Transitions (2/12)
Title: Transitions (2/12)
Summary: Sequel to " Changes"Jack and Sam's relationship grows, going through it's ups and downs with a little help from their SGC family. SamJack, DanielJanet.
Timeframe: Takes place approximately one year after "Changes".
Characters/Pairing: Established SamJack, established DanielJanet, Team, Cassie
Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Romance
Rating: T
Chapter Two: Return Trip
Sam woke, still wrapped comfortably in Jack's arms. She could feel his breath against the back of her neck and knew he was already awake. Slowly, she turned over in his arms so that she was facing him. Her heart warmed as he smiled at her. "Good morning," she whispered, a smile of her own spreading quickly across her face.
"Mornin'." He leaned forward the few inches of space that separated them and kissed her lips gently.
She made a pleased, humming noise before their lips parted, and then frowned. They could both hear everyone around camp moving about. Sam sighed, not wanting to move. "I suppose it's time to get up. We've got work to do."
Jack sighed with a reluctant nod. He really didn't want to get up either, and his head was still pounding, much to his annoyance.
When they both crawled out of their warm cocoon of blankets and tugged on jackets, boots, and vests, Sam knelt and turned to Jack, easily sensing his discomfort. "How do you feel? Still altitude sick?"
He made a face and shrugged. "Headache, little dizzy," Jack admitted, knowing very well that Sam could wrestle the truthful answer out of him effortlessly. He just found it inexplicably hard to lie to her. His eyes locked on hers, reflecting his own concern for her as he could see she wasn't feeling very great herself. "How 'bout you?"
"Headache and nausea." She grimaced, realizing that Jack probably wasn't nauseas at all because of the meds he'd taken before bed. Sam began digging through her pack, swallowing another couple Tylenol for herself, and then taking another blister pack out for Jack. Getting out the capsule for his seizure medication, she passed him all the pills at once.
Meds taken and suitably dressed for the day, Jack grabbed his sidearm holster and followed Sam out of the tent. He blinked blearily out in the morning sun and rubbed at his forehead as though it would make the headache go away faster. "Ugh." He groaned as he stretched, ambling toward the fire and the enticing smell of coffee with Sam. Dr. Lee, Dr. Loren, and Dr. Martin were already making their way toward their marked research spots and computers to check various readings, and SG-4 were all sitting around the fire in camp chairs, drinking coffee and munching on energy bars.
Howe and Jentzsch both looked as though they'd felt better, and appeared to be nursing headaches while they sipped their coffee.
"Good morning," Sam greeted everyone with a small amount of cheerfulness.
Major Howe and Lieutenant Jentzsch both nodded while Dan and Captain Marvin greeted Sam and Jack with a less-than-enthusiastic, "Major, Colonel."
"You guys are still feeling a little sick too, huh?" Sam surmised, pulling up two more chairs for her and Jack.
"Yeah." Howe glanced up with a grimace and a nod, and then waved a hand over at Lieutenant Jentzsch. "Amy threw up this morning, and I've got one helluva headache myself. Hardly slept a wink last night after my watch, too."
Jack gratefully sunk into the chair beside Sam and deftly caught the energy bar tossed his way. He slowly peeled away the wrapper as Sam nudged his elbow and set his coffee down on the ground beside his chair. He ate slowly, taking small bites.
Sam sipped at her coffee but skipped on the energy bar. She was eager to get to work with the rest of the scientists. SG-4 and Jack were there to supervise, but she was there to help with the 'geek stuff' as Jack called it. She turned to him, placing a hand gently on his thigh, speaking quietly. "You still need to take it easy today, alright? Don't over do it."
"Uh-huh." Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed she wasn't eating and broke off half of his energy bar, urging it into her hand. "That goes for you, too."
She smiled and nodded, taking a small bite of the food, though she wasn't feeling very hungry.
-
By mid-afternoon, Dr. Loren had run up to Sam and Dr. Lee excitedly, announcing she'd discovered an underground deposit of naquadah. All four scientists then quickly went to work analyzing and marking off the site, taking various samples, and doing whatever other scientific things that needed to be done.
"This is great," Sam said excitedly to Dr. Lee while they worked at the computers. "Once we report back to Hammond and get our results in, we can probably head back. A team will come in to extract the mineral and do some aerial scans of the planet to more thoroughly check for inhabitants. We don't want to make the mistake of mining on sacred ground or anything again," she said, recalling the incident with the Salish concerning their supply of Trinium.
Dr. Lee nodded in agreement. He'd obviously much rather study the naquadah back on Earth. It was much less dangerous than doing the research off-world.
-
Jack and Captain Marvin had just about gathered all the kindling they would need to keep the fire going for the entire night. They began trudging back to camp, having exerted themselves a little more than they should have given the effects the high altitude was still having on the entire group. Each man had tied their large bundles of sticks and small, fallen trees up with rope at each end, making it easier for them to carry.
