Dog Heaven: Dog Days (Parts 7, 8 & 9 of 9)
Title: Dog Heaven: Dog Days
Summary: Jack and Sam get more than they bargained for after an enlightening trip back to P2G-764 that will change their lives forever.
Timeframe: Six months after ‘Dog Heaven: Pack Mates.’
Characters/Pairing: Established Sam/Jack, Team, Janet
Genre: Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Whump
Rating: T
Part Seven
He couldn’t stop shaking or breathing like he’d run a marathon, and his eyes kept threatening to close, but Jack kept telling himself he needed to get up. He needed to drag his ass up and get Carter to the infirmary. “I’m ready,” he breathed suddenly, trying and failing to put some strength into his voice. He felt Sam sit up slowly behind him.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her own voice sounding a little weak.
Suddenly worried that Sam was going into shock from her injuries, Jack became motivated more than ever to get moving. “Yeah,” he insisted, pushing himself to sit up with shaky arms. He turned over onto his hands and knees, thinking it would he a hell of a lot easier if he just went wolf right now, but then he wouldn’t be able to help Sam.
“Let me help you up, okay?” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Jack glanced at her sideways with a raised eyebrow. “And who’s gonna help you up?”
Sam just smiled at him through pale lips. “I’ll manage.”
He shook his head stubbornly. “No. I got it.” Summoning up every ounce of strength he had left, Jack pushed himself to his feet and staggered sideways a few yards until he found a tree to lean on. Still clinging to his BDU pants, Jack managed to get them on and then took a few deep breaths before stumbling over to Sam who was still on the ground.
Finding a sturdy-looking branch, Jack picked it up, momentarily using it to steady himself as he reached down with one arm to help Sam. Her hand gripped his forearm as he leaned back and pulled, and she managed to get upright, swaying slightly before finding her balance on the one good foot. She clung tightly to Jack’s arm and he handed her the walking stick. “Here. Use this.”
“What about you?” Sam asked him worriedly.
“I don’t need anything. I’m fine,” he insisted feebly. “C’mon, Sam, lean on me.”
She gave Jack a look that said she could see right through him, but obviously didn’t see a way around it and complied with his request.
By the time they reached the stream that would put them back on the path, Jack’s breathing became even more labored, his limbs still feeling quite weak. It was like his muscles had turned to Jell-O. His feet were getting sore from traipsing through the brush barefoot, and it was almost getting too dark to see. He was becoming exceptionally worried that they wouldn’t make it back to the base, and every time he stole a glance at Sam she seemed more pale than before.
.
Daniel felt the first few drops of rain coming through the thick trees as he and Teal’c made their way up the steep mountain path. When Sam and Jack didn’t meet him and Teal’c in the commissary for dinner as they said they would, Daniel got nervous. They’d told him they were going topside for a hike, but that had been hours ago. Daniel contacted the SFs at the two base check-in points, but neither man had seen the Colonel or the Major return yet, and it was nearly time for their shift change.
Alerting General Hammond and Janet that there might be something amiss with Jack and Sam, the man had immediately gathered two SG-teams to help him and Teal’c start a search.
Reaching a fork in the trail, Daniel heaved a sigh and glanced back at Teal’c, who was concentrating on the dirt beneath their feet, no doubt scouring the well-worn trail for signs of their friends. “Which way?”
Teal’c caught up with him and crouched down, examining the start of the new separate trails. It was about thirty seconds before he pointed in the direction where the path climbed at a steeper angle. “That way.”
Daniel grimaced at the thought of scaling that path in the rain, while it was getting dark. Trudging ahead with effort, he pushed on. “Jack’s knees must be killing him,” he murmured, letting Teal’c go by him.
.
Sam and Jack had gotten a bit of a reprieve when the path leveled out for a quarter mile, but then their luck turned once more as the rain became heavier when they’d reached another steep decline in the trail. Sam’s strength was flagging quickly. She felt lightheaded, and the cold rain left her chilled and shaking, the pain in her left ankle now a constant, fiery throb. She knew Jack wasn’t doing much better, his strength already drained from his frequent shifting, so Sam tried to lean on the walking stick more to keep a little less weight off her partner.
After struggling down the steep part of the path, Sam started to see black spots in her vision and fought to remain conscious. She squeezed Jack’s upper arm as she swayed, nearly losing her grip on the walking stick. “Jack,” she breathed dazedly.
He must have known she was about to pass out, because he stopped and murmured, “S’ok. I got you.” Then, somehow finding a reserve of strength, Jack scooped her into his arms with a grunt of effort.
Sam could feel his chilled bare skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the cold rain saturating his exposed upper body. She clung to Jack tightly as he began to stagger down the path carrying her, hoping her body might offer him some warmth as they continued on. They’d been trudging along at a snail’s pace for hours in the cold, damp mountain climate with no shoes and minimal clothing, and Sam was aware that they were both probably starting to suffer from hypothermia; neither of them could stop shivering.
.
As Sam suddenly passed out in his arms, going completely limp, Jack’s staggering worsened, pain spiking up and down his legs with every step. His knees were on fire, the downhill climb and chilling temperatures not doing his joints any favors. Jack continued moving through sheer determination alone as he strived to get Sam to safety. Nothing else mattered.
The uneven terrain was killing him, the rain and the encroaching darkness making it nearly impossible to see now. His hands were cramping in the cold, and he knew he was losing his grip on Sam. Stumbling and sliding on his numb, stinging feet down a dip in the trail, Jack lost his already-precarious balance and landed hard on his butt as his legs gave out, Sam’s weight thumping against his chest as he fell.
Breathing hard, Jack attempted to rise before every bit of adrenaline left his system. It didn’t work, though. He couldn’t get back up. Not this time.
Trembling from his physical weakness and anger that his body was betraying him at this moment, Jack clutched Sam to him, feeling so incredibly helpless. “I’m s-sorry…Ss-ssam,” he murmured into her wet hair.
“It’ssss….o-kuh-kay.”
Sam’s sudden voice startled him and he reached up with a numb, trembling hand to clumsily brush some of the soaking golden locks out of her face. “Ss-ssam?”
“They’ll fuh-find…us.”
Jack didn’t have to ask who she meant. However, this time he wasn’t so sure Danny and Teal’c would be coming to their rescue. No one really knew exactly where they were, and they’d gone quite far down one of the mountain paths. A search would take hours, hours they no longer had.
Sam passed out again, and Jack just kept telling himself that he was only resting for a moment. Once he gathered his strength he’d take Sam and find some shelter to get through the night. Part of him was still clinging to the hope that they would be rescued before it came down to that, but he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. It was so dark already and time was growing short.
Exhausted, Jack leaned forward against Sam where she was sprawled in his lap after he’d fallen. He rested his cheek on top of her head and closed his eyes. It wasn’t very comfortable, being so cold and with the rain pelting his back, but he just needed to rest for a short time. Just a few minutes and then he’d get up.
.
“Teal’c, slow down! I can barely see anything!” Daniel shouted after the quickly-moving Jaffa as his friend’s long, determined strikes made quick use of the trail. He fumbled for the flashlight in the emergency rucksack he’d hastily packed when they were preparing to start the search. Finding it, Daniel clicked it on and shined it at the ground ahead as he stumbled to catch up.
Daniel slipped and fell on the muddy trail a few times before catching up to Teal’c, who’d suddenly gone stock still and was peering intently ahead of them into the dark. Guessing his friend was trying to listen for signs of their friends over the sound of the rain coming down in the forest around them, Daniel kept as quiet as he could and waited patiently.
