Fair Day and Be Well
"Colonel," General Hammond greeted as Jack walked down the corridor towards him. "Sorry to have woken you and dragged you down here, but there's someone in the infirmary who wants to see you."
Jack raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to one side quizzically. "Okay," he said, stretching out the syllables of the word, before turning and following his CO to the infirmary.
When Jack walked into the infirmary, a familiar pair of eyes was staring back at him. There was a hesitant smile playing across her lips, unsure of how Jack would react to her presence. When she saw him smile back at her, she climbed off the gurney and headed towards him slowly.
"Jack," she whispered as she neared him, before wrapping her arms around his neck and relishing the feel of his arms around her and holding her close.
"Well this is ... unexpected," he said, pulling away from her slightly.
"Yes," General Hammond said, taking Jack by surprise, because he had forgotten that he was there. "We received an unauthorised wormhole from Andora and guessed that they needed our help."
"I came to see you, Jack," the woman said quietly, looking up into his deep brown eyes.
Jack recognised the love he saw there and found himself remembering back to the months he had spent with her almost a year ago. He was silent, unsure of what to say or do. What was she doing here? Why had she decided to come? Had she decided to take him up on the offer he made to her the previous year?
"I need your help," she said.
Jack saw that she was swaying slightly and guided her back to the gurney, where he sat down next to her, waiting for her to continue.
"Our people are recovering, but our numbers are few." She paused, clearly unsure of how to continue. "I'm dying Jack."
Jack's jaw dropped, shock registering on his face.
"How? Why?" he managed, once he'd regained some of his composure. "What's happened?"
"It's a disease that has been passed on through generations of my people. Although not everyone sufferers from it, most are carriers. It's not treatable. Your Doctor just confirmed it. You, too, are unable to help me. I am dying."
She looked down at her knees, sadness filling her features and she had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. Jack draped his arm protectively around her shoulders.
"I don't know what to..."
"You don't have to say anything Jack," she interrupted. "But, please could you do something for me?"
"Anything," Jack told her.
"I only have a few hours left. The disease hits hard and fast, and it took me a while to remember which symbols to press on the Stone Circle."
"How did you know which ones to press?" General Hammond asked her.
"My son, Garen, remembered seeing them when Major Carter entered them before you last left us."
General Hammond nodded his acceptance at her answer and indicated that she should continue. However, they were interrupted, when they heard crying.
Jack turned to see where the noise was coming from and was surprised to see Doctor Frasier standing in the doorway with a baby in her arms.
"Colonel," she greeted with a smart nod of her head, before turning to face the woman sat next to him. "You'll be pleased to know that he's clear of the disease. His father obviously wasn't a carrier," she informed her, rocking the baby gently in her arms in an attempt to calm him.
"No, he wouldn't be," the woman told her. "This is why I need your help Jack."
Jack looked at her, confused.
"Remember that I told you that there was something you could do for me, when we were back on Andora?" She asked, pausing to wait for Jack's reaction.
After a few seconds, Jack appeared to have recalled the request that had been made and a doubtful realisation seemed to be dawning.
"Yes Jack," she confirmed, placing her hand over his. She turned back to Doctor Frasier. "The reason his father wasn't a carrier, was because his father is human."
Jack shut his eyes, shocked at what was happening around him. He was a father again. He felt an increased pressure on his hand.
"As I have already said, I only have a few hours left. Although I appear well, I am dying. And...And I want you to take care of our son. I want you to look after him, care for him..." She paused, looking Jack directly in the eyes. "Love him."
Jack wrapped his arms around the mother of his child and squeezed her gently.
"Lara," he whispered into her hair, as he caressed her back with his hands. He felt his shirt getting damp and he realised that she was crying. "Shh..." he cooed, rocking gently with her. "It'll be alright, it'll be alright..."
* * *
Half an hour later, Jack was stood outside the infirmary with General Hammond and Doctor Frasier, after Lara had drifted off to sleep peacefully.
"This is somewhat unexpected," the General announced, breaking the seemingly endless silence.
"You're telling me," Jack replied. He paused and turned to Doctor Frasier. "Is there really nothing you can do for her?" he asked, his eyes pleading with her.
She hesitated and looked at General Hammond, before turning back to Jack and shaking her head. "I'm sorry Sir. There's nothing we can do for her, except dose her up on painkillers. I really am sorry."
Jack just nodded his head slightly, leaning on the doorframe to let the information sink in.
"And the baby?" he asked.
"Fine. He shows no sign of the disease - your genes probably helped with that," she told him.
"I hate to ask, but ... are you sure he's ..."
"Yes Sir. I took the liberty of checking the blood samples just now. He is yours."