Pausing to set down his bundle and take a swig from his canteen as the nausea started bothering him, Will drank quickly, then picked up his kindling again and went back to following O'Neill. They'd been talking a bit at first, but both men were feeling exhausted and had gone quiet for the walk back to camp. When Will noticed the retired Colonel stumbling before dropping his collected firewood and finding a tree to lean against, the Captain set down his own bundle and quickly went over to the older man. "Sir?" he questioned softly with concern.
"I'm fine," Jack insisted quickly, turning so that his shoulder leaned heavily against the big tree. His free hand soon found its way to his forehead. Deciding that this planet was SO not a fun place to be for one of his all too rare chances to go through the gate, Jack made a promise to himself that the next time he asked to join a mission, he'd make sure the atmosphere of the planet was thoroughly evaluated first.
Closing his eyes, Jack waited for the dizziness to fade as he pulled out his canteen and drank slowly. "Ya know Captain," he began lightly, "I am really not liking this planet all that much."
Will nodded beside him and smiled, shaking his head in agreement. "Can't argue with that, sir. I'm not liking this place much either." Taking a deep breath, he yanked the cap off his head and wearily ran a hand through his military-cut blonde hair. Feeling tired and nauseas, Will just really wanted to pack everything up and head back to Earth. He only hoped that his CO wasn't going to give the scientists that extra day. He doubted they'd need it, and got the feeling that the doctors weren't having such a fun time on this world either.
Deciding that they could both use the rest, Captain Marvin sunk down against a tree opposite Jack and pulled his canteen out, resting it on one raised knee. When O'Neill opened his eyes to glance at him, he sighed and said, "If you don't mind sir, I think we both ought to rest for a few minutes before getting back to camp."
Glad that he wasn't the only one feeling like crap, Jack nodded and slowly sank to the ground. He sighed heavily, leaning forward and crossing his arms over bent knees where he then rested his head.
-
Returning from their walk to the gate where they'd gone to radio Earth and report their findings to Hammond, Sam and Major Howe gathered around the waning fire where Lieutenant Jentzsch and Dan were sitting. The scientists were all packing up their gear after just confirming that they wouldn't need an extra day for study. Sam looked between Amy and Dan expectantly, wondering where Jack and Will were, surprised that they hadn't returned yet.
Mason seemed to be wondering the same thing. "Lieutenant, where are Colonel O'Neill and Captain Marvin?"
Dan was looking a little uneasy. "We're not sure, sir. They went to gather wood for the fire three hours ago."
"Have you tried contacting them?" Sam spluttered incredulously, feeling anger boiling up in her gut. There was no hiding her intense apprehension.
"Yes ma'am," Jentzsch responded quickly. "There was no response, and we thought it best to wait until your return before going to look for them."
Major Howe nodded in acceptance of her decision. "You did the right thing Lieutenant," he assured her.
Sam was already in motion before anyone could stop her, giving out orders hurriedly. "Howe, Bseiso, you're with me," she instructed quickly. "Jentzsch, keep an eye on the scientists and be on the look out in case Jack and Captain Marvin come back here."
"Yes ma'am." Jentzsch nodded readily.
-
"Major Carter." Mason Howe jogged a little to try to catch up with the focused woman, Dan moving along on his heels. "They've been gathering firewood. Maybe they're just taking their time getting back so they don't overexert themselves?" he suggested as they walked up a steep mountainside, searching for the two missing men. He wanted both Colonel O'Neill and Captain Marvin to be safe as well.
"What about the radios? They haven't responded to any calls." Dan said as he managed to catch up with the two fast moving officers.
Sam continued to walk quickly, ignoring her own fatigue and headache. After morning, her nausea had thankfully passed, but it was replaced with a nagging headache. She thought about the answer to Dan's question for a moment when Major Howe didn't say anything either. "There could be interference from the naquadah, or the signals just aren't transmitting well because of the mountains." Sam realized she was only trying to soothe her own fears, but it actually was working a little bit. She had to think logically. Jack was okay, she kept telling herself. The radios just weren't transmitting properly.
They made their way through a thick copse of trees into another clearing, and that's when they saw them. Two bodies curled up beneath opposite trees, wrapped bundles of kindling not far away from where they lie. Sam, Dan, and Mason made a run towards the unconscious figures.
Sam immediately knelt by Jack's side while Major Howe went over to Captain Marvin, with Dan standing unsurely between the two. She reached for Jack's pulse, finding it to be steady and mostly regular, if not a little fast. "Jack?" He started to stir a little as she pressed her warm hand against his forehead, turning to Major Howe. "He's waking up, Major. How's Marvin?"
"Pulse is steady," Howe called back to her, looking relieved. "He's coming around now."
"I think they just passed out," Sam thought aloud, looking down at Jack when his eyelids fluttered open. She moved her hand to rest behind his head. "Jack, can you hear me?"
