"There is no wind, O'Neill," Teal'c called. The Jaffa was sitting in the
middle of the lake, in a boat that was obviously made for two, but perfect
for one if they were sized like he was. O'Neill and Shawn were in another
boat, close at hand, and around them was a little armada of other
sailboats, all sitting motionless. The boys were all looking down at the
water, or up at the sky, obviously unsure of what to do, and Daniel was
with Andrew, who was trying to tack their own little boat, hoping to catch
even a hint of breeze.
"Well, shi-ooot," Jack muttered, looking over at Shawn, who was seated in the bow of the boat.
"Too bad we don't have fishing poles, huh, Jack?" Shawn said. "Least we would have something to do."
"We should have brought some with us," O'Neill agreed. Of course, the wind had been blowing when they'd left the boat dock in their little fleet. It had only stopped once they were so far out that the people swimming on the shore looked like little ants. He sighed, and looked around again, as though hoping an idea would hit him in the head. Nothing did.
"What do we do, Jack?" Daniel called. "Row back?"
"It's a long way to row, Daniel," O'Neill said, looking back at the shore.
"We could swim back," Shawn suggested.
"Nah, it's way too far to swim," Jack said. "I guess we'll have to row. Even though I was hoping nature would do all the work today. It's my vacation, you know?"
"What do you do in the Air Force?" Shawn asked.
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Mostly whatever my boss tells me to."
O'Neill looked over at his little fleet, more to change the subject, and a couple of the boys waved cheerfully back.
"Looks like we're rowing, guys." He called to them. "Everyone have a paddle?"
They all did, and held them up to prove it.
"Okay, we're going to stick together, okay? I don't want any of you getting too close to another boat, but don't go too far away, either. If the wind picks up, we don't want to be crashing into each other."
There were nods all around, and the boys began rowing. When Shawn started to reach for his paddle, Jack held him back.
"Not just yet. I want to wait until everyone else gets going. That way we can help if anyone needs it."
"And you want to be able to watch them all, right?"
"Well, you know... in case a crazy killer whale decides to attack Andrew and Murray can't get there in time to kill it."
Shawn giggled, and sat with O'Neill in the boat, watching as the little boats all began rowing their way back to the boat dock. Teal'c was making the best time; his powerful arms more than making up for his lack of experience with rowing. The Jaffa was careful, though, not to get too close, just as O'Neill had said. He was out of his depth when it came to sailing and boats, and was not finding it to be anywhere near as relaxing as Andrew had promised it would be.
When the last of them were well on their way, O'Neill picked up his paddle and dipped it into the water. If he'd been a sailor, he would have noticed the way the water was rippling, and would have known a breeze was coming. Andrew noticed, and pointed it out to Daniel, who passed the word to the next boat in line. Jack and Shawn were too far away to hear, though, and the breeze caught them both by surprise. The sail filled, whipping the tiller to the side, and sending the boom lashing at O'Neill, who was startled by the tiller hitting him in the hip.
"Jack!"
O'Neill looked up just in time to get a face full of fiberglass as the boom crashed into him.
Shawn grabbed the rope that held the boom in place, and pulled it to the side, looking worriedly at his counselor, who was holding his face in his hands.
"Jack? Are you all right?"
O'Neill nodded, but when he pulled his hands away, there was a large bump already forming right above his left eye, there was a cut on his forehead, and his nose was bleeding.
"Wow, that thing really got you good, didn't it?" Shawn leaned forward, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Jack didn't feel 'okay', but he wasn't going to black out or anything, so he figured he was probably going to make it back to shore without dying. He was also impressed that he'd managed to bite back the string of swear words that had almost automatically escaped his lips at the moment of contact. He looked at Shawn, who winced slightly.
"That bad, huh?"
"You're bleeding." The boy told him.
Jack turned and looked over at his little fleet, checking on the kids to see what progress they were making in the wind. They'd all had warning, thanks to Andrew, and had all been expecting the sudden change. As it was, they were all tacking towards the boat dock at a steady pace. All but Jack and Shawn.
