The Wriggler
The Beginning
See, it started off so simple. Go through the gate, let Daniel play in the dirt. The come back through the gate. See, simple.
But, nooooo, we go through the gate, Daniel plays in the dirt. Then he touches something and we now have a problem. The problem is roughly two years old and doesn’t know us from Adam. Though I think he may remember something of me. As he has latched on to me like a limpet. Won’t let Carter or Teal’c near him. Have to admit Daniel makes a very cute two year old. Not sure what Hammond will make of all this.
As Carter dialled us home he fell asleep and I have a damp patch, from the drool, on my left shoulder where his head rested. Have to admit Hammond reacted rather well. His jaw didn’t quite reach the floor.
We are now in the tender mercies of Janet Napoleon Fraiser and Daniel has made it very clear he is not fond of needles. He is sat in my lap, a ferocious scowls on his face and a thumb is plugged in his mouth. We have a stand off and I am not placing money on who is going to win. Every time the Doc gets near him with the needle he becomes as small as possible. Literally scrunches himself up into a small ball.
“Daniel, Doc Janet needs to do this.”
“No, hurt!” Come the emphatic reply and the thumb is sucked harder as he burrows even more into me.
Uh oh the Doc has that calculating look that I dread. “Sweetie, how about Colonel O’Neill shows you that it doesn’t hurt.”
I mentally groan, I hate needles as much as the squirt here does, but the Doc needs to do her tests. So, I’m gonna have to suck it up like a man and prove to Doubting Thomas here that it doesn’t hurt.
He’s watching everything like a hawk. Nothing is being missed by those big blue eyes. There is a nod of his head and my doom is sealed. I try not to flinch as the needle finds it’s home. When the Doc is finished a small finger reaches out and gently touches the small band aid which now graces my arm.
“Hurt?” The blue eyes look up at me questioningly. I place a kiss on top of his head and shake my head.
The Doc and I wait with baited breath, then slowly the small arm is extended. He buries his head in my chest and I wince in sympathy as the needle does it job. Gotta give the Doc her due. She worked quickly and there is now a matching band aid on his arm.
—–
After the band aid had been admired, as it marked Daniel’s bravery. Daniel reluctantly agreed to remain with one of the doc’s nurses’ while I left to go to my office, then join the General and other to discuss said problem.
I gaze round at the others. Carter and Teal’c sit facing me. The Doc is at one end of the table and the General is at the other. I’m trying not to take any notice of the empty seat beside me.
This is Daniel’s life we are calmly discussing. As if he was an inanimate object. Hammond glares slightly at me as I point this out. I look round and see the distressed looks in the other’s faces. Apologising I slouch down a little in my seat and try to keep my tongue under control. A chuckle almost escapes as the Doc officially confirms that the boy that returned with us is Dr Daniel Jackson. Hey, we all knew it. You just have to look at the tyke to know. We’d guess his age correctly as well. Oy, a two year old Daniel Jackson is going to be a handful. Ah, no memories. Well, we kinda guessed that as well when he didn’t recognised any of us after he’d touched whatever he touched.
Carter is running tests on everything we brought back. Personally I think she can run all the tests she likes. I don’t think she is gonna find anything that is going to reverse Daniel back. Teal’c gives me a look and a slight nod. I think he agrees that there is nothing we can do to reverse the situation.
Ooops, Hammond has asked me something. “Sorry, sir. Didn’t quite catch what you said.”
“I asked, Colonel, if you had an opinion or comment to make about the situation Dr Jackson finds himself in.”
“Nothing really, sir. Except that he is a normal and lively two year old. That is going to need a stable and loving home in which to grow up in.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the envelope that I typed out before coming here.
Hammond takes it, looks at it, then at me. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Yes, sir. I intend to give Daniel the childhood he should have had the first time round. To do that I need to be there twenty four seven. So, I hope you will accept my resignation, effective immediately. Also, sir, I would be grateful if you could pull a few strings when I start adoption proceedings.”
Hammond gives me a small smile. “Jack, it has been my privilege and dubious honour to have you under my command. Just, don’t be a stranger. I personally would like to see a lot of my ‘grandson’ in the future. Your resignation is accepted and you can also assume that your adoption of Daniel Jackson will run very smoothly.”