He made a face, then groaned and slowly started to pull himself upright with Sam's help. "Sam?" He blinked at her in confusion, then took in their surroundings and spotted Bseiso before seeing Captain Marvin sitting up with Major Howe at his side, checking him over.
"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked him gently with concern, her brows knit together and one hand resting on Jack's leg. "You've been gone for a few hours now. No one could get you on the radio."
Jack blinked in confusion again, and rubbed at his forehead, leaning his back against the tree as Sam handed him his canteen. "Few hours?" he murmured sluggishly, blinking again and taking a drink. "We just sat down to rest for a couple minutes," he explained somewhat dazedly, still trying to remember when he'd nodded off.
"Yeah," Captain Marvin added, running a hand through his short, light hair. "We were both feeling pretty lousy and thought we ought to sit for a little while before returning to camp."
"We'll be heading back to the SGC as soon as we get back to camp anyways," Dan told them, momentarily staring down at his booted feet.
At Jack's questioning look, Sam explained. "The General's pulling us out. After our report, he decided he's going to send in a team for the sole purpose of evaluating the area and retrieving the naquadah. Janet convinced him that it isn't healthy for us to be here much longer if our bodies still aren't adapting to the altitude differences. I've discovered that amazingly, this planet can shift altitude from day to day. The team coming in to get the naquadah will be equipped with oxygen, but Hammond figures it isn't practical for us to hang around with cumbersome oxygen tanks just to do research that can be done in the labs on Earth."
"Oh." Jack nodded slowly, his foggy mind still trying to catch up with everything Sam had just told him. He closed his eyes, paused for a moment, then nodded again and quietly repeated, "Oh."
"So we're going home?" Captain Marvin looked relieved.
Dan chuckled and patted his friend and teammate's shoulder. "Yeah Willy, we're going home."
The Captain narrowed his eyes at the nickname.
Major Howe got to his feet and slowly, carefully, pulled the Captain up with him. He reached out a hand to steady the younger man when he swayed. "You alright, Marvin?"
"Yessir." Will nodded slowly and dusted himself off. "Really glad we're gettin' outta here, though." He smiled a little.
"C'mon." Sam patted Jack's leg and got up, grasping his wrists and pulling him to his feet. He was a little unsteady, so she hung onto him until she was certain he wasn't about to topple over.
"Let's pack up all the gear and get outta here," Howe instructed as he, Dan, and Sam led their once-missing officers back to base camp.
-
Coming home from P7A-644, the entire crew was exhausted and looked about ready to drop. They were all instructed to be checked out in the infirmary for their standard post-mission exams before meeting in two hours for a debrief with the General. Sam wasn't surprised when Janet sent the others with a few nurses to be looked at by Dr. Warner while she led Jack into a private room. Naturally, Sam followed and wasn't shooed away.
Because of his medical condition, Janet was most concerned about the effects the alien atmosphere had on Jack. He seemed just as drained as the others did, but she had to be sure there was nothing else. His post-mission exams had to be a little more thorough than the rest of the men and women coming back from off-world.
"How are you feeling Jack?" the doctor asked him kindly, taking out her stethoscope and lifting his shirt so she could place the cool metal disc on his chest.
Flinching briefly from the sudden coldness on his warm skin, Jack scowled and heaved a sigh. "Better now that we're off that damn planet," he grumbled, shrugging when Sam sent him a look. "What?"
Sam then told Janet about the effects the alien atmosphere was having on everyone involved in the mission. Much to Jack's chagrin, she also told the doctor how they'd found Jack and Captain Marvin passed out only hours ago. "He's still a little dizzy," Sam said without looking Jack in the eye. She knew he'd be glaring at her.
Jack rolled his eyes. So what if he was still a little dizzy? The doc didn't have to know everything, did she? Wait, this was Janet; of course she had to know every little detail. That was her job, and she was damn good at it. "Just a little!" he insisted when Janet eyed him critically. Pointing at Sam, he childishly blurted, "She's got a headache!"
Janet laughed aloud for a moment and shook her head. "Okay, I'll look Sam over next. Just let me run a few tests, take a blood sample, and then I'm sending you home for some rest."
Groaning dramatically, Jack shifted where he sat on the edge of the bed and briefly closed his eyes. He wanted to go home now, not after tests. He knew that wasn't going to happen, though. Since Jack's medical condition prevented him from driving, he had to wait for Sam after the debriefing with General Hammond, and wouldn't be allowed to go home as soon as he wanted anyway. "Fine Doc, do your worst." Jack held an arm out to her as the doctor waved a nurse with an instrument tray over.
-
Sam was treated for her headache while Jack was taken for a CT scan. Once all the testing was done, she went to the briefing room while Jack showered and retreated to their on-base quarters to meet Teal'c. He needed to pick up Dorothy.
"O'Neill," Teal'c greeted his friend as he walked into the open door of the VIP room that was still used as Jack's on-base quarters. The Jaffa had barely been able to restrain the big German Shepherd once she could smell that her family had returned, and finally released her when she spotted Jack.
