As it turned out, Daniel was, indeed, back at the camp before the boys had
finished their ride. Sporting a brand new cast on his right wrist, he was
dropped off at the main building by the nurse, who reminded him to come and
see her if he was having any pains. At the moment he wasn't feeling
anything, having been given a healthy painkiller right before the doctor in
town had set his broken wrist.
He looked around for Jack, but saw that the horses were still gone, so he assumed the boys were still gone. Not wanting to take the chance of Sam's girls finding him sitting alone in the cafeteria, Daniel opted to go back to China and take a nap while he waited for the boys to get back.
~~*~~
"Daniel?"
Daniel opened his eyes, surprised to see Jack kneeling down beside his bunk. He was even more surprised to see the rest of the boys all gathered around as well, worry etched on their little faces, but looking as though they'd had the times of their lives on their ride.
"Hey. When did you guys get back?"
"About half an hour ago. We just thought we'd let you sleep until dinner."
"Oh." He looked at his watch, amazed that so much time had passed. It only felt like he'd just lain down.
"Wrist is broken, huh?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Clean break, though. Nothing to worry about." There was also a cut on Daniel's cheek, but it wasn't deep enough to warrant stitches, so the doctor had just put a couple butterfly bandages on it.
"You hungry? Going to come to dinner with us?"
"Starved." He sat up and the boys gathered around him, each of them wanting to be close to him to make sure that he was really okay. Daniel smiled, touched, and let them reassure themselves for a few minutes before he stood up and headed out the door with them and Jack.
"Where's Murray?" Daniel asked, looking around for Teal'c.
"He's pretty sore," Jack said, grinning. "You know, from riding. He's off with an ice pack to do some meditating."
Daniel knew he was going to be sore, also, and he didn't have the benefit of a symbiote to make the pain go away faster. Of course, he did have pain medication for his wrist, and that would work almost as well.
"Daniel!" He groaned inwardly as a group of Sam's girls came rushing up to him. They did the familiar glance at Jack's face and winced, then one of them noticed the cut on Daniel's cheek and then the cast on his arm.
"What happened, Daniel?" She asked.
"He fell off his horse," Simon answered, coming to stand in front of Daniel protectively, keeping the girls from getting too close. The rest of the boys did the same thing and Jack hid a smile.
"Wow. When did that happen?"
"Duh. Today. Did you see a cast on him yesterday?"
Such wonderful little boys, unfailingly polite and well-mannered. Right up until they were around girls.
"Which horse were you riding?"
Daniel didn't have a clue. He hadn't even cared.
"He was on Smokey."
"We're going to go to dinner now."
"We'll come with you."
The boys scowled, en mass, but they had no choice but to let the girls walk with them as they headed down the kill and into the main building. It was quite the little parade, Jack thought to himself as he walked next to Shawn, his hand on the boy's shoulder.
They caused quite a stir when they came into the cafeteria. The girls were still ooohing and ahhing over Daniel's fall and the boys were practically glowering. They didn't like all the attention the girls gave Daniel anyways. Anyone with a brain could see they were annoying him.
Daniel went to his seat as far away from France's table as he could get and still be sitting with his boys, and Jack and Shawn took their familiar seats as well, both of them looking around for Sam.
"Wow, Daniel," Sally said when she came into the room and sat down at France's table. "What happened to you?"
"Fell off my horse."
"Smokey."
"Ouch. Broken wrist?"
"Yup."
"Can I sign your cast later?"
"Sure." Daniel held up his hand, because he knew the boys were all going to start clamoring to sign his cast, too. "You can sign it as soon as the boys have all had their chance." He told Sally.
The boys grinned triumphantly at the girls, who had already started looking for pens.
"We'll do it after dinner, Daniel."
"Sounds fine, Simon."
Just then Sam and Gina walked up to the table, both of them slightly out of breath as if they'd been running. Jack smiled at Sam. Gina smiled at Jack, who then smiled at Gina. Shawn grinned and waved at Sam, who smiled at Jack and then waved at Shawn. Then both of them looked at Daniel and winced at the cut on his face.
"Wow, Daniel. What happened to you?"
