He was in the hospital another week after he finally woke up. It was a
lousy week, as far as Jack was concerned. He was awake, and felt fine, he
said. He should be allowed to go home and convalesce there. So to prove to
him just how unwell he was, Fraiser had taken him off all pain medication,
and then he'd been miserable. Ribs hurt when they were broken, especially
when he'd been sick and coughing, and that only aggravated the problem.
Lesson learned, the doctor put him back on the pain killers, and he was a
model patient for all of 12 hours before he decided he didn't need to be on
the IV anymore and that the needle was annoying him.
Fraiser had agreed to take it out, but only if he promised to eat regular meals. Jack had jumped at the deal, but Fraiser's ideas of regular meals were a lot different than his. She wanted him to eat a lot of small meals; Jack wanted to eat a couple big meals. She threatened to put the IV back in, and he grumbled and ate everything she put in front of him. But he wasn't happy about it, and he made sure she knew it.
The good thing about him being in the hospital was that everyone knew exactly where to find him, so he had quite a few visitors. The bad thing was that Fraiser didn't allow any of them to stay and keep him company, which prompted him to ask her why they bothered to have visiting hours if he couldn't have visitors. She'd simply told him she didn't want him to get tired.
Sam brought Shawn frequently, and the boy was always just as glad to see Jack as he was to see Shawn. Shawn was also one of the few visitors that Fraiser allowed to stay more than her usual 5-minute rule. Mainly because Shawn was good at getting Jack to do whatever it was the doctor was trying to get him to do at any particular time. Where Jack would argue with pretty much anyone else, he'd just do whatever it was Shawn asked.
Aside from Shawn, though, the only other people who frequently visited were Daniel, Teal'c and Sam. Andrew's folks had stopped by a couple times, as had the rest of the family, any time they were by to see Andrew, and they told him of his progress since Jack wasn't allowed out of bed to see him and more than Andrew was allowed to come visit Jack. The boy was doing well, and would be going home as soon as his parents installed a few ramps in various parts of the house to accommodate his temporary wheel chair.
Finally, he either got well or he wore Fraiser out, because he was sent home. It was another few days of rest – during which all he really did was spend time with Sam watching TV in bed – and then he was finally allowed to go back to work. Light duty, only. Which was fine, since Daniel was still on light duty as well because of his injured knee. The two pretty much hobbled around the halls together, Daniel using crutches still, but Jack doing without simply because he was too stubborn to carry his around all the time.
~*~
"Jack?"
O'Neill looked up from his paperwork to see Daniel standing at the door of his office. Well, leaning against the door of his office, since Daniel was getting a little lazy when it came to resting any weight on his hurt leg if he didn't need to. It had been about a month since the avalanche, and Jack was still on light duty, which was beginning to drive him crazy, although it gave him plenty of time to catch up on the paperwork that normally was the last thing to get done.
"Hey, Daniel. Come in and sit down." Daniel never came to Jack's office.
"You have a visitor. A couple of them, actually."
"Oh?" Jack looked around Daniel, but didn't see anyone.
"They're up at the check in. Civilian visitors."
"Ah." Damn, that meant he had to limp his way up to the surface. He stood up and headed out the door and down the hall, followed by Daniel, who was still limping, although he'd abandoned his crutches as well. They were joined by Sam and Teal'c, and Jack decided it must be someone they all knew if they were all coming as well. It wasn't as though he or Daniel were still falling down, so they didn't need keepers. There weren't a lot of people that came to visit the base that weren't military – and weren't allowed past the first check in – so Jack had a fair idea that it must have been one of the boys.
He was proved right when he saw Andrew's wheelchair in the hallway when he turned the corner, and grinned at the smile on the little boy's face when he saw Jack.
"Hey guys," Andrew said, waving at all of them.
"Andrew! How are you, buddy?"
"Great. I'll get my casts off next month."
"That's good news."
"Yeah, they itch."
"What's up, buddy?" Jack asked, looking around for Miyra and David. "Where are your folks?"
"They're coming. I'm having another birthday party to make up for the ruined one, and I thought I'd just come and invite you all instead of sending invitations."
"We're not skiing, are we?" Daniel asked.
"No, it'll just be at my house," Andrew said, smiling. "I can't really go too many places right now, anyways."
