Chapter Eleven
"I want so much to just be able to sleep with her."
"Well," Jack replied with a sly grin "hopefully Dr. Brightman can fix you up today and you two kids can have at it."
"Wha…what?" Daniel stuttered in shock. "No, I was talking about being able to sleep with her…not sleep with her."
"I don't follow."
"I'm worried about hurting her again because of a nightmare."
"Oh, you mean sleep sleep."
"Of course that's what I meant!"
"How was I supposed to know that?"
"Jack, just so we can avoid future confusion I'd like to state for the record that hell would have to freeze over before I would discuss sex with you."
"Hey, we're all adults here."
"That has yet to be proven."
Jack chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. Daniel gave him a sour look from his place on the propped up infirmary bed. He had gone through all of the pre-op checks and was just waiting for the surgery room to be ready.
"So, how's good old Minnesota?" Jack asked casually.
"Peaceful until you called."
"Yeah, sorry about that. That brother of hers is like a bulldog with his teeth in a mailman…he doesn't let go."
"I thought Tanya was going to kill him when we got back. For all I know she did."
"I'm sure there isn't a jury in the world that would convict her."
The pair looked over as Sam and Tanya entered the infirmary. Sam had her hand on Tanya's shoulder and looked as though she was finishing up some softly spoken words of either encouragement or assurance. Tanya forced a smile and nodded. Daniel's blood flashed to ice in the fear that she may have told Sam about the source of his phobia. Tanya stepped up to the bed but look unsure of what to do or say.
"Sir?" Sam asked.
"Yeah?"
"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute."
"What? Ah…right. Sure." Jack said as he caught on. "Good luck, Daniel…with the surgery I mean."
Daniel didn't reply he just gave Jack another withering look. Jack followed Sam out of the infirmary leaving the pair alone. Daniel reached out and took Tanya's hand. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and remained quiet.
"Tanya? Are you alright?"
"I'm just nervous."
"The surgery is minor, it shouldn't take more than an hour. They aren't even going to put me under, just a local."
"What…" Tanya hesitated. "What if it doesn't work?"
"Are you going to end our relationship if it doesn't?"
"No! Of course not! Tha…that's not what I meant."
"I know, I was teasing you. I'm sorry." Daniel smiled. "If the surgery doesn't work, then I doesn't work. I'm not going to worry about it."
"I'll never forgive myself if you remain paralyzed." Tanya admitted.
"This isn't your fault."
"If you hadn't met me, you would never have met David."
"I would gladly give up walking for the time we've had together."
A genuine smile lit up Tanya's face as she blushed.
"Come here…" Daniel purred.
Tanya yelped playfully as Daniel pulled on her hand to bring her closer. Tanya found herself in an increasingly passionate kiss. Leaning over the bed she put her free hand on his chest for support. The monotone beeping of the medical equipment seemed to be getting louder.
"Dr. Jackson, are you alright?" Dr. Brightman asked as hustled into the infirmary before she took in the scene. "Oh…sorry. The heart monitor sent me a tachycardia alert."
Tanya straightened back up and flushed once more. Daniel didn't care about being caught, he'd already been given some medications to help the local anesthesia and it was clouding his mind pleasantly. Dr. Brightman walked up and hit the button that stopped the annoying beeping on the monitor.
"We'll be ready for you in about five minutes."
"Sounds good."
When Dr. Brightman was gone Tanya bowed her head and made a noise somewhere between a chuckle and groan of despair. Daniel still held her hand captive and gave it a squeeze.
"It's like the whole world is against us having a moment of privacy." Tanya sighed.
"Yeah, if it's not one things, it's your brother."
Tanya laughed and shook her head sadly. Knowing they didn't have much time she leaned in and just gave him a quick kiss. They spent a few minutes in silence. Daniel almost asked her what she had been talking to Sam about, but he decided against it. This time Dr. Brightman knocked before reentering the infirmary with two male nurses.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Daniel replied.
"Good luck." Tanya forced another smile.
"I'll be fine, I'm in good hands."
"Not only that, but he's very experienced with this sort of thing." Dr. Brightman noted. "Dr. Jackson doesn't have a medical chart, he has a entire filing cabinet."
"I don't doubt that."
"If it wasn't all Top Secret Classified the staff here would be well on their way towards a Noble Prize in medicine."
"The doctors at the local hospital were certainly interested in making a lab rat out of me."
Dr. Brightman chuckled and ordered the nurses to take Daniel into surgery. Once alone Tanya sat down on one of the infirmary beds. She sighed heavily and rubbed at her suddenly sour stomach. Part of her had wanted to ask if she could go with him, but she knew it wasn't appropriate.
With nothing to do but wait Tanya looked up briefly at the mirror on the opposite wall. Not very familiar with the infirmary she had no idea that it was a one-way. On the side of the glass Sam stood next to Jack with her arms crossed over her chest and a disapproving look on her face.
"Sir…when I said 'I need to talk to you' I was trying to give them some privacy, not give you an excuse to spy."
"I couldn't help myself." Jack smiled. "I haven't seen him this happy since Abydos. I've always thought that all he really needed was a good la…"
"Sir!" Sam admonished before he could finish.
"What? 'Lady'. A good lady in his life." Jack chuckled. "What were you thinking?"
"Nothing, Sir."
Jack did his best to contain his grin. Sam remained professional and stared out of the mirror. Tanya was looking more miserable by the second.
"I'm going to go talk to her."
Sam stepped out of the small room and into Dr. Brightman's office. She took the long way around to infirmary so that it didn't look like she'd been spying, something she felt guilty for. When she came into the infirmary Tanya looked up and scrambled to her feet.
"Colonel Carter."
"You're off duty at the moment, you can call me 'Sam'." Sam smiled warmly. "Did Dr. Brightman say how long the surgery was going to be?"
"About an hour."
"Care to go down to the commons and get some coffee while we wait?"
"That would be wonderful."
Sam and Tanya made their way to the commons. It was early on a Saturday morning so it was mostly vacant. Coffee in hand they sat at one of the far corner tables. An uncomfortable silence settled over them as they sipped at the hot brew.
"I don't think I'm truly helping him." Tanya said suddenly.
"I think you've helped Daniel more in the past month than we've been able to do for him in nearly ten years." Sam said honestly. "I've never seen him like this before."
"I'm in over my head though. He only looks happier on the surface, it's a very thin shell."
"One that melts in the rain?" Sam asked sadly.
Tanya nodded.
"Has he talked to you about it?"
"Once."
"Then you're doing far better than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"That 'once' may have also been a 'first'."
"He…he really has never talked to you about what happened?"
"No." Sam shook her head. "He has even refused professional council."
Tanya put her coffee cup down and stared at Sam. She licked her lips nervously, looking like she wanted to say something. After a moment of indecision she just sighed and started pushing her cup around in a small circle on the table.
"Tanya…what's wrong?"
"I can't help him…but I think you can."
"How?"
"I…I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because Daniel will never trust me again if it do."
"Then don't say another word, because what Daniel needs more than anything is someone he can trust."
"He trust you…"
"Only with his life…never with his secrets."