Around lunchtime the phone rang and Sam reached over and grabbed it, hoping
it wouldn't wake O'Neill, who was dozing beside her.
"Hello?"
"Hey Sam, it's Janet. How are you doing?"
She looked over at O'Neill, who had opened his eyes when the phone rang, and reached out and touched her fingertips to his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. He didn't return the smile, but he also didn't close his eyes, or turn away.
"I'm not sure, Janet."
"Is he eating?"
"More or less."
"Is he yelling at you?"
"No."
"Honestly?" Sam heard the note of disbelief in Frasier's voice.
"Honestly."
"Well, I'm going to come over there in a little bit, would you like me to bring you anything? Some clean clothes? More books? Big bottle of booze?"
Sam laughed, and shook her head, even though the doctor couldn't see it. "No, I think – wait, how about a deck of cards? I know the Colonel doesn't have any here, because I borrowed his and never returned them."
"Can do." Janet hung up, and Sam put the phone down and gave O'Neill another smile.
"Janet's coming over."
"Joy."
"Sir-"
"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, and leaned back against the sofa. Sam shook her head, and leaned over as well, kissing him gently. His eyes opened, but he didn't make any other motion.
"It's okay, Sir," Sam whispered. "This is hard for you, and we know it. Just... just try to be a little less... sarcastic. Please?"
He nodded, and Sam gave him another smile before she stood up. "We should get you dressed in a little more than just sweats if we're going to have company, you know? Maybe a pair of jeans, even."
"I don't want to get dressed, Carter," Jack mumbled, but she ignored him and walked down the hall and into his bedroom, and began rifling through his dresser. O'Neill grumbled, but stood up and went to see what she was doing, moving noiselessly on bare feet.
"Here, Sir," Sam said, handing him underwear, a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. "Put those on."
"Sam-"
"Jack. Please?"
He knew when he was beat. Jack tossed the clothes on the bed and started to take his sweats off.
"I'll wait for you in the living room, Sir," Sam said quickly, turning to go and blushing furiously despite herself. "Socks, too!" She called as she disappeared down the hall.
He muttered a curse under his breath, but he did what she told him to, grumbling the entire time as he tried to figure out how she'd managed to make him do exactly the opposite of what he'd wanted to.
"She knows what's best for you right now, Jack."
O'Neill looked over and saw Daniel standing next to the bed, and wondered how the hell he was dreaming him when he was wide awake. He knew he was awake.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Jack." Daniel smiled fondly at his friend, and Jack shrugged
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know." Daniel went over and sat down on the bed, and looked at his friend for a long moment taking in the differences only a couple weeks had wrought. "I'm here for the same reason Sam's here. The same reason Janet's going to come over, and the same reason Teal'c would be here if he knew what was going on. You need help."
"I'm fine."
"I've never seen you less fine, Jack," Daniel said, shaking his head. "You've allowed yourself to drift, and you're going to have to find an anchoring, soon."
"An anchor?"
He leaned down to get his shirt off the floor where it had fallen, and when he looked up, Daniel was gone.
"Great," he muttered, as he pulled the shirt on then fastened his jeans. "Even in my daydreams Daniel talks gobbledygook."
He sat down on the bed, and stared at the place Daniel had been, wishing that the next time he dreamed Daniel was talking to him, he'd be able to figure out a way to keep him from leaving. Or maybe figure out a way to go with him?
"Sir?"
Jack jumped slightly, startled from his thoughts by the return of Carter, who'd come back to make sure he was getting dressed and not retreating back into his bed. He looked at the doorway where she was standing, and then back at the place Daniel had been.
"Are you all right, Sir?" She asked, noting that he looked bewildered.
"I'm fine."
Of course. Sam wondered if there was some way she could make him lose that word from his vocabulary. He was dressed, though, and she noticed he'd even managed to fish out a pair of socks.
"Come out here and keep me company while we wait for Janet?" She asked him, holding her hand out to him like she would a small child.
He nodded wordlessly and stood up, taking her hand and allowing her to lead him out of the room, although he did look back over his shoulder one more time, hoping for another glimpse of Daniel.
