"He's way ahead of me." Andrew said when Jack had finished telling him what the Asgard were doing with Shawn.
"You can catch up." Daniel told him.
They were all seated in chairs around the bed, now, except Jack, who was on the bed. He'd been talking pretty much steadily for the past half hour, telling Andrew of the Asgard, and the things they were teaching Shawn, and the reason for it. He still hadn't really gotten into the Goa'uld, or any of the other allies – and he wasn't planning to any time soon – mainly because that wasn't the immediate concern.
"Thor has already offered to bring you in on the lessons, Andrew." Jack said, both to Andrew, and to Teal'c, who hadn't been there for that conversation. "Presumably, he'll be teaching you the same things he's already teaching Shawn – once you get caught up – and if you decide you're interested – and if you're not, that's okay, too – then the same rules will apply to you that apply to Shawn."
"Why would he want to teach Shawn or me anything?" Andrew asked. He still didn't understand that part.
"The Asgard have some kind of problem that they need help with, Andrew," Daniel told him. "They won't tell us what it is, but they think that if younger people – like you and Shawn – start working on it now, you might be able to figure it out for them. Since they're so set in their thinking patterns they have trouble thinking of new ideas."
Only about half of that made sense, but Andrew nodded. He'd just take their word for it.
"The Asgards – Asgard – aren't bad aliens?"
"No." Jack shook his head.
"They are allies of the Stargate Command," Teal'c confirmed.
"They look like the aliens from Area 51."
Jack nodded.
"What do I have to do?" Andrew asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Do I have to join the Air Force?"
Jack shook his head, smiling, slightly.
"You're a little young, Andrew. We prefer our service men and women to be old enough to at least get a permit to drive." He shrugged. "If you're interested in joining the Military – when you're old enough – what will probably happen is what is happening with Shawn. The President has already given him entrance into the Air Force Academy – that's the Air Force's college – and when he's old enough, he'll go there, learn what it's like to be an Air Force officer, learn whatever else he needs to know – presuming the Asgard haven't taught him all that already – and then when he comes out the other side, he'll be an Air Force officer, and will come here and work here full time."
"With you guys?"
"If we're still around, yes."
"What do you-?"
Jack held up his hand, sorry he'd even qualified that. There were so many dangers involved with what he and his team did that he'd done it automatically, but the boy didn't need to know that.
"Yes, he'll be working here, with us – or on a different team that needs someone young and brilliant."
"And I could do that, too?"
"If you're interested in it, yes." Jack told him. "If you don't want to join the military, you don't have to. Daniel's not in the Military, and he still works here. And we couldn't get along without him."
Daniel looked over at Jack, who scowled when he realized he'd said that aloud. Ah, well, let him know that he was needed. Nothing wrong with that, he supposed. Except Daniel might need a bigger hat next time they go off world.
"I'd love to be in the Air Force."
Of course he would. Teal'c and Jack were both in the Air Force – and Sam! – and he looked up to them all. Suddenly, he was certain what his life was going to be. And it wasn't going to be a full time dog trainer like he'd thought.
Jack and the others could all see the wheels turning in the boy's mind, and O'Neill was fairly certain the Andrew's mind was made up.
There was a knock on the door, and Sam's blonde head peeked in.
"Can we come in?"
Jack smiled, and nodded, and a moment later Shawn and Carter both walked into the room. Shawn smiled when he saw Jack, and went over and sat next to the Colonel on Andrew's bed.
"Hey, Andrew. You okay?"
"Yeah, Shawn. Just... um..."
"We were worried about his legs, and had the Doc check them out." Jack said. No reason to embarrass Andrew by letting Shawn know he'd passed out. Andrew looked grateful, as he realized what Jack had done and Jack winked.
"Are they okay?" Shawn asked, concerned about his friend.
"They're fine," Janet said. "He can get out of bed anytime he wants to."
"I'd like to get out of bed, then." Andrew said, feeling stupid sitting there. He had been in hospital beds too much the last few months, and was more than ready to move on. Besides, he wanted to see more of the base.
"Why don't we go find General Hammond?" Jack suggested, standing up and wincing when he jarred his ribs by getting up too quickly. He hid the wince with a scowl. "We can let him and Andrew have a talk, and maybe then go get some dinner."
"Are you all right, Jack?" Shawn hadn't missed the hurt look. He rarely missed anything when it came to O'Neill.
"I'm great, Shawn. Come on, Andrew, stop lazing around in bed."
The boy grinned and got off the bed carefully, knowing from experience that you didn't just hop off a bed when your legs were as weakened as his were. Otherwise you ended up on your face on the floor.
"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser," He said, looking over at her as Teal'c brought his hand down to steady Andrew if he needed it. Which he didn't.
Janet smiled.
"You're welcome, Andrew."
"You and Cassie are more than welcome to come over for dinner, Doc..." Jack told her as the others started heading for the door.
Janet grinned, "I'm not sure she'd want to spend the evening hanging out with your boys, Colonel, but I'll ask her. If she does, we might stop by."
"Sounds good." He started to follow the others, but Janet called him back for a moment, to have her final say.
"If your ribs are still bothering you this evening, take some aspirin if you don't want to take the prescription pain killers." He'd probably want his wits about him with two young boys at his house. Not to mention that four-legged disaster called Jaffer.
"Yes, Ma'am."
O'Neill smiled and walked out of the infirmary. They had a lot to discuss, but really, there wasn't much to decide.
