It was a miserable way to spend the rest of the day. The smell of wet dog
permeated the small area, and it was cold in the tent. Everything was damp,
since all three occupants were damp, and had been soaked when they'd
crawled in, and the bedding they were sitting on was damp as well. The
temperature outside dropped dramatically, going from balmy to chilly in
only a matter of minutes. They draped blankets over their shoulders to keep
warm, and with Jaffer sprawled between them; they played cards to kill time
while the storm raged outside. Occasionally the wind would shake the tent,
as if trying to blow it away, but the stakes held and the sturdy little
structure stayed where it was.
"Well, I'm certainly getting a lot done today," Daniel complained, laying a card down on Jaffer – who was their acting card table, since he was between them. The lab didn't care; he was warm and comfortable and had no intention of getting up. They could use him as a dinner table, if they wanted. For that matter, he hoped they did.
"It could be worse."
"Yeah?"
"Sure."
"How?"
"No clue."
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said sarcastically. "I feel so much better now."
"That's what I'm here for."
They played cards for a couple hours before they eventually grew bored of it, then munched on s'mores – using Jack's Zippo to heat the marshmallows – and occasionally feeding Jaffer a graham cracker, which was gobbled happily, even though he really wanted chocolate and marshmallow to go with them.
"How much longer can it rain?" Daniel asked, grumpily. He'd just talked to Sam on the radio, who'd just been outside, and she reported that it didn't show any signs of letting up anytime soon.
"All day? Another ten minutes? I don't know, Daniel."
Jack had stretched out next to Jaffer, who was once more laid out between him and Daniel.
"It never rained while SG-6 was here."
"I know." He shrugged. "You might as well go to sleep, Daniel. Get your rest now, and when it stops raining you can go outside and play."
Jack closed his eyes, having every intention of practicing what he was preaching.
Daniel grumbled. He mumbled to himself and complained about wasted time. Really, though, there wasn't anything he could do about the weather, so he followed Jack's lead and stretched out as well. Jaffer gave off a lot of heat for such a lazy dog, and Daniel found himself cuddling up to the black lab to avail himself of that warmth. Again, Jaffer didn't mind. He was used to being cuddle. Jack cuddled with him all the time, and even Sam occasionally would cuddle with him when she wanted a living teddy bear to hold. He liked being snuggled against. He always had.
The three of them fell asleep listening to the rain falling on the tent covering.
................................
Predictably enough, it was Jaffer who woke Jack up. He was thirsty, and hungry, and even more importantly, he needed out. Right away. Jack groaned, but rolled out from under the lab who was straddling his chest like he always did.
"Okay, okay."
He pushed the dog away before he could get licked again, and shivered. It was downright cold. Or maybe he was just cold because he was leaving his warm blanket.
"Is it morning?" Daniel opened his eyes when Jack got up.
O'Neill looked at his watch.
"No, it's still early. Jaffer wants out so I'm going to take him out. Go back to sleep."
"Still raining?"
It was a redundant question, since the two of them could hear the steady thrumming of rain on the roof of the tent – although the wind seemed to have died down a little. Jack answered anyways.
"Yup."
"Bring back something to eat," Daniel said, pulling his blanket closer around himself and closing his eyes again. "Not something sweet."
"Aye, aye."
Pulling his jacket on, Jack grabbed a flashlight, opened the tent and let Jaffer out, then followed him. The rain was coming down pretty hard, still, and Jack was glad he'd decided to put the firewood they'd collected into his tent to keep it dry. They'd never find dry wood once the rain let up. It was dark out – it was the middle of the night, after all – and the woods were silent, aside from the sound of the rain. Apparently, all the critters were hunkered down waiting for the rain to stop, too. He followed Jaffer off to the stream where the lab took a long drink, and then Jack watered a tree while he waited for Jaffer to find the perfect place to pee.
When both of them had taken care of their needs, they headed back to camp. They were soaked to the skin once more, although this time it wasn't quite so bad, since the wind wasn't blowing. He didn't stop and get something to eat. For one thing, he didn't want to pester Sam and Teal'c, who were almost certainly asleep. For another, he didn't want to get them wet when he went into Sam's tent. And lastly, he didn't want to stay outside any longer than necessary.
Daniel didn't even notice. He was asleep again when Jack returned, and the minute he had the tent flap closed behind them, Jack grabbed a towel and dried off Jaffer before the lab shook himself to dry off and maybe woke Daniel up. Kneeling by the door of the tent, he had Jaffer sit in front of him, and rubbed him down thoroughly with the towel while Jaffer tried to grab it in his teeth.
Once Jaffer was dried, Jack let him go, and the lab went over and cuddled against Daniel in the spot he'd vacated only half an hour before. Daniel's arm came out from beneath his blanket and curled around the big lab almost immediately, and Jack smiled, wishing he had a camera.
