charlie???
He looked at Carter again. Wondering if it was really her.
And she looked back at him empathetically.
"Sir, I recommend that Charlie and myself go to the infirmary… and then after that we can explain everything?" Carter suggested. She knew that he would need confirmation that she was who she appeared to be. And that there were no snakes hiding inside anyone.
He couldn't fathom the boy. Nor how Carter could accept him so completely as Charlie. They would run DNA tests on him, but he couldn't be Charlie. Charlie was dead.
So he just nodded his agreement, "Report to the infirmary… and then we'll talk…," and he met her eyes again and she smiled with relief.
"Yes, sir," and she clasped the little boy's hand and led him out of the gateroom.
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Carter was now sitting in one of the infirmary beds and was dressed in one of the ever-popular patient gowns. The boy, still in his original clothes, was sitting on the side of her bed.
"So Carter, I thought you said that you were allright?" Jack asked knowingly.
"I told you that she wasn't," the boy spoke up indignantly.
"It's just a few bruised ribs or some such sir, and I think that Doctor Warner is just being cautious," she tried to reassure him.
"Mmmmhhmmmm…," Jack replied and she winced at his tone.
Just then the doctor himself appeared. "So Doc, what's the verdict?" Jack asked.
"Well, the young boy appears to be in good health, just perhaps a little underweight. Colonel Carter, on the other hand," and he saw her wince again, "has 3 broken ribs and possible internal injuries. We are going to run some more tests and keep her under observation for a day or so. The Colonel is also underweight, and weighs about 10 pounds less than she did at her last physical."
"We'd like to keep the boy for at least one night's observations as well… at least until we get the rest of the test results back," the doctor finished.
Jack nodded. He so wanted to talk to her. To find out what had happened. But he had to wait for the test results. To make sure that it was her.
He looked at her and she met his eyes without rancor. She knew. She understood.
"When will the other test results be done Doc?" he asked.
"Just a couple more hours sir," Warner responded.
"Right, then…, get me those results as soon as you have them, Doc."
"Yes, sir," Warner replied.
Jack looked into her eyes again. She showed no apprehension. Just understanding. Her eyes… so… blue… just like… oh, was life complicated…
"Danny and Teal'c are busting a gut to come in, but we thought we'd give you two a little space…," he let her know and she just nodded. She knew that they had to wait for the test results. Everything had to wait.
"Well, I guess I should go and get some paperwork done…," and then his voice trailed off.
"It's allright, sir. Charlie and I will fine," she gave him a small smile.
"I should probably clear my calendar for tomorrow too," he returned her smile, "That's should be one hell of a debriefing Colonel."
"Yes, sir," she acknowledged.
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====o0o==== End Part 6 ====o0o====
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PART 6: Shock
.
Jack stared at the boy.
And still, no one said a word.
Finally, Jack knew that he had to break this frozen tableau. "Carter…?"
"It's not a trick, sir," she said softly.
"No… uh… alien crystal entities?"
"No sir."
"Cloning?" he asked.
"No sir."
"Alternate reality quantum-mirror thingy?"
"No sir."
"Harlan… and his robots?"
"No sir."
"Ohhkkayy… then I'm out of ideas… what…?"
"Dad, it's me, Charlie," and it was his voice. Charlie's voice.
"But it can't…," Jack started to object.
"It is Charlie, sir," she was still speaking softly.
"No," and he looked at her with exasperation and he could feel his anger building.
"Charlie… my Charlie died," and he felt sorry for saying that in front of this boy.
But the boy didn't get upset. Instead, he spoke up and shocked everyone (except Carter), "Yes, I shot myself. I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have been playing with your gun."
And Jack reeled. Whatever was going on here… Jack was not prepared to deal with it.
Carter was back. And so was Charlie???
He looked at Carter again. Wondering if it was really her.
And she looked back at him empathetically.
"Sir, I recommend that Charlie and myself go to the infirmary… and then after that we can explain everything?" Carter suggested. She knew that he would need confirmation that she was who she appeared to be. And that there were no snakes hiding inside anyone.
He couldn't fathom the boy. Nor how Carter could accept him so completely as Charlie. They would run DNA tests on him, but he couldn't be Charlie. Charlie was dead.
So he just nodded his agreement, "Report to the infirmary… and then we'll talk…," and he met her eyes again and she smiled with relief.
"Yes, sir," and she clasped the little boy's hand and led him out of the gateroom.
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Carter was now sitting in one of the infirmary beds and was dressed in one of the ever-popular patient gowns. The boy, still in his original clothes, was sitting on the side of her bed.
"So Carter, I thought you said that you were allright?" Jack asked knowingly.
"I told you that she wasn't," the boy spoke up indignantly.
"It's just a few bruised ribs or some such sir, and I think that Doctor Warner is just being cautious," she tried to reassure him.
"Mmmmhhmmmm…," Jack replied and she winced at his tone.
Just then the doctor himself appeared. "So Doc, what's the verdict?" Jack asked.
"Well, the young boy appears to be in good health, just perhaps a little underweight. Colonel Carter, on the other hand," and he saw her wince again, "has 3 broken ribs and possible internal injuries. We are going to run some more tests and keep her under observation for a day or so. The Colonel is also underweight, and weighs about 10 pounds less than she did at her last physical."
"We'd like to keep the boy for at least one night's observations as well… at least until we get the rest of the test results back," the doctor finished.
Jack nodded. He so wanted to talk to her. To find out what had happened. But he had to wait for the test results. To make sure that it was her.
He looked at her and she met his eyes without rancor. She knew. She understood.
"When will the other test results be done Doc?" he asked.
"Just a couple more hours sir," Warner responded.
"Right, then…, get me those results as soon as you have them, Doc."
"Yes, sir," Warner replied.
Jack looked into her eyes again. She showed no apprehension. Just understanding. Her eyes… so… blue… just like… oh, was life complicated…
"Danny and Teal'c are busting a gut to come in, but we thought we'd give you two a little space…," he let her know and she just nodded. She knew that they had to wait for the test results. Everything had to wait.
"Well, I guess I should go and get some paperwork done…," and then his voice trailed off.
"It's allright, sir. Charlie and I will fine," she gave him a small smile.
"I should probably clear my calendar for tomorrow too," he returned her smile, "That's should be one hell of a debriefing Colonel."
"Yes, sir," she acknowledged.
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====o0o==== End Part 6 ====o0o====
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