It took all 9 of them to carry the cargo box to the town. The townspeople quickly greeted them. Jack explained the gift, and they gladly took it. The group told them they were there to use the stargate, and they pointed the path to the stone ring.
"Careful it is our wet season, the pathway is very slick." One of the villagers mentioned.
Once out of town and headed toward the gate, it was seen in the distance. Jack had a massive smile on his face.
"It will be good to be home, T," Jack claimed.
"Indeed," Teal'c claimed.
"I am getting tired of this, Teal'c," Jack admitted.
"You have stated this many times O'Neill," Teal'c claimed.
"Yes, but this time it is different," Jack claimed.
"Is this because you and Major Carter have finally confronted your feelings for each other?' Teal'c asked.
"Finally?" Jack asks.
"It has been apparent for quite some time that you and Major Carter have had feelings that mates express to one another," Teal'c explained.
"Of course, we have." Jack kicked.
With that kick, it turned into a slide, and to preserve himself from falling on the bruise right side of his body. He fell face-first into the mud.
Teal'c pulled Jack up form the mud.
"Are you okay, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"I'm fine," Jack said as he wiped the mud from his face.
Sg-7 was laughing at him SG-9 had the courtesy of looking away and stifling their giggles.
Along the rest of the walk captain, James slid from SG-9 slid in the mud as well, causing more laughter.
The two were using water and dirty t-shirts to get the muck off them as much as possible.
Jack looked at the gate.
"Finally, alright campers, time to head home," Jack stated.
Teal'c began pressing the DHD.
Sam, Daniel, and Michelle were eating lunch together. They had caught up and
"Unscheduled Off World Activation." Sam and Daniel took off sprinting to the gate room.
As the two of them got there, Sg-9 walked through the gate, followed by Sg-7. Robert then Jack, who was limping down the ramp, followed by Teal'c, came through.
Sam ran down the steps towards them. General Hammond had already made it down to great them.
General Hammond didn't say a word as Sam came.
"God, are you okay? What happened?" Sam asked.
"I'll be fine, a bruise and a bigger bruised ego," Jack stated as he attempted to get some more mud off his uniform.
"Good to have you guys home, showers, and the infirmary are in order. But first, how'd you make it back we couldn't get a MALP through."
Jack cringed.
"Once again, the Tok'ra saved the day," Jack claimed.
He looks over at Sam, and without warning, mud and all, he wraps his arms around her waist.
"Your dad says hi," Jack claims.
Sam smiled wide.
"I missed you," Sam claimed.
"I missed you too," Jack admitted and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'll see you soon," Jack claimed and headed off to the locker room.
Sam nodded and watched him go, then had to change herself because of the sticky mud.
Sam was slightly concerned when Janet had called her not 15 minutes later, asking her to come to the infirmary.
Sam walked down there to see Jack lying on his stomach. He was wearing boxers and had an ugly purple bruise that was all over his thigh and heading north.
"Sam, the Colonel here says you can help him keep an eye on this," Janet claims.
"Sure, what do I need to do?" Sam asks. She puts his hands through Jack's hair as he looks at her.
"Well, I'm going to outline it to make sure it gets smaller instead of bigger. As you can see, its fairly large, and that's a lot of blood loss." Janet explained.
Sam nodded.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"Don't laugh?" Jack claimed.
Sam looked at him, waiting.
"Your dad's flying skills jostled me ½ way across the ship, and I landed on a heap right on the corner of a cargo create, cushioning Robert and two other people's fall," Jack explained.
The x-ray doesn't show anything broken, and by all signs and symptoms, there are no tears, but this is going to take a while to heal." Janet explained.
"Just peachy," Jack claimed.
"Sorry sir, but you're not going to feel comfortable sitting for a long time.: Janet tells him.
"You're on medical leave for at least the next two weeks. This needs time to heal." Janet claims.
"Of course it does," Jack stated.
"Colonel," Janet warned.
"Sorry, Doc, it just feels like every time I come back through, I come back with an injury," Jack claims.
"You're known to be accident-prone," Janet mentioned.
Jack fake laughed at the woman.
"Now I want you to walk as much as you feel comfortable, but we don't need this bruise any bigger. No running, no lifting. No strenuous activity. No sex, don't sit for too long. When you go to bed, lie on your side or stomach. You don't want to fall again. Be careful going up and down the steps.
"I feel like I'm 80." Jack mopes.
"Not today.' Janet claims.
Jack smiles genuinely this time.
"Have Sam take you home already cleared it with the General," Janet explained.
"Jack, are you sure you're okay? This looks extremely painful," Sam claimed
She skimmed her hand over his bruises leg.
"Only when you touch it," he hissed.
Sam pulled her hand back fast and apologized.
She helped Jack rollover over the bed giving him support, so he didn't hit the bruise and moved into a standing position.
