Toddling Along: Boo Boo
By
Gemsong

***
I never thought I would find myself in such a position. I really didn’t. This was after all the last thing I expected. But here I am in charge of a retired (again) Air Force colonel who now is currently in the body of a two year old.

Many a time I’ve referred to Jack as childish. Down right bratty is also a term that could have been used on his adult self. There has been little change in that aspect of him. Most of the time he’s been in a bad mood. Most of the time it’s understandable. Learning to walk and speak was a challenge. Of course the biggest challenge was potty training.

Jack hates wearing diapers. But he doesn’t seem to have the bodily control his adult body had. He can’t just ‘hold it’ until it’s convenient. He’s had more than his fair share of ‘accidents’. I’ve become an expert at diapering. Thank God for the inventor of the disposal diaper. We’re trying the little ‘pull-ups’ that supposed to help him figure it out. Regular diapers are just for bed time now.

But that’s not really the biggest difference I see in Jack. He’s always been independent. He’s lost all of that. I’m amazed by how much he needs security now. Especially from me. I expected Sam, since she’s a woman or even Teal’c who would defend him with his life. No. He needs/wants me. Even if he won’t admit it, it shows in what he does.

For example: this morning. Now that he’s walking again, Jack has only one speed. Warp. And he hates shoes. He really hates the ones Sam and Janet bought him. He’ll accept socks as a necessary evil when it comes to cold tile and wood floors. But socks don’t work outside.

Why the sliding door was unlatched, I’ll never understand, but it was. It was warm out and Jack decided to take off out the door again. He pushed until he could squeeze that little body through and he was off across the deck.

The deck is wood. Jack was going to go hopping down the steps into the yard when his sock got snagged. He nose-dived off the deck and face first into the flower bed. The scream that followed almost turned my hair white as I ran out to him.

It could have been so much worse that it was. The way Jack was sobbing, you’d think he broke every bone in his body. Jack had a lot of injuries as an adult and had learned to ignore it. This little body on the other hand didn’t give him that luxury.

I carried him inside into the bathroom so I could get a good look at him. I sat him on the toilet and with a wet washcloth began cleaning off the dirt. He had barked his knees on the steps, scraping the. He also had a scrape on his elbow. Other than that, it looks like he got off rather light. I didn’t see the need to call Janet over. Though I would call her later just in case.

“Da’l?” Jack said.

“Yes?”

“Hate thith!” he said sniffling, tears still rolling down dirty cheeks.

“I know you do, Jack,” I said quietly.

“I wanna be big again!”

“I know Jack,” I said gently cleaning the dirt from his face.

“Thith thoooo thucks!”

I managed no to smile. Jack’s lisp was kinda cute, but it didn’t take three doctorates to teach me when not to use that word.

I put the Simpson’s bandaids over the cuts.Jack stares at the band-aid on his elbow. "Bart." He said.

"Yes," I replied. "You two have a lot in common." I poke his belly and he giggles. At the same time he tries to look insulted at what I did.

Jack continues to contemplate his bandaged elbow. "Crape." He tries. His lack of permanent teeth annoys him to no end. I nod, not sure where he's going with this.

Jack frowned with concentration then looks up at me. "Boo boo." He said.

I feel my face contorting painfully as I try not to chuckle. "Yes, you've managed to collect several 'boo boos'."

His brown eyes narrowed at me. Something was going on in that little head and I was afraid to imagine what.

"Kith."

I felt my eyebrows try to disappear into my hairline. Did he really want me to.? What the hell. I plant a little kiss on that tiny elbow. "Better?" I asked.

That smile melts me every time. "Bedder." He said and held up his arms for me to pick him up.

I carried Jack back downstairs. It was one of those times. Times when Jack mentally says 'screw it, if I'm a kid, I'm gonna act like one'. His arms are around my neck and his head tucked against my shoulder. And his thumb is stuck firmly in his mouth.

As I sit in the recliner, cuddling my best friend, I realize it's these moments that make it all worth while. These moments, he's my little boy. But I'm not going to forget the beer incident.

I pulled Jack's thumb from his mouth.

"Thit."

FINI