"Stay awake," Jack whispered, resting his hand against Andrew's chest to
feel for movement that would tell him the boy was still breathing. He was.
"Good boy, Andrew," he whispered again, talking more to keep himself awake than because he thought Andrew could hear him. Although he supposed you never knew. Didn't someone some time say that unconscious people could hear when someone was talking to them? Jack pondered that for a moment.
"I've never heard anyone."
But it never hurt to try, he supposed. Besides, he needed to stay awake. What better way to do it than to talk to Shawn? Andrew.
"Andrew." He reminded himself aloud. "Andrew." He thought about the weekend they'd been having, trying to think of something to say that would keep him awake. But Jack was having trouble concentrating on anything. His mind was flittering from one thought to another without any particular direction.
"Stay awake Andrew... You have to open your birthday presents still..." He couldn't even remember what he'd gotten the boy. "I got you a pony... a big white one... named Silver..."
Jack gasped as a spasm of pain forced him to be silent for a moment. But a moment later he continued stubbornly.
"Teal'c got you a stuffed Asgard... we can call it Thor..."
"I think Daniel got you a rock... but I might be... be wrong. It might be a stone..."
Jack continued on in that vein, telling the boy what presents they'd got him, unaware of what he was even saying, but talking because he was too stubborn to allow himself to close his eyes and rest like he wanted to.
~*~
They moved the search further down hill as the night progressed into early morning. Once the sky grew light enough that they could see vague outlines of the trees and mountains around them, the search teams were able to move a little more quickly, and they did. They all knew the odds were getting shorter and shorter as time moved on.
More dogs were brought in, and the men and women who'd been holding lights during the night put them away and were now a more productive part of the search teams. They walked, calling for the three who were missing, and keeping their eyes open for flashes of color that might mean a coat or pair of snow pants.
More than once, one of them would fall through the snow when they came to a weak spot, and it would take a few minutes to dig themselves out, but dig they did, and none of them complained. They'd simply make it back to the top of the snow and continue searching. It was all about searching.
~*~
Shawn was lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, his hand idly stroking Shadow's black fur as the lab nursed her squealing puppies. Jenny had brought the little boy one of the pictures she'd taken of Jack the morning before, and Shawn was staring at it, as if memorizing his friend's face. He'd put Jack's dog tags on, noticing in the picture that Jack hadn't been wearing his tags; he'd only been wearing the necklace that Shawn had given him at camp. Shawn couldn't help the tears that trickled down his cheeks.
"Don't give up," Daniel told him again. And again. And again. But it was harder and harder not to. The adults didn't think Shawn understood half of what they were saying, but he did. He knew the danger that Andrew, Teal'c and Jack were in, and he knew that it was entirely possible that they'd all been killed immediately and were already dead.
Daniel had joined Shawn on the floor in front of the fireplace, stretching his injured leg out painfully as he did so, but he'd started sneezing almost immediately. Shadow was nice, and her puppies were adorable, but he was allergic, and it was hard to comfort someone when your eyes were watering and your throat was swelling closed. Darrin had helped him back to the couch and brought another box of tissues out.
David and Miyra were sitting on one of the other sofas, holding each other and looking into the fire with equally tortured expressions. Daniel understood what they were going through, and he wished that there were something he could do to reassure them. He couldn't think of anything, though. Shelby and Lucille were plying Andrew's parents with coffee laced deliberately with whiskey, and it was all they could do. It was more than anyone else could.
When the sun was fully up, Carol and Brittany brought out trays of muffins and fruit and juice. For the search teams and for those that were waiting for any word. The search teams ate on the run, and none of the family members had any appetite at all. The lodge was almost completely silent, and there was a definite gloom in the air. They were all just waiting for the axe to fall, it seemed.
~*~
"Have some more coffee, Major," Hammond said, bringing Sam another steaming cup. To Carter it sounded more like an order than a request, so she did what she was told, taking the cup from him.
"Thank you, Sir."
'Doctor?"
'Thank you, General."
They were standing, now. The lights had been taken down and packed away for the day, and the search teams continued checking in at regular intervals. Unfortunately, they were all saying the same thing. They hadn't found any sign of those that were lost.
There was a little good news. The risk of another avalanche was growing smaller as the DOT and the forestry service starting setting off smaller – controlled – slides in an effort to stabilize the snow pack. This meant that they'd be able to bring in helicopters to start searching soon, and motorized vehicles to transport the teams and save time getting them to the slide area.
Hammond stood next to Carter, who hadn't said more than three sentences all night. He couldn't think of anything to say to her that he hadn't already said, and he knew Carter was far too smart to believe any lies he might have tried.
"We'll find them, Major," Hammond said.
"I know, Sir."
She knew they'd be found. She just wanted them to be found alive.
~*~
Author's Note: Just in case there's any questions about Jack: he's pretty much out of it, and a delirious Jack is a Jack that mumbles about things that the military would probably rather he didn't mumble about. Since there's no one there to stop him, though... he'll babble on and on...
