Once Janet was gone, Sam walked down the hallway to check on O'Neill. His
clothes were in a heap on the floor, and he was in bed, wrapped firmly up
in his blankets with his back turned towards her. It was obvious he'd had
enough socializing for the day. She walked around his bed and sat on the
edge where he could see her. Even though his eyes were closed, it was
obvious he wasn't asleep.
"What, Carter?" He asked, not opening his eyes.
She reached out and caressed his cheek. "I just wanted to thank you, Sir, for coming with us."
"You didn't give me a lot of choice." His tone was accusatory and Sam didn't try to deny it.
"I know. But thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Do you mind if I stay in here and read for a while, Colonel? Or would you rather be alone?"
He opened one eye, looking up at her. "Doc gone?"
"Yes, she had patients to go check on."
"You can stay. Just don't mumble while you're reading."
"Yes, Sir." Sam smiled and reached over him to get her book off the stand by his bed, then settled herself next to him on his bed, using a couple pillows to prop herself up into a sitting position. Once she stopped moving and started reading, Jack shifted himself wordlessly, moving close enough to her that he could rest his head against her side, right under her elbow. Sam put her book in her other hand and used her free hand to run her fingers through his hair, caressing and comforting him with the simple touch as she found the place she'd left off the other night, and began reading.
Jack sighed deeply, and relaxed against her, one arm coming out from under his blanket to drape across her. He was as comfortable as he had ever been, and for the moment, at least, felt peaceful as well. He felt himself falling asleep, and didn't struggle against it, certain that for the time being, Sam could keep the nightmares away. He mumbled something as he was dozing off, but since his face was buried in her side, she wasn't exactly sure what he said.
It was much later when Sam set her book aside. The room was getting dark and she was having trouble seeing the pages. She could have reached over and turned the light on, but she was ready for a break anyways. Besides, she didn't want to keep O'Neill awake. She was going to have to wake him up soon to get him to eat some dinner, but beyond that she was ready to let him sleep as much as he wanted to. Not only would it help him get over his cold quicker if he were well-rested, but it would keep him from being cranky. Well, cranky from lack of sleep, anyways. He was already grumpy enough as it was.
Carter slid carefully out of his bed, trying not to wake him, but he stirred when she moved the arm that was draped over her belly. He opened his eyes, looking confused for only a moment before he realized where he was and whom he was with.
"Sam?"
"Shhh... go back to sleep."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to get up and get dinner ready."
"Already?" He had a definite petulance in his tone suddenly, and she realized he was probably tired of arguing with her over whether he was going to eat or not. It wasn't fun for her to bully him, and she knew it couldn't be fun for him to be bullied.
"It's later than you probably think, Colonel."
"I'm not-"
"Hungry, I know." She smiled, and crawled off the bed. "I'm just going to heat up the doggie bags from lunch, so it's not going to be a huge meal."
"Why don't you listen to me, Carter?" He asked, rolling over and sitting up.
"I do listen, Sir."
She left it at that, and retreated into the bathroom before he had a chance to say something else. Something that would probably had been grumpy and rude.
O'Neill scowled, and sat in his bed with his arms crossed over his bare chest, wondering if he should just kick her out of his house. Yeah yeah, he loved her; there was no denying that. He'd known that for a long time, and had done a great job of suppressing it so far, but she was so annoying!
"'I do listen, Sir,'" he muttered in a high-pitched sullen imitation of her own voice. He sighed, then, thinking of the kiss the two of them had shared earlier that afternoon. The one Fraiser had interrupted. That could have easily led somewhere, he knew. He'd wanted it to, and Sam had obviously wanted it to. There were regulations against it, of course, and a million reasons that nothing should happen between the two of them, but it had been SUCH a kiss! He was broken from his revelry when she stuck her head in the door.
"You want to eat out here with me tonight?" Sam noticed his closed posture; arms crossed, scowl on his face, and knew she was definitely pushing it with the question, but it had to be done.
Jack started to say something rude, but bit it back instead and shrugged.
"I suppose."
