Changes (Parts 1 and 2 of 16)
Title: Changes (Parts 1 and 2 of 16)
Summary: Sam returns after a long undercover mission with the Tok'ra and is shocked to discover what's happened to Jack in her absence.
Timeframe: Takes place approximately around Season Three, goes AU from there.
Pairings: Sam/Jack, Daniel/Janet
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Angst, Romance, Friendship
Rating: PG13
Changes
Chapter One: Since You've Been Gone
She was nervous. Major Samantha Carter of the USAF was nervous. She'd volunteered to work side-by-side with her father on a highly secretive Tok'ra mission, not expecting it to take an entire year to be completed, and now she was returning to her true home, the SGC, to finally reunite with her team, her family, and she was nervous as hell. They'd been out of contact for the entire year Sam had been gone, and she was scared they'd be upset with her, or treat her like a stranger. But she never would have expected what she was about to be told.
Sam and her father were treated with a warm welcome, like relatives that had been away far too long, as soon as they stepped out of the stargate. They were both dressed in the familiar beige attire of the Tok'ra. General Hammond, Daniel, and Teal'c were all there to greet them with hugs and smiling faces, but the one person she really wanted to see wasn't there. Trying to be somewhat subtle and not looking hurt about his absence, Sam turned to Daniel with questioning eyes. "Where's...Colonel O'Neill?" she asked slowly.
The suddenly somber expressions on Teal'c, Daniel, and even General Hammond's faces were enough to have Sam fearing the worst when no one answered her right away. "What?" Her eyes were immediately glassy with tears as she gasped and brought a hand to her face. "Ohgod... Is he-? Did he-?" She couldn't even choke out the words.
"No, no, no," Daniel frantically shook his head as he realized what she was thinking, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her with a semi-reassuring smile. "Sam, Jack's alive." His voice was quiet now, her blue eyes focused on him, waiting for an explanation. "He's here, on base..." he glanced off to the side where Teal'c stood. He took in a steadying breath. "He just... He couldn't be here, in the gate room for your arrival,"
Jacob's brows creased as he stood beside his daughter, just as curious as she was about the whereabouts of O'Neill.
"Then," Sam began hesitantly. "Where is he? Why couldn't he be here? Is he in the infirmary or something? And where's Janet?" She realized she was probably sounding like a petulant child at this point, and should have been a little less emotional about her questioning of her CO's whereabouts, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to see him. It had been much too long.
"Come, we can discuss this in the briefing room," Hammond stepped in, tilting his head and waving them from the gate room.
-
"Sam," Daniel started to explain after being prompted by the General. "Jack was injured about a month after you left for the Tok'ra mission. We'd acquired a new Goa'uld weapon to study, and found it to be something like our shrapnel grenades. Teal'c hadn't seen it before so we figured it was something new they learned from us." He grimaced slightly at the thought, took a breath, and continued. "A team of scientists were working on it off-world, and we, SG-1, were supervising to check on their progress." He took a deep breath, watching Sam taking in all the information, then forced himself to go on. "There was an accident. The grenade went off, killed two of the three scientists. Jack was nearby. He got hit with a blast of some kind of energy from inside the grenade, and took some shrapnel to his head and upper body." Daniel paused at the look of shock and fear that washed across Sam's face. "To make a long story short, the shrapnel was removed in surgery with a few other pieces in less critical areas, but that combined with the energy he was hit with had already caused significant damage to his brain."
The entire briefing room was quiet for a long moment before Sam sucked in a breath and looked toward Daniel again. "How bad?"
When Daniel ducked his head, General Hammond spoke up to answer for him. "Major Carter, Jack O'Neill is no longer the same man he was when you left on your mission. His memory seems to be intact, if not entirely at his disposal, but his behavior has been drastically altered."
Sam gasped softly and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She felt her father place his hand over hers on the briefing table, his eyes settled on her for comfort. The news had obviously disturbed him as well.
Daniel spoke up again to finish telling Sam and Jacob about Jack's condition. "He seems almost catatonic at times, having to be told when to eat, sleep, get dressed, a lot of things. His current mood effects how much he does on his own as well. Jack's very dependent on us and has to pretty much be constantly supervised. Once in a while he'll act out physically, but mostly he's quiet, even robotic. He hasn't really said more than a few short words at a time since the accident, and responses of any kind are usually few and far between. But as far as we can tell, he seems to understand most things we can explain to him." Daniel silently wished Janet was there at that moment to explain this. She did know better than he did, being the doctor and all. But the archaeologist figured he'd heard enough about Jack's condition in the past year to relay information. "Physically, he's mobile, but it took a while to get to where he is now, and he's...not quite as agile as before. Maybe a little clumsy at times,"
"Will he get any better?" Sam choked out, her voice tight with emotion. Her mind was racing. How could all this have happened while I was gone? This doesn't seem real.
"Doctor Fraiser is unable to determine that at this point," Teal'c spoke up, adding his input for the first time since the briefing began.
Sam just nodded, her head down, still taking everything in. She chewed on her lower lip and rose her head to lock eyes with the General. "Where is he now? Can I... Can I see him?"
Hammond nodded slightly, his fingers intertwined over the table top. "Dr. Fraiser's looking after him right now. They're in his quarters."
Sam felt bothered that someone had to be watching Colonel O'Neill, a man she had always envisioned as independent and proud. It made her want to burst into tears.
"I think both you and Jacob should take a little while to rest and clean up first. Get yourselves down to the infirmary for your checks as well." the General looked between Major Carter and her father.
"Yes sir," Sam nodded, rising to her feet automatically. She gave Daniel a brief hug and a wan smile, repeating the process with Teal'c as the Jaffa got up from his chair.
As soon as she made it to the locker room, Sam dropped to her knees and broke down in sobs.
-
After showering and getting her standard medical check down in the infirmary, Sam had composed herself and was now walking down the SGC hallways with Daniel, dressed now in the familiar comfort of her old BDUs. They talked about Jack as they made their way to his quarters so Sam could see him.
"So, he was forced into medical retirement?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, instead of a medical discharge," Daniel nodded slowly. "The General wanted to let him stay around, though. He thinks it might help Jack's chances of recovery, you know, being around things and people that are familiar. I also think that Hammond's afraid what will happen to Jack if he's not here. None of us want him to end up in some kind of special care facility or even a mental hospital, you know?"
"I understand. And I agree with you; I think it's probably best for the Colonel too," Sam agreed quietly. She didn't even want to think of what it would be like if he wasn't around at all.
Daniel smiled a little.
Although it saddened her to hear most of this, Sam wanted to know more. She needed to know what Jack was going through now, what she'd missed. "Does he live here all the time? Did he lose his house?"
"No, he's just on base a lot. The General was given full control of Jack's estate. He uses the retirement and medical pay to keep Jack's house running and everything, pay for all his expenses. Teal'c's actually officially living off-base with him there. Sometimes he stays with me and Janet if Teal'c's off-world or something."
Sam's eyebrows rose and she poked Daniel in the side with a slight smirk. "You and Janet?"
"Yeah," Daniel looked a little bashful, his cheeks flushing faintly. "We, uh, we started dating not long before Jack's accident, and eventually moved in together." He smiled, then turned the conversation back on Jack, feeling a little embarrassed. "He likes being around Cassie. Janet thinks it's good for Jack because Cassie doesn't really treat him like there's something wrong, and she's comfortable around him. It's like he can sense that, like he knows she's okay with him and it puts him at ease or something."
