Author's Note: This story seems to be taking a bit longer to develop that
my other ones did. I wonder if it's because of all the different people
I've brought in, or if it's because Sam's not there, or if it's something
else... Oh well! It's not like I have a set limit of chapters I can use, so
we'll get there when we get there, eh? (It might also just be that every
time I go to put one up, something's wrong with the site.)
~*~
Breakfast was as good as it smelled. Jack didn't know who did the actual cooking around the lodge, but they were great. Shelby didn't bring him his breakfast, Daniel did. Accompanied by Shawn and Shelby. The three of them brought enough food for him, and for them, saying they didn't want him to get lonely. It was a nice touch, and Jack was glad. He could hear the others in the dining room laughing and chatting, mostly about the puppies, but also about the events of the day coming up, and Jack knew that without the company of the three, he would have felt lonely and left out.
As he made his way through a huge breakfast of sausages, pancakes, eggs and coffee, Shelby told him and Daniel and Shawn about their plans for the day.
"Tomorrow's actually Andrew's birthday," she told them – although they all knew that already. "Today will be skiing this morning after breakfast – except for you, Jack." She patted his uninjured leg so cheerfully that Jack had to smile. "We're going to do sledding and tubing this afternoon after lunch, and after dinner we'll have Andrew's birthday cake and the whole presents thing."
"Sounds great," Jack told her. Shawn nodded his agreement. Daniel was beginning to look a little dubious any time anyone mentioned skiing. While Jack wasn't dying or anything, Daniel had a very good imagination, and he knew he wasn't any better at skiing than Jack was.
"It'll be fun," Shelby said. "We seldom get so many of the family together like this. And the boys!" She smiled at Shawn, who was just as charmed by the older woman as Jack was. "It's so much fun having the youngsters around, yelling and chattering."
Jack was about to agree with that when Carol and Brittany came into the room, both of them smiling identical smiles.
"How are you feeling, Jack?" Brittany asked, as she and her sister started gathering up the breakfast dishes off the trays. Shawn jumped to his feet and gathered dishes as well, wanting to help.
"I'm fine, Brittany. Thanks."
"Daniel, Shawn? Are you two done eating? Ready to try your hand at skiing?"
They both nodded, although Shawn looked far more excited than Daniel did.
"What's Jack going to do while we're skiing?" Shawn asked, worried about leaving him alone.
"Lucille and I'll keep him company," Shelby assured him. "You all run along, now, and tell the others that breakfast dishes can wait. It's beautiful outside. There's no sense staying in and working when you can do it later."
Jack knew there was a reason he liked this old woman. A fellow procrastinator! They watched as the twins took Shawn and Daniel with them, then Shelby turned to Jack.
"Let's see about your knee, eh, Jack?"
They took off the ice packs, which were more or less just cold water, now, and Shelby ran her fingers along either side of the injured knee.
"Hurt?"
"Not too much," Jack said, surprised.
"Try bending it."
THAT hurt. Jack grunted as he did as he was told, but he did manage to move it more than he thought he'd be able to.
"We don't want to let it stay straight too long," she told him, sympathetically. "If we do, it's going to stiffen up on you, and then you'll be stuck on this sofa for the rest of the weekend. Then you'll miss all the fun."
Jack nodded.
"I have faith in you, Ma'am." He did, too. She seemed to know what she was doing.
"Good. Cause I know what I'm talking about." She stood up. "Keep moving it, if you can. I'll be back in a bit."
She picked up the ice packs, and left the room, and Jack did as he was told, bending his leg just a little at a time. It hurt, but he could feel the tendons and ligaments loosening a little. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
~*~
The others checked in on him before they left, but Jack shooed them all away. He was fine, he told them, grinning at the boys who were all bundled up in snow clothes. Andrew looked about three times bigger than his normal scrawny self, and Jack wondered how he was even able to walk.
"Have fun, guys," Jack said.
"We will, Jack!"
"No falling down."
"It's a common past time when you're skiing. If you're not falling, you're not skiing."
Jack looked over at Shawn as the boy left the room, following the others, habitually concerned that he wasn't going out with him. Not that he thought Shawn was in any true danger, but he was his responsibility. The boy was just as bundled up as Andrew was, and Jack was certain that even if he did fall down he was so well padded that he wouldn't feel anything, but it was second nature for Jack to worry. He was almost tempted to try and go outside anyways, just to keep an eye on things for himself.
"I'll watch him, Jack," Daniel said. He was better than anyone at reading O'Neill. At least, of the people that were at the lodge, he was, and he hadn't missed the worried look in Jack's expression when he looked at the boy. He'd hung back, intending to see if there was anything Jack wanted from his room to keep himself occupied, but he thought he'd do what he could to reassure his friend, first. Jack nodded, and forced a slight smile.
"Who's going to watch you, though?"
"Anna." Teal'c said, catching the private conversation. The Jaffa wasn't in any hurry to leave the room, either. He didn't mind trying new things, but skiing wasn't way up on his list.
The three men looked, and sure enough, the teenaged girl was hovering at the door, obviously waiting for Daniel.
Jack grinned. "Just don't bring him back in a cast, okay?"
"Gotcha."
"He will be fine, O'Neill."