After nearly two minutes, Teal’c stretched out his own arm and aimed his flashlight up the trail ahead, pointing slightly to the left. “There.”
Daniel squinted, but his glasses were so fogged and dotted with raindrops that he couldn’t really make anything out. Taking the Jaffa’s word for it, Daniel marched ahead with him about fifty more feet up the muddy path.
“OhmyGod,” he breathed when he was close enough to see. Jack and Sam were huddled together just off the trail, both soaking wet and frighteningly still. “Jack! Sam!”
Daniel hastily ran to them with Teal’c, crouching down to find that neither of them were wearing shoes, and they were missing articles of clothing, Jack noticeably lacking a shirt. Daniel shined his light on them and could see blood staining Sam’s left pant leg, and as he reached out with a trembling hand to check for a pulse, turned to Teal’c with worried eyes. “Sam’s injured and they’re both ice cold.”
With a clench of his jaw and a nod, Teal’c reached for the radio clipped to his jacket and contacted the two search and rescue teams. He told them their location and requested the teams bring two of the collapsible stretchers they should have in their packs. “O’Neill and Major Carter require immediate medical assistance.”
“They’ve each got a pulse, but they’re slow,” Daniel said, placing his own chilled hand on his unconscious friend’s icy, naked back. “Jack,” he called out, trying to rouse the very still man. Really starting to freak out, Daniel glanced worriedly over at Teal’c. “We need to try and warm then up some while we wait for the SAR teams to get here.” He squeezed Jack’s shoulder first, and then Sam’s. Neither responded.
Nodding sagely, Teal’c removed his team jacket and draped it over Jack. The outside was damp from the rain, but at least the inside of it was warm from the Jaffa’s body heat.
Daniel did the same and tried to place his over Sam, though it was a little difficult because amazingly Jack still had her in his lap, his body wrapped almost completely around her to shield her from the elements. She was more clothed than he was, at least wearing her t-shirt with the pants, but by now the water had seeped through.
“C’mon, Jack, Sam,” Daniel murmured, mostly to himself. He and Teal’c hunkered down on either side of Sam and Jack, using their own body heat to warm the unconscious pair as they waited for the rescue teams. “Hang in there, guys,” he added softly.
.
Jack began to rouse slightly as the rescue teams arrived and started to gently get him and Sam on the stretchers. “Sssam?” he called out breathily as Major Thompson tucked an emergency blanket around him.
Daniel knelt beside the stretcher, placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Jack, it’s Daniel. Sam’s going to be okay, and so are you. “
“Duh-Dan’l?” he questioned without opening his eyes, blue-tinged lips trembling as his teeth chattered.
“Yeah. Teal’c and I found you. We brought rescue teams with us to help get you back.”
“Cuh-cuh-coooold.”
“I know, Jack. We’ll have you in the nice warm infirmary in no time. Just hang in there.” Daniel gave his friend’s shoulder a pat, then nodded to the SG team members and Teal’c who were ready to carry Jack and Sam’s stretchers out of the woods.
.
“They’re both in shock and hypothermic. I want them on IVs with warm saline, and let’s get them out of these wet clothes and under some warm blankets right away.” Janet rattled off orders to her medical staff once Jack and Sam arrived in the infirmary.
Daniel and Teal’c quickly got out of the way and were shooed into the hallway to wait for further news about their friends.
Feeling restless and anxious after just over half an hour, Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets and began pacing. Teal’c, as usual, was standing silently by the wall, watching him stalk back and forth. The Jaffa’s calm exterior was only broken by the slightest twitch of his brow, indicating how troubled he actually was. Daniel was sure no one outside of SG-1 would have noticed the very subtle crack in Teal’c’s armor.
When Janet finally stepped out into the hall, Daniel stopped his pacing and spun around to stand beside Teal’c in front of the doctor attentively. “How are they?”
Janet took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They’re both a little shocky and suffering from mild hypothermia. They’re being treated for that now, and their temperatures are slowly rising back to normal.”
“What happened to Sam’s leg?” Daniel wanted to know, folding his arms and hugging himself. It was a nervous habit.
“That’s where things get a little strange,” Janet said, her own brows furrowed slightly. “The wounds surrounding Sam’s ankle look like they came from some kind of trap, and the X-rays reveal evidence of a recently healed break.”
“What?” Daniel blinked with confusion.
Janet shook her head. “I don’t really understand it myself. The puncture wounds were deep and required a few stitches, but since the break is healed she’ll probably only need a wrap. Sam’s also suffering from some blood loss, but it wasn’t that bad.”
“What of O’Neill?” Teal’c asked.
“Other than the hypothermia and shock, Colonel O’Neill is showing signs of severe exhaustion. I suspect he’d been practicing switching forms during their outing, and it has taken quite a toll on him. He and Sam are both still unconscious and their feet are pretty bad from trekking barefoot, though the Colonel’s are worse.
“That would make sense,” Daniel murmured softly. When Fraiser gave him an expectant look he added, “I assumed he’d been carrying Sam for a while before we found them. He was still holding her in his arms while collapsed on the ground.”
Janet nodded with understanding, her brows knitting together slightly. “Until both the Colonel and Sam are awake and I know exactly what happened I won’t be able to assess any other injuries they may have.”
“May we sit with them, Doctor Fraiser?” Teal’c requested, his steady gaze flicking to the infirmary doors.
“For a little while,” Janet agreed. “They both really need to rest.”
Daniel sent her a swift smile as he and Teal’c moved past. “Thanks, Janet.”
.
Part Eight
Shifting restlessly in her sleep, Sam was confused by the warm, comfortable feeling enveloping her. The last thing she remembered was being cold and wet with a throbbing ankle, not lying in a warm, dry bed. Trying to roll to her side, Sam groaned and began to open her eyes as she felt an uncomfortable tug on her left arm. Opening her eyes, Sam blinked away the blurriness of sleep and struggled to focus on her arm. There was an IV taped to the underside of her elbow.
“Easy Sam, I don’t want you to pull the IV out.”
A gentle hand pressed against her shoulder and she rolled her head towards the voice to find Janet hovering over her. “Ja…” Sam cleared her throat and tried again. “Janet?”
Janet smiled warmly at her. “Sam, can you tell me what happened?”
Sam breathed in and out slowly, trying to gather her thoughts as she carefully pushed herself to sit up, bringing the blankets with her as she felt a chill. Her ankle didn’t hurt too badly at the moment, but she was still a little cold, her feet were sore, and she was tired.
“It’s alright, Sam,” Janet said, soothingly rubbing the top of her hand. “Take your time.”
“Jack and I were hiking topside when I suggested we go for a run, to practice being in wolf form.” Sam sighed. “We decided to test the boundaries of our telepathy as wolves, and when we separated I triggered an old, buried animal trap.” She shuddered briefly at the memory of those rusted metal teeth clamping around her leg and snapping her wolf bones. “Jack had to transform back and forth a few times to free me from the trap…then to…go back and get our clothes.” Grimacing slightly, her gaze flicked to the IV in her arm.
“He had a hard time?” Janet asked knowingly, her voice soft with understanding.
Sam swallowed and nodded. “Yes. He got very weak and collapsed for a while before he could get up again. He wasn’t able to even move at first. When he could we tried to get down the mountain, but I… I knew I was going to pass out and Jack carried me, trying to get us back.”
