Author's Note: Oh yeah, you know if someone says 'what's the worst that can
happen' in one of my stories, something's going to happen!
~*~
A commotion at the door caused Daniel to look up from the conversation he was having with Shawn and Darrin. They'd been talking about Daniel's theories, although Daniel had been doing far less talking than Darrin, who had some of his own ideas about the past of mankind, which included alien abductions, evolution mixed with a little help from other aliens, and an entire lost planet called Atlantis, instead of a continent. Which was where he thought all people must have originally come from. Daniel had listened politely, but he wasn't ready to sign off on Darrin's theories just yet. Shawn had been equally quiet, but Darrin assumed it was just because the conversation was too advanced for the boy – which wasn't the case. Shawn saw Daniel look up and he looked up as well.
"Jack!"
It was immediately apparent that all was not well. Jack was leaning heavily on Brittany, and while he wasn't actually screaming with pain, it was easy to he was in some pain. Everyone in the room came over, and Teal'c took Jack from Brittany, the much stronger Jaffa able to support O'Neill much easier. He practically carried him over to the nearest sofa. Where Jack collapsed gratefully, wincing.
"What happened, Jack?" Daniel asked, looking for blood automatically. He didn't see any, though, and couldn't see any bruising, either.
"He got tangled in the towrope," Brittany answered for Jack, waving Andrew over to her and sending him off to get an ice pack. "He didn't let go right, and got all tangled up and twisted his knee, I think."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, wincing as Scott came over and knelt in front of him. Daniel winced as well; aware of just how bad Jack's knees were anyways.
"Do you think you broke it, Jack?" Scott asked, running his hand along the injured leg, although it was difficult to feel anything through the ski pants Jack was wearing.
"Nah, it's not broken."
"Bet it hurts, though,"
"Oh, yeah."
Andrew returned with a couple of ice packs and Shelby, who walked over and sat on the sofa next to Jack, watching as David and Daniel got the ski pants off Jack, being as gentle as possible.
"We won't strip him," Shelby said, taking one of the ice packs from Andrew and motioning for Shawn – who was hovering close at hand – to pull up a padded foot stool. The older woman spoke with a competence that reminded Jack of Janet Fraiser, so he relaxed a little and allowed them to do what they would to him. Like he had a lot of choice.
"Put his leg up on that, and we'll ice the knee from both sides at once," Shelby said, watching as Scott did as she told him to. Jack couldn't quite hold back the grunt of pain when he did that, though, and Shelby patted his hand, reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Jack. This isn't the first skiing injury I've seen. And no where near the worst." She smiled, "You remember that thing they used to show on the Wide World of Sports? I've seen some like that."
Jack smiled despite the pain in his knee, looking over at Daniel with an 'I told you so' look. Shelby surrounded O'Neill's knee with the ice packs, and then shooed everyone away, telling them that he was fine and didn't need a bunch of people gawking at him and breakfast was almost ready so why didn't everyone go get cleaned up and ready to eat? Obviously the family was used to obeying her, because all the adults, and Anna immediately left him alone, although Andrew hesitated just a little and looked like he wanted to stay and keep Jack company. Along with the other boys, who were also gathered around.
"I'm fine, guys," Jack assured them, waving them off. "Go do what you're told and get ready for breakfast."
Daniel and Teal'c both left the room, certain that Jack really was fine. He'd taken far worse injuries than a simple twisted knee, after all, and as far as Daniel was concerned, if he wasn't bleeding he wasn't really hurt. When they left, they took the boys with them, including Shawn, who flashed Jack a worried look, but did as he was told. He wasn't as worried as he might have been, knowing that if it were serious, Daniel and Teal'c wouldn't be leaving. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't want to stay.
"Do you want to try and get to the table, Jack?" Shelby asked. "Or would you rather we just make up a tray and bring it to you here?"
"I don't want to be a bother-"
"You're not being a bother," the older woman said, patting his hand again, and giving him a smile that was so cheerful that Jack couldn't help but feel better just because of it. "Like I said, we've seen our share of injuries. We know how to deal with them."
"I'll take the tray, then," he told her. He didn't want to put any weight on his leg at that moment anyways. Not even for breakfast, which smelled delicious.
"I'll make it up myself."
"I don't-"
"You're not a bother," she assured him, again. "It's been a while since I've had a chance to coddle anyone. My own boys are too good at skiing for their own good! Just relax, and I'll be back."
Jack did what he was told, pretty certain that she wasn't going to give him any other choice anyways. He leaned back into the sofa and tried to relax, although it was difficult when his leg was throbbing. He decided that it could have been a lot worse, though. His knees hurt all the time, anyways. Better than a broken bone, or hitting his head.
