Present
"I think the talk did them good honey. Look. They look so sweet." Phil whispered softly when he past Jim's bedroom to see if everything was alright.
"You are really a softly Phil." Chris said with a smile but leans against Phil side to look at the scene.
"Aren't you looking, you big teddy bear? That are our boys."
Chris smiled. "That they are and always will be. Our kids for life."
"Our family." Phil agreed.
Chris moved to close the door. "I also think we should go to bed before we wake them up. They are sweet when they are asleep but when they..."
Phil shook his head and put an arm around Chris as they walked to their room. "Our kids? No. Our kids are angels when they are awake. Nothing to worry about."
Chris sat on his side of the bed while Phil sat on his side. "They only need to sit still. They don't have to move and they don't need to think and yes then everything will be alright."
Chris grinned and continued where Phil left off as he lay down. "Don't forget they don't have to go out together dear. Then yes they will be safe and fine."
"Oh yes how could I forget. Every time they go out together something happend. Maybe we should lock them up and never let them leave the house." Phil said.
Chris laughed again at Phil's idea. "I think you have met our son? He could break out of every locked room we place him. Nope Jimmy needs to move or else we don't have a house anymore. Or did your forgot the first time Jim was home alone?"
"Oh yeah. I remember that. No don't say that. I don't want to remember that. I am glad we still got this house. You know what let's just get some sleep."
"Oh now you want to sleep? Now I got all those ideas in my head thanks to you." Chris said a little frustrated. Chris looked to his side when there was no reactie.
"Phil?" Chris was greeted by some snoring.
"Of course you get to go to sleep when you put all those thoughts in my head." Chris shook his head and closed his eyes to think about other thinks.
It was one week later and Len was sleeping again in his own room. He didn't had the feeling anymore to first up check on Jim before he had to sleep.
"Hey son, how was work?" Chris asked as he was cooking dinner.
"Good. Not too busy. Could finish all my work in my shift." Len said as he put his coat off.
"That is good to hear. Phil is upstairs taking a shower. Your grandfather will be here soon also."
"Who will here be soon?" Phil asked as he walked down the stairs.
"Grandpa apparently." Len said as he sat on the couch.
"Oh that is what he meant when he said see you later tonight." Phil said as he looked over Chris shoulder to see what he was making.
"Yeah that was what he meant. Had enough food so I invited him. He had meetings till late." Chris said as he shoved Phil away.
Soon a knock was followed and Archer stepped inside. "Oh smells good in here."
"Hey John. You are just in time. Dinner is ready." Chris said as Phil put the plates on the table and they sat down.
"Where is my other grandson?"
"Working." Chris answered. Len looked up at that.
"Working? He has been gone since early morning."
"Yes I know. Said something came up and couldn't leave. Said he would eat there."
"Good he has to eat his dinner. Unfortunately he missed your cooking now honey." Phil said as he took another bite.
"How do you know?" Len asked.
"How I know what?" Phil asked.
"How do you know he is eating dinner. You don't see him."
"Len, Jim is a big boy now. Not so little brother anymore. Don't forget he is a captain now. Captains make long days. Ask your father if you don't believe me." Archer said.
"Yep that is true." Chris agreed.
"That doesn't mean he has to work 24 hours. He was just released from the hospital not three weeks ago. Papa why don't you say something about that? You are a doctor too." Len said angry.
Every one was silent and Phil sighs. "Len not this again. You also have to let Jim breath.."
"That is true. That boy can't be stuck at home without going crazy." Archer agreed.
Phil continued. "You can't keep holding his hand. We watch out for him but we have to let him do things on his own and trust him. Yes I agreed with you he could do it slower but like Chris said something came up that he couldn't get away from. Otherwise he would be home eating dinner with us. He is a captain now."
"Yes and that captain is missing some good food and our game night." Archer smiled to cheer Len up.
"Game nigh?" Len raised an eyebrow.
"Yes game night. All that work and those meetings. I want to do some something fun. And besides it been awhile since we played a game Len. So tonight you me against your parents."