Smiling a little, Sam listened intently to Daniel as he continued to talk to her about Jack.
They walked the halls in silence for a brief moment before the archaeologist spoke up again as he slowed his pace.
"Listen Sam," Daniel said quietly, glancing sideways at her as they turned down another hallway. "I'm not sure how Jack will react to seeing you. We haven't had to...well...re-introduce anyone to him that he hasn't seen since before the accident. I don't want to get your hopes up or anything, but there may be a chance that he doesn't recognize or remember you."
Sam had already thought ahead. She knew that brain injuries could be a difficult thing. "I know, I understand," She took a deep breath, still trying to steel herself for a visit with her commanding officer that she hadn't seen in a year, and just learned that he had brain damage.
"Okay," Daniel nodded as he headed for the VIP suites.
Brows knitting together, Sam reached out to grasp Daniel's arm as he paused just outside one of the doors. "This isn't his quarters,"
Daniel smiled briefly at her. "It is now. Since he's mostly here on base during the day, General Hammond gave him a VIP suite of his own."
"Oh," Sam nodded as he twisted the door handle and pushed it open. She took a deep, steadying breath and followed him inside. Janet was sitting in the desk chair beside the bed while Teal'c sat on the edge of the bed with Jack. For a moment, as Sam stared at him, it looked as though everything was normal like she remembered. Same tousled silver hair, same well-worn BDUs, same lean frame with lanky arms and legs. Then she took a closer look. His expression was mostly rather vacant, his deep brown eyes staring without interest at the chess board on the bed between him and Teal'c.
Daniel moved further into the room to get Jack's attention as Sam waved over at Janet with a wan smile. "Jack," he tapped his friend's shoulder, causing the man to look up at him slowly with his head cocked to the side. "There's someone here to see you. She's an old friend that had to be away for awhile, but she's back now," He pointed over at Sam, watching as Jack's gaze shifted slowly to follow his finger.
Sam was still nervously standing in the doorway. Her stomach was turning in knots, and as the mostly-vacant gaze settled on her, she feared he wouldn't remember. "Hello, Colonel," she waved with a tentative smile, then dropped her arm back at her side self-consciously.
Janet shook her head at Sam and smiled briefly. "Sam, try calling him Jack. He doesn't really respond to Colonel," she suggested gently.
"Oh," Sam tried again, noticing he hadn't reacted and was still staring at her. "Hi...Jack, um..." she struggled for words and smiled hopefully. "It's me-"
"Sam," the softly spoken word held such deep meaning to the other occupants in the room in such a way Jack wasn't even aware of.
Daniel's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with surprise. "That's right Jack, it's Sam," he then said excitedly, giving his friend a gentle shoulder pat.
Sam smiled widely, tears glistening in her eyes with happiness. He was staring at her with more focus now, and she began to step closer as he stood, but Daniel held out a hand to forestall her movements. "What's wrong?" she questioned, suddenly feeling as though he was trying to keep her away from Jack. She didn't even know why that upset her so much.
"Sorry," Daniel sighed softly. "He uh... He doesn't really respond well to strangers touching him," He felt bad as her expression fell.
"I wasn't going to touch him, I was just coming closer," Sam defended herself, looking to the side of Daniel to see if Jack was reacting at all. "And I'm not a stranger Daniel," she added softly with a bit of hurt in her tone.
"I'm sorry Sam, but you are," Daniel told her quietly. "He may know your name, but that doesn't mean he knows you. You've been gone a long time; it may even feel longer to him for all we know what's going on in his head."
Sam just nodded a little sadly and didn't move any closer. There was a space of about four feet between herself and Jack, with Daniel standing almost protectively at the older man's side.
What happened next surprised everyone. Jack touched Daniel's shoulder and lightly pushed him aside, then closed the gap between himself and Sam. He stopped right in front of her and continued to stare, seeming to study her every feature.
Her blue eyes were wide in surprise, but Sam didn't move. She wasn't scared, just a little nervous under his studious gaze. Her eyes locked onto his, and for a moment it seemed like a sadness passed through that deep brown, followed by recognition. She felt her heart suddenly beating furiously in her chest as he suddenly and slowly wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in a gentle hug.
Janet and Teal'c both stood with surprise evident on their faces. Daniel's jaw dropped for the second time in less than five minutes.
Sam felt the tears tracking down her cheeks as Jack continued to hold onto her, leaning his head down on her shoulder in the familiar way he'd hugged her on those rare occasions in the past. It was comforting, just like his hugs always had been, making her feel secure and safe, making her feel loved. When he slowly let go, only to turn around and go back to sitting on the bed and staring at the chess board like nothing had happened, Sam felt cold and unattached. She already missed his arms being around her.
Realizing that Janet, Teal'c, and Daniel were still all staring in shock, she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked to them with raised eyebrows. "Uh, was that a normal reaction?"
"Uh... No," Daniel responded, shaking his head.
"Indeed, it was not," Teal'c agreed.
"That was just about the completely opposite reaction he's had to meeting other people," Janet added, now turning to look at Jack.
"I'd say," Daniel was nodding now, his arms slowly crossing over his chest. "Usually he either doesn't pay any attention, or shies away completely," he answered Sam's unasked question as to what Jack's opposite reaction to meeting others has been.
"So," Sam took a deep breath. "That was good then?"
Janet was grinning. "That was very good."
"Okay, well," finding herself suddenly fidgeting, Sam waved a hand towards the door and began to fumble for the exit. Her emotions were pouring out in waves now, and she felt unable to remain composed any longer. This was still way too much to take in after being gone for a year. "I'm really tired, I think I'll go... Uh, I just gotta go," Sam mumbled hastily, turning on her heel and fleeing from the room.
Daniel ran a hand through his short hair as he watched her leave. He turned to Janet and Teal'c with a sigh. "Coming back after so long, I really doubt she was prepared for any changes this drastic," he said quietly.
Teal'c gave a nod. "Indeed. Something of this magnitude is difficult to accept."
"Let's give her some time alone, then I'll go talk to her," Janet said softly and somewhat sadly.
-
Changes
Chapter Two: New and Different
It had taken Sam some time, and a few days personal leave to get herself together and come to terms with Jack's current disability. Her father had returned to share the news from their mission with the Tok'ra, and she had spent most of her three days of downtime talking with Janet and catching up on other events since she'd been gone. Before leaving the base, Sam attended a briefing with General Hammond and her father to discuss the important aspects of her mission, and now it was thankfully all behind her.
After a week Sam started spending more time with Jack, with the help of either Daniel or Teal'c. One of them was always around to make sure Jack was still comfortable around her, and it helped her get used to picking up on his behavior whenever he needed something, because he rarely expressed it himself.
Currently walking toward the work-out room with Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel, Sam watched Jack's posture as he slowed his pace before coming to a full stop. There was a peculiar expression on his face, one which Teal'c seemed to immediately pick up on.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c gestured toward Jack, and Daniel eyed their charge briefly before waving for him to go. The Jaffa nodded in response and took Jack by the shoulders, steering him quickly down the hall and into the nearest restroom.
Sam stood with a clueless expression. Cocking her head to the side, she stared at Daniel, waiting for an explanation. "What's wrong? What just happened?"
