Bits and Pieces: Hanging by a Moment
Title: Hanging by a Moment
Summary: Jack’s progress takes a leap forward.
Timeframe: Pre-Changes, after “Steady as We Go.”
Characters/Pairing: Jack, established Daniel/Janet
Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: PG
Hanging by a Moment
It was nearly a month since Jack’s injury, and every day Janet was more surprised by the things that he could do. His physical progressions were quite remarkable at this point in his recovery. He could stand for short periods of time now, but wasn’t really able to walk without a lot of support, and still had to be in a wheelchair. Jack had relearned how to do other things on his own as well. He could now tell when he had to use the bathroom with few accidents, and Janet was both amazed and pleased that it was one of those things he could usually do without prompting. She, Daniel, and Teal’c had learned to recognize the signs when he needed to go. It also helped that he had scheduled bathroom times; first thing in the morning, an hour or two after meals, and right before bed.
That morning, when it was time for Jack’s bath, Janet went to his room where Daniel had just finished giving Jack his breakfast. He was getting better at feeding himself now, though it was still a messy process better accomplished in private.
“Hello, you two,” Janet greeted Jack and Daniel as she walked into the room with Nurse Benson. Jack and Daniel were sitting at the little table, the remnants of their breakfast still out in front of them. Since Jack could now sit up on his own without falling over, he no longer needed the chest strap on his chair, and was able to keep himself from slumping to one side or the other. It was a vast improvement.
Nurse Benson went straight to the bathroom to get the water running at an acceptable temperature and make sure Jack’s special bath chair was in place.
Daniel waved, smiled, and turned to Jack. “You ready for your shower, big guy?”
Jack’s neck craned back as he made a noise and stared up at the ceiling. He put his hands on the wheels of his chair, but lacked the strength to maneuver himself.
Daniel automatically reached down to put Jack’s hands back in his lap. Jack’s limbs were slowly becoming ‘uncurled’ as his therapy continued, working to strengthen his muscles and hopefully improve his dexterity over time. He was already better at grasping things. “I’ve got it, Jack,” Daniel said, pushing his friend to the private bathroom.
When Daniel parked Jack’s chair beside the tub and left the bathroom, Janet and Nurse Benson moved in. Luckily, the space was large-not as large as the infirmary showers, but they still had room.
Usually when Jack was being bathed-often by herself and a nurse-they would strip Jack down while he was in his wheelchair, then transfer him over to the special bath chair. Jack would sit passively as they got him under the warm spray of water and bathed him. This time, however, Jack surprised them all.
Nurse Benson removed Jack’s shoes and socks without a problem, but as soon as Janet began to pull up his t-shirt, Jack started fighting them. He threw his arms down and pushed Janet’s hands away, making noises that signified his displeasure.
“Jack, you need to get undressed for your bath,” Janet said calmly, trying to circumvent his flailing arms that continued to bat her away.
“Nyaaahhh!” Jack screeched, getting agitated.
“What’s going on?” Daniel demanded as he burst into the bathroom, a look of alarm on his face when he saw Jack fighting them.
Janet sighed and excused the nurse. The other women left the room, giving Daniel space to enter. She stopped reaching for Jack’s clothes and he calmed down marginally. “He won’t let us undress him.”
Daniel just stared quizzically at Jack, standing back and wrapping his arms around his torso. “Maybe he wants to do it himself?” he suggested.
Taking a half step back, Janet studied her patient seriously, leaning sideways a little to try and get into his line of sight. “Is that it, Jack? Do you want to undress yourself?”
As if in answer, he started pulling at his shirt to get it off. Whenever Janet or Daniel tried to help, he threw a fit, so they backed off and allowed him to do it all on his own. It took Jack a while to get the shirt off, and even longer with his pants and boxers, but Janet and Daniel were both delightedly proud. This was progress.
Modesty still didn’t seem to be an issue at this point; Jack just wanted to do everything on his own and not be touched while he was doing it. That was all well and good, and Janet was pleased that he was making an effort in attempting to take care of himself, but when he was struggling to transfer from his wheelchair to the shower chair, Janet stepped in. She ignored his flailing and grunts of discontent, enlisting Daniel’s help to transfer him quickly so he didn’t hurt himself. He calmed down again once he was settled and the soothing warm water was spraying down on him.
“This is definitely a start,” Janet commented to Daniel happily. “It’s a good sign. And maybe even sometime soon, when he has a little more strength, he’ll even be able to transfer on his own, or not need the bath chair at all.”
