Transitions (3/12)
Title: Transitions (3/12)
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 Three: Limitations
After finally having a good, restful night's sleep, Sam and Jack spent the morning drinking coffee together and reading the newspaper before heading out of the house to finally do some grocery shopping. Dorothy wasn't too happy that her family was leaving her again, but there was no way they could take the dog to the store.
Sam looked at Jack as they got in her car. "You really don't have to come. I know how much you hate shopping."
Buckling his seatbelt, Jack shrugged. "Yeah, but there's no food whatsoever in the house, and if I don't go you won't pick up any of the good stuff." He smirked.
"You mean junk food." Sam rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips as she started up the car.
Jack chuckled. "Of course!" His eyes strayed back to her face as they pulled out of the driveway. "And beer. Don't forget the beer."
When Sam glanced at him, he was giving her one those boyish grins that she normally couldn't say no to. Instead, her face went very serious. "You know you can't have alcohol with the meds you're on," she said sternly.
He pouted. "C'mon Sam. A little bit every once and a while won't hurt. Even the doc said it was okay!"
Sam shot Jack a skeptical look as she came to a stop at a street light. "Oh really?"
"Uh-huh." He held up his hand and motioned with his thumb and forefinger. "Teeny bit."
"Fine." She caved when he gave her those big, puppy-dog eyes. She was weak, she cursed to herself. When the light turned green, she pulled forward and waved a finger at him. "We can buy ONE six pack, but you're not having a single drop until I get Janet's approval, got it?"
"Mm-hm." Jack had a big, self-satisfied grin on his face as he leaned back smugly in the seat.
-
Jack immediately made his way toward the alcohol once inside the grocery store, and picked up a six pack of Guinness with the most ridiculous grin on his face. He looked like a little boy, excited as if he was getting away with something he shouldn't. He couldn't even recall exactly the last time he'd had a beer, and he longed for it as though it would return just a little bit more normality to his life.
Sam was picking up eggs and milk when Jack spotted her and joyfully strode over with his beer. He placed the case lovingly in the cart and grinned. Sam gave him a look.
"I don't know why you're so excited. What makes you think Janet's going to say yes?" she asked him, her skepticism obvious, though it was having absolutely no effect on his hopeful mood.
Jack just shrugged nonchalantly and moved with Sam along another aisle. He snatched a box of Froot Loops while they passed the cereal, and tossed it happily into the cart that Sam was trying to fill with more nutritious foods.
After much debating over which foods were really considered a necessity or not, Sam and Jack finally left the store with their groceries.
Jack was leaning up against the driver's side door after Sam put the cart away. His arms were crossed casually over his chest. "Hey, I'll drive."
"Jaaaaaaaack." Sam stopped in front of him and sighed. He was starting to get frustrated at the things he could no longer do again. This seemed to happen every few months, and often threatened to leave him in a bit of a funk for a few days. It had begun with the beer today, and now it was driving. "You know you can't," she said softly, her hands resting on either side of his waist.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, Jack frowned and stepped away from her, no longer blocking the driver's side door. He went around the car silently and got in the passenger side.
When Sam got into the car, buckled her seatbelt and started the engine, she glanced at Jack with a small smile on her face. "I'll call Janet when we get back and ask about the beer, okay?" She tried to boost his spirits again, and was rewarded by a faint, lopsided smile on his part.
Jack was quiet and almost broody during the ride back home, but once there he helped Sam take in the groceries and decided to make something for lunch while she put the food away. "Sandwiches okay with you?" He asked, taking out some bread and digging through grocery bags to find the cold cuts.
Dorothy sat on the floor staring up at him and wagging her tail enthusiastically, hoping that maybe some food would fall her way.
"Yeah, sound's good." Sam nodded with a smile before turning to put the dry foods away in the cupboard. She then put away the things in the fridge. When she was done, she left the room for a few minutes to go make a phone call.
After finishing making two ham and cheese sandwiches, Jack brought them to the table with a bag of chips while Sam got the drinks. He sat down and lifted his head in surprise when she put an empty glass in front of him and poured half a bottle of Guinness. An eyebrow rose curiously.
Sam smiled back at him. "Janet said no more than two beers a week should be okay." She gestured toward the glass in front of him. "She also said light beer, but we already bought this and I figure cutting it down to half a bottle was okay."
Jack grinned, his eyes meeting hers appreciatively. "Thanks."
"Mm-hm." She nodded back at him with another smile and began eating her sandwich. She was just glad that doing a small thing like bringing back beer for Jack would make him a little happier. She knew it had been tough on him since he'd been regaining his memories and discovered these limitations during his recovery.
Taking slow sips of his beer after every few bites of his sandwich, Jack found himself unable to hide his grin as he savored the taste. It had literally been years since his last beer, and Jack had really missed the alcohol once he'd remembered drinking it. Not that he was a drunk or anything, but how can you have pizza without beer? There were things he'd missed more, but most of those weren't off limits to him, which was a minor blessing in itself. Like Sam.