"I'm going to tell Michelle and Daniel I'm leaving, and I'll meet you at the elevators," Sam explained.
Jack nodded as he pulled up his pants, and Sam smiled at him.
Sam went and knocked on Daniel's door.
"Hey, Janet wants me to take Jack home," Sam claimed.
"Is he okay?" What happened?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know much yet, but the Tok'ra had gotten it wrong. Dad got them out safe except for the fact the ship got a little rough, and Jack has some bruises." Sam explained.
Daniel nodded his head.
"So everything is okay?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know," Sam admitted.
Daniel frowned, knowing the depth of his question was too much for her to answer at this point.
"If there is anything I can do," Daniel claimed.
Sam nodded.
"I'll be with Jack, come over tonight, bring Teal'c if he feels up to it," Sam claimed.
Daniel nodded.
"I'll see you later tonight," Daniel stated.
Janet had not told Cassie that Jack had been missing. She didn't want her worried once again. She was glad she didn't mention anything delighted to see him walk through the infirmary door.
"Cass doesn't know you've been missing," Janet explains.
"Right well, it's better off, none of that worrying," Jack claimed.
"How's Sam?" Jack asked.
"She's been quiet. Pushing herself in her work, the usual." Janet claimed.
"I can't keep doing this to her," Jack explained.
Janet didn't know what to say.
"You two will figure it out." Janet smiled.
"I hope so, Doc." Jack smiled.
"I hope to see Cassie on my, yet again extended medical leave break," Jack claimed.
"Well, if I can get her detached from Elliott and her friends, I will let you know," Janet claimed.
Jack smiled and nodded at Janet.
"The General is waiting to see you," Janet mentioned.
Jack headed to the office door.
Cassie hadn't known anything about the fact that her dad had been missing. She was slightly annoyed she hadn't heard from him. Janet had been vague about Jack's whereabouts and once again, and Cassie was tired of being treated like a child. Janet had been working long nights, leaving Cassie home alone or out with Elliott or various friends. Cassie was sitting in History class when had asked one of his notorious questions. She liked Mr. Jenkins. Students at the school were of mixed opinion of the man. Cassie found that he reminded her of her dad in an odd way. Disciplined, he was former military, Vietnam, she thought, but he had never brought it up. The question of the day was, "What was the most popular cereal in 1975?" They were talking about manufacturing and farming and discussion about farming now and then. It wasn't daily he would ask these specific questions, but he would go around the whole room, you had to guess, and he wouldn't stop until someone got it right. The kids in front of her had excellent answers, but they were wrong. She guessed Frosted Flakes, which was also incorrect. As he went around the room, he became frustrated and gave a hint they are still on the market today, and they are regularly served in the cafeteria at breakfast. Someone guessed Honey Combs, which Cassie never remembered seeing in the cafeteria in the morning. Mr. Jenkins told the girl she was close.
Cassie thought about the shape and taste, and it hit her, Golden Grahams. She waited and waited for someone to say it, and when he got to the end of the class, he worked backward. Being in alphabetical order and the class rather large, Cassie knew they were going to go through 18 more kids before it got to her. She whispered to a friend the answer, but he called out Mini-Wheats; that's the 5th time Cassie had heard that cereal name. The next guy guessed Frosted Flakes. Out of nowhere, Cassie suddenly couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, as the protocol to talk.
"it's Golden Grahams, sir!" Cassie claimed.
"Excuse me, Fraiser?" Mr. Jenkins asked.
"The answer to your question is, Golden Grahams," Cassie claimed.
Cassie thought for sure she would get yelled at for speaking out of turn, but instead, she heard:
"Thank you, Fraiser. The answer is Golden Grahams."
Cassie sat down, a smile on her face, as Mr. Jenkins continued the lesson.
The bell rang a few minutes later, signaling her lunch that she luckily got to share Elliott.
She went to the locker, threw her books in, and grabbed another. Elliott stopped by her locker, and instead of going to lunch, the two walked out, to the parking lot, they had 40 minutes for lunch, and they were going to make every second count.
"You wanted to see me, sir," Jack stated.
"Yes, I know you're on medical leave. Any information that you need to provide before taking leave?" General Hammond asked.
"Nothing, the rest of the team's can't relay. Once again, the Tok'ra messed up." Jack stated.
"Alright, well, be careful to follow the doctor's orders," General Hammond claimed.
Jack nodded and headed towards the elevator doors.
Sam was waiting on him and smiled at him as he came down the hall, trying not limp.
"We're going home," Jack claimed.
"We're going home," Sam sighed.
Jack didn't know what to think of that tone of voice but didn't say anything.
When they go into the elevators, although Jack knew perfectly well, there was a camera, he held her close and put his hands through Sam's hair.
"I'm sorry," Jack claimed and repeated himself until Sam eventually allowed the tears to stream down her face.