Something was looming over him. Jack wasn't even fully awake, but he was
aware of it. Not hovering, like a doctor normally would, either. It was
something completely different. And it was enough to wake him up, even
though he'd much rather have slept a while longer. Jack opened his eyes.
And looked right into Jaffer's brown eyes.
The big lab was standing on Jack's bed. Not only was he standing on the bed, but he was straddling Jack's chest; big feet planted on either side of O'Neill's body as he looked down at him. If not for the fact that it was one of Jaffer's favorite ways to wake Jack up, the Colonel might have been startled into wakefulness. As it was, he simply reached his hand up to pet the big black head. Jack's left arm was tightly bandaged from wrist to elbow, and he wondered briefly why. Then he remembered that that was where Jack had bitten him. Before he could think about anything else, Jaffer lowered his cold nose and started snuffling Jack's neck
He wanted out, Jack knew from experience. O'Neill looked around, wondering if there was someone in the infirmary who could do him the favor of taking his dog out, but the room was empty of all medical personnel – which was fairly unusual. Jack looked over at the bed next to his and saw Shawn was sleeping in it, and he sat up, wincing as the motion tugged at all the stitches Fraiser had given him. Jaffer moved back down to the foot of the bed, but he didn't lie down. He wanted out, and soon he'd NEED to go out. But he was willing to give Jack a chance to wake up, first.
O'Neill turned in the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, looking down at himself and taking stock of his injuries. He was dressed in only a pair of boxers – which was a far cry better than wearing one of the paper gowns that Fraiser so dearly loved to dress her patients in. His upper leg was bandaged as tightly as his forearm, and he had white bandages wrapped around his ribs and belly. Rubbing his face, he saw an IV tube going into another bandage on his right hand, and he looked around once more, and then pulled it out. He hated needles.
"Don't tell." Jack whispered to Jaffer, noticing for the first time that the black lab had bandages of his own. Jack motioned his dog closer, and Jaffer came over obediently, wagging his tail. He had a few open cuts on his side, but they looked clean to Jack – who was pretty much an expert when it came to cuts. There was a white bandage wrapped around Jaffer's chest and belly, and Jack had to assume that there were more serious cuts under there, presumably already stitched up since the bandages looked like they'd been done professionally. He wondered if Fraiser had done it, or if they'd called in a vet. Probably a vet. Jack knew Janet wasn't all that keen on Jaffer.
Looking over at Shawn once more, Jack hopped off the bed. And promptly fell on his face when the muscle in his upper thigh gave a spasm and seized up on him, refusing to work without at least being given a chance to warm up. Jack fell in a heap, and with a muffled curse, and Jaffer hopped down off the bed and came over to him, whining softly as he licked Jack's face.
"Stop that," Jack said half-heartedly as he stood up – this time far more carefully. When given a chance, the leg was willing to hold his weight, as long as he was a little gentler with it. Jack limped over to the bed Shawn was in and looked down at the young man. He had a large bandage on his shoulder, and his arm was in a sling – which didn't really mean there was anything wrong with the arm, Jack knew. He was aware that Fraiser might have put it in a sling to keep the arm still to avoid injuring the shoulder any further. Jack didn't see anything else wrong with the boy. Nothing that wasn't already there. Bruises and bumps, yes, but they weren't serious.
As if aware of Jack's scrutiny, Shawn opened his eyes, looking up at Jack, slightly dazed to find him hovering over him.
"Hey."
"Hey. How do you feel?"
"My arm's a little sore, but nothing more. Are you supposed to be out of bed?"
Jack shrugged, looking around again. The infirmary beds were filled with Marines that had been members of the sweep teams, but Jack didn't see anyone from Teal'c's team or S-5.
"No one told me I had to stay in bed," He said, simply.
Shawn looked around and then sat up, too.
"Where's Doctor Fraiser?"
Jack shrugged. "Did she tell you that you had to stay in bed?"
"She told me to get some rest."
"You were sleeping when I came over. That was resting, right?"
Shawn nodded, and grinned. It was a smile Sam knew well, and even Jack noticed the similarity to his own. He smiled, too.
"Do me a favor, will you?" He asked.
"Anything, Jack."
"Go find me something to wear. At least some pants. Jaffer needs to go out."
"Can I come, too?"
"If you find me some pants."
The young man swung his legs over and got off the bed, moving better than he had been earlier. He gave Jack a half salute, then headed cautiously for the door, looking around for someone that might put a stop to their little expedition. He didn't see anyone, and he vanished out the makeshift door that had been put up to replace the broken one.