I smile and fire off a salute to the best commander I have ever served. As I turn to leave I see both Carter and Fraiser giving salutes and Teal’c giving a deep nod. Swallowing the lump that is in my throat I salute them back and leave to pick up my kid.
The Walmart Experience
Ok I can do this, we can do this. I clutch the strap tighter in my hand and gaze at the imposing entrance. We are SG1. We have faced down parasitical aliens with delusions of godliness and grandeur, rampaging Jaffa and some of us have died more than once. Yet we are defeated by the thought of having to face the… Walmart Experience.
Alright two of the team, namely Carter and, honorary SG1 member, Fraiser, have done this before. But, and it is a big—well physically small—but, we have Daniel with us. Oh, and Teal’c and… yeah… ok… me. Daniel though, is the interesting factor in this equation.
You may remember me telling you about how Doctor Daniel Jackson touched something while digging in the dirt on a planet whose name and reference number escapes me. In touching whatever it was Daniel was littlefied to two years old. Oh, good, you do remember.
Anyway, as I said, Daniel is the interesting factor in all this and that is what is making rest of us so nervous. Said factor is currently wriggling eagerly in the harness attached to the end of the strap I am firmly holding. He wants to explore, touch, in-vest-i-gate. Words that strike terror in one retired USAF Colonel with dodgy knees and bad back.
“Aba, go!” Daniel pulls as hard as he can, but I’m not budging. Nope, no way in Netu. I’ve changed my mind. We are heading home. No way am I letting Daniel loose in there. Oh, and if you’re wondering ‘Aba’ means Daddy in Arabic. Had to Google it’s meaning the first time Daniel used it.
“Sir?” Carter looks nervously at me.
“We can order online, Carter.” I say as I back towards the truck despite the efforts of the small immovable object on the end of the strap. Unfortunately my path is also blocked by another small immovable object.
Janet Napoleon Fraiser gives me the ‘look’. The one that puts the fear of death into the most hardened Marine. Yeah it still works on me as well and I’ve been retired for four months now.
“We need to know the clothes will fit, Jack. So, we have to try them on him. Daniel can’t keep wearing the same three t-shirts, two pairs of pants and sneakers.” I look at the wriggler on the end of the strap. Ok, the Simpson’s t-shirt does have a well washed look about it and the pants are looking a little worn. Oh and you’ve noticed, have you. Yeah Fraiser calls me, Jack, now. Took her a couple of months, but it’s nice, yeah nice, that she calls me, Jack. We’re working on Carter, but she’s a hard nut to crack. Oh and yeah I’m working on calling ‘em Janet and Sam. It’s hard to break through all the military conditioning.
“Okay, okay!” I throw my free hand up in defeat. I then wave it in the general direction of the entrance and we move forward as one. Daniel pulling like an eager little puppy in the search of new things to in-vest-i-gate. God help us!
Once inside we split using the strategy we came up with before we left my house, our house. It’s Daniel’s home now as much as mine. In the four months that he has been with me the house has changed beyond all recognition. Gone is the well ordered, almost military layout that existed pre Daniel. Colourful pictures now decorate the fridge and most of the walls. Bits of lego appear in the strangest places. Two unfinished jigsaw puzzles (500 pieces each!) grace the coffee table and the kitchen table. The carpet has sand tracks rubbed into it from sandy shoes. He loves the sandpit. Plenty of chances to go ‘cavating in there, so he says. Books rest on every conceivable ledge. Most carefully marked where their owner stopped reading. The books he reads are aimed at four year olds.
Carter and Fraiser head towards the kids clothing, Teal’c takes on the footwear and Daniel and I head for the joys and wonderments of TOYS. We have agreed to meet up with our carts at the coffee shop. Refreshment will be needed before we press gang Daniel into trying things on.
I push the cart to the humming accompaniment of the occupant in the cart seat.
“How ya doing?” I smile as I watch his eyes darting everywhere, trying to take everything in.
“Good, Ada.” He grins and goes back to his humming. A tune only he knows.
