"Jack!"
He had barely made it out of the elevator when Daniel called his name. Jack saw that he and Teal'c were both sitting in the chairs outside Carter's room. Both were on their feet in moments, and Daniel was looking at him with concern in his eyes. Jack was certain that Fraiser had told them what had happened. Which was fine. They needed to know. Sam loved them, too.
"Daniel. Teal'c. I was looking for you."
"We came looking for you." Daniel said, looking Jack over, noting the wounded look in his eyes.
"We were surprised that you were not here, O'Neill." Teal'c said, coming up to stand beside Daniel.
"I was at the base. Talking to Hammond."
"That's what Janet said. You told him about the..."
"Yeah. And I told him everything else, too."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing." Jack hesitated. "I told him I'm going to retire."
"Are you serious?"
He nodded.
"Isn't that a little extreme?"
"Maybe, but it's necessary."
"Um... why?"
"Because."
"Well, I can't argue with that logic."
Jack turned towards the door to Sam's room. "I need to be with her right now, Daniel. Not offworld."
"But later? What about then?"
"I'll worry about later when it comes. For now, I have other responsibilities."
He turned and went into Sam's room, unwilling to be interrogated any further.
She was still asleep, as Fraiser had promised. Jack walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. He held her hand, and caressed her palm, but he was afraid to touch the rest of her, for fear of disturbing her. The other two didn't follow him in, and Jack was glad for it. He didn't feel like trying to explain himself to anyone anymore that day. He was all talked out, and just wanted to spend some time with Sam. Even if she was just sleeping.
"Colonel?"
He looked up and saw Fraiser standing next to the bed and realized he'd been lost in thought. Otherwise he'd have at least heard the door open.
"Is she okay?" Jack asked.
The Doctor nodded. "She's resting comfortably."
"She looks comfortable."
"You should go get something to eat."
"I will."
"Now."
"Just let me spend a little time with her first," he said, looking at the hand he was holding. "I'll be fine, Doc. I promise."
"Uh huh."
Fraiser pulled up the chair that was at the foot of the bed and sat down in it, suddenly looking very tired.
"Have you eaten?" Jack asked.
"No, not yet. I will, though."
"You go eat. I'll send for you if anything happens."
"Why don't you come with me?" That way she could actually make sure he had something. "The nurses will watch Sam. Or Teal'c and Daniel can if they don't want to come with us. We won't go far."
In the end, she talked him into it. No one else could have, but Fraiser had a knack at making Jack do things he really didn't want to do. He walked out of the room with her, and they gathered Teal'c and Daniel with them on the way to the elevator. Jack was silent, but Daniel and Janet made small talk on the way down to the cafeteria. Teal'c never made small talk. Jack simply grunted the couple times they asked him anything, and they soon gave up. He was glad, however, that they didn't discuss his retirement. He didn't know if they'd told Janet or not, but she didn't mention it if they had.
~*~
"Are you going to take her to your house, or hers?" Janet asked as Jack sipped on a cup of coffee, most of his meal sitting on the table uneaten in front of him.
"Which do you think I should do?" He hadn't even thought of that.
"It probably doesn't matter." Sam was just as comfortable at O'Neill's as she was at her own house.
"My house, then. There's more room, and it's on a quieter street."
"Are you set up for company?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have food?"
Did he? Jack stared at Fraiser, unsure.
"I'll take that as a no."
"I have food." Jack said, automatically. "Somewhere. I think."
"Teal'c and I can go shopping, Jack."
"Indeed."
He nodded, "Thanks, guys."
"We'll go now, and make sure your house is set up, too. Are you going to stay here tonight?"
He nodded.
"Only if he eats his dinner." Frasier said, pointing at the plate.
Jack sighed, but took a bite.
Daniel and Teal'c stood up to leave, and Teal'c rested a large hand on O'Neill's shoulder.
"If you have need, call, and I will come."
"Thanks."
He watched as they left, and Fraiser watched him.
"Daniel told me you're talking about retiring."
"Not talking about. I told Hammond this afternoon."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"It's necessary."
"Sam won't be depressed forever."
"No, but I'll still love her," Jack said. "Nothing will change. Regulations are regulations. I'm tired of hiding my feelings for her." He shrugged. "Besides, she's way more valuable to the SGC than I am."
"That's not true."
He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief, but she wouldn't back down. He made a huge contribution, and she knew it. Brains were good, but there was something to be said for leadership and experience. He sighed.
"It's moot."
He stood up, tired of pretending to eat, and walked out of the cafeteria, heading for the elevator and her room.