"Hello?"
"Hey Sam, it's Janet. How are you doing?"
She looked over at O'Neill, who had opened his eyes when the phone rang, and reached out and touched her fingertips to his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. He didn't return the smile, but he also didn't close his eyes, or turn away.
"I'm not sure, Janet."
"Is he eating?"
"More or less."
"Is he yelling at you?"
"No."
"Honestly?" Sam heard the note of disbelief in Frasier's voice.
"Honestly."
"Well, I'm going to come over there in a little bit, would you like me to bring you anything? Some clean clothes? More books? Big bottle of booze?"
Sam laughed, and shook her head, even though the doctor couldn't see it. "No, I think – wait, how about a deck of cards? I know the Colonel doesn't have any here, because I borrowed his and never returned them."
"Can do." Janet hung up, and Sam put the phone down and gave O'Neill another smile.
"Janet's coming over."
"Joy."
"Sir-"
"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, and leaned back against the sofa. Sam shook her head, and leaned over as well, kissing him gently. His eyes opened, but he didn't make any other motion.
"It's okay, Sir," Sam whispered. "This is hard for you, and we know it. Just... just try to be a little less... sarcastic. Please?"
He nodded, and Sam gave him another smile before she stood up. "We should get you dressed in a little more than just sweats if we're going to have company, you know? Maybe a pair of jeans, even."
"I don't want to get dressed, Carter," Jack mumbled, but she ignored him and walked down the hall and into his bedroom, and began rifling through his dresser. O'Neill grumbled, but stood up and went to see what she was doing, moving noiselessly on bare feet.
"Here, Sir," Sam said, handing him underwear, a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. "Put those on."
"Sam-"
"Jack. Please?"
He knew when he was beat. Jack tossed the clothes on the bed and started to take his sweats off.
"I'll wait for you in the living room, Sir," Sam said quickly, turning to go and blushing furiously despite herself. "Socks, too!" She called as she disappeared down the hall.
He muttered a curse under his breath, but he did what she told him to, grumbling the entire time as he tried to figure out how she'd managed to make him do exactly the opposite of what he'd wanted to.
"She knows what's best for you right now, Jack."
O'Neill looked over and saw Daniel standing next to the bed, and wondered how the hell he was dreaming him when he was wide awake. He knew he was awake.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Jack." Daniel smiled fondly at his friend, and Jack shrugged
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know." Daniel went over and sat down on the bed, and looked at his friend for a long moment taking in the differences only a couple weeks had wrought. "I'm here for the same reason Sam's here. The same reason Janet's going to come over, and the same reason Teal'c would be here if he knew what was going on. You need help."
"I'm fine."
"I've never seen you less fine, Jack," Daniel said, shaking his head. "You've allowed yourself to drift, and you're going to have to find an anchoring, soon."
"An anchor?"
He leaned down to get his shirt off the floor where it had fallen, and when he looked up, Daniel was gone.
"Great," he muttered, as he pulled the shirt on then fastened his jeans. "Even in my daydreams Daniel talks gobbledygook."
He sat down on the bed, and stared at the place Daniel had been, wishing that the next time he dreamed Daniel was talking to him, he'd be able to figure out a way to keep him from leaving. Or maybe figure out a way to go with him?
"Sir?"
Jack jumped slightly, startled from his thoughts by the return of Carter, who'd come back to make sure he was getting dressed and not retreating back into his bed. He looked at the doorway where she was standing, and then back at the place Daniel had been.
"Are you all right, Sir?" She asked, noting that he looked bewildered.
"I'm fine."
Of course. Sam wondered if there was some way she could make him lose that word from his vocabulary. He was dressed, though, and she noticed he'd even managed to fish out a pair of socks.
"Come out here and keep me company while we wait for Janet?" She asked him, holding her hand out to him like she would a small child.
He nodded wordlessly and stood up, taking her hand and allowing her to lead him out of the room, although he did look back over his shoulder one more time, hoping for another glimpse of Daniel.