"Hey, T." Jack grinned at his friend, then immediately found himself almost face to face with Dorothy. She jumped on him, knocking him back onto the bed, her big paws on his chest while she licked at his face excitedly. "Hey girl, I missed you too!" He chuckled loudly and ruffled her fur, patting her head and giving her a good scratch behind the ears.
"She has been most anxious for your return, O'Neill." Teal'c told him, standing in somewhat of an 'at ease' pose with his hands clasped behind his back.
Jack sat up on the bed once Dorothy finally began to settle down to sit contently at his feet. "She give you much trouble then, T?"
"Nothing I could not handle." The Jaffa's stoic expression never wavered, until Jack gave him a look of skepticism and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a little smile.
"Ha!" Jack laughed, then yawned and tiredly flopped back onto the bed, kicking off his shoes as he did so. Dorothy jumped up with him and laid down at his side.
"You seem most fatigued, O'Neill," Teal'c observed without moving, his eyes briefly studying his friend. When Jack said nothing, the Jaffa gave a barely perceptible nod and began backing towards the door. "I shall leave you to rest."
"Hey, Teal'c?" Jack muttered sleepily, still not moving from where he'd flopped onto the mattress. He turned his head to see his friend pause at the door expectantly. "If you see Sam, let her know where I am, will ya? I'm just gonna take a short nap while she's at the debriefing." Yawning loudly, Jack groaned and rolled onto his side.
"I will indeed, O'Neill." A small smile quirked on the Jaffa's lips before Teal'c left the room and closed the door behind him.
Jack pulled the throw from the end of the bed over himself and scooted upwards to rest his head among the pillows. He was truly exhausted, and was asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.
-
The debrief was quick, and afterwards Sam was eager to go take a shower before she'd gone to find Jack. After hitting the locker room and changing into civvies in preparation to go home, Sam ran into Teal'c getting into the elevator.
"Major Carter." The Jaffa gave a slight bow. "It is good to see you have returned. Are you searching for O'Neill?"
"Thanks Teal'c. It's good to be back." She nodded at him with a smile, and then said, "Yes, I was just going to look for Jack."
"He wished for me to tell you that he would be in his private quarters. He is accompanied by Dorothy," he told her as the elevator doors closed and she hit the floor button for the staff quarters.
"Thank you Teal'c," Sam said appreciatively. When the elevator stopped on the correct floor, she left Teal'c with a wave and friendly smile as she went to go get Jack. It was about time they headed home. The both of them could use the rest.
When Sam opened up the door to their on-base quarters, she wasn't really expecting to find Jack zonked out on the bed with Dorothy curled up beside him. Smiling at the peaceful sight before her, she was almost envious that he'd snagged a chance to rest already. However short the debriefing was, Sam had been just as exhausted due to the physical demands from the planet's atmosphere, and longed to curl up in her nice, warm bed at home.
Dorothy had lifted her head with perked ears at Sam's entrance, her tail thumping happily against the mattress as her other owner strode toward the bed, though she didn't bother getting up. The dog was just much too comfortable to move.
Sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed, Sam reached over to pat the dog's head. "Hey Dorothy, I missed you." She smiled at the animal and then leaned over on the bed, gently kissing Jack's shoulder, and then his cheek. "Wake up sleepyhead," she crooned softly in his ear.
"Rrrmm..." Jack groaned and shifted slightly, but didn't open his eyes.
"Come on Jack, we're going home now." Sam began to rub his chest, trying to rouse him without startling him awake.
He pried an eye open, suddenly flinging an arm around her and pulling her to him so that her face was buried into his neck. "Nope." Jack shook his head and smirked to himself, kissing the top of her head. "Too comfy. Wanna stay," he murmured.
"Jaaaaaack," she whined into his neck. As cozy as their special VIP quarters could be, it just didn't compare to home. "Home. Bed. Now."
He chuckled and loosened his hold on her. "Well, if ya put it that way." Jack winked when she pulled back and smiled, shaking her head and raising eyebrows at him. Sitting up, he scrubbed a hand through his hair and pressed his thumb into his chest. "Me Tarzan, you Jane."
Sam laughed, then rolled away from the bed and stood up.
Dorothy got up on all fours at the mention of home, then hopped down with Sam, wagging her tail expectantly.
"Lookit that. Even Dorothy's rarin' to get home." Jack winked down at the dog, then more slowly got out of bed and ruffed up the scruff on the German Shepherd's neck.
"Okay. Let's get out of here." Sam smiled over at Jack as he began to swagger from the room, his hair sticking up madly from sleep. Dorothy trotted along with them and she locked their quarters up on their way out.
"You know," Sam began pensively as the three of them got into the elevator to head topside, "We never did get to go grocery shopping."
Jack chuckled and leaned up against the elevator wall. "Guess it's take-out or canned soup again tonight."
