"Come here, little man..."
Jack held the door to the animal clinic open for Jaffer, who walked in as if he owned the place. Pretty much how he walked into everywhere. The receptionist smiled when she saw the pair, even as she mentally sighed when she saw the bloody mess on Jaffer's sides and Jack's hands. Who knew what they'd gotten into this time, but at least it didn't look too bad.
"Hi, Jack."
"Hey, Theresa. Monica free?"
She looked over the counter and down at Jaffer, tossing the black lab a treat. He caught it easily and gobbled it down. Well, there was nothing wrong with Jaffer's reflexes or appetite. That was good.
"I'll go get her. You can fill out the form."
She handed Jack paperwork, and he took it and his dog and went over and sat down on the bench that he pretty much claimed as his own. Mainly because right above the bench there was a very large, beautifully framed picture of Jaffer when he was still small and cuddly. Monica Ray had taken the picture herself, telling Jack she wanted a reminder of the black lab's puppy days, and he, of course, hadn't refused.
The vet showed up only a few minutes later, smiling and shaking her head, and gesturing for the two of them to come on back. She had their room ready. He smiled. A smile that reached his eyes and warmed them considerably.
"What happened to him, Jack?" Monica asked, running warm water over Jaffer's sides as the dog sat in her sink, eyes closed as he enjoyed the attention.
He started telling her, watching her work as he told the story in its entirety – using the information he had gotten from Sam and the crooks as they'd told the police, as well as his own eyewitness account. As he told the story, he found he was losing the very real anger that had been pressing down on him. Telling Jaffer's vet – the woman who had nurtured his baby lab for nearly a year now – just how impressive he'd been was therapeutic.
Monica listened with shock that anyone would dare do such a thing, and concern about Sam – which only lasted until Jack reassured her she was okay – then with a smug satisfaction of her own when Jack described the damage Jaffer had done to the men. She knew how protective dogs were – even normally gentle dogs like labs, and Jaffer had only reinforced that.
"Good dog, Jaffer!" Monica cooed as she stitched up one of the few really deep cuts that would need a little help to heal. Especially since she refused to allow him to ever have a scar that would mar his perfect coat.
Jaffer wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. He knew he was a good dog. Jack had told him that every day for as long as he could remember. And had told him that repeatedly on the trip to the vet's. Of course he was a good dog!
"He's going to be okay?" Jack asked.
"Yes." She looked at his bloody hands, and noticed that he seemed to be favoring his right arm a little. "Are you?"
"I'll get the once over when I get home, I'm sure. Fraiser's with Sam right now, checking her out."
"Tell her to look at your shoulder. Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Jack..."
"Yeah, a little. Nothing big. I'll have her look at it. Can we go?"
"Yup. If he-"
"Has any discomfort or seems to be in pain, bring him back, or give you a call."
They smiled. Jack knew the orders well, by now.
"Thanks, Monica."
"You're welcome, Jack."
.........................
"Did he land on your ribs?"
Sam nodded.
"Did you feel anything that might have been a pop?"
She shook her head.
"No, I think he just hurt them a little. He's a big guy."
"Not so big that Colonel O'Neill couldn't handle him..." Janet's eyes flashed as angrily as Jack's had at the thought of the men that had tried to burglarize O'Neill's house and had dared attack one of her charges.
"You should have seen them, Janet," Sam said, shaking her head, amazed and now that Jack was gone, able to admit just how frightened she'd been. "Jaffer was everywhere. All teeth and snarls. I've never seen him like before."
"He was protecting you." Fraiser said. "What do you expect?"
"I don't know... it's hard to believe he was the same dog."
"Oh, I believe it."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Jaffer's spent his entire life with Jack O'Neill, Sam. Who loves you more than anything. That kind of thing rubs off, you know? He was probably as furious that anyone dared touch you as Jack was. And with good reason."
"Jack was going to kill that man..." Sam said, softly.
"I know." She did know. She could see it in his eyes when she came in the door.
"It's kind of scary..."
"You're afraid of him?" She couldn't believe that Jack would ever do anything to hurt her, could she?
"Of course not," Sam said, shaking her head, smiling for a brief moment before turning serious. "It's scary what he'd do for me. What they'd do for me. If that man had had a gun, Jack still would have dove on him – and Jaffer still would have attacked them."
"You'd do it for him."
Sam nodded. It wasn't the same, though. Or was it?
"He's crazy."
"Which one?"
Sam grinned, "They both are."
"Love does crazy things sometimes, Sam."
They looked up when there was a knock at the door, and Fraiser stood up and went to let in the window guy. She showed him the broken window, and smiled when she saw a police cruiser come to a halt behind the window truck. Probably running the plate to make sure it really was registered to a glass company, Janet decided.
The cop in the cruiser waved at her, acknowledging that he'd been caught checking up on them, but he didn't leave until he was certain everything was okay. And even then, he cruised around the block more than once, just to make sure.
