16 Years ago
"Admiral Archer? Number One? What are you doing here?" Chris asked as they came home and found them in the living room.
"We have a surprise for you. Well mostly for Jim but it is also a surprise for you guys." Archer said.
"You got a surprise for me?" Jim asked as Chris put him down.
Archer went down on one knee so he was on eye level with Jim. "Well yeah kiddo. That was the least we could do. If I am going to be your grandpa I need to earn my grandfather rights."
Jim looked confused while Chris and number One rolled their eyes. "Grandpa? I never had a grandpa. Are you Chris or Phil's daddy?"
Archer smiled. "I am not their daddy. But I took Chris under my wings when he first started the academy. So I took care of him."
"And besides that. He just wants to be a grandpa and you are the closest now to a grandson." Phil said with a smile.
"Ohhh. Thank you for being my grandpa. I would try to be a good grandson."
Archer ruffled Jim's hair. "I wouldn't worry about that. I think you are going to be my favorite."
Jim giggles. "So what's the surprise?"
"Oh wasn't that sweet." Number One said who had tears in her eyes from what just happened. "The surprise is upstairs. If you would all come up."
Jim took Archer's hand and they walked to the stairs. Phil and Chris looked at each other. What a change in attitude from what just happened at the hospital and now. But it was good to see Jim smile again and a good job from Archer to let Jim feel safe and giving him a grandpa.
"Why are we standing in the front of the storage room?" Chris asked upstairs.
"That is a name you called this room but didn't deserve. We cleared it out." Number One told them.
"Excuse me? You did what? Where is our stuff?" Phil asked.
"Some in your room and some in the garage. This room was needed for a make over so a young man could make it his room." Archer said with a smile and looked at Jim.
"This will be my room?"
"It sure is son."
Jim looked at Chris and Phil. "Are you okay with that? I understand if you want your stuff back. I can go somewhere else..."
"Hey hey... calm down. Of course we are okay with this. It was the plan all along. And with the help of Archer and Number One you have a room earlier than we expectedly." Phil said with a smile.
"Well what you say you open this door and look into your new room?" Archer asked and Jim nodded and opened the door.
Jim looked at the room in an aw. It was really a boy's room. On the wall were stars and planets to be seen. In the middle of the room was a bed and a closet to the side. There also stood a box with toys and on a shelf were books Jim would like to read.
"How do you like it?" Archer asked.
"It wonderful grand... grandpa." Jim said but still looks for permission if he said the right thing. Archer face lifted up when Jim called him grandpa and lifted him up in his arms.
"Good to hear son. Come I give you a tour through your room." He showed him all the toys, books and new clothes that were in his closet.
Number One stood next to Chris and Phil watching. "He took over our son." Chris said.
"He is just happy he has a grandson who he can pamper. You had to see him while we were fixing this room. I had to stop him from buying more things." Number One said with a smile. "How did it go at the hospital? You were gone a long time. John told me some things."
"They documented everything as evidence for the abuse he received." Chris said quietly but with some anger in his tone. Number looked sympathetic. "We now just need to make sure to never get that kid in a hospital if he doesn't need it. He was terrified of it. Went in some kind of shock state at the end." Chris finished.
"He still got some bruises on his body that could bother him for awhile and he needs the splint on his arm for a couple of days longer. But the thing we need to worry about now is his weight. He is malnourished and too little for his age. Then there are the allergies we need to watch out for. But the most important is his mental state. He got one trauma after another." Phil said.
Number One nodded. She also noticed those symptoms. "Well I think it's good he has us now as a family and is living with the greatest daddy's." Both Chris and Phil smiled at her and nodded.
Jim was put down on the floor again and came running to Phil and Chris. "Do you like it?"
"I really like your room. But the question must be, do you like it?" Chris asked.
"Yeah I do."
"Good. Then I think we could say mission accomplished." Phil said with a smile. "I don't know about you all but I am hungry. We missed lunch. What you say we go downstairs and I will make something." They all agreed and Phil took Jim's hand to walk downstairs.
Chris wanted to take a step to the stairs but Archer held him back. "Number One told me quickly what happened at the hospital. I want to let you know I found a therapist. She will be here tomorrow at two am."
"You already found one?"
"Yes. The sooner we start the better it is for him." Chris nodded and thanked him before they both walked downstairs.
Admiral Archer and Number One left after dinner. Chris, Phil and Jim decided to watch a movie before they would go to bed. Which wouldn't take long as it seems. Chris gave Phil a knowing look before looking at Jim again who was fighting to to fall asleep.
"What you say we go upstairs kiddo and get you ready for bed? It was a long day." Phil said as he stood up.
Jim looked a little scared. Before he looked at the stairs. Chris stood also up and held out his hand for Jim to take. "Come on. We will tuck you in when you are finished." Jim looked a little relieved when he noticed Phil and Chris wouldn't leave me alone to go upstairs.