-
Chapter Three
Back to Chapter One
Summary: Sequel to " Changes"Jack and Sam's relationship grows, going through it's ups and downs with a little help from their SGC family. SamJack, DanielJanet.
Timeframe: Takes place approximately one year after "Changes".
Characters/Pairing: Established SamJack, established DanielJanet, Team, Cassie
Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Romance
Rating: T
Chapter Two: Return Trip
Sam woke, still wrapped comfortably in Jack's arms. She could feel his breath against the back of her neck and knew he was already awake. Slowly, she turned over in his arms so that she was facing him. Her heart warmed as he smiled at her. "Good morning," she whispered, a smile of her own spreading quickly across her face.
"Mornin'." He leaned forward the few inches of space that separated them and kissed her lips gently.
She made a pleased, humming noise before their lips parted, and then frowned. They could both hear everyone around camp moving about. Sam sighed, not wanting to move. "I suppose it's time to get up. We've got work to do."
Jack sighed with a reluctant nod. He really didn't want to get up either, and his head was still pounding, much to his annoyance.
When they both crawled out of their warm cocoon of blankets and tugged on jackets, boots, and vests, Sam knelt and turned to Jack, easily sensing his discomfort. "How do you feel? Still altitude sick?"
He made a face and shrugged. "Headache, little dizzy," Jack admitted, knowing very well that Sam could wrestle the truthful answer out of him effortlessly. He just found it inexplicably hard to lie to her. His eyes locked on hers, reflecting his own concern for her as he could see she wasn't feeling very great herself. "How 'bout you?"
"Headache and nausea." She grimaced, realizing that Jack probably wasn't nauseas at all because of the meds he'd taken before bed. Sam began digging through her pack, swallowing another couple Tylenol for herself, and then taking another blister pack out for Jack. Getting out the capsule for his seizure medication, she passed him all the pills at once.
Meds taken and suitably dressed for the day, Jack grabbed his sidearm holster and followed Sam out of the tent. He blinked blearily out in the morning sun and rubbed at his forehead as though it would make the headache go away faster. "Ugh." He groaned as he stretched, ambling toward the fire and the enticing smell of coffee with Sam. Dr. Lee, Dr. Loren, and Dr. Martin were already making their way toward their marked research spots and computers to check various readings, and SG-4 were all sitting around the fire in camp chairs, drinking coffee and munching on energy bars.
Howe and Jentzsch both looked as though they'd felt better, and appeared to be nursing headaches while they sipped their coffee.
"Good morning," Sam greeted everyone with a small amount of cheerfulness.
Major Howe and Lieutenant Jentzsch both nodded while Dan and Captain Marvin greeted Sam and Jack with a less-than-enthusiastic, "Major, Colonel."
"You guys are still feeling a little sick too, huh?" Sam surmised, pulling up two more chairs for her and Jack.
"Yeah." Howe glanced up with a grimace and a nod, and then waved a hand over at Lieutenant Jentzsch. "Amy threw up this morning, and I've got one helluva headache myself. Hardly slept a wink last night after my watch, too."
Jack gratefully sunk into the chair beside Sam and deftly caught the energy bar tossed his way. He slowly peeled away the wrapper as Sam nudged his elbow and set his coffee down on the ground beside his chair. He ate slowly, taking small bites.
Sam sipped at her coffee but skipped on the energy bar. She was eager to get to work with the rest of the scientists. SG-4 and Jack were there to supervise, but she was there to help with the 'geek stuff' as Jack called it. She turned to him, placing a hand gently on his thigh, speaking quietly. "You still need to take it easy today, alright? Don't over do it."
"Uh-huh." Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed she wasn't eating and broke off half of his energy bar, urging it into her hand. "That goes for you, too."
She smiled and nodded, taking a small bite of the food, though she wasn't feeling very hungry.
-
By mid-afternoon, Dr. Loren had run up to Sam and Dr. Lee excitedly, announcing she'd discovered an underground deposit of naquadah. All four scientists then quickly went to work analyzing and marking off the site, taking various samples, and doing whatever other scientific things that needed to be done.
"This is great," Sam said excitedly to Dr. Lee while they worked at the computers. "Once we report back to Hammond and get our results in, we can probably head back. A team will come in to extract the mineral and do some aerial scans of the planet to more thoroughly check for inhabitants. We don't want to make the mistake of mining on sacred ground or anything again," she said, recalling the incident with the Salish concerning their supply of Trinium.
Dr. Lee nodded in agreement. He'd obviously much rather study the naquadah back on Earth. It was much less dangerous than doing the research off-world.
-
Jack and Captain Marvin had just about gathered all the kindling they would need to keep the fire going for the entire night. They began trudging back to camp, having exerted themselves a little more than they should have given the effects the high altitude was still having on the entire group. Each man had tied their large bundles of sticks and small, fallen trees up with rope at each end, making it easier for them to carry.
