He was cold, and his legs hurt so bad it seemed that all he could do was
scream. But he didn't. Instead he focused on the only thing there was
besides the cold, and the pain. The voices. Originally it had been Teal'c
and Jack. They'd been talking about him. About finding help. About Teal'c
leaving. He remembered Teal'c telling O'Neill that he had to stay awake,
and then O'Neill mumbling something, but Andrew had fallen into the
blackness for a while, then, and when he next knew what was going on around
him, it was just Jack's voice that he heard. A single voice to counter all
the pain, fear and cold, and it was what Andrew focused on, because the
other things were more than he could handle alone.
'You need to stay awake...' Jack's voice had an odd sound to it, as if he were having trouble focusing himself. 'We'll introduce you to the Nox...' Andrew didn't know what a knocks was, but he wanted to meet one. 'Or maybe with Thor... he already hangs out with Shawn... what's another kid, right?' Shawn? Andrew wanted to ask what an Asgard was, but Jack wasn't actually letting him ask questions, he was just rambling. And Andrew just lay still and listened.
'Thor's an Asgard... not a stuffed one like I promised you... a live one... they're aliens... annoying little bastards, sometimes... but I like Thor... even though he pisses me... off...' Jack never swore when he talked to Andrew, although the boy had heard him swear a couple times at camp. Like when he fell off the ropes course. Andrew listened closely, even though Jack was swearing. It was better than focusing on how much the throbbing in his legs hurt.
'The Asgard... helped me out once... took the Ancients memories out of my head... my fron...' Jack had giggled, slightly, then, but it was cut short by a gasp of pain. 'They don't come around as much as they should, though... when we really need them, it seems they... they're usually off doing something... else... then when they need us... more than happy to beam our asses up at... the drop of a hat... but I like them... mostly...'
Jack's voice was getting softer, now. Or the other voices were getting louder, Andrew wasn't sure. Someone was yelling. Someone familiar. Jack? No. It was someone else. Then Andrew heard a woman's voice; calm, soothing, and authoritive, and he felt a gentle hand on his forehead, one that was far warmer than he was. He sighed, feeling the warmth from the hand spread through his body. Or maybe it was a blanket that was being drawn up over him. He shivered as the dream tried to keep him, and the cold grew.
"Easy, Andrew," He heard the voice again. The soft voice of the woman, and her touch drove away the dream's cold once more. "Andrew?" The woman's voice again. She seemed to realize he was becoming more and more aware of what was going on around him. "Wake up for me..."
He opened his eyes, and looked into a stranger's face. The woman smiled, and it was a wonderful smile. A smile almost as good as his mother's. He smiled back without even realizing it.
"He's awake, Sir," she said, not raising her voice.
The other voices in the room all went silent, and the next thing he knew, Jack and Teal'c were both looking down at him, concern on their faces, although Jack's eyes were still a little angry as well.
"Andrew?"
"Jack?" He sat up, and looked around. He was in a bed, with other beds nearby – it looked like a hospital room, sort of – and there were a number of people in the room, although he was the only one in bed.
General Hammond was there, Andrew saw, and so were Jack and Teal'c, of course. The woman who had been hovering over him when he'd opened his eyes was still close at hand, and Andrew decided she had to be a doctor. There were some other people looking at him, but they weren't familiar, and they didn't seem to want anything, so he didn't smile at them. He didn't know what to say to them.
Then there was a movement next to Hammond, and Andrew saw the little alien he'd dreamed about. Only...
"It wasn't a dream?" He asked Jack, looking at the alien, then at the Colonel, and then back at the alien.
"No." Jack shook his head, and reached out to touch his cheek, at the same time Teal'c did as well. "I'm sorry, Andrew. We didn't mean to scare you like we did. It wasn't supposed to happen."
"He's an Asgard?" Andrew looked timidly over at Thor, who was watching him with impossibly large dark eyes.
"He is," Teal'c said, nodding.
"Do you want to meet him?" Jack asked.
"Will he hurt-?"
"No," Jack interrupted the question before it could even be voiced. He smiled softly, though, to keep Andrew from being startled at the interruption. "He'd never hurt you."
Andrew nodded – with the dream still fresh in his memory, he was pretty sure the Asgard wouldn't hurt him. Jack had told him he liked them, after all. Besides, Teal'c was there, and so were Jack and General Hammond. They wouldn't let him be hurt. He knew it. Jack gestured for Thor to come over to the bed. The little alien barely reached the same height as the mattress.