"Find some for you, too," Jack said as he sat down on Shawn's bed to wait for the boy to come back.
~*~
Shawn returned far sooner than Jack had expected, and he was wearing a pair of BDUs and carrying another. Handing them to Jack, he reached down and pet Jaffer while O'Neill got dressed.
"Where'd you get them?"
"Supply room."
"Did you see anyone?"
"Nope, just went in and took them."
"Good." Jack finished pulling them up, careful of the bandages on his thigh, and nodded he was ready. The three of them walked to the door and looked out. Seeing an empty hall, they headed for the elevator. All they had to do was make it that far and they'd be in the clear. Just a little further, now. They were at the door of the elevator, and grinned at each other as they waited for it to come down and get them. They'd made it. No one slyer than these two, that was for sure.
The door opened and Fraiser stepped out. And promptly stopped, a very displeased look on her face when she saw two of her patients standing in the corridor, half-naked with no shoes or shirts, and looking very much like they were planning on going somewhere without her permission.
"Just where do you think you two are going?" She asked in a voice that was far too calm for Jack's liking. It simply meant she was going to build up to the really bad part.
"Jaffer needs to go out, Doc." Jack said, as if that was the most reasonable demand in the world.
"Why didn't you send someone else to take him?"
"Because there was no one in there to ask."
"It takes two of you?" She turned her attention to Shawn.
"I didn't want Jack to fall down and not be able to get up," Shawn said, quickly. "So I thought I'd better go, too."
"Barefoot?"
"Um..." Shawn looked at Jack, who looked back at him. Then they both turned to Fraiser.
"Yeah... I don't have one for that..." Jack said. He looked down at Jaffer, who looked back up at him. Jaffer wasn't any help when it came to this kind of thing, either. Jack knew that from experience.
"You two get back to the infirmary," Fraiser told them. "I'll find someone to walk Jaffer for you, Colonel."
"He really needs to go, now, Doc. Otherwise he wouldn't have woke-"
"Fine. Take him up and come right back down. Both of you. Not a moment longer than necessary, or I'll send my staff up to hunt you down and I'll tie you both to your beds."
She turned and walked off, and Jack and Shawn watched her, Shawn wondering how they'd managed to get off so easily, Jack knowing that she wasn't through with them, yet.
"See that?" Jack said as they got in the elevator. "Now you've gone and got me into trouble."
Jaffer and Shawn both looked at him, unsure of who he was talking to.
The big lab was standing on Jack's bed. Not only was he standing on the bed, but he was straddling Jack's chest; big feet planted on either side of O'Neill's body as he looked down at him. If not for the fact that it was one of Jaffer's favorite ways to wake Jack up, the Colonel might have been startled into wakefulness. As it was, he simply reached his hand up to pet the big black head. Jack's left arm was tightly bandaged from wrist to elbow, and he wondered briefly why. Then he remembered that that was where Jack had bitten him. Before he could think about anything else, Jaffer lowered his cold nose and started snuffling Jack's neck
He wanted out, Jack knew from experience. O'Neill looked around, wondering if there was someone in the infirmary who could do him the favor of taking his dog out, but the room was empty of all medical personnel – which was fairly unusual. Jack looked over at the bed next to his and saw Shawn was sleeping in it, and he sat up, wincing as the motion tugged at all the stitches Fraiser had given him. Jaffer moved back down to the foot of the bed, but he didn't lie down. He wanted out, and soon he'd NEED to go out. But he was willing to give Jack a chance to wake up, first.
O'Neill turned in the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, looking down at himself and taking stock of his injuries. He was dressed in only a pair of boxers – which was a far cry better than wearing one of the paper gowns that Fraiser so dearly loved to dress her patients in. His upper leg was bandaged as tightly as his forearm, and he had white bandages wrapped around his ribs and belly. Rubbing his face, he saw an IV tube going into another bandage on his right hand, and he looked around once more, and then pulled it out. He hated needles.
"Don't tell." Jack whispered to Jaffer, noticing for the first time that the black lab had bandages of his own. Jack motioned his dog closer, and Jaffer came over obediently, wagging his tail. He had a few open cuts on his side, but they looked clean to Jack – who was pretty much an expert when it came to cuts. There was a white bandage wrapped around Jaffer's chest and belly, and Jack had to assume that there were more serious cuts under there, presumably already stitched up since the bandages looked like they'd been done professionally. He wondered if Fraiser had done it, or if they'd called in a vet. Probably a vet. Jack knew Janet wasn't all that keen on Jaffer.