Pausing to set down his bundle and take a swig from his canteen as the nausea started bothering him, Will drank quickly, then picked up his kindling again and went back to following O'Neill. They'd been talking a bit at first, but both men were feeling exhausted and had gone quiet for the walk back to camp. When Will noticed the retired Colonel stumbling before dropping his collected firewood and finding a tree to lean against, the Captain set down his own bundle and quickly went over to the older man. "Sir?" he questioned softly with concern.
"I'm fine," Jack insisted quickly, turning so that his shoulder leaned heavily against the big tree. His free hand soon found its way to his forehead. Deciding that this planet was SO not a fun place to be for one of his all too rare chances to go through the gate, Jack made a promise to himself that the next time he asked to join a mission, he'd make sure the atmosphere of the planet was thoroughly evaluated first.
Closing his eyes, Jack waited for the dizziness to fade as he pulled out his canteen and drank slowly. "Ya know Captain," he began lightly, "I am really not liking this planet all that much."
Will nodded beside him and smiled, shaking his head in agreement. "Can't argue with that, sir. I'm not liking this place much either." Taking a deep breath, he yanked the cap off his head and wearily ran a hand through his military-cut blonde hair. Feeling tired and nauseas, Will just really wanted to pack everything up and head back to Earth. He only hoped that his CO wasn't going to give the scientists that extra day. He doubted they'd need it, and got the feeling that the doctors weren't having such a fun time on this world either.
Deciding that they could both use the rest, Captain Marvin sunk down against a tree opposite Jack and pulled his canteen out, resting it on one raised knee. When O'Neill opened his eyes to glance at him, he sighed and said, "If you don't mind sir, I think we both ought to rest for a few minutes before getting back to camp."
Glad that he wasn't the only one feeling like crap, Jack nodded and slowly sank to the ground. He sighed heavily, leaning forward and crossing his arms over bent knees where he then rested his head.
-
Returning from their walk to the gate where they'd gone to radio Earth and report their findings to Hammond, Sam and Major Howe gathered around the waning fire where Lieutenant Jentzsch and Dan were sitting. The scientists were all packing up their gear after just confirming that they wouldn't need an extra day for study. Sam looked between Amy and Dan expectantly, wondering where Jack and Will were, surprised that they hadn't returned yet.
Mason seemed to be wondering the same thing. "Lieutenant, where are Colonel O'Neill and Captain Marvin?"
Dan was looking a little uneasy. "We're not sure, sir. They went to gather wood for the fire three hours ago."
"Have you tried contacting them?" Sam spluttered incredulously, feeling anger boiling up in her gut. There was no hiding her intense apprehension.
"Yes ma'am," Jentzsch responded quickly. "There was no response, and we thought it best to wait until your return before going to look for them."
Major Howe nodded in acceptance of her decision. "You did the right thing Lieutenant," he assured her.
Sam was already in motion before anyone could stop her, giving out orders hurriedly. "Howe, Bseiso, you're with me," she instructed quickly. "Jentzsch, keep an eye on the scientists and be on the look out in case Jack and Captain Marvin come back here."
"Yes ma'am." Jentzsch nodded readily.
-
"Major Carter." Mason Howe jogged a little to try to catch up with the focused woman, Dan moving along on his heels. "They've been gathering firewood. Maybe they're just taking their time getting back so they don't overexert themselves?" he suggested as they walked up a steep mountainside, searching for the two missing men. He wanted both Colonel O'Neill and Captain Marvin to be safe as well.
"What about the radios? They haven't responded to any calls." Dan said as he managed to catch up with the two fast moving officers.
Sam continued to walk quickly, ignoring her own fatigue and headache. After morning, her nausea had thankfully passed, but it was replaced with a nagging headache. She thought about the answer to Dan's question for a moment when Major Howe didn't say anything either. "There could be interference from the naquadah, or the signals just aren't transmitting well because of the mountains." Sam realized she was only trying to soothe her own fears, but it actually was working a little bit. She had to think logically. Jack was okay, she kept telling herself. The radios just weren't transmitting properly.
They made their way through a thick copse of trees into another clearing, and that's when they saw them. Two bodies curled up beneath opposite trees, wrapped bundles of kindling not far away from where they lie. Sam, Dan, and Mason made a run towards the unconscious figures.
Sam immediately knelt by Jack's side while Major Howe went over to Captain Marvin, with Dan standing unsurely between the two. She reached for Jack's pulse, finding it to be steady and mostly regular, if not a little fast. "Jack?" He started to stir a little as she pressed her warm hand against his forehead, turning to Major Howe. "He's waking up, Major. How's Marvin?"
"Pulse is steady," Howe called back to her, looking relieved. "He's coming around now."
"I think they just passed out," Sam thought aloud, looking down at Jack when his eyelids fluttered open. She moved her hand to rest behind his head. "Jack, can you hear me?"