"You can catch up." Daniel told him.
They were all seated in chairs around the bed, now, except Jack, who was on the bed. He'd been talking pretty much steadily for the past half hour, telling Andrew of the Asgard, and the things they were teaching Shawn, and the reason for it. He still hadn't really gotten into the Goa'uld, or any of the other allies – and he wasn't planning to any time soon – mainly because that wasn't the immediate concern.
"Thor has already offered to bring you in on the lessons, Andrew." Jack said, both to Andrew, and to Teal'c, who hadn't been there for that conversation. "Presumably, he'll be teaching you the same things he's already teaching Shawn – once you get caught up – and if you decide you're interested – and if you're not, that's okay, too – then the same rules will apply to you that apply to Shawn."
"Why would he want to teach Shawn or me anything?" Andrew asked. He still didn't understand that part.
"The Asgard have some kind of problem that they need help with, Andrew," Daniel told him. "They won't tell us what it is, but they think that if younger people – like you and Shawn – start working on it now, you might be able to figure it out for them. Since they're so set in their thinking patterns they have trouble thinking of new ideas."
Only about half of that made sense, but Andrew nodded. He'd just take their word for it.
"The Asgards – Asgard – aren't bad aliens?"
"No." Jack shook his head.
"They are allies of the Stargate Command," Teal'c confirmed.
"They look like the aliens from Area 51."
Jack nodded.
"What do I have to do?" Andrew asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Do I have to join the Air Force?"
Jack shook his head, smiling, slightly.
"You're a little young, Andrew. We prefer our service men and women to be old enough to at least get a permit to drive." He shrugged. "If you're interested in joining the Military – when you're old enough – what will probably happen is what is happening with Shawn. The President has already given him entrance into the Air Force Academy – that's the Air Force's college – and when he's old enough, he'll go there, learn what it's like to be an Air Force officer, learn whatever else he needs to know – presuming the Asgard haven't taught him all that already – and then when he comes out the other side, he'll be an Air Force officer, and will come here and work here full time."
"With you guys?"
"If we're still around, yes."
"What do you-?"
Jack held up his hand, sorry he'd even qualified that. There were so many dangers involved with what he and his team did that he'd done it automatically, but the boy didn't need to know that.
"Yes, he'll be working here, with us – or on a different team that needs someone young and brilliant."
"And I could do that, too?"
"If you're interested in it, yes." Jack told him. "If you don't want to join the military, you don't have to. Daniel's not in the Military, and he still works here. And we couldn't get along without him."
Daniel looked over at Jack, who scowled when he realized he'd said that aloud. Ah, well, let him know that he was needed. Nothing wrong with that, he supposed. Except Daniel might need a bigger hat next time they go off world.
"I'd love to be in the Air Force."
Of course he would. Teal'c and Jack were both in the Air Force – and Sam! – and he looked up to them all. Suddenly, he was certain what his life was going to be. And it wasn't going to be a full time dog trainer like he'd thought.
Jack and the others could all see the wheels turning in the boy's mind, and O'Neill was fairly certain the Andrew's mind was made up.
There was a knock on the door, and Sam's blonde head peeked in.
"Can we come in?"
Jack smiled, and nodded, and a moment later Shawn and Carter both walked into the room. Shawn smiled when he saw Jack, and went over and sat next to the Colonel on Andrew's bed.
"Hey, Andrew. You okay?"
"Yeah, Shawn. Just... um..."
"We were worried about his legs, and had the Doc check them out." Jack said. No reason to embarrass Andrew by letting Shawn know he'd passed out. Andrew looked grateful, as he realized what Jack had done and Jack winked.
"Are they okay?" Shawn asked, concerned about his friend.
"They're fine," Janet said. "He can get out of bed anytime he wants to."
"I'd like to get out of bed, then." Andrew said, feeling stupid sitting there. He had been in hospital beds too much the last few months, and was more than ready to move on. Besides, he wanted to see more of the base.
"Why don't we go find General Hammond?" Jack suggested, standing up and wincing when he jarred his ribs by getting up too quickly. He hid the wince with a scowl. "We can let him and Andrew have a talk, and maybe then go get some dinner."
"Are you all right, Jack?" Shawn hadn't missed the hurt look. He rarely missed anything when it came to O'Neill.
"I'm great, Shawn. Come on, Andrew, stop lazing around in bed."
The boy grinned and got off the bed carefully, knowing from experience that you didn't just hop off a bed when your legs were as weakened as his were. Otherwise you ended up on your face on the floor.
"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser," He said, looking over at her as Teal'c brought his hand down to steady Andrew if he needed it. Which he didn't.
Janet smiled.
"You're welcome, Andrew."
"You and Cassie are more than welcome to come over for dinner, Doc..." Jack told her as the others started heading for the door.
Janet grinned, "I'm not sure she'd want to spend the evening hanging out with your boys, Colonel, but I'll ask her. If she does, we might stop by."
"Sounds good." He started to follow the others, but Janet called him back for a moment, to have her final say.
"If your ribs are still bothering you this evening, take some aspirin if you don't want to take the prescription pain killers." He'd probably want his wits about him with two young boys at his house. Not to mention that four-legged disaster called Jaffer.
"Yes, Ma'am."
O'Neill smiled and walked out of the infirmary. They had a lot to discuss, but really, there wasn't much to decide.