-
Dinner was somewhat peaceful, with Jack and Janet teasing each other every few minutes. Daniel decided he liked Janet. She was always smiling and she made good potato salad. Daniel had never had potato salad before, but he decided he liked hers.
Cassie seemed okay, too. The children's home had a few older kids in it, but they were either quiet or not very nice to the younger kids. Mrs. Parker always claimed that the older ones would be the death of her, but Daniel knew those kids had been in and out of homes for a while. The older you got, the more your chances for adoption decreased. When you were seventeen, you had no hope for a family.
Daniel supposed he might be a little mean, too, if he was that old and no one wanted him. That's why making Jack happy was important. He didn't want to keep moving. He didn't want any more disappointment. He wanted his own room. He wanted a home.
And hugs, he wanted hugs. Hugs like the one Jack gave him outside.
He cleaned his plate and made sure he carried it to the sink like Mrs. Parker always told him to do. People like clean children she had once said and he took her words to heart. It was very hard, though. Daniel wasn't neat by nature. But he could try. He could try his best.
After dinner was over and the kitchen was clean, Jack helped Cassie study and Janet led him into the living room and showed him how to work Jack's digital cable. Daniel was a bit in awe. He'd watched TV, but no one ever let him have the remote and let him decide what to watch. Janet patted his head just like Jack did and together they settled on special on the History channel. Daniel didn't last very far into the program, though. The next thing he knew, someone was settling him into a bed.
" Mommy," he whispered, still half asleep.
" No, it's Jack," a voice soothed and tucked the sheets around him. "Go to sleep, Daniel. "
Daniel smiled, settled into the pillow, and obeyed.
--
The mall was a very interesting place. There were so many people and so many stores. Daniel had no idea where to start.
Jack did. Jack took him into a department store and they spent two hours guessing sizes, picking out clothing, and trying on shoes. Jack laced up his shoes so Daniel didn't have to and irritate the still very tender incision on his stomach. Normally, Daniel would have protested, but bending hurt and he needed to be good so Jack continued to like him.
After the department store, Jack announced it was time for ice cream.
"But I haven't had lunch yet," Daniel pointed out.
Jack smiled. " You haven't? Silly me. I guess we'll need to get lunch and ice cream. Friendly's it is. "
Friendly's had booths. Daniel had never sat in a booth before. He discovered he could lean back a little so his weight didn't press right on his stitches.
" Jack?" he asked, after Jack ordered. " When do the stitches come out? "
" They don't. "
Daniel frowned." They don't? But Tommy at the home got stitches and Mrs. Parker had to take him to the doctor so the doctor could take 'em out. "
" Well," Jack explained. " They are a few different types of sutures, or stitches. The ones I put in your belly are dissolvable. That means that when the incision heals, the stitches will disappear. "
" Just like that?" Daniel started churning his iced tea with his straw.
"Just like that." Jack reached out and caught his hand. " Drink it. Don't play with it. "
" Sorry. "
Jack shook his head." I have got to stop you from using that word so much, Daniel. You don't need to be sorry all the time. Trust me on that one. "
Their food arrived and the rest of lunch was uneventful. Daniel expected them to head back to the car when they were done, but Jack said they had one more store to visit.
Daniel's mouth almost hit the floor when Jack stopped right in front of KayBee Toys.
" You need Legos," Jack said simply. " And a few other things. Can't just play with your giraffe all the time. "
Daniel looked at him in disbelief. No foster home bought him a toy. Some books, some clothes, yes, but no toys. Toys were for the really young kids, he'd been told. He'd needed more practical things. So Christmases yields schoolbooks and sweaters. Even his parents weren't that big on toys, so Daniel had let the sand be his toy.
This was completely new to him.
" Are you sure?" he asked.
Jack smiled. " Yes! Now the Legos are in aisle three. Let's go check them out. "
When they left the store, Daniel had three new Lego sets, a huge box of crayons, paper, puzzles, and some cars and trucks. Daniel wasn't so keen on the cars and trucks, but Jack insisted he needed them. Then Jack surprised Daniel even further by stopping at the Sporting Goods store next door and purchasing a baseball glove and a ball.
" Every eight year old needs a good glove and ball," Jack told him.
" But I don't know how to play," Daniel told him, feeling like he'd let Jack down.
"That's what I'm here for. To teach you. But your stomach has to finish healing first. Throwing pitches after an appendectomy isn't such a great idea. "
Did he mean he'd teach him after he healed? Daniel grinned so wide he thought his face might stay that way. The way Jack was talking made him seem like he was willing to keep Daniel around for a while.
After the mall, the two made a quick stop at the grocery store and Daniel was yawning again by the time they finished.
" You doing okay, kiddo?" Jack asked him as he moved the groceries from the cart to the conveyer belt at the check out line.
" I'm okay." Another yawn followed.