-
The month of March came up pretty fast, and the weather had begun to get just a tad bit warmer. Sam had spent the past few weeks doing mostly lab work, with one or two off-world missions in-between. She was due for a few days off after her Monday mission with the team once the weekend was over, and Jack was grateful to get some time to spend with her out of work. He was getting bored sitting at home or hanging around the base all day, she could tell. At the moment, General Hammond didn't really have anything for him to do. So, on Sunday Sam called up Janet to see if she was free, and Sam and Jack went to spend the day with Janet and Cassie while Daniel was still working at the SGC, finishing some translations on a treaty with Teal'c for the team's mission on Monday.
It was an unusually warm day for March in Colorado, and they all decided to take full advantage of it. Jack sat on an old lawn chair in Janet's backyard, sipping a bottle of Heineken Light while waiting for the charcoal grill to fire up. They'd brought Dorothy with them, and the big dog was currently lying in the grass by Jack's feet along with Cassie's beloved little dog, Teddy.
"Jack!" Cassie appeared in front of him, an enormous smile on her bright young face.
Teddy got up immediately and jumped at her legs to get her attention.
Raising both eyebrows, Jack slowly leaned forward in the chair and set his beer down on the ground at his feet, making sure Dorothy couldn't knock it over. "Hey kiddo, what's up?"
Dorothy sat up with interest, wagging her tail eagerly as Cassie came over to pet her, Teddy galloping along at her heels.
Cassie smiled even wider, and for the first time Jack noticed that she had a plastic yellow bat under an arm, and a hollow white ball with holes in it. "Wanna play wiffle ball? Mom and Sam said they'd play. C'mon, please, it'll be fun, I promise!"
Jack chuckled with a small smile at the fifteen-year-old, acting so much like she had when she'd first learned of the game years ago. He got up from the chair and picked up his beer again, taking another sip before striding toward the charcoal grill some feet behind him and setting it down on the small plastic table nearby. Checking that the grill was hot enough, he tossed some chicken and steaks on the rack. The meat sizzled loudly. "Sure Cass," he finally answered. "But I gotta keep an eye on the food."
"Sweet!" Cassandra exclaimed brightly, using one of his usual phrases.
Dorothy was happy to sit down and guard the grill, her tongue hanging out as she salivated from the smell of delicious food. Teddy, on the other hand, chased right after Cassie.
Soon Janet and Sam came out the back door, heading farther out into the yard where Cassie was urging them all to follow her.
For half an hour they all played wiffle ball until the food was ready, and since it was starting to get rather cool outside, it was decided that they'd be eating in the house instead.
Jack hadn't forgotten the remainder of his beer and brought it inside, taking a seat at the kitchen table beside Sam, with Dorothy sitting on the floor between their chairs. He grabbed himself a steak from the plate of meat in the center of the table and plopped it down on his own dish. "Who else wants steak?" he asked, looking between Sam, Janet, and Cassie. There was a whine from the floor between him and Sam. Jack chuckled. "Besides Dorothy."
"I'll have half if someone wants to split it with me," Cassie said, reaching for the salad bowl.
Janet held out her plate to receive the piece of meat Jack was now waving around at the end of a big, two-pronged fork. "I'll have Cassie's other half."
Handing over the steak, Jack then stabbed a piece of barbecue chicken and put it on Sam's plate since she hadn't asked for steak.
"Thanks Jack," Sam smiled at him and then took a piece of corn on the cob before putting one on Jack's dish. She then reached for the baked potatoes and nudged Jack's foot with her own. "Potato?"
"Oh yeah." He nodded eagerly, mouth just about watering. Man, was he starved! He'd really worked up an appetite playing wiffle ball and was definitely looking forward to that juicy steak, fresh sweet corn on the cob, and baked potato.
Sam laughed softly at his enthusiastic response, and smiled before cutting into her chicken.
After dinner, everyone helped clean up and then they all huddled outside around the charcoal grill with sticks and marshmallows. Cassie was pleased to get to spend the time with her extended family, and they all engaged in friendly chatter while toasting their marshmallows and enjoying one another's company.
-
Late that night, Jack and Sam were lying in bed, wrapped up in each other's arms as they settled down to sleep. With Jack's head pillowed on her chest, and an arm draped across her waist, Sam wound her arm around him, thumb lightly stroking the back of his neck. "Jack?"
"Hrm?" he murmured sleepily, comforted by the feel of her thumb on his neck. He remembered how often she did that to soothe him when he hadn't exactly been himself.
"Did you want me to wake you in the morning so you can stay on base while I'm off-world?" She lightly raked her fingers through his hair, starting at the nape of his neck and repeating the motion. Sam knew how bored he'd been getting and tried to come up with ways to keep him occupied during the day while she had to work on the days they didn't need him on base for anything.
"Mmrph," he muttered against her chest, shaking his head slightly, eyes still closed. "Hockey game on...afternoon," came Jack's sleepy, mumbled response.