Jack nodded. In his heart he had known, but he just needed to be sure.
"So what now?" he asked, looking towards his CO.
"That's up to you. Lara obviously wants you to take care of the child. So what do you *want* to do?"
"He *is* mine. I don't want to lose him. I want to take care of this child. *My* child."
Jack heard himself speak, but it was as if he was in a dream. This changed everything. He found himself wondering how he would tell Carter about all this.
The General nodded approvingly and turned to walk away.
"Thanks," Jack said, making the General turn round.
"That's OK. We'll talk details later."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Jack in the corridor with Doctor Frasier.
"Janet, how long had she got?" he asked, indicating to the woman sleeping a few metres away.
"An hour. Maybe two," she informed him sadly. "I'm afraid that's all. It shouldn't be painful for her though," she said, trying to reassure the clearly worried Jack.
"Can I sit with her?" he asked.
"Sure."
Jack returned to the infirmary and pulled up a chair next to the bed where Lara slept. He reached out and picked up her hand and held it in his, caressing it gently with his fingers.
"Jack," she whispered in a hardly audible tone. "Will you care for Jonathon?"
"Jonathon? You called him Jonathon?" Jack questioned quietly.
"Yes. It reminded me of you. He has your eyes you know."
Jack smiled. "Yes. I'll care for him. Our son will be loved."
Lara smiled, reassured by Jack's words. "Good," she said.
There was silence for a few minutes, before she pulled herself up on the bed.
"I have one last request," she said and Jack smiled, nodding for her to continue. "Will you hold me?"
Jack stood up and drew himself up on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms tightly and protectively around her.
Doctor Frasier walked passed, and Lara stopped her.
"Can I hold my baby?" she asked.
"Of course," she answered, as she reached into the crib where Jonathon was sleeping and passed him to the waiting arms of his mother.
Jack moved away slightly to allow room for the small child to fit between them. He supported the baby along with Lara and she rested her head on his shoulder, tears running down her cheeks.
Jack noticed that he too was crying, as he held his family, for what would be the first and only time.
They sat that way for almost half an hour, before Jack realised that he could no longer hear Lara's soft breathing. He pulled away, holding on tightly to his child as he laid Lara back down on the bed.
The tears ran down his cheeks as he lent down, smoothed soft curls away from her face and lightly kissed her forehead.
"Fair day," he said, "And be well."
"Colonel," General Hammond greeted as Jack walked down the corridor towards him. "Sorry to have woken you and dragged you down here, but there's someone in the infirmary who wants to see you."
Jack raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to one side quizzically. "Okay," he said, stretching out the syllables of the word, before turning and following his CO to the infirmary.
When Jack walked into the infirmary, a familiar pair of eyes was staring back at him. There was a hesitant smile playing across her lips, unsure of how Jack would react to her presence. When she saw him smile back at her, she climbed off the gurney and headed towards him slowly.
"Jack," she whispered as she neared him, before wrapping her arms around his neck and relishing the feel of his arms around her and holding her close.
"Well this is ... unexpected," he said, pulling away from her slightly.
"Yes," General Hammond said, taking Jack by surprise, because he had forgotten that he was there. "We received an unauthorised wormhole from Andora and guessed that they needed our help."
"I came to see you, Jack," the woman said quietly, looking up into his deep brown eyes.
Jack recognised the love he saw there and found himself remembering back to the months he had spent with her almost a year ago. He was silent, unsure of what to say or do. What was she doing here? Why had she decided to come? Had she decided to take him up on the offer he made to her the previous year?
"I need your help," she said.
Jack saw that she was swaying slightly and guided her back to the gurney, where he sat down next to her, waiting for her to continue.
"Our people are recovering, but our numbers are few." She paused, clearly unsure of how to continue. "I'm dying Jack."
Jack's jaw dropped, shock registering on his face.
"How? Why?" he managed, once he'd regained some of his composure. "What's happened?"
"It's a disease that has been passed on through generations of my people. Although not everyone sufferers from it, most are carriers. It's not treatable. Your Doctor just confirmed it. You, too, are unable to help me. I am dying."
She looked down at her knees, sadness filling her features and she had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. Jack draped his arm protectively around her shoulders.
"I don't know what to..."
"You don't have to say anything Jack," she interrupted. "But, please could you do something for me?"
"Anything," Jack told her.
"I only have a few hours left. The disease hits hard and fast, and it took me a while to remember which symbols to press on the Stone Circle."
"How did you know which ones to press?" General Hammond asked her.
"My son, Garen, remembered seeing them when Major Carter entered them before you last left us."
General Hammond nodded his acceptance at her answer and indicated that she should continue. However, they were interrupted, when they heard crying.