Jack held the door to the animal clinic open for Jaffer, who walked in as if he owned the place. Pretty much how he walked into everywhere. The receptionist smiled when she saw the pair, even as she mentally sighed when she saw the bloody mess on Jaffer's sides and Jack's hands. Who knew what they'd gotten into this time, but at least it didn't look too bad.
"Hi, Jack."
"Hey, Theresa. Monica free?"
She looked over the counter and down at Jaffer, tossing the black lab a treat. He caught it easily and gobbled it down. Well, there was nothing wrong with Jaffer's reflexes or appetite. That was good.
"I'll go get her. You can fill out the form."
She handed Jack paperwork, and he took it and his dog and went over and sat down on the bench that he pretty much claimed as his own. Mainly because right above the bench there was a very large, beautifully framed picture of Jaffer when he was still small and cuddly. Monica Ray had taken the picture herself, telling Jack she wanted a reminder of the black lab's puppy days, and he, of course, hadn't refused.
The vet showed up only a few minutes later, smiling and shaking her head, and gesturing for the two of them to come on back. She had their room ready. He smiled. A smile that reached his eyes and warmed them considerably.
"What happened to him, Jack?" Monica asked, running warm water over Jaffer's sides as the dog sat in her sink, eyes closed as he enjoyed the attention.
He started telling her, watching her work as he told the story in its entirety – using the information he had gotten from Sam and the crooks as they'd told the police, as well as his own eyewitness account. As he told the story, he found he was losing the very real anger that had been pressing down on him. Telling Jaffer's vet – the woman who had nurtured his baby lab for nearly a year now – just how impressive he'd been was therapeutic.
Monica listened with shock that anyone would dare do such a thing, and concern about Sam – which only lasted until Jack reassured her she was okay – then with a smug satisfaction of her own when Jack described the damage Jaffer had done to the men. She knew how protective dogs were – even normally gentle dogs like labs, and Jaffer had only reinforced that.
"Good dog, Jaffer!" Monica cooed as she stitched up one of the few really deep cuts that would need a little help to heal. Especially since she refused to allow him to ever have a scar that would mar his perfect coat.
Jaffer wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. He knew he was a good dog. Jack had told him that every day for as long as he could remember. And had told him that repeatedly on the trip to the vet's. Of course he was a good dog!
"He's going to be okay?" Jack asked.
"Yes." She looked at his bloody hands, and noticed that he seemed to be favoring his right arm a little. "Are you?"
"I'll get the once over when I get home, I'm sure. Fraiser's with Sam right now, checking her out."
"Tell her to look at your shoulder. Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Jack..."
"Yeah, a little. Nothing big. I'll have her look at it. Can we go?"
"Yup. If he-"
"Has any discomfort or seems to be in pain, bring him back, or give you a call."
They smiled. Jack knew the orders well, by now.
"Thanks, Monica."
"You're welcome, Jack."
.........................
"Did he land on your ribs?"
Sam nodded.
"Did you feel anything that might have been a pop?"
She shook her head.
"No, I think he just hurt them a little. He's a big guy."
"Not so big that Colonel O'Neill couldn't handle him..." Janet's eyes flashed as angrily as Jack's had at the thought of the men that had tried to burglarize O'Neill's house and had dared attack one of her charges.
"You should have seen them, Janet," Sam said, shaking her head, amazed and now that Jack was gone, able to admit just how frightened she'd been. "Jaffer was everywhere. All teeth and snarls. I've never seen him like before."
"He was protecting you." Fraiser said. "What do you expect?"
"I don't know... it's hard to believe he was the same dog."
"Oh, I believe it."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Jaffer's spent his entire life with Jack O'Neill, Sam. Who loves you more than anything. That kind of thing rubs off, you know? He was probably as furious that anyone dared touch you as Jack was. And with good reason."
"Jack was going to kill that man..." Sam said, softly.
"I know." She did know. She could see it in his eyes when she came in the door.
"It's kind of scary..."
"You're afraid of him?" She couldn't believe that Jack would ever do anything to hurt her, could she?
"Of course not," Sam said, shaking her head, smiling for a brief moment before turning serious. "It's scary what he'd do for me. What they'd do for me. If that man had had a gun, Jack still would have dove on him – and Jaffer still would have attacked them."
"You'd do it for him."
Sam nodded. It wasn't the same, though. Or was it?
"He's crazy."
"Which one?"
Sam grinned, "They both are."
"Love does crazy things sometimes, Sam."
They looked up when there was a knock at the door, and Fraiser stood up and went to let in the window guy. She showed him the broken window, and smiled when she saw a police cruiser come to a halt behind the window truck. Probably running the plate to make sure it really was registered to a glass company, Janet decided.
The cop in the cruiser waved at her, acknowledging that he'd been caught checking up on them, but he didn't leave until he was certain everything was okay. And even then, he cruised around the block more than once, just to make sure.