With Jaffer's needs out of the way, Jack could turn his attention to his own. He was drenched once more, and this time he couldn't get to his pack for dry clothes – which he wasn't all that sure he had any more of. Daniel was using Jack's pack as a pillow. He sighed – to himself – and pulled off his clothes. He thought about heading over to Daniel's tent, which had at least one warm, dry blanket, but he didn't want to go back out in the rain. Naked except for his boxers, Jack rolled up in his damp blanket, snuggled up against the other side of Jaffer, and shivered himself back to sleep.
"Well, I'm certainly getting a lot done today," Daniel complained, laying a card down on Jaffer – who was their acting card table, since he was between them. The lab didn't care; he was warm and comfortable and had no intention of getting up. They could use him as a dinner table, if they wanted. For that matter, he hoped they did.
"It could be worse."
"Yeah?"
"Sure."
"How?"
"No clue."
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said sarcastically. "I feel so much better now."
"That's what I'm here for."
They played cards for a couple hours before they eventually grew bored of it, then munched on s'mores – using Jack's Zippo to heat the marshmallows – and occasionally feeding Jaffer a graham cracker, which was gobbled happily, even though he really wanted chocolate and marshmallow to go with them.
"How much longer can it rain?" Daniel asked, grumpily. He'd just talked to Sam on the radio, who'd just been outside, and she reported that it didn't show any signs of letting up anytime soon.
"All day? Another ten minutes? I don't know, Daniel."
Jack had stretched out next to Jaffer, who was once more laid out between him and Daniel.
"It never rained while SG-6 was here."
"I know." He shrugged. "You might as well go to sleep, Daniel. Get your rest now, and when it stops raining you can go outside and play."
Jack closed his eyes, having every intention of practicing what he was preaching.
Daniel grumbled. He mumbled to himself and complained about wasted time. Really, though, there wasn't anything he could do about the weather, so he followed Jack's lead and stretched out as well. Jaffer gave off a lot of heat for such a lazy dog, and Daniel found himself cuddling up to the black lab to avail himself of that warmth. Again, Jaffer didn't mind. He was used to being cuddle. Jack cuddled with him all the time, and even Sam occasionally would cuddle with him when she wanted a living teddy bear to hold. He liked being snuggled against. He always had.
The three of them fell asleep listening to the rain falling on the tent covering.
................................
Predictably enough, it was Jaffer who woke Jack up. He was thirsty, and hungry, and even more importantly, he needed out. Right away. Jack groaned, but rolled out from under the lab who was straddling his chest like he always did.
"Okay, okay."
He pushed the dog away before he could get licked again, and shivered. It was downright cold. Or maybe he was just cold because he was leaving his warm blanket.
"Is it morning?" Daniel opened his eyes when Jack got up.
O'Neill looked at his watch.
"No, it's still early. Jaffer wants out so I'm going to take him out. Go back to sleep."
"Still raining?"
It was a redundant question, since the two of them could hear the steady thrumming of rain on the roof of the tent – although the wind seemed to have died down a little. Jack answered anyways.
"Yup."
"Bring back something to eat," Daniel said, pulling his blanket closer around himself and closing his eyes again. "Not something sweet."
"Aye, aye."
Pulling his jacket on, Jack grabbed a flashlight, opened the tent and let Jaffer out, then followed him. The rain was coming down pretty hard, still, and Jack was glad he'd decided to put the firewood they'd collected into his tent to keep it dry. They'd never find dry wood once the rain let up. It was dark out – it was the middle of the night, after all – and the woods were silent, aside from the sound of the rain. Apparently, all the critters were hunkered down waiting for the rain to stop, too. He followed Jaffer off to the stream where the lab took a long drink, and then Jack watered a tree while he waited for Jaffer to find the perfect place to pee.
When both of them had taken care of their needs, they headed back to camp. They were soaked to the skin once more, although this time it wasn't quite so bad, since the wind wasn't blowing. He didn't stop and get something to eat. For one thing, he didn't want to pester Sam and Teal'c, who were almost certainly asleep. For another, he didn't want to get them wet when he went into Sam's tent. And lastly, he didn't want to stay outside any longer than necessary.
Daniel didn't even notice. He was asleep again when Jack returned, and the minute he had the tent flap closed behind them, Jack grabbed a towel and dried off Jaffer before the lab shook himself to dry off and maybe woke Daniel up. Kneeling by the door of the tent, he had Jaffer sit in front of him, and rubbed him down thoroughly with the towel while Jaffer tried to grab it in his teeth.
Once Jaffer was dried, Jack let him go, and the lab went over and cuddled against Daniel in the spot he'd vacated only half an hour before. Daniel's arm came out from beneath his blanket and curled around the big lab almost immediately, and Jack smiled, wishing he had a camera.
With Jaffer's needs out of the way, Jack could turn his attention to his own. He was drenched once more, and this time he couldn't get to his pack for dry clothes – which he wasn't all that sure he had any more of. Daniel was using Jack's pack as a pillow. He sighed – to himself – and pulled off his clothes. He thought about heading over to Daniel's tent, which had at least one warm, dry blanket, but he didn't want to go back out in the rain. Naked except for his boxers, Jack rolled up in his damp blanket, snuggled up against the other side of Jaffer, and shivered himself back to sleep.