“Janet, look,” Daniel whispered in astonishment, staring at Jack.
Turning her head, Janet watched Jack pick up his bath sponge and the soap before slowly and awkwardly beginning to scrub himself clean. Janet was beaming, amazed and excited and suddenly crying all at once. She felt Daniel’s hand on her shoulder and sent him a reassuring-yet watery-smile. Janet covered his hand with her own. “It’s okay, Daniel. You can go. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
He cocked his head. “You sure?” Daniel jerked a thumb out the door. “Do you want me to get Nurse Benson back?”
“No, I’m sure.” She glanced over at Jack. He closed his eyes, scrubbed at his face, then leaned into the spray to rinse away the suds before opening his eyes again. Janet would never cease to be amazed at how the human brain worked. “We’ll be fine.”
Once Daniel had gone, Janet took a seat in Jack’s now-vacant wheelchair and picked up a magazine from the counter to keep herself busy while also keeping watch over Jack out of the corner of her eye. She was inexplicably proud of her patient and couldn’t stop grinning as she flipped through the magazine without really looking at it.
When he’d bathed himself sufficiently and rinsed off, Janet got up to turn off the water and gave Jack his towel. She started to dry him off while he was still in the bath chair, but Jack just grunted loudly and tore the towel out of her grip. Janet stepped back patiently as he dried himself, then helped him get back to his wheelchair where he clumsily struggled to dress in the clothes Janet gave him. She could tell he was exhausted by now, evidenced by the way his arms pulled in awkwardly after he wiggled into a pair of shorts and then couldn’t seem to do anything else. Janet saw how hard it was for Jack to concentrate on any simple tasks when he was overly tired, his injured brain overtaxed by his efforts and his limbs refusing to cooperate at all.
“It’s okay,” Janet soothed as Jack became agitated, thrashing and nearly tossing himself out of his chair to the point where she had to grab his shoulders so he didn’t end up on the floor. “Jack, it’s okay. Calm down.” She took his sweatpants and t-shirt and then got behind his wheelchair, pushing him back into his suite.
Jack then became completely passive as Janet pushed him over to the bed, only helping her a little as she pulled his arm across her shoulders to try and maneuver him back onto the mattress. He’d lost a significant amount of weight since his accident, but Jack was still much too heavy for her to handle on her own if he wasn’t being cooperative.
When she tried to dress him, Jack just pushed her hands away, but refused to dress himself. Janet had recognized the signs of cognitive fatigue when his limbs had stopped cooperating and he’d grown extremely agitated. He’d done too much and he was beyond the normal exhaustion. As she watched Jack lie down, it was clear that his motor control was gone for the moment; his limbs all curled in like they used to, and he was totally uncooperative.
Resigning herself to the fact that Jack would need to take his nap early today, Janet unfolded the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered him. If he wouldn’t let her dress him now, she would try again later, or Teal’c would when he came to stay with Jack for a little while. Maybe then Jack would be well rested and would try dressing on his own again. Janet was confident that this time wasn’t just a fluke-random behavior. She was certain that Jack was improving.
Sometimes Janet wondered if it would have been more beneficial for Jack to put him in a rehab hospital instead of caring for him on their own. But then it was days like this, when he showed great improvement, that Janet grew confident that they were doing the right thing. Dr. Carlysle had brought in a full neurological team (with clearance) to work with Jack at the SGC’s hospital, and assured Janet that he was getting better care here than he would at any rehab hospital, simply because he had more than one caregiver and because his team of doctors and therapists were there specifically to work with him alone.
Janet looked down at Jack and checked the clock on his bedside table. Daniel would be on his way back soon, and she’d have him sit with Jack while he napped for the next few hours and regained some energy before Teal’c came to bring Jack to therapy.
Sitting on the edge of the bed where Jack lay staring off into space, Janet sat with him in silence until he fell asleep, then got up to clean up the bathroom a little. She was still marveling at the huge step forward Jack had made today, and was even a little sad she was unable to share this moment with her best friend. Janet was certain that Sam would be here for Jack every step of the way if she’d known what was going on, but being with the Tok’ra, she and her father were constrained to zero contact on their covert mission. Janet silently prayed that Sam was safe and due to return home soon. They’d nearly lost Jack (they had lost him in a sense), and she couldn’t fathom the possibility of losing another friend quite so soon.
