'A Similar Boat', Prompt 8 of 8 (finally!), SG-1/SGA

[sid]

This one's for my anonymous friend sid_fan, who asked for: Carson talks to Carolyn Lam about his relationship with John and the dreaded DADT and she and/or Daniel find a way to let him know that Jack ain't about to let that cat out of the bag.

Whew!  :-)

I'm posting it here because it's too long for an LJ comment, at a whopping 800 words. *g*

A SIMILAR BOAT

“You don’t mind me confiding in you?”

 

“Carson, if you can’t confide in another doctor, one who’s currently your doctor until you go back to Pegasus, who can you confide in?”

 

“No one at all.” Carson smiled sadly and Carolyn reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. “I really do appreciate you listening to my ramblings. And I’m sorry I couldn’t be more specific, but….”

 

“But,” Carolyn said, nodding in agreement. “Even though I’m not in the military and even though nothing short of the fate of the planet hanging in the balance would drag anything out of me, it’s wise to be discreet.” She dropped her hand and grinned at Carson’s hangdog face. “But I can guess!”

 

Carson looked startled, and then horrified. “Am I that obvious?”

 

“No.” Carolyn bit her lip. “Not you.”

 

Carson flushed. “Oh, well….”

 

“It would be kind of cute if it wasn’t for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.” Carolyn decided to stop with the teasing. “He must love you a lot to take the risks he does.”

 

“It’s not just about his job, Carolyn. He’s really needed on Atlantis. He’s already fretting about when we’re going to be allowed to return home.” Carson looked away. “I put him in danger every time we’re together, and that’s the last thing I want. If we’re ever found out…” He looked at her. “It would destroy him. Atlantis is his home.”

 

“Try not to worry, Carson. Just continue to be discreet, and believe that you both have friends. Maybe even some in high places.”

 

Carson looked puzzled and Carolyn patted his arm, smiling broadly.

 

~~

 

“Do what?” Daniel looked alarmed.

 

“Just… talk to him. Discreetly. Let him know that he’s not alone, and that his lover’s situation is safer than he thinks.”

 

Daniel made fish faces.

 

“Oh, Daniel, please. I know perfectly well that it would take a lot more than ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to get a vital member of the Atlantis Expedition dismissed from the Air Force. I know that there are people in authority, people who know damned well what’s at stake, who would never let something like that happen.”

 

“People….”

 

“Daniel.”

 

“What… are you…? My God, you didn’t say anything to him, did you?”

 

Carolyn smirked at finding her suspicions confirmed. “I was as discreet with him as I’m being with you. I name no names.”

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Daniel blurted.

 

“I know. It’s better this way.  No asking and no telling.”

 

“No.” Daniel frowned at her. “Just a whole lot of you knowing.”

 

“It’s a gift, what can I say?”

 

“As little as possible?” Daniel smiled ruefully. “And what the hell am I supposed to say to Doctor Beckett?”

 

“You’ll think of something.” Carolyn patted his arm, beaming her gratitude.

 

~~

 

“Hellooo.” Daniel stepped into Carson’s office.

 

“Doctor Jackson, how are you? Are you in need of my professional services? I must say you look healthy enough.” Carson put down his pen and closed the chart he’d been working on.

 

“Ah, thank you, no, yes, I’m fine. You?”

 

“I’m quite well. Itching a bit to get started back to Pegasus.”

 

“Yes, I can imagine.” Daniel stuck his hands into his pockets and smiled nervously.

 

“Is… there something?”

 

“Well, um, not exactly. Not something you can do for me. Per se. Except, um, worry less about, um, things.”

 

Carson raised his eyebrows. “You appear to be the one who’s worried about something, my friend.”

 

“Um, yes, maybe. May I speak confidentially?”

 

“Of course. Close the door.”

 

Daniel shut the door with a decisive click and stepped closer to Carson’s desk. “I’m gay.”

 

Carson’s jaw dropped, but only for a second. “And you’re having some sort of problem?”

 

“Hmm. Well. Just, er, loneliness, I suppose.”

 

Carson froze. “Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear that.”

 

Daniel blinked at him. “Oh, no! No.” He laughed nervously. “I’m with someone. I wasn’t….”

 

Carson cleared his throat. “No, no, certainly not, certainly not. Are you and your… friend separated? I mean, is he off-world?”