Daniel glanced off down the hall where Teal'c had taken Jack. He looked back over at Sam with a tight smile that quickly faded. "Because of his head injury, Jack occasionally suffers from sudden bouts of nausea. That and blinding headaches. Either of those can, and do, happen unexpectedly at any time."
"Oh," Sam nodded with understanding. She seemed to be learning more about Jack each day, and although it was strange and different, she wanted to know him as he was now. She wanted to be a part of his life as much as Teal'c and Daniel had been in her absence. She needed to feel like she was still part of their family.
Tilting his head to the side, Daniel started walking again, in the direction of the work out room. "C'mon, they'll meet up with us in a few minutes," he assured Sam gently, noticing her rather hesitant look.
"Alright," Sam followed, glancing one more time down the hall where Jack had disappeared with Teal'c.
-
They waited by the ping pong table for a few minutes, then Jack shuffled into the room, Teal'c close behind and urging him to keep moving. Sam looked over and smiled, waving Jack toward her and holding out a ping pong paddle. "Come on Jack, you can be on my team," she said softly with a friendly smile.
Jack reached out very slowly and took the paddle from Sam's outstretched hand. He stared at it for a moment, gripping it awkwardly by the handle and turning to stand at one end of the table.
Teal'c and Daniel watched Jack for a moment, then nodded to each other and went to the other side of the table to take their positions.
Once the friendly game had started, Sam found that she was pretty much on her own. In the first five minutes, she began to notice that Jack was actually paying complete attention to the game. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his head bobbing slightly as he followed the ball back and forth across the table.
Teal'c noticed Jack's focus on the ping pong ball as well, and took the opportunity to deliberately tap the ball toward his side of the table.
Jack's arm struck out with a quick movement that put his normally slow, hesitant actions to shame. He struck the ball with his paddle with much more force than was necessary, and sent it whizzing past Daniel's right ear.
Sam rewarded his participation by lightly patting Jack's shoulder. "Good job! That was very good Jack." She smiled at him, and he tilted his head to look at her, a shaky smile briefly flickering across his face before he set the paddle down on the table and began shuffling over to the punching bag in the corner.
Daniel grinned, pleased with Jack's surprising actions. He noticed his friend had been having more reactions than usual since Sam's return. Following Jack's lead, he set down his ping pong paddle and swiftly went to stand by his friend in the corner.
-
That night Sam found herself sitting on the couch in Jack's room on base. Teal'c was scheduled to go off-world with SG-11 in the morning and was staying at the mountain all night. Janet got stuck being called to an emergency at the Academy Hospital, and Daniel offered to take Jack home with him since he had to get back to Cassie, but Jack had already been fast asleep in his room by 2100 hours. Sam offered to look after him so Daniel wouldn't need to wake him up.
Just sitting there and watching Jack lay there on the bed, curled into an impossibly tight ball, fast asleep, Sam almost believed that nothing had changed since she'd left. But then, she reasoned, she wouldn't be sitting there watching her CO sleep. Standing slowly, she moved closer to the bed and sat down on the edge, leaning over Jack with a soft smile on her face. Tilting her head sideways, Sam squinted and studied the slightly raised scar on the side of his head an inch or so above his right ear. It was about three inches in length, and left a line of vacant space in his silver hair. Sam knew that it wouldn't have been visible if Jack allowed his hair to grow out even just an inch more, but she felt that even now he wouldn't accept anything less than a military regulation cut.
She smiled somewhat sadly, wanting to reach out and trace the scar with her fingers, but refrained from doing so. Her blue eyes shifted slowly to Jack's face, and Sam nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that his eyes were open and he was watching her. Not wanting to startle him, and hoping she hadn't already by her close, unexpected presence, Sam sent him a comforting smile. "Hey there."
Jack sat up slowly and untangled himself from the blankets, shoving them down by his feet. He was wearing a grey Air Force t-shirt and blue and grey plaid pajama shorts that just reached his knees. He shifted on the bed until he was sitting beside Sam, his legs dangling over the side, right alongside hers.
His expression was rather blank, and Sam hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She remembered a time where they could both communicate so well with just a look, and felt tears spring to her eyes. Shaking her head, she quickly composed herself and looked sideways at Jack. It was 2215 by now, and he'd only been asleep for about an hour, but Sam didn't know whether or not he would go right back to sleep again.
Sam couldn't be sure, but she thought that maybe he wasn't going back to sleep because he had to use the bathroom. Daniel assured her that he could go on his own, but normally needed to be prompted to do so. Getting to her feet, Sam waved him up as well. When he stood without complaint, protest, or any other reaction than to do as she asked, Sam put a hand on his back and urged him toward the door across the room. She realized that a benefit of being in the VIP rooms was that you got your own private bathroom.
Once Jack stepped in, Sam pulled the door closed behind him and waited, leaning against the wall just outside. After hearing the toilet flush, followed by the sound of water running in the sink, the door opened up again and Jack came back out. She watched him shuffle past her and stop by the bed to pull off the blanket, then turn and drag it toward the couch. Not really sure what he was doing, as was often the case, Sam followed and sat down on the small couch next to him. Another thing she had begun to notice was that there was really no rhyme or reason to a lot of things he did. It was strange, but she was beginning to expect it now, the more time she spent with him.
Jack pulled the blanket over his legs, then slowly glanced over at Sam and covered her legs with the blanket as well.
Sam smiled over at him and leaned back into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. She was surprised at how tired she felt. Between trying to leaf through files of research papers on technological advancements she'd missed out on during her year long absence, and finding time to spend with Jack, Sam felt like she'd been run ragged. She yawned and felt her eyelids starting to close, then jerked to alertness when she remembered about Jack. She couldn't just drift off if he was still awake. He had to be looked after constantly, like a young child.
Remembering what Daniel had told her about needing to prompt Jack to do most things, Sam lightly placed a hand on his forearm to gain his attention. "Jack, go back to sleep okay? It's late."
He didn't say anything, just simply tilted sideways on the cushions, drew his legs up and laid his head in Sam's lap.
Surprised, Sam tensed briefly, then forced herself to relax, not wanting Jack to notice that she was uncomfortable. She had to remind herself that he wasn't her commanding officer any longer, and no matter what feelings she had harboured towards him, yet couldn't act on then, circumstances were even more different now. Feeling tears springing to her eyes again, Sam grit her teeth and willed herself not to cry as she thought about how she'd missed out on her chance to ever tell Jack how she truly felt about him.
As Jack's soft snores filled the quiet of the room, Sam brought up her hand and found herself slowly threading her fingers through his short hair. Her eyes shifted to the scar on the side of his head, and very carefully, she traced it lightly with her index finger like she had wanted to do before but hadn't dared something so personal. It was different now, because he had been the one to fall asleep on her lap, and Sam knew he wouldn't have done so if he didn't want her so close. His head twitched faintly when she traced the scar, but he continued to sleep and she moved her hand away to rest on his shoulder.
Within moments, Sam was yawning again, her head lolling back on the couch cushions. Seconds later, she was fast asleep, joining Jack in dreamland.
-
"Hey Janet, good morning." Daniel met her outside Jack's room with a brief kiss early the next morning, having not seen her all night because she'd been stuck at the hospital. He waved a hand at the door and tilted his head sideways. "So, how do you think it went?"
Janet's brows knit together slightly. "What? Sam looking after Jack last night? She knew she could have called you or gotten Teal'c if there was any trouble, so I'm assuming everything was okay."