Jack turned to see where the noise was coming from and was surprised to see Doctor Frasier standing in the doorway with a baby in her arms.
"Colonel," she greeted with a smart nod of her head, before turning to face the woman sat next to him. "You'll be pleased to know that he's clear of the disease. His father obviously wasn't a carrier," she informed her, rocking the baby gently in her arms in an attempt to calm him.
"No, he wouldn't be," the woman told her. "This is why I need your help Jack."
Jack looked at her, confused.
"Remember that I told you that there was something you could do for me, when we were back on Andora?" She asked, pausing to wait for Jack's reaction.
After a few seconds, Jack appeared to have recalled the request that had been made and a doubtful realisation seemed to be dawning.
"Yes Jack," she confirmed, placing her hand over his. She turned back to Doctor Frasier. "The reason his father wasn't a carrier, was because his father is human."
Jack shut his eyes, shocked at what was happening around him. He was a father again. He felt an increased pressure on his hand.
"As I have already said, I only have a few hours left. Although I appear well, I am dying. And...And I want you to take care of our son. I want you to look after him, care for him..." She paused, looking Jack directly in the eyes. "Love him."
Jack wrapped his arms around the mother of his child and squeezed her gently.
"Lara," he whispered into her hair, as he caressed her back with his hands. He felt his shirt getting damp and he realised that she was crying. "Shh..." he cooed, rocking gently with her. "It'll be alright, it'll be alright..."
* * *
Half an hour later, Jack was stood outside the infirmary with General Hammond and Doctor Frasier, after Lara had drifted off to sleep peacefully.
"This is somewhat unexpected," the General announced, breaking the seemingly endless silence.
"You're telling me," Jack replied. He paused and turned to Doctor Frasier. "Is there really nothing you can do for her?" he asked, his eyes pleading with her.
She hesitated and looked at General Hammond, before turning back to Jack and shaking her head. "I'm sorry Sir. There's nothing we can do for her, except dose her up on painkillers. I really am sorry."
Jack just nodded his head slightly, leaning on the doorframe to let the information sink in.
"And the baby?" he asked.
"Fine. He shows no sign of the disease - your genes probably helped with that," she told him.
"I hate to ask, but ... are you sure he's ..."
"Yes Sir. I took the liberty of checking the blood samples just now. He is yours."
Jack nodded. In his heart he had known, but he just needed to be sure.
"So what now?" he asked, looking towards his CO.
"That's up to you. Lara obviously wants you to take care of the child. So what do you *want* to do?"
"He *is* mine. I don't want to lose him. I want to take care of this child. *My* child."
Jack heard himself speak, but it was as if he was in a dream. This changed everything. He found himself wondering how he would tell Carter about all this.
The General nodded approvingly and turned to walk away.
"Thanks," Jack said, making the General turn round.
"That's OK. We'll talk details later."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Jack in the corridor with Doctor Frasier.
"Janet, how long had she got?" he asked, indicating to the woman sleeping a few metres away.
"An hour. Maybe two," she informed him sadly. "I'm afraid that's all. It shouldn't be painful for her though," she said, trying to reassure the clearly worried Jack.
"Can I sit with her?" he asked.
"Sure."
Jack returned to the infirmary and pulled up a chair next to the bed where Lara slept. He reached out and picked up her hand and held it in his, caressing it gently with his fingers.
"Jack," she whispered in a hardly audible tone. "Will you care for Jonathon?"
"Jonathon? You called him Jonathon?" Jack questioned quietly.
"Yes. It reminded me of you. He has your eyes you know."
Jack smiled. "Yes. I'll care for him. Our son will be loved."
Lara smiled, reassured by Jack's words. "Good," she said.
There was silence for a few minutes, before she pulled herself up on the bed.
"I have one last request," she said and Jack smiled, nodding for her to continue. "Will you hold me?"
Jack stood up and drew himself up on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms tightly and protectively around her.
Doctor Frasier walked passed, and Lara stopped her.
"Can I hold my baby?" she asked.
"Of course," she answered, as she reached into the crib where Jonathon was sleeping and passed him to the waiting arms of his mother.
Jack moved away slightly to allow room for the small child to fit between them. He supported the baby along with Lara and she rested her head on his shoulder, tears running down her cheeks.
Jack noticed that he too was crying, as he held his family, for what would be the first and only time.
They sat that way for almost half an hour, before Jack realised that he could no longer hear Lara's soft breathing. He pulled away, holding on tightly to his child as he laid Lara back down on the bed.
The tears ran down his cheeks as he lent down, smoothed soft curls away from her face and lightly kissed her forehead.
"Fair day," he said, "And be well."