He had barely made it out of the elevator when Daniel called his name. Jack saw that he and Teal'c were both sitting in the chairs outside Carter's room. Both were on their feet in moments, and Daniel was looking at him with concern in his eyes. Jack was certain that Fraiser had told them what had happened. Which was fine. They needed to know. Sam loved them, too.
"Daniel. Teal'c. I was looking for you."
"We came looking for you." Daniel said, looking Jack over, noting the wounded look in his eyes.
"We were surprised that you were not here, O'Neill." Teal'c said, coming up to stand beside Daniel.
"I was at the base. Talking to Hammond."
"That's what Janet said. You told him about the..."
"Yeah. And I told him everything else, too."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing." Jack hesitated. "I told him I'm going to retire."
"Are you serious?"
He nodded.
"Isn't that a little extreme?"
"Maybe, but it's necessary."
"Um... why?"
"Because."
"Well, I can't argue with that logic."
Jack turned towards the door to Sam's room. "I need to be with her right now, Daniel. Not offworld."
"But later? What about then?"
"I'll worry about later when it comes. For now, I have other responsibilities."
He turned and went into Sam's room, unwilling to be interrogated any further.
She was still asleep, as Fraiser had promised. Jack walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. He held her hand, and caressed her palm, but he was afraid to touch the rest of her, for fear of disturbing her. The other two didn't follow him in, and Jack was glad for it. He didn't feel like trying to explain himself to anyone anymore that day. He was all talked out, and just wanted to spend some time with Sam. Even if she was just sleeping.
"Colonel?"
He looked up and saw Fraiser standing next to the bed and realized he'd been lost in thought. Otherwise he'd have at least heard the door open.
"Is she okay?" Jack asked.
The Doctor nodded. "She's resting comfortably."
"She looks comfortable."
"You should go get something to eat."
"I will."
"Now."
"Just let me spend a little time with her first," he said, looking at the hand he was holding. "I'll be fine, Doc. I promise."
"Uh huh."
Fraiser pulled up the chair that was at the foot of the bed and sat down in it, suddenly looking very tired.
"Have you eaten?" Jack asked.
"No, not yet. I will, though."
"You go eat. I'll send for you if anything happens."
"Why don't you come with me?" That way she could actually make sure he had something. "The nurses will watch Sam. Or Teal'c and Daniel can if they don't want to come with us. We won't go far."
In the end, she talked him into it. No one else could have, but Fraiser had a knack at making Jack do things he really didn't want to do. He walked out of the room with her, and they gathered Teal'c and Daniel with them on the way to the elevator. Jack was silent, but Daniel and Janet made small talk on the way down to the cafeteria. Teal'c never made small talk. Jack simply grunted the couple times they asked him anything, and they soon gave up. He was glad, however, that they didn't discuss his retirement. He didn't know if they'd told Janet or not, but she didn't mention it if they had.
~*~
"Are you going to take her to your house, or hers?" Janet asked as Jack sipped on a cup of coffee, most of his meal sitting on the table uneaten in front of him.
"Which do you think I should do?" He hadn't even thought of that.
"It probably doesn't matter." Sam was just as comfortable at O'Neill's as she was at her own house.
"My house, then. There's more room, and it's on a quieter street."
"Are you set up for company?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have food?"
Did he? Jack stared at Fraiser, unsure.
"I'll take that as a no."
"I have food." Jack said, automatically. "Somewhere. I think."
"Teal'c and I can go shopping, Jack."
"Indeed."
He nodded, "Thanks, guys."
"We'll go now, and make sure your house is set up, too. Are you going to stay here tonight?"
He nodded.
"Only if he eats his dinner." Frasier said, pointing at the plate.
Jack sighed, but took a bite.
Daniel and Teal'c stood up to leave, and Teal'c rested a large hand on O'Neill's shoulder.
"If you have need, call, and I will come."
"Thanks."
He watched as they left, and Fraiser watched him.
"Daniel told me you're talking about retiring."
"Not talking about. I told Hammond this afternoon."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"It's necessary."
"Sam won't be depressed forever."
"No, but I'll still love her," Jack said. "Nothing will change. Regulations are regulations. I'm tired of hiding my feelings for her." He shrugged. "Besides, she's way more valuable to the SGC than I am."
"That's not true."
He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief, but she wouldn't back down. He made a huge contribution, and she knew it. Brains were good, but there was something to be said for leadership and experience. He sighed.
"It's moot."
He stood up, tired of pretending to eat, and walked out of the cafeteria, heading for the elevator and her room.