By the time Sam returned with General Hammond in tow, Frasier had given Jack a thorough check-up, complete with about a million questions about what hurt and what didn't, and running her hands pretty much everywhere on his body to check for changes in his reflexes and various aches and pains. She found he was in very good shape all things considered. His chest was wounded, but hardly badly enough to worry her. Dotty had mostly healed it, and what little was left to do would heal on its own nicely. She rebandaged him tightly, promising him that he'd only have to wear a bandage for a couple of days, and that was mostly just because she was being cautious.
"How is he, Doctor?" Hammond asked, walking into the room and smiling to see Jack sitting up in his bed. God, only hours before he'd been dying, and now he was upright and talking, and looking as good as he ever had.
"He's fine, Sir," Janet said, echoing the General's smile, and looking over at O'Neill, who was allowing them to talk about him like he wasn't there – at least for a while. He was ready to get up. He didn't like Sam worrying about him, and he didn't like being in bed when he could be on his feet doing something constructive – even if that was just bothering the eggheads working on the gate. Besides, hadn't he told her he was fine?
"And Doctor Jackson?"
"He's even better. As soon as he wakes up and I give him a check-up I'll probably release him for a couple days of light duty."
"And Colonel O'Neill?"
"He'll spend the night here, and I'll release him to light duty as well. A week or so."
Hammond nodded.
"Hey? I feel fine. I could go home, now." Jack was tired of them making his plans for him, now.
Fraiser shook her head. "Tomorrow."
"Tonight."
"Colonel." This was from Hammond, who was ready to back up his chief medical officer. "You'll stay as long as Doctor Fraiser tells you to, and you'll be a model patient." There was no doubting that this was an order, and Jack hid his scowl fairly well.
"Yes, Sir."
Hammond nodded, and left the room to go check on Daniel, taking Fraiser with him so she could give him a complete report on his condition. Coincidentally, it left Jack alone with Sam and Jaffer, and Carter came over and sat on the edge of his bed once more, looking at him with a slight smile on her face.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, Sam." He patted the spot next to him, inviting her to come and cuddle a little. No one would enter his room without knocking, and the door was closed, so they could have a little privacy. She accepted his invitation, and stretched out beside him on the bed, although she was on the blankets and he was under them. She rested her head against his shoulder, and her hand on his belly, just inches from Jaffer's nose.
"Jaffer really needs a bath," She said, reaching out and touching the blood- encrusted fur.
"I'll give him one later."
"Janet won't let you."
"I won't ask permission." He told her. "She said I had to stay on base, nothing about staying in bed."
Sam shook her head, but didn't argue with him. She was debating whether or not now was the time to bring up her conversation with Dotty, or she should wait until they were off the base and could have even more privacy.
Jaffer's nose nudged her fingers, and she looked down at the black lab once more, amazed to see him watching her intently, almost as if he knew what she was thinking and was telling her to go for it. She smiled, and gave a purely mental shrug. Why not?
"I had a talk with Dotty Adams earlier."
She felt Jack tense under her arm and cheek, and wondered why.
"Oh? About what?" There was something odd in his voice, but Sam wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't anything she recognized.
"Babies."
"Babies?" Jack turned his head so he could look at her completely. "Shawn?"
"Babies, Jack." Sam said with a smile. "Not young teenagers. Our baby in particular."
"Oh?"
She nodded, smiling.
"Apparently, we've been doing things wrong if we want a baby."
He smiled, unable to hide his amusement. "I'm pretty sure we've been doing it right, Sam."
She laughed, blushing just a little. "That's not what I meant, smart ass."
"I know, sorry. Couldn't help myself. What do you mean?"
Sam told him what Dotty had told her, explaining about how they needed a special set of circumstances in order for her to conceive. Nothing incredibly complicated, but tricky enough that they'd just never had the perfect set of conditions – aside from the disastrous miscarriage right after they'd returned from camp. That was why they hadn't conceived. He was quiet as he listened to her explain it, and Sam actually looked at him a couple times to see if he'd fallen asleep, since he never listened so intently to her, but each time she looked his eyes were open and he was watching her with what could only be called relief.
"So we can have a baby?" Jack asked, once she'd finished explaining things to him.
