Bits and Pieces: Never Left Behind
Title: Never Left Behind
Summary: Teal'c makes an important decision for Jack's benefit.
Timeframe: Before "Changes."
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Teal'c, Janet
Genre: Friendship
Rating: G.
Never Left Behind
Teal'c pushed his friend's wheelchair along the path around the hospital grounds at a sedate pace. It was still fairly early in O'Neill's recovery, and he didn't quite have enough motor control at this point to get very far on his own accord. Teal'c had taken him to see Doctor Fraiser, since she was needed to stay at the Academy Hospital for the week, and Jack wasn't really cooperating with any of the other nurses or doctors on base without Fraiser around.
Doctor Fraiser had thought that it might be good to get O'Neill off the base for a while, and Teal'c agreed. His physical therapy had been going well, and Fraiser had told Teal'c that O'Neill would soon be leaving the confines of the much-despised base infirmary.
When O'Neill made a grunting noise, Teal'c pushed the chair over to a bench and parked it, taking a seat so that he was beside his friend. There was a chill in the air, and Teal'c leaned over to adjust the blanket wrapped around O'Neill. He pulled a black knit cap from his own pocket and gently tugged it down over his friend's head, concealing O'Neill's scar.
Lifting his chin to the sun, O'Neill appeared to appreciate the warm rays that battled the cool weather.
"I knew you would enjoy this outing, O'Neill," Teal'c told his silent friend with a pleased smile. He was always glad to see his warrior brother react to his environment, proving that the attentive Colonel was still in there somewhere.
It was hard for Teal'c to see his warrior brother so helpless and lost, but he was determined not to abandon him. He was aware that General Hammond was being pressured from a higher authority to put O'Neill in a special care facility, but the General, as well as Doctor Fraiser, himself, and Daniel Jackson were all fighting it. They would do all that they could to keep O'Neill with them.
Teal'c kept his friend's motto with him at all times; Never leave a man behind. It would never be more true than it was now. He wouldn't leave O'Neill in battle, and he wasn't about to leave him now.
As he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c turned to see Doctor Fraiser striding toward them. He stood to greet her with a slight bow. "Doctor Fraiser."
"Hey, Teal'c." Fraiser smiled warmly at him, touching his arm. She then moved in front of O'Neill, his attention shifting toward her jerkily. "Hi, Jack. How are you today?" She put her hand on his shoulder, and O'Neill didn't react.
"I believe O'Neill is enjoying his time out of the mountain, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c told her lowly.
Fraiser turned to him and smiled tightly, her hand still on O'Neill's shoulder. "Soon enough he won't be stuck there all the time anymore. He'll be well enough to go home."
Teal'c's brows knit together slowly as he took in the apprehensive look on Fraiser's face. "Is there something wrong, Doctor Fraiser?"
"No, I just . . ." The petite woman heaved a heartfelt sigh. "General Hammond is being pressured about base resources being used for Jack's continued care. There's no way that he'll be allowed to let Jack have an at home nurse from this facility, and without someone familiar to care for him there-"
"O'Neill will be sent away to a specialized facility," Teal'c finished for her, knowingly, his eyes going to his nonresponsive friend in the wheelchair.
Fraiser reached out to Teal'c, placing her small hand on his muscular forearm. "We aren't going to let them send him away, Teal'c. He won't get the type of care he needs if he's sent to a facility." She paused and looked down at the ground. "Daniel and I talked last night about having Jack live with us."
"But what of O'Neill's home?"
"That's the thing." Fraiser grimaced slightly. "The General is taking care of his estate with the funds from Jack's medical retirement, but we're also concerned about removing Jack from a comfortable, familiar home environment," she trailed off and shrugged.
Teal'c quickly thought up a solution and spoke up, confidently, "If permitted, I shall take residence in O'Neill's home and care for him there so that he may remain."
The doctor's eyebrows went up with surprise. "You will? Teal'c, that's an excellent idea. I mean . . . It's great, but . . . are you sure?"
He bowed his head with determination. "Indeed, I believe so."
Fraiser hugged him, and he reveled in the warmth from her embrace, wrapping his large arms around her tiny frame in return. She pulled away slowly and looked down at O'Neill. "Will you take him inside? I have time to give him his check, now."