If this was the worst that happened, he'd feel lucky.
~*~
A commotion at the door caused Daniel to look up from the conversation he was having with Shawn and Darrin. They'd been talking about Daniel's theories, although Daniel had been doing far less talking than Darrin, who had some of his own ideas about the past of mankind, which included alien abductions, evolution mixed with a little help from other aliens, and an entire lost planet called Atlantis, instead of a continent. Which was where he thought all people must have originally come from. Daniel had listened politely, but he wasn't ready to sign off on Darrin's theories just yet. Shawn had been equally quiet, but Darrin assumed it was just because the conversation was too advanced for the boy – which wasn't the case. Shawn saw Daniel look up and he looked up as well.
"Jack!"
It was immediately apparent that all was not well. Jack was leaning heavily on Brittany, and while he wasn't actually screaming with pain, it was easy to he was in some pain. Everyone in the room came over, and Teal'c took Jack from Brittany, the much stronger Jaffa able to support O'Neill much easier. He practically carried him over to the nearest sofa. Where Jack collapsed gratefully, wincing.
"What happened, Jack?" Daniel asked, looking for blood automatically. He didn't see any, though, and couldn't see any bruising, either.
"He got tangled in the towrope," Brittany answered for Jack, waving Andrew over to her and sending him off to get an ice pack. "He didn't let go right, and got all tangled up and twisted his knee, I think."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, wincing as Scott came over and knelt in front of him. Daniel winced as well; aware of just how bad Jack's knees were anyways.
"Do you think you broke it, Jack?" Scott asked, running his hand along the injured leg, although it was difficult to feel anything through the ski pants Jack was wearing.
"Nah, it's not broken."
"Bet it hurts, though,"
"Oh, yeah."
Andrew returned with a couple of ice packs and Shelby, who walked over and sat on the sofa next to Jack, watching as David and Daniel got the ski pants off Jack, being as gentle as possible.
"We won't strip him," Shelby said, taking one of the ice packs from Andrew and motioning for Shawn – who was hovering close at hand – to pull up a padded foot stool. The older woman spoke with a competence that reminded Jack of Janet Fraiser, so he relaxed a little and allowed them to do what they would to him. Like he had a lot of choice.
"Put his leg up on that, and we'll ice the knee from both sides at once," Shelby said, watching as Scott did as she told him to. Jack couldn't quite hold back the grunt of pain when he did that, though, and Shelby patted his hand, reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Jack. This isn't the first skiing injury I've seen. And no where near the worst." She smiled, "You remember that thing they used to show on the Wide World of Sports? I've seen some like that."
Jack smiled despite the pain in his knee, looking over at Daniel with an 'I told you so' look. Shelby surrounded O'Neill's knee with the ice packs, and then shooed everyone away, telling them that he was fine and didn't need a bunch of people gawking at him and breakfast was almost ready so why didn't everyone go get cleaned up and ready to eat? Obviously the family was used to obeying her, because all the adults, and Anna immediately left him alone, although Andrew hesitated just a little and looked like he wanted to stay and keep Jack company. Along with the other boys, who were also gathered around.
"I'm fine, guys," Jack assured them, waving them off. "Go do what you're told and get ready for breakfast."
Daniel and Teal'c both left the room, certain that Jack really was fine. He'd taken far worse injuries than a simple twisted knee, after all, and as far as Daniel was concerned, if he wasn't bleeding he wasn't really hurt. When they left, they took the boys with them, including Shawn, who flashed Jack a worried look, but did as he was told. He wasn't as worried as he might have been, knowing that if it were serious, Daniel and Teal'c wouldn't be leaving. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't want to stay.
"Do you want to try and get to the table, Jack?" Shelby asked. "Or would you rather we just make up a tray and bring it to you here?"
"I don't want to be a bother-"
"You're not being a bother," the older woman said, patting his hand again, and giving him a smile that was so cheerful that Jack couldn't help but feel better just because of it. "Like I said, we've seen our share of injuries. We know how to deal with them."
"I'll take the tray, then," he told her. He didn't want to put any weight on his leg at that moment anyways. Not even for breakfast, which smelled delicious.
"I'll make it up myself."
"I don't-"
"You're not a bother," she assured him, again. "It's been a while since I've had a chance to coddle anyone. My own boys are too good at skiing for their own good! Just relax, and I'll be back."
Jack did what he was told, pretty certain that she wasn't going to give him any other choice anyways. He leaned back into the sofa and tried to relax, although it was difficult when his leg was throbbing. He decided that it could have been a lot worse, though. His knees hurt all the time, anyways. Better than a broken bone, or hitting his head.
If this was the worst that happened, he'd feel lucky.
