Jack had been spending almost all of his time over the past few weeks with
or very near to Janet. So she wasn't too surprised when she came back from
physiotherapy to find him sitting there.
"Hey." She mumbled tiredly. As she was repositioned onto her bed.
"Hey." He smiled.
"How long have you been here?" She asked, concern in her voice.
"A while." He replied.
"Have you even been home since we got back?"
"Nope." He replied, a sheepish smile on his face.
"You should get some rest, you're always complaining you can't get a good nights sleep on base."
He laughed, "For god's sake, Janet, think about yourself for once. You nearly died for crying out loud."
Immediately he regretted what he had said when he saw tears forming in her eyes.
"Oh, God, Jan, I'm sorry.I didn't think." He stumbled on an apology.
She quickly wiped the tears away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry.this must seem pretty stupid to you."
Jack frowned.
She sniffed, and continued wiping her eyes, "You guys face death every day, and here I am, one little brush with death and I'm crying."
"I'd hardly call it a little brush with death." He squeezed her hand, not letting go afterwards. "It's perfectly understandable that you're upset." He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, gently using his thumb to wipe away her tears. "And you could never look stupid to me." He whispered sincerely, his eye contact with her unwavering.
Jack mentally shook himself for making such a physical gesture. 'Now is so not the time' he scolded himself. Janet was fidgeting under his scrutiny, unsure of how to react to his overt action.
"Besides, it's probably being stuck on the base for so long, it's enough to bring anyone to tears." He tried to break the tension that had formed.
"Yeah." She replied dejectedly.
He could see she was holding something back. "What?" He asked , gently pushing her to tell him.
She sighed, "It's nothing. I guess I'm just frustrated. The physio's going really slow."
He laid his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "These things take time, you should know that better than anyone. You can't expect much at the physio sessions, you still have a leg in cast for crying out loud."
She laughed, "Right." There was a pause, "I guess I never realised how empty that sounds."
"Look, I know it feels like you're never gonna be back to normal, but you will. You just have to keep looking forward to that. Besides the worst is nearly over, Doc Warner said he's gonna let you outta here soon."
"Not soon enough."
"I know that feeling."
"My bedside manner is that bad?"
"No!" He answered, just a little too quickly. "No, it's just, you know, being stuck underground for so long.it can get to you."
"I never realised just how bad it is."
"Maybe you'll start to let me out a little earlier."
"Was this all some sort of fiendish plot to make me sympathise with you more when you're stuck in here?" She asked, her lips curling into a smile.
"Damn, you've foiled my evil plot."
She laughed, and Jack couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"I gotta get going." He said standing up. "Hammond's arranged a meeting, something about commissary budget, I think maybe Carter's been over doing it with the Jello." He said smiling.
She smiled back, "You'll be back later?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course."
"Good."
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Jack was aimlessly wandering the base, going over what had just happened in his mind. It was then that he quite literally walked into Teal'c.
"Oh, um.sorry, T."
Teal'c bowed his head in his customary manner, "Your mind was obviously concerned with other matters." Though anyone else would have missed it, Jack heard the insinuation in Teal'c voice.
"Yeah." Jack admitted continuing down the corridor, Teal'c following.
"How is Doctor Fraiser?" He asked, an uncharacteristic tone in his voice.
"I managed to make her cry this morning." Jack replied, anger at his own tactlessness evident in his voice.
He didn't even have to look to know Teal'c had raised an eyebrow.
Jack held the door open for Teal'c to follow him into his quarters, sighing as he slumped onto the bed, Teal'c sitting opposite him.
"Oh man." Jack put his head in his hands, "I feel like I'm in high school again, I got it bad."
"Indeed."
He sighed again, "I don't even know how this happened, I mean.she's the doc."
"She is also an extremely beautiful and intelligent woman."
"Yeah." Jack smiled. He took a breath to say something, but was interrupted by his phone ringing.
"O'Neill." He answered.
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"I'll be right there."
He hung up the phone.
"They're going to release Janet." He informed Teal'c, getting up and heading down to the infirmary.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Jack and Teal'c entered the room to find Janet surrounded by Sam, Jonas, General Hammond and Dr. Warner.