Nodding, Teal'c circled his friend's wheelchair and kicked up the brakes, swiveling and following Dr. Fraiser along the path back to the hospital entrance.
-
Teal'c waited patiently outside the exam room until Dr. Fraiser had finished with O'Neill. She reported that the shrapnel wounds along his side were still healing and a little tender, but he was doing very well, and the wound from his head injury and the following surgery was nearly hidden by his hair now. She had told Teal'c that he was still needed for a routine blood test and an MRI, and would soon be finished for the day.
When Dr. Fraiser came out of the room with O'Neill, Teal'c strode toward him and offered a smile. He was pleased when O'Neill's dark eyes made contact with his own.
"He's all set, Teal'c. You can bring him back to base, now," Fraiser told him with a warm smile. "I'm going to call General Hammond and tell him about your idea to move into Jack's house. I'm sure he'll be on board with it."
"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser." He offered her an appreciative bow, then turned O'Neill's chair and leisurely strolled down the long corridor to the elevators.
In the elevator, Teal'c replaced O'Neill's knit cap and blanket, making sure his friend would be properly attired before they crossed the cool parking lot.
When he'd gotten his friend into the borrowed SUV, and was driving back to Cheyenne Mountain, Teal'c noticed that O'Neill had pressed a fist against his jaw, and was working his mouth open and closed. He found that O'Neill often made that type of gesture when he was very hungry, otherwise he would just wait patiently until someone took him to eat or brought him food.
"Do you request nourishment, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, glancing sideways as he stopped at a red traffic light.
His friend stared out the window, tapping his fist against his jaw.
Teal'c took that as a yes, and nodded. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson would like to meet us for lunch in the commissary once we have returned to base." He knew that O'Neill appeared most at ease when all of his surrogate family were present, and appreciated being with several of them at once.
Teal'c thought that perhaps it was due to O'Neill having some sense that they all cared deeply for him, or because their combined presence meant more protection. Whatever the reason, Teal'c was simply glad that O'Neill recognized, in whatever way, that they were there for him. He knew that he and the others would be there for O'Neill, no matter what.
-
Summary: Teal'c makes an important decision for Jack's benefit.
Timeframe: Before "Changes."
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Teal'c, Janet
Genre: Friendship
Rating: G.
Never Left Behind
Teal'c pushed his friend's wheelchair along the path around the hospital grounds at a sedate pace. It was still fairly early in O'Neill's recovery, and he didn't quite have enough motor control at this point to get very far on his own accord. Teal'c had taken him to see Doctor Fraiser, since she was needed to stay at the Academy Hospital for the week, and Jack wasn't really cooperating with any of the other nurses or doctors on base without Fraiser around.
Doctor Fraiser had thought that it might be good to get O'Neill off the base for a while, and Teal'c agreed. His physical therapy had been going well, and Fraiser had told Teal'c that O'Neill would soon be leaving the confines of the much-despised base infirmary.
When O'Neill made a grunting noise, Teal'c pushed the chair over to a bench and parked it, taking a seat so that he was beside his friend. There was a chill in the air, and Teal'c leaned over to adjust the blanket wrapped around O'Neill. He pulled a black knit cap from his own pocket and gently tugged it down over his friend's head, concealing O'Neill's scar.
Lifting his chin to the sun, O'Neill appeared to appreciate the warm rays that battled the cool weather.
"I knew you would enjoy this outing, O'Neill," Teal'c told his silent friend with a pleased smile. He was always glad to see his warrior brother react to his environment, proving that the attentive Colonel was still in there somewhere.
It was hard for Teal'c to see his warrior brother so helpless and lost, but he was determined not to abandon him. He was aware that General Hammond was being pressured from a higher authority to put O'Neill in a special care facility, but the General, as well as Doctor Fraiser, himself, and Daniel Jackson were all fighting it. They would do all that they could to keep O'Neill with them.
Teal'c kept his friend's motto with him at all times; Never leave a man behind. It would never be more true than it was now. He wouldn't leave O'Neill in battle, and he wasn't about to leave him now.
As he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c turned to see Doctor Fraiser striding toward them. He stood to greet her with a slight bow. "Doctor Fraiser."
