In Two Months III- Time to Grieve
by Kitty S
Title: In Two Months III- Time to Grieve
Author: Kitty S
Email: KittyStrawBerries@Hotmail.com
Category: Challenge
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Spoilers: None
Season: any
This story is a sequel to: Part 3
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: none,
Challenge: Response to Challenge #1,164.
Summary: Little Sam's dog dies. How will Jack cheer her up...
Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
Author's Notes: OK, I didnt know if there were any Knott's Berry Farm where Sg-1 lives, so I just made it about an hour away.
Jack's House
It was 5:00 in the morning when he got the call. It was the police. He choked. He got up and went into Sam's room. Seeing her sleeping soundly he let out a sigh. Finding his voice he asked them what they needed.
"Is this Mr. O'Neill?"
"Yes. Is there something I can do for you at 5:00 in the morning?" He was a bit irked for almost having a heart attack and lack of sleep.
"We found your dog."
What was this fool talking about, his dog is in the yard sleeping like everyone else who was sane. "Found what dog?"
"You are Jack O'Neill right?"
"Yes." OK, he now needed coffee. He walked down to the kitchen.
"Your dog Cocoa was hit by a car this morning."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry."
"What happened?"
"We were circling the neighborhood and she came out of nowhere and the she was hit."
"You hit my dog." Now he was really mad. 'What am I going to tell Sam?'
"Yes Sir, I'm truly sorry. We took her to the nearby Veterinarian Hospital."
"What's the address?" He got out a pen and a pad. "Fine, I'll be there soon."
"Once again, I'm so sorry."
"Sure, Bye." He hung up the phone and lowered his head. He went back upstairs and got dressed. After getting ready he silently entered Sam's room and gently tapped her back.
"Sam, sweetie... you have to wake up, we have to go somewhere."
"Mmmm..." she let out a whine, mumbled something about it being night.
"C'mon princess, wakey wakey..." She didn't budge. He picked her up with a small blanket and covered her up with it while going downstairs. He grabbed his car keys and gently put Sam into the passenger's seat and buckled her up. She was still sleeping.
Veterinarian Hospital
He looked at the address he had written down on the note pad and looked around the street. He saw the Vet hospital and parked. The stop finally woke Sam up.
"Daddy? Where are we?"
He hesitated. "Were at the animal doctors."
"Why?"
"Umm, honey, the cops called and said that Cocoa was in a accident." That they caused, but that was another story.
Her eyes filled up with tears. "Is she okay?"
"Were going to see now."
He got out of the car, went around and opened the door and carried Sam to the hospital. He walked in and asked the secretary if he can get some help.
"I'm looking for my dog, Cocoa."
She looked at the clipboard. "You Jack O'Neill?" He nodded.
Sam didn't hear what was going on. So she didn't realize that they didn't refer Jack as Jacob.
"Come this way please." She pointed to with her finger to a room filled with cages. "Though there, and ask for Dr. Rob."
"Thank you."
He walked in and looked at the man in a white lab coat. Like the one Sam used to wear. "Dr. Rob?"
"Yes?"
"I'm looking for our dog."
"Yes, the cop told me that he called you. Right here." Cocoa was lying on the floor on top of a blue blanket. She had tubs coming out of her mouth.
"Cocoa!" Sam couldn't keep the tears inside her eyes anymore. They ran from her eyes like Niagara Falls. He put her down so that she can get near her dog. She looked at the Doc and asked between sniffles if she can touch her. He nodded and walked away with Jack.
"So, she's going to be okay right?"
"Not really."
"Sorry?"
"We did surgery on her but the damaged body, I was sort of hoping you would consider euthanasia."
"Why, she alive right?"
"She has sever injury to her heart and lungs. She's not really alive if you know what I mean."
He knew what he meant. The tube is the only thing keeping the dog alive and there was no choice. He just couldn't think of doing that to Sam. At such a young age.
"Yeah, okay." His voice was silent.
Jack walked back to the room where Sam was laying by her dog on the floor petting her. She was telling her a story, something she probably made up right now by the sound of it. About a dog that was hurt---but will get better. He couldn't do it, but he had to. He swallowed hard and crouched by Sam and tried to explain the situation to her.
"Why!" She cried even harder.
"Because sweetie, she's not really living. And even if we didn't, we could never take her home." He hoped she understood. She did, she was a smart kid. She knew what was going on. She just didn't want to let her dog go.
"Can I say goodbye?" Okay, now he really had a broken heart.
"Sure you can."
She sniffled. "Cocoa, I love you and you were the bestest dog I ever had. I'll miss you." She cried and ran toward Jack and hugged his legs. He got the sign and picked her up.
