The game of the night was going to be a form of inside kickball. The camp
was separated into two teams, and this time France and China were on the
same team. Gary walked out into the middle of the gym, holding a red
kickball under his arm, and he explained the game to them.
"It's just like kickball, only there's a whole lot more people." He smiled, because there was a general murmur in the gym as the boys all started bragging about how good they were at kickball. The counselors hushed their boys, and Gary continued.
"Everyone on the team gets a chance to be up. If you kick the ball and it hits the back wall, it's a homerun. If someone catches the ball, it's an out. If the ball lands on the floor, it's one base. And of course, if someone's on first base and you kick a single, they go to second, and so on. Everyone understand?"
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Jack went over and sat in the corner of the gym, close to where the kid who was "up" would be. This was the safest place he could find in the gym, and it was still a place that he could root for his team.
The boys from China and the girls from France were already good at sharing playing time, since Jack had forced them to play basketball together, so it was easy for them to simply add in the other two cabins to their team and mix up their players a bit. Jack was proud of how easily they did it. He was even more proud when he saw Simon politely offer to let Gina go first. Politely! Jack grinned, and cheered the little girl on as she stepped up to home plate (which was actually a square made of masking tape taped to the floor of the gym).
Gina grinned, and kicked the ball when it was rolled to her, a foul ball that angled sharply at Jack, who ducked as it hit the wall above his head.
"Sorry, Jack!" Gina said, blushing as the entire camp laughed at the look on the Colonel's face. He gave her a thumbs up to show her it was okay, and cheered as loudly as anyone when the next ball she kicked landed right in front of the other team's pitcher. A single! Gina ran to first base, grinning.
The game progressed from there, and Jack realized that his safe spot wasn't actually all that safe at all.
"Do you think they're aiming at me?" He asked Daniel as he ducked yet another foul ball. The archeologist grinned and shook his head.
"They're aim isn't that great, Jack. If they were aiming at you, they'd be hitting me."
BAM!
A foul ball hit Daniel right in the face, bouncing off him and back to the pitcher.
"Sorry, Daniel!" He gave Shawn a thumb's up, as Jack laughed. The kickball was fairly soft, luckily, so Daniel wasn't hurt. Just his pride.
"Like I was saying..."
"Well. Yes. Maybe there is a slight – slight, mind you – possibility that they're trying to hit you."
"Well, at least I know it won't hurt that much."
"Speak for yourself."
Jack snickered, well aware that Daniel was a lot tougher than that.
"I think I'll go find a safer place to stand," Daniel told his friend. "Like in front of a firing squad."
Daniel wandered off, trailed by some of the girls on his team, who were waiting to see where he'd end up standing, so they could stand near by, and Jack grinned as Daniel sighed.
In the end, it was a tied game. Not on purpose, since Gary had allowed the game to go into overtime – twice. It just happened that no one could score more points than the other team, no matter how many extra innings they had. Finally, it was getting very late, and even though everyone protested with a general loud whine, he had to call the game a tie. He sent them back to their cabins, and told them lights out would be in ten minutes.
On the walk back up the hill, Jack found himself a little behind the others – mainly because he was walking slowly, a little stiff from sitting all night on a cold gym floor. Sam was up ahead with the majority of her girls, and Daniel had finally managed to free himself – for the moment, at least – of his group of adolescent admirers. He was walking next to Sally, and Jack noticed that they were walking a little closer than he would have walked next to Sally.
He watched them, mainly because they were in front of him, and wondered if there was a relationship developing or if he was just being incredibly nosy. Or maybe when you're in love you want everyone else to be in love, too? Well... maybe. Oh! Did their hands just touch? Well, the cast was bulky, and Jack supposed it was a bit awkward to swing it in the normal motion. It could have been an accident.
"O'Neill."
Jack jumped, startled. He turned to look at Teal'c, who'd come up beside him.
"I wasn't looking at anything."
Teal'c didn't even bat an eye. He didn't have a clue what the Colonel was talking about, but he was getting used to that.
"I did not say you were."
Jack nodded, then looked back at Daniel and Sally for a second before turning to Teal.
"Was there something you needed?"
"Indeed. The nurse wishes for you to come to her cabin so she may look at your injuries. I already told her I have no such need of her services. I do not think she believed me, but she did not pursue the matter further."
Meaning that she wanted to, but Teal'c was too intimidating to nag. Jack wished he were intimidating, too.
"You and Daniel get the kids to bed, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."
"Very well."