After Jim was ready they put him in bed. Chris sat on his right side and Phil on his left side. Jim looked a little confused and anxious. "Are you going to leave me?"
"No honey. Why would you think that?" Phil asked.
"It's a big room. Will you stay here?"
Chris looked at Phil and took a deep breath. "We will stay with you until you fall asleep. But we leave the door open and the hallway light on. Our room is across from yours and our door will also be open so if you need us you know where to find us, okay?" Chris said while running his fingers through Jim's hair.
"Will I be safe?"
"Yes darling. This is your house now too and your room. You are safe here. And like Chris said we are right across from your room so you always can come to get us." Phil explained before he held up a book. Jim looked at it curiously.
"John has found a book you might like. Well I liked it too when I was little. It's an old story. Very old. Don't know where the man found it. "It's called Goodnight Moon. Do you know it?" Phil asked kindly. Jim shook his head no. "Well then it's time I should read it to you." Phil said and starts to read.
The book was almost finished when Jim was finally in a deep sleep. "You think it's okay we can move now?" Chris asked softly.
"Yes I think we can. We just need to get you free first. He got a good hold on your shirt." Chris looked down and saw Jim's little hand holding him. Phil looked around the room and found a teddy bear. He stood up to get it and put it in Jim's arm's. He slowly moved Jim's hand from Chris shirt and put it on the teddy bear. When they were sure Jim stayed asleep they moved out of the room.
"I think we better get to bed too. I am a little bit tired myself but I also want to be close to Jim if he needs us. It's his first night in his own bed, in his own room." Chris said.
"You are right darling. I am right with ya."
Phil woke up when he felt something move on the bed. He slowly opened his eyes and saw something little crawling up the bed. Phil closed his eyes for a moment before he sat up. He immediately knew it would be Jim.
"Hey kiddo? Everything alright?" Phil asked softly. Jim looked at him with big wet red eyes. He probably had cried in his room. Jim shook his head and before he knew it Jim was in his arms.
"Hey kiddo. Shh it's okay. You had a bad dream?" Phil felt Jim nod. "It was just a dream. You are safe here remember? No one will hurt you here." Phil said as he rocks Jim in his arms. Chris was still asleep.
"Don't want to sleep anymore." Jim said softly.
"It's still early Jimmy. Your body needs sleep."
"Don't want to be alone."
Phil held Jim a little closer to his chest. "You can stay with us okay? But now that we are awake I think we first need to take a bathroom break before we can back to sleep." Phil said and took Jim to the bathroom. He knew little kids could wet themselves when they had a bad dream. They didn't need an accident if it could be prevented.
They quickly returned and Jim lay now against Phil side in the middle of the bed fast asleep.
"Well we are through everything that happend at home and on the ship now. How is your appetite and your sleep Jim?" The therapist Kate asked. It was a long first session and Jim didn't wanted more then leave the room.
"Fine."
Kate looked at Phil and Chris. "Do you dream Jim while you are asleep?"
Jim struggled. "Some."
"Are you the dreams real? Or are they more like a fantasy?"
"Some." Jim said again.
"Are you scared when you dream Jim?" Kate tried.
"Only if I knew..."
"Knew what? Are the dreams from your memory? Did it happen to you before?" Finally Kate got more than one answer.
"It happend but...are different."
"Like nightmares?"
"Yes."
"How does that make you feel Jim?"
"Scared... can we stop now?" Jim asked as he looked at Chris and Phil.
"Almost kiddo. You are doing really well. Just answer Kate's questions." Chris said. Jim sighs.
"Do you find it hard to talk about them?" Kate asked and Jim nodded.
"You know you can tell Chris and Phil when you are scared right? But it's also important you talk about your dreams so they will not haunt you in your head."
"I will go to them" Jim said.
"That is good Jim. Phil and Chris make you feel safe?" Jim nodded. "Then you also can talk to them. Or to me. But talking is good Jim. It would help you."
"She is right kiddo." Phil said.
"Alright." Jim finally said.
"Glad to hear that Jim. Now I also heard you are not eating enough..." Kate went on a little longer on the different subject before they decided it was enough therapy for Jim for today. Kate and Archer pre- arranged that he would pick Jim up after the session so she could talk with Phil and Chris alone.
"Where is my favorite grandson? I have been waiting all day to pick you up." Archer said with a smile as he stepped inside the house.
"You are coming to get me?" Jim asked. The relief in his voice was noticeably heard.
"You know you are taking that grandfather thing way too serious." Chris said amused with his arm's crossed.
"No I am not. It's my first grandson let me be. What you say grandson? I know somewhere we could get good ice cream with a nice playground." Archer said with a smile.
"I say let's go grandpa." Jim said grinning.