Janet nodded. “Teal’c and Daniel told me how they found you both unconscious on the trail.” She seemed to study Sam for a moment. “Were you hurt anywhere else?”
“No.” Brows furrowing, Sam looked around, but the privacy curtains were pulled closed around her bed and she couldn’t see the rest of the infirmary. “Where’s Jack? Is he okay?”
Janet looked away. “He’s…still unconscious.”
Sam’s expression quickly turned to one of alarm. “What? Why?”
“Exhaustion, Sam,” the doctor explained with a disarming smile. “I’ll know more when he wakes up and can tell me if something else is bothering him. He seems to be alright though, from my initial exam. His feet are a bit battered, but luckily the hypothermia wasn’t too bad for either of you.”
“Can I see him?” she asked, a desperate edge to her voice. She needed to know he’d be alright.
“Okay, Sam. But you need to stay in bed, got it?” Janet waved a warning finger at her, then went to pull back the privacy curtain.
Jack was curled up on his side facing her bed when Sam was able to catch sight of him. He was pale and covered by two heavy blankets so that she could just barely see his whole head.
“Jack,” she croaked as her ankle started to throb again.
Janet put a hand on her shoulder. “Sam, honey, let him rest.” She began fussing with Sam’s blankets. “I want you to try and sleep, too, okay? I’ll give you another dose of painkillers to help.”
“No, I don’t want to be drugged,” Sam protested feebly, as exhaustion was already creeping up on her again. “In case he wakes up.”
“He’ll be fine, Sam.” Janet smoothed back her hair and then went over to the medical cabinet.
Once the painkiller hit her bloodstream, Sam lost the ability to fight sleep. She managed to turn on her side, watching Jack as the darkness crept up on her, helpless to stop it.
.
“Ow! Agh! Dammit!”
“Colonel, get back in that bed this instant!”
“Doooooc!”
“Now, Colonel.”
“Jack?” Sam murmured, waking to the sound of voices nearby. The tapping of heels on the hard infirmary floor grew closer as she opened her eyes.
“Sam!”
“Stay put, Colonel!” Janet snapped.
She heard Jack grumbling under his breath and blinked slowly as her vision cleared. Janet was leaning over her, smiling gently. “Good morning, Sam.”
“Morning?” she mumbled with confusion.
“Yes, morning.” Janet nodded. “You both slept right on through the night.”
“Oh.” She pushed herself to sit up, gingerly swinging her legs over the side of the bed and noticing the IV was gone. Sam winced slightly at the twinge from her ankle, and she carefully stretched her leg out to see her left ankle all wrapped up.
“Sam? You okay?”
At the sound of Jack’s voice Sam leaned sideways so she could see him, removing Janet from her line of sight. “I’m feeling a lot better now. Are you alright?” Sitting up with his long legs dangling over the bed, he still looked a little pale to her, but Sam wasn’t sure she was much better herself.
Jack smiled swiftly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Janet spun around and gave him a pointed look, her hands firmly planted on her hips.
“What?” Jack asked innocently.
“Colonel, you could barely stand a moment ago,” Janet said matter-of-factly.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Sam asked, alarmed.
He hunched his shoulders, looking suspiciously sheepish.
“Is it your feet?” Janet strode toward him, and Sam noticed both of Jack’s feet were wrapped with bandages.
“No,” Jack grumbled, looking away as the doctor approached and squirming uncomfortably on the bed.
“Colonel,” Janet eyed him sternly. “If you don’t tell me what’s bothering you specifically I’m going to have to do a full work up.”
“Jack.” Sam added her own stern tone.
Clearing his throat, Jack hunched his shoulders and muttered, “S’just the knees.”
Sam grimaced sympathetically, suddenly realizing their trip back down the mountain trail, barefoot and with the slippery conditions-not to mention carrying her-had to have been murder on his knees.
Janet heaved a sigh. “Okay, pants off, Colonel.”
“What!” he balked.
Sam smothered her laugh with her hands.
Not in the mood for Jack’s antics, Janet sternly said, “Now, Colonel. I need to have a look at your knees.”
While Janet was focused on Jack, Sam slipped off the bed gingerly and shuffle-hopped across the floor to Jack’s bed. By the time Janet turned around with a scolding look she was already there.
“Oh, the two of you!” Janet swore with exasperation. She pointed to a spot on the bed beside Jack. “At least sit down, Sam.”
Having the good grace to look chastised, Sam hopped up beside Jack once he’d scooted back and finished struggling out of his scrub pants. She and Janet both gasped at the sight of his knees. They were so swollen and painful looking.
He grimaced and hissed in pain as Fraiser prodded at the swollen joints. “Ow! Watch it, Doc.”
“I’m sorry, Colonel.” She frowned sympathetically at him. “I’m going to have one of my orderlies bring in a wheelchair and then we’ll take you to get some scans.”
“Dooooooc,” he whined.
Janet wasn’t falling for it. “Don’t Doc me, Colonel. You’re going to sit in that wheelchair and get taken for an MRI and that’s final.”
Jack scowled, but Janet still wouldn’t budge, simply staring him down with a no-nonsense expression.
Janet turned her attention back to Sam. “While the Colonel is being taken for his scans I’ve got a few questions to ask you.”
Having a feeling what the questions were concerning, Sam simply nodded and gave Jack a reassuring smile when he looked over at her worriedly.
.
“There are signs of strain in the ligaments of both of his knees, and some inflamed cartilage, but nothing is torn,” Janet assured Sam when she came back from reviewing the Colonel’s latest scans. “I gave him some shots and drained the fluid from his knees.”
Sam glanced over at the Colonel, who was now slightly groggy from painkillers and lying on his bed, both knees wrapped with ice packs.
After learning about Sam and the Colonel’s ability to speed healing by changing forms, Janet was almost tempted to get O’Neill to shift, but worried that he was still far too weak from the day before and didn’t want to exhaust him further.
“Colonel, the swelling should be going down, and the cortisone shots I gave you will be kicking in soon. Otherwise, how are you feeling?” Janet asked him, leaving Sam’s bedside for a moment to help him try and get comfortable. She made him get rid of the scrubs completely and change into a gown so that she and the nurses had access to his knees when necessary.
“Tired. Hungry,” he muttered grumpily.
Janet smiled at the Colonel patiently and gently wedged the extra pillows under his knees as he reclined back on the bed. “I’ll ask a nurse to bring you and Sam some breakfast.”
Colonel O’Neill crossed his arms over his chest and heaved out a breath. He tipped his head back and then lazily looked sideways at Sam with hooded eyes. “How’s your ankle?”
“Not too bad,” she answered softly.
“I’ve given her some painkillers and antibiotics just as a precaution,” Janet assured him, knowing he was concerned about Sam’s health more so than his own.
The Colonel gave a slight nod and then finally let his eyes close as his cheek hit his shoulder.
“Jack?” Sam called out as soon as his head dropped, her voice soft, worried.
Janet waved a hand, dismissing her friend’s concern. “He’s fine, Sam. Let him rest for a bit and you can wake him when the food gets here.”
Sam nodded and tried to relax in her own bed, but looked terribly bored.
Feeling empathetic, Janet asked, “Would you like me to have Daniel bring your laptop for you?”
A smile quickly spread across Sam’s face. “Really?”