Daniel nodded a bit unsurely. "Yeah, I know that. But... Jack's been a little less..predictable lately. He seems to have latched onto Sam right away, and he's actually pretty...ah...touchy-feely with her." He shrugged, cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.
Smiling, Janet crossed her arms, both brows risen. "It isn't a bad thing you know. It's about time he got attached to something or someone. This could even be a sign, increasing his chances of recovery." She looked pleased.
"Janet," Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "What if Jack starts to...uh...act on his feelings for Sam? I mean, we've known for awhile now that they both harbored feelings for one another, but they knew because of their positions in the military that neither could act on them."
"What are you saying?" Janet interrupted his chain of thought. "You think that the way he is now, Jack won't be able to control his feelings like he could before?"
Shrugging, Daniel's gaze drifted to the closed door. Then he shook his head, planting a hand on his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know! I mean...I don't think he'd do anything. I just think the way he's been acting around her, Jack is just showing his affection...appreciation for her. He already knows he and Sam are friends."
Janet patted Daniel's shoulder and smiled. "You worry too much. And you know Sam would make sure nothing happened. She's not going to take advantage of him." She started to open the door as Daniel nodded at her. "Now let's go and see for ourselves that everything is just-" Her mouth opened slightly as she stepped into the room to find Jack curled up on the couch beside Sam, his head in her lap. "-fine," she finished quietly.
Daniel nudged her elbow and peered at the pair on the couch. They were both fully clothed and still sleeping soundly, with Sam's hand on Jack's shoulder in a very platonic manner.
Sam thought she heard someone talking and opened her eyes, pulling her head up from where it was lolled back against the couch cushions. She yawned softly and opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she focused on the two figures in the room that hadn't been there when she fell asleep. "Daniel? Janet?" She asked, her voice still sounding sleepy.
"Morning," Daniel was grinning much too smugly. "Sleep well?"
Confused by his ridiculous grin, Sam tilted her neck from side to side and grimaced. "Not really. I'm gonna have a stiff neck from falling asleep on the couch," she muttered, then realized that there was something moving on her lap. She looked down and remembered that Jack was on the couch beside her, and his head was still resting on her lap. Her hand moved from his shoulder as he stirred and slowly sat up.
Janet saw Sam's cheeks suddenly flushing as she realized what things must have looked like, and refrained from mentioning anything that would further embarrass her friend. Instead, she focused on Jack, moving close to where he sat on the couch and touching his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you showered and dressed."
Jack stood automatically and allowed Janet to lead him into the bathroom.
All Janet had to do was turn on the water and leave Jack some towels and a new set of clothes. Checking to make sure the water was an acceptable temperature, she left him to undress and get in the shower, closing the door behind her.
Daniel could see that Sam looked a little concerned when Janet came back into the bedroom after leaving Jack his clothes. He was quick to assure her that it was alright. "Don't worry, he can shower on his own," he sent her a small smile to relieve her worries. "It took him almost a month to remember and re-learn how to do things like that. Once those pieces of his memory came back he really freaked out when Janet and a nurse tried to undress him and get him into a bath." Daniel shrugged.
Sam just blinked, glancing over at Janet for confirmation and watching her nod emphatically.
"Oh yes, he put up quite a fight, even while he was still having coordination problems and could barely stand at the time." Janet's gaze flicked toward the closed bathroom door for a moment.
It was still a bit of a shock for Sam to realize how Jack's injury had affected him, and she was still taking it all in. She hadn't even thought that the state he was in now was an improvement on the way he'd been immediately after the accident. It startled her to think about what hardships Jack must have gone through.
While silence enveloped the room, Daniel tugged the blanket off the couch and headed over to Jack's bed to start making it. He noticed Sam move to help him and smiled. "Oh, Sam, I saw the General on my way here, and he wanted me to tell you to let him know when you feel ready to head into the field again. He's not sure if you wanted more time to look at the lab reports or anything."
"Oh god, anything to get me away from those reports," Sam exclaimed with a grateful smile. "I've been leafing through them for over a week!"
Daniel chuckled and Janet laughed. The archaeologist shrugged. "Hey, maybe he'll even let you join Teal'c with SG-11."
"Didn't they leave already?" Sam's brows creased a bit as she adjusted the pillows on the bed.
"Yeah, but they're just there to help the villagers rebuild after a Goa'uld attack from nearly a month ago," Daniel explained. "They'll probably need a team to bring in more supplies like building tools, medicine, and food for the people."
"Ah, I see," Sam nodded her understanding. She gave a slight shrug. "Well, I'll let General Hammond know I'm up for anything right now," she smiled a bit and then sat down on the newly-made bed.
Daniel, Janet, and Sam chatted idly for a little while until Janet heard the water turn off in the bathroom and stood. She moved over to the door and knocked once. "You all done in there?" after getting an answering tap from the other side of the door a moment later, Janet went back to sit on the couch. "That's how he lets me know that he's out and getting dressed," she explained to Sam without being questioned.
Sam didn't say anything. She just accepted that this was another way that Jack communicated, since he very rarely used actual words.
When Daniel excused himself to get some breakfast, saying that he'd see them there once Jack was ready, Sam remembered that she'd need to shower and change into a clean set of BDUs. Janet assured her that she'd stay with Jack and bring him to the commissary, as she had often done nearly every morning before Sam got back. Feeling slightly embarrassed for assuming they couldn't function without her around, Sam hurried off to the locker room for a shower, saying she'd see them for breakfast in a few minutes.
-
When Sam made it to the commissary, she headed over to the corner table where she spotted Janet sitting with a bowl of fruit salad and some yogurt. She glanced toward the food line and strolled in that direction instead after a brief wave to her friend. Daniel was already making his way down the line with Jack shuffling beside him and pushing a tray along the counter. She noticed Daniel pretty much picking out all of Jack's food, but occasionally Jack reached out and put something down on his own tray. Sam smiled at them as she got a tray and decided on a bowl of Cheerios, some orange juice, and a small cup of yogurt.
Now going over to the table again, Sam sat across from Janet, then smiled at her side as she watched Jack take the seat to her right. Daniel patted his shoulder, then headed to the other side of the table next to Janet.
Janet took a few bites of fruit and smiled across the table at Jack, then turned to Sam. "Jack has an appointment with me this morning after breakfast," she told her quietly. "Then he can stay with me for a little while if you're still talking with General Hammond,"
Sam nodded, pausing with her spoon half-way to her mouth. "Oh, right, I nearly forgot about speaking to the General,"
"SG-11's due for a check-in later today. By then we should know if they'll need to send in another team with supplies," Daniel spoke up around the mouthful of waffle he was munching on.
"Great," Sam smiled. She wanted to get off the base and do something besides read through piles of research, but she also didn't want to leave Jack. For reasons she couldn't explain, Sam was worried that if she was gone for more than a day, that maybe Jack would forget about her and not want to be as close. She tried to reason with herself that if he hadn't forgotten her in a year, then he wouldn't forget her now, but the thought still twisted her insides.
Jack stopped eating his Fruit Loops to pick up the toast from his tray. He took a bite, then grasped a strip of bacon and put it on Sam's tray without even shifting his gaze.
Sam looked at the piece of bacon, then at Jack and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she said politely, even though she wasn't very inclined to eat it.
Janet watched Jack inch his chair a little closer to Sam's, and felt an amused smile spread across her face.
