They went back up to the cabin and straightened things up as well as they
could. Clothes were piled into bags and bags were shoved under bunks. Beds
were made, although none were quite as neatly made as Jack's, who had been
taught by a DI a long time ago how to make a bed quickly and inspection-
worthy. He was done with his long before the rest of them, and went around
helping the boys make their own. He figured even if they failed an
inspection for everything else, they might as well have the sharpest beds.
(Although Sam's was probably equally well made, he had to concede.)
Two boys were sent into the bathroom to make sure there wasn't toothpaste all over the walls and sink, and another was given candy wrapper patrol, although there were very few of those. Then, when it was as clean as it could be, the boys changed into their swim trunks, and Jack, Daniel and Teal'c changed into shorts. Teal'c kept his shirt on, and the bandana that he was using to conceal his very obvious differences, but Jack and Daniel decided to go shirtless, and use the opportunity to soak up a little sun. Once they were all ready to go, Jack rounded them all up, Daniel made sure they all had towels, and they headed down to the water.
"Daniel!"
"Damn."
Only Jack heard the curse, and only because he was walking right next to his friend. He grinned, and the two turned their heads to watch the girls from France run up to them. To Daniel, really. The China boys scowled and stepped closer to Daniel, forming a girl-proofing shield for him, which Daniel appreciated.
"Hi girls," Jack said, smiling at them. They looked from Daniel over to Jack, and winced collectively at the bruises and cuts on his chest and shoulder.
"Hi Jack," Gina said, grinning up at him. She didn't wince.
"Hi, honey."
"Girls!" Jean, Sally and Sam all came walking up to the group, and the boys moved slightly so that Sam could step up to Jack and walk beside him. She looked beautiful in a one-piece bathing suit that was the same color as her eyes, and Jack smiled a welcome as he put his arm around her. Sally looked equally nice in a green one-piece, and Jean was ravishing in a blue bikini that showed off her tanned body magnificently. She'd definitely turn heads. But not Jack's.
"You guys need to stop pouncing on the boys every time they walk out their door," Sally told her campers. Daniel could have kissed her. Especially when the girls backed up a little bit and the boys loosened their shield so they could all walk again.
Daniel reached out and took Sally's hand, pulling her closer to him. Something that everyone noticed right away, of course. Jack and Sam looked at each other, and Jack wondered if Daniel was keeping her close so that Sally could keep reminding the girls to keep back, or if there was more to it. Sam slid her hand along the small of Jack's back just then, however, and Jack decided Daniel's love life was his own business. At least for the moment. The boys circled once more, grinning because the girls all got in trouble, and they continued their walk to the water as one large group.
"How's the chest, Jack?" Jean asked, looking at Jack's bruises. She winced, but not because of the bruises. She'd noticed the other scars, and wondered how he managed to get them.
"Oh, it's okay. I probably won't be allowed to get too wet, though. Daniel'll have the same problem, most likely." Jack gestured at Daniel's cast. "Which leaves Murray to be the lone representative for the China counselors."
Teal'c scowled, realizing that was correct, and wondered what that meant. Most likely, it was bad. He'd only found a few activities at this camp that he had thoroughly enjoyed so far. Jack and Sam both grinned at the scowl, although Sam turned her head and hid hers. Jack, however, took the full force of the glare Teal'c shot him, and didn't back down at all. Junior had disadvantages, after all.
~*~
They reached the water and found that two lifeguards were waiting for them. A third was on the boat dock, watching the sailors with his binoculars. Jack was glad that it was the smart-assed one that had to keep reminding him of his boom mishap every time he saw him. At least he wouldn't have to put up with that. The lifeguards had an assortment of things with them, but when they gestured for everyone to get on the swimming dock, they left their other stuff on shore. The two winced when they saw Jack's battered chest and face, and both noticed Daniel's cast. Ah, good old China. These counselors were well on their way to becoming camp legends.
The first thing the lifeguards did was ensure that all the campers knew how to swim. They did this by having them all swim from the swimming dock to the boat dock, which was a fair distance. The kids all jumped in, and with a great deal of splashing - and a little bit of racing – they made their way across, then ran back around to rejoin their counselors on the swim dock.
At the very end of the swimming dock was a diving board. This was the place where the swimming area was deepest. The lifeguards introduced themselves and Katie and Robert, and then told the campers what they were going to be doing first.
"We're going to be having a competition," Katie told everyone. "We'll have assorted games, relays and events, and Robert and I will be giving out individual points on how well you do. When the competition is over, we'll add up the points and see which cabin is the winner. Everyone with us so far?"