Janet nodded. “You’re recovered nicely from the hypothermia, and as long as you keep off your ankle I don’t see a problem letting you work on your laptop for a short while.”
“Yes.” Sam’s expression brightened even more. “Thank you.”
Janet figured the least she could do was give her friend something to keep her busy so she wasn’t stressing over the Colonel’s health. They were both in good shape considering what had happened; O’Neill would recover his strength in a day or so, and his knees would feel better a little longer after that. The hypothermia hadn’t caused any lasting damage for either of them, and Sam’s ankle was already on the mend. She’d be fine in a few weeks as long as an infection didn’t develop.
Knowing how deeply her two friends cared for one another, Janet was confident they’d do well recovering together. Sam would keep the Colonel in line and make sure he didn’t overdo it, and she had no doubts that O’Neill would be hovering around Sam until her ankle was better.
.
Part Nine
“Jack! Slow down!” Daniel barked, chasing the other man down the hall while carrying a pair of forearm crutches under his arm.
“Doc said I hadta ride this thing to the surface, but she did not specify at what speed, Danny-boy!” Jack called back to him, cackling.
Sam laughed softly and shook her head as Jack propelled his wheelchair as fast as he could toward the elevators. She hobbled along on her crutches with Teal’c beside her at a much more sedate pace.
By the time Jack’s chair came skidding to a halt at the elevator, he swung around, grinning impishly as Daniel caught up, but Sam could see that the burst of energy had drained him. She frowned down at him with concern as Teal’c helped her into the elevator.
By the time they switched elevators and reached the surface, Jack was quiet and uncharacteristically compliant, allowing Daniel to push him all the way to Teal’c’s borrowed government SUV.
It was clear to Sam that Jack’s strained knees were still causing him a fair amount of pain as Daniel offered one of the forearm crutches to help him get into the back seat. Jack’s forehead crinkled as he winced, attempting to settle as Sam got in the opposite side after a gentle boost from Teal’c.
“Put your feet on my lap,” Sam said softly, seeing Jack was uncomfortable with his knees bent at such an angle, crammed into the seat.
“What?”
She smiled gently. “Sit sideways and put your feet up on my lap so your legs are up.”
“Nah, I’m fine,” Jack murmured dismissively, not wanting to make a fuss.
Teal’c and Daniel got in the SUV up front, and soon they were pulling out of the SGC parking lot.
“Jack.” Sam eyed him sternly and patted her lap. “Come on.”
With a sigh and a groan, Jack twisted sideways, then slowly and carefully used his hands to help swing his battered legs up on the seat, resting his slipper-clad feet in Sam’s lap. He heaved another sigh, this one of relief.
Sam put her hands on his ankles and then gently began massaging his lower legs, avoiding getting too close to his painful knees. “Feel a little better?”
Jack groaned and leaned his head back against the window, closing his eyes. “Mm.” His eyes opened again a few minutes later. She knew he hadn’t been dozing. “How’s your ankle?”
“Not too bad,” Sam answered honestly. “I took a painkiller before we left, unlike someone else I know,” she said pointedly with a wink.
He snorted softly and closed his eyes again.
When they got home Daniel helped her hobble into the house while Teal’c stayed beside Jack who was having more trouble than she was. She grimaced as she watched him struggle up the walkway using the forearm crutches and almost wished they’d taken the wheelchair with them even though in all likelihood Jack would’ve refused to use it.
.
Feeling tired after Daniel and Teal’c had finally gone, Sam hobbled into the bedroom to take a nap and prop up her mildly-throbbing ankle. Daniel had changed the bandage for her after lunch when she’d taken her antibiotics, but she wanted to wait a bit before having another painkiller.
Sam got settled in bed with a pillow elevating her left leg, wishing Jack was beside her. He’d fallen asleep on the couch with some ice packs over his aching knees before the guys left, and she hadn’t wanted to wake him. He’d finally taken some painkillers and was really out for good at the moment.
She drifted off as the pain in her ankle was subdued because of her resting position, falling into a pleasant slumber.
Feeling something warm and furry against her right arm sometime later, Sam woke, her head turning to the side as she slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Jack in wolf form, lying pressed up against her. Gasping, she propped herself up on her elbows. “Jack!” she cried out with a frown.
He just lifted his big furry head and blinked at her with those familiar brown eyes that she loved so much.
Sam glared at him. “Why Jack? You know Janet said you weren’t supposed to shift for a while. It took too much out of you the last time.” She frowned, angry and worried.
He rested his muzzle on top of her thigh. I had to, Sam. I’m sorry. My knees were killing me and I figured this was the only thing that would help.
Sam pursed her lips in response as she got flashes of his pain from before, helping her to understand why he desperately wanted to shift forms. She looked at him with empathy in her eyes, but heaved an exasperated sigh. “You should’ve waited until you got your strength back.”
Jack huffed softly. I know, but I think I’ll be okay as long as I don’t try to shift forms too soon. I’m pretty sure it’s the shifting back and forth without much of a break in-between that’s been leaving me so worn out after.
Tilting her head, she gazed at him appraisingly. “So how long are you going to stay like this?”
He nuzzled her hand with his head, and she obligingly began gently scratching him behind the ears. I suppose a day should be long enough.
Sam sighed, pouting slightly even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m still mad at you, you know,” she said petulantly.
Jack grunted. I’m sorry, Sam.
“I know.” She sighed again, as she honestly did know just how bad Jack’s knees had to have been hurting him for him to do something so drastic and against medical advice. “Are you feeling better at least?” Sam continued scratching him behind the ears.
Yeah. Still kinda wiped out but my knees don’t hurt.
“That’s good.” Sam smiled down at him, then Jack wiggled up to rest his head on her stomach.
It’s nice that we’re not confined to base anymore, Jack thought sleepily as her hand moved to his neck, fiddling with the chain of his dog tags.
“You know, I didn’t even think of that.” She laughed softly, amused at the turn of events. “At least something good came of all this.”
Jack snorted. Yep. He was quiet for a long while, and Sam felt herself drifting off to sleep again when she heard his voice in her head. We should probably invest in a doggy door and some dog bowls. Maybe get a dog.
Sam rose an eyebrow at his abrupt thought, not quite sure if he meant for her to hear that or not. “A dog?”
Yeah. That way when people come over they won’t get really confused when they see all the dog stuff and no dog. Jack shrugged as best as he could in his current furry form.
Sam laughed, shaking her head. She could tell Jack was thinking something but keeping it from her and gave one of his ears a light tug. “What?”
Er… I was kinda just realizing that if we got a dog…whether or not if it’s a male or female, one of us is probably gonna hafta fight for dominance.
The dead serious manner in which he shared that thought made Sam burst into laughter. “That could get complicated.”
Jack was quiet for about half a minute. So…uh…no dog?
“No dog.” Sam shook her head emphatically and then went back to rubbing Jack’s neck. “We’ll figure something out about the dog bowls if anyone other than SG-1 or Janet and Cassie come over.”
Yeah. Cross that bridge when we come to it.
Sam got an image of Jack smiling and smiled back when he looked at her where his head still lay on her stomach.
Hey Sam?
“What is it?” she murmured tiredly, still feeling a strong pull toward sleep. Her eyes were closed as she absently continued to play with his thick, soft fur.
What’s gonna happen if we ever have kids? …Puppies?
Sam felt her face drain of color as her jaw dropped. “Ohboy.”
.End.
