New Fic: Blythe's Story Chapter 28
Mar. 4th, 2009 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
namasteTitle: Blythe's Story, Chapter 28
Author: Namaste
Summary: "It's stupid," Greg said. "Who cares about rank?"
"The Marines do, dear," Blythe said.
PG, 994 words.
Author’s Note: A look at House's early life, based on the new background we received in the fifth season episode "Birthmarks," using chapters of about 1,000 words.
To start at the beginning: Chapter One
John didn't tell her about Phil. Blythe found out Phil was stationed at Quanitco when she saw him at the park after one of Greg's games. He was pushing a toddler on the swings, a boy with blond curly hair and dimples.
Blythe hesitated, but he spotted her and waved her over. Greg kept his distance, standing at the far edge of the playground for a few moments, then told Blythe he was going to wait in the car.
"Sorry about Greg," she said. "He's --" Phil shook his head.
"Don't worry about it."
Blythe smiled. "It's good to see you."
He pushed the swing again, the boy giggling as it picked up momentum. "We got here two months ago," Phil said.
Blythe looked down at the boy in the swing. "We?"
"Sandy and I," Phil said, then nodded at the boy, "and Billy."
"Hello, Billy." Blythe bent down to his level. He had brown eyes.
"I met Sandy in San Diego," Phil said. "She was working on the base."
Blythe stood up and smiled. "That's nice," she said. "I'm glad you found someone." She meant it. Phil deserved to be happy, and she hoped that Jenny had found someone to make her happy too.
"Sandy's father is a career man. She comes from a Marine family," Phil said. "She knows what to expect."
Blythe fought back the defense she wanted to make on Jenny's behalf. Jenny had thought she knew what to expect too, but no one knows what it's like to be on your own with a small child until it happens. "I'd love to meet her," she said instead. "You'll have to come over for supper sometime."
"Push, Daddy," Billy said, and Phil laughed.
"Yes, sir." He gave Billy a sharp salute and stepped behind the swing again and gave it a gentle push.
Blythe heard a car horn from the parking lot. "I should go before Greg decides to leave without me."
"Greg's driving?"
"Learner's permit." Blythe shook her head. "I think he's afraid to drive with John, so he always begs me to let him drive when we're together."
"I don't blame him. I don't think I could take John's back seat driving either."
Blythe laughed. This was why she liked Phil, the reason why she actually was glad to see him, despite everything. Phil could tease John in a way that no one else could, and make John even laugh at himself. It'd be good for John to have him around a little more.
"I'll let John know you're here, and we can set something up."
"He already knows," Phil said. "I'll give him a call and let him know when we're free."
That didn't make sense, Blythe thought as she walked to the car. Why didn't John tell her? Was he trying to keep this a secret?
Greg was already sitting behind the steering wheel when she got to the car. Blythe handed him her keys, and settled into the passenger seat. Greg studied the rear view mirror then slung his right arm over the back, turning halfway around to look out the rear window and eased the car into reverse.
"Did you know Phil was here?" Blythe asked.
"Uh huh."
He turned the wheel and the car creepedout of the parking space. Blythe waited until he'd turned to face the windshield again and put the car into first gear.
"Did your father tell you he was here?"
Greg shook his head. "I saw him last week after practice, with the kid."
The car jerked slightly as Greg eased off the clutch, but the engine didn't stall. His shift into second was a little smoother. Maybe John had finally added up the numbers from all those years ago, and figured out what had happened. Maybe he didn't blame her because he blamed Phil.
Greg pulled up to a stop sign at the end of the parking lot and eased the clutch in again. He signaled for a right turn and pulled onto the road, the car giving another slight jerk as the gear engaged.
John was as bad as she was, Blythe thought. He probably figured that if he didn't talk about Phil, then somehow they could ignore everything that had happened.
"He didn't say anything because he was jealous," Greg said.
"Jealous?" Blythe looked at him, and wondered if she'd said something out loud.
Greg glanced over at her. "You've got that look," he said. "You're trying to figure out someone's secret."
"I didn't know I had a look."
"Believe me, you do." Greg shifted up into second, then into third. "Dad's jealous because Phil's been promoted above him. He's a lieutenant colonel now."
John had been a major for years, and had been passed over for promotion twice. Rank. That would make sense.
"It's stupid," Greg said. "Who cares what rank you are?"
"The Marines do, dear," Blythe said, "and so does your father."
Greg ignored her. "It's all politics. Get the right assignment, and you get promoted. Make the brass look good, and you get promoted. Kiss the right person's --"
"Greg," Blythe warned.
"-- ass," he said, "and you get promoted."
He shifted down as he slowed to make the left turn onto their street. "It's stupid," he repeated.
"It's the way the world works, Greg," she said.
"Then the world is stupid too." He flicked the turn signal on and waited for traffic to clear.
Blythe watched Greg make the turn, his hands moving from the steering wheel to the stick shift, to the wheel and back again. He slid smoothly into first this time, smiling slightly as he did it. Blythe smiled too. Greg was right -- rank was a stupid thing to get in the way of friendship, and John could use all the friends he could get. They all could.
Chapter 29
Author: Namaste
Summary: "It's stupid," Greg said. "Who cares about rank?"
"The Marines do, dear," Blythe said.
PG, 994 words.
Author’s Note: A look at House's early life, based on the new background we received in the fifth season episode "Birthmarks," using chapters of about 1,000 words.
To start at the beginning: Chapter One
John didn't tell her about Phil. Blythe found out Phil was stationed at Quanitco when she saw him at the park after one of Greg's games. He was pushing a toddler on the swings, a boy with blond curly hair and dimples.