"Okay." Sam nodded in acceptance with a yawn, and then craned her neck so she could kiss the top of his head. Relaxing back into the soft pillow, Sam closed her eyes and began to fall asleep, her hand once more moving to rake through Jack's hair, thoughtlessly tracing the familiar scar above his right ear.
-
Sam had to leave early the next morning, and was showered, dressed, and had let the dog out and fed her before Jack had even woken. Leaving him a note on the refrigerator, Sam snuck back into the bedroom to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead while Dorothy curled up at the foot of the bed to go back to sleep, and was out the door.
As soon as she'd arrived on base, Sam changed into her BDUs, went to the infirmary for her pre-mission check, then grabbed a quick coffee and bagel in the commissary before meeting the rest of SG-1 in the briefing room.
Today was going to be a good day, Sam was certain. All SG-1 had to do was bring the treaty Daniel had been working on. Teal'c had helped him with the people's obscured language which was a twisted version of Goa'uld, the language of their slavers at one time. After the treaty was agreed upon and signed, SG-1 was to have a feast with the people to celebrate, and then they could go home. Sam wasn't worried about complications, the chances of which were few. They'd already had a meeting with these people and explored some of their land and customs on a previous mission. These were friendly folks, still looking to reclaim their freedom after decades of Goa'uld rule had destroyed their previous way of life. Sam was confident things would go smoothly, but she knew better than to let her guard down.
"Good morning, Major Carter," Teal'c greeted with a slight bow of his head as she entered the briefing room.
"Morning, Teal'c." Sam smiled back at him, taking a seat across the table and looking around curiously. General Hammond hadn't come out of his office yet, and she hadn't seen Daniel at all.
Suddenly, the rushed-looking archaeologist dashed up the steps into the briefing room, papers and notebooks tucked under one arm, coffee securely in hand. "Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologized somewhat breathlessly. "I had to add a few finishing touches on the treaty." Daniel blinked, sinking into the chair beside Teal'c and letting his papers sprawl on the table. "Am I late?"
Sam laughed quietly and shook her head. "Don't worry Daniel, you're not late."
Teal'c bowed his head. "Indeed. General Hammond has not yet joined us."
Daniel heaved a sigh of relief. "Phew." He gave a small smile.
Within moments, the General had come in, and everyone grew quiet as the briefing began.
-
When he'd finally managed to drag himself out of bed, Jack found Sam's note and smiled to himself. He glanced down at Dorothy, who was looking up at him from his side and wagging her tail happily. "You're not tricking me into feeding you breakfast twice again, girl. Sam's note says she already fed you." Smirking down at the dog and chuckling at the cock-eared look she gave him at the mention of food, Jack patted her on the head and swung the refrigerator door open, lazily scratching at his stomach as he peered inside to look for something to eat.
After eventually showering around eleven and throwing on some comfortable sweats and his favorite Chicago Black Hawks t-shirt, Jack lounged on the couch with Dorothy to watch the hockey game. With his sock-clad feet propped up on the coffee table, Jack smirked sideways as he glanced at the big dog sprawled across the cushion next to him, her head nearly hanging off the sofa, amber eyes alert and seeming to be watching the television just as he was.
More than half-way through the game, toward the end of the second period while the Black Hawks were ahead of the Flyers by three points, Jack quickly went to the kitchen during a commercial break. Letting Dorothy outside to go to the bathroom, he dug an individual pizza out of the freezer and tossed it in the microwave for lunch. Knowing very well that Sam only stocked the refrigerator with two beers a week so he couldn't go over his limit, Jack opted to save his one remaining beer and waited impatiently for his food to be finished cooking.
Seconds before the microwave beeped, Jack opened up the door to the back deck and let Dorothy back in, intending to get his food and hurry back to his game when the phone rang. Instead of reaching for the microwave door, he picked up the telephone on the counter and answered it with mild irritation. "Yeah?"
"Jack, it's Daniel," answered the voice on the other end, sounding decidedly subdued.
Knowing that his archaeologist friend had been on the same exact mission as Sam and shouldn't have been back already, Jack felt his heart leap into his throat at the tone of Daniel's voice. If everything was okay and the team had simply returned earlier than scheduled, it would be Sam calling him. "Where is she Daniel?" he asked desperately in a choked, raspy voice that surprised even him.
"Sam's in the infirmary, Jack; but listen-"
-
"She's not badly hurt and I'm coming to pick you up." Daniel finished, sitting on the edge of the desk in Janet's office while the doctor stood in the doorway. Hearing no response from his friend, Daniel blinked in confusion, brows furrowed. "Jack? Hello? Jack, you there?" Looking to Janet with worried eyes, the archaeologist exclaimed, "Dammit!"
Janet stepped forward, her eyes filled with concern of her own. She heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "He's probably on his way already."
Daniel started to rush from the office, talking all the way, the small doctor quick on his heels. "Jack isn't supposed to be driving! I'll head toward his house and meet him half way."
"Daniel, stop!" Janet barked in her forceful, doctor's voice as she grabbed his arm, spinning him to face her. "He probably won't even notice your car, and if he does you know Jack won't stop." She took in a breath and glanced down at Daniel's feet for a moment. "It's not too long of a drive, I'm sure he'll be okay," Janet told him reassuringly with more confidence than she was feeling. "If he's not here in half an hour you can go looking for him."
