A Flower in War

Chapter Twenty: The News Lies

"Uncle Danny?" Daniel turns around, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Hey Cal."
"Wow, this is... amazing." Cal says, looking around the pool house. What was once filled with boxes, old toys, and chairs, now had new life. Japanese scrolls on the walls, a room divider, a picture of Mr. Miyagi, his Medal of Honor, a picture of Daniel and Sam, and a picture of both Daniel and Jackson in their gis.
"That's my dad." Cal smiles, touching the frame.
"Yeah, he deserves a place here." Daniel smiles at the young girl who nods absentmindedly.
"Want to help me finish setting it up?"
"Yeah, I'd love that." Cal smiles.

It took them a few hours to get everything ready and find new places for what was occupying the pool house before but once they were done... it looked like a real dojo. Daniel ran his hand over a wooden box before opening it. He took out the hachimaki, running his fingers over the fabric before putting it on his head. Cal stood behind him with a smile, watching as he tightened it.

"I have my dad's... he gave it to me after he got sick. Told me it would have more use with me than him."
"The hachimakis were originally worn by samurai to stop the cuts they were getting from their helmets. It's considered a symbol of effort or courage. Your dad had both... so much so that he stuck around longer than I think anyone thought possible. He was stage four for a while right?"

"Yeah he was stage four and his TNM scores were T4, N3, and M1. It started as melanoma and then spread to his lymph nodes, his colon, his heart, his lungs, and his nervous system. The oncologist gave him a year to live... he made it two. Constantly on medication, constantly removing what could be removed, trying to improve his quality of life... but by the time he died... he was in more pain than I can even begin to explain. He was wearing three fentanyl patches and was still unable to walk or go to the bathroom by himself or eat. Sometimes I think he only stuck around for me... so I wasn't alone. He put himself through hell for me..."
"He loves you so much. What happened wasn't your fault. He held on because he wanted to and I bet he would have tried to hold on longer if his body wasn't failing him."
"I know he would have... Uncle Danny?"
"Yeah kid?"
"You read the article right?"
Daniel sighs, "Yeah, yeah."
"They lied in it."
Daniel spins around to face her again, "About what?"

"I did find him... but I was... I was there. Maria, she was angry because my dad wasn't making as much money as he used to... she was so angry that she ripped off his IV and oxygen mask... he was bleeding so much and couldn't breathe. I went down because I heard the monitors beeping and he was just sitting there gasping for air and holding his arm as blood just rushed down onto the floor. I got his mask back on and I grabbed gauze for his skin but he told me... he told me to stop.

"He told me that once he was gone, I was free. I didn't have to stay. He set up his estate so I would inherit everything, his money, his charities, the house, the cars, it was mine and I could kick Maria out the second I turned 18. But I didn't want any of it... I just wanted him. He told me to wait to call the ambulance. Let them think it was natural causes. Clean him up, put his IV in the other arm... but I couldn't do it once I heard the flatline.

"I called 911 the second it sounded, immediately doing CPR but even that split second was one too long. He kept flatlining in the ambulance. They would get sinus rhythm and then he was gone again. They put him on bypass and a ventilator at the hospital. All his colleagues came to see us. They held me as I cried, held his hand one last time, they were there. Maria wasn't.

"I don't know where she went but she wouldn't answer any calls. Since she couldn't okay the removal of life sustaining measures... well it was me. I was just a kid. I wasn't even legally allowed to make the choice but since he worked at the hospital and everyone there knew me, including the police, they asked what I wanted to do. I was 13 for Christ's sake! They didn't want to lead me one way or the other so they let me sit with him for a bit.

"I watched him Uncle Dan... I watched as his face turned sullen and gray. I watched his muscles deteriorate into ash. I watched the pink on his lips turn purple. I watched his blood circulate through a huge machine. I watched him slowly die in front of me... but I couldn't put him out of his misery.
I couldn't because I was scared. I didn't want to lose the one person who made me feel safe. I love him, but I was so fucking selfish by keeping him there for me. It wasn't for him. It was for me.

"He was on life support for a month before Maria came back and signed the order. She didn't bother to stay as he died. I held his hand through it all, just like he did with me when I was scared. Then he was gone for real. He was gone and he wasn't coming back. I had hoped so so much that when the life support was turned off that he would suddenly take a breath and wake up... but he never did. I knew he wouldn't, but that was the last shred of hope I had. He was gone and my hope went with him." Daniel sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes before hugging a sobbing Calanthe who fisted his shirt in her hands.

"I should have been with him! I should have been there when she was yelling."
"No, no honey. He wouldn't have wanted that. He wouldn't want you to put this on yourself. This isn't your fault. None of it. You were put in an insanely difficult position for anyone to be in, let alone a teenager. He loves you Cal. He would never want you to look at this as a failure to him because it wasn't. You wanted your dad, there's nothing wrong with that. He was your safe haven, your fierce protector, the one that was always there. He deserved better than Maria but he always deserved you, and you always deserved him. He would be so proud of you kiddo. You got out like he wanted you too. It took a few years, but you did it. You are safe now. You are loved and you are wanted. That won't ever change. I promise."