Note: A third part of this series is in the works, so I hope you all will stick around until then, whenever that may be! Thanks for reading! :)
Summary: Jack and Sam get more than they bargained for after an enlightening trip back to P2G-764 that will change their lives forever.
Timeframe: Six months after ‘Dog Heaven: Pack Mates.’
Characters/Pairing: Established Sam/Jack, Team, Janet
Genre: Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Whump
Rating: T
Part Seven
He couldn’t stop shaking or breathing like he’d run a marathon, and his eyes kept threatening to close, but Jack kept telling himself he needed to get up. He needed to drag his ass up and get Carter to the infirmary. “I’m ready,” he breathed suddenly, trying and failing to put some strength into his voice. He felt Sam sit up slowly behind him.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her own voice sounding a little weak.
Suddenly worried that Sam was going into shock from her injuries, Jack became motivated more than ever to get moving. “Yeah,” he insisted, pushing himself to sit up with shaky arms. He turned over onto his hands and knees, thinking it would he a hell of a lot easier if he just went wolf right now, but then he wouldn’t be able to help Sam.
“Let me help you up, okay?” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Jack glanced at her sideways with a raised eyebrow. “And who’s gonna help you up?”
Sam just smiled at him through pale lips. “I’ll manage.”
He shook his head stubbornly. “No. I got it.” Summoning up every ounce of strength he had left, Jack pushed himself to his feet and staggered sideways a few yards until he found a tree to lean on. Still clinging to his BDU pants, Jack managed to get them on and then took a few deep breaths before stumbling over to Sam who was still on the ground.
Finding a sturdy-looking branch, Jack picked it up, momentarily using it to steady himself as he reached down with one arm to help Sam. Her hand gripped his forearm as he leaned back and pulled, and she managed to get upright, swaying slightly before finding her balance on the one good foot. She clung tightly to Jack’s arm and he handed her the walking stick. “Here. Use this.”
“What about you?” Sam asked him worriedly.
“I don’t need anything. I’m fine,” he insisted feebly. “C’mon, Sam, lean on me.”
She gave Jack a look that said she could see right through him, but obviously didn’t see a way around it and complied with his request.
By the time they reached the stream that would put them back on the path, Jack’s breathing became even more labored, his limbs still feeling quite weak. It was like his muscles had turned to Jell-O. His feet were getting sore from traipsing through the brush barefoot, and it was almost getting too dark to see. He was becoming exceptionally worried that they wouldn’t make it back to the base, and every time he stole a glance at Sam she seemed more pale than before.
.
Daniel felt the first few drops of rain coming through the thick trees as he and Teal’c made their way up the steep mountain path. When Sam and Jack didn’t meet him and Teal’c in the commissary for dinner as they said they would, Daniel got nervous. They’d told him they were going topside for a hike, but that had been hours ago. Daniel contacted the SFs at the two base check-in points, but neither man had seen the Colonel or the Major return yet, and it was nearly time for their shift change.
Alerting General Hammond and Janet that there might be something amiss with Jack and Sam, the man had immediately gathered two SG-teams to help him and Teal’c start a search.
Reaching a fork in the trail, Daniel heaved a sigh and glanced back at Teal’c, who was concentrating on the dirt beneath their feet, no doubt scouring the well-worn trail for signs of their friends. “Which way?”
Teal’c caught up with him and crouched down, examining the start of the new separate trails. It was about thirty seconds before he pointed in the direction where the path climbed at a steeper angle. “That way.”
Daniel grimaced at the thought of scaling that path in the rain, while it was getting dark. Trudging ahead with effort, he pushed on. “Jack’s knees must be killing him,” he murmured, letting Teal’c go by him.
.
Sam and Jack had gotten a bit of a reprieve when the path leveled out for a quarter mile, but then their luck turned once more as the rain became heavier when they’d reached another steep decline in the trail. Sam’s strength was flagging quickly. She felt lightheaded, and the cold rain left her chilled and shaking, the pain in her left ankle now a constant, fiery throb. She knew Jack wasn’t doing much better, his strength already drained from his frequent shifting, so Sam tried to lean on the walking stick more to keep a little less weight off her partner.
After struggling down the steep part of the path, Sam started to see black spots in her vision and fought to remain conscious. She squeezed Jack’s upper arm as she swayed, nearly losing her grip on the walking stick. “Jack,” she breathed dazedly.
He must have known she was about to pass out, because he stopped and murmured, “S’ok. I got you.” Then, somehow finding a reserve of strength, Jack scooped her into his arms with a grunt of effort.
Sam could feel his chilled bare skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the cold rain saturating his exposed upper body. She clung to Jack tightly as he began to stagger down the path carrying her, hoping her body might offer him some warmth as they continued on. They’d been trudging along at a snail’s pace for hours in the cold, damp mountain climate with no shoes and minimal clothing, and Sam was aware that they were both probably starting to suffer from hypothermia; neither of them could stop shivering.
.
As Sam suddenly passed out in his arms, going completely limp, Jack’s staggering worsened, pain spiking up and down his legs with every step. His knees were on fire, the downhill climb and chilling temperatures not doing his joints any favors. Jack continued moving through sheer determination alone as he strived to get Sam to safety. Nothing else mattered.
The uneven terrain was killing him, the rain and the encroaching darkness making it nearly impossible to see now. His hands were cramping in the cold, and he knew he was losing his grip on Sam. Stumbling and sliding on his numb, stinging feet down a dip in the trail, Jack lost his already-precarious balance and landed hard on his butt as his legs gave out, Sam’s weight thumping against his chest as he fell.
Breathing hard, Jack attempted to rise before every bit of adrenaline left his system. It didn’t work, though. He couldn’t get back up. Not this time.
Trembling from his physical weakness and anger that his body was betraying him at this moment, Jack clutched Sam to him, feeling so incredibly helpless. “I’m s-sorry…Ss-ssam,” he murmured into her wet hair.
“It’ssss….o-kuh-kay.”
Sam’s sudden voice startled him and he reached up with a numb, trembling hand to clumsily brush some of the soaking golden locks out of her face. “Ss-ssam?”
“They’ll fuh-find…us.”
Jack didn’t have to ask who she meant. However, this time he wasn’t so sure Danny and Teal’c would be coming to their rescue. No one really knew exactly where they were, and they’d gone quite far down one of the mountain paths. A search would take hours, hours they no longer had.
Sam passed out again, and Jack just kept telling himself that he was only resting for a moment. Once he gathered his strength he’d take Sam and find some shelter to get through the night. Part of him was still clinging to the hope that they would be rescued before it came down to that, but he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. It was so dark already and time was growing short.
Exhausted, Jack leaned forward against Sam where she was sprawled in his lap after he’d fallen. He rested his cheek on top of her head and closed his eyes. It wasn’t very comfortable, being so cold and with the rain pelting his back, but he just needed to rest for a short time. Just a few minutes and then he’d get up.
.
“Teal’c, slow down! I can barely see anything!” Daniel shouted after the quickly-moving Jaffa as his friend’s long, determined strikes made quick use of the trail. He fumbled for the flashlight in the emergency rucksack he’d hastily packed when they were preparing to start the search. Finding it, Daniel clicked it on and shined it at the ground ahead as he stumbled to catch up.
Daniel slipped and fell on the muddy trail a few times before catching up to Teal’c, who’d suddenly gone stock still and was peering intently ahead of them into the dark. Guessing his friend was trying to listen for signs of their friends over the sound of the rain coming down in the forest around them, Daniel kept as quiet as he could and waited patiently.