"Good boy, Andrew," he whispered again, talking more to keep himself awake than because he thought Andrew could hear him. Although he supposed you never knew. Didn't someone some time say that unconscious people could hear when someone was talking to them? Jack pondered that for a moment.
"I've never heard anyone."
But it never hurt to try, he supposed. Besides, he needed to stay awake. What better way to do it than to talk to Shawn? Andrew.
"Andrew." He reminded himself aloud. "Andrew." He thought about the weekend they'd been having, trying to think of something to say that would keep him awake. But Jack was having trouble concentrating on anything. His mind was flittering from one thought to another without any particular direction.
"Stay awake Andrew... You have to open your birthday presents still..." He couldn't even remember what he'd gotten the boy. "I got you a pony... a big white one... named Silver..."
Jack gasped as a spasm of pain forced him to be silent for a moment. But a moment later he continued stubbornly.
"Teal'c got you a stuffed Asgard... we can call it Thor..."
"I think Daniel got you a rock... but I might be... be wrong. It might be a stone..."
Jack continued on in that vein, telling the boy what presents they'd got him, unaware of what he was even saying, but talking because he was too stubborn to allow himself to close his eyes and rest like he wanted to.
~*~
They moved the search further down hill as the night progressed into early morning. Once the sky grew light enough that they could see vague outlines of the trees and mountains around them, the search teams were able to move a little more quickly, and they did. They all knew the odds were getting shorter and shorter as time moved on.
More dogs were brought in, and the men and women who'd been holding lights during the night put them away and were now a more productive part of the search teams. They walked, calling for the three who were missing, and keeping their eyes open for flashes of color that might mean a coat or pair of snow pants.
More than once, one of them would fall through the snow when they came to a weak spot, and it would take a few minutes to dig themselves out, but dig they did, and none of them complained. They'd simply make it back to the top of the snow and continue searching. It was all about searching.
~*~
Shawn was lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, his hand idly stroking Shadow's black fur as the lab nursed her squealing puppies. Jenny had brought the little boy one of the pictures she'd taken of Jack the morning before, and Shawn was staring at it, as if memorizing his friend's face. He'd put Jack's dog tags on, noticing in the picture that Jack hadn't been wearing his tags; he'd only been wearing the necklace that Shawn had given him at camp. Shawn couldn't help the tears that trickled down his cheeks.
"Don't give up," Daniel told him again. And again. And again. But it was harder and harder not to. The adults didn't think Shawn understood half of what they were saying, but he did. He knew the danger that Andrew, Teal'c and Jack were in, and he knew that it was entirely possible that they'd all been killed immediately and were already dead.
Daniel had joined Shawn on the floor in front of the fireplace, stretching his injured leg out painfully as he did so, but he'd started sneezing almost immediately. Shadow was nice, and her puppies were adorable, but he was allergic, and it was hard to comfort someone when your eyes were watering and your throat was swelling closed. Darrin had helped him back to the couch and brought another box of tissues out.
David and Miyra were sitting on one of the other sofas, holding each other and looking into the fire with equally tortured expressions. Daniel understood what they were going through, and he wished that there were something he could do to reassure them. He couldn't think of anything, though. Shelby and Lucille were plying Andrew's parents with coffee laced deliberately with whiskey, and it was all they could do. It was more than anyone else could.
When the sun was fully up, Carol and Brittany brought out trays of muffins and fruit and juice. For the search teams and for those that were waiting for any word. The search teams ate on the run, and none of the family members had any appetite at all. The lodge was almost completely silent, and there was a definite gloom in the air. They were all just waiting for the axe to fall, it seemed.
~*~
"Have some more coffee, Major," Hammond said, bringing Sam another steaming cup. To Carter it sounded more like an order than a request, so she did what she was told, taking the cup from him.
"Thank you, Sir."
'Doctor?"
'Thank you, General."
They were standing, now. The lights had been taken down and packed away for the day, and the search teams continued checking in at regular intervals. Unfortunately, they were all saying the same thing. They hadn't found any sign of those that were lost.
There was a little good news. The risk of another avalanche was growing smaller as the DOT and the forestry service starting setting off smaller – controlled – slides in an effort to stabilize the snow pack. This meant that they'd be able to bring in helicopters to start searching soon, and motorized vehicles to transport the teams and save time getting them to the slide area.
Hammond stood next to Carter, who hadn't said more than three sentences all night. He couldn't think of anything to say to her that he hadn't already said, and he knew Carter was far too smart to believe any lies he might have tried.
"We'll find them, Major," Hammond said.
"I know, Sir."
She knew they'd be found. She just wanted them to be found alive.
~*~
Author's Note: Just in case there's any questions about Jack: he's pretty much out of it, and a delirious Jack is a Jack that mumbles about things that the military would probably rather he didn't mumble about. Since there's no one there to stop him, though... he'll babble on and on...
