He'd dozed off while Jack had held him, but O'Neill wasn't worried. He
shifted on the bed, resting his back against the headboard and pulling
Shawn up into a more comfortable position on him. Then he'd tugged the
blankets back up and over both of them. It wasn't going to kill him to sit
and hold Shawn for a while. He had to come up with a story to tell the
boy's parents. Something to explain the injuries. Probably an accident of
some kind, but he needed something a little more specific, and he'd need to
coach Shawn in the story when he woke up again. Jack was just glad that he
needed to come up with that story and not something else. He wouldn't have
to try to find a way to tell Dotty and James that Shawn was missing, or
dead.
He sighed tiredly; the story would wait. He had to take time and consider the rift between him and his team. It wasn't the first time he'd been in disagreement with Daniel – or Sam, for that matter – and he was certain it wouldn't be the last. But it was so important to him that they understand, and they didn't seem to get it t all. Jack knew he wasn't always the greatest when it came to getting his feelings out calmly, and he'd definitely proved it in the briefing room, but was it really all that complicated? They were geniuses, right? He sighed, and shifted the sleeping form a little closer to him, idly murmuring a soothing word when Shawn stirred at the motion.
~*~
Sam went looking for Jack. She checked the infirmary, knowing even as angry as he was, he'd want to be near Shawn when he woke up, but found that both of them were gone. Checking with Fraiser, she was told they'd moved Shawn to a better room to wake up in, and had to admit there was a certain logic in that. Of course, leave it to Janet to think of something like that, Sam thought as she walked down the corridor to one of the VIP rooms.
She pressed her ear against the door, but didn't hear anything. Assuming that she wouldn't be interrupting a conversation on the off chance Shawn was awake, Sam tapped lightly on the door and tiptoed in silently.
Jack wasn't sitting beside the bed in a chair as Sam had half-expected. He was on the bed with his back propped up against the headboard and a couple pillows. And Shawn was firmly in his arms, cradled protectively as he slept and covered warmly against a possible chill. At first Carter thought that Jack was dozing as well, since his eyes were closed, but they opened when he heard the door close, and he looked over to see who it was.
Did his arms tighten just a little around Shawn when he saw her? Did he really think he had to protect Shawn from her? Even a little? She sighed, but knew it was her own fault and not Jack's. He was trying to protect Shawn. He was trying to do what he thought was right for the little boy, and she was certain that this time, at least, he was right.
"How's he doing?" She asked softly, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"He woke up a little bit ago. Must have been some kind of nightmare, because he was screaming. Took me a bit to get him back to sleep."
"I can imagine."
"He'll probably need a ton of therapy," Jack said. The bitterness in his voice was palpable.
Sam nodded, reaching out a hand and gently touching the boy's soft cheek.
"I'm sorry, Jack."
"For what?"
"You're right. We shouldn't let the Asgard continue to do what they've been doing."
It was apparent to Sam that her sudden change of heart had him a little off balance. Obviously Jack had expected her to come in and try to persuade him to change his mind. She understood that reaction, and she didn't hold it against him.
"Can I hold him?"
"You don't have to apologize to hold him, Sam..."
"I know."
She smiled, but he saw that his words had hurt her, and he didn't want to hurt her. He never wanted to hurt her.
"Watch his ankle." He handed the boy over, blankets and all, carefully shifting him into her arms. Jack didn't ask her why she'd changed her mind. It was enough that she had. He could see the sincerity in her eyes, and he knew her well enough that the sincerity in her voice was just as obvious.
Carter gathered him into her embrace, tucking his head under her chin, and Jack moved a couple pillows behind her so she didn't have to sit up if she didn't want to. She looked tired, he decided, and thought that it might not be a bad thing for her to doze off with Shawn. They could both get some well-needed rest, while Jack went and looked for Hammond. They still needed to come up with a plausible story to tell Shawn's folks.
"Will you stay with him for a while, Sam?" Jack asked her, reaching out and touching her cheek. "I need to go find General Hammond."
She nodded.
"What if he wakes up?"