After nearly two minutes, Teal’c stretched out his own arm and aimed his flashlight up the trail ahead, pointing slightly to the left. “There.”
Daniel squinted, but his glasses were so fogged and dotted with raindrops that he couldn’t really make anything out. Taking the Jaffa’s word for it, Daniel marched ahead with him about fifty more feet up the muddy path.
“OhmyGod,” he breathed when he was close enough to see. Jack and Sam were huddled together just off the trail, both soaking wet and frighteningly still. “Jack! Sam!”
Daniel hastily ran to them with Teal’c, crouching down to find that neither of them were wearing shoes, and they were missing articles of clothing, Jack noticeably lacking a shirt. Daniel shined his light on them and could see blood staining Sam’s left pant leg, and as he reached out with a trembling hand to check for a pulse, turned to Teal’c with worried eyes. “Sam’s injured and they’re both ice cold.”
With a clench of his jaw and a nod, Teal’c reached for the radio clipped to his jacket and contacted the two search and rescue teams. He told them their location and requested the teams bring two of the collapsible stretchers they should have in their packs. “O’Neill and Major Carter require immediate medical assistance.”
“They’ve each got a pulse, but they’re slow,” Daniel said, placing his own chilled hand on his unconscious friend’s icy, naked back. “Jack,” he called out, trying to rouse the very still man. Really starting to freak out, Daniel glanced worriedly over at Teal’c. “We need to try and warm then up some while we wait for the SAR teams to get here.” He squeezed Jack’s shoulder first, and then Sam’s. Neither responded.
Nodding sagely, Teal’c removed his team jacket and draped it over Jack. The outside was damp from the rain, but at least the inside of it was warm from the Jaffa’s body heat.
Daniel did the same and tried to place his over Sam, though it was a little difficult because amazingly Jack still had her in his lap, his body wrapped almost completely around her to shield her from the elements. She was more clothed than he was, at least wearing her t-shirt with the pants, but by now the water had seeped through.
“C’mon, Jack, Sam,” Daniel murmured, mostly to himself. He and Teal’c hunkered down on either side of Sam and Jack, using their own body heat to warm the unconscious pair as they waited for the rescue teams. “Hang in there, guys,” he added softly.
.
Jack began to rouse slightly as the rescue teams arrived and started to gently get him and Sam on the stretchers. “Sssam?” he called out breathily as Major Thompson tucked an emergency blanket around him.
Daniel knelt beside the stretcher, placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Jack, it’s Daniel. Sam’s going to be okay, and so are you. “
“Duh-Dan’l?” he questioned without opening his eyes, blue-tinged lips trembling as his teeth chattered.
“Yeah. Teal’c and I found you. We brought rescue teams with us to help get you back.”
“Cuh-cuh-coooold.”
“I know, Jack. We’ll have you in the nice warm infirmary in no time. Just hang in there.” Daniel gave his friend’s shoulder a pat, then nodded to the SG team members and Teal’c who were ready to carry Jack and Sam’s stretchers out of the woods.
.
“They’re both in shock and hypothermic. I want them on IVs with warm saline, and let’s get them out of these wet clothes and under some warm blankets right away.” Janet rattled off orders to her medical staff once Jack and Sam arrived in the infirmary.
Daniel and Teal’c quickly got out of the way and were shooed into the hallway to wait for further news about their friends.
Feeling restless and anxious after just over half an hour, Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets and began pacing. Teal’c, as usual, was standing silently by the wall, watching him stalk back and forth. The Jaffa’s calm exterior was only broken by the slightest twitch of his brow, indicating how troubled he actually was. Daniel was sure no one outside of SG-1 would have noticed the very subtle crack in Teal’c’s armor.
When Janet finally stepped out into the hall, Daniel stopped his pacing and spun around to stand beside Teal’c in front of the doctor attentively. “How are they?”
Janet took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They’re both a little shocky and suffering from mild hypothermia. They’re being treated for that now, and their temperatures are slowly rising back to normal.”
“What happened to Sam’s leg?” Daniel wanted to know, folding his arms and hugging himself. It was a nervous habit.
“That’s where things get a little strange,” Janet said, her own brows furrowed slightly. “The wounds surrounding Sam’s ankle look like they came from some kind of trap, and the X-rays reveal evidence of a recently healed break.”
“What?” Daniel blinked with confusion.
Janet shook her head. “I don’t really understand it myself. The puncture wounds were deep and required a few stitches, but since the break is healed she’ll probably only need a wrap. Sam’s also suffering from some blood loss, but it wasn’t that bad.”
“What of O’Neill?” Teal’c asked.
“Other than the hypothermia and shock, Colonel O’Neill is showing signs of severe exhaustion. I suspect he’d been practicing switching forms during their outing, and it has taken quite a toll on him. He and Sam are both still unconscious and their feet are pretty bad from trekking barefoot, though the Colonel’s are worse.
“That would make sense,” Daniel murmured softly. When Fraiser gave him an expectant look he added, “I assumed he’d been carrying Sam for a while before we found them. He was still holding her in his arms while collapsed on the ground.”
Janet nodded with understanding, her brows knitting together slightly. “Until both the Colonel and Sam are awake and I know exactly what happened I won’t be able to assess any other injuries they may have.”
“May we sit with them, Doctor Fraiser?” Teal’c requested, his steady gaze flicking to the infirmary doors.
“For a little while,” Janet agreed. “They both really need to rest.”
Daniel sent her a swift smile as he and Teal’c moved past. “Thanks, Janet.”
.
Part Eight
Shifting restlessly in her sleep, Sam was confused by the warm, comfortable feeling enveloping her. The last thing she remembered was being cold and wet with a throbbing ankle, not lying in a warm, dry bed. Trying to roll to her side, Sam groaned and began to open her eyes as she felt an uncomfortable tug on her left arm. Opening her eyes, Sam blinked away the blurriness of sleep and struggled to focus on her arm. There was an IV taped to the underside of her elbow.
“Easy Sam, I don’t want you to pull the IV out.”
A gentle hand pressed against her shoulder and she rolled her head towards the voice to find Janet hovering over her. “Ja…” Sam cleared her throat and tried again. “Janet?”
Janet smiled warmly at her. “Sam, can you tell me what happened?”
Sam breathed in and out slowly, trying to gather her thoughts as she carefully pushed herself to sit up, bringing the blankets with her as she felt a chill. Her ankle didn’t hurt too badly at the moment, but she was still a little cold, her feet were sore, and she was tired.
“It’s alright, Sam,” Janet said, soothingly rubbing the top of her hand. “Take your time.”
“Jack and I were hiking topside when I suggested we go for a run, to practice being in wolf form.” Sam sighed. “We decided to test the boundaries of our telepathy as wolves, and when we separated I triggered an old, buried animal trap.” She shuddered briefly at the memory of those rusted metal teeth clamping around her leg and snapping her wolf bones. “Jack had to transform back and forth a few times to free me from the trap…then to…go back and get our clothes.” Grimacing slightly, her gaze flicked to the IV in her arm.
“He had a hard time?” Janet asked knowingly, her voice soft with understanding.
Sam swallowed and nodded. “Yes. He got very weak and collapsed for a while before he could get up again. He wasn’t able to even move at first. When he could we tried to get down the mountain, but I… I knew I was going to pass out and Jack carried me, trying to get us back.”