Sam smiled at the way he said it, and nodded.
"Whenever we want to," She confirmed.
He nodded, and gave her a hug, feeling elation coursing through him. So, she wasn't sterile – or worse, and Dotty had figured out why they didn't have a house full of kids, apparently.
"That's great news." He couldn't think of a better word than great, although he wished he could, since great just didn't seem good enough. It was enough for Sam, though, and she nodded, still smiling.
"Yes."
He tilted her head up with his free hand, and bent to kiss her. He shouldn't have – not while they were on base – but he had to. The fact that he was alive, and she could have his baby whenever they decided to have it was just too much to hold in with just a hug. The kiss was gentle to start with, but Sam's response was electric and the two were panting by the time they separated.
"This probably isn't the time or place to..." Jack said, breathlessly. She never failed to arouse him, no matter what the circumstances.
Sam giggled, hiding her face against his shoulder to muffle the noise.
"You're probably right," she agreed, a moment later. "It's definitely not the place." She kissed him again, though, but not as heatedly. Then she sat up on the bed, knowing that she needed a little space, or they very well could have gone further.
Jack looked up at her, running his hand along her hip.
"I'm sorry, Sam."
"For what?" She asked, surprised by the sudden apology and the serious look in his eyes.
"The ambush was my fault. I was distracted, and had no business going anywhere in that state of mind. I could have gotten all of you killed."
"I should have said something," Sam said, shaking her head. "I noticed you were distracted – Daniel was, too – I should have said something to Hammond. He wouldn't have allowed us to go."
Jack shook his head, ready to argue about it, but Sam put her hand on his cheek to stop him before he could say anything.
"Jack... it's okay. I'm okay. You're okay. Daniel and Teal'c are both fine, too. It could have been really bad, but it's not, and we'll know better next time." She leaned over him, and kissed him lightly once more, shivering when he took the opportunity to caress her tenderly.
They both smiled when she sat up once more, and she moved her hand from Jack's belly to Jaffer, who was a lot safer to touch in her current state. The black lab shifted position and rolled over, giving Sam access to his belly. He wanted a good scratching, too, and got double that when Sam and Jack both gave him the attention he so obviously wanted. With a sigh, the lab closed his eyes, lolling on the bed and basking in the love that was surrounding him and washing over him. Yeah, it was a good day to be alive.
"How is he, Doctor?" Hammond asked, walking into the room and smiling to see Jack sitting up in his bed. God, only hours before he'd been dying, and now he was upright and talking, and looking as good as he ever had.
"He's fine, Sir," Janet said, echoing the General's smile, and looking over at O'Neill, who was allowing them to talk about him like he wasn't there – at least for a while. He was ready to get up. He didn't like Sam worrying about him, and he didn't like being in bed when he could be on his feet doing something constructive – even if that was just bothering the eggheads working on the gate. Besides, hadn't he told her he was fine?
"And Doctor Jackson?"
"He's even better. As soon as he wakes up and I give him a check-up I'll probably release him for a couple days of light duty."
"And Colonel O'Neill?"
"He'll spend the night here, and I'll release him to light duty as well. A week or so."
Hammond nodded.
"Hey? I feel fine. I could go home, now." Jack was tired of them making his plans for him, now.
Fraiser shook her head. "Tomorrow."
"Tonight."
"Colonel." This was from Hammond, who was ready to back up his chief medical officer. "You'll stay as long as Doctor Fraiser tells you to, and you'll be a model patient." There was no doubting that this was an order, and Jack hid his scowl fairly well.
"Yes, Sir."
Hammond nodded, and left the room to go check on Daniel, taking Fraiser with him so she could give him a complete report on his condition. Coincidentally, it left Jack alone with Sam and Jaffer, and Carter came over and sat on the edge of his bed once more, looking at him with a slight smile on her face.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, Sam." He patted the spot next to him, inviting her to come and cuddle a little. No one would enter his room without knocking, and the door was closed, so they could have a little privacy. She accepted his invitation, and stretched out beside him on the bed, although she was on the blankets and he was under them. She rested her head against his shoulder, and her hand on his belly, just inches from Jaffer's nose.