Daniel sighed, beginning to understand just how annoying that question could get, and understanding for the first time why Jack had said that morning if anyone else winced at him he was going to scream.
He looked around for Jack, but saw that the horses were still gone, so he assumed the boys were still gone. Not wanting to take the chance of Sam's girls finding him sitting alone in the cafeteria, Daniel opted to go back to China and take a nap while he waited for the boys to get back.
~~*~~
"Daniel?"
Daniel opened his eyes, surprised to see Jack kneeling down beside his bunk. He was even more surprised to see the rest of the boys all gathered around as well, worry etched on their little faces, but looking as though they'd had the times of their lives on their ride.
"Hey. When did you guys get back?"
"About half an hour ago. We just thought we'd let you sleep until dinner."
"Oh." He looked at his watch, amazed that so much time had passed. It only felt like he'd just lain down.
"Wrist is broken, huh?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Clean break, though. Nothing to worry about." There was also a cut on Daniel's cheek, but it wasn't deep enough to warrant stitches, so the doctor had just put a couple butterfly bandages on it.
"You hungry? Going to come to dinner with us?"
"Starved." He sat up and the boys gathered around him, each of them wanting to be close to him to make sure that he was really okay. Daniel smiled, touched, and let them reassure themselves for a few minutes before he stood up and headed out the door with them and Jack.
"Where's Murray?" Daniel asked, looking around for Teal'c.
"He's pretty sore," Jack said, grinning. "You know, from riding. He's off with an ice pack to do some meditating."
Daniel knew he was going to be sore, also, and he didn't have the benefit of a symbiote to make the pain go away faster. Of course, he did have pain medication for his wrist, and that would work almost as well.
"Daniel!" He groaned inwardly as a group of Sam's girls came rushing up to him. They did the familiar glance at Jack's face and winced, then one of them noticed the cut on Daniel's cheek and then the cast on his arm.
"What happened, Daniel?" She asked.
"He fell off his horse," Simon answered, coming to stand in front of Daniel protectively, keeping the girls from getting too close. The rest of the boys did the same thing and Jack hid a smile.
"Wow. When did that happen?"
"Duh. Today. Did you see a cast on him yesterday?"
Such wonderful little boys, unfailingly polite and well-mannered. Right up until they were around girls.
"Which horse were you riding?"
Daniel didn't have a clue. He hadn't even cared.
"He was on Smokey."
"We're going to go to dinner now."
"We'll come with you."
The boys scowled, en mass, but they had no choice but to let the girls walk with them as they headed down the kill and into the main building. It was quite the little parade, Jack thought to himself as he walked next to Shawn, his hand on the boy's shoulder.
They caused quite a stir when they came into the cafeteria. The girls were still ooohing and ahhing over Daniel's fall and the boys were practically glowering. They didn't like all the attention the girls gave Daniel anyways. Anyone with a brain could see they were annoying him.
Daniel went to his seat as far away from France's table as he could get and still be sitting with his boys, and Jack and Shawn took their familiar seats as well, both of them looking around for Sam.
"Wow, Daniel," Sally said when she came into the room and sat down at France's table. "What happened to you?"
"Fell off my horse."
"Smokey."
"Ouch. Broken wrist?"
"Yup."
"Can I sign your cast later?"
"Sure." Daniel held up his hand, because he knew the boys were all going to start clamoring to sign his cast, too. "You can sign it as soon as the boys have all had their chance." He told Sally.
The boys grinned triumphantly at the girls, who had already started looking for pens.
"We'll do it after dinner, Daniel."
"Sounds fine, Simon."
Just then Sam and Gina walked up to the table, both of them slightly out of breath as if they'd been running. Jack smiled at Sam. Gina smiled at Jack, who then smiled at Gina. Shawn grinned and waved at Sam, who smiled at Jack and then waved at Shawn. Then both of them looked at Daniel and winced at the cut on his face.
"Wow, Daniel. What happened to you?"
Daniel sighed, beginning to understand just how annoying that question could get, and understanding for the first time why Jack had said that morning if anyone else winced at him he was going to scream.