The camp lifeguards were good at their jobs. One had noticed that the
sailboats were stilled when the wind died, and they'd been watching through
binoculars, waiting to see if they were going to have to go out and bring
the campers in, or if they'd be able to row themselves in. Since they were
watching, one of the lifeguards had seen Jack take the shot in the face
from the boom and had winced in sympathy. He'd had that happen a time or
two, and knew it wasn't any fun. Just to be on the safe side, the lifeguard
had radioed the camp nurse, and the woman was standing on the dock when
China's fleet of sailboats came in.
The boys didn't have a clue what had happened to Jack until Shawn had sailed the little boat in, calling to Teal'c to come help him.
"Murray! Jack's been hurt!"
The kids all gathered around, watching and worrying, asking what had happened, but the nurse came through the crowd, and as soon as Teal'c had taken the line and pulled the boat against the dock, she was already helping O'Neill out of the boat.
"I'm all right, guys," Jack told his boys as he got out of the boat. It wasn't completely true, but he didn't like the scared looks on their faces. Andrew looked ready to cry.
"Wow."
"Ouch."
"Doesn't it hurt, Jack?"
The nurse had O'Neill sit down on the dock, and gave him a quick check up. Jack was used to such things, and pretty much knew what she wanted him to do before she told him. She checked to see how well he was focusing, checked his pupils, and asked him if he were having any blurry vision. When he told her he just had a headache, she nodded.
"I bet you do." She probed the bump with gentle fingers but Jack still winced, and there was a collective wince from the boys that were surrounding them.
"Well, an ice pack to get the swelling down, and no activities for you for the rest of the day, but unless you start feeling nauseous in the next few hours, you'll probably be okay."
Jack nodded, looking up at Daniel and Teal'c, who were standing as close as the boys were.
"You guys are on your own for a while, I guess."
"Indeed."
"Do we finish sailing?" Daniel asked, dubiously.
"I don't want to sail no more!" Simon said, taking a look at the bruising that was forming on Jack's face.
"Me either!"
"Not me!"
The boys had obviously had enough sailing for the day.
"You two get him to the cafeteria so he can stay still with an ice pack for a while," The nurse told Teal'c and Daniel. "If your boys don't want to finish their activity, they don't have to. Maybe they'd like to stay and keep him company."
"We could play cards," Daniel suggested.
"Yeah!"
"Rummy!"
"No, poker!"
Jack didn't care what they played; he just wanted that ice pack.
"We'll decide when we get there," He told them, reaching a hand up to Teal'c, who helped him to his feet. The nurse was watching closely, making sure that when Jack stood up he didn't swoon. O'Neill was reminded of Fraiser, and couldn't help but scowl at the scrutiny. Which didn't help his head.
Shawn reached out and took Jack's hand, watching him as closely as the nurse was. Andrew took his other hand, and with an escort of seven other boys, one archeologist, a Jaffa, and a nurse, O'Neill made his way up to the cafeteria.
They sat him down in the same chair he'd sat in at breakfast, and the nurse and Daniel had went off to get an ice pack from the cook, who came out and took a look at Jack's face, wincing in sympathy. It was a look Jack was already tired of seeing.
"Bet that hurt," Jared said, handing Jack a plastic bag of ice, wrapped in a dishtowel, as the nurse handed him a couple aspirin and a glass of water to wash them down.
"Yeah, a little." Jack leaned his head back slightly and pressed the ice pack against his nose and eye.
"Your face is all bloody," Shawn told him.
"You look like you just got beat up," Simon said.
"I feel like I got beat up," Jack agreed.
"I'll bring you a towel to clean up with, Jack," Jared told him, excusing himself.
The nurse left as well, after issuing orders that the boys were to come get her if Jack looked at all like he was feeling any worse. When she was gone, the boys all gathered around, looking at Jack with worry still etched on their little faces.
Guys, I'm fine," Jack told them, looking at them through the eye that was swelling shut. "It just looks bad. It doesn't hurt all that much anymore."
They didn't look convinced.
"I thought you were going to play cards?" He said, trying to distract them.
"Oh yeah."
"I have cards in the cabin."
"Me, too."
"Should we go get them?"
