Five days later Daniel was tube free but still attached to the ventilator via a tracheotomy. As Janet had advised, he was still no where near strong enough to breath on his own, though the signs were good that he was making a slow but sure recovery. She had warned that it was going to be a slow, slow process. Gentle steps.

Thing was – Jack O'Neill didn't do slow. The elation he felt after the memorial service – when he was called to the ICU to be told the good news – was wearing off now. Daniel had slept on and off for most of the past few days, waking for only minutes before succumbing to exhaustion once more. The good thing was hat he was aware when he did surface, so Janet's fear of brain damage had, thankfully, lessened.

Jack was getting impatient. Janet and Carrie had assured him that sleep was the best thing for Daniel. Sleep meant healing but Jack wanted signs, he wanted to 'see' first hand that his lover was going to be okay – hell, he wanted Daniel to 'tell' him that he was fine.

He made his way to Daniels curtained off bed, bang on zero eight hundred hours, as he had always done, everyday, it was routine now. He pulled back the curtains and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the normal boring shift of sitting and watching Daniel sleep. Today though…

"Hey!" He beamed as he took in the sight of Daniel actually 'sitting' out of bed. "Look whose up."

Daniel gave him a tentative wave with his IV free hand.

"And it looks like someone's been eating and drinking." Jack smiled and picked up the half empty cup off Daniel's rollaway table.

"Coffee?" He asked with raised eyebrows and twinkle in his eye. Daniel shrugged tiredly in acknowledgement.

Jack sat in the chair next to him and picked up his hand.

"Great to see you out of bed," he said giving the hand a reassuring squeeze. Daniel managed to smile back. Jack rubbed his arm.

"How ya doing?" He asked tenderly.

"'Kay." Daniel mouthed back. The tracheotomy stole his voice but he did have the freedom to be able to communicate at some level.

"That's great, Danny." Jack smiled back. "Looks like you've got some color back in those cheeks of yours," he told him tenderly. Daniel nodded slowly.

"Hey, did you do this?" Jack asked picking up the notepad that was left on t e table in reach of Daniel. The page was littered with Daniel's writing.

'Where's Jack? Time is it? Tired. Bed.'

The writing was scribbled and barely readable but it was Daniel communicating. Daniel nodded slowly again.

"Way to go," Jack praise and rubbed his knee. "Nice stockings by the way" he teased. "Real passion killers"

Daniel rolled his eyes and tugged down on his gown. The dreaded anti embolism stockings were uncomfortable but a necessity to ward against blood clots.

Daniel tapped Jacks hand to get his attention.

"Tired," he mouthed. "Bed?" He pleaded looking longingly at his bed.

"What? Oh. Hang on." Jack beckoned Carrie over.

"Daniel's tired. Can he get a hand back to bed?"

Carrie altered a setting on Daniel's stand.

"You've only been out of bed five minutes, Doctor Jackson. Just a bit longer. You know the physio say's it's the best thing for your lungs."

"Oh. The physio's been round?" Jack asked and tapped Daniel's knee. "You didn't say," he stated with a smile.

"Oh yes," Carrie answered for Daniel. "Gave you a good work out didn't they?" She teased light-heatedly. "Got a lot of gunk out of your lungs."

"That's great, Danny, just great," Jack praised again. Daniel rolled his eyes again and sighed.

"Tired," he mouthed again, head dropping to his chest.

"Just a bit longer," Jack reassured him as Daniel closed his eyes.

"Do you want a drink?" Jack offered. "All this talking must make you thirsty." He joked. Daniel shook his head.

"Stop that." Jack scolded, placing his hand on Daniels knee to stop the constant jiggling of his legs.

Daniel sighed again. "Bed," he pleaded.

Jack returned his sigh. "Soon," he placated.

Daniel tried to get into a more comfortable position but it triggered a coughing fit. As Jack tried to soothe him, Carrie came scurrying over.

"Easy, easy, Daniel."

She kept her tone comforting as Daniel struggled to breath.

"Keep it calm. You know the drill," she urged stripping the wrapper off a suction tube. Uncapping the Tracy end and inserting the long tube down through the apparatus and into Daniels lung. Carrie switched on the suction; the action and sound not making only Daniel gag but Jack as well.

"You're doing great," she praised as the machine removed a sizable volume of gunk from Daniels lungs.

When Daniel stopped gagging she switched off the machine and disposed of the probe. Snapping off her gloves, she fetched a cloth and washed Daniel's sweat soaked face as he sat panting from his excursion.

"Well done. I know, I know – that's not pleasant," she soothed again. "You did great."

"Yeah you sure did," Jack joined in the praise, rubbing his lover's arm to try and help calm him.

Daniel tried to swallow but mouthed "Ow"

"Is your mouth bothering you, Daniel?" Carrie asked when she noticed his discomfort.

Daniel nodded, still panting for breath.

"Hold on I'll get your treatment."

"Nurse?" Jack asked as Carrie reached for some cotton swabs and a sachet of clear fluid.

"Oh – Doctor Jackson has thrush caused by the ventilator," she replied as she started to swab Daniel's sore mouth. She cleaned out his mouth a much as she could, squeezed a vial of Nystan into his mouth, and finished off by smearing petroleum jelly around his dry lips.

"Better?" She asked with a smile.

Daniel managed to mouth 'yeah' between gasps of air.

"Just catch your breath and I'll go and get Bernard. Get you back to bed, hey?" She promised with a smile.

"Too much excitement for one day I bet," she continued as she fetched the winch from the nurse's station and beckoned the orderly over.

"Would you mind stepping out sir?" She asked Jack. "I'll fetch you when he's comfortable."

Jack patted Daniels knee.

"Yeah, sure, no problem, I'll just be outside," he told Daniel who was still struggling to take a breath.

"Okay?"

Daniel nodded and Jack ruffled his hair.

"Good lad."

Xxx

"Hey, Jack"

George Hammond took a seat next to his 2IC who was sat outside the ICU waiting to go back in and take his place next to the SGC senior archaeologist's bed.

"Sir."

"How's he doing today?" George asked surprised to see Jack 'outside' the room.

"Oh, better-," Jack smiled "ish."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He's been out of bed for a while but still struggling with the cough. They're just getting him comfortable again."

"Sounds like he's going the right way now."

"Fingers crossed, sir, fingers crossed."

"Colonel O'Neill?" Carrier stuck her head around the door. "You can come back in now sir," she stated with a smile. "Don't stay too long though. He's very sleepy."

Jack turned and nodded his thanks.

"Jack – tell Daniel I've been asking about him and I'll pop and see him later."

"Will do, sir," Jack replied and made his way back to Daniel's bed.

"Is that better, Daniel?" Janet asked smoothing out his blankets. Daniel nodded sleepily. Janet turned to Jack.

"Just a minute, sir. He's exhausted.," she advised with a tired smile.

"Okay," Jack replied pulling up his trusty familiar seat. He reached and took Daniel's hand and smiled tenderly at him when the sleepy man's eyes fluttered open to acknowledge his presence.

"Shh. Close your eyes. I'll stay until you are sleeping," he promised as Daniel returned the smile as his eyes shut once more.