"We'd love to come," Carter told the boy.
"Great. It'll be in two weeks from today. At 5. And mom and dad don't want you to bring anything, but they do have a present for you Murray, and for you Jack."
"Oh?" Jack's birthday wasn't coming up, and he knew Teal'c's wasn't, either.
"Actually, it's a thank you gift. For all that you did for me."
"You don't have to give me a present, Andrew."
"Indeed. We are your friends, Andrew. It is not necessary to reciprocate a good deed with a gift."
"Nah, I wanted to." He waved at the Marine that was standing at the far corner, and the man disappeared for a moment and returned with Andrew's folks. David was carrying a little black puppy, and Miyra was carrying one of the tan ones. Both puppies had grown considerably since they'd been born.
David walked over to Jack and handed him the black one.
"Scott picked him out for you, Jack. He said you and this little guy had a special bond already."
It had to be the puppy that had woken Jack up that morning. Jack grinned foolishly as he took the puppy. It wasn't a present he'd have expected, but it was a lot better than a toaster or a tie.
"Wow, Andrew... what can I say?" He cuddled the puppy against ribs that were still tender, but nowhere near as sore as they had been.
"This one's for you, Teal'c," Andrew said, as his mother handed Teal'c the little yellow lab puppy. Teal'c took it, and she kissed his cheek and gave him a hug.
"Thank you, Murray, for all you did. If you two hadn't kept hold of him that day, I don't know what might have happened, but it would have been much worse, I'm sure."
Now Jack and Teal'c were both blushing, and Miyra laughed.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I do mean what I said."
"You can't have the puppies just yet," Andrew said. "They need another couple weeks with Shadow. But you can get them when you come to my party."
"It'll give you time to come up with names." Sam said, smiling innocently. Jack had a feeling she and Daniel had known what was coming, and he looked at her suspiciously.
"Remember, they have to be good names," Andrew told them. "They'll be registered under them, in case you ever want to show them or something."
"Mine has sprung a leak." Teal'c said, holding his puppy out with both hands. Sure enough, the little puppy had peed all over the front of Teal'c's shirt. And he didn't look at all repentant.
"Here, Sam, you can hold mine," Jack said, handing his little black puppy over to Carter, who scooped him up happily and cuddled him. Sam wasn't afraid of any accidents.
"So you'll be coming to my party?" Andrew asked, just to make sure.
"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Jack promised him.
Fraiser had agreed to take it out, but only if he promised to eat regular meals. Jack had jumped at the deal, but Fraiser's ideas of regular meals were a lot different than his. She wanted him to eat a lot of small meals; Jack wanted to eat a couple big meals. She threatened to put the IV back in, and he grumbled and ate everything she put in front of him. But he wasn't happy about it, and he made sure she knew it.
The good thing about him being in the hospital was that everyone knew exactly where to find him, so he had quite a few visitors. The bad thing was that Fraiser didn't allow any of them to stay and keep him company, which prompted him to ask her why they bothered to have visiting hours if he couldn't have visitors. She'd simply told him she didn't want him to get tired.
Sam brought Shawn frequently, and the boy was always just as glad to see Jack as he was to see Shawn. Shawn was also one of the few visitors that Fraiser allowed to stay more than her usual 5-minute rule. Mainly because Shawn was good at getting Jack to do whatever it was the doctor was trying to get him to do at any particular time. Where Jack would argue with pretty much anyone else, he'd just do whatever it was Shawn asked.
Aside from Shawn, though, the only other people who frequently visited were Daniel, Teal'c and Sam. Andrew's folks had stopped by a couple times, as had the rest of the family, any time they were by to see Andrew, and they told him of his progress since Jack wasn't allowed out of bed to see him and more than Andrew was allowed to come visit Jack. The boy was doing well, and would be going home as soon as his parents installed a few ramps in various parts of the house to accommodate his temporary wheel chair.
Finally, he either got well or he wore Fraiser out, because he was sent home. It was another few days of rest – during which all he really did was spend time with Sam watching TV in bed – and then he was finally allowed to go back to work. Light duty, only. Which was fine, since Daniel was still on light duty as well because of his injured knee. The two pretty much hobbled around the halls together, Daniel using crutches still, but Jack doing without simply because he was too stubborn to carry his around all the time.