I try to hightail us past the jigsaws. I have discovered Daniel has an obsession with jigsaws. He is currently working his way through the five to ten year old ones. Scary is not the word I would use.
“Aba! Look! ‘gyptian camels!” Yeah, you’ve noticed that too, have you. Fraiser says his vocabulary is currently at the level of a four year old. The admiration I have for Mel and Claire Jackson is through the roof. How they managed to cope with Daniel in the eight short years they had with him, I don’t know. But from the snippets I got from the horses mouth, so to speak, they did a wonderful job.
Oh crap a jigsaw with camels in front of the Giza pyramids. Huh huh, there’s the look. Stubborn is an understatement. Yeah, yeah I know. I’m the adult; I should be the voice of authority. But, this is Kid Genius we’re talking about here. I never won an argument when he was an adult. What makes you think I stand a chance with him as a kid! The 550 piece jigsaw goes in the cart, Kid Genius goes back to his humming and I wheel us off in the direction of the Legos.
As we arrive at the coffee shop the other three are waiting for us. Oh for the love of… it looks like Carter and Fraiser have picked up the whole of the kids clothes department! I deposit the wriggler on to a chair with the firm instruction that he is to stay on the chair. This is backed up by Teal’c with the Jaffa special glare. Fraiser quickly removes all four of the coffee mugs out of the reach of the little fingers inching towards them. She receives the Daniel pout and wounded expression. Neither of which makes an impression on her. They didn’t when he was an adult and they don’t now. Kid Genius gives a sigh and picks up his ‘sippy’ cup, which Carter has filled with orange juice, gives a final glare at Fraiser and starts drinking.
While the kid is occupied with the juice the rest of us drink our coffee and take stock of the stuff we’ve picked up. Teal’c has found some really neat shoes and sneakers with Velcro fastenings, so Daniel won’t have to keep relying on me to fasten his shoes and sneakers. If my knees had voices they would be singing the Hallelujah chorus in praise of Teal’c. Carter and Fraiser have a myriad collection of colours in their cart. Clothing in every shape and size you can think of.
Ah the dreaded moment has arrived. Fraiser is man-handling a protesting Daniel towards the fitting rooms with Carter and Teal’c following behind with their carts. Me, I’m going to just sit here with my second coffee and leave it to my team to do the job. I smile as heads turn in the direction of the fitting rooms as my kid makes his feelings clear about being made to try on the icky clothes.
My kid… who is happy in his washed out Simpson’s t-shirt and worn pants.
The Day Care Experience
Shoulda known better. I don’t know what possessed me. It was so unfair of me to do it. But, heck, I’m only human and was it so bad of me to want to do it?
To do what? I hear you ask. What did I do that has resulted in the name of O’Neill now being blacklisted in Colorado Springs? I placed Daniel Nicholas O’Neill in day care.
Yeah yeah… I know… what possessed me. I admit it, I had a weak moment. All I wanted was a day to myself. I shoulda known better.
But, ya see… neither Carter nor Fraiser were free to take the wriggler. Carter was splitting some neutrons and Fraiser had gone to a conference, some anatomy thingy. General ‘Grandpa’ Hammond is in Washington trying to zat some sense in to the thick skulls up there, so he wasn’t around and Teal’c is away visiting Ry’ac. Sooooo, I didn’t have much choice… well ye-ah… I did have a choice. But, if I didn’t have my day… I woulda done serious damage to something or someone.
So, Daniel went to day care. He survived the day, I survived the day, but… day care didn’t.
Started off so well… we were up in plenty time and had a hassle free breakfast. Kid Genius was excited at the opportunities that were ahead of him. Opportunities to explore, touch, in-vest-i-gate. That should have been a huge honking clue to the disaster looming ahead. But, all I could see was how happy my kid was and how equally happy I was about being able to catch up on some things and have time to myself.
Arrival at the day care went smoothly. Though I was a bit hurt that Daniel was so wrapped up in building a Lego pyramid to say good bye. The fact that he had commandeered all the other tykes in helping with the project didn’t register with me.