He made a face, then groaned and slowly started to pull himself upright with Sam's help. "Sam?" He blinked at her in confusion, then took in their surroundings and spotted Bseiso before seeing Captain Marvin sitting up with Major Howe at his side, checking him over.
"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked him gently with concern, her brows knit together and one hand resting on Jack's leg. "You've been gone for a few hours now. No one could get you on the radio."
Jack blinked in confusion again, and rubbed at his forehead, leaning his back against the tree as Sam handed him his canteen. "Few hours?" he murmured sluggishly, blinking again and taking a drink. "We just sat down to rest for a couple minutes," he explained somewhat dazedly, still trying to remember when he'd nodded off.
"Yeah," Captain Marvin added, running a hand through his short, light hair. "We were both feeling pretty lousy and thought we ought to sit for a little while before returning to camp."
"We'll be heading back to the SGC as soon as we get back to camp anyways," Dan told them, momentarily staring down at his booted feet.
At Jack's questioning look, Sam explained. "The General's pulling us out. After our report, he decided he's going to send in a team for the sole purpose of evaluating the area and retrieving the naquadah. Janet convinced him that it isn't healthy for us to be here much longer if our bodies still aren't adapting to the altitude differences. I've discovered that amazingly, this planet can shift altitude from day to day. The team coming in to get the naquadah will be equipped with oxygen, but Hammond figures it isn't practical for us to hang around with cumbersome oxygen tanks just to do research that can be done in the labs on Earth."
"Oh." Jack nodded slowly, his foggy mind still trying to catch up with everything Sam had just told him. He closed his eyes, paused for a moment, then nodded again and quietly repeated, "Oh."
"So we're going home?" Captain Marvin looked relieved.
Dan chuckled and patted his friend and teammate's shoulder. "Yeah Willy, we're going home."
The Captain narrowed his eyes at the nickname.
Major Howe got to his feet and slowly, carefully, pulled the Captain up with him. He reached out a hand to steady the younger man when he swayed. "You alright, Marvin?"
"Yessir." Will nodded slowly and dusted himself off. "Really glad we're gettin' outta here, though." He smiled a little.
"C'mon." Sam patted Jack's leg and got up, grasping his wrists and pulling him to his feet. He was a little unsteady, so she hung onto him until she was certain he wasn't about to topple over.
"Let's pack up all the gear and get outta here," Howe instructed as he, Dan, and Sam led their once-missing officers back to base camp.
-
Coming home from P7A-644, the entire crew was exhausted and looked about ready to drop. They were all instructed to be checked out in the infirmary for their standard post-mission exams before meeting in two hours for a debrief with the General. Sam wasn't surprised when Janet sent the others with a few nurses to be looked at by Dr. Warner while she led Jack into a private room. Naturally, Sam followed and wasn't shooed away.
Because of his medical condition, Janet was most concerned about the effects the alien atmosphere had on Jack. He seemed just as drained as the others did, but she had to be sure there was nothing else. His post-mission exams had to be a little more thorough than the rest of the men and women coming back from off-world.
"How are you feeling Jack?" the doctor asked him kindly, taking out her stethoscope and lifting his shirt so she could place the cool metal disc on his chest.
Flinching briefly from the sudden coldness on his warm skin, Jack scowled and heaved a sigh. "Better now that we're off that damn planet," he grumbled, shrugging when Sam sent him a look. "What?"
Sam then told Janet about the effects the alien atmosphere was having on everyone involved in the mission. Much to Jack's chagrin, she also told the doctor how they'd found Jack and Captain Marvin passed out only hours ago. "He's still a little dizzy," Sam said without looking Jack in the eye. She knew he'd be glaring at her.
Jack rolled his eyes. So what if he was still a little dizzy? The doc didn't have to know everything, did she? Wait, this was Janet; of course she had to know every little detail. That was her job, and she was damn good at it. "Just a little!" he insisted when Janet eyed him critically. Pointing at Sam, he childishly blurted, "She's got a headache!"
Janet laughed aloud for a moment and shook her head. "Okay, I'll look Sam over next. Just let me run a few tests, take a blood sample, and then I'm sending you home for some rest."
Groaning dramatically, Jack shifted where he sat on the edge of the bed and briefly closed his eyes. He wanted to go home now, not after tests. He knew that wasn't going to happen, though. Since Jack's medical condition prevented him from driving, he had to wait for Sam after the debriefing with General Hammond, and wouldn't be allowed to go home as soon as he wanted anyway. "Fine Doc, do your worst." Jack held an arm out to her as the doctor waved a nurse with an instrument tray over.
-
Sam was treated for her headache while Jack was taken for a CT scan. Once all the testing was done, she went to the briefing room while Jack showered and retreated to their on-base quarters to meet Teal'c. He needed to pick up Dorothy.
"O'Neill," Teal'c greeted his friend as he walked into the open door of the VIP room that was still used as Jack's on-base quarters. The Jaffa had barely been able to restrain the big German Shepherd once she could smell that her family had returned, and finally released her when she spotted Jack.