"Someone's a little worn out, I think. How's the tummy?" Jack dug out his wallet.
Daniel thought about it. His stomach was pretty sore after the mall. But he didn't want Jack to be upset. However, lying wasn't good either. Daniel was torn. Luckily for him, Jack figured it out.
" Sore, huh? When we get home, I'll give you a pain pill. "
" One-eighteen-sixty-eight," the cashier announced and Daniel watched Jack hand over his credit card for the fifth time that day.
When they got home, Jack got Daniel settled on the couch and brought him some juice and a pill before heading back to finish unpacking the groceries. The TV was on, but Daniel drifted off.
--
"Samantha says you have a child now, O'Neill. I came to see if she was telling the truth. "
Daniel frowned at the voice. Deep and soothing, but very unfamiliar.
" Should have known Carter'd spill the beans. She can't keep a secret. "
" We live next door, O'Neill. Would I not have discovered this child eventually? "
" I guess, but that's not the point. Yep, I got a kid. His name's Daniel Jackson. He's eight. And sleeping, so keep your voice down. "
" Samantha says he had been ill. You removed his appendix. "
"Again, chatty Carter. She and I need to have a little talk. "
Daniel shifted as the voices drifted a little closer towards the den. He rubbed a hand at his face.
" Jack?" he mumbled sleepily. He'd spent a good potion of his time at Jack's sleeping, yet it wasn't long before he got tired again. He felt a weight settle next to him on the couch.
" Right here, Daniel. How ya feeling? "
" Still sleepy," he replied and felt Jack stroke his forehead.
" You're still not up to par yet, kiddo. And that medicine I gave you packs a mean wallop. "
That explained the fuzziness. Daniel cracked his eyes open. "Who's with you? I heard voices. Not Janet. "
Jack laughed. "Oh, definitely not Janet. That's Tom Murray. Most people call him Murray; I call him T. "
A very tall black man moved into Daniel's sight line. He had an almost expressionless face but his eyes were soft. He bowed his head toward Daniel.
" It is nice to meet you, DanielJackson. "
" He's not from around here", Jack explained in a loud whisper. He then continued, his voice normal pitch. "T lives next door. He's actually married to Dr. Carter. Do you remember her from the hospital? "
Daniel thought a moment. " She made me sleep during the operation when I wasn't tired. "
Jack grinned. "Yep, that's her. "
"You're so big," Daniel said, looking back towards Murray.
" Indeed," Murray agreed. " But one day I will not appear so large to you. "
Daniel shook his head. Murray seemed bigger than Jack and Jack was an adult. " I don't know about that. "
" I'm with you on that one. I'm a grown up and I still think T's huge." Jack turned towards Murray. "So where is Carter anyway? She on tonight? "
" No. She is due home very soon. Or that is what she told me this morning. I am not certain if she will get out on time. "
" You never do," Jack commented. " Part of the job. Daniel and I bought Popsicles, T. Interested? "
" You know that I am always interested in frozen treats, O'Neill. "
" Just checking. You could change your mind someday." Jack laid his palm across Daniel's forehead. " Hmm, buddy, you feel a little warm. Sure you're doing okay? "
Daniel shrugged out of the grasp. " I feel fine." He was still tired, his stomach was sore, but otherwise he felt okay. " I want a Popsicle. Orange. "
" Orange it is. "
--
A hour later, Popsicles were eaten and Jack decided it was time to break out the Legos.
" You have purchased Legos?" Murray asked.
"Sure did," Jack told him as he ripped open the packaging. " Daniel here had never played with Legos before he landed in the hospital. Can you believe that? "
" He has been living under a boulder, then."
" It's rock," Jack corrected, " but yeah, Daniel's been deprived. So we bought Legos. "
"Lot of Legos," Daniel confirmed. He sat on the couch and watched Jack dump the contents of the first box on the coffee table. He tried not to yawn again. He wasn't ready to fail asleep again and didn't want Jack to notice his weariness. His stomach had also begun aching a bit more and he felt a little nauseous, but he stayed quiet. Jack would just give him more medicine and it would make him sleepy and it would be off to bed.
Daniel was sick of bed.
Jack opened a set of instructions, then gazed at them a moment before tossing the papers aside. " Instructions ruin all the fun," he said.
" But how will we know how to build it?" ' It' was a space ship. Daniel wasn't sure where to start.
"We won't. But that's why it's fun." Jack picked up a piece. " Like putting together a puzzle. You have put together a puzzle before, right? "
Daniel smiled. "Yes. I've done that. "
" Good. ' Cause if you haven't you'd really have being living under a rock. "
" I lived in Egypt," Daniel told him. " They don't have Legos there. "
" Indeed. Samantha and I visited there last year. I saw sand," Murray put in. The man leaned over and examined a clear Lego piece. " I am unsure of where this would go."