Jack sighed, and went back down the hill towards the Nurse's cabin. Oh well, if he was lucky, he'd miss any pillow fights. Or another one of Daniel's stories.
"It's just like kickball, only there's a whole lot more people." He smiled, because there was a general murmur in the gym as the boys all started bragging about how good they were at kickball. The counselors hushed their boys, and Gary continued.
"Everyone on the team gets a chance to be up. If you kick the ball and it hits the back wall, it's a homerun. If someone catches the ball, it's an out. If the ball lands on the floor, it's one base. And of course, if someone's on first base and you kick a single, they go to second, and so on. Everyone understand?"
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Jack went over and sat in the corner of the gym, close to where the kid who was "up" would be. This was the safest place he could find in the gym, and it was still a place that he could root for his team.
The boys from China and the girls from France were already good at sharing playing time, since Jack had forced them to play basketball together, so it was easy for them to simply add in the other two cabins to their team and mix up their players a bit. Jack was proud of how easily they did it. He was even more proud when he saw Simon politely offer to let Gina go first. Politely! Jack grinned, and cheered the little girl on as she stepped up to home plate (which was actually a square made of masking tape taped to the floor of the gym).
Gina grinned, and kicked the ball when it was rolled to her, a foul ball that angled sharply at Jack, who ducked as it hit the wall above his head.
"Sorry, Jack!" Gina said, blushing as the entire camp laughed at the look on the Colonel's face. He gave her a thumbs up to show her it was okay, and cheered as loudly as anyone when the next ball she kicked landed right in front of the other team's pitcher. A single! Gina ran to first base, grinning.
The game progressed from there, and Jack realized that his safe spot wasn't actually all that safe at all.
"Do you think they're aiming at me?" He asked Daniel as he ducked yet another foul ball. The archeologist grinned and shook his head.
"They're aim isn't that great, Jack. If they were aiming at you, they'd be hitting me."
BAM!
A foul ball hit Daniel right in the face, bouncing off him and back to the pitcher.
"Sorry, Daniel!" He gave Shawn a thumb's up, as Jack laughed. The kickball was fairly soft, luckily, so Daniel wasn't hurt. Just his pride.
"Like I was saying..."
"Well. Yes. Maybe there is a slight – slight, mind you – possibility that they're trying to hit you."
"Well, at least I know it won't hurt that much."
"Speak for yourself."
Jack snickered, well aware that Daniel was a lot tougher than that.
"I think I'll go find a safer place to stand," Daniel told his friend. "Like in front of a firing squad."
Daniel wandered off, trailed by some of the girls on his team, who were waiting to see where he'd end up standing, so they could stand near by, and Jack grinned as Daniel sighed.
In the end, it was a tied game. Not on purpose, since Gary had allowed the game to go into overtime – twice. It just happened that no one could score more points than the other team, no matter how many extra innings they had. Finally, it was getting very late, and even though everyone protested with a general loud whine, he had to call the game a tie. He sent them back to their cabins, and told them lights out would be in ten minutes.
On the walk back up the hill, Jack found himself a little behind the others – mainly because he was walking slowly, a little stiff from sitting all night on a cold gym floor. Sam was up ahead with the majority of her girls, and Daniel had finally managed to free himself – for the moment, at least – of his group of adolescent admirers. He was walking next to Sally, and Jack noticed that they were walking a little closer than he would have walked next to Sally.
He watched them, mainly because they were in front of him, and wondered if there was a relationship developing or if he was just being incredibly nosy. Or maybe when you're in love you want everyone else to be in love, too? Well... maybe. Oh! Did their hands just touch? Well, the cast was bulky, and Jack supposed it was a bit awkward to swing it in the normal motion. It could have been an accident.
"O'Neill."
Jack jumped, startled. He turned to look at Teal'c, who'd come up beside him.
"I wasn't looking at anything."
Teal'c didn't even bat an eye. He didn't have a clue what the Colonel was talking about, but he was getting used to that.
"I did not say you were."
Jack nodded, then looked back at Daniel and Sally for a second before turning to Teal.
"Was there something you needed?"
"Indeed. The nurse wishes for you to come to her cabin so she may look at your injuries. I already told her I have no such need of her services. I do not think she believed me, but she did not pursue the matter further."
Meaning that she wanted to, but Teal'c was too intimidating to nag. Jack wished he were intimidating, too.
"You and Daniel get the kids to bed, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."
"Very well."
Jack sighed, and went back down the hill towards the Nurse's cabin. Oh well, if he was lucky, he'd miss any pillow fights. Or another one of Daniel's stories.