Sam looked inside China when they passed the cabin, hoping – but not really
expecting – to find Jack in there. He wasn't there, however, and Sam knelt
down in front of Shawn.
"I want you to wait here, Shawn, while I go talk to Daniel and Murray." His face was smeared with dirt and tears, and his clothes were very dirty. "You wash your face and change your clothes, and I'll be back." She gave him as confident a smile as she could, "It'll be okay."
He wasn't so sure, and Sam saw fresh tears trickling down his cheek, which he brushed away with the back of his grubby hand, leaving yet another smear. Carter reached out and touched his cheek.
"Don't give up on him just yet, okay?"
Shawn nodded wordlessly, and Sam watched as he turned and found his bag, searching for something clean to wear. Then, once he went into the bathroom, she left the cabin, closing the door silently behind her and heading down the hill, waving at the kids that were rushing past her, but not stopping to talk.
Daniel was in the gym, as was Teal'c, and Sam walked in and straight to the two. She pulled them both to the side, and quietly explained what had happened as the kids and counselors that had been found milled around the gym, chattering excitedly and bragging about whom they'd found.
"He did WHAT?" Daniel's shocked voice echoed through the gym, and everyone turned towards him in surprise. The archeologist flushed, and mumbled an apology. "What was he thinking? Oh, God, Jack can't be happy." That had to be the understatement of a lifetime.
"He's furious," Sam confirmed. "I've never seen him angrier."
"I can imagine. Where's Shawn?"
"He's in the cabin getting cleaned up. I told him to wait there."
"That's a good place for him," Daniel agreed, his mind flashing through ideas, although none of them were very helpful.
The majority of the boys from China picked that moment to come rushing into the gym, and made a beeline for Sam, Teal'c and Daniel, happily unaware that anything was wrong.
"Who found you, Murray?"
"Hi, Sam! Where's Jack?"
"Wow! I can't believe someone found you, Murray!"
"Who did you hide with, Daniel?"
"Simon found one of the counselors from Morocco!"
The boys clamored to all be heard at once, and Sam helplessly looked at Daniel for suggestion.
"I'll go find him," Daniel said. He didn't know what he'd do, but someone had to, and Sam had already dealt with Shawn, and it wasn't fair to make her face Jack as well. Besides, Daniel knew that Jack could bully Sam with rank if he was of a mind to, and the Colonel didn't have that kind of control over Daniel. He could shoot him, but he couldn't order him to do anything.
Sam nodded, and so did Teal'c, who was slightly distracted by the boys talking to him all at once. The big Jaffa knew he wasn't the choice to go talk to O'Neill, and accepted that. He was extremely loyal to Jack, and would do anything for him, but he could do more good controlling the boisterous boys while Daniel went to find the Colonel, and they both knew it.
"I shall remain with the campers, and finish the activities."
"I'll help you, Murray." Sam said, smiling gratefully at Daniel.
"Wish me luck."
Daniel turned to go, and Sam saw that a few of the girls from France were starting to follow him. She called them back, much to their disappointment, and waved the rest of her girls over as well. Jean and Sally weren't in the gym, which meant that she was going to have to keep track of her girls while she helped Teal'c watch his boys. No difficult task, since the two cabins were used to hanging out together, thanks to Jack's basketball game earlier that week.
"Where's Daniel going, Sam?" Asked one of the girls.
"He's going to go take care of some things," Sam answered evasively. "Don't worry, he'll be back." Hopefully with good news.
Author's note: Jack's next, I promise!
"I want you to wait here, Shawn, while I go talk to Daniel and Murray." His face was smeared with dirt and tears, and his clothes were very dirty. "You wash your face and change your clothes, and I'll be back." She gave him as confident a smile as she could, "It'll be okay."
He wasn't so sure, and Sam saw fresh tears trickling down his cheek, which he brushed away with the back of his grubby hand, leaving yet another smear. Carter reached out and touched his cheek.
"Don't give up on him just yet, okay?"
Shawn nodded wordlessly, and Sam watched as he turned and found his bag, searching for something clean to wear. Then, once he went into the bathroom, she left the cabin, closing the door silently behind her and heading down the hill, waving at the kids that were rushing past her, but not stopping to talk.
Daniel was in the gym, as was Teal'c, and Sam walked in and straight to the two. She pulled them both to the side, and quietly explained what had happened as the kids and counselors that had been found milled around the gym, chattering excitedly and bragging about whom they'd found.
"He did WHAT?" Daniel's shocked voice echoed through the gym, and everyone turned towards him in surprise. The archeologist flushed, and mumbled an apology. "What was he thinking? Oh, God, Jack can't be happy." That had to be the understatement of a lifetime.
"He's furious," Sam confirmed. "I've never seen him angrier."
"I can imagine. Where's Shawn?"
"He's in the cabin getting cleaned up. I told him to wait there."
"That's a good place for him," Daniel agreed, his mind flashing through ideas, although none of them were very helpful.
The majority of the boys from China picked that moment to come rushing into the gym, and made a beeline for Sam, Teal'c and Daniel, happily unaware that anything was wrong.
"Who found you, Murray?"
"Hi, Sam! Where's Jack?"
"Wow! I can't believe someone found you, Murray!"
"Who did you hide with, Daniel?"
"Simon found one of the counselors from Morocco!"
The boys clamored to all be heard at once, and Sam helplessly looked at Daniel for suggestion.
"I'll go find him," Daniel said. He didn't know what he'd do, but someone had to, and Sam had already dealt with Shawn, and it wasn't fair to make her face Jack as well. Besides, Daniel knew that Jack could bully Sam with rank if he was of a mind to, and the Colonel didn't have that kind of control over Daniel. He could shoot him, but he couldn't order him to do anything.
Sam nodded, and so did Teal'c, who was slightly distracted by the boys talking to him all at once. The big Jaffa knew he wasn't the choice to go talk to O'Neill, and accepted that. He was extremely loyal to Jack, and would do anything for him, but he could do more good controlling the boisterous boys while Daniel went to find the Colonel, and they both knew it.
"I shall remain with the campers, and finish the activities."
"I'll help you, Murray." Sam said, smiling gratefully at Daniel.
"Wish me luck."
Daniel turned to go, and Sam saw that a few of the girls from France were starting to follow him. She called them back, much to their disappointment, and waved the rest of her girls over as well. Jean and Sally weren't in the gym, which meant that she was going to have to keep track of her girls while she helped Teal'c watch his boys. No difficult task, since the two cabins were used to hanging out together, thanks to Jack's basketball game earlier that week.
"Where's Daniel going, Sam?" Asked one of the girls.
"He's going to go take care of some things," Sam answered evasively. "Don't worry, he'll be back." Hopefully with good news.
Author's note: Jack's next, I promise!