She was asleep when Jack returned, and Jaffer raised his head when O'Neill showed up at the doorway to his bedroom. O'Neill held up his hand, motioning wordlessly that he wanted Jaffer to stay put, and the big lab did. Although his tail thumped the bed as he watched Jack walk into the bedroom and lean over the bed. He pulled the blankets carefully up over her to make sure she didn't catch a chill, and then pressed a gentle kiss against Jaffer's nose, since he didn't want to wake Sam up doing it to her.
"Come get me when she wakes up." He whispered.
He left the room, then, and headed down the hallway and picked up the telephone. Directly dialing the infirmary – a number he knew by heart – Jack asked for Fraiser, who came on the line immediately.
"Colonel? Is everything all right?"
"She fell asleep as soon as I got her put into bed. Is that normal?"
"Yes." The reply was certain and calm, which reassured him immediately. "She's on medication that will make her drowsy. Don't let her do too much, and if you can keep her in bed, that's even better."
"Can she sit on the couch?"
"Why didn't you ask me these questions when I had you in my office, Colonel?"
Jack scowled.
"I was busy."
"She can sit anywhere. Just keep her off her feet."
"Thanks, Doc."
"Call if you need me." Janet hung up.
He hung up the phone and went to the fridge. He didn't have breakfast, after all, and he was getting a little hungry. He wasn't used to having so many choices, though, and found himself staring just as much as he would have if he had nothing. Finally he grabbed up a bottle of juice and went to the couch. He would have gone back to bed and cuddled with Sam, but she was hurting, and he didn't want to accidentally cuddle too hard or do something and aggravate her injuries. He'd wait until he had a better idea of just how injured she was. Until then, it was search the channels until he found a ballgame or something equally interesting.
Not so easy to do with daytime television, apparently. It seemed all there was were a bunch of talk shows, or soaps. And Jack wasn't all that fond of either. He flipped to ESPN, just to have background noise, and sprawled on the couch, drinking his juice and waiting for Jaffer to let him know Sam was awake.
..............
Something was hovering over her. Not just hovering, it was looming. She felt something wet and warm scrubbing her cheek, then her chin, and then her cheek once more, and opened her eyes, sleepily who was washing her. And looked right up into Jaffer's brown eyes. The lab was standing on the bed, his big feet straddling either side of her, looking down and licking her face.
"Blech." She reached a hand up and moved his head to the side before the devastating tongue could complete the next swipe. "Jaffer... stop..."
Much to her surprise, he did. He carefully stepped over her, and then jumped off the bed, and Sam turned her head and watched him leave the room. She closed her eyes, sleepily, wondering if Jack had called him, or if he just didn't like the taste of her cheek and was going to go rinse his mouth out.
Jaffer moved down the hallway and headed for the living room, his tail wagging idly as he used his nose to tell him where Jack was before he saw him. Coming over to the couch, he sat down between Jack and the TV, knowing from experience it was the best way to get his attention. O'Neill grinned.
"She's awake, huh?"
He didn't answer, of course, even though Jack swore some day he was going to, and O'Neill stood up and slapped Jaffer's side affectionately before he headed down the hall. Jaffer didn't follow. He needed out – which had been the reason behind waking Carter up in the first place. The lab went to the sliding glass door that led out to the deck – and the back yard – and pulled on the rope that was attached to it. It slid open, and he went out, leaving the door open behind him. The dog handlers on the base taught him a lot of tricks, but closing a sliding door wasn't one of them.
..........
Carter's eyes opened and she looked up when Jack appeared in the doorway. She didn't know how she knew he was there, she just did. She almost always could tell when he was close to her. Even when she was sleepy and miserable. She smiled, slightly, and he walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed, reaching out and touching her hand carefully.
"Hi Sam..."
"Hi..."
Jack didn't have a pet name for Carter. He'd never come up with one. It had taken him so long to progress to being able to just call her 'Sam' that it seemed intimate enough just to call her that, and he'd never felt the need for anything more. He didn't think she needed more, either.
"How do you feel?"
"Wet..."
"Hmmm?"
She took his hand, and placed it against her cheek. It was wet. Not heated and wet, though, so it wasn't sweat, or fever induced.
"What-?"
"Jaffer..."
"Ah." He smiled and used his shirtsleeve to wipe his dog's slobber from her cheek. The cheater woke her up! "How do you feel now?"
"Sleepy."
"Want me to leave you alone?"
She shook her head and took his hand again so he couldn't leave.
"Stay?"
Like she really had to ask!
"Sure." He stretched out next to her, carefully not touching any part of her except for the hand she had hold of. "Go back to sleep, Sam. I'll be here when you wake up."
She nodded, and pulled his hand over to rest it on her stomach, then closed her eyes. Jack caressed her belly gently through the blankets. Not enough to do anything more than just remind her he was there with her. Certainly not enough to keep her awake. Just touching her and being with her.
