Thank you very much Diane for the review. You give great advice, this
website is about the writing not the reviews and I have been and will
continue to write because I love, to not because of the reviews I receive
about it and so pressure on me then? Lol. Also thank you once again to
macisgate and sandjgirl for reviewing so many times. P.S The broom closet
is for later. ;)
O'Neill felt helpless. The overwhelming gratitude towards his friends and colleagues had disappeared and had been replaced with worry and regret. What if they didn't make it back? He could never live with himself for letting them go. The little cynical voice in his head reminded him that if they didn't make it back he wouldn't have to live with himself. He'd be dead within two days.
He was back in the infirmary now and in bed. Dr. Frasier had told him that any unnecessary exercise could accelerate the deterioration of his health. He had to admit that he didn't really feel like moving anyway, his legs were beginning to feel numb and, although Dr. Frasier had given him drugs to stop him vomiting, he was nauseous. A heart monitor was beeping away next to him, beating out the time that his team had to spend millions of miles away and in danger for his sake. Carter was asleep in the chair beside his bed, a book in her lap and her crutches on the floor. It was probably past midnight but O'Neill didn't have the heart to wake her. He knew she was as frustrated as him at being unable to do anything and that sleep was a welcome distraction from worrying.
So in the sterile darkness of the infirmary he drifted into an uneasy sleep that was wracked with nightmares of gunshots, blood and fallen friends.
* * *
O'Neil awoke in the early hours of the morning to find the ward empty. He lay there for a few minutes staring at the whitewashed ceiling until he was jerked out his trance by the clatter of crutches on the door and a knock.
"Come on in," he croaked.
Carter hopped in followed by a nurse carrying a tray with two bowls and spoons, a jug of milk and a box of fruit loops on it. The nurse placed the tray on the side of his bed, nodded at them and left the room.
"I didn't know you liked fruit loops Carter."
She grinned and said, "They've grown on me."
O'Neill looked at the food on the tray and his stomach churned. "You know? I'll think I'll pass on breakfast today."
"Sorry Sir but Janet told me that if you didn't eat it she would have to find those needles she put away last time." She laughed then said seriously, "Sir, please. By tomorrow morning you could be unable to eat, it's important that you eat properly today."
O'Neill frowned but picked up the spoon anyway. He started to eat the fruit loops, forcing down each spoonful until the bowl was empty. After he finished he looked up to find Carter staring at him with a concerned expression on her face and suddenly his temper rose.
"Oh for crying out loud! I'm not dead yet Major." He snapped. She flinched visibly then her eyes narrowed. O'Neill let out his breath in a low sigh. "Sorry. It's just I'd much rather be out there with them than stuck in here."
"Me too sir. I asked Janet if there was anything I could do to help in the lab but we have nothing to go on until Daniel, Teal'c and SG3 bring back a sample of the plant."
"Isn't there some doohickey you could play with?" Asked O'Neill.
"I don't want... No, there isn't sir, but if you want to be alone for a while then..." She said, misunderstanding him.
"No! Carter, if you went away and with Danny and Teal'c being off world, there would be no one to bug. And no one to force me to eat fruit loops." He joked.
"I never thought I'd hear you admit to being forced to eat fruit loops. You practically live on the stuff sir."
"Hey. At least I'm not as bad as Daniel with his coffee." Carter looked at him and he thought about what he had just said. "Ok. That's not much of a consolation I know but everyone has his or her little weaknesses. Mine just happens to be fruit loops."
She smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Would you like to play a game of chess sir?"
O'Neill felt helpless. The overwhelming gratitude towards his friends and colleagues had disappeared and had been replaced with worry and regret. What if they didn't make it back? He could never live with himself for letting them go. The little cynical voice in his head reminded him that if they didn't make it back he wouldn't have to live with himself. He'd be dead within two days.
He was back in the infirmary now and in bed. Dr. Frasier had told him that any unnecessary exercise could accelerate the deterioration of his health. He had to admit that he didn't really feel like moving anyway, his legs were beginning to feel numb and, although Dr. Frasier had given him drugs to stop him vomiting, he was nauseous. A heart monitor was beeping away next to him, beating out the time that his team had to spend millions of miles away and in danger for his sake. Carter was asleep in the chair beside his bed, a book in her lap and her crutches on the floor. It was probably past midnight but O'Neill didn't have the heart to wake her. He knew she was as frustrated as him at being unable to do anything and that sleep was a welcome distraction from worrying.
So in the sterile darkness of the infirmary he drifted into an uneasy sleep that was wracked with nightmares of gunshots, blood and fallen friends.
* * *
O'Neil awoke in the early hours of the morning to find the ward empty. He lay there for a few minutes staring at the whitewashed ceiling until he was jerked out his trance by the clatter of crutches on the door and a knock.
"Come on in," he croaked.
Carter hopped in followed by a nurse carrying a tray with two bowls and spoons, a jug of milk and a box of fruit loops on it. The nurse placed the tray on the side of his bed, nodded at them and left the room.
"I didn't know you liked fruit loops Carter."
She grinned and said, "They've grown on me."
O'Neill looked at the food on the tray and his stomach churned. "You know? I'll think I'll pass on breakfast today."
"Sorry Sir but Janet told me that if you didn't eat it she would have to find those needles she put away last time." She laughed then said seriously, "Sir, please. By tomorrow morning you could be unable to eat, it's important that you eat properly today."
O'Neill frowned but picked up the spoon anyway. He started to eat the fruit loops, forcing down each spoonful until the bowl was empty. After he finished he looked up to find Carter staring at him with a concerned expression on her face and suddenly his temper rose.
"Oh for crying out loud! I'm not dead yet Major." He snapped. She flinched visibly then her eyes narrowed. O'Neill let out his breath in a low sigh. "Sorry. It's just I'd much rather be out there with them than stuck in here."
"Me too sir. I asked Janet if there was anything I could do to help in the lab but we have nothing to go on until Daniel, Teal'c and SG3 bring back a sample of the plant."
"Isn't there some doohickey you could play with?" Asked O'Neill.
"I don't want... No, there isn't sir, but if you want to be alone for a while then..." She said, misunderstanding him.
"No! Carter, if you went away and with Danny and Teal'c being off world, there would be no one to bug. And no one to force me to eat fruit loops." He joked.
"I never thought I'd hear you admit to being forced to eat fruit loops. You practically live on the stuff sir."
"Hey. At least I'm not as bad as Daniel with his coffee." Carter looked at him and he thought about what he had just said. "Ok. That's not much of a consolation I know but everyone has his or her little weaknesses. Mine just happens to be fruit loops."
She smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Would you like to play a game of chess sir?"