"Jaffer really needs a bath," She said, reaching out and touching the blood- encrusted fur.
"I'll give him one later."
"Janet won't let you."
"I won't ask permission." He told her. "She said I had to stay on base, nothing about staying in bed."
Sam shook her head, but didn't argue with him. She was debating whether or not now was the time to bring up her conversation with Dotty, or she should wait until they were off the base and could have even more privacy.
Jaffer's nose nudged her fingers, and she looked down at the black lab once more, amazed to see him watching her intently, almost as if he knew what she was thinking and was telling her to go for it. She smiled, and gave a purely mental shrug. Why not?
"I had a talk with Dotty Adams earlier."
She felt Jack tense under her arm and cheek, and wondered why.
"Oh? About what?" There was something odd in his voice, but Sam wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't anything she recognized.
"Babies."
"Babies?" Jack turned his head so he could look at her completely. "Shawn?"
"Babies, Jack." Sam said with a smile. "Not young teenagers. Our baby in particular."
"Oh?"
She nodded, smiling.
"Apparently, we've been doing things wrong if we want a baby."
He smiled, unable to hide his amusement. "I'm pretty sure we've been doing it right, Sam."
She laughed, blushing just a little. "That's not what I meant, smart ass."
"I know, sorry. Couldn't help myself. What do you mean?"
Sam told him what Dotty had told her, explaining about how they needed a special set of circumstances in order for her to conceive. Nothing incredibly complicated, but tricky enough that they'd just never had the perfect set of conditions – aside from the disastrous miscarriage right after they'd returned from camp. That was why they hadn't conceived. He was quiet as he listened to her explain it, and Sam actually looked at him a couple times to see if he'd fallen asleep, since he never listened so intently to her, but each time she looked his eyes were open and he was watching her with what could only be called relief.
"So we can have a baby?" Jack asked, once she'd finished explaining things to him.
Sam smiled at the way he said it, and nodded.
"Whenever we want to," She confirmed.
He nodded, and gave her a hug, feeling elation coursing through him. So, she wasn't sterile – or worse, and Dotty had figured out why they didn't have a house full of kids, apparently.
"That's great news." He couldn't think of a better word than great, although he wished he could, since great just didn't seem good enough. It was enough for Sam, though, and she nodded, still smiling.
"Yes."
He tilted her head up with his free hand, and bent to kiss her. He shouldn't have – not while they were on base – but he had to. The fact that he was alive, and she could have his baby whenever they decided to have it was just too much to hold in with just a hug. The kiss was gentle to start with, but Sam's response was electric and the two were panting by the time they separated.
"This probably isn't the time or place to..." Jack said, breathlessly. She never failed to arouse him, no matter what the circumstances.
Sam giggled, hiding her face against his shoulder to muffle the noise.
"You're probably right," she agreed, a moment later. "It's definitely not the place." She kissed him again, though, but not as heatedly. Then she sat up on the bed, knowing that she needed a little space, or they very well could have gone further.
Jack looked up at her, running his hand along her hip.
"I'm sorry, Sam."
"For what?" She asked, surprised by the sudden apology and the serious look in his eyes.
"The ambush was my fault. I was distracted, and had no business going anywhere in that state of mind. I could have gotten all of you killed."
"I should have said something," Sam said, shaking her head. "I noticed you were distracted – Daniel was, too – I should have said something to Hammond. He wouldn't have allowed us to go."
Jack shook his head, ready to argue about it, but Sam put her hand on his cheek to stop him before he could say anything.
"Jack... it's okay. I'm okay. You're okay. Daniel and Teal'c are both fine, too. It could have been really bad, but it's not, and we'll know better next time." She leaned over him, and kissed him lightly once more, shivering when he took the opportunity to caress her tenderly.
They both smiled when she sat up once more, and she moved her hand from Jack's belly to Jaffer, who was a lot safer to touch in her current state. The black lab shifted position and rolled over, giving Sam access to his belly. He wanted a good scratching, too, and got double that when Sam and Jack both gave him the attention he so obviously wanted. With a sigh, the lab closed his eyes, lolling on the bed and basking in the love that was surrounding him and washing over him. Yeah, it was a good day to be alive.