Agitatedly running a hand through his hair, Daniel wrapped an arm around himself and nodded finally. "Alright, but I'd better at least meet him up top. He probably won't have his security card to get down here."
"Okay," Janet agreed softly. "Teal'c's with Sam in case she wakes up, and I'll put a call through to the General so he can order the security guards to just wave Jack through the check points once he gets here."
Daniel nodded again and took off hastily, rushing toward the elevators.
-
Jack had dropped the phone as soon as he'd heard the word infirmary. He managed to find his own set of rarely-used truck keys in record time, and was out the door with Dorothy in less than a minute. He'd barely paused long enough to realize he almost dashed outside without putting on shoes. Jack was already a wreck, so focused on going to see Sam, his heart racing in time with his worried thoughts, anxiety pains already flaring in his chest.
Dorothy had sensed his uneasiness and attached herself to Jack's side as he rushed out the door and got into his truck. She laid down on the passenger seat and rested her head in his lap as if in an effort to comfort him while he drove.
-
Janet was just finishing checking over some X-rays when she heard voices and the barking of a dog just out in the hall near the infirmary. She recognized Daniel's voice and then Jack's panicked protests. Hurrying into the corridor, the small doctor found Daniel trying to steady a gasping, panicked Jack, with Dorothy pacing and barking beside him. Janet hastily went to them.
"Where's...Sam?" Jack demanded between rapid, gasping breaths. He was too distraught to think about anything but his concerns for Sam, wanting only to see her and know she was okay.
"She's going to be fine Jack, she's just got a mild concussion and a hairline fracture in her ankle," Janet explained quickly in her attempt to reassure him. It was obvious that a panic attack was quickly taking hold of him.
"See...her?" he gasped, suddenly grasping at his chest with one hand. Jack's whole body was shaking and he felt like he couldn't breathe, sharp daggers digging into his chest. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, overcome with dizziness. He felt Dorothy worriedly nudge her head against his back and heard her whine with concern.
Daniel latched onto his friend's shoulders, trying to steady Jack and prevent him from falling any further. "We'll take you to see her Jack, just take it easy, okay?"
Janet knelt in front of Jack and took hold of a suddenly-limp wrist, checking his pulse. Turning her head slightly at the sound of footsteps approaching, Fraiser spotted one of her nurses peering around the doorway and quickly shouted her orders. "Lieutenant, I need a sedative over here!"
The nurse took one good look at what was going on and hurried to retrieve the medication. "Yes ma'am!"
With Daniel's help, Janet managed to get Jack on his feet, and the three of them stumbled unsteadily into the ward, Dorothy on their heels. Jack was still breathing in short, rapid gasps, and shaking tremendously. Janet rubbed soothingly at his back as they guided him. "Jack, you're having a panic attack; you need to calm down," she instructed softly.
Sam's bed finally came into Jack's view as the nurse handed Janet the sedative and the doctor swiftly injected it into the side of his neck.
He stumbled as the medication began to quickly take effect, knocking him to his knees again. Still breathing harshly and feeling sharp pains in his chest, Jack lurched forward in an attempt to move closer to Sam's bed.
Daniel gripped Jack's arm tighter on his right while Janet did the same at his other side. "She's alright Jack, see? She's just unconscious."
"Sam..." Jack started to whisper breathlessly just before the sedative knocked him out, and he slumped limply between Janet and Daniel.
"Let's get him on a bed," Janet ordered with a nod to Daniel.
Quick to take most of their friend's dead weight, Daniel half-dragged him to the empty bed beside Sam's and hoisted him up onto the mattress.
Dorothy was quick to leap onto the bed with Jack, but Janet grasped at her collar and gently tugged her back to the ground. "I don't think so girl. No dogs in my infirmary. Sorry."
Teal'c stepped into the infirmary just in time to see the doctor's dilemma. He'd had to leave for a few minutes before Jack arrived when he was called to the General's office for a quick debriefing. Looking from Major Carter's bed, to O'Neill, and then to the dog being held by the doctor, he asked, "May I be of assistance Doctor Fraiser?"
"Teal'c!" Janet heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him. "Would you take Dorothy for a little while? I can't keep her in here."
"Indeed." Bowing his head slightly in assent, the Jaffa swiftly took her collar and led the reluctant animal from the room.
"Thanks Teal'c," Daniel told his friend gratefully, looking between his two friends in the infirmary beds with a sigh. He moved over beside Janet who was currently checking Jack's blood pressure. "Will he be alright?"
She nodded shortly, removing the blood pressure cuff. "He's hypertensive, but he should be okay once he calms down." Janet glanced over at her other unconscious friend with a small, solemn smile. "I just hope Sam's conscious by the time he wakes up. It'll be easier for him to relax if he can see that she's up and able to talk to him."
Daniel nodded his head in agreement and pulled up a seat between the beds to wait.