My day passed calmly. I managed to catch up with my paperwork. Only a coupla of bills a few months out of date. The back yard looks a lot tidier than it did. A few of Daniel’s ‘cavated holes got filled in.
Then… the Call… a very flustered lady at the other end… rambling on about sand all over the place… holes appearing in their pristine yard… kids running amok and my kid at the centre of it all. I asked, very reasonably, how a 2 year old kid could be responsible for it all. Then I realised what I had just said and how stupid it was. Of course a 2 year old kid could be responsible for it all. Especially if that kid was Daniel. Said lady insisted that I come immediately and remove Daniel from their premises. I told her I would be down as soon as I could.
I arrived at the centre an hour later. Hey, I’ve faced down System Lords. One, prissy day care manager is not gonna get the better of me. The sight that met me… well… words almost fail me. What had been a calm comfortable, neat and tidy day care centre was now an Egyptian desert complete with sand and Lego Giza Pryamids. Lord Ra was overseeing everything and his loyal followers.
“Aba! We go home now?” Lord Ra came running over to me, wrapped his arms round my legs and grinned up at me. I crouched down and adjusted his towel head-dress which had become squint when he had hugged me.
“Yeah, Daniel. We’re going home.”
“Come back again?” The wriggler had a hopeful look on his face as I picked him up. I ignored the flinch and whimper from the manager next to me. I think she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown at that moment.
“No I don’t think so, Daniel.”
He gave a little pout, a sigh, then, “Okay. Home better than here, anyway.”
I smiled and took Lord Ra home. Yeah, he maybe blacklisted from every day care centre in town, but he’s my kid and I’m proud of him.
Of Books, Borders & Flustered Majors
Ya know when I started to write this journal I was doing it purely for Daniel. Doing it so’s he’d know what had happened to him and the main events in his second childhood. Now I’m doing it for me as well. I want to remember the wriggler’s childhood, the disasters and fun things.
Speaking of disasters… I’m not sure if we will ever receive a warm welcome at Borders bookstore ever again. You would think a trained Air Force Major would have more control over a 2 year old boy. But, then again we are talking of Daniel and Sam has no more control over him than any of the rest of us. She even had him in the Monkey harness.
Daniel was even more excited than normal. Well, you see, this was a trip to a BOOK store. Next to jigsaws, books are like gold dust to Kid Genius. We have books ranging from Where the Wild Things Are to Egyptian Myths and Tales. I mentioned earlier that his reading level is that of a four year old. So, a trip to a book store… well you can just imagine how high his anticipation was.
It was a calm and relaxed Sam—I’m getting good at remembering to call her Sam—and excited wriggler I said goodbye to. I received a ‘Daniel Special’ kiss from my kid. This kiss is the wettest, sloppiest kiss I have ever received and usually aimed at either my cheek or chin. I love ‘em!
Three hours later I was confronted by an extremely flustered and bedraggled Sam and a highly delighted Daniel.
“Aba! The nice man let us bring home books!” I looked at the bags with the books in question. There were five bags. Each containing at least ten books. I looked questioningly at Sam. She just shook her head, handed Daniel to me and croaked something about needing a glass of JD.
I followed her into the house. Placed Daniel in the supposedly toddler proof play yard in the living room—he has managed to escape from it numerous times, I’m so proud—and followed shattered remains of the once confident Major in to the kitchen.
Tossing back the glass of JD and pouring herself a second she almost whimpered at me. “He began to correct errors he saw in the books. With a red crayon.”
I poured myself a glass. “How, did he mange to get his hands on the books?”
The once proud and confident Major had the grace to look shamed faced. “I, ummm, was side tracked by a Quantum Physics book that has just been published. I thought I still held the strap of the harness.” She shook her head in disbelief and told me that while she was looking through the book. Daniel had wondered off and begun to look through various books himself. That would have been fine, Daniel is very careful of books, but, he had begun to look through the children books on archaeology and in particular Egyptian archaeology.
“He came across a children’s version of Budge” Sam whispered. I winced in sympathy. Budge in any shape or form is like a red cape to a bull where, big or little, Daniel is concerned.