Len looked confused at Phil and Chris who also looked confused before they decided just to get along with it. Len sighs and nodded.
"Alright grandpa, but we have to win. Otherwise I don't play game night anymore."
"Oh Lenny Len. Of course we are going to win. I always win from those two."
"That is not true!" Both Phil and Chris shouted.
Len smiled. "Alright. Game on."
It was almost midnight and Jim was still not home.
"You should call him." Len said to Phil as they sat on the couch. Chris was already asleep upstairs. After losing the game he had enough of the day and decided to go to bed.
"Call who?" Phil asked distracted as he watched a movie.
"Jim. It's almost midnight and he still isn't home. Something may be wrong."
Phil sighs again and looked at his oldest son. "You know you can be a really worrywart. I thought you were doing better and didn't need to check up on Jim to fall asleep."
"I am. And I don't need that anymore. I just..." Len sighs. "I mean we know Jim."
"Yes I know my son. Just like I know you. So I am asking you now to let this go and go to bed. You're forgetting you also have been up since this morning. So let me be the parent in this one and you go upstairs like a good son and brother and let me handle this, okay?" Phil said patiently.
"But..."
"I said okay?" Phil said more firmly.
Len sighs. "Okay. But you let me know if some..."
"I will let you know if I need you."
Len stood up. "Okay. Okay I will go then..."
"Len?" Phil called when he was almost by the stairs.
Len turned around. "Yes?"
"I am really proud of you son, you know that. I love you."
Len smiled. "Love you too papa. Goodnight."
"Night son." Phil said and Len went upstairs.
It was 1.30 when Jim opened the door carefully so he wouldn't make a noise.
"Glad you could find the house kid."
Jim jumped when heard the voice and let his bag fall to the ground.
"Jeez papa, don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Don't be silly, you are too young for that and your heart is fine."
"You could scared me to death you know. I once read a story of a man who was so scared..." Jim begin to tell the story as he put his bag on the table. "Anyway. Why are you still up? Thought everyone was asleep when I came home."
"And I thought you would be home sooner so we both thought wrong Huh." Phil said as he leads Jim to sit down on the couch.
"Why do I got the feeling I did something wrong. I send dad a comm. Didn't he get it? I said I wouldn't..."
Phil held up his hand. "He got the message. Told us you wouldn't be home for dinner, told us something came up."
"Yes. Uhmm so... what did I do wrong? I would be home earlier if I could. Really. I couldn't leave. Wait was I grounded that I didn't know about? You know I am too old for that, don't you."
"No you weren't grounded. Well not yet."
"What you mean not yet?" Phil smiled and shook his head before he continued.
"I want you to think about what happend in the past weeks and think about some consequences you may could have caused by leaving all day with only the message you wouldn't be home for dinner."
Jim shook his head. "Wait wait. This what this is about. Papa I had a job I needed to do. I couldn't walk away. I was ready to leave when Scotty comm me that something happend in engineering and he needed my help immediately. Three engines are in medbay because of some little explosion. We needed to fix the pipes and some stuff because if we didn't the whole ship could be kaboom. We worked on a timeline. I couldn't just stop to comm you. You knew something happend. It could easily be fixed or could take awhile. And well as you could see. It took awhile."
"All right I can see your point. Maybe for the next time a little more info that it could be longer than just missing dinner okay?"
"Yeah okay. So can I go upstairs now?"
"Not yet. Back to thinking about what happend in the past weeks. You know Len is just sleeping normally again. You need to know he was really worried about you this evening. Afraid you didn't eat enough or got enough rest or that you would be fine."
Jim sighs. "You know he is really turning into a mother hen you know."
Phil smiled a that before he got serious again and put his arm around Jim. It felt good to feel the kid against his side again. "Well he has the right to worry. Those things were in my head too."
"But you still got Bones upstairs so he could sleep? What did you do?"
"Pulling up the parent card. Some jobs are for parents to take and this was one of them."