The smile she gave him was worth it, he decided, and she disappeared again, presumably to go make the meal she was manipulating him into eating. Jack got out of bed and looked for something to wear, thinking that although it'd be fun to see her reaction if he tried to just walk out and eat dinner naked, it was immature and petty.
"What, Carter?" He asked, not opening his eyes.
She reached out and caressed his cheek. "I just wanted to thank you, Sir, for coming with us."
"You didn't give me a lot of choice." His tone was accusatory and Sam didn't try to deny it.
"I know. But thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Do you mind if I stay in here and read for a while, Colonel? Or would you rather be alone?"
He opened one eye, looking up at her. "Doc gone?"
"Yes, she had patients to go check on."
"You can stay. Just don't mumble while you're reading."
"Yes, Sir." Sam smiled and reached over him to get her book off the stand by his bed, then settled herself next to him on his bed, using a couple pillows to prop herself up into a sitting position. Once she stopped moving and started reading, Jack shifted himself wordlessly, moving close enough to her that he could rest his head against her side, right under her elbow. Sam put her book in her other hand and used her free hand to run her fingers through his hair, caressing and comforting him with the simple touch as she found the place she'd left off the other night, and began reading.
Jack sighed deeply, and relaxed against her, one arm coming out from under his blanket to drape across her. He was as comfortable as he had ever been, and for the moment, at least, felt peaceful as well. He felt himself falling asleep, and didn't struggle against it, certain that for the time being, Sam could keep the nightmares away. He mumbled something as he was dozing off, but since his face was buried in her side, she wasn't exactly sure what he said.
It was much later when Sam set her book aside. The room was getting dark and she was having trouble seeing the pages. She could have reached over and turned the light on, but she was ready for a break anyways. Besides, she didn't want to keep O'Neill awake. She was going to have to wake him up soon to get him to eat some dinner, but beyond that she was ready to let him sleep as much as he wanted to. Not only would it help him get over his cold quicker if he were well-rested, but it would keep him from being cranky. Well, cranky from lack of sleep, anyways. He was already grumpy enough as it was.
Carter slid carefully out of his bed, trying not to wake him, but he stirred when she moved the arm that was draped over her belly. He opened his eyes, looking confused for only a moment before he realized where he was and whom he was with.
"Sam?"
"Shhh... go back to sleep."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to get up and get dinner ready."
"Already?" He had a definite petulance in his tone suddenly, and she realized he was probably tired of arguing with her over whether he was going to eat or not. It wasn't fun for her to bully him, and she knew it couldn't be fun for him to be bullied.
"It's later than you probably think, Colonel."
"I'm not-"
"Hungry, I know." She smiled, and crawled off the bed. "I'm just going to heat up the doggie bags from lunch, so it's not going to be a huge meal."
"Why don't you listen to me, Carter?" He asked, rolling over and sitting up.
"I do listen, Sir."
She left it at that, and retreated into the bathroom before he had a chance to say something else. Something that would probably had been grumpy and rude.
O'Neill scowled, and sat in his bed with his arms crossed over his bare chest, wondering if he should just kick her out of his house. Yeah yeah, he loved her; there was no denying that. He'd known that for a long time, and had done a great job of suppressing it so far, but she was so annoying!
"'I do listen, Sir,'" he muttered in a high-pitched sullen imitation of her own voice. He sighed, then, thinking of the kiss the two of them had shared earlier that afternoon. The one Fraiser had interrupted. That could have easily led somewhere, he knew. He'd wanted it to, and Sam had obviously wanted it to. There were regulations against it, of course, and a million reasons that nothing should happen between the two of them, but it had been SUCH a kiss! He was broken from his revelry when she stuck her head in the door.
"You want to eat out here with me tonight?" Sam noticed his closed posture; arms crossed, scowl on his face, and knew she was definitely pushing it with the question, but it had to be done.
Jack started to say something rude, but bit it back instead and shrugged.
"I suppose."
The smile she gave him was worth it, he decided, and she disappeared again, presumably to go make the meal she was manipulating him into eating. Jack got out of bed and looked for something to wear, thinking that although it'd be fun to see her reaction if he tried to just walk out and eat dinner naked, it was immature and petty.