Daniel nodded, saving Jack the trouble of doing it, and sent the two boys that had brought cards from home to go get them.
"What are we going to play?" Asked Andrew, who seated himself next to Teal'c.
"Old Maid?"
"Poker!"
"We'll let the kids with the cards decide," Jack said. "Since they're the ones who thought to bring some."
The boys didn't have a clue what had happened to Jack until Shawn had sailed the little boat in, calling to Teal'c to come help him.
"Murray! Jack's been hurt!"
The kids all gathered around, watching and worrying, asking what had happened, but the nurse came through the crowd, and as soon as Teal'c had taken the line and pulled the boat against the dock, she was already helping O'Neill out of the boat.
"I'm all right, guys," Jack told his boys as he got out of the boat. It wasn't completely true, but he didn't like the scared looks on their faces. Andrew looked ready to cry.
"Wow."
"Ouch."
"Doesn't it hurt, Jack?"
The nurse had O'Neill sit down on the dock, and gave him a quick check up. Jack was used to such things, and pretty much knew what she wanted him to do before she told him. She checked to see how well he was focusing, checked his pupils, and asked him if he were having any blurry vision. When he told her he just had a headache, she nodded.
"I bet you do." She probed the bump with gentle fingers but Jack still winced, and there was a collective wince from the boys that were surrounding them.
"Well, an ice pack to get the swelling down, and no activities for you for the rest of the day, but unless you start feeling nauseous in the next few hours, you'll probably be okay."
Jack nodded, looking up at Daniel and Teal'c, who were standing as close as the boys were.
"You guys are on your own for a while, I guess."
"Indeed."
"Do we finish sailing?" Daniel asked, dubiously.
"I don't want to sail no more!" Simon said, taking a look at the bruising that was forming on Jack's face.
"Me either!"
"Not me!"
The boys had obviously had enough sailing for the day.
"You two get him to the cafeteria so he can stay still with an ice pack for a while," The nurse told Teal'c and Daniel. "If your boys don't want to finish their activity, they don't have to. Maybe they'd like to stay and keep him company."
"We could play cards," Daniel suggested.
"Yeah!"
"Rummy!"
"No, poker!"
Jack didn't care what they played; he just wanted that ice pack.
"We'll decide when we get there," He told them, reaching a hand up to Teal'c, who helped him to his feet. The nurse was watching closely, making sure that when Jack stood up he didn't swoon. O'Neill was reminded of Fraiser, and couldn't help but scowl at the scrutiny. Which didn't help his head.
Shawn reached out and took Jack's hand, watching him as closely as the nurse was. Andrew took his other hand, and with an escort of seven other boys, one archeologist, a Jaffa, and a nurse, O'Neill made his way up to the cafeteria.
They sat him down in the same chair he'd sat in at breakfast, and the nurse and Daniel had went off to get an ice pack from the cook, who came out and took a look at Jack's face, wincing in sympathy. It was a look Jack was already tired of seeing.
"Bet that hurt," Jared said, handing Jack a plastic bag of ice, wrapped in a dishtowel, as the nurse handed him a couple aspirin and a glass of water to wash them down.
"Yeah, a little." Jack leaned his head back slightly and pressed the ice pack against his nose and eye.
"Your face is all bloody," Shawn told him.
"You look like you just got beat up," Simon said.
"I feel like I got beat up," Jack agreed.
"I'll bring you a towel to clean up with, Jack," Jared told him, excusing himself.
The nurse left as well, after issuing orders that the boys were to come get her if Jack looked at all like he was feeling any worse. When she was gone, the boys all gathered around, looking at Jack with worry still etched on their little faces.
Guys, I'm fine," Jack told them, looking at them through the eye that was swelling shut. "It just looks bad. It doesn't hurt all that much anymore."
They didn't look convinced.
"I thought you were going to play cards?" He said, trying to distract them.
"Oh yeah."
"I have cards in the cabin."
"Me, too."
"Should we go get them?"
Daniel nodded, saving Jack the trouble of doing it, and sent the two boys that had brought cards from home to go get them.
"What are we going to play?" Asked Andrew, who seated himself next to Teal'c.
"Old Maid?"
"Poker!"
"We'll let the kids with the cards decide," Jack said. "Since they're the ones who thought to bring some."