Blythe hesitated, but he spotted her and waved her over. Greg kept his distance, standing at the far edge of the playground for a few moments, then told Blythe he was going to wait in the car.
"Sorry about Greg," she said. "He's --" Phil shook his head.
"Don't worry about it."
Blythe smiled. "It's good to see you."
He pushed the swing again, the boy giggling as it picked up momentum. "We got here two months ago," Phil said.
Blythe looked down at the boy in the swing. "We?"
"Sandy and I," Phil said, then nodded at the boy, "and Billy."
"Hello, Billy." Blythe bent down to his level. He had brown eyes.
"I met Sandy in San Diego," Phil said. "She was working on the base."
Blythe stood up and smiled. "That's nice," she said. "I'm glad you found someone." She meant it. Phil deserved to be happy, and she hoped that Jenny had found someone to make her happy too.
"Sandy's father is a career man. She comes from a Marine family," Phil said. "She knows what to expect."
Blythe fought back the defense she wanted to make on Jenny's behalf. Jenny had thought she knew what to expect too, but no one knows what it's like to be on your own with a small child until it happens. "I'd love to meet her," she said instead. "You'll have to come over for supper sometime."
"Push, Daddy," Billy said, and Phil laughed.
"Yes, sir." He gave Billy a sharp salute and stepped behind the swing again and gave it a gentle push.
Blythe heard a car horn from the parking lot. "I should go before Greg decides to leave without me."
"Greg's driving?"
"Learner's permit." Blythe shook her head. "I think he's afraid to drive with John, so he always begs me to let him drive when we're together."
"I don't blame him. I don't think I could take John's back seat driving either."
Blythe laughed. This was why she liked Phil, the reason why she actually was glad to see him, despite everything. Phil could tease John in a way that no one else could, and make John even laugh at himself. It'd be good for John to have him around a little more.
"I'll let John know you're here, and we can set something up."
"He already knows," Phil said. "I'll give him a call and let him know when we're free."
That didn't make sense, Blythe thought as she walked to the car. Why didn't John tell her? Was he trying to keep this a secret?
Greg was already sitting behind the steering wheel when she got to the car. Blythe handed him her keys, and settled into the passenger seat. Greg studied the rear view mirror then slung his right arm over the back, turning halfway around to look out the rear window and eased the car into reverse.
"Did you know Phil was here?" Blythe asked.
"Uh huh."
He turned the wheel and the car creepedout of the parking space. Blythe waited until he'd turned to face the windshield again and put the car into first gear.
"Did your father tell you he was here?"
Greg shook his head. "I saw him last week after practice, with the kid."
The car jerked slightly as Greg eased off the clutch, but the engine didn't stall. His shift into second was a little smoother. Maybe John had finally added up the numbers from all those years ago, and figured out what had happened. Maybe he didn't blame her because he blamed Phil.
Greg pulled up to a stop sign at the end of the parking lot and eased the clutch in again. He signaled for a right turn and pulled onto the road, the car giving another slight jerk as the gear engaged.
John was as bad as she was, Blythe thought. He probably figured that if he didn't talk about Phil, then somehow they could ignore everything that had happened.
"He didn't say anything because he was jealous," Greg said.
"Jealous?" Blythe looked at him, and wondered if she'd said something out loud.
Greg glanced over at her. "You've got that look," he said. "You're trying to figure out someone's secret."
"I didn't know I had a look."
"Believe me, you do." Greg shifted up into second, then into third. "Dad's jealous because Phil's been promoted above him. He's a lieutenant colonel now."
John had been a major for years, and had been passed over for promotion twice. Rank. That would make sense.
"It's stupid," Greg said. "Who cares what rank you are?"
"The Marines do, dear," Blythe said, "and so does your father."
Greg ignored her. "It's all politics. Get the right assignment, and you get promoted. Make the brass look good, and you get promoted. Kiss the right person's --"
"Greg," Blythe warned.
"-- ass," he said, "and you get promoted."
He shifted down as he slowed to make the left turn onto their street. "It's stupid," he repeated.
"It's the way the world works, Greg," she said.
"Then the world is stupid too." He flicked the turn signal on and waited for traffic to clear.
Blythe watched Greg make the turn, his hands moving from the steering wheel to the stick shift, to the wheel and back again. He slid smoothly into first this time, smiling slightly as he did it. Blythe smiled too. Greg was right -- rank was a stupid thing to get in the way of friendship, and John could use all the friends he could get. They all could.
Chapter 29
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 02:59 pm (UTC)Remembering earlier chapters when Blythe morally compares John & Phil, I love how you hinted that a lot of adult-House's more 'jerk' characteristics--the selfishness, the opportunism, the lack of personal committment, etc--are more like Phil; while his more laudable traits are more like John-his ability to focus,work hard, his inner strength to persevere thru hardship, his passion for getting things right. It's the old nature vs. nurture question, & as we saw in 'Birthmarks,' who House is is inextricably wrapped up in both-he has enormous natural talents, but it was John's 'nurture' (i.e.discipline) that really makes him great--and has also left him 'broken' too. I'm so glad you've thus far made John a real person,w/his own problems & sufferings to deal with, not just an ogre who strays into over-discipline/abuse. In the series, House is most 'jerk-ish' & unpalatable when he indulges his natural weaknesses (his Phil-side?) & is most heroic when exercising discipline & service to others even though he is often harsh while doing so (like John). (Aren't we all?) Makes me wonder, by the end of your story, who we will sympathize with more--with Greg or John?
Also, I LOVE the 'learning to drive the stick shift' thing. The hesitating, sputtering starts, the jerky shifts, the coasting stops. You've hit upon possibly The Greatest Metaphor ever for those awkward, ungainly, embarrassingly humiliating teenage years!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 03:54 pm (UTC)