Chapter 5

"Sam, honey, I really think you should sleep in your bed and not in the chair."

Janet leant over her patient with a considerate touch to her uninjured shoulder. Sam jerked her head upright, unaware of the fact that she'd been sleeping. An automatic flick of her eyes confirmed the fact that Jack was still unconscious, and an almost visible slump in her shoulders showed her emotion clearly.

"Okay, okay. If you insist, Janet, you're the doctor." She looked around for the ever-lurking shadow of Daniel, but he didn't seem to be there. "Where's Daniel?"

"It's very late. I sent him to go and get some sleep. He was looking terrible without his coffee boost."

Sam smiled slightly and struggled to sit upright. "What about the Colonel? Any improvement?"

Janet's face showed a small hopeful grin. "I had to change the medication. He might wake up quite soon." He'd better, else he's in trouble, she thought sombrely as she assisted Sam over to the nearby bed, the blonde woman's sprained ankle still being very swollen. At her words Sam's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Any time soon."

"Don't make me go to sleep, not just yet," Sam pleaded.

Her friend sighed. "Sam, I really think that - "

A dry coughing broke her words. Leaving Sam sitting on the edge of her bed, the doctor flew to the side of her other patient.

Jack was lifting his head slightly off the pillow, trying to stop coughing, drenched with sweat from a fever that Janet knew had not been there an hour ago. The Doctor laid a cool hand on his forehead to restrain his coughs, watching intently as he struggled to open his eyes.

"That... you, Doc?" he rasped. Behind her Janet heard a thump as Sam knocked painfully against the chair in her efforts to cross the few feet between them. She didn't move her head.

"Try and stay still, Colonel, don't cough if you can help it. Sam, sit down."

"Carter?"

Jack's head turned involuntarily, brown eyes searching the pale face of his 2IC that appeared behind Janet's shoulder.

"I'm here, sir." She replied immediately.

"I thought we were goners."

"Appears not, sir," with that she smiled her first true smile since waking. Unfortunately Jack chose that moment to go into another extended fit of coughing, in between his spasms Janet shot a murderous look over her shoulder.

"Sam. Bed."

"Yes ma'am," she replied automatically, staggering backwards to sit on the edge of the hospital sheets, worried eyes fixed hungrily on the weakly struggling O'Neill.

"Sam!"

With a final curt order Janet turned back to her patient and with her free hand she pressed the button that would summon a nurse. This fever was unexpected; possibly even symptomatic of the brain damage she feared. She glanced inscrutably at the monitors beside her, their displays dancing across the screen. Nope, she didn't like this one bit.

Early morning sunlight glanced down across the white covers, throwing square patterns on the white sheets and across his arm. Jack stared a minute or so before realising that he was awake again, struggling he attempted to turn his gaze somewhere else. The next thing to come into view was the side table, with a thick cream candle smoking gently, as if it had just burned itself out. Just beyond this was a chair, complete with a sleeping occupant, shoved against the wall between this bed and the next one. He smiled slightly, shivered a little with cold or fever or something, he decided to attempt to speak.

"Danny."

The man sleeping in the chair closed his mouth with a snap, blinking as he raised his head. Pushing up his glasses, he focussed blearily on the voice. As he realised who was speaking a broad smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, sleeping wonder," he whispered in return. "Jack, how are you feeling? Janet said you'd woken."

"She was right, I hope, or this is some bizarre dream," he replied hoarsely, before starting to cough again. Daniel tried not to look too concerned as his friend subsided back into the pillows, trying to get enough air into his lungs, breathing shallowly at the same time.

"You want me to fetch the nurse? Janet's off-shift," Daniel offered, half rising, but Jack waved him weakly back down.

"Nah, nah, don't worry. I'm fine now." The Colonel sighed, his breathing returning to normal slowly. Another thought occurred to him, he fixed Daniel with a stare.

"Where's Carter? She alright?"

"Just there, Jack," Daniel indicated behind him, moving so that the patient could see the sleeping face in the next bed. "She'll be fine. No, it's you we're worried about," he allowed humour to creep into his tone, hiding the stark truth in his statement. "She's been awake too, watching you most of the time, when Murray and I can't be here."

Jack wondered briefly about Daniel's use of the pseudonym, but then he realised that since Janet was off-shift, there must be someone else in the room. He shook his head irritably as if to clear his vision. He was so cold... "I know she's been awake. I saw her earlier," he continued, not wanting to worry Daniel. "How is Murray? His leg healed?" The archaeologist gave him an odd look.

"You've been here over a week, Jack. He heals fast," Daniel replied in a low tone, stepping forward to lean against his bed. Jack blinked.

"A week?"

"About that. No, Murray's just fine. He has some...family problems, but he has been here." Daniel gestured deprecatingly towards the candle in its glass holder, keeping the fire risk low. "He left you one of his meditation candles. Janet wasn't going to let it be lit, but he argued, and c'est ici." At Jack's familiar mask of blankness, Daniel reiterated. "Here it is. Now, is there anything I can get you?"

"A trip to Burger King would be great. Otherwise, I don't think so," he grinned again before closing his eyes. He began shivering again, uncontrollably; he tried to hide the fact under the thin sheets. Daniel had turned away though for a moment as he saw Sam stirring.

"Good morning Sam," Daniel said genially, stretching himself, easing out the cricks caused by sleeping in a chair.

"Morning Daniel," she replied sleepily. "The Colonel?"

Jack felt a smile creep over his face at her query. She was barely awake and already inquiring after him...

"He's awake too. I would say that you're both going to get better at this rate!" Daniel smiled and looked over. "Oh yeah, do you two mind if I light Murray's candle again? He said that since he couldn't be here all the time, perhaps it might help." The archaeologist shrugged and yawned. "Maybe it's a foreign custom we haven't come across yet."

"Fine by me."

"Sure, go ahead."

As Daniel wandered over to the table, Sam slowly sat upright and unsteadily swung her legs across the bed to get out. She limped over towards Daniel's chair, sinking into the uncomfortable cushion and letting a gentle smile creep over her face.

"How're you feeling, sir?"

"Like someone hit me with a very, very big truck."

"Not too far off the truth then," she replied with a smile. Jack tried to wrestle his fuzzy brain around the statement. Come to that, why was he here? He knew that they'd been hurt somehow, off-world, that was it. Oh yeah, the destroyer ship! Eventually coming up with this conclusion, he grinned in return.

"What about you, Carter?"

"Oh, I'll be fine."

Talk subsided for a moment; instead they just watched each other, perfected wordless communication passing between them. Daniel, having lit the candle, glanced over to see if the pair were all right. At the intenseness of the gazes, he raised his eyebrows and then walked nonchalantly away, trying not to look again. He felt like he was intruding on some private conversation just by watching.

Eventually their silence was broken by Jack turning his head irritably to cough again, struggling to breathe with tearing shallow gasps. The duty nurse stood up to come over, Daniel turned hurriedly to come and stand beside the still form of Sam. He laid a comforting hand on her uninjured shoulder, trying to transmit his strength and sympathy as her eyes never left the Colonel's face. Her hand crept up and clung almost desperately to his wrist.

"Daniel, he'll be alright." Her words, the archaeologist realised immediately, were for her own consolation and conviction, not his. He squeezed her shoulder gently.

"I know, Sam."

AN: Only another few chapters to go. Thanks for all the lovely reviews, keep 'em coming! And extra thanks to Naliza for beta'ing for me hugs

Kitty