What Fate Decrees - Part Sixteen
Well, you're definitely looking better today," Janet said as she put her equipment away. "Pain okay?"
Jack nodded.
"Good, keep taking the painkillers regularly."
Jack nodded again.
"You going to talk to me today or not?" demanded Janet.
Startled, Jack looked straight into her face. "Sorry, my brain's busy. It can't do too many things at once you know," he said softly.
Janet could hear the despondency in his voice, and her heart ached for him. "Oh, Colonel, don't you go giving up on me now."
"Not giving up on you Doc. It looks like you'll have to give up on me you know," he said, his words so quiet Janet had to lean closer to hear.
"Look I know what you're thinking, but give us and yourself a chance."
"Us?" echoed Jack "Us? Who else knows? Daniel, Carter?"
Janet just nodded, knowing the Colonel wasn't happy with the news.
"Oh great, that's just great!"
"I'm sorry Colonel, but Daniel was really upset when you spoke of retirement and it just sort of came out. I know I shouldn't have but, as your friend, I couldn't …."
"It's okay Doc, I understand. I guess I shouldn't have said anything to Daniel," sighed Jack.
"I'll go get them," said Janet, anxious to cheer him up somehow. She hurried to the patio, finding her two friends still sitting there. Sam was scrubbing at her face with a tissue that Janet assumed Daniel must have given her, knowing he had a ready supply because of his allergies.
"The Colonel's awake, and I think he needs to see some friendly faces," Janet said from the doorway, beckoning them to come in.
"Are you okay?" Daniel asked Sam. She gave him a nod and a quick smile.
"Parade ready," joked Daniel and gestured Sam to go in first. "Age before beauty," he smirked.
"The dirt behind the picture," she responded smiling a little more broadly this time and skipped into the house quickly before he could retaliate.
"The what?" puzzled Daniel, coming into the house, "Where on earth did you get that? Oh, don't tell me, Jack!" he groaned.
"Sam, give me a hand with some drinks," called Janet as she headed for the kitchen, seeing her friend shrug at Daniel before following her.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
"Hey, have a good sleep?" Daniel asked Jack as he flopped down on the chair opposite the other man. Jack was propped up with his feet on the sofa, a mass of cushions behind him that Daniel assumed had been provided by Janet.
"Not bad," replied Jack, looking down at the light blanket covering his lower half. Daniel followed his gaze and saw that his thumbs were twiddling around each other uneasily. His chest was still bare, except for the extensive bandages newly replaced by Janet.
Janet came in with two drinks, handing one to Daniel and sitting in the other chair. She was followed by Sam, who handed Jack his drink as she sat down on the end of the sofa near Jack's feet. There was silence as they sipped their drinks, each deep in thought.
As the silence drew out Janet took a breath. "Right everyone," she stated and almost lost her nerve as three people gazed at her intently, waiting for her next words.
She self-consciously straightened herself and took the plunge. "Right, no tip-toeing here. The Colonel knows we all know the score."
Once again Jack found the blanket fascinating as Daniel and Sam both turned to look at him. "Great," he murmured, "Now we can plan a retirement celebration." He grimaced as he spoke. He looked up to see their faces silently berating him. "Well, what's the point in dragging it out? Hell, in special ops, you don't usually even live this long."
"Jack, since when did you give up so easily?" asked Daniel.
"Damn it Daniel, just what do you expect from me? There's no way I'll get through a medical so soon. Those bastards have it cut and dried this time. I can't win this one!"
"Bullshit – sir!" fired Sam. "You tell us to never give up out there, never leave anyone behind you say – well it's time you took your own medicine."
Janet and Daniel looked at each other, but kept quiet.
"Out there Carter, I can win. The Goa'uld don't have rule books – you survive the best you can. You can buck the system, or a half-assed plan can succeed - sometimes just a lucky break or you're dead, you know that." Jack's voice was raised, his body tense, his breathing starting to struggle with the effort.