 

“No. No, just… unavailable. Except during normal Pentagon hours.”

 

“N-n-normal….”

 

“So, um, you shouldn’t worry. Everything’s fine.” Daniel looked at Carson earnestly. “Everything’s good.”

 

Slowly, Carson’s face cleared and his eyes brightened.

 

Daniel nodded. “Okay, then.”

 

“Thank you. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you for stopping by.” Carson stood and gripped Daniel’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Thank you.”

 

“Oh, hey, not a problem.” Daniel rescued his hand and nursed it. “Just wanted you to know that there are other people out there in the same boat. More or less. Not really the same boat, I suppose, but pretty close anyway.”

 

“And one of those people onboard one of those boats is an Admiral, maybe?” Carson’s eyes were warm with gratitude and interest.

 

Daniel tilted his head and smirked. “I’ll never tell.”
 

Comments

[cesy]

:)
I particularly liked the last two lines, and the careful dodging around what they were saying throughout.

[sid]

Yay, glad you liked those lines! It's always important to find an 'ending', and it makes sense that this ending would fit in with my inspiration about everyone tiptoeing around the subject at hand. :-)

[lavenderlocks]

Heheh - for someone who's been on many a first contact mission, Daniel's bumblings are just so - Daniel. Super! :D

{and worth the smug!}

[sid]

Thanks for reading! Glad you liked. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Loved it! I really enjoyed reading that - made me chuckle at times!

Sexycazzy @ LiveJornual

[sid]

\o/ That makes me very happy! Thank you!

[jdjunkie]

Oooh, this is good.
Daniel's fish faces, oh yes.
I never tell you often enough how I love your character voices. They are, without exception, perfect, and Carolyn Lam is hard to get right, I think.
I really enjoyed this. Thanks, baby. :-)

[sid]

I'm so happy to hear that the voices are right! With the characters that I don't write as often, I usually start out trying to picture them, rather than hear them, but if I'm lucky it ultimately leads to a good result. And of course with Carson I can re-read the dialogue I've just written and imagine it being delivered with the "Carson accent". *g* Carolyn's tougher - this might be more Lexa or Andromeda!

Backatcha, baby!

[l-jade.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha! nice! Love Carson to bits and Lam is actually likeable here :)

[sid]

Lam's like a matchmaker here, only the matches are already made, lol.

Carson, especially when flustered, can be pretty darn adorable. *g*

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

LOL! Not my OTP, but cute none the less. I love the verbal dance that goes on in each scene. Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more. :oD

[sid]

Exactly!! That was the key to getting this written. Once I had that idea the rest was easy. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

EEEEEEEEEEEE!

Carson looked startled, and then horrified. “Am I that obvious?”
Oh, Carson. It's okay. You cover up good.

“I put him in danger every time we’re together, and that’s the last thing I want. If we’re ever found out…” He looked at her. “It would destroy him. Atlantis is his home.”
Carson loves his John! :D

Daniel made fish faces.
AHAHAHAA I can sooo picture that!

“No.” Daniel frowned at her. “Just a whole lot of you knowing.”
As the good doctor lets Daniel keep his illusion that the whole base doesn't already know.

Daniel shut the door with a decisive click and stepped closer to Carson’s desk. “I’m gay.” Carson’s jaw dropped, but only for a second. “And you’re having some sort of problem?” “Hmm. Well. Just, er, loneliness, I suppose.” Carson froze. “Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear that.”
Bedside manner. Carson haz it. :D

“So, um, you shouldn’t worry. Everything’s fine.” Daniel looked at Carson earnestly. “Everything’s good.” Slowly, Carson’s face cleared and his eyes brightened.
YAYY! Happy ending!


Thanks so much! This is sooo cool!

sid_fan

[sid]

YAY!! Glad you liked it! :-)

Sorry it took so long, but it was a blast to write once I got my 'hook' of everybody dancing around the subject. I was very happy to cross it off my to-do list FROM JULY, lol.

As the good doctor lets Daniel keep his illusion that the whole base doesn't already know. Bwahahaha! Oh, you are undoubtedly right. I hadn't thought of that.

Bedside manner. Carson haz it. Yep! Even when he's nervous that he's about to get hit on. ;-)

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

So cute!

[sid]

Aw, thanks! \o/