-
Chapters Three and Four
Summary: Sam returns after a long undercover mission with the Tok'ra and is shocked to discover what's happened to Jack in her absence.
Timeframe: Takes place approximately around Season Three, goes AU from there.
Pairings: Sam/Jack, Daniel/Janet
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Angst, Romance, Friendship
Rating: PG13
Changes
Chapter One: Since You've Been Gone
She was nervous. Major Samantha Carter of the USAF was nervous. She'd volunteered to work side-by-side with her father on a highly secretive Tok'ra mission, not expecting it to take an entire year to be completed, and now she was returning to her true home, the SGC, to finally reunite with her team, her family, and she was nervous as hell. They'd been out of contact for the entire year Sam had been gone, and she was scared they'd be upset with her, or treat her like a stranger. But she never would have expected what she was about to be told.
Sam and her father were treated with a warm welcome, like relatives that had been away far too long, as soon as they stepped out of the stargate. They were both dressed in the familiar beige attire of the Tok'ra. General Hammond, Daniel, and Teal'c were all there to greet them with hugs and smiling faces, but the one person she really wanted to see wasn't there. Trying to be somewhat subtle and not looking hurt about his absence, Sam turned to Daniel with questioning eyes. "Where's...Colonel O'Neill?" she asked slowly.
The suddenly somber expressions on Teal'c, Daniel, and even General Hammond's faces were enough to have Sam fearing the worst when no one answered her right away. "What?" Her eyes were immediately glassy with tears as she gasped and brought a hand to her face. "Ohgod... Is he-? Did he-?" She couldn't even choke out the words.
"No, no, no," Daniel frantically shook his head as he realized what she was thinking, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her with a semi-reassuring smile. "Sam, Jack's alive." His voice was quiet now, her blue eyes focused on him, waiting for an explanation. "He's here, on base..." he glanced off to the side where Teal'c stood. He took in a steadying breath. "He just... He couldn't be here, in the gate room for your arrival,"
Jacob's brows creased as he stood beside his daughter, just as curious as she was about the whereabouts of O'Neill.
"Then," Sam began hesitantly. "Where is he? Why couldn't he be here? Is he in the infirmary or something? And where's Janet?" She realized she was probably sounding like a petulant child at this point, and should have been a little less emotional about her questioning of her CO's whereabouts, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to see him. It had been much too long.
"Come, we can discuss this in the briefing room," Hammond stepped in, tilting his head and waving them from the gate room.
-
"Sam," Daniel started to explain after being prompted by the General. "Jack was injured about a month after you left for the Tok'ra mission. We'd acquired a new Goa'uld weapon to study, and found it to be something like our shrapnel grenades. Teal'c hadn't seen it before so we figured it was something new they learned from us." He grimaced slightly at the thought, took a breath, and continued. "A team of scientists were working on it off-world, and we, SG-1, were supervising to check on their progress." He took a deep breath, watching Sam taking in all the information, then forced himself to go on. "There was an accident. The grenade went off, killed two of the three scientists. Jack was nearby. He got hit with a blast of some kind of energy from inside the grenade, and took some shrapnel to his head and upper body." Daniel paused at the look of shock and fear that washed across Sam's face. "To make a long story short, the shrapnel was removed in surgery with a few other pieces in less critical areas, but that combined with the energy he was hit with had already caused significant damage to his brain."
The entire briefing room was quiet for a long moment before Sam sucked in a breath and looked toward Daniel again. "How bad?"
When Daniel ducked his head, General Hammond spoke up to answer for him. "Major Carter, Jack O'Neill is no longer the same man he was when you left on your mission. His memory seems to be intact, if not entirely at his disposal, but his behavior has been drastically altered."
Sam gasped softly and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She felt her father place his hand over hers on the briefing table, his eyes settled on her for comfort. The news had obviously disturbed him as well.
Daniel spoke up again to finish telling Sam and Jacob about Jack's condition. "He seems almost catatonic at times, having to be told when to eat, sleep, get dressed, a lot of things. His current mood effects how much he does on his own as well. Jack's very dependent on us and has to pretty much be constantly supervised. Once in a while he'll act out physically, but mostly he's quiet, even robotic. He hasn't really said more than a few short words at a time since the accident, and responses of any kind are usually few and far between. But as far as we can tell, he seems to understand most things we can explain to him." Daniel silently wished Janet was there at that moment to explain this. She did know better than he did, being the doctor and all. But the archaeologist figured he'd heard enough about Jack's condition in the past year to relay information. "Physically, he's mobile, but it took a while to get to where he is now, and he's...not quite as agile as before. Maybe a little clumsy at times,"
"Will he get any better?" Sam choked out, her voice tight with emotion. Her mind was racing. How could all this have happened while I was gone? This doesn't seem real.
"Doctor Fraiser is unable to determine that at this point," Teal'c spoke up, adding his input for the first time since the briefing began.
Sam just nodded, her head down, still taking everything in. She chewed on her lower lip and rose her head to lock eyes with the General. "Where is he now? Can I... Can I see him?"
Hammond nodded slightly, his fingers intertwined over the table top. "Dr. Fraiser's looking after him right now. They're in his quarters."
Sam felt bothered that someone had to be watching Colonel O'Neill, a man she had always envisioned as independent and proud. It made her want to burst into tears.
"I think both you and Jacob should take a little while to rest and clean up first. Get yourselves down to the infirmary for your checks as well." the General looked between Major Carter and her father.
"Yes sir," Sam nodded, rising to her feet automatically. She gave Daniel a brief hug and a wan smile, repeating the process with Teal'c as the Jaffa got up from his chair.
As soon as she made it to the locker room, Sam dropped to her knees and broke down in sobs.
-
After showering and getting her standard medical check down in the infirmary, Sam had composed herself and was now walking down the SGC hallways with Daniel, dressed now in the familiar comfort of her old BDUs. They talked about Jack as they made their way to his quarters so Sam could see him.
"So, he was forced into medical retirement?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, instead of a medical discharge," Daniel nodded slowly. "The General wanted to let him stay around, though. He thinks it might help Jack's chances of recovery, you know, being around things and people that are familiar. I also think that Hammond's afraid what will happen to Jack if he's not here. None of us want him to end up in some kind of special care facility or even a mental hospital, you know?"
"I understand. And I agree with you; I think it's probably best for the Colonel too," Sam agreed quietly. She didn't even want to think of what it would be like if he wasn't around at all.
Daniel smiled a little.
Although it saddened her to hear most of this, Sam wanted to know more. She needed to know what Jack was going through now, what she'd missed. "Does he live here all the time? Did he lose his house?"
"No, he's just on base a lot. The General was given full control of Jack's estate. He uses the retirement and medical pay to keep Jack's house running and everything, pay for all his expenses. Teal'c's actually officially living off-base with him there. Sometimes he stays with me and Janet if Teal'c's off-world or something."
Sam's eyebrows rose and she poked Daniel in the side with a slight smirk. "You and Janet?"
"Yeah," Daniel looked a little bashful, his cheeks flushing faintly. "We, uh, we started dating not long before Jack's accident, and eventually moved in together." He smiled, then turned the conversation back on Jack, feeling a little embarrassed. "He likes being around Cassie. Janet thinks it's good for Jack because Cassie doesn't really treat him like there's something wrong, and she's comfortable around him. It's like he can sense that, like he knows she's okay with him and it puts him at ease or something."