They all laughed. "Okay then get your jacket Jimbo." Chris said. Jim smiled and walked away to get his jacket but was quickly returned. Jim looked then at Chris and Phil.
"Don't you need a jacket?" Jim asked.
Phil ruffled his hair. "No kiddo. You go with John. Chris and I need to stay here a little longer to talk to Kate."
"Why?"
"Because we want to be your parents so we need to talk a little bit more. Don't worry kiddo. We are waiting for you right here. Go have fun with John. We want to hear all about it when you return, okay?" Chris said and Jim nodded before he took Archer's hand.
They were almost out of the door when Archer turned around quick. "Is it so hard to call me grandpa in the front of the kid? Come on. After everything I did for you two? Let me be grandpa."
Chris shook his head. "Okay Jim go have fun with grandpa. But watch out for his back he may be a little bit old."
"What did you say you little..." Archer begins.
"You have a bad back grandpa?" Jim asked curiously and Phil turned around as he covers his laugh.
"No kiddo my back is fine. But I am not sure the back of your dad will be if we return." Archer said as he walked away with Jim. Chris closed the door.
"You know it's good for him to call you by family names. He needs to now he has a family." Kate said from behind them.
"We are not sure we can have him for good." Phi said.
"No. But we hope he can be. And besides no matter what happend Jim will know he has a family. Come let's sit down."
"You think we should tell Jim to call us dad?" Chris asked.
"He doesn't need to do anything. Remember that. But you could put the subject on and let him decide what he wants to do." Phil and Chris both nodded.
"I want to go back on Jim's sleep pattern. How is he sleeping? How much sleep does he gets? Where does he sleep?..."
"Well he is sleeping pretty much actually. Not long hours but..." Chris begins.
"Like naps?"
"Yes. His body is still healing and he is malnourished, we are working on that. The energy of his body is not that high yet for one thing." Phil said.
"And the other thing?" Kate wanted to know.
"Sometime he gets anxious and can work himself in a state that he needs to be calmed down. Comfort and feeling safe is what he mostly needs. So we give him that but after that he feels pretty tired and falls asleep." Chris told her. Kate nodded.
"Where does he sleep then? In his room or with you?"
"If he is anxious he sleeps with us. But if he just goes to sleep, we will try his bed first." Chris explained.
"What you mean try? It's not working?"
Chris sighs. "On the ship he walked away and looked for somewhere he felt safe."
"And here?"
"First night he slept with us because... well we didn't had a bed for him yet and we didn't wanted to leave him alone downstairs on the couch so he stayed with us. And well we tried last night. We stayed with him. Phil was reading him a story and after that we left for our room..."
"I found him in the middle of the night crawling in our bed. Tears in his eyes. He had a nightmare and didn't wanted to be alone or go back to his room."
"I am going to say something that could be a bit hard but you need to learn Jim that his own room is a safe place and he can sleep there on his own. It takes time I know. He is just here. He needs to get comfortable first. But what I heard from the ship's report was that he only slept if one of you was holding him and that isn't much different than what you are telling me now."
Phil stood up angry. "If the kid is crying and needs comfort. I wil damn give it to him. He came to our room. Crying, scared. And you say I need to send him back to his room because he needs to 'learn'."
"I am not saying that. Of course you can give him comfort at those moments. I am saying he needs to learn his room is also a safe place. He comes to you not because your room is safe but you two are there. It doesn't matter for him where he is. All he cares about is if you two are there he feels safe."
Phil sits down again. "So what are you suggesting?"
"Does he has a stuffed animal?"
"Yes Phil put it under his arms when Jim had a hold on my shirt."
"And did he hugged it immediately?"
"Yes" they both said.
"That is good. It's a first step. Give it to him every night when he goes to sleep. But it also wouldn't hurt if you gave it to him when he is anxious during the day. It will give him something to hold on when you are not there."
"We could do that." Phil said.
"Jim also needs structure. Bring him to bed every night at the same time. It's important Jim gets a good sleeping ritme. He now takes naps during the day as you said before because he doesn't get enough sleep."
"But the nightmares..." Chris begins.
"Will still be there for awhile I am afraid but like I said talking and feeling safe will help him with that. He doesn't have to stay awake during the day. You can give him a napping time." Chris and Phil nodded.
"Alright the last thing that I want you to get and could help is if you get a babyfoon."
Chris and Phil looked at her if she was crazy. "Uhmm sorry but Jim is six years old. I don't think he would appreciate it. He wants to be a big boy I am sure. With giving him napping times and a teddy bear and now a babyfoon... I don't think that will..." Chris starts.
Kate leans a little forward to look them both in their eyes. "The babyfoon is for you to hear if he has a nightmare so you could go to him immediately. And comfort him in his own room and get him back to sleep. It's not for always it's temporary. It let him know he could get comfort from you in his own room."