Jack's House
He sat by her watching her eat ice cream. Another one of those comfort food. It was early in the morning, and she hasn't even had breakfast, but the situation called, yelled for some ice cream. Her face was tear streaked and her mouth was stained with dark chocolate.
"All done?"
"Yeah." Her voice ever so soft. She was mourning her puppy.
"What do you want to do now?"
"I'm still a little sleepy." She was definitely mourning. She would never voluntarily go to sleep, let alone take a nap.
"Yeah, okay. I'll be down here if you need anything."
She went back upstairs to finish her sleep leaving Jack alone with his thoughts. He could jump from a plane, he can endure torture, but this, seeing a three-year-old grieving is just not something you can swallow and turn away. He didn't know how to handle this situation. He picked up the phone and dialed Janet's number.
When he got the machine, he knew where to reach her next and called the mountain.
"Infirmary."
"Doc, it's me."
"Colonel, is there something that I can help you with?"
"Uh, Sam's dog died. Some goof head police hit her while he was making rounds."
She winced. "How's she taking it. I know that she loved that dog very much."
"I'm not sure, it looked like she's trying to hide the hurt. She just went back to her room for a nap."
"That's tough, I don't know what to say."
"That dog was the only thing that would take her mind off about seeing her mom. I can't say that her mom is dead too and has been for a long time."
"No, you can't, sorry, I really don't know what to say."
"Thanks, I better go. Bye."
He hung up the phone and buried his head in his hands. He sat there like that for a while and didn't hear Sam come down the stairs. "Daddy?" it was like an angel whispering.
He looked at his watch. It was a bit before 8:00. "I thought that you were going to sleep."
"Can't sleep. Guess I'm not sleepy."
"I see, come here." She walked by the couch and sat by him."
He prepared himself. "Sweetie, I know that you loved Cocoa, but just because she's not here with us that doesn't mean you still can't love her. She's in doggy heaven with other doggies and having fun. Although, I bet she misses her mommy very, very, much." He looked down at her, to see how his little story went.
'Score!' "Do think she misses me?"
"Yes! Sure she does! You were the best mommy Cocoa could ever ask for. And I'm sure that she wouldn't you want to be sad all the time just because she's not here, since she's having so much fun in doggie heaven. It's not fair. Right?"
"Yeah. I guess."
'Phew! That went well.'
"Daddy?"
"Yes honey?"
"When are we eating? I'm sort of hungry."
"Now I guess." He walked to the kitchen and asked what she wanted. He then closed the refrigerator seeing nothing in there to eat. "Where do you want to go to eat?"
"Hey! I have an idea. Why don't we go to Knott's Berry Farm and spend the day there. We can take picture's with snoopy."
"Yay! Daddy you're the best!" She jumped up from the couch straight into his arms and kissed his cheek.
"Okay, that's that, go and brush your teeth and we'll stop by Burger King for some breakfast."
"Okay." They both went upstairs and Sam went into her bathroom to brush her teeth. He stood at the doorway watching. Just wondering.
She flipped on the light switch and got her stool to stand on to be tall enough to reach the sink. She then started to brush her teeth. Water running down her elbow because of her low height.
Jack just stood there. 'She's so small. Even for a three-year-old.' He thought about Sam for a while. How tall she was. He being 6'2 and she was what, 5'9? She was the perfect height for him. No need to bow down half way just to meet her lips. 'I wonder when she had her growth sprout' Just thinking about her made him miss her more and more.
"All done." Sam leaped from the stool. The sight was something. He had never seen her brush her teeth before. She brushed them well, although she got her whole chest wet. Water and tooth paste on her nightgown.
"Great, get your self into fun clothes!" They went across to her room and Jack pulled out a light pastel pink shirt and blue jeans shorts. He handed them down to Sam and she dressed her self. He then looked for some socks. He pulled out a pale pink sock that went with her shirt. While she was getting her socks on, he brushed her hair.
"Ow! Daddy that hurts!"
"Sorry princess but your hair is all tangled!" he continued to brush.
"Daddy! Stop!"
"Sorry. Okay, come here." They walked over to the bathroom and Jack got out a 'no-more-tangles' spray and brushed her hair once again.
"Okay it doesn't hurt anymore." He put them in pigtails once again. He was getting really good that the pigtail thing. Then tied them with a pink ribbon.
"I think it's time you get a hair cut." Looking at her long silky blond hair.
"No, I like it like this."
"OK, let's go. Grab your shoes." He left her in her room and he got a camera and keys and waited by the door.
"Sam?" He shouted upstairs. "What's taking so long?"
"I can't find my other shoe!"