There were nods, and excited murmurs. The boys from China were always up for a good competition. The girls from France were just as eager to show that they were better than the boys.
"Okay." Robert took over the announcement for the first competition. "The first thing we're going to play is Jump or Dive." He pointed to the diving board. "One at a time, you're going to go out to the end of the board." He walked out to the end of the board, and bounced on it.
"You'll jump up into the air, towards the water," Katie took over again. "And once you reach the apex of your jump, Robert or I will yell either JUMP or DIVE. Whichever one we yell, that's what you have to do. A dive will only count if your hands go in the water first. A jump will only count if your feet do. Got it?"
There were grins all around. This would be fun! Jack was grinning, too. He didn't have to do it.
"Okay, line up."
The girls got in one line, the boys got in another. Daniel and Jack went to stand off to the side, where they could cheer for their boys and still be out of the way. They watched as Gina went up to the board and stood on the end, watching the lifeguards, who nodded. The little girl bounced, and headed for the water.
"Jump!"
It was easy! She was already jumping, so she merely pushed her feet down further and landed in the water in good form.
"One point." The girls cheered as Gina paddled over to the ladder.
Simon was next, and the boy swaggered out onto the board, confident. He gave a mighty bounce, going fairly high in the air.
"Dive!"
Twisting around impossibly, Simon managed to make it so his hands went into the water first, and the boys all cheered.
"One point."
Seeing that the kids understood the game, the lifeguards starting to make it a little more difficult. And the result was hilarious. And sometimes a little painful. More than one kid –boy and girl – tried to anticipate what was going to be called, only to have the lifeguard call something completely different. Even flexible bodies can only twist so much, and many times the kid who thought it would be a dive and had started for the water head-first would end up desperately fighting gravity as she or he was trying to get their feet down before they hit the water. Many of the kids ended up landing on their backs, or worse, on their stomachs, and there were some spectacular belly flops that brought out assorted sympathetic groans.
The counselors were no safer. For that matter, they weren't generally as flexible as the kids were, and most of them found themselves on the receiving end of some of the worst of the belly flops. Jean's tanned belly was red by the time they were through the line of campers three times, and Sam had managed to do a back flop that left her back just as red as Jean's stomach. Only Teal'c was spared, and for the same reason that he'd done so well in the Twister competition. He was just way more flexible than he looked. No matter how long the lifeguard would wait to call the jump – or dive – Teal'c managed to get himself into position. No belly flops, no back flops. And he did it all without losing his bandana, much to Jack's relief.
Two boys were sent into the bathroom to make sure there wasn't toothpaste all over the walls and sink, and another was given candy wrapper patrol, although there were very few of those. Then, when it was as clean as it could be, the boys changed into their swim trunks, and Jack, Daniel and Teal'c changed into shorts. Teal'c kept his shirt on, and the bandana that he was using to conceal his very obvious differences, but Jack and Daniel decided to go shirtless, and use the opportunity to soak up a little sun. Once they were all ready to go, Jack rounded them all up, Daniel made sure they all had towels, and they headed down to the water.
"Daniel!"
"Damn."
Only Jack heard the curse, and only because he was walking right next to his friend. He grinned, and the two turned their heads to watch the girls from France run up to them. To Daniel, really. The China boys scowled and stepped closer to Daniel, forming a girl-proofing shield for him, which Daniel appreciated.
"Hi girls," Jack said, smiling at them. They looked from Daniel over to Jack, and winced collectively at the bruises and cuts on his chest and shoulder.
"Hi Jack," Gina said, grinning up at him. She didn't wince.
"Hi, honey."
"Girls!" Jean, Sally and Sam all came walking up to the group, and the boys moved slightly so that Sam could step up to Jack and walk beside him. She looked beautiful in a one-piece bathing suit that was the same color as her eyes, and Jack smiled a welcome as he put his arm around her. Sally looked equally nice in a green one-piece, and Jean was ravishing in a blue bikini that showed off her tanned body magnificently. She'd definitely turn heads. But not Jack's.
"You guys need to stop pouncing on the boys every time they walk out their door," Sally told her campers. Daniel could have kissed her. Especially when the girls backed up a little bit and the boys loosened their shield so they could all walk again.
Daniel reached out and took Sally's hand, pulling her closer to him. Something that everyone noticed right away, of course. Jack and Sam looked at each other, and Jack wondered if Daniel was keeping her close so that Sally could keep reminding the girls to keep back, or if there was more to it. Sam slid her hand along the small of Jack's back just then, however, and Jack decided Daniel's love life was his own business. At least for the moment. The boys circled once more, grinning because the girls all got in trouble, and they continued their walk to the water as one large group.