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Summary: Jack’s progress takes a leap forward.
Timeframe: Pre-Changes, after “Steady as We Go.”
Characters/Pairing: Jack, established Daniel/Janet
Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: PG
Hanging by a Moment
It was nearly a month since Jack’s injury, and every day Janet was more surprised by the things that he could do. His physical progressions were quite remarkable at this point in his recovery. He could stand for short periods of time now, but wasn’t really able to walk without a lot of support, and still had to be in a wheelchair. Jack had relearned how to do other things on his own as well. He could now tell when he had to use the bathroom with few accidents, and Janet was both amazed and pleased that it was one of those things he could usually do without prompting. She, Daniel, and Teal’c had learned to recognize the signs when he needed to go. It also helped that he had scheduled bathroom times; first thing in the morning, an hour or two after meals, and right before bed.
That morning, when it was time for Jack’s bath, Janet went to his room where Daniel had just finished giving Jack his breakfast. He was getting better at feeding himself now, though it was still a messy process better accomplished in private.
“Hello, you two,” Janet greeted Jack and Daniel as she walked into the room with Nurse Benson. Jack and Daniel were sitting at the little table, the remnants of their breakfast still out in front of them. Since Jack could now sit up on his own without falling over, he no longer needed the chest strap on his chair, and was able to keep himself from slumping to one side or the other. It was a vast improvement.
Nurse Benson went straight to the bathroom to get the water running at an acceptable temperature and make sure Jack’s special bath chair was in place.
Daniel waved, smiled, and turned to Jack. “You ready for your shower, big guy?”
Jack’s neck craned back as he made a noise and stared up at the ceiling. He put his hands on the wheels of his chair, but lacked the strength to maneuver himself.
Daniel automatically reached down to put Jack’s hands back in his lap. Jack’s limbs were slowly becoming ‘uncurled’ as his therapy continued, working to strengthen his muscles and hopefully improve his dexterity over time. He was already better at grasping things. “I’ve got it, Jack,” Daniel said, pushing his friend to the private bathroom.
When Daniel parked Jack’s chair beside the tub and left the bathroom, Janet and Nurse Benson moved in. Luckily, the space was large-not as large as the infirmary showers, but they still had room.
Usually when Jack was being bathed-often by herself and a nurse-they would strip Jack down while he was in his wheelchair, then transfer him over to the special bath chair. Jack would sit passively as they got him under the warm spray of water and bathed him. This time, however, Jack surprised them all.
Nurse Benson removed Jack’s shoes and socks without a problem, but as soon as Janet began to pull up his t-shirt, Jack started fighting them. He threw his arms down and pushed Janet’s hands away, making noises that signified his displeasure.
“Jack, you need to get undressed for your bath,” Janet said calmly, trying to circumvent his flailing arms that continued to bat her away.
“Nyaaahhh!” Jack screeched, getting agitated.
“What’s going on?” Daniel demanded as he burst into the bathroom, a look of alarm on his face when he saw Jack fighting them.
Janet sighed and excused the nurse. The other women left the room, giving Daniel space to enter. She stopped reaching for Jack’s clothes and he calmed down marginally. “He won’t let us undress him.”
Daniel just stared quizzically at Jack, standing back and wrapping his arms around his torso. “Maybe he wants to do it himself?” he suggested.
Taking a half step back, Janet studied her patient seriously, leaning sideways a little to try and get into his line of sight. “Is that it, Jack? Do you want to undress yourself?”
As if in answer, he started pulling at his shirt to get it off. Whenever Janet or Daniel tried to help, he threw a fit, so they backed off and allowed him to do it all on his own. It took Jack a while to get the shirt off, and even longer with his pants and boxers, but Janet and Daniel were both delightedly proud. This was progress.
Modesty still didn’t seem to be an issue at this point; Jack just wanted to do everything on his own and not be touched while he was doing it. That was all well and good, and Janet was pleased that he was making an effort in attempting to take care of himself, but when he was struggling to transfer from his wheelchair to the shower chair, Janet stepped in. She ignored his flailing and grunts of discontent, enlisting Daniel’s help to transfer him quickly so he didn’t hurt himself. He calmed down again once he was settled and the soothing warm water was spraying down on him.
“This is definitely a start,” Janet commented to Daniel happily. “It’s a good sign. And maybe even sometime soon, when he has a little more strength, he’ll even be able to transfer on his own, or not need the bath chair at all.”