Janet nodded. “Teal’c and Daniel told me how they found you both unconscious on the trail.” She seemed to study Sam for a moment. “Were you hurt anywhere else?”
“No.” Brows furrowing, Sam looked around, but the privacy curtains were pulled closed around her bed and she couldn’t see the rest of the infirmary. “Where’s Jack? Is he okay?”
Janet looked away. “He’s…still unconscious.”
Sam’s expression quickly turned to one of alarm. “What? Why?”
“Exhaustion, Sam,” the doctor explained with a disarming smile. “I’ll know more when he wakes up and can tell me if something else is bothering him. He seems to be alright though, from my initial exam. His feet are a bit battered, but luckily the hypothermia wasn’t too bad for either of you.”
“Can I see him?” she asked, a desperate edge to her voice. She needed to know he’d be alright.
“Okay, Sam. But you need to stay in bed, got it?” Janet waved a warning finger at her, then went to pull back the privacy curtain.
Jack was curled up on his side facing her bed when Sam was able to catch sight of him. He was pale and covered by two heavy blankets so that she could just barely see his whole head.
“Jack,” she croaked as her ankle started to throb again.
Janet put a hand on her shoulder. “Sam, honey, let him rest.” She began fussing with Sam’s blankets. “I want you to try and sleep, too, okay? I’ll give you another dose of painkillers to help.”
“No, I don’t want to be drugged,” Sam protested feebly, as exhaustion was already creeping up on her again. “In case he wakes up.”
“He’ll be fine, Sam.” Janet smoothed back her hair and then went over to the medical cabinet.
Once the painkiller hit her bloodstream, Sam lost the ability to fight sleep. She managed to turn on her side, watching Jack as the darkness crept up on her, helpless to stop it.
.
“Ow! Agh! Dammit!”
“Colonel, get back in that bed this instant!”
“Doooooc!”
“Now, Colonel.”
“Jack?” Sam murmured, waking to the sound of voices nearby. The tapping of heels on the hard infirmary floor grew closer as she opened her eyes.
“Sam!”
“Stay put, Colonel!” Janet snapped.
She heard Jack grumbling under his breath and blinked slowly as her vision cleared. Janet was leaning over her, smiling gently. “Good morning, Sam.”
“Morning?” she mumbled with confusion.
“Yes, morning.” Janet nodded. “You both slept right on through the night.”
“Oh.” She pushed herself to sit up, gingerly swinging her legs over the side of the bed and noticing the IV was gone. Sam winced slightly at the twinge from her ankle, and she carefully stretched her leg out to see her left ankle all wrapped up.
“Sam? You okay?”
At the sound of Jack’s voice Sam leaned sideways so she could see him, removing Janet from her line of sight. “I’m feeling a lot better now. Are you alright?” Sitting up with his long legs dangling over the bed, he still looked a little pale to her, but Sam wasn’t sure she was much better herself.
Jack smiled swiftly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Janet spun around and gave him a pointed look, her hands firmly planted on her hips.
“What?” Jack asked innocently.
“Colonel, you could barely stand a moment ago,” Janet said matter-of-factly.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Sam asked, alarmed.
He hunched his shoulders, looking suspiciously sheepish.
“Is it your feet?” Janet strode toward him, and Sam noticed both of Jack’s feet were wrapped with bandages.
“No,” Jack grumbled, looking away as the doctor approached and squirming uncomfortably on the bed.
“Colonel,” Janet eyed him sternly. “If you don’t tell me what’s bothering you specifically I’m going to have to do a full work up.”
“Jack.” Sam added her own stern tone.
Clearing his throat, Jack hunched his shoulders and muttered, “S’just the knees.”
Sam grimaced sympathetically, suddenly realizing their trip back down the mountain trail, barefoot and with the slippery conditions-not to mention carrying her-had to have been murder on his knees.
Janet heaved a sigh. “Okay, pants off, Colonel.”
“What!” he balked.
Sam smothered her laugh with her hands.
Not in the mood for Jack’s antics, Janet sternly said, “Now, Colonel. I need to have a look at your knees.”
While Janet was focused on Jack, Sam slipped off the bed gingerly and shuffle-hopped across the floor to Jack’s bed. By the time Janet turned around with a scolding look she was already there.
“Oh, the two of you!” Janet swore with exasperation. She pointed to a spot on the bed beside Jack. “At least sit down, Sam.”
Having the good grace to look chastised, Sam hopped up beside Jack once he’d scooted back and finished struggling out of his scrub pants. She and Janet both gasped at the sight of his knees. They were so swollen and painful looking.
He grimaced and hissed in pain as Fraiser prodded at the swollen joints. “Ow! Watch it, Doc.”
“I’m sorry, Colonel.” She frowned sympathetically at him. “I’m going to have one of my orderlies bring in a wheelchair and then we’ll take you to get some scans.”
“Dooooooc,” he whined.
Janet wasn’t falling for it. “Don’t Doc me, Colonel. You’re going to sit in that wheelchair and get taken for an MRI and that’s final.”
Jack scowled, but Janet still wouldn’t budge, simply staring him down with a no-nonsense expression.
Janet turned her attention back to Sam. “While the Colonel is being taken for his scans I’ve got a few questions to ask you.”
Having a feeling what the questions were concerning, Sam simply nodded and gave Jack a reassuring smile when he looked over at her worriedly.
.
“There are signs of strain in the ligaments of both of his knees, and some inflamed cartilage, but nothing is torn,” Janet assured Sam when she came back from reviewing the Colonel’s latest scans. “I gave him some shots and drained the fluid from his knees.”
Sam glanced over at the Colonel, who was now slightly groggy from painkillers and lying on his bed, both knees wrapped with ice packs.
After learning about Sam and the Colonel’s ability to speed healing by changing forms, Janet was almost tempted to get O’Neill to shift, but worried that he was still far too weak from the day before and didn’t want to exhaust him further.
“Colonel, the swelling should be going down, and the cortisone shots I gave you will be kicking in soon. Otherwise, how are you feeling?” Janet asked him, leaving Sam’s bedside for a moment to help him try and get comfortable. She made him get rid of the scrubs completely and change into a gown so that she and the nurses had access to his knees when necessary.
“Tired. Hungry,” he muttered grumpily.
Janet smiled at the Colonel patiently and gently wedged the extra pillows under his knees as he reclined back on the bed. “I’ll ask a nurse to bring you and Sam some breakfast.”
Colonel O’Neill crossed his arms over his chest and heaved out a breath. He tipped his head back and then lazily looked sideways at Sam with hooded eyes. “How’s your ankle?”
“Not too bad,” she answered softly.
“I’ve given her some painkillers and antibiotics just as a precaution,” Janet assured him, knowing he was concerned about Sam’s health more so than his own.
The Colonel gave a slight nod and then finally let his eyes close as his cheek hit his shoulder.
“Jack?” Sam called out as soon as his head dropped, her voice soft, worried.
Janet waved a hand, dismissing her friend’s concern. “He’s fine, Sam. Let him rest for a bit and you can wake him when the food gets here.”
Sam nodded and tried to relax in her own bed, but looked terribly bored.
Feeling empathetic, Janet asked, “Would you like me to have Daniel bring your laptop for you?”
A smile quickly spread across Sam’s face. “Really?”
Janet nodded. “You’re recovered nicely from the hypothermia, and as long as you keep off your ankle I don’t see a problem letting you work on your laptop for a short while.”