"Hey, what's going on?" Jack asked.
"We're just trying to figure out who going to stay where." Sam replied.
"What?" Jack asked.
"They're convinced I can't look after myself." Janet said, her agitation at the role reversal evident.
"You could stay with me." The words were out of Jack's mouth before he could stop them.
All eyes in the room turned to him.
"Well.it makes sense." He said, realising to his horror that it actually did. "I mean, you're gonna be on wheels for a while, and unless you want to be manhandled upstairs every night your place is out. Carter's is too small for you and Cass. So Cass stays with Carter and you stay with me."
There was a silence in the room as they realised what he was saying made sense. His house was mostly level, with only those few steps between levels, which didn't pose a problem since Jack had got one of the tech's to build him a ramp for when he himself was injured. And Sam's place was far closer to Cassie's school than Jack's.
"Umm, do you think I could have a minute alone with the Colonel?" Janet finally asked.
Everyone quickly agreed, filing out of the room.
"Jack, I get why you're doing this." She began. And for a second Jack thought she might actually know the real reason, that he was desperate for an excuse to spend more time with her.
"You're obviously still on some sort of guilt trip. You always blame yourself when someone gets hurt on one of your missions. I mean why else would you volunteer to spend more time with me?"
Jack breathed a sigh of relief.
"No." He said firmly. "Jan, that's not what this is about. I just want to make sure that you're ok. I want to look after you, like you've done for me so many times." He paused, "Besides, spending time with you isn't so bad." He said smiling.
She smiled back shyly, embarrassed by his attention focusing on her. "Are you sure you really want to inflict me on yourself?"
He laughed, "Yes." He replied sincerely, "Not too sure what I'm letting myself in for though." He joked.
She smiled again, "You better go get them, then."
Jack did as she suggested, sticking his head out the door and telling the group waiting outside to come in.
"So.umm.what's happening?" Sam asked.
"Well, if it's ok with you, Cass will stay with you, and the Doc with me." Jack replied.
Sam looked to Janet, "Umm.ok.if you're sure."
Janet smiled at her friends uncertainty, "Yeah."
"Ok." Sam replied.
"So it's settled then."
"Hey." She mumbled tiredly. As she was repositioned onto her bed.
"Hey." He smiled.
"How long have you been here?" She asked, concern in her voice.
"A while." He replied.
"Have you even been home since we got back?"
"Nope." He replied, a sheepish smile on his face.
"You should get some rest, you're always complaining you can't get a good nights sleep on base."
He laughed, "For god's sake, Janet, think about yourself for once. You nearly died for crying out loud."
Immediately he regretted what he had said when he saw tears forming in her eyes.
"Oh, God, Jan, I'm sorry.I didn't think." He stumbled on an apology.
She quickly wiped the tears away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry.this must seem pretty stupid to you."
Jack frowned.
She sniffed, and continued wiping her eyes, "You guys face death every day, and here I am, one little brush with death and I'm crying."
"I'd hardly call it a little brush with death." He squeezed her hand, not letting go afterwards. "It's perfectly understandable that you're upset." He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, gently using his thumb to wipe away her tears. "And you could never look stupid to me." He whispered sincerely, his eye contact with her unwavering.
Jack mentally shook himself for making such a physical gesture. 'Now is so not the time' he scolded himself. Janet was fidgeting under his scrutiny, unsure of how to react to his overt action.
"Besides, it's probably being stuck on the base for so long, it's enough to bring anyone to tears." He tried to break the tension that had formed.
"Yeah." She replied dejectedly.
He could see she was holding something back. "What?" He asked , gently pushing her to tell him.
She sighed, "It's nothing. I guess I'm just frustrated. The physio's going really slow."
He laid his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "These things take time, you should know that better than anyone. You can't expect much at the physio sessions, you still have a leg in cast for crying out loud."
She laughed, "Right." There was a pause, "I guess I never realised how empty that sounds."
"Look, I know it feels like you're never gonna be back to normal, but you will. You just have to keep looking forward to that. Besides the worst is nearly over, Doc Warner said he's gonna let you outta here soon."
"Not soon enough."
"I know that feeling."