Looking over at Shawn once more, Jack hopped off the bed. And promptly fell on his face when the muscle in his upper thigh gave a spasm and seized up on him, refusing to work without at least being given a chance to warm up. Jack fell in a heap, and with a muffled curse, and Jaffer hopped down off the bed and came over to him, whining softly as he licked Jack's face.
"Stop that," Jack said half-heartedly as he stood up – this time far more carefully. When given a chance, the leg was willing to hold his weight, as long as he was a little gentler with it. Jack limped over to the bed Shawn was in and looked down at the young man. He had a large bandage on his shoulder, and his arm was in a sling – which didn't really mean there was anything wrong with the arm, Jack knew. He was aware that Fraiser might have put it in a sling to keep the arm still to avoid injuring the shoulder any further. Jack didn't see anything else wrong with the boy. Nothing that wasn't already there. Bruises and bumps, yes, but they weren't serious.
As if aware of Jack's scrutiny, Shawn opened his eyes, looking up at Jack, slightly dazed to find him hovering over him.
"Hey."
"Hey. How do you feel?"
"My arm's a little sore, but nothing more. Are you supposed to be out of bed?"
Jack shrugged, looking around again. The infirmary beds were filled with Marines that had been members of the sweep teams, but Jack didn't see anyone from Teal'c's team or S-5.
"No one told me I had to stay in bed," He said, simply.
Shawn looked around and then sat up, too.
"Where's Doctor Fraiser?"
Jack shrugged. "Did she tell you that you had to stay in bed?"
"She told me to get some rest."
"You were sleeping when I came over. That was resting, right?"
Shawn nodded, and grinned. It was a smile Sam knew well, and even Jack noticed the similarity to his own. He smiled, too.
"Do me a favor, will you?" He asked.
"Anything, Jack."
"Go find me something to wear. At least some pants. Jaffer needs to go out."
"Can I come, too?"
"If you find me some pants."
The young man swung his legs over and got off the bed, moving better than he had been earlier. He gave Jack a half salute, then headed cautiously for the door, looking around for someone that might put a stop to their little expedition. He didn't see anyone, and he vanished out the makeshift door that had been put up to replace the broken one.
"Find some for you, too," Jack said as he sat down on Shawn's bed to wait for the boy to come back.
~*~
Shawn returned far sooner than Jack had expected, and he was wearing a pair of BDUs and carrying another. Handing them to Jack, he reached down and pet Jaffer while O'Neill got dressed.
"Where'd you get them?"
"Supply room."
"Did you see anyone?"
"Nope, just went in and took them."
"Good." Jack finished pulling them up, careful of the bandages on his thigh, and nodded he was ready. The three of them walked to the door and looked out. Seeing an empty hall, they headed for the elevator. All they had to do was make it that far and they'd be in the clear. Just a little further, now. They were at the door of the elevator, and grinned at each other as they waited for it to come down and get them. They'd made it. No one slyer than these two, that was for sure.
The door opened and Fraiser stepped out. And promptly stopped, a very displeased look on her face when she saw two of her patients standing in the corridor, half-naked with no shoes or shirts, and looking very much like they were planning on going somewhere without her permission.
"Just where do you think you two are going?" She asked in a voice that was far too calm for Jack's liking. It simply meant she was going to build up to the really bad part.
"Jaffer needs to go out, Doc." Jack said, as if that was the most reasonable demand in the world.
"Why didn't you send someone else to take him?"
"Because there was no one in there to ask."
"It takes two of you?" She turned her attention to Shawn.
"I didn't want Jack to fall down and not be able to get up," Shawn said, quickly. "So I thought I'd better go, too."
"Barefoot?"
"Um..." Shawn looked at Jack, who looked back at him. Then they both turned to Fraiser.
"Yeah... I don't have one for that..." Jack said. He looked down at Jaffer, who looked back up at him. Jaffer wasn't any help when it came to this kind of thing, either. Jack knew that from experience.
"You two get back to the infirmary," Fraiser told them. "I'll find someone to walk Jaffer for you, Colonel."
"He really needs to go, now, Doc. Otherwise he wouldn't have woke-"
"Fine. Take him up and come right back down. Both of you. Not a moment longer than necessary, or I'll send my staff up to hunt you down and I'll tie you both to your beds."
She turned and walked off, and Jack and Shawn watched her, Shawn wondering how they'd managed to get off so easily, Jack knowing that she wasn't through with them, yet.
"See that?" Jack said as they got in the elevator. "Now you've gone and got me into trouble."
Jaffer and Shawn both looked at him, unsure of who he was talking to.