I'd like to make it clear that although this story involves incidents in Iraq, I have no affiliations with any political group or any other concerned in that country whatsoever and anything contained in these pages is purely fictional, coming entirely from my imagination. I mean no disrespect to any organisation or people herein.
Thanks to those of you who bothered to review, but come on guys...I'm starving here guys! Please, please review!
Thanks to andi and Nighshae for their comments.
Title: Unity.
Author: LetitiaRichards.
Previously:
The nagging anxiety of tomorrow and the next month were still there, but coming home would be so much more than worth the trouble going away could cause, now that Sam would be here to welcome him home like this.
Chapter 5
Jack released his seat belt and tried to relax. His absent gaze through the little window was fixed on the patchwork of fields far below the airplane as they flew over the last of the Colorado countryside; his mind on last night's events. Waking up with Sam in his arms had left him feeling warm and more contented than ever before; but the guilt of crossing the line regarding the regulations on fraternisation and the cold feeling of dread for what was to come was beginning to intrude on his happy thoughts.
He could hear the other passengers settling down for the long haul flight but he shut them out, locked in his own tumbling feelings.
The Stewardess hovered at the end of his row of seats. She spoke but he took no notice, leaving her to concentrate on the fellow passenger beside him.
He sat back, resting his head on the back of his seat and closed his eyes for a moment, before turning to look at the man beside him.
"You didn't have to come ya know. I..."
"Shut up Jack. I know this is hard for you, but I want you to know you're not alone for this. I want to help you Jack. I'm your friend, and friends stick by each other. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here Jack! So get used to it!"
Jack sighed with resignation, knowing he really needed a friend right now, but loath to admit it for some reason. Maybe because the rest of his team had always considered him the strong one and the whole idea of him needing help to face his nightmares would be giving off the wrong vibes.
He felt weak, even vulnerable, and alone, but he was glad to have Daniel by his side, even if he couldn't open up to him about the past and why this was such a difficult thing for him to face. He knew Daniel had known about his imprisonment before he'd ascended, but how much of it did he remember now? Daniel's comment from the day before yesterday had caused him grief, but he wondered if Sam had filled him in on any of the sordid details afterwards and that's how he had arrived at this almost desperate need to escort him. That and Sam's overwhelming love for him made him believe he was the luckiest person on the planet to have such friends as these.
After a moment's quiet reflection he offered a small nod and a slight smile.
"Thanks," he whispered, choked by too many conflicting emotions to say out loud what he really felt.
Daniel looked closely at his companion and accepted his word, instinctively knowing it was as much as he could expect. He turned his attention away as Jack's unexpectedly watery gaze returned to the view outside the window. Daniel could well imagine what sort of things were churning through his friend's mind, and it was obviously affecting him deeply. Seeing him in such an emotional turmoil was a new and daunting experience, never having recalled Jack appearing so defenceless before.
He opened his lap top and began to study the notes he'd written previously, leaving Jack to work out his thoughts for himself, knowing that his own presence had at least brought his friend some small measure of comfort.
OoOoOoOoO
A heat haze shimmered over the road ahead, and the jeep kicked up a trail of yellowy/brown dust behind it as they drove along. Before long they had reached the main buildings of the base, and the Corporal pulled up in front of the officers quarters.
Jack jumped down from the back of the vehicle while Daniel stepped from the front passenger seat and began to dust himself free of the clinging sand. Jack tossed his bag over to him and Daniel caught it, holding onto it with one hand. Jack gave the young soldier a quick return salute and stood back, looking round at a hotchpotch of makeshift and plastered huts around the sprawling complex, adding living quarters and offices to the few cement buildings already there.
Daniel could see Jack's shoulders were held tensely against whatever it was he could only imagine going through Jack's mind right now.
"Jack? Don't you have to report in or something?" he gently prompted, hoping for a positive reaction. Desperately wanting Jack to slip into his familiar role of commander, and be in complete control of himself once more.
"Yeah, sure," Jack acceded the hint, "but let's get you settled into our quarters first, then I'll go find General Kelly."
Although Daniel could see that Jack was still not really working on all cylinders, he accepted his attempts to act at appearing normal.
Another young airman led them down the corridor and threw open one of the doors. It opened onto a square room with twin bunks, one either side of the small window that was shuttered against the heat of the afternoon sun; a small chest of drawers nestled against the wall beside the opening, and a desk of sorts was behind the door to his left.
Daniel was the first into the room and dumped his bags down on the left hand cot.
"Colonel sir...they put you and Dr. Jackson in together sir," barked the youngster, half afraid he'd get a strip torn off him by the officer who scowled unhappily at him.
"So I see," Jack grumbled. "Okay airman. I'll report to the General in few minutes." He returned a relaxed salute, dismissing the man who closed the door behind him. He walked over to his allotted cot and sat down, face to face with Daniel.
"Looks like this is it. Not much, but better than a tent I s'pose," Jack grimaced.
"We've slept in worse Jack, I guess we could cope. At least there's a desk I can work at."
"Yeah, there's that," Jack agreed, releasing the words with a deep sigh. Though what Daniel expected to do while he spent all day working with the newly released prisoners he didn't really know. The room wasn't much bigger or any more welcoming than a prison cell, as once more his thoughts turned the clock back. He closed his eyes trying to get a handle on his warring emotions.
He felt a hand on his arm and his eyes snapped open in response.
"Jack?"
"It's okay. I'm fine." Jack stood up, once more in command. "I'm off to find the General. See you...whenever," he said vaguely. "Don't know how long this will take," he explained when Daniel looked up at him with a worried frown.
"Um...Yeah. See you later. I'm...gonna unpack."
Jack nodded in silence then walked out of the door, and Daniel had a feeling his real work wasn't contained on his lap top at all, but rather in keeping his friend on the right path, steering him away from overloading his seemingly fragile psyche that this assignment had brought on. He sighed, staring at the closed door for long minutes before mentally chastising himself for sitting around doing nothing. He had things to do, having brought plenty of translations to work on whilst he was here.
TBC