" That's the windshield," Jack volunteered and took the piece from Murray's hand. " You're as bad as Daniel, T. Sit down and watch a pro. "
But before Jack could get started, Daniel heard the back door open and close.
" Jack? Tom? "
Jack put down a Lego piece and reached for another. " In here, Carter! "
A moment later, a blond head poked itself into the room. " I figured you wandered over here," she said to Murray.
" You told me O'Neill had a new companion. I merely wanted to meet him," Murray said, picking up another Lego and staring at it.
" Yeah, about that Carter... been talking much?" Jack looked straight at her.
Carter blushed a little. " Oh, sorry. It was all over the hospital and Tom is my husband, you know. "
" I know," Jack said, grinning. " And it's all over the hospital. Man, that place is worse than high school. "
" Well, it's been a while since Charlie and ..." At Charlie's name Jack's face immediately changed. Carter must have noticed because she trailed off and changed the subject. " So, Legos, huh?" She gave Daniel a smile. " Hi, Daniel. How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Daniel said softly. " Jack's building a space ship. He's gonna do it without the instructions. "
Carter raised an eyebrow. "He is, is he? This I have to see. "
"Doubt. I hear it in your voice, Carter," Jack shot back. " Daniel's believes me. So sit down and watch. "
She did just that and one very long hour later Jack accomplished his task. Well, kinda. It didn't like exactly like the box, but it did look like a space ship, so Daniel figured that was good enough. He was still impressed and very nauseous.
The whole time Jack had been building, Daniel had been begging his tummy to settle. He wanted to get better and throwing up wasn't fun. He'd throw up three times before he'd had his appendix out; twice at the home and once in the hospital before Jack showed up. Every time he hated it.
So Jack presented his space ship and Daniel swallowed.
However, in the end the nausea won.
--
Daniel heard voices outside his bedroom where he was curled on the bed, holding a large plastic bowl protectively close. His stomach was really hurting now.
" He's barely running a fever, Jack. And you said he had a long day. It could just be stress. He's just eight days post-op, so add that to the peritonitis. You know this happens. "
" Not to my patients. "
" It happens to everyone's patients. "
" How would know, Carter? You knock em out and wake em up and then your job's done. You don't handle this. "
" No, maybe not. But I do deal with a lot of post-op nausea. It's an anesthesiologist's forte. Which is why I'm going to head back to my house and dig up some Compazine so he can sleep. Unless you've got some hanging around in your little black bag. "
Daniel heard Jack sigh heavily. " He's my patient. "
" He's more than that now. You're not thinking straight, Jack. We'll make Daniel comfortable and see how tonight goes. The incision looks good. No infection, you said so yourself. Belly's still soft. It's stress. " There was a pause. " Maybe you should call Janet. "
" I do not need my sister to come over. "
This time it was Carter who sighed. " Of course not. I'm going to go get that Compazine."
Daniel heard footsteps head down the stairs. His stomach cramped painfully again and he gripped the bowl.
" Hey, kiddo. Still feeling pretty rough, I bet. "
There was cool hand on his forehead and a weigh dipped down onto the mattress.
" I don't feel very well," Daniel whispered.
Jack pushed Daniel's hair back. I know. "Carter's gone to get you some medicine that should make you stop tossing your cookies so we can get some water into you. Can't have you getting dehydrated." Jack's voice was soft, soothing.
" We won't have to go back to the hospital, will we?" Daniel didn't want to go back. He just got out. Plus, Jack might think he was too sick like the McCallisters did. Daniel had some allergies and when they flared up one summer evening badly enough to induce an asthma attack and ER visit, Mrs. McCallister freaked out. Two days later, Daniel was back at the home. He feared the same thing could happen.
No, he told himself. Jack was a doctor. Jack liked treating sick people. Jack liked him.
Still, Daniel couldn't help worrying. He was trying so hard to be perfect.
" No hospital, for now," Jack told him, still stroking Daniel's hair. " Now, shhh. Close your eyes and try to relax. Leave the worrying to me. "
Daniel did, but it was hard. His stomach cramped again and he began dry heaving. Jack helped his sit up and rubbed his hands in a circular motion on his back.
" Jack?" A female voice. Carter was back.
" Carter, great. We need to put an end to this. "
" I brought suppositories. I don't think pills will stay down. I can't stay, though. I'm on call and— "
" Beeper went off? Go, Carter. I can take it from here. Thank you. "
" He'll probably be fine. "
" I know." He waved her off and she took another look at Daniel before leaving. Daniel gripped the bowl again and suffered through another set of dry heaves.
" Okay, I think we need to get this to stop," Jack told him. " Now suppositories aren't fun, but ..."
Daniel didn't care at that point. At long as they weren't a needle and made him feel better he'd take it.
He had to get better.
He wanted Jack to teach him how to play baseball.
He wanted Jack to keep him.