Smiling a little, Sam listened intently to Daniel as he continued to talk to her about Jack.
They walked the halls in silence for a brief moment before the archaeologist spoke up again as he slowed his pace.
"Listen Sam," Daniel said quietly, glancing sideways at her as they turned down another hallway. "I'm not sure how Jack will react to seeing you. We haven't had to...well...re-introduce anyone to him that he hasn't seen since before the accident. I don't want to get your hopes up or anything, but there may be a chance that he doesn't recognize or remember you."
Sam had already thought ahead. She knew that brain injuries could be a difficult thing. "I know, I understand," She took a deep breath, still trying to steel herself for a visit with her commanding officer that she hadn't seen in a year, and just learned that he had brain damage.
"Okay," Daniel nodded as he headed for the VIP suites.
Brows knitting together, Sam reached out to grasp Daniel's arm as he paused just outside one of the doors. "This isn't his quarters,"
Daniel smiled briefly at her. "It is now. Since he's mostly here on base during the day, General Hammond gave him a VIP suite of his own."
"Oh," Sam nodded as he twisted the door handle and pushed it open. She took a deep, steadying breath and followed him inside. Janet was sitting in the desk chair beside the bed while Teal'c sat on the edge of the bed with Jack. For a moment, as Sam stared at him, it looked as though everything was normal like she remembered. Same tousled silver hair, same well-worn BDUs, same lean frame with lanky arms and legs. Then she took a closer look. His expression was mostly rather vacant, his deep brown eyes staring without interest at the chess board on the bed between him and Teal'c.
Daniel moved further into the room to get Jack's attention as Sam waved over at Janet with a wan smile. "Jack," he tapped his friend's shoulder, causing the man to look up at him slowly with his head cocked to the side. "There's someone here to see you. She's an old friend that had to be away for awhile, but she's back now," He pointed over at Sam, watching as Jack's gaze shifted slowly to follow his finger.
Sam was still nervously standing in the doorway. Her stomach was turning in knots, and as the mostly-vacant gaze settled on her, she feared he wouldn't remember. "Hello, Colonel," she waved with a tentative smile, then dropped her arm back at her side self-consciously.
Janet shook her head at Sam and smiled briefly. "Sam, try calling him Jack. He doesn't really respond to Colonel," she suggested gently.
"Oh," Sam tried again, noticing he hadn't reacted and was still staring at her. "Hi...Jack, um..." she struggled for words and smiled hopefully. "It's me-"
"Sam," the softly spoken word held such deep meaning to the other occupants in the room in such a way Jack wasn't even aware of.
Daniel's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with surprise. "That's right Jack, it's Sam," he then said excitedly, giving his friend a gentle shoulder pat.
Sam smiled widely, tears glistening in her eyes with happiness. He was staring at her with more focus now, and she began to step closer as he stood, but Daniel held out a hand to forestall her movements. "What's wrong?" she questioned, suddenly feeling as though he was trying to keep her away from Jack. She didn't even know why that upset her so much.
"Sorry," Daniel sighed softly. "He uh... He doesn't really respond well to strangers touching him," He felt bad as her expression fell.
"I wasn't going to touch him, I was just coming closer," Sam defended herself, looking to the side of Daniel to see if Jack was reacting at all. "And I'm not a stranger Daniel," she added softly with a bit of hurt in her tone.
"I'm sorry Sam, but you are," Daniel told her quietly. "He may know your name, but that doesn't mean he knows you. You've been gone a long time; it may even feel longer to him for all we know what's going on in his head."
Sam just nodded a little sadly and didn't move any closer. There was a space of about four feet between herself and Jack, with Daniel standing almost protectively at the older man's side.
What happened next surprised everyone. Jack touched Daniel's shoulder and lightly pushed him aside, then closed the gap between himself and Sam. He stopped right in front of her and continued to stare, seeming to study her every feature.
Her blue eyes were wide in surprise, but Sam didn't move. She wasn't scared, just a little nervous under his studious gaze. Her eyes locked onto his, and for a moment it seemed like a sadness passed through that deep brown, followed by recognition. She felt her heart suddenly beating furiously in her chest as he suddenly and slowly wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in a gentle hug.
Janet and Teal'c both stood with surprise evident on their faces. Daniel's jaw dropped for the second time in less than five minutes.
Sam felt the tears tracking down her cheeks as Jack continued to hold onto her, leaning his head down on her shoulder in the familiar way he'd hugged her on those rare occasions in the past. It was comforting, just like his hugs always had been, making her feel secure and safe, making her feel loved. When he slowly let go, only to turn around and go back to sitting on the bed and staring at the chess board like nothing had happened, Sam felt cold and unattached. She already missed his arms being around her.
Realizing that Janet, Teal'c, and Daniel were still all staring in shock, she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked to them with raised eyebrows. "Uh, was that a normal reaction?"
"Uh... No," Daniel responded, shaking his head.
"Indeed, it was not," Teal'c agreed.
"That was just about the completely opposite reaction he's had to meeting other people," Janet added, now turning to look at Jack.
"I'd say," Daniel was nodding now, his arms slowly crossing over his chest. "Usually he either doesn't pay any attention, or shies away completely," he answered Sam's unasked question as to what Jack's opposite reaction to meeting others has been.
"So," Sam took a deep breath. "That was good then?"
Janet was grinning. "That was very good."
"Okay, well," finding herself suddenly fidgeting, Sam waved a hand towards the door and began to fumble for the exit. Her emotions were pouring out in waves now, and she felt unable to remain composed any longer. This was still way too much to take in after being gone for a year. "I'm really tired, I think I'll go... Uh, I just gotta go," Sam mumbled hastily, turning on her heel and fleeing from the room.
Daniel ran a hand through his short hair as he watched her leave. He turned to Janet and Teal'c with a sigh. "Coming back after so long, I really doubt she was prepared for any changes this drastic," he said quietly.
Teal'c gave a nod. "Indeed. Something of this magnitude is difficult to accept."
"Let's give her some time alone, then I'll go talk to her," Janet said softly and somewhat sadly.
-
Changes
Chapter Two: New and Different
It had taken Sam some time, and a few days personal leave to get herself together and come to terms with Jack's current disability. Her father had returned to share the news from their mission with the Tok'ra, and she had spent most of her three days of downtime talking with Janet and catching up on other events since she'd been gone. Before leaving the base, Sam attended a briefing with General Hammond and her father to discuss the important aspects of her mission, and now it was thankfully all behind her.
After a week Sam started spending more time with Jack, with the help of either Daniel or Teal'c. One of them was always around to make sure Jack was still comfortable around her, and it helped her get used to picking up on his behavior whenever he needed something, because he rarely expressed it himself.
Currently walking toward the work-out room with Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel, Sam watched Jack's posture as he slowed his pace before coming to a full stop. There was a peculiar expression on his face, one which Teal'c seemed to immediately pick up on.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c gestured toward Jack, and Daniel eyed their charge briefly before waving for him to go. The Jaffa nodded in response and took Jack by the shoulders, steering him quickly down the hall and into the nearest restroom.
Sam stood with a clueless expression. Cocking her head to the side, she stared at Daniel, waiting for an explanation. "What's wrong? What just happened?"