Chris looked at her. It was pretty smart. "Okay, but..."
"Yes I know Jim is six years old. But Jim never had education and nurture like a normal six year old kid had. He went through a lot and can give him a set back. This is also temporary." They thought about that for awhile.
"Alright we will try the advice you gave us Kate. Does he have to start school already?" Phil asked.
"No. Give him two weeks with you at home. Let him get comfortable. Give him structure. Be his parents for him."
"Alright Kate, Thank you for today." Chris said. Kate stood up and got her jacket.
"It's my job. Take care you both. Remember you can always call me if you need me. I want to see Jim two times a week for the first month. After that I will look if we could move it to one times a week. I will send you the times and days for the appointments." Kate said as she walks to the door.
"Thank you again for today. Have a good day Kate." Phil said as he closed the door after her.
Chris looked at Phil. "That was one of the longest appointments in my life with a therapist. It was like an intake. If we were screened and got a class 101 being a parent to a traumatized six year old."
Phil put an arm around Chris shoulder and leads him to the kitchen to get a drink. "I am right with ya. But well it's her job to screen us. She is important if we want to adopt Jim so we better follow her advice."
Chris sighs and laid his head on Phil shoulder. He knew Phil was right. "At least Jim had some fun this afternoon. Maybe they will bring us ice cream?"
Phil laughed. "Don't think so darling. You know Archer. And after what you said? Nope I don't think you will get ice cream."
"That man..." the front door opened when Chris wanted to speak again.
"Chris, Phil!" They heard Jim call.
"In the kitchen kiddo." Phil called back. Soon he came running to them and Chris lifted him up in his arms before he set him on his hip.
"How was the playground?"
"It was awesome. They got so much to play with." Jim said excited.
"And he tried everything." Archer said behind them with a smile.
"You did? Good you had so much fun kiddo. Grandpa gave you ice cream?" Phil asked. But also using the word grandpa. He learned his lesson.
"Yeah. I got chocolate couldn't get another one." Jim said.
Chris looked confused. "Was all the other ice cream up?"
"No, I knew he was allergic to strawberry. I didn't knew the others but I saw him eating chocolate so I thought that would be safe and so did Jim." Archer explained.
They all talked a little more and Archer stayed for dinner. Phil quickly did some shopping to get supplies. He also remembered to buy a babyfoon for tonight. After dinner Archer left and Chris and Phil decided it was time for Jim's bedtime ritual.
The first couple of times it was a struggle but they finally got the ritual under control. The babyfoon did indeed work. It took some learning. They needed to learn the sounds Jim would make if he had a nightmare. He was very silent. He would only whimper in the beginning before really start crying or screaming. The first night's they were too late but now they noticed, even in their sleep, when they heard whimpering they needed to get to Jim.
Jim quickly called Archer grandpa. But it took awhile before Jim called them dad. It began when Jim had the most terrifying night terror one night, that even Chris and Phil were scared. It took Jim a long time to snap out of it. Chris and Phil just held him and kept telling him kind words. Finally Jim opened his eyes and he began crying of relief. That night Jim called Chris daddy and Phil papa.
Present
"So that is how Jim came to live with you and adopted him." Uhura said.
"Ten months later we were able to adopt him." Chris said as he looked across the room. Len was asleep again in the chair next to Jim's bed while he held his hand. They would always watch out for each other. It was good to see them asleep again, they needed it.
Spock noticed Chris was staring at Jim and McCoy and remembered something. "I noticed that doctor McCoy and Jim are close. Doctor McCoy also seems to know a lot about Jim's past. You both are acting like you know him for years. How come?"
Chris looked at Spock. "Don't hide your curiosity Spock." Chris said sarcastic.
"I don't sir." Chris rolled his eyes and looked at Phil.
"Len lived with us for awhile. We've known him since he was a teenager." Phil said.
"Wait, wait. Stop. Len lived with you? When? How old was he. Did you adopt him too?" Uhura asked.
"No we didn't adopt him officially but he is like a son to us and a brother to Jim. I knew his father. Worked with him for awhile. A year before Len came to live with us his father died. He was left with his mother. Len wanted to be a doctor. He was also very smart and could start medical school at the age of seventeen. His mother unfortunately couldn't afford him to go. No schools were around his town to give him the education he needed. I was still in touch with Len's mother. She explained to me the situation. Long story short I picked Len up and he came to live with us." Phil told them.
"I bet Jim was also happy when you brought Len home. He suddenly had a brother." Uhura said with a smile.
Chris smiled. Remembering the first weeks when Len came to live with them. "Not so much. No. They needed to get used to each other."
"How come?" Spock asked.
Phil also laughed at a memory. "Len started medical school and was so excited. He told us all about it and wanted to put what he learned into practice so that he could practice...
To be continued...