"And Bones didn't fight that? He just excepted you pulling up the parent card and he just though 'oh I am the brother so yes you are right'." Jim shook his head. "No no not believing that. Knowing him, he would put up the 'oh wait I am a doctor too so I got the last say card'. Yeah that is more Bones."'
Phil shook his head at how this conversation was turning. "He tried but I also got the 'I am a doctor too and am still the parent so I stand above you card."
"Ohh good one. How did he take that?"
Phil shook his head. "Let get back to the subject we were talking about shell we?"
Jij turned his head to Phil. "That was the subject."
"Nope, the subject was that Len, and so did I, worry about some thinks. So tell me did you eat three meals today?"
"Papa seriously? I am eating."
"So then the answer isn't that hard." Phil continued.
"Yes I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner."
"Did you also ate your extra nutritions?" Jim looked away at that question. "So by the looks of it you didn't. Jim do we need to have a conversation about this again. About how important it is..."
"No we don't. Really I took them the other days. Today I thought I would be home sooner and I forgot to take them with me. Nothing to worry about. Won't happen again." Jim said as he sat up more and a little away from Phil.
"And rest? Three weeks ago you were still in the hospital. Can't work a full day and more just yet. Your body can't handle..."
Jim stood up. "Seriously? We are going to talk about that? Why don't you understand that something came up and I COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT."
"Lower your voice kid. People are sleeping. And don't raise your voice against me. I am still your father."
"Yeah? Are you talking to me then as my father or are you talking as a doctor?"
Phil sighs and took a deep breath to keep calm. "Kiddo you know I am both. It doesn't matter if I am your father or a doctor. I will always worry about you. And you know that too. Why are you suddenly so angry?"
"I am not." Jim said and crossed his arms frustrated. "I don't understand why I need to explain myself for something I could do nothing about. Why analyse me? Why can't you two give me a break? It's the first time I was away a whole day. The first time. Just let me do my job and have a little faith in me. Why is that so hard?"
Phil stood up and put both his hands on Jim's shoulder. "I always have faith in you. Never doubt that kiddo. Alright I can see what you mean. Maybe Len was talking in on me with his worry but that doesn't mean I am not. Let's start over okay? Try to take your rest and don't forget your extra's and if you can try to comm us some more okay? Can we agree to that."
Jim sighs. "Fine. Okay. Are we done now? Can I go upstairs?" Jim asked.
"Yeah kid get some sleep." Jim nodded and turned around to leave.
"Jim?"
Jim sighs but turned around. "Yes?" He asked tiredly.
"Are we okay?" Phil asked. He wanted to finish their conversation in good terms. He couldn't sleep if he knew his kid was angry at him.
"Yeah papa. We are good." Jim turned around to give Phil a hug. "Love you." He whispered.
"Love you too Jimmy. Now get some sleep. You need it." Jim smiled and went to go upstairs. "Oh Jimmy please check up on Len will you? Make sure he is asleep and not worrying about you."
"Sure papa. Night."
Jim changed into his pjs and brushed his teeth. But before he did go to his bed he did as promised he check up on Len.
Bones was not sleeping peacefully. He was turning in his sleep constantly. Jim sighs and sat on the side of his bed and took Len's hand. He placed Len's fingers on his wrist so that Bones could feel his pulse through his fingers. Len immediately stilled and relaxed some what before he carefully opened his eyes.
"You're home." He said softly.
"Yes, of course. Where else could I sleep? So now you know I am here your can go to sleep you big worrywart. I had papa all over me because of you."
Len smiled. "Good. Teach you right. Come lie down kid. You need sleep." He said as he closed his eyes.
Jim shook his head. "I have my own bed you know."
"I know but your brother needs you so lie down. Just tonight."
How could he say no to that. "Fine. But you make me pancakes tomorrow." Jim said as he moved to lie down.
"Deal. Night kid." Bones said as he took a deep breath and fell asleep.
"Night Bones."
Phil took a quick peek inside the room awhile later. They were both asleep. Jim was right about one thing he thought. Len was indeed a mother hen when he wanted to be. He remembered the day Len babysat Jim for the first time...
To be continued...