Daniel glanced off down the hall where Teal'c had taken Jack. He looked back over at Sam with a tight smile that quickly faded. "Because of his head injury, Jack occasionally suffers from sudden bouts of nausea. That and blinding headaches. Either of those can, and do, happen unexpectedly at any time."
"Oh," Sam nodded with understanding. She seemed to be learning more about Jack each day, and although it was strange and different, she wanted to know him as he was now. She wanted to be a part of his life as much as Teal'c and Daniel had been in her absence. She needed to feel like she was still part of their family.
Tilting his head to the side, Daniel started walking again, in the direction of the work out room. "C'mon, they'll meet up with us in a few minutes," he assured Sam gently, noticing her rather hesitant look.
"Alright," Sam followed, glancing one more time down the hall where Jack had disappeared with Teal'c.
-
They waited by the ping pong table for a few minutes, then Jack shuffled into the room, Teal'c close behind and urging him to keep moving. Sam looked over and smiled, waving Jack toward her and holding out a ping pong paddle. "Come on Jack, you can be on my team," she said softly with a friendly smile.
Jack reached out very slowly and took the paddle from Sam's outstretched hand. He stared at it for a moment, gripping it awkwardly by the handle and turning to stand at one end of the table.
Teal'c and Daniel watched Jack for a moment, then nodded to each other and went to the other side of the table to take their positions.
Once the friendly game had started, Sam found that she was pretty much on her own. In the first five minutes, she began to notice that Jack was actually paying complete attention to the game. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his head bobbing slightly as he followed the ball back and forth across the table.
Teal'c noticed Jack's focus on the ping pong ball as well, and took the opportunity to deliberately tap the ball toward his side of the table.
Jack's arm struck out with a quick movement that put his normally slow, hesitant actions to shame. He struck the ball with his paddle with much more force than was necessary, and sent it whizzing past Daniel's right ear.
Sam rewarded his participation by lightly patting Jack's shoulder. "Good job! That was very good Jack." She smiled at him, and he tilted his head to look at her, a shaky smile briefly flickering across his face before he set the paddle down on the table and began shuffling over to the punching bag in the corner.
Daniel grinned, pleased with Jack's surprising actions. He noticed his friend had been having more reactions than usual since Sam's return. Following Jack's lead, he set down his ping pong paddle and swiftly went to stand by his friend in the corner.
-
That night Sam found herself sitting on the couch in Jack's room on base. Teal'c was scheduled to go off-world with SG-11 in the morning and was staying at the mountain all night. Janet got stuck being called to an emergency at the Academy Hospital, and Daniel offered to take Jack home with him since he had to get back to Cassie, but Jack had already been fast asleep in his room by 2100 hours. Sam offered to look after him so Daniel wouldn't need to wake him up.
Just sitting there and watching Jack lay there on the bed, curled into an impossibly tight ball, fast asleep, Sam almost believed that nothing had changed since she'd left. But then, she reasoned, she wouldn't be sitting there watching her CO sleep. Standing slowly, she moved closer to the bed and sat down on the edge, leaning over Jack with a soft smile on her face. Tilting her head sideways, Sam squinted and studied the slightly raised scar on the side of his head an inch or so above his right ear. It was about three inches in length, and left a line of vacant space in his silver hair. Sam knew that it wouldn't have been visible if Jack allowed his hair to grow out even just an inch more, but she felt that even now he wouldn't accept anything less than a military regulation cut.
She smiled somewhat sadly, wanting to reach out and trace the scar with her fingers, but refrained from doing so. Her blue eyes shifted slowly to Jack's face, and Sam nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that his eyes were open and he was watching her. Not wanting to startle him, and hoping she hadn't already by her close, unexpected presence, Sam sent him a comforting smile. "Hey there."
Jack sat up slowly and untangled himself from the blankets, shoving them down by his feet. He was wearing a grey Air Force t-shirt and blue and grey plaid pajama shorts that just reached his knees. He shifted on the bed until he was sitting beside Sam, his legs dangling over the side, right alongside hers.
His expression was rather blank, and Sam hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She remembered a time where they could both communicate so well with just a look, and felt tears spring to her eyes. Shaking her head, she quickly composed herself and looked sideways at Jack. It was 2215 by now, and he'd only been asleep for about an hour, but Sam didn't know whether or not he would go right back to sleep again.
Sam couldn't be sure, but she thought that maybe he wasn't going back to sleep because he had to use the bathroom. Daniel assured her that he could go on his own, but normally needed to be prompted to do so. Getting to her feet, Sam waved him up as well. When he stood without complaint, protest, or any other reaction than to do as she asked, Sam put a hand on his back and urged him toward the door across the room. She realized that a benefit of being in the VIP rooms was that you got your own private bathroom.
Once Jack stepped in, Sam pulled the door closed behind him and waited, leaning against the wall just outside. After hearing the toilet flush, followed by the sound of water running in the sink, the door opened up again and Jack came back out. She watched him shuffle past her and stop by the bed to pull off the blanket, then turn and drag it toward the couch. Not really sure what he was doing, as was often the case, Sam followed and sat down on the small couch next to him. Another thing she had begun to notice was that there was really no rhyme or reason to a lot of things he did. It was strange, but she was beginning to expect it now, the more time she spent with him.
Jack pulled the blanket over his legs, then slowly glanced over at Sam and covered her legs with the blanket as well.
Sam smiled over at him and leaned back into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. She was surprised at how tired she felt. Between trying to leaf through files of research papers on technological advancements she'd missed out on during her year long absence, and finding time to spend with Jack, Sam felt like she'd been run ragged. She yawned and felt her eyelids starting to close, then jerked to alertness when she remembered about Jack. She couldn't just drift off if he was still awake. He had to be looked after constantly, like a young child.
Remembering what Daniel had told her about needing to prompt Jack to do most things, Sam lightly placed a hand on his forearm to gain his attention. "Jack, go back to sleep okay? It's late."
He didn't say anything, just simply tilted sideways on the cushions, drew his legs up and laid his head in Sam's lap.
Surprised, Sam tensed briefly, then forced herself to relax, not wanting Jack to notice that she was uncomfortable. She had to remind herself that he wasn't her commanding officer any longer, and no matter what feelings she had harboured towards him, yet couldn't act on then, circumstances were even more different now. Feeling tears springing to her eyes again, Sam grit her teeth and willed herself not to cry as she thought about how she'd missed out on her chance to ever tell Jack how she truly felt about him.
As Jack's soft snores filled the quiet of the room, Sam brought up her hand and found herself slowly threading her fingers through his short hair. Her eyes shifted to the scar on the side of his head, and very carefully, she traced it lightly with her index finger like she had wanted to do before but hadn't dared something so personal. It was different now, because he had been the one to fall asleep on her lap, and Sam knew he wouldn't have done so if he didn't want her so close. His head twitched faintly when she traced the scar, but he continued to sleep and she moved her hand away to rest on his shoulder.
Within moments, Sam was yawning again, her head lolling back on the couch cushions. Seconds later, she was fast asleep, joining Jack in dreamland.
-
"Hey Janet, good morning." Daniel met her outside Jack's room with a brief kiss early the next morning, having not seen her all night because she'd been stuck at the hospital. He waved a hand at the door and tilted his head sideways. "So, how do you think it went?"
Janet's brows knit together slightly. "What? Sam looking after Jack last night? She knew she could have called you or gotten Teal'c if there was any trouble, so I'm assuming everything was okay."