“Janet, look,” Daniel whispered in astonishment, staring at Jack.
Turning her head, Janet watched Jack pick up his bath sponge and the soap before slowly and awkwardly beginning to scrub himself clean. Janet was beaming, amazed and excited and suddenly crying all at once. She felt Daniel’s hand on her shoulder and sent him a reassuring-yet watery-smile. Janet covered his hand with her own. “It’s okay, Daniel. You can go. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
He cocked his head. “You sure?” Daniel jerked a thumb out the door. “Do you want me to get Nurse Benson back?”
“No, I’m sure.” She glanced over at Jack. He closed his eyes, scrubbed at his face, then leaned into the spray to rinse away the suds before opening his eyes again. Janet would never cease to be amazed at how the human brain worked. “We’ll be fine.”
Once Daniel had gone, Janet took a seat in Jack’s now-vacant wheelchair and picked up a magazine from the counter to keep herself busy while also keeping watch over Jack out of the corner of her eye. She was inexplicably proud of her patient and couldn’t stop grinning as she flipped through the magazine without really looking at it.
When he’d bathed himself sufficiently and rinsed off, Janet got up to turn off the water and gave Jack his towel. She started to dry him off while he was still in the bath chair, but Jack just grunted loudly and tore the towel out of her grip. Janet stepped back patiently as he dried himself, then helped him get back to his wheelchair where he clumsily struggled to dress in the clothes Janet gave him. She could tell he was exhausted by now, evidenced by the way his arms pulled in awkwardly after he wiggled into a pair of shorts and then couldn’t seem to do anything else. Janet saw how hard it was for Jack to concentrate on any simple tasks when he was overly tired, his injured brain overtaxed by his efforts and his limbs refusing to cooperate at all.
“It’s okay,” Janet soothed as Jack became agitated, thrashing and nearly tossing himself out of his chair to the point where she had to grab his shoulders so he didn’t end up on the floor. “Jack, it’s okay. Calm down.” She took his sweatpants and t-shirt and then got behind his wheelchair, pushing him back into his suite.
Jack then became completely passive as Janet pushed him over to the bed, only helping her a little as she pulled his arm across her shoulders to try and maneuver him back onto the mattress. He’d lost a significant amount of weight since his accident, but Jack was still much too heavy for her to handle on her own if he wasn’t being cooperative.
When she tried to dress him, Jack just pushed her hands away, but refused to dress himself. Janet had recognized the signs of cognitive fatigue when his limbs had stopped cooperating and he’d grown extremely agitated. He’d done too much and he was beyond the normal exhaustion. As she watched Jack lie down, it was clear that his motor control was gone for the moment; his limbs all curled in like they used to, and he was totally uncooperative.
Resigning herself to the fact that Jack would need to take his nap early today, Janet unfolded the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered him. If he wouldn’t let her dress him now, she would try again later, or Teal’c would when he came to stay with Jack for a little while. Maybe then Jack would be well rested and would try dressing on his own again. Janet was confident that this time wasn’t just a fluke-random behavior. She was certain that Jack was improving.
Sometimes Janet wondered if it would have been more beneficial for Jack to put him in a rehab hospital instead of caring for him on their own. But then it was days like this, when he showed great improvement, that Janet grew confident that they were doing the right thing. Dr. Carlysle had brought in a full neurological team (with clearance) to work with Jack at the SGC’s hospital, and assured Janet that he was getting better care here than he would at any rehab hospital, simply because he had more than one caregiver and because his team of doctors and therapists were there specifically to work with him alone.
Janet looked down at Jack and checked the clock on his bedside table. Daniel would be on his way back soon, and she’d have him sit with Jack while he napped for the next few hours and regained some energy before Teal’c came to bring Jack to therapy.
Sitting on the edge of the bed where Jack lay staring off into space, Janet sat with him in silence until he fell asleep, then got up to clean up the bathroom a little. She was still marveling at the huge step forward Jack had made today, and was even a little sad she was unable to share this moment with her best friend. Janet was certain that Sam would be here for Jack every step of the way if she’d known what was going on, but being with the Tok’ra, she and her father were constrained to zero contact on their covert mission. Janet silently prayed that Sam was safe and due to return home soon. They’d nearly lost Jack (they had lost him in a sense), and she couldn’t fathom the possibility of losing another friend quite so soon.
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