"Tell him I'll be right back." Jack said, sliding off the bed. "I will be."
He headed for the door, and suddenly vanished in a bright, white light that Sam recognized immediately.
"Oh no..."
Sam didn't know what Thor wanted, but she knew the reception the Asgard was going to get. She briefly wondered if she was going to hear Jack's explosion even from way down here.
He sighed tiredly; the story would wait. He had to take time and consider the rift between him and his team. It wasn't the first time he'd been in disagreement with Daniel – or Sam, for that matter – and he was certain it wouldn't be the last. But it was so important to him that they understand, and they didn't seem to get it t all. Jack knew he wasn't always the greatest when it came to getting his feelings out calmly, and he'd definitely proved it in the briefing room, but was it really all that complicated? They were geniuses, right? He sighed, and shifted the sleeping form a little closer to him, idly murmuring a soothing word when Shawn stirred at the motion.
~*~
Sam went looking for Jack. She checked the infirmary, knowing even as angry as he was, he'd want to be near Shawn when he woke up, but found that both of them were gone. Checking with Fraiser, she was told they'd moved Shawn to a better room to wake up in, and had to admit there was a certain logic in that. Of course, leave it to Janet to think of something like that, Sam thought as she walked down the corridor to one of the VIP rooms.
She pressed her ear against the door, but didn't hear anything. Assuming that she wouldn't be interrupting a conversation on the off chance Shawn was awake, Sam tapped lightly on the door and tiptoed in silently.
Jack wasn't sitting beside the bed in a chair as Sam had half-expected. He was on the bed with his back propped up against the headboard and a couple pillows. And Shawn was firmly in his arms, cradled protectively as he slept and covered warmly against a possible chill. At first Carter thought that Jack was dozing as well, since his eyes were closed, but they opened when he heard the door close, and he looked over to see who it was.
Did his arms tighten just a little around Shawn when he saw her? Did he really think he had to protect Shawn from her? Even a little? She sighed, but knew it was her own fault and not Jack's. He was trying to protect Shawn. He was trying to do what he thought was right for the little boy, and she was certain that this time, at least, he was right.
"How's he doing?" She asked softly, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"He woke up a little bit ago. Must have been some kind of nightmare, because he was screaming. Took me a bit to get him back to sleep."
"I can imagine."
"He'll probably need a ton of therapy," Jack said. The bitterness in his voice was palpable.
Sam nodded, reaching out a hand and gently touching the boy's soft cheek.
"I'm sorry, Jack."
"For what?"
"You're right. We shouldn't let the Asgard continue to do what they've been doing."
It was apparent to Sam that her sudden change of heart had him a little off balance. Obviously Jack had expected her to come in and try to persuade him to change his mind. She understood that reaction, and she didn't hold it against him.
"Can I hold him?"
"You don't have to apologize to hold him, Sam..."
"I know."
She smiled, but he saw that his words had hurt her, and he didn't want to hurt her. He never wanted to hurt her.
"Watch his ankle." He handed the boy over, blankets and all, carefully shifting him into her arms. Jack didn't ask her why she'd changed her mind. It was enough that she had. He could see the sincerity in her eyes, and he knew her well enough that the sincerity in her voice was just as obvious.
Carter gathered him into her embrace, tucking his head under her chin, and Jack moved a couple pillows behind her so she didn't have to sit up if she didn't want to. She looked tired, he decided, and thought that it might not be a bad thing for her to doze off with Shawn. They could both get some well-needed rest, while Jack went and looked for Hammond. They still needed to come up with a plausible story to tell Shawn's folks.
"Will you stay with him for a while, Sam?" Jack asked her, reaching out and touching her cheek. "I need to go find General Hammond."
She nodded.
"What if he wakes up?"
"Tell him I'll be right back." Jack said, sliding off the bed. "I will be."
He headed for the door, and suddenly vanished in a bright, white light that Sam recognized immediately.
"Oh no..."
Sam didn't know what Thor wanted, but she knew the reception the Asgard was going to get. She briefly wondered if she was going to hear Jack's explosion even from way down here.