Daniel nodded a bit unsurely. "Yeah, I know that. But... Jack's been a little less..predictable lately. He seems to have latched onto Sam right away, and he's actually pretty...ah...touchy-feely with her." He shrugged, cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.
Smiling, Janet crossed her arms, both brows risen. "It isn't a bad thing you know. It's about time he got attached to something or someone. This could even be a sign, increasing his chances of recovery." She looked pleased.
"Janet," Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "What if Jack starts to...uh...act on his feelings for Sam? I mean, we've known for awhile now that they both harbored feelings for one another, but they knew because of their positions in the military that neither could act on them."
"What are you saying?" Janet interrupted his chain of thought. "You think that the way he is now, Jack won't be able to control his feelings like he could before?"
Shrugging, Daniel's gaze drifted to the closed door. Then he shook his head, planting a hand on his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know! I mean...I don't think he'd do anything. I just think the way he's been acting around her, Jack is just showing his affection...appreciation for her. He already knows he and Sam are friends."
Janet patted Daniel's shoulder and smiled. "You worry too much. And you know Sam would make sure nothing happened. She's not going to take advantage of him." She started to open the door as Daniel nodded at her. "Now let's go and see for ourselves that everything is just-" Her mouth opened slightly as she stepped into the room to find Jack curled up on the couch beside Sam, his head in her lap. "-fine," she finished quietly.
Daniel nudged her elbow and peered at the pair on the couch. They were both fully clothed and still sleeping soundly, with Sam's hand on Jack's shoulder in a very platonic manner.
Sam thought she heard someone talking and opened her eyes, pulling her head up from where it was lolled back against the couch cushions. She yawned softly and opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she focused on the two figures in the room that hadn't been there when she fell asleep. "Daniel? Janet?" She asked, her voice still sounding sleepy.
"Morning," Daniel was grinning much too smugly. "Sleep well?"
Confused by his ridiculous grin, Sam tilted her neck from side to side and grimaced. "Not really. I'm gonna have a stiff neck from falling asleep on the couch," she muttered, then realized that there was something moving on her lap. She looked down and remembered that Jack was on the couch beside her, and his head was still resting on her lap. Her hand moved from his shoulder as he stirred and slowly sat up.
Janet saw Sam's cheeks suddenly flushing as she realized what things must have looked like, and refrained from mentioning anything that would further embarrass her friend. Instead, she focused on Jack, moving close to where he sat on the couch and touching his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you showered and dressed."
Jack stood automatically and allowed Janet to lead him into the bathroom.
All Janet had to do was turn on the water and leave Jack some towels and a new set of clothes. Checking to make sure the water was an acceptable temperature, she left him to undress and get in the shower, closing the door behind her.
Daniel could see that Sam looked a little concerned when Janet came back into the bedroom after leaving Jack his clothes. He was quick to assure her that it was alright. "Don't worry, he can shower on his own," he sent her a small smile to relieve her worries. "It took him almost a month to remember and re-learn how to do things like that. Once those pieces of his memory came back he really freaked out when Janet and a nurse tried to undress him and get him into a bath." Daniel shrugged.
Sam just blinked, glancing over at Janet for confirmation and watching her nod emphatically.
"Oh yes, he put up quite a fight, even while he was still having coordination problems and could barely stand at the time." Janet's gaze flicked toward the closed bathroom door for a moment.
It was still a bit of a shock for Sam to realize how Jack's injury had affected him, and she was still taking it all in. She hadn't even thought that the state he was in now was an improvement on the way he'd been immediately after the accident. It startled her to think about what hardships Jack must have gone through.
While silence enveloped the room, Daniel tugged the blanket off the couch and headed over to Jack's bed to start making it. He noticed Sam move to help him and smiled. "Oh, Sam, I saw the General on my way here, and he wanted me to tell you to let him know when you feel ready to head into the field again. He's not sure if you wanted more time to look at the lab reports or anything."
"Oh god, anything to get me away from those reports," Sam exclaimed with a grateful smile. "I've been leafing through them for over a week!"
Daniel chuckled and Janet laughed. The archaeologist shrugged. "Hey, maybe he'll even let you join Teal'c with SG-11."
"Didn't they leave already?" Sam's brows creased a bit as she adjusted the pillows on the bed.
"Yeah, but they're just there to help the villagers rebuild after a Goa'uld attack from nearly a month ago," Daniel explained. "They'll probably need a team to bring in more supplies like building tools, medicine, and food for the people."
"Ah, I see," Sam nodded her understanding. She gave a slight shrug. "Well, I'll let General Hammond know I'm up for anything right now," she smiled a bit and then sat down on the newly-made bed.
Daniel, Janet, and Sam chatted idly for a little while until Janet heard the water turn off in the bathroom and stood. She moved over to the door and knocked once. "You all done in there?" after getting an answering tap from the other side of the door a moment later, Janet went back to sit on the couch. "That's how he lets me know that he's out and getting dressed," she explained to Sam without being questioned.
Sam didn't say anything. She just accepted that this was another way that Jack communicated, since he very rarely used actual words.
When Daniel excused himself to get some breakfast, saying that he'd see them there once Jack was ready, Sam remembered that she'd need to shower and change into a clean set of BDUs. Janet assured her that she'd stay with Jack and bring him to the commissary, as she had often done nearly every morning before Sam got back. Feeling slightly embarrassed for assuming they couldn't function without her around, Sam hurried off to the locker room for a shower, saying she'd see them for breakfast in a few minutes.
-
When Sam made it to the commissary, she headed over to the corner table where she spotted Janet sitting with a bowl of fruit salad and some yogurt. She glanced toward the food line and strolled in that direction instead after a brief wave to her friend. Daniel was already making his way down the line with Jack shuffling beside him and pushing a tray along the counter. She noticed Daniel pretty much picking out all of Jack's food, but occasionally Jack reached out and put something down on his own tray. Sam smiled at them as she got a tray and decided on a bowl of Cheerios, some orange juice, and a small cup of yogurt.
Now going over to the table again, Sam sat across from Janet, then smiled at her side as she watched Jack take the seat to her right. Daniel patted his shoulder, then headed to the other side of the table next to Janet.
Janet took a few bites of fruit and smiled across the table at Jack, then turned to Sam. "Jack has an appointment with me this morning after breakfast," she told her quietly. "Then he can stay with me for a little while if you're still talking with General Hammond,"
Sam nodded, pausing with her spoon half-way to her mouth. "Oh, right, I nearly forgot about speaking to the General,"
"SG-11's due for a check-in later today. By then we should know if they'll need to send in another team with supplies," Daniel spoke up around the mouthful of waffle he was munching on.
"Great," Sam smiled. She wanted to get off the base and do something besides read through piles of research, but she also didn't want to leave Jack. For reasons she couldn't explain, Sam was worried that if she was gone for more than a day, that maybe Jack would forget about her and not want to be as close. She tried to reason with herself that if he hadn't forgotten her in a year, then he wouldn't forget her now, but the thought still twisted her insides.
Jack stopped eating his Fruit Loops to pick up the toast from his tray. He took a bite, then grasped a strip of bacon and put it on Sam's tray without even shifting his gaze.
Sam looked at the piece of bacon, then at Jack and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she said politely, even though she wasn't very inclined to eat it.
Janet watched Jack inch his chair a little closer to Sam's, and felt an amused smile spread across her face.
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Chapters Three and Four