~*~
"Jack?"
O'Neill looked up from his paperwork to see Daniel standing at the door of his office. Well, leaning against the door of his office, since Daniel was getting a little lazy when it came to resting any weight on his hurt leg if he didn't need to. It had been about a month since the avalanche, and Jack was still on light duty, which was beginning to drive him crazy, although it gave him plenty of time to catch up on the paperwork that normally was the last thing to get done.
"Hey, Daniel. Come in and sit down." Daniel never came to Jack's office.
"You have a visitor. A couple of them, actually."
"Oh?" Jack looked around Daniel, but didn't see anyone.
"They're up at the check in. Civilian visitors."
"Ah." Damn, that meant he had to limp his way up to the surface. He stood up and headed out the door and down the hall, followed by Daniel, who was still limping, although he'd abandoned his crutches as well. They were joined by Sam and Teal'c, and Jack decided it must be someone they all knew if they were all coming as well. It wasn't as though he or Daniel were still falling down, so they didn't need keepers. There weren't a lot of people that came to visit the base that weren't military – and weren't allowed past the first check in – so Jack had a fair idea that it must have been one of the boys.
He was proved right when he saw Andrew's wheelchair in the hallway when he turned the corner, and grinned at the smile on the little boy's face when he saw Jack.
"Hey guys," Andrew said, waving at all of them.
"Andrew! How are you, buddy?"
"Great. I'll get my casts off next month."
"That's good news."
"Yeah, they itch."
"What's up, buddy?" Jack asked, looking around for Miyra and David. "Where are your folks?"
"They're coming. I'm having another birthday party to make up for the ruined one, and I thought I'd just come and invite you all instead of sending invitations."
"We're not skiing, are we?" Daniel asked.
"No, it'll just be at my house," Andrew said, smiling. "I can't really go too many places right now, anyways."
"We'd love to come," Carter told the boy.
"Great. It'll be in two weeks from today. At 5. And mom and dad don't want you to bring anything, but they do have a present for you Murray, and for you Jack."
"Oh?" Jack's birthday wasn't coming up, and he knew Teal'c's wasn't, either.
"Actually, it's a thank you gift. For all that you did for me."
"You don't have to give me a present, Andrew."
"Indeed. We are your friends, Andrew. It is not necessary to reciprocate a good deed with a gift."
"Nah, I wanted to." He waved at the Marine that was standing at the far corner, and the man disappeared for a moment and returned with Andrew's folks. David was carrying a little black puppy, and Miyra was carrying one of the tan ones. Both puppies had grown considerably since they'd been born.
David walked over to Jack and handed him the black one.
"Scott picked him out for you, Jack. He said you and this little guy had a special bond already."
It had to be the puppy that had woken Jack up that morning. Jack grinned foolishly as he took the puppy. It wasn't a present he'd have expected, but it was a lot better than a toaster or a tie.
"Wow, Andrew... what can I say?" He cuddled the puppy against ribs that were still tender, but nowhere near as sore as they had been.
"This one's for you, Teal'c," Andrew said, as his mother handed Teal'c the little yellow lab puppy. Teal'c took it, and she kissed his cheek and gave him a hug.
"Thank you, Murray, for all you did. If you two hadn't kept hold of him that day, I don't know what might have happened, but it would have been much worse, I'm sure."
Now Jack and Teal'c were both blushing, and Miyra laughed.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I do mean what I said."
"You can't have the puppies just yet," Andrew said. "They need another couple weeks with Shadow. But you can get them when you come to my party."
"It'll give you time to come up with names." Sam said, smiling innocently. Jack had a feeling she and Daniel had known what was coming, and he looked at her suspiciously.
"Remember, they have to be good names," Andrew told them. "They'll be registered under them, in case you ever want to show them or something."
"Mine has sprung a leak." Teal'c said, holding his puppy out with both hands. Sure enough, the little puppy had peed all over the front of Teal'c's shirt. And he didn't look at all repentant.
"Here, Sam, you can hold mine," Jack said, handing his little black puppy over to Carter, who scooped him up happily and cuddled him. Sam wasn't afraid of any accidents.
"So you'll be coming to my party?" Andrew asked, just to make sure.
"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Jack promised him.