"Hey, Teal'c." Fraiser smiled warmly at him, touching his arm. She then moved in front of O'Neill, his attention shifting toward her jerkily. "Hi, Jack. How are you today?" She put her hand on his shoulder, and O'Neill didn't react.
"I believe O'Neill is enjoying his time out of the mountain, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c told her lowly.
Fraiser turned to him and smiled tightly, her hand still on O'Neill's shoulder. "Soon enough he won't be stuck there all the time anymore. He'll be well enough to go home."
Teal'c's brows knit together slowly as he took in the apprehensive look on Fraiser's face. "Is there something wrong, Doctor Fraiser?"
"No, I just . . ." The petite woman heaved a heartfelt sigh. "General Hammond is being pressured about base resources being used for Jack's continued care. There's no way that he'll be allowed to let Jack have an at home nurse from this facility, and without someone familiar to care for him there-"
"O'Neill will be sent away to a specialized facility," Teal'c finished for her, knowingly, his eyes going to his nonresponsive friend in the wheelchair.
Fraiser reached out to Teal'c, placing her small hand on his muscular forearm. "We aren't going to let them send him away, Teal'c. He won't get the type of care he needs if he's sent to a facility." She paused and looked down at the ground. "Daniel and I talked last night about having Jack live with us."
"But what of O'Neill's home?"
"That's the thing." Fraiser grimaced slightly. "The General is taking care of his estate with the funds from Jack's medical retirement, but we're also concerned about removing Jack from a comfortable, familiar home environment," she trailed off and shrugged.
Teal'c quickly thought up a solution and spoke up, confidently, "If permitted, I shall take residence in O'Neill's home and care for him there so that he may remain."
The doctor's eyebrows went up with surprise. "You will? Teal'c, that's an excellent idea. I mean . . . It's great, but . . . are you sure?"
He bowed his head with determination. "Indeed, I believe so."
Fraiser hugged him, and he reveled in the warmth from her embrace, wrapping his large arms around her tiny frame in return. She pulled away slowly and looked down at O'Neill. "Will you take him inside? I have time to give him his check, now."
Nodding, Teal'c circled his friend's wheelchair and kicked up the brakes, swiveling and following Dr. Fraiser along the path back to the hospital entrance.
-
Teal'c waited patiently outside the exam room until Dr. Fraiser had finished with O'Neill. She reported that the shrapnel wounds along his side were still healing and a little tender, but he was doing very well, and the wound from his head injury and the following surgery was nearly hidden by his hair now. She had told Teal'c that he was still needed for a routine blood test and an MRI, and would soon be finished for the day.
When Dr. Fraiser came out of the room with O'Neill, Teal'c strode toward him and offered a smile. He was pleased when O'Neill's dark eyes made contact with his own.
"He's all set, Teal'c. You can bring him back to base, now," Fraiser told him with a warm smile. "I'm going to call General Hammond and tell him about your idea to move into Jack's house. I'm sure he'll be on board with it."
"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser." He offered her an appreciative bow, then turned O'Neill's chair and leisurely strolled down the long corridor to the elevators.
In the elevator, Teal'c replaced O'Neill's knit cap and blanket, making sure his friend would be properly attired before they crossed the cool parking lot.
When he'd gotten his friend into the borrowed SUV, and was driving back to Cheyenne Mountain, Teal'c noticed that O'Neill had pressed a fist against his jaw, and was working his mouth open and closed. He found that O'Neill often made that type of gesture when he was very hungry, otherwise he would just wait patiently until someone took him to eat or brought him food.
"Do you request nourishment, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, glancing sideways as he stopped at a red traffic light.
His friend stared out the window, tapping his fist against his jaw.
Teal'c took that as a yes, and nodded. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson would like to meet us for lunch in the commissary once we have returned to base." He knew that O'Neill appeared most at ease when all of his surrogate family were present, and appreciated being with several of them at once.
Teal'c thought that perhaps it was due to O'Neill having some sense that they all cared deeply for him, or because their combined presence meant more protection. Whatever the reason, Teal'c was simply glad that O'Neill recognized, in whatever way, that they were there for him. He knew that he and the others would be there for O'Neill, no matter what.
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