A note in reply to a review - yes, this story is complete, but I am beta'ing it again for Jackie as I go and I only have time to do a certain number of pages a day, usually between four and six. I post each part when it is ready, between writing my own stories plus doing other things. I can, of course, post it all in the one go, unbeta'd – all sixty-eight pages that remain. Do you want me to? Or I could leave it several days between posts and send a larger section, but I certainly can't beta and post more than what I am doing daily. Flatkatsi
Life In the Shadows – Part Eight
Jack felt the pounding of his skull as his body drifted into consciousness. The spikes of pain ran through his head setting the nerves screaming around his body, seeming to collect more pain along the way and feeding it back up to his head.
He opened his eyes slowly, trying to keep his breathing steady, trying to minimise the agony it caused, the burn in his chest running a close second to the fire on his back.
As his eyes began to focus they fastened on the figure which lay close to him. The strange clothing alarmed him at first until the familiar blond head came into focus.
The pain spiked again and the sweat began to pour off his body, rolling down his face. His breathing sped up despite his best efforts as his body craved the oxygen the pain seemed to eat up.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Sam wasn't sure what had disturbed her. She rolled onto her back, her gaze automatically resting on the Colonel.
"Shit!" She realised he was awake and in severe pain. She scrambled to her knees and leaned close.
"Hi," Jack managed to croak out, his eyes once more pinned to hers.
Sam brushed her hand against the side of his face. She wet a cloth and gently pressed the coolness against his heated flesh, lending him some comfort.
"Take it easy, sir, its ok, I'm here." Even as she said them, she realised how inane her words must sound.
His eyes screwed up tightly as he gasped. "S…ok," he croaked, the movement pulling on his split lips, causing them to begin to bleed a little once more.
"Don't try and talk. Here …" Sam lifted the cup to his lips and began to patiently dribble some liquid in. Once he'd taken enough, she continued to bathe his face and neck gently, trying her best to sooth him, until gradually he slipped back into sleep.
It wasn't long, however, before he became restless once more and Sam had to give the Colonel more of the dyla in an effort to settle him again. It seemed an age before Reena returned again. Sam expressed her worry to Reena but she was soon reassured.
"It is to be expected. He can't take a full dose in one go, so he is bound to wake frequently. As long as you don't give him more than I showed you in one day, do not be concerned, give him little and frequently."
Reena showed Sam a variation of the stew she'd prepared the day before and soon had a pot on the fire cooking for when the men returned from work before she left Sam again, promising to see her later.
All too soon it seemed, the Colonel was waking again. This time he refused water, though his pain was evident. Sam wrung the cloth out and bathed him.
"You should drink this, it will help," she urged.
"Dan .. T .. still work?" he asked quietly, his voice still hoarse.
She could see the effort it cost him to talk. "Yes, we won't see them until later," she replied, knowing full well he wouldn't take the dyla until he was ready.
"Had … had a look … around?" he asked, trembling with the effort of talking. His speech was slow and slurred and Sam had to listen carefully.
"Not yet, sir. Reena has been showing us the ropes. She's helped us out with food too." Sam left unsaid that she couldn't and wouldn't leave him alone.
The Colonel's face showed puzzlement. "Ree ..?" he asked.
"One of the workers. She's been a great help, she gave me the stuff for your cuts and … and other things." Sam didn't want to go on about the dyla. She began to talk about what they did know, which, granted, wasn't much. She could see he was struggling to follow her, and soon he lost the battle and slept again.
Sam soon found herself sleeping again and it was with dismay she found a hand on her shoulder shaking her awake. She rolled with a start and found Daniel kneeling over her.
"Jeez, sorry, I …" She got up quickly, feeling incredibly guilty that she'd slept again while they had been working, and working hard from the looks of them.
"Sorry … was it tough?" she asked sheepishly.
Daniel smothered a yawn. "Yeah, hard work, but it went okay I think. We got some tokens." He held his hand out to show what they'd earned. "Want the housekeeping?" he asked with a grin.
Sam slapped him lightly on the shoulder, and then regretted it as Daniel made a face.
"I could do with a hot bath," he moaned, stretching his stiff body.
"Reena has lent us some clothes, perhaps you could go wash."
"Um, yeah, I noticed your clothes. We were going to wash on the way back, but we wanted to check on you and Jack first. How's he been?"
"He's been awake a little, not much, but in a lot of pain."
A small cough at the doorway alerted them to the fact that a young girl, perhaps in her late teens, stood at the doorway.
"I am Serena, Reena sent me to say she is sorry she could not return as someone was injured and had need of her. She said I should sit with the injured man Jack, if you wish to go out with your … family for provisions?" she hesitated over the 'family'.
Sam was reluctant to leave the Colonel with a stranger, but commonsense dictated they needed supplies and she was better acquainted with what they would need than the two men. She gave the girl strict instructions to not touch the Colonel unless he was fully awake and reluctantly gathered the men a change of clothes and joined Teal'c and Daniel.
Teal'c led the way to the river and Sam joined the other women to wash away from the men. She was regarded with a little curiosity, but nothing unfriendly. Much refreshed she waited for Teal'c and Daniel to finish their ablutions. Sam heard the chatter of the women who were casting glances down the river to where the men were washing. Her team mates were attracting all the attention and some of the comments made her go quite pink.
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Serena sat quietly beside Jack. Wringing the cloth out, she bathed his face and neck, straying down between the cloth strips on his body too, curiously. She sat humming softly to herself as she worked. She'd witnessed the punishment along with the others and wondered how he was still alive. There were scars on his body, obviously old scars - they showed he was certainly a warrior before he came to the mine. She'd heard first hand from one of the new girls how the man had shielded her and then looked out for them on the rest of the journey, practically carrying the girls the rest of the way.
Serena's admiration for the hero knew no bounds. For someone to risk their life for a stranger was something new … the good people helped each other, but not at the risk of their own lives … she'd dreamed of finding a man who could live up to her romantic expectations. Despite their hard life, she still had dreams … and this man looked likely to be able to fulfil them. He was certainly much older than she would have normally thought proper to bond with, but his beauty and strength still shined out from his battered body and she paid it no heed. She'd heard Reena say the woman wasn't really bonded but … well she would find out.
A flicker of brown alerted her and she stopped humming. The man's eyes held puzzlement and he regarded her curiously. She gazed down into the darkest, most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen, her young heart fluttering wildly, her body reminding her quite strongly that she was a woman as a frisson of excitement rose in her breast.
"Cass …" he croaked out.
She smiled at him … her brightest smile. "I am Serena. Rest, you are safe."
His frown deepened for a moment, and then he seemed to focus on her more clearly. She saw him flick his gaze around, obviously looking for his family.
"Your family are safe, getting provisions. Rest."
Serena returned to her humming, pressing the cloth gently once more to cool his face. She realised he was in pain, but he held still and eventually his breathing evened out.
"They will not be long," she spoke softly, noticing his eyes followed her every move as she put some dyla into the cup of water. Deftly she mixed it and knelt back beside him. She cupped his head to assist him to drink. He balked at first, but Serena met his eyes. "It is safe, you are in need, you must rest. I would not harm you, I promise."
He regarded her face for a moment before giving a slight nod and she tipped the cup to his lips. Serena patiently trickled the dyla into him, only satisfied when he'd managed a good portion. She sat humming softly again, brushing her fingers through his soft gray hair, watching with satisfaction as he relaxed and once more slept.
xoxoxoxoxoxo