-
Chapter Four
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 Three: Limitations
After finally having a good, restful night's sleep, Sam and Jack spent the morning drinking coffee together and reading the newspaper before heading out of the house to finally do some grocery shopping. Dorothy wasn't too happy that her family was leaving her again, but there was no way they could take the dog to the store.
Sam looked at Jack as they got in her car. "You really don't have to come. I know how much you hate shopping."
Buckling his seatbelt, Jack shrugged. "Yeah, but there's no food whatsoever in the house, and if I don't go you won't pick up any of the good stuff." He smirked.
"You mean junk food." Sam rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips as she started up the car.
Jack chuckled. "Of course!" His eyes strayed back to her face as they pulled out of the driveway. "And beer. Don't forget the beer."
When Sam glanced at him, he was giving her one those boyish grins that she normally couldn't say no to. Instead, her face went very serious. "You know you can't have alcohol with the meds you're on," she said sternly.
He pouted. "C'mon Sam. A little bit every once and a while won't hurt. Even the doc said it was okay!"
Sam shot Jack a skeptical look as she came to a stop at a street light. "Oh really?"
"Uh-huh." He held up his hand and motioned with his thumb and forefinger. "Teeny bit."
"Fine." She caved when he gave her those big, puppy-dog eyes. She was weak, she cursed to herself. When the light turned green, she pulled forward and waved a finger at him. "We can buy ONE six pack, but you're not having a single drop until I get Janet's approval, got it?"
"Mm-hm." Jack had a big, self-satisfied grin on his face as he leaned back smugly in the seat.
-
Jack immediately made his way toward the alcohol once inside the grocery store, and picked up a six pack of Guinness with the most ridiculous grin on his face. He looked like a little boy, excited as if he was getting away with something he shouldn't. He couldn't even recall exactly the last time he'd had a beer, and he longed for it as though it would return just a little bit more normality to his life.
Sam was picking up eggs and milk when Jack spotted her and joyfully strode over with his beer. He placed the case lovingly in the cart and grinned. Sam gave him a look.
"I don't know why you're so excited. What makes you think Janet's going to say yes?" she asked him, her skepticism obvious, though it was having absolutely no effect on his hopeful mood.
Jack just shrugged nonchalantly and moved with Sam along another aisle. He snatched a box of Froot Loops while they passed the cereal, and tossed it happily into the cart that Sam was trying to fill with more nutritious foods.
After much debating over which foods were really considered a necessity or not, Sam and Jack finally left the store with their groceries.
Jack was leaning up against the driver's side door after Sam put the cart away. His arms were crossed casually over his chest. "Hey, I'll drive."
"Jaaaaaaaack." Sam stopped in front of him and sighed. He was starting to get frustrated at the things he could no longer do again. This seemed to happen every few months, and often threatened to leave him in a bit of a funk for a few days. It had begun with the beer today, and now it was driving. "You know you can't," she said softly, her hands resting on either side of his waist.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, Jack frowned and stepped away from her, no longer blocking the driver's side door. He went around the car silently and got in the passenger side.
When Sam got into the car, buckled her seatbelt and started the engine, she glanced at Jack with a small smile on her face. "I'll call Janet when we get back and ask about the beer, okay?" She tried to boost his spirits again, and was rewarded by a faint, lopsided smile on his part.
Jack was quiet and almost broody during the ride back home, but once there he helped Sam take in the groceries and decided to make something for lunch while she put the food away. "Sandwiches okay with you?" He asked, taking out some bread and digging through grocery bags to find the cold cuts.
Dorothy sat on the floor staring up at him and wagging her tail enthusiastically, hoping that maybe some food would fall her way.
"Yeah, sound's good." Sam nodded with a smile before turning to put the dry foods away in the cupboard. She then put away the things in the fridge. When she was done, she left the room for a few minutes to go make a phone call.
After finishing making two ham and cheese sandwiches, Jack brought them to the table with a bag of chips while Sam got the drinks. He sat down and lifted his head in surprise when she put an empty glass in front of him and poured half a bottle of Guinness. An eyebrow rose curiously.
Sam smiled back at him. "Janet said no more than two beers a week should be okay." She gestured toward the glass in front of him. "She also said light beer, but we already bought this and I figure cutting it down to half a bottle was okay."
Jack grinned, his eyes meeting hers appreciatively. "Thanks."
"Mm-hm." She nodded back at him with another smile and began eating her sandwich. She was just glad that doing a small thing like bringing back beer for Jack would make him a little happier. She knew it had been tough on him since he'd been regaining his memories and discovered these limitations during his recovery.
Taking slow sips of his beer after every few bites of his sandwich, Jack found himself unable to hide his grin as he savored the taste. It had literally been years since his last beer, and Jack had really missed the alcohol once he'd remembered drinking it. Not that he was a drunk or anything, but how can you have pizza without beer? There were things he'd missed more, but most of those weren't off limits to him, which was a minor blessing in itself. Like Sam.