"Well, at least we don't have to row," Jack said, reaching for the tiller. "You want to secure that rope to the mast, then take over the steering for me?"
Shawn smiled, glad that Jack hadn't seemed to taken any lasting harm, and did what he was asked, trading places with O'Neill and pointing the little boat towards shore.
"Well, shi-ooot," Jack muttered, looking over at Shawn, who was seated in the bow of the boat.
"Too bad we don't have fishing poles, huh, Jack?" Shawn said. "Least we would have something to do."
"We should have brought some with us," O'Neill agreed. Of course, the wind had been blowing when they'd left the boat dock in their little fleet. It had only stopped once they were so far out that the people swimming on the shore looked like little ants. He sighed, and looked around again, as though hoping an idea would hit him in the head. Nothing did.
"What do we do, Jack?" Daniel called. "Row back?"
"It's a long way to row, Daniel," O'Neill said, looking back at the shore.
"We could swim back," Shawn suggested.
"Nah, it's way too far to swim," Jack said. "I guess we'll have to row. Even though I was hoping nature would do all the work today. It's my vacation, you know?"
"What do you do in the Air Force?" Shawn asked.
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Mostly whatever my boss tells me to."
O'Neill looked over at his little fleet, more to change the subject, and a couple of the boys waved cheerfully back.
"Looks like we're rowing, guys." He called to them. "Everyone have a paddle?"
They all did, and held them up to prove it.
"Okay, we're going to stick together, okay? I don't want any of you getting too close to another boat, but don't go too far away, either. If the wind picks up, we don't want to be crashing into each other."
There were nods all around, and the boys began rowing. When Shawn started to reach for his paddle, Jack held him back.
"Not just yet. I want to wait until everyone else gets going. That way we can help if anyone needs it."
"And you want to be able to watch them all, right?"
"Well, you know... in case a crazy killer whale decides to attack Andrew and Murray can't get there in time to kill it."
Shawn giggled, and sat with O'Neill in the boat, watching as the little boats all began rowing their way back to the boat dock. Teal'c was making the best time; his powerful arms more than making up for his lack of experience with rowing. The Jaffa was careful, though, not to get too close, just as O'Neill had said. He was out of his depth when it came to sailing and boats, and was not finding it to be anywhere near as relaxing as Andrew had promised it would be.
When the last of them were well on their way, O'Neill picked up his paddle and dipped it into the water. If he'd been a sailor, he would have noticed the way the water was rippling, and would have known a breeze was coming. Andrew noticed, and pointed it out to Daniel, who passed the word to the next boat in line. Jack and Shawn were too far away to hear, though, and the breeze caught them both by surprise. The sail filled, whipping the tiller to the side, and sending the boom lashing at O'Neill, who was startled by the tiller hitting him in the hip.
"Jack!"
O'Neill looked up just in time to get a face full of fiberglass as the boom crashed into him.
Shawn grabbed the rope that held the boom in place, and pulled it to the side, looking worriedly at his counselor, who was holding his face in his hands.
"Jack? Are you all right?"
O'Neill nodded, but when he pulled his hands away, there was a large bump already forming right above his left eye, there was a cut on his forehead, and his nose was bleeding.
"Wow, that thing really got you good, didn't it?" Shawn leaned forward, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Jack didn't feel 'okay', but he wasn't going to black out or anything, so he figured he was probably going to make it back to shore without dying. He was also impressed that he'd managed to bite back the string of swear words that had almost automatically escaped his lips at the moment of contact. He looked at Shawn, who winced slightly.
"That bad, huh?"
"You're bleeding." The boy told him.
Jack turned and looked over at his little fleet, checking on the kids to see what progress they were making in the wind. They'd all had warning, thanks to Andrew, and had all been expecting the sudden change. As it was, they were all tacking towards the boat dock at a steady pace. All but Jack and Shawn.
"Well, at least we don't have to row," Jack said, reaching for the tiller. "You want to secure that rope to the mast, then take over the steering for me?"
Shawn smiled, glad that Jack hadn't seemed to taken any lasting harm, and did what he was asked, trading places with O'Neill and pointing the little boat towards shore.