She tossed back the second glass and poured a third. “Daniel then got into a very loud argument with one of the Sales Assistants. She objected to him correcting the errors in the books. He told her it was bad for them to sell books that weren’t correct.” I gave a snort of laughter at that and Sam gave a reluctant grin as well.
I had to ask. “What were you doing at this point, Sam?” I did wonder if the blush covered more than her face.
Sam sent a glare in my direction. “I was making my way down the aisles to where Daniel was.”
I grinned, “You were hiding out in the aisles and letting Kid Genius make mince meat of the staff.”
She grinned back. “Yeah, I was.” We sat and sipped our JDs listening to Daniel tell Merry his Meerkat stuffie about his adventure at the bookstore.
Eventually Sam gave a sigh and finished the woeful tale. “The manager was not best pleased and refused to accept any apology. Your credit card is probably very close to its limit now.” She gave a small chuckle and grinned at me. “You can let Daniel bury the kiddie version of the Budge. I’m sure he would enjoy doing that.”
I smiled at the mental picture of Daniel burying Budge. Than gace a small sigh. “Well that’s Borders we can add to the list of places that Daniel is blacklisted from. Most likely they will warn their branch in Denver as well.”
“Yeah.” Sam finished her JD, stood and picked up her jacket. I picked up the phone and called a cab to take her home.
Later I looked at the sleeping angel in his bed. In any shape or form Daniel is a force to be reckoned with.
Busy Doing Nothing
Funny how a day seems to fly by when you fill it with absolutely nothing.
Today has been such a day. A day filled with nothing, nada, zip. Yet, I’m exhausted and the wriggler is equally exhausted. He is sprawled on top of me sound asleep. His head tilted to one side, his ear pressed against my chest so he can hear my heart beat. I’ve discovered the sound of my heart can have him asleep in seconds, go figger.
So, what was this nothing that has so exhausted us, I hear you ask. Daniel ‘cavated and me… well it was a combination of things.
See, it started with bathing Kid Genius. This resulted in me needing to change my clothing and do an extra load of laundry. We moved on to breakfast. This resulted in Daniel needing a change of clothing and me another load of laundry. Next came yard work for me and ‘cavating for the wriggler. As a result of said yard work and ‘cavating both of us needed to be cleaned, so a joint shower was utilised. There was also yet another load of laundry for me.
This brings me to our present situation. Both sprawled on the couch, exhausted. I stroke my hand gently down Daniel’s back, watching as he wriggles and gives that snuffling snort that always makes me smile. Yeah, a day filled with busy doing nothing and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A Scream in the Dark
“ABA!!!!!!!” The scream resounds round the house as the place is plunged into darkness.
Cursing quietly as I bang my leg on something lurking in the darkness, I eventually locate the trembling mass curled up in the corner of his bedroom.
“Hey, hey, hey. It’s ok.” I sit down on the floor and pull him into my lap. As he snuggles against me, clinging like a limpet I make out the occasional word. Such as ‘dark’, ‘scared’, ‘not nice’. The word ‘dark’ is repeated a lot.
See, Daniel is scared of the dark. Won’t sleep without his Mickey Mouse night light switched on. Says monsters lurk in the dark. We’ve never been able to fully establish who or what exactly these monsters are. Or what they look like. This could be because Daniel becomes a hysterical wreck if they are even mentioned.
I slowly begin to stand, knees complaining every step of the way, lifting him with me. Once we are upright, I gather his blankie from the bed and slowly and carefully head back to the living room.
The room is lit by the fire I had set going just before the power cut happened. I settle us on the recliner and I note he’s clutching his blankie tightly and there is some pinkie chewing.
“Scary, huh?” Frantic head nodding is my reply and I can feel his little heart literally leaping out of his chest.
“Not nice, dark!” He snuggles closer tucking his blankie under his chin.
We sit, both watching the flames leap in the hearth. Eventually his heart slowly begins to return to a normal rate, the pinkie chews stops, but the blankie is still clutched tightly to his chest.
“The light will come back on soon.” I get another nod of the head in reply. His breathing is slowing down and by the slumping that’s going on he’s falling asleep.
Power cuts so, don’t help night terrors for either Daniel or me!