"My bedside manner is that bad?"
"No!" He answered, just a little too quickly. "No, it's just, you know, being stuck underground for so long.it can get to you."
"I never realised just how bad it is."
"Maybe you'll start to let me out a little earlier."
"Was this all some sort of fiendish plot to make me sympathise with you more when you're stuck in here?" She asked, her lips curling into a smile.
"Damn, you've foiled my evil plot."
She laughed, and Jack couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"I gotta get going." He said standing up. "Hammond's arranged a meeting, something about commissary budget, I think maybe Carter's been over doing it with the Jello." He said smiling.
She smiled back, "You'll be back later?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course."
"Good."
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Jack was aimlessly wandering the base, going over what had just happened in his mind. It was then that he quite literally walked into Teal'c.
"Oh, um.sorry, T."
Teal'c bowed his head in his customary manner, "Your mind was obviously concerned with other matters." Though anyone else would have missed it, Jack heard the insinuation in Teal'c voice.
"Yeah." Jack admitted continuing down the corridor, Teal'c following.
"How is Doctor Fraiser?" He asked, an uncharacteristic tone in his voice.
"I managed to make her cry this morning." Jack replied, anger at his own tactlessness evident in his voice.
He didn't even have to look to know Teal'c had raised an eyebrow.
Jack held the door open for Teal'c to follow him into his quarters, sighing as he slumped onto the bed, Teal'c sitting opposite him.
"Oh man." Jack put his head in his hands, "I feel like I'm in high school again, I got it bad."
"Indeed."
He sighed again, "I don't even know how this happened, I mean.she's the doc."
"She is also an extremely beautiful and intelligent woman."
"Yeah." Jack smiled. He took a breath to say something, but was interrupted by his phone ringing.
"O'Neill." He answered.
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"I'll be right there."
He hung up the phone.
"They're going to release Janet." He informed Teal'c, getting up and heading down to the infirmary.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Jack and Teal'c entered the room to find Janet surrounded by Sam, Jonas, General Hammond and Dr. Warner.
"Hey, what's going on?" Jack asked.
"We're just trying to figure out who going to stay where." Sam replied.
"What?" Jack asked.
"They're convinced I can't look after myself." Janet said, her agitation at the role reversal evident.
"You could stay with me." The words were out of Jack's mouth before he could stop them.
All eyes in the room turned to him.
"Well.it makes sense." He said, realising to his horror that it actually did. "I mean, you're gonna be on wheels for a while, and unless you want to be manhandled upstairs every night your place is out. Carter's is too small for you and Cass. So Cass stays with Carter and you stay with me."
There was a silence in the room as they realised what he was saying made sense. His house was mostly level, with only those few steps between levels, which didn't pose a problem since Jack had got one of the tech's to build him a ramp for when he himself was injured. And Sam's place was far closer to Cassie's school than Jack's.
"Umm, do you think I could have a minute alone with the Colonel?" Janet finally asked.
Everyone quickly agreed, filing out of the room.
"Jack, I get why you're doing this." She began. And for a second Jack thought she might actually know the real reason, that he was desperate for an excuse to spend more time with her.
"You're obviously still on some sort of guilt trip. You always blame yourself when someone gets hurt on one of your missions. I mean why else would you volunteer to spend more time with me?"
Jack breathed a sigh of relief.
"No." He said firmly. "Jan, that's not what this is about. I just want to make sure that you're ok. I want to look after you, like you've done for me so many times." He paused, "Besides, spending time with you isn't so bad." He said smiling.
She smiled back shyly, embarrassed by his attention focusing on her. "Are you sure you really want to inflict me on yourself?"
He laughed, "Yes." He replied sincerely, "Not too sure what I'm letting myself in for though." He joked.
She smiled again, "You better go get them, then."
Jack did as she suggested, sticking his head out the door and telling the group waiting outside to come in.
"So.umm.what's happening?" Sam asked.
"Well, if it's ok with you, Cass will stay with you, and the Doc with me." Jack replied.
Sam looked to Janet, "Umm.ok.if you're sure."
Janet smiled at her friends uncertainty, "Yeah."
"Ok." Sam replied.
"So it's settled then."