A moment later, Jaffer made his entrance into the bedroom as well. He looked at the people on the bed, judged where he'd have the most room for sprawling, and went around and hopped up on the other side of Sam. Sighing softly, he rested his head on her belly, right next to Jack's hand. It was a not so subtle bid for some petting of his own, and Jack complied, alternating between caressing Sam, and caressing Jaffer. Eventually his gentle attetnions put them both to sleep.
"Come get me when she wakes up." He whispered.
He left the room, then, and headed down the hallway and picked up the telephone. Directly dialing the infirmary – a number he knew by heart – Jack asked for Fraiser, who came on the line immediately.
"Colonel? Is everything all right?"
"She fell asleep as soon as I got her put into bed. Is that normal?"
"Yes." The reply was certain and calm, which reassured him immediately. "She's on medication that will make her drowsy. Don't let her do too much, and if you can keep her in bed, that's even better."
"Can she sit on the couch?"
"Why didn't you ask me these questions when I had you in my office, Colonel?"
Jack scowled.
"I was busy."
"She can sit anywhere. Just keep her off her feet."
"Thanks, Doc."
"Call if you need me." Janet hung up.
He hung up the phone and went to the fridge. He didn't have breakfast, after all, and he was getting a little hungry. He wasn't used to having so many choices, though, and found himself staring just as much as he would have if he had nothing. Finally he grabbed up a bottle of juice and went to the couch. He would have gone back to bed and cuddled with Sam, but she was hurting, and he didn't want to accidentally cuddle too hard or do something and aggravate her injuries. He'd wait until he had a better idea of just how injured she was. Until then, it was search the channels until he found a ballgame or something equally interesting.
Not so easy to do with daytime television, apparently. It seemed all there was were a bunch of talk shows, or soaps. And Jack wasn't all that fond of either. He flipped to ESPN, just to have background noise, and sprawled on the couch, drinking his juice and waiting for Jaffer to let him know Sam was awake.
..............
Something was hovering over her. Not just hovering, it was looming. She felt something wet and warm scrubbing her cheek, then her chin, and then her cheek once more, and opened her eyes, sleepily who was washing her. And looked right up into Jaffer's brown eyes. The lab was standing on the bed, his big feet straddling either side of her, looking down and licking her face.
"Blech." She reached a hand up and moved his head to the side before the devastating tongue could complete the next swipe. "Jaffer... stop..."
Much to her surprise, he did. He carefully stepped over her, and then jumped off the bed, and Sam turned her head and watched him leave the room. She closed her eyes, sleepily, wondering if Jack had called him, or if he just didn't like the taste of her cheek and was going to go rinse his mouth out.
Jaffer moved down the hallway and headed for the living room, his tail wagging idly as he used his nose to tell him where Jack was before he saw him. Coming over to the couch, he sat down between Jack and the TV, knowing from experience it was the best way to get his attention. O'Neill grinned.
"She's awake, huh?"
He didn't answer, of course, even though Jack swore some day he was going to, and O'Neill stood up and slapped Jaffer's side affectionately before he headed down the hall. Jaffer didn't follow. He needed out – which had been the reason behind waking Carter up in the first place. The lab went to the sliding glass door that led out to the deck – and the back yard – and pulled on the rope that was attached to it. It slid open, and he went out, leaving the door open behind him. The dog handlers on the base taught him a lot of tricks, but closing a sliding door wasn't one of them.
..........
Carter's eyes opened and she looked up when Jack appeared in the doorway. She didn't know how she knew he was there, she just did. She almost always could tell when he was close to her. Even when she was sleepy and miserable. She smiled, slightly, and he walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed, reaching out and touching her hand carefully.
"Hi Sam..."
"Hi..."
Jack didn't have a pet name for Carter. He'd never come up with one. It had taken him so long to progress to being able to just call her 'Sam' that it seemed intimate enough just to call her that, and he'd never felt the need for anything more. He didn't think she needed more, either.
"How do you feel?"
"Wet..."
"Hmmm?"
She took his hand, and placed it against her cheek. It was wet. Not heated and wet, though, so it wasn't sweat, or fever induced.
"What-?"
"Jaffer..."
"Ah." He smiled and used his shirtsleeve to wipe his dog's slobber from her cheek. The cheater woke her up! "How do you feel now?"
"Sleepy."
"Want me to leave you alone?"
She shook her head and took his hand again so he couldn't leave.
"Stay?"
Like she really had to ask!
"Sure." He stretched out next to her, carefully not touching any part of her except for the hand she had hold of. "Go back to sleep, Sam. I'll be here when you wake up."
She nodded, and pulled his hand over to rest it on her stomach, then closed her eyes. Jack caressed her belly gently through the blankets. Not enough to do anything more than just remind her he was there with her. Certainly not enough to keep her awake. Just touching her and being with her.
A moment later, Jaffer made his entrance into the bedroom as well. He looked at the people on the bed, judged where he'd have the most room for sprawling, and went around and hopped up on the other side of Sam. Sighing softly, he rested his head on her belly, right next to Jack's hand. It was a not so subtle bid for some petting of his own, and Jack complied, alternating between caressing Sam, and caressing Jaffer. Eventually his gentle attetnions put them both to sleep.