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PART 9: Acceptance
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Carter and Charlie had spent the first couple of days in the infirmary. Doc Warner had made sure that she didn't have anything worse than a couple of broken ribs and some bruises. He'd also made sure that she'd eaten several square meals and Jack had been amused to watch her do so without protest. When he'd commented on it, she'd simply smiled and said that she'd missed Earth food. They had had plenty to eat on the planet where they'd been stranded, but much of it didn't agree with their Tauri intestinal tracts.
And often of course, she'd become so engrossed in her work on their Stargate that she'd forget to eat. Charlie piped up by pointing out that he often brought her food. Jack was amazed to watch her reaction and interaction with the boy. She'd ruefully chuckled, agreed with him and tousled his hair affectionately. They'd obviously become close.
But now the doc was letting them out of the infirmary and Carter was moving to some VIP quarters (her old base quarters had been reassigned long ago).
He was coming to grips with the fact that they were both here.
Carter -and- Charlie.
It was time to see his son.
Approaching the quarters assigned to Carter, he could see that the door was open. Sticking his head in, he saw Carter sitting up in bed, on top of the covers, and leaning against the wall. Her arms were wrapped around his sleeping son.
She looked like she was ready to drop off too, but she noticed him and waved him in.
"Charlie," she spoke to the boy gently.
"Wha-a..?" he mumbled a response but did not move.
"Charlie, wake up," and she slid him into a sitting-up position while still supporting him.
"What?" he asked more clearly as he awoke and focused on her.
She smiled at him, "Your dad is here to see you," and she tilted her head in Jack's direction.
Charlie turned and looked at him.
Uncertain.
Charlie had been through a lot.
He'd died.
Been brought back.
Visited the Asgard in the future.
Spent a year on an alien planet.
Traveled through time and the Stargate.
And he was holding onto Carter like a lifeline.
Tears welled in Jack's eyes.
His son was alive.
His son was right here in front of him.
And his son looked kind of scared of him.
The last thing that Jack had done was to get cross with him before Charlie had died. That was the last real memory that his son had of him as his Dad.
Now Jack was older… and he knew that it showed. If nothing else, his hair was grey when it had been all dark brown before Charlie died.
Jack stumbled over and sat in the chair next to the bed. "Charlie…," and it came out a bit choked.
The boy looked at Carter and she nodded and gave him a gentle push towards his father. He slid off the bed and stood before Jack looking scared.
"Dad?"
And that's all it took. Jack grabbed him and pulled him into a fierce hug. He couldn't stop the tears. The last time he'd truly cried had been at Charlie's grave… long after the service… and long after everyone else had departed.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm really, really sorry," and the boy was crying into his father's chest.
Neither Jack nor Charlie noticed Carter silently slip out.
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====o0o==== End Part 9 ====o0o====
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PART 9: Acceptance
.
Carter and Charlie had spent the first couple of days in the infirmary. Doc Warner had made sure that she didn't have anything worse than a couple of broken ribs and some bruises. He'd also made sure that she'd eaten several square meals and Jack had been amused to watch her do so without protest. When he'd commented on it, she'd simply smiled and said that she'd missed Earth food. They had had plenty to eat on the planet where they'd been stranded, but much of it didn't agree with their Tauri intestinal tracts.
And often of course, she'd become so engrossed in her work on their Stargate that she'd forget to eat. Charlie piped up by pointing out that he often brought her food. Jack was amazed to watch her reaction and interaction with the boy. She'd ruefully chuckled, agreed with him and tousled his hair affectionately. They'd obviously become close.
But now the doc was letting them out of the infirmary and Carter was moving to some VIP quarters (her old base quarters had been reassigned long ago).
He was coming to grips with the fact that they were both here.
Carter -and- Charlie.
It was time to see his son.
Approaching the quarters assigned to Carter, he could see that the door was open. Sticking his head in, he saw Carter sitting up in bed, on top of the covers, and leaning against the wall. Her arms were wrapped around his sleeping son.
She looked like she was ready to drop off too, but she noticed him and waved him in.
"Charlie," she spoke to the boy gently.
"Wha-a..?" he mumbled a response but did not move.
"Charlie, wake up," and she slid him into a sitting-up position while still supporting him.
"What?" he asked more clearly as he awoke and focused on her.
She smiled at him, "Your dad is here to see you," and she tilted her head in Jack's direction.
Charlie turned and looked at him.
Uncertain.
Charlie had been through a lot.
He'd died.
Been brought back.
Visited the Asgard in the future.
Spent a year on an alien planet.
Traveled through time and the Stargate.
And he was holding onto Carter like a lifeline.
Tears welled in Jack's eyes.
His son was alive.
His son was right here in front of him.
And his son looked kind of scared of him.
The last thing that Jack had done was to get cross with him before Charlie had died. That was the last real memory that his son had of him as his Dad.
Now Jack was older… and he knew that it showed. If nothing else, his hair was grey when it had been all dark brown before Charlie died.
Jack stumbled over and sat in the chair next to the bed. "Charlie…," and it came out a bit choked.
The boy looked at Carter and she nodded and gave him a gentle push towards his father. He slid off the bed and stood before Jack looking scared.
"Dad?"
And that's all it took. Jack grabbed him and pulled him into a fierce hug. He couldn't stop the tears. The last time he'd truly cried had been at Charlie's grave… long after the service… and long after everyone else had departed.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm really, really sorry," and the boy was crying into his father's chest.
Neither Jack nor Charlie noticed Carter silently slip out.
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====o0o==== End Part 9 ====o0o====
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