He went back upstairs and looked at the sight before him. There were clothes and socks and pairs of shoes all over the floor. "You need to clean your room. How do you find anything in this mess."
"I can't, that's why I can't find my other sneakers."
'OK, she was being a smart ass.' He helped her dig through her closet and found the other matching sneakers.
"Now can we go?"
"Yup!"
"When we get back we have to clean that room of yours."
They left the house and got into the car. Jack put in a tape of children's songs and they sang to the nearest Burger King's drive through and on to the trip to Knott's Berry Farm.
Knott's Berry Farm
They entered the parking lot. There weren't many people there. Probably all working. 'Poor bastards' Before getting out of the car, he handed Sam a tube of sun block. She rubbed them on her exposing skin. "Ready?"
"Yeah. Let's go!"
They walked to the east entry gate and paid for their tickets. When they entered they saw the train go by and lots and lots of big snoopy statues. They went on lots of water rides and on the train twice, took lots of pictures and got hungry.
They went to the nearest food court and ordered two meals. 'Who pays eight bucks for one hamburger meal?' They sat and ate their lunch.
Sam's was already getting tired. She was beginning to look flushed. "Sam's you OK?"
"Yeah." Probably just the heat.
"You want to go?"
"Not yet."
"Just say when."
They finished eating and when they walked around they went into the gift shop. Jack got Sam a big snoopy doll and a Hawaiian flower necklace and bracelet. When they walked out it was starting to get dark. He looked at his watch and it was already 5:00. He declared that it was time to get going.
He didn't get any protest from Sam. She was beat.
Jack's House
Traffic was murder. It took them twice the time to get back home. Sam fell asleep ages ago and Jack went to lift her out of the car. That's when it hit him. The way Sam felt to his touch. She was running a fever.
He rushed her into the house and found the ear thermometer and held his breath. It wasn't that high but high enough. She was running the fever of 102. 'Maybe she caught a bug at the amusement park. She was looking flushed when we were eating.'
He placed her on the couch and got out some children's medicine and woke Sam up. He shook her gently. "Here. Drink this." He handed her the small measuring cup filled with grape flavored medicine.
She took the cup from his hands. "That's nasty."
"Stay here, I'm going to call Doc."
"OK." Soon as her head connected to the couch she was asleep once again. He dialed Janet's number and waited impatiently for her to answer.
"Hello?"
"Cassie?"
"Uncle Jack?"
"Yeah, it's me sweetie, is your mother there?"
"Yup, hold on 'kay"
"Sure." He heard over the receiver, Cassie yelling for her mother and Janet asking her not to yell like that in the house.
"Yes?"
"Janet, it's me, Sam and I went to Knott's and when we got back she was running a fever."
"What's her temp?"
"102."
"Sounds like she got the bug. It's been going around. Cassie had it just last week. Nothing to worry about. Just giver her some medicine and plenty of fluids. But if that fever gets any higher than call me right away. OK?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Yeah, bye." He hung up the phone and went by the couch to see Sam soundly asleep. He left her there covering a blanket over her and sat at a nearby armchair and fell asleep there with his chin resting on his chest.
It was 9:00 in the morning. He woke up forgetting the position he was in. He's head snapped up and created a pulsing pain up and down his neck. He got up from the chair, stretching out the kinks in his legs and arms. He rubbed his neck and waked the few steps towards Sam. She was still asleep. He touched her cheek then her forehead. It was warm but not as much as before. He put the thermometer to her ear to measure her temperature. It was down to 100. This was a good sign. He let out a sigh and went into the kitchen.
He turned on the coffee machine and got a cold glass of apple juice and some more medicine for Sam. He looked back to the sleeping girl and calculated that she'd be asleep for awhile longer and went upstairs to take a shower. After getting dressed he went downstairs to hear muffled voices.
Sam was sitting upright from the couch watching TV. The apple juice half emptied. "You didn't eat your medicine." Jack scolded.
"I'm not sick anymore, and that stuff tastes like chalk."
"It's grape. You like grape."
"Not when it tastes like chalk."
He grinned. She was looking way better. But she still had to take her medicine. "Please, Sam, eat the grape chalk will ya?"
"OK, can we have pancakes?" She took a big gulp of apple juice after drinking her medicine to get the bad taste out.
"Daddy can't make that. But we can try."
"Like we did with the spaghetti?"
"Hey! But it was good right?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of?" Jack had a pained look. He then recovered and tickled her. She stood up on the couch. "OK! It was really, really good."
"That's what I thought." He patted her back. "Let's go and make another one of those really, really good food eh?"
They walked into the kitchen together.
End of part 3
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Kitty S