-
The month of March came up pretty fast, and the weather had begun to get just a tad bit warmer. Sam had spent the past few weeks doing mostly lab work, with one or two off-world missions in-between. She was due for a few days off after her Monday mission with the team once the weekend was over, and Jack was grateful to get some time to spend with her out of work. He was getting bored sitting at home or hanging around the base all day, she could tell. At the moment, General Hammond didn't really have anything for him to do. So, on Sunday Sam called up Janet to see if she was free, and Sam and Jack went to spend the day with Janet and Cassie while Daniel was still working at the SGC, finishing some translations on a treaty with Teal'c for the team's mission on Monday.
It was an unusually warm day for March in Colorado, and they all decided to take full advantage of it. Jack sat on an old lawn chair in Janet's backyard, sipping a bottle of Heineken Light while waiting for the charcoal grill to fire up. They'd brought Dorothy with them, and the big dog was currently lying in the grass by Jack's feet along with Cassie's beloved little dog, Teddy.
"Jack!" Cassie appeared in front of him, an enormous smile on her bright young face.
Teddy got up immediately and jumped at her legs to get her attention.
Raising both eyebrows, Jack slowly leaned forward in the chair and set his beer down on the ground at his feet, making sure Dorothy couldn't knock it over. "Hey kiddo, what's up?"
Dorothy sat up with interest, wagging her tail eagerly as Cassie came over to pet her, Teddy galloping along at her heels.
Cassie smiled even wider, and for the first time Jack noticed that she had a plastic yellow bat under an arm, and a hollow white ball with holes in it. "Wanna play wiffle ball? Mom and Sam said they'd play. C'mon, please, it'll be fun, I promise!"
Jack chuckled with a small smile at the fifteen-year-old, acting so much like she had when she'd first learned of the game years ago. He got up from the chair and picked up his beer again, taking another sip before striding toward the charcoal grill some feet behind him and setting it down on the small plastic table nearby. Checking that the grill was hot enough, he tossed some chicken and steaks on the rack. The meat sizzled loudly. "Sure Cass," he finally answered. "But I gotta keep an eye on the food."
"Sweet!" Cassandra exclaimed brightly, using one of his usual phrases.
Dorothy was happy to sit down and guard the grill, her tongue hanging out as she salivated from the smell of delicious food. Teddy, on the other hand, chased right after Cassie.
Soon Janet and Sam came out the back door, heading farther out into the yard where Cassie was urging them all to follow her.
For half an hour they all played wiffle ball until the food was ready, and since it was starting to get rather cool outside, it was decided that they'd be eating in the house instead.
Jack hadn't forgotten the remainder of his beer and brought it inside, taking a seat at the kitchen table beside Sam, with Dorothy sitting on the floor between their chairs. He grabbed himself a steak from the plate of meat in the center of the table and plopped it down on his own dish. "Who else wants steak?" he asked, looking between Sam, Janet, and Cassie. There was a whine from the floor between him and Sam. Jack chuckled. "Besides Dorothy."
"I'll have half if someone wants to split it with me," Cassie said, reaching for the salad bowl.
Janet held out her plate to receive the piece of meat Jack was now waving around at the end of a big, two-pronged fork. "I'll have Cassie's other half."
Handing over the steak, Jack then stabbed a piece of barbecue chicken and put it on Sam's plate since she hadn't asked for steak.
"Thanks Jack," Sam smiled at him and then took a piece of corn on the cob before putting one on Jack's dish. She then reached for the baked potatoes and nudged Jack's foot with her own. "Potato?"
"Oh yeah." He nodded eagerly, mouth just about watering. Man, was he starved! He'd really worked up an appetite playing wiffle ball and was definitely looking forward to that juicy steak, fresh sweet corn on the cob, and baked potato.
Sam laughed softly at his enthusiastic response, and smiled before cutting into her chicken.
After dinner, everyone helped clean up and then they all huddled outside around the charcoal grill with sticks and marshmallows. Cassie was pleased to get to spend the time with her extended family, and they all engaged in friendly chatter while toasting their marshmallows and enjoying one another's company.
-
Late that night, Jack and Sam were lying in bed, wrapped up in each other's arms as they settled down to sleep. With Jack's head pillowed on her chest, and an arm draped across her waist, Sam wound her arm around him, thumb lightly stroking the back of his neck. "Jack?"
"Hrm?" he murmured sleepily, comforted by the feel of her thumb on his neck. He remembered how often she did that to soothe him when he hadn't exactly been himself.
"Did you want me to wake you in the morning so you can stay on base while I'm off-world?" She lightly raked her fingers through his hair, starting at the nape of his neck and repeating the motion. Sam knew how bored he'd been getting and tried to come up with ways to keep him occupied during the day while she had to work on the days they didn't need him on base for anything.
"Mmrph," he muttered against her chest, shaking his head slightly, eyes still closed. "Hockey game on...afternoon," came Jack's sleepy, mumbled response.
"Okay." Sam nodded in acceptance with a yawn, and then craned her neck so she could kiss the top of his head. Relaxing back into the soft pillow, Sam closed her eyes and began to fall asleep, her hand once more moving to rake through Jack's hair, thoughtlessly tracing the familiar scar above his right ear.
