The conversation with the General went better than expected. After describing his situation to his superiors, it felt at least a piece of the weight had fallen from his shoulders. General Hammond treated it objectively, he knew only too well that it was what Jack O'Neill preferred. Again and again he called him son, his way of showing his appreciation for the man who had grown into his heart, although he often made life difficult for him.

After the Colonel had left, George Hammond muttered deeply and tried to get his emerging emotions under control. This was definitely a black day for the Stargate program. His next move sent his hand automatically to the telephone. He had promised Jack to keep silent, but there was one person who had to be informed about it at all costs. There was no way around it, but Jack O'Neill knew that.

Jack's extreme tension had subsided, he felt good for the moment, better than he had in the last 24 hours and was ready for the next point on his list! The path led him to the training area of the base, where the well-built Jaffa Teal'c was already preparing for their training. In the back of his mind, Jack prayed that Teal'c would not see that he was not at his usual performance once they began training. The little sleep he'd had the last few nights and especially the preceding night had exhausted him quite well, he had to admit.
The Jaffa had an uncanny sense for others, which sometimes makes Jack uneasy. Not a particularly talkative man, but when it mattered, the words bubbled out of him. It had taken a while, but Jack soon realized that Teal'c was much wiser than he wanted to make people think he was. Jack should have caught onto this sooner – for he did the same thing. A good military trick learned in the field.
After warming up, they began their training. Boxing was Teal'c's favorite Tauri sport, Jack remembered. Teal'c was also very good at it, and it was sometimes hard for Jack to remind him that when training, one is fighting each other only for fun and does not intend to really hurt his opponent. That was simply incomprehensible to him.

Today, Jack had a lot of trouble to avoid Teal'c's flying fists. The Jaffa did not escape the fact that his opponent and friend not only lacked concentration because he already sweated heavily after a few minutes and breathed heavily. After he hit his chin, he thought it is advisable to do something.

"O'NEILL, you must concentrate! Watch your cover! Fists up!"

It was hard for Jack to hold his arms up. He simply lacked the necessary strength. The next blow hit him hard on the head, and Jack staggered, confused and blindly, before he fell to the mat and finally remained motionless.

As the air force officer came back to consciousness, he lay on one of the infirmary beds. Great, he thought sarcastically as he tried to sit up carefully before he even registered that he was not alone in the room. He was immediately hindered when someone pushed him back to his lying position.
Janet! Protesting did nothing to help him. The small, but very resolute doctor had her rules and her opinion was the only one that had been allowed in these rooms and Jack had to remember to accept that all too often in the past years. But that never stopped him from hating it! Every time! Especially this time!

"You're staying Colonel! You were unconscious, and this should not be taken lightly, sir,"

Janet told him, while looking at him with concern shining through her eyes. He had to be careful here. Janet knew about his situation and he was on dangerous ground. She could put him on bed rest right here in her infirmary until she deemed he was fit if she wanted to.

"Oh come on Janet! Teal'c knocked me out. Not unusual in boxing! By the way, congratulations T, you sent me to the mat, face down."

Jack grinned at the worried Jaffa, although the smile did not reach his eyes, who was also at the bedside.

"That was not my intention O'Neill. And this is not funny, "

Teal'c stated sternly to Jack without forgiveness. Jack could tell that Teal'c was also worried but he had to try to keep things as casual as possible – no one else could know.

"I do not like this at all," said the doctor sternly, her hands on her hips.

Jack O'Neill rolled his eyes, which was not a good idea. He felt slight dizziness.

"No sense of humor," he muttered to himself.

"Headaches, dizziness or other complaints sir?"

Janet Fraiser asked him immediately when she noticed that his face had gone deathly white again, while she checked his pupils again with her penlight.

"No, no, and again no. I'm fine," he lied.

But Janet Fraiser, was not just anyone, she knew Jack O'Neill too well and could feel that he was not honest with her. After Janet had asked Teal'c to leave the room, she talked earnestly with the Colonel. She gave him one of her stern speeches, oh Jack O'Neill knew them all! He was really trying to concentrate on what she had to say, but as usual, his not too large attention span was quickly passing and his thoughts drifted off.
Janet groaned and paused as she noticed. The last thing she wanted to do in Jack's situation was to make his life even harder, but she was also worried, feeling he was even more light-hearted than usual in his actions. Boxing! She just could not believe it. What was he thinking? The last thing he needed to be doing was beating his skull. She had really tried to make him understand that.

Only after more than an hour, filled with many promises that the officer had to give to his doctor, and the most faithful dog eyes he could muster, Janet was no longer able to hold him. In her most stern tone, she called after him, as he fled formally and disappeared quickly out of the door.

"Should there be something, I am here! And no more boxing matches Colonel!"

Jack did not understand why Janet had made such a fuss as he headed back toward his office. As if it would still make any difference! As he walked through the base, he suddenly thought of Samantha Carter. He was only glad that she was not at the base now, but at the academy. She took care of the new "brainy" generation for the Stargate program. As much as he loved that woman, and just because of his love for her, he was sure, it would be best if he had already left before she came back.
Back at his desk, he scratched off the second item on his list, putting the shredded piece of paper back in the drawer of the desk.
He rubbed his eyes with his palms. The fatigue overpowered him gradually, and his head still hurt lightly.
Without his even being aware of it, he fell asleep, his whole body surrendering to the need of it.
Then someone knocked at the door.