“Yes.” Sam’s expression brightened even more. “Thank you.”
Janet figured the least she could do was give her friend something to keep her busy so she wasn’t stressing over the Colonel’s health. They were both in good shape considering what had happened; O’Neill would recover his strength in a day or so, and his knees would feel better a little longer after that. The hypothermia hadn’t caused any lasting damage for either of them, and Sam’s ankle was already on the mend. She’d be fine in a few weeks as long as an infection didn’t develop.
Knowing how deeply her two friends cared for one another, Janet was confident they’d do well recovering together. Sam would keep the Colonel in line and make sure he didn’t overdo it, and she had no doubts that O’Neill would be hovering around Sam until her ankle was better.
.
Part Nine
“Jack! Slow down!” Daniel barked, chasing the other man down the hall while carrying a pair of forearm crutches under his arm.
“Doc said I hadta ride this thing to the surface, but she did not specify at what speed, Danny-boy!” Jack called back to him, cackling.
Sam laughed softly and shook her head as Jack propelled his wheelchair as fast as he could toward the elevators. She hobbled along on her crutches with Teal’c beside her at a much more sedate pace.
By the time Jack’s chair came skidding to a halt at the elevator, he swung around, grinning impishly as Daniel caught up, but Sam could see that the burst of energy had drained him. She frowned down at him with concern as Teal’c helped her into the elevator.
By the time they switched elevators and reached the surface, Jack was quiet and uncharacteristically compliant, allowing Daniel to push him all the way to Teal’c’s borrowed government SUV.
It was clear to Sam that Jack’s strained knees were still causing him a fair amount of pain as Daniel offered one of the forearm crutches to help him get into the back seat. Jack’s forehead crinkled as he winced, attempting to settle as Sam got in the opposite side after a gentle boost from Teal’c.
“Put your feet on my lap,” Sam said softly, seeing Jack was uncomfortable with his knees bent at such an angle, crammed into the seat.
“What?”
She smiled gently. “Sit sideways and put your feet up on my lap so your legs are up.”
“Nah, I’m fine,” Jack murmured dismissively, not wanting to make a fuss.
Teal’c and Daniel got in the SUV up front, and soon they were pulling out of the SGC parking lot.
“Jack.” Sam eyed him sternly and patted her lap. “Come on.”
With a sigh and a groan, Jack twisted sideways, then slowly and carefully used his hands to help swing his battered legs up on the seat, resting his slipper-clad feet in Sam’s lap. He heaved another sigh, this one of relief.
Sam put her hands on his ankles and then gently began massaging his lower legs, avoiding getting too close to his painful knees. “Feel a little better?”
Jack groaned and leaned his head back against the window, closing his eyes. “Mm.” His eyes opened again a few minutes later. She knew he hadn’t been dozing. “How’s your ankle?”
“Not too bad,” Sam answered honestly. “I took a painkiller before we left, unlike someone else I know,” she said pointedly with a wink.
He snorted softly and closed his eyes again.
When they got home Daniel helped her hobble into the house while Teal’c stayed beside Jack who was having more trouble than she was. She grimaced as she watched him struggle up the walkway using the forearm crutches and almost wished they’d taken the wheelchair with them even though in all likelihood Jack would’ve refused to use it.
.
Feeling tired after Daniel and Teal’c had finally gone, Sam hobbled into the bedroom to take a nap and prop up her mildly-throbbing ankle. Daniel had changed the bandage for her after lunch when she’d taken her antibiotics, but she wanted to wait a bit before having another painkiller.
Sam got settled in bed with a pillow elevating her left leg, wishing Jack was beside her. He’d fallen asleep on the couch with some ice packs over his aching knees before the guys left, and she hadn’t wanted to wake him. He’d finally taken some painkillers and was really out for good at the moment.
She drifted off as the pain in her ankle was subdued because of her resting position, falling into a pleasant slumber.
Feeling something warm and furry against her right arm sometime later, Sam woke, her head turning to the side as she slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Jack in wolf form, lying pressed up against her. Gasping, she propped herself up on her elbows. “Jack!” she cried out with a frown.
He just lifted his big furry head and blinked at her with those familiar brown eyes that she loved so much.
Sam glared at him. “Why Jack? You know Janet said you weren’t supposed to shift for a while. It took too much out of you the last time.” She frowned, angry and worried.
He rested his muzzle on top of her thigh. I had to, Sam. I’m sorry. My knees were killing me and I figured this was the only thing that would help.
Sam pursed her lips in response as she got flashes of his pain from before, helping her to understand why he desperately wanted to shift forms. She looked at him with empathy in her eyes, but heaved an exasperated sigh. “You should’ve waited until you got your strength back.”
Jack huffed softly. I know, but I think I’ll be okay as long as I don’t try to shift forms too soon. I’m pretty sure it’s the shifting back and forth without much of a break in-between that’s been leaving me so worn out after.
Tilting her head, she gazed at him appraisingly. “So how long are you going to stay like this?”
He nuzzled her hand with his head, and she obligingly began gently scratching him behind the ears. I suppose a day should be long enough.
Sam sighed, pouting slightly even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m still mad at you, you know,” she said petulantly.
Jack grunted. I’m sorry, Sam.
“I know.” She sighed again, as she honestly did know just how bad Jack’s knees had to have been hurting him for him to do something so drastic and against medical advice. “Are you feeling better at least?” Sam continued scratching him behind the ears.
Yeah. Still kinda wiped out but my knees don’t hurt.
“That’s good.” Sam smiled down at him, then Jack wiggled up to rest his head on her stomach.
It’s nice that we’re not confined to base anymore, Jack thought sleepily as her hand moved to his neck, fiddling with the chain of his dog tags.
“You know, I didn’t even think of that.” She laughed softly, amused at the turn of events. “At least something good came of all this.”
Jack snorted. Yep. He was quiet for a long while, and Sam felt herself drifting off to sleep again when she heard his voice in her head. We should probably invest in a doggy door and some dog bowls. Maybe get a dog.
Sam rose an eyebrow at his abrupt thought, not quite sure if he meant for her to hear that or not. “A dog?”
Yeah. That way when people come over they won’t get really confused when they see all the dog stuff and no dog. Jack shrugged as best as he could in his current furry form.
Sam laughed, shaking her head. She could tell Jack was thinking something but keeping it from her and gave one of his ears a light tug. “What?”
Er… I was kinda just realizing that if we got a dog…whether or not if it’s a male or female, one of us is probably gonna hafta fight for dominance.
The dead serious manner in which he shared that thought made Sam burst into laughter. “That could get complicated.”
Jack was quiet for about half a minute. So…uh…no dog?
“No dog.” Sam shook her head emphatically and then went back to rubbing Jack’s neck. “We’ll figure something out about the dog bowls if anyone other than SG-1 or Janet and Cassie come over.”
Yeah. Cross that bridge when we come to it.
Sam got an image of Jack smiling and smiled back when he looked at her where his head still lay on her stomach.
Hey Sam?
“What is it?” she murmured tiredly, still feeling a strong pull toward sleep. Her eyes were closed as she absently continued to play with his thick, soft fur.
What’s gonna happen if we ever have kids? …Puppies?
Sam felt her face drain of color as her jaw dropped. “Ohboy.”
.End.
Note: A third part of this series is in the works, so I hope you all will stick around until then, whenever that may be! Thanks for reading! :)