"Thor, this is Andrew," Jack said, pointing at each of them. "He's a friend of mine and Teal'c's. Andrew, this is Thor, who is an Asgard, and is also a friend of mine and Teal'c's."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Andrew," Thor said carefully, and slowly. "I am sorry for frightening you."
"I-I wasn't scared..." Andrew said, a little of his bravado coming back – even though the stutter certainly gave him away.
Jack smiled. "We know."
'You need to stay awake...' Jack's voice had an odd sound to it, as if he were having trouble focusing himself. 'We'll introduce you to the Nox...' Andrew didn't know what a knocks was, but he wanted to meet one. 'Or maybe with Thor... he already hangs out with Shawn... what's another kid, right?' Shawn? Andrew wanted to ask what an Asgard was, but Jack wasn't actually letting him ask questions, he was just rambling. And Andrew just lay still and listened.
'Thor's an Asgard... not a stuffed one like I promised you... a live one... they're aliens... annoying little bastards, sometimes... but I like Thor... even though he pisses me... off...' Jack never swore when he talked to Andrew, although the boy had heard him swear a couple times at camp. Like when he fell off the ropes course. Andrew listened closely, even though Jack was swearing. It was better than focusing on how much the throbbing in his legs hurt.
'The Asgard... helped me out once... took the Ancients memories out of my head... my fron...' Jack had giggled, slightly, then, but it was cut short by a gasp of pain. 'They don't come around as much as they should, though... when we really need them, it seems they... they're usually off doing something... else... then when they need us... more than happy to beam our asses up at... the drop of a hat... but I like them... mostly...'
Jack's voice was getting softer, now. Or the other voices were getting louder, Andrew wasn't sure. Someone was yelling. Someone familiar. Jack? No. It was someone else. Then Andrew heard a woman's voice; calm, soothing, and authoritive, and he felt a gentle hand on his forehead, one that was far warmer than he was. He sighed, feeling the warmth from the hand spread through his body. Or maybe it was a blanket that was being drawn up over him. He shivered as the dream tried to keep him, and the cold grew.
"Easy, Andrew," He heard the voice again. The soft voice of the woman, and her touch drove away the dream's cold once more. "Andrew?" The woman's voice again. She seemed to realize he was becoming more and more aware of what was going on around him. "Wake up for me..."
He opened his eyes, and looked into a stranger's face. The woman smiled, and it was a wonderful smile. A smile almost as good as his mother's. He smiled back without even realizing it.
"He's awake, Sir," she said, not raising her voice.
The other voices in the room all went silent, and the next thing he knew, Jack and Teal'c were both looking down at him, concern on their faces, although Jack's eyes were still a little angry as well.
"Andrew?"
"Jack?" He sat up, and looked around. He was in a bed, with other beds nearby – it looked like a hospital room, sort of – and there were a number of people in the room, although he was the only one in bed.
General Hammond was there, Andrew saw, and so were Jack and Teal'c, of course. The woman who had been hovering over him when he'd opened his eyes was still close at hand, and Andrew decided she had to be a doctor. There were some other people looking at him, but they weren't familiar, and they didn't seem to want anything, so he didn't smile at them. He didn't know what to say to them.
Then there was a movement next to Hammond, and Andrew saw the little alien he'd dreamed about. Only...
"It wasn't a dream?" He asked Jack, looking at the alien, then at the Colonel, and then back at the alien.
"No." Jack shook his head, and reached out to touch his cheek, at the same time Teal'c did as well. "I'm sorry, Andrew. We didn't mean to scare you like we did. It wasn't supposed to happen."
"He's an Asgard?" Andrew looked timidly over at Thor, who was watching him with impossibly large dark eyes.
"He is," Teal'c said, nodding.
"Do you want to meet him?" Jack asked.
"Will he hurt-?"
"No," Jack interrupted the question before it could even be voiced. He smiled softly, though, to keep Andrew from being startled at the interruption. "He'd never hurt you."
Andrew nodded – with the dream still fresh in his memory, he was pretty sure the Asgard wouldn't hurt him. Jack had told him he liked them, after all. Besides, Teal'c was there, and so were Jack and General Hammond. They wouldn't let him be hurt. He knew it. Jack gestured for Thor to come over to the bed. The little alien barely reached the same height as the mattress.
"Thor, this is Andrew," Jack said, pointing at each of them. "He's a friend of mine and Teal'c's. Andrew, this is Thor, who is an Asgard, and is also a friend of mine and Teal'c's."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Andrew," Thor said carefully, and slowly. "I am sorry for frightening you."
"I-I wasn't scared..." Andrew said, a little of his bravado coming back – even though the stutter certainly gave him away.
Jack smiled. "We know."