The two turned and left, and Jack sighed. Alone at last. He looked around for something to do that didn't involve bending his leg, but the room was pretty much empty. Jack sighed again, and returned to his bending. It was going to be along morning if Shelby forgot about him.
~*~
Breakfast was as good as it smelled. Jack didn't know who did the actual cooking around the lodge, but they were great. Shelby didn't bring him his breakfast, Daniel did. Accompanied by Shawn and Shelby. The three of them brought enough food for him, and for them, saying they didn't want him to get lonely. It was a nice touch, and Jack was glad. He could hear the others in the dining room laughing and chatting, mostly about the puppies, but also about the events of the day coming up, and Jack knew that without the company of the three, he would have felt lonely and left out.
As he made his way through a huge breakfast of sausages, pancakes, eggs and coffee, Shelby told him and Daniel and Shawn about their plans for the day.
"Tomorrow's actually Andrew's birthday," she told them – although they all knew that already. "Today will be skiing this morning after breakfast – except for you, Jack." She patted his uninjured leg so cheerfully that Jack had to smile. "We're going to do sledding and tubing this afternoon after lunch, and after dinner we'll have Andrew's birthday cake and the whole presents thing."
"Sounds great," Jack told her. Shawn nodded his agreement. Daniel was beginning to look a little dubious any time anyone mentioned skiing. While Jack wasn't dying or anything, Daniel had a very good imagination, and he knew he wasn't any better at skiing than Jack was.
"It'll be fun," Shelby said. "We seldom get so many of the family together like this. And the boys!" She smiled at Shawn, who was just as charmed by the older woman as Jack was. "It's so much fun having the youngsters around, yelling and chattering."
Jack was about to agree with that when Carol and Brittany came into the room, both of them smiling identical smiles.
"How are you feeling, Jack?" Brittany asked, as she and her sister started gathering up the breakfast dishes off the trays. Shawn jumped to his feet and gathered dishes as well, wanting to help.
"I'm fine, Brittany. Thanks."
"Daniel, Shawn? Are you two done eating? Ready to try your hand at skiing?"
They both nodded, although Shawn looked far more excited than Daniel did.
"What's Jack going to do while we're skiing?" Shawn asked, worried about leaving him alone.
"Lucille and I'll keep him company," Shelby assured him. "You all run along, now, and tell the others that breakfast dishes can wait. It's beautiful outside. There's no sense staying in and working when you can do it later."
Jack knew there was a reason he liked this old woman. A fellow procrastinator! They watched as the twins took Shawn and Daniel with them, then Shelby turned to Jack.
"Let's see about your knee, eh, Jack?"
They took off the ice packs, which were more or less just cold water, now, and Shelby ran her fingers along either side of the injured knee.
"Hurt?"
"Not too much," Jack said, surprised.
"Try bending it."
THAT hurt. Jack grunted as he did as he was told, but he did manage to move it more than he thought he'd be able to.
"We don't want to let it stay straight too long," she told him, sympathetically. "If we do, it's going to stiffen up on you, and then you'll be stuck on this sofa for the rest of the weekend. Then you'll miss all the fun."
Jack nodded.
"I have faith in you, Ma'am." He did, too. She seemed to know what she was doing.
"Good. Cause I know what I'm talking about." She stood up. "Keep moving it, if you can. I'll be back in a bit."
She picked up the ice packs, and left the room, and Jack did as he was told, bending his leg just a little at a time. It hurt, but he could feel the tendons and ligaments loosening a little. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
~*~
The others checked in on him before they left, but Jack shooed them all away. He was fine, he told them, grinning at the boys who were all bundled up in snow clothes. Andrew looked about three times bigger than his normal scrawny self, and Jack wondered how he was even able to walk.
"Have fun, guys," Jack said.
"We will, Jack!"
"No falling down."
"It's a common past time when you're skiing. If you're not falling, you're not skiing."
Jack looked over at Shawn as the boy left the room, following the others, habitually concerned that he wasn't going out with him. Not that he thought Shawn was in any true danger, but he was his responsibility. The boy was just as bundled up as Andrew was, and Jack was certain that even if he did fall down he was so well padded that he wouldn't feel anything, but it was second nature for Jack to worry. He was almost tempted to try and go outside anyways, just to keep an eye on things for himself.
"I'll watch him, Jack," Daniel said. He was better than anyone at reading O'Neill. At least, of the people that were at the lodge, he was, and he hadn't missed the worried look in Jack's expression when he looked at the boy. He'd hung back, intending to see if there was anything Jack wanted from his room to keep himself occupied, but he thought he'd do what he could to reassure his friend, first. Jack nodded, and forced a slight smile.
"Who's going to watch you, though?"
"Anna." Teal'c said, catching the private conversation. The Jaffa wasn't in any hurry to leave the room, either. He didn't mind trying new things, but skiing wasn't way up on his list.
The three men looked, and sure enough, the teenaged girl was hovering at the door, obviously waiting for Daniel.
Jack grinned. "Just don't bring him back in a cast, okay?"
"Gotcha."
"He will be fine, O'Neill."
The two turned and left, and Jack sighed. Alone at last. He looked around for something to do that didn't involve bending his leg, but the room was pretty much empty. Jack sighed again, and returned to his bending. It was going to be along morning if Shelby forgot about him.