"Hey, T." Jack grinned at his friend, then immediately found himself almost face to face with Dorothy. She jumped on him, knocking him back onto the bed, her big paws on his chest while she licked at his face excitedly. "Hey girl, I missed you too!" He chuckled loudly and ruffled her fur, patting her head and giving her a good scratch behind the ears.
"She has been most anxious for your return, O'Neill." Teal'c told him, standing in somewhat of an 'at ease' pose with his hands clasped behind his back.
Jack sat up on the bed once Dorothy finally began to settle down to sit contently at his feet. "She give you much trouble then, T?"
"Nothing I could not handle." The Jaffa's stoic expression never wavered, until Jack gave him a look of skepticism and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a little smile.
"Ha!" Jack laughed, then yawned and tiredly flopped back onto the bed, kicking off his shoes as he did so. Dorothy jumped up with him and laid down at his side.
"You seem most fatigued, O'Neill," Teal'c observed without moving, his eyes briefly studying his friend. When Jack said nothing, the Jaffa gave a barely perceptible nod and began backing towards the door. "I shall leave you to rest."
"Hey, Teal'c?" Jack muttered sleepily, still not moving from where he'd flopped onto the mattress. He turned his head to see his friend pause at the door expectantly. "If you see Sam, let her know where I am, will ya? I'm just gonna take a short nap while she's at the debriefing." Yawning loudly, Jack groaned and rolled onto his side.
"I will indeed, O'Neill." A small smile quirked on the Jaffa's lips before Teal'c left the room and closed the door behind him.
Jack pulled the throw from the end of the bed over himself and scooted upwards to rest his head among the pillows. He was truly exhausted, and was asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.
-
The debrief was quick, and afterwards Sam was eager to go take a shower before she'd gone to find Jack. After hitting the locker room and changing into civvies in preparation to go home, Sam ran into Teal'c getting into the elevator.
"Major Carter." The Jaffa gave a slight bow. "It is good to see you have returned. Are you searching for O'Neill?"
"Thanks Teal'c. It's good to be back." She nodded at him with a smile, and then said, "Yes, I was just going to look for Jack."
"He wished for me to tell you that he would be in his private quarters. He is accompanied by Dorothy," he told her as the elevator doors closed and she hit the floor button for the staff quarters.
"Thank you Teal'c," Sam said appreciatively. When the elevator stopped on the correct floor, she left Teal'c with a wave and friendly smile as she went to go get Jack. It was about time they headed home. The both of them could use the rest.
When Sam opened up the door to their on-base quarters, she wasn't really expecting to find Jack zonked out on the bed with Dorothy curled up beside him. Smiling at the peaceful sight before her, she was almost envious that he'd snagged a chance to rest already. However short the debriefing was, Sam had been just as exhausted due to the physical demands from the planet's atmosphere, and longed to curl up in her nice, warm bed at home.
Dorothy had lifted her head with perked ears at Sam's entrance, her tail thumping happily against the mattress as her other owner strode toward the bed, though she didn't bother getting up. The dog was just much too comfortable to move.
Sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed, Sam reached over to pat the dog's head. "Hey Dorothy, I missed you." She smiled at the animal and then leaned over on the bed, gently kissing Jack's shoulder, and then his cheek. "Wake up sleepyhead," she crooned softly in his ear.
"Rrrmm..." Jack groaned and shifted slightly, but didn't open his eyes.
"Come on Jack, we're going home now." Sam began to rub his chest, trying to rouse him without startling him awake.
He pried an eye open, suddenly flinging an arm around her and pulling her to him so that her face was buried into his neck. "Nope." Jack shook his head and smirked to himself, kissing the top of her head. "Too comfy. Wanna stay," he murmured.
"Jaaaaaack," she whined into his neck. As cozy as their special VIP quarters could be, it just didn't compare to home. "Home. Bed. Now."
He chuckled and loosened his hold on her. "Well, if ya put it that way." Jack winked when she pulled back and smiled, shaking her head and raising eyebrows at him. Sitting up, he scrubbed a hand through his hair and pressed his thumb into his chest. "Me Tarzan, you Jane."
Sam laughed, then rolled away from the bed and stood up.
Dorothy got up on all fours at the mention of home, then hopped down with Sam, wagging her tail expectantly.
"Lookit that. Even Dorothy's rarin' to get home." Jack winked down at the dog, then more slowly got out of bed and ruffed up the scruff on the German Shepherd's neck.
"Okay. Let's get out of here." Sam smiled over at Jack as he began to swagger from the room, his hair sticking up madly from sleep. Dorothy trotted along with them and she locked their quarters up on their way out.
"You know," Sam began pensively as the three of them got into the elevator to head topside, "We never did get to go grocery shopping."
Jack chuckled and leaned up against the elevator wall. "Guess it's take-out or canned soup again tonight."
-
Chapter Three
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