-
Sam had to leave early the next morning, and was showered, dressed, and had let the dog out and fed her before Jack had even woken. Leaving him a note on the refrigerator, Sam snuck back into the bedroom to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead while Dorothy curled up at the foot of the bed to go back to sleep, and was out the door.
As soon as she'd arrived on base, Sam changed into her BDUs, went to the infirmary for her pre-mission check, then grabbed a quick coffee and bagel in the commissary before meeting the rest of SG-1 in the briefing room.
Today was going to be a good day, Sam was certain. All SG-1 had to do was bring the treaty Daniel had been working on. Teal'c had helped him with the people's obscured language which was a twisted version of Goa'uld, the language of their slavers at one time. After the treaty was agreed upon and signed, SG-1 was to have a feast with the people to celebrate, and then they could go home. Sam wasn't worried about complications, the chances of which were few. They'd already had a meeting with these people and explored some of their land and customs on a previous mission. These were friendly folks, still looking to reclaim their freedom after decades of Goa'uld rule had destroyed their previous way of life. Sam was confident things would go smoothly, but she knew better than to let her guard down.
"Good morning, Major Carter," Teal'c greeted with a slight bow of his head as she entered the briefing room.
"Morning, Teal'c." Sam smiled back at him, taking a seat across the table and looking around curiously. General Hammond hadn't come out of his office yet, and she hadn't seen Daniel at all.
Suddenly, the rushed-looking archaeologist dashed up the steps into the briefing room, papers and notebooks tucked under one arm, coffee securely in hand. "Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologized somewhat breathlessly. "I had to add a few finishing touches on the treaty." Daniel blinked, sinking into the chair beside Teal'c and letting his papers sprawl on the table. "Am I late?"
Sam laughed quietly and shook her head. "Don't worry Daniel, you're not late."
Teal'c bowed his head. "Indeed. General Hammond has not yet joined us."
Daniel heaved a sigh of relief. "Phew." He gave a small smile.
Within moments, the General had come in, and everyone grew quiet as the briefing began.
-
When he'd finally managed to drag himself out of bed, Jack found Sam's note and smiled to himself. He glanced down at Dorothy, who was looking up at him from his side and wagging her tail happily. "You're not tricking me into feeding you breakfast twice again, girl. Sam's note says she already fed you." Smirking down at the dog and chuckling at the cock-eared look she gave him at the mention of food, Jack patted her on the head and swung the refrigerator door open, lazily scratching at his stomach as he peered inside to look for something to eat.
After eventually showering around eleven and throwing on some comfortable sweats and his favorite Chicago Black Hawks t-shirt, Jack lounged on the couch with Dorothy to watch the hockey game. With his sock-clad feet propped up on the coffee table, Jack smirked sideways as he glanced at the big dog sprawled across the cushion next to him, her head nearly hanging off the sofa, amber eyes alert and seeming to be watching the television just as he was.
More than half-way through the game, toward the end of the second period while the Black Hawks were ahead of the Flyers by three points, Jack quickly went to the kitchen during a commercial break. Letting Dorothy outside to go to the bathroom, he dug an individual pizza out of the freezer and tossed it in the microwave for lunch. Knowing very well that Sam only stocked the refrigerator with two beers a week so he couldn't go over his limit, Jack opted to save his one remaining beer and waited impatiently for his food to be finished cooking.
Seconds before the microwave beeped, Jack opened up the door to the back deck and let Dorothy back in, intending to get his food and hurry back to his game when the phone rang. Instead of reaching for the microwave door, he picked up the telephone on the counter and answered it with mild irritation. "Yeah?"
"Jack, it's Daniel," answered the voice on the other end, sounding decidedly subdued.
Knowing that his archaeologist friend had been on the same exact mission as Sam and shouldn't have been back already, Jack felt his heart leap into his throat at the tone of Daniel's voice. If everything was okay and the team had simply returned earlier than scheduled, it would be Sam calling him. "Where is she Daniel?" he asked desperately in a choked, raspy voice that surprised even him.
"Sam's in the infirmary, Jack; but listen-"
-
"She's not badly hurt and I'm coming to pick you up." Daniel finished, sitting on the edge of the desk in Janet's office while the doctor stood in the doorway. Hearing no response from his friend, Daniel blinked in confusion, brows furrowed. "Jack? Hello? Jack, you there?" Looking to Janet with worried eyes, the archaeologist exclaimed, "Dammit!"
Janet stepped forward, her eyes filled with concern of her own. She heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "He's probably on his way already."
Daniel started to rush from the office, talking all the way, the small doctor quick on his heels. "Jack isn't supposed to be driving! I'll head toward his house and meet him half way."
"Daniel, stop!" Janet barked in her forceful, doctor's voice as she grabbed his arm, spinning him to face her. "He probably won't even notice your car, and if he does you know Jack won't stop." She took in a breath and glanced down at Daniel's feet for a moment. "It's not too long of a drive, I'm sure he'll be okay," Janet told him reassuringly with more confidence than she was feeling. "If he's not here in half an hour you can go looking for him."