"It's not luck that's kept us alive," interrupted Daniel. "Okay, I'll admit luck helps, but it's you who's been keeping us alive Jack. You've kept us together,"
"Yeah, well tell that to some nameless bastards I can't fight!" Jack's voice cracked and he started to cough. He turned slightly, trying to get up and failed, then hunched over cradling his chest as the coughs racked his body.
Janet was by him in a second. "Take it easy - we're not the enemy," she murmured to him.
Daniel got a glass of water from the kitchen and gave it to Janet. Jack's breathing was rasping nosily and what little colour he'd had drained from his face.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
"Shallow breaths, slow and easy," comforted Janet.
Sam scooted up the sofa closer, watching in alarm 'God why did I start him arguing,' she thought as she saw the Colonel fighting to control his breathing, every breath agony with his ribs.
Gradually his breathing calmed down and some colour came back into his face. After a few minutes he managed to sip some of the water.
"I'm sorry Colonel," apologised Sam.
"For what? Shouting at an idiot? Anyway don't be sorry … Christ! … See I can't even have a shouting match … I'd be no good shouting orders out there, would I?" Jack's voice was a little hoarse, the long sentence causing him to pant slightly.
"Another couple of weeks or so and you'll be at your usual volume," said Janet, dryly.
"Are you implying that I'm loud, Doctor?" Jack gave her his best haughty stare.
"Sam's right you know - you can't give up," said Daniel before Janet could respond to Jack's heckling, knowing full well it was the man's way of changing the subject.
"I know," said Jack with a deep sigh, well as deep as he could, given the injury to his ribs. "But I think I've fucked with the system once too often, but hey, what the hell – retire now – retire later, I'll give the sons of bitches a fight!"
Sam clasped at Jack's arm, and he looked at her in surprise. "We're with you all the way sir."
Jack stared at her face and deep into her eyes. "I've no doubt of that Major," he said softly. "Thanks."
Sam broke the contact. Sitting so close to him, touching him – it all combined to make her feel a little awkward, and now she felt foolish at having lost herself in his dark eyes.
Jack cleared his throat and looked away, as if little embarrassed himself. "Doc, when can I start physical therapy?"
Janet pulled a face "Wish I knew that was coming," she moaned, stalling. "Really sir, you know you shouldn't be …"
Jack cut in "Doc, come on - you know I've only got one shot at this. I need to give it my best," he pleaded.
"Well, unofficially of course, I could start you off slowly and I mean slow." She gave him a pointed look "Oh, for goodness sake, Colonel, you shouldn't even thinking about it for at least another month."
"Doc, as a friend you can show me what I need to do. The ribs won't be a problem in eight weeks – well, much of one anyway," he pleaded, with his best puppy dog look.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Janet was hopping from one foot to the other in her mind. As Colonel O'Neill's doctor it was screaming too soon! As his friend it was saying, help him go for it. "Well …" she began, trying to ignore his pleading eyes.
"Thanks Doc," he jumped in quickly. "Now I'll be a good boy, take my meds and go to bed." He yawned. Daniel got up to help him, but the Colonel waved him back. "I'm going alone. It'll take longer, that's all. You entertain our guests here." He managed to get up, slow and stiff, but he made it. He steadied himself for a moment, before making his way towards the stairs, using the furniture as a prop as he moved as Janet couldn't help but watch anxiously, just itching to help him but knowing he wouldn't appreciate the gesture.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
"Goodnight kids, see you tomorrow," Jack called over his shoulder, before reaching the stairs. They called their goodnights to him as they watched him moving. He was glad when he rounded the corner to the stairs and he grabbed the handrail pausing for a moment, thankfully out of sight from his team.
He gave an inward groan 'Now why did I buy something with stairs?' he chided himself 'Come on, suck it up O'Neill and get going or they'll find you here when they're going home.' He made a slow but steady climb and once in his bedroom lay down gratefully, feeling slightly sick and giddy. 'What the hell am I doing?' he asked himself 'You're going down fighting – that's what. No, not down,' he corrected himself 'Fighting!' No-one could say Jack O'Neill didn't have guts – but boy was he going to need them.
xoxoxoxoxoxo