"How's the chest, Jack?" Jean asked, looking at Jack's bruises. She winced, but not because of the bruises. She'd noticed the other scars, and wondered how he managed to get them.
"Oh, it's okay. I probably won't be allowed to get too wet, though. Daniel'll have the same problem, most likely." Jack gestured at Daniel's cast. "Which leaves Murray to be the lone representative for the China counselors."
Teal'c scowled, realizing that was correct, and wondered what that meant. Most likely, it was bad. He'd only found a few activities at this camp that he had thoroughly enjoyed so far. Jack and Sam both grinned at the scowl, although Sam turned her head and hid hers. Jack, however, took the full force of the glare Teal'c shot him, and didn't back down at all. Junior had disadvantages, after all.
~*~
They reached the water and found that two lifeguards were waiting for them. A third was on the boat dock, watching the sailors with his binoculars. Jack was glad that it was the smart-assed one that had to keep reminding him of his boom mishap every time he saw him. At least he wouldn't have to put up with that. The lifeguards had an assortment of things with them, but when they gestured for everyone to get on the swimming dock, they left their other stuff on shore. The two winced when they saw Jack's battered chest and face, and both noticed Daniel's cast. Ah, good old China. These counselors were well on their way to becoming camp legends.
The first thing the lifeguards did was ensure that all the campers knew how to swim. They did this by having them all swim from the swimming dock to the boat dock, which was a fair distance. The kids all jumped in, and with a great deal of splashing - and a little bit of racing – they made their way across, then ran back around to rejoin their counselors on the swim dock.
At the very end of the swimming dock was a diving board. This was the place where the swimming area was deepest. The lifeguards introduced themselves and Katie and Robert, and then told the campers what they were going to be doing first.
"We're going to be having a competition," Katie told everyone. "We'll have assorted games, relays and events, and Robert and I will be giving out individual points on how well you do. When the competition is over, we'll add up the points and see which cabin is the winner. Everyone with us so far?"
There were nods, and excited murmurs. The boys from China were always up for a good competition. The girls from France were just as eager to show that they were better than the boys.
"Okay." Robert took over the announcement for the first competition. "The first thing we're going to play is Jump or Dive." He pointed to the diving board. "One at a time, you're going to go out to the end of the board." He walked out to the end of the board, and bounced on it.
"You'll jump up into the air, towards the water," Katie took over again. "And once you reach the apex of your jump, Robert or I will yell either JUMP or DIVE. Whichever one we yell, that's what you have to do. A dive will only count if your hands go in the water first. A jump will only count if your feet do. Got it?"
There were grins all around. This would be fun! Jack was grinning, too. He didn't have to do it.
"Okay, line up."
The girls got in one line, the boys got in another. Daniel and Jack went to stand off to the side, where they could cheer for their boys and still be out of the way. They watched as Gina went up to the board and stood on the end, watching the lifeguards, who nodded. The little girl bounced, and headed for the water.
"Jump!"
It was easy! She was already jumping, so she merely pushed her feet down further and landed in the water in good form.
"One point." The girls cheered as Gina paddled over to the ladder.
Simon was next, and the boy swaggered out onto the board, confident. He gave a mighty bounce, going fairly high in the air.
"Dive!"
Twisting around impossibly, Simon managed to make it so his hands went into the water first, and the boys all cheered.
"One point."
Seeing that the kids understood the game, the lifeguards starting to make it a little more difficult. And the result was hilarious. And sometimes a little painful. More than one kid –boy and girl – tried to anticipate what was going to be called, only to have the lifeguard call something completely different. Even flexible bodies can only twist so much, and many times the kid who thought it would be a dive and had started for the water head-first would end up desperately fighting gravity as she or he was trying to get their feet down before they hit the water. Many of the kids ended up landing on their backs, or worse, on their stomachs, and there were some spectacular belly flops that brought out assorted sympathetic groans.
The counselors were no safer. For that matter, they weren't generally as flexible as the kids were, and most of them found themselves on the receiving end of some of the worst of the belly flops. Jean's tanned belly was red by the time they were through the line of campers three times, and Sam had managed to do a back flop that left her back just as red as Jean's stomach. Only Teal'c was spared, and for the same reason that he'd done so well in the Twister competition. He was just way more flexible than he looked. No matter how long the lifeguard would wait to call the jump – or dive – Teal'c managed to get himself into position. No belly flops, no back flops. And he did it all without losing his bandana, much to Jack's relief.