Agitatedly running a hand through his hair, Daniel wrapped an arm around himself and nodded finally. "Alright, but I'd better at least meet him up top. He probably won't have his security card to get down here."
"Okay," Janet agreed softly. "Teal'c's with Sam in case she wakes up, and I'll put a call through to the General so he can order the security guards to just wave Jack through the check points once he gets here."
Daniel nodded again and took off hastily, rushing toward the elevators.
-
Jack had dropped the phone as soon as he'd heard the word infirmary. He managed to find his own set of rarely-used truck keys in record time, and was out the door with Dorothy in less than a minute. He'd barely paused long enough to realize he almost dashed outside without putting on shoes. Jack was already a wreck, so focused on going to see Sam, his heart racing in time with his worried thoughts, anxiety pains already flaring in his chest.
Dorothy had sensed his uneasiness and attached herself to Jack's side as he rushed out the door and got into his truck. She laid down on the passenger seat and rested her head in his lap as if in an effort to comfort him while he drove.
-
Janet was just finishing checking over some X-rays when she heard voices and the barking of a dog just out in the hall near the infirmary. She recognized Daniel's voice and then Jack's panicked protests. Hurrying into the corridor, the small doctor found Daniel trying to steady a gasping, panicked Jack, with Dorothy pacing and barking beside him. Janet hastily went to them.
"Where's...Sam?" Jack demanded between rapid, gasping breaths. He was too distraught to think about anything but his concerns for Sam, wanting only to see her and know she was okay.
"She's going to be fine Jack, she's just got a mild concussion and a hairline fracture in her ankle," Janet explained quickly in her attempt to reassure him. It was obvious that a panic attack was quickly taking hold of him.
"See...her?" he gasped, suddenly grasping at his chest with one hand. Jack's whole body was shaking and he felt like he couldn't breathe, sharp daggers digging into his chest. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, overcome with dizziness. He felt Dorothy worriedly nudge her head against his back and heard her whine with concern.
Daniel latched onto his friend's shoulders, trying to steady Jack and prevent him from falling any further. "We'll take you to see her Jack, just take it easy, okay?"
Janet knelt in front of Jack and took hold of a suddenly-limp wrist, checking his pulse. Turning her head slightly at the sound of footsteps approaching, Fraiser spotted one of her nurses peering around the doorway and quickly shouted her orders. "Lieutenant, I need a sedative over here!"
The nurse took one good look at what was going on and hurried to retrieve the medication. "Yes ma'am!"
With Daniel's help, Janet managed to get Jack on his feet, and the three of them stumbled unsteadily into the ward, Dorothy on their heels. Jack was still breathing in short, rapid gasps, and shaking tremendously. Janet rubbed soothingly at his back as they guided him. "Jack, you're having a panic attack; you need to calm down," she instructed softly.
Sam's bed finally came into Jack's view as the nurse handed Janet the sedative and the doctor swiftly injected it into the side of his neck.
He stumbled as the medication began to quickly take effect, knocking him to his knees again. Still breathing harshly and feeling sharp pains in his chest, Jack lurched forward in an attempt to move closer to Sam's bed.
Daniel gripped Jack's arm tighter on his right while Janet did the same at his other side. "She's alright Jack, see? She's just unconscious."
"Sam..." Jack started to whisper breathlessly just before the sedative knocked him out, and he slumped limply between Janet and Daniel.
"Let's get him on a bed," Janet ordered with a nod to Daniel.
Quick to take most of their friend's dead weight, Daniel half-dragged him to the empty bed beside Sam's and hoisted him up onto the mattress.
Dorothy was quick to leap onto the bed with Jack, but Janet grasped at her collar and gently tugged her back to the ground. "I don't think so girl. No dogs in my infirmary. Sorry."
Teal'c stepped into the infirmary just in time to see the doctor's dilemma. He'd had to leave for a few minutes before Jack arrived when he was called to the General's office for a quick debriefing. Looking from Major Carter's bed, to O'Neill, and then to the dog being held by the doctor, he asked, "May I be of assistance Doctor Fraiser?"
"Teal'c!" Janet heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him. "Would you take Dorothy for a little while? I can't keep her in here."
"Indeed." Bowing his head slightly in assent, the Jaffa swiftly took her collar and led the reluctant animal from the room.
"Thanks Teal'c," Daniel told his friend gratefully, looking between his two friends in the infirmary beds with a sigh. He moved over beside Janet who was currently checking Jack's blood pressure. "Will he be alright?"
She nodded shortly, removing the blood pressure cuff. "He's hypertensive, but he should be okay once he calms down." Janet glanced over at her other unconscious friend with a small, solemn smile. "I just hope Sam's conscious by the time he wakes up. It'll be easier for him to relax if he can see that she's up and able to talk to him."
Daniel nodded his head in agreement and pulled up a seat between the beds to wait.
-
Chapter Four
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