"We should take it back," River said, not at all as annoyed as he was pretending to be. It was really hard to get him mad, after all, and Ian wasn't really trying.

"You should give it to me before I'm forced to kick your ass."

"Yeah?" River poked Ian's knee through the brace once more. "Try it, Snookums."

Shawn laughed, and dropped the bag in Ian's lap before he could respond to that particular comment.

"Here. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Adams."

Ian pulled a small box out of the bag. A small box that was terribly wrapped, and closed up in about a ton of scotch tape. Probably more tape than there was wrapping paper – although it did keep the ends of the paper from sticking out.

Which also kept Ian from knowing where to start opening it. It looked like they must have used a couple of rolls.

"Jesus, who wrapped this?"

"River."

Yeah, he could hold a baby, but wrapping presents had never been something he had mastered. The Californian shrugged.

"I didn't want it to come open until you unwrapped it."

Since he couldn't get his fingernail under the tape to even start a tear in the tape armor, it didn't look like that was going to be an issue. After a full minute of trying, Ian scowled, and waved at the nurse he'd been talking to before. She came over, smiling a hello to Shawn, who smiled back.

"I haven't found that blunt object, yet, Cadet. Is he still bothering you?"

That actually made Ian grin – and it lit up his face and eyes so much that she smiled to see how much it changed him when he smiled like that.

"Dipshit here wrapped my present too well," he said, holding up the box. "I don't suppose you have a-"

"Pair of scissors work?" She asked, interrupting and pulling a tiny pair of scissors out of her side pocket, handing them to him.

"Perfect, thanks."

It wasn't exactly what he'd been planning on asking for, but now that he thought about it, they probably didn't carry scalpels in their pants, either, did they? He opened the scissors and used one of the sharp edges to cut through the tape along the seam of the box, sliding through the mess easily.

He couldn't help the smile of triumph as he set the scissors down and ripped the package the rest of the way open. Revealing a watch. And not just some dime store 10-dollar watch, either. It was a nice one; with a black metal band and an analogue face with glow in the dark hands and a number of little dials on it that Ian didn't have a clue what purpose they served. It was much better than his old watch – and a perfect present.

"Wow…"

"You like it?" Shawn asked, grinning.

"Yeah," Ian said, pulling his old watch off and sliding the new one on and fastening the clasp that closed it around his wrist. "Thanks, guys."

"You're welcome," River told him, smiling – both because Ian liked the present, and because the nurse thought it was a nice watch, too. "Shawn actually picked it out – it's apparently a lot like the one Colonel O'Neill wears, but we…"

He trailed off; his eyes going over to the other side of the room where several people had just entered the room. Jacob Carter, who was already heading over to Sam's bed to see her – dressed in the odd Tok'ra clothing, of course – Teal'c, who River already knew, and another woman who was young and hot and dressed in some of the skimpiest clothing River had seen since he'd left California.

"Who is that?"

Ian had followed his gaze.

"Dipshit, that's Jacob. Sam's dad."

"Not him, asshole. The girl."

It was Pia, who had recovered somewhat from her injuries – enough so that she was on her feet and able to prepare to return to one of the Tok'ra bases. Ian frowned, wondering if it was such a god idea to have one of the Tok'ra in the room while River was there – it wasn't like he knew what they were, after all, even though Pia didn't look any less human than Jacob and Ian, there was the whole issue of having a snake in her head.

Jack obviously had decided the same thing, because he emerged from the curtain blocking Ian's view of Sam's bed, looking over at Ian's bed – and River, presumably – and then gestured for Teal'c to take Pia out of the room, although he did it politely. Ian knew he'd have Teal'c explain why she was being ushered out like that.

"That's Pia," Ian said, evasively. "She's a… friend of Jacob's…"

"I wish I had friends that looked like that…"

Of course, River and Pia combined probably had the sexual morality of an alley cat, so it would have been rather entertaining to have introduced them, but Ian was just as glad that Jack had stopped that from happening, since it would definitely have complicated things, and Ian felt his life was far too complicated, anyways.

"She's nothing but trouble," Ian said.

"So are you, but we keep you around."

Shawn laughed, and changed the subject.

"So, you like the watch…?"

Ian was just as glad to get the subject changed. He nodded, and admired it by holding his hand out away from his body. The black metal wasn't shiny, it was dull, but that was all for the better since it couldn't reflect sunlight on a mission.

"It's great, guys, thanks."

"You're welcome," Shawn told him. "I set it already, so you don't need to worry about doing it."

"We figured you wouldn't be able to figure it out on your own." River added, finally turning his head from where Pia had vanished out the door.

Ian flipped him off, his eyes still amused, and Shawn looked at the clock over on the far wall, and sighed.

"We're going to have to go."

"What? You just got here."

"We borrowed Captain Strand's car – and he has a meeting off campus at noon and will be pissed if we're not back by then…"

"He loaned you his car?"

Shawn nodded.

"He was in the office when we were talking to the Commandant about getting the morning off to come see you – or to see the baby, I'm not sure which – and Strand offered the car to us."

"Probably to make brownie points," River said, grinning.

"Yeah. But still…"

Ian didn't care how they got there. He was just glad to see them. Because they'd brought him a present, he told himself. It wasn't because he missed them. Well… okay, he missed them a little – but he wouldn't tell them.

"Are you going to be on your feet before next week?" Shawn asked. "Or should we make arrangements to bring you your homework?"

"Nah, I'll be up in a day or two. It's just bruised."

"What did you do to it?" River asked again.

"None of your business."

Poke.

Ian scowled, and looked at the nurse.

"Big and blunt and heavy…" he told her. "A semi truck, maybe… or a loaded bus."