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 all of you who sent reviews – love you guys! Glad you're enjoying this – well, not meaning to be cruel, really!
Please, please R& R – There will be some fluff to come – Promise!
Title: Unity.
Author: LetitiaRichards.
Previously:
Sam radioed for the rendezvous, informing them of a successful mission. Once outside the building, they rigged up a stretcher and tried to strap Jack onto it, but he struggled against the bonds until Daniel clued into his distress, and said that Jack probably thought he was being tortured again because from what he'd witnessed he was nearly always restrained. By the time they realised this, Jack had slipped into unconsciousness and spent the rest of the journey in oblivion and wouldn't recall being taken to the rescue helicopter or of arriving at the base hospital.
Chapter 15
"He has a high fever from the infected bullet wounds and he's lost a lot of blood. He's suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, multiple cuts and abrasions, several burns to his feet as well as severe bruising just about everywhere." He paused for a breath before continuing the litany of injuries. "He also has three broken ribs, a concussion, several broken fingers, and there is evidence of some drugs in his system too but at this point I'm just not sure which ones they are." Dr. Glenn Sanders reeled off the list of injuries suffered by Jack whilst in the hands of the terrorists. "Let alone anything they did to torture his mind as well as his body; he appears to be deeply traumatised."
Daniel sagged under the weight of knowing he was partly the reason behind those injuries. He could have told them, but Jack wouldn't allow him to. Now Jack was suffering more than he should and all because of him. He was still convinced that Jack needed to be taken home where he would recover much quicker surrounded by is friends.
"That's all the more reason why we should take him home where he will be with people who know how to deal with him." Daniel insisted from his own hospital bed.
Dr. Sanders was reluctant to release Jack from his care just yet, citing that he would need a psyche evaluation before he was allowed to fly home. As it was, he would have to be stretchered home and he was far too weak to cope from the extent of his injuries on a long haul flight.
Daniel could understand the Doctor's concerns but he was worried that when Jack began to recover he would need his 'family' around him. He himself was suffering from nightmares but then he didn't have a raging fever brought on by festering bullet wounds and sores such as Jack had. By comparison, he had been treated with respect while Jack had suffered all the more.
"He's not well enough to travel yet."
"I know that! But I also know Colonel O'Neill. He would want this, and if he could talk right now, he'd tell you in no uncertain terms his thoughts about remaining here. The sooner he leaves this place, the better."
Dr. Sanders frowned and looked puzzled, wondering just what it was that made Dr. Jackson so adamant that O'Neill would desperately want to leave here as sick as he was, but then he'd seen O'Neill's anger in action and he had no desire to encounter it again.
Daniel could sense the doctor weakening in his resolve, and pushed the point even more.
"This isn't the first time Jack has been abused whilst a prisoner of the Iraqis," Daniel said quietly. "He spent four months being tortured and starved in an Iraqi prison during the 90's conflict. He's never told anyone what exactly happened during that time, but I've seen him wake up screaming from the nightmares he can never break free from. I've seen what it's done to him. He needs to leave this place. We, his closest friends, are probably the only ones that can get him through this."
Seeing enlightenment dawning on the Doctor's face he continued.
"Jack really didn't want to come back here. How do you think he felt when he was ordered to help those ex-prisoners? That rescue mission was the last thing on his agenda. When those orders come through he did his duty to his country and obeyed them despite knowing what it could entail. This could break him if he wakes up to find he's stuck out here for weeks. There was a very valid reason he was meant to be returning to the US before his life went to hell in a hand basket. He couldn't take any more; he was on the verge of breaking. General Hammond practically ordered him to return as soon as he found out what was going on. He needs to get out of here, and soon."
The Doctor looked horrified. He had no idea of what O'Neill's background was, and if he had known, then he would have informed General Kelly that it wouldn't have been in the officer's best interests to send him back out there. He'd seen first hand what these ex-prisoners had been through, and O'Neill had gone through it twice now, once for real and countless times with those he had been helping counsel, and now close up and personal once more.
"Give me a few days at least to bring his temperature down, then I'll make arrangements to ship him home," the medic sighed with resignation.
"Thank you," Daniel replied, thanking god that someone was listening to him. It was the best offer he was going to get, and would have to accept it. For Jack's sake he hoped it wouldn't be too late.
The Doctor then began to assess Daniel's injuries to make sure that he was healing too. Daniel accepted the examination with less than good grace but he was more worried about his friend.
OoOoOoOoO
Jack tossed and turned his head as the fever took hold of his weakened body. The antibiotics were helping but it would take time to be of any help. The talk with the Doctor had obviously had some bearing on his treatment because Daniel noticed that the nurses were more careful of him than they were being with himself.
Sam took over the duty of sitting with them both, though Daniel wasn't ill as such, and his injuries were negligible compared to Jack's, he was mostly kept in for observation and treated mainly for dehydration and needed feeding up again. Daniel didn't mind in the least seeing as he was in the next bed over from Jack, so he could legitimately keep an eye on him when Sam was thrown out for the night.
Once or twice during the dark hours Jack called out something in Arabic which Daniel was glad not to have interpret to Sam. He slipped from his covers and padded over to his friend's side. Wringing out the damp cloth, he draped the cool material across Jack's brow and soothed the delirious man back into a healing sleep.
By the time Sam came in during the early morning hours, Daniel was ready to go back to sleep. He'd ministered to Jack several times during the night, and whenever he was scolded for leaving his bed, he'd treated them with a glare that warned them of a battle not worth waging if they treasured their lives. There was no way he was leaving Jack's side when he needed him. It was just one way in which he could make it up to Jack for causing all the damage in the first place.
On the third day Jack's temperature had dropped and he was waking, though he had yet to acknowledge their presence. His mind was elsewhere and despite the tender touches and softly spoken words he showed no outward response, other than repeating in a soft voice, his name, rank and number.
OoOoOoOoO
Daniel woke wondering what had disturbed his sleep. Jack. Jack had cried out in his sleep again for the umpteenth time. This time he yelled louder than ever, and Daniel shook off the hazy mantle of sleep and turned towards his friend. There were two burly male nurses, trying to restrain Jack who was fighting back as best he could, whimpering with pain but giving them a hard time.
"What the hell are you doing?" Daniel yelled, seeing they had strapped one ankle to the bed already.
"We have orders to restrain him before he does any damage to himself or anyone else!" one of them answered breathlessly.
"Let him go!" Daniel demanded angrily. He must have been dead to the world for Jack to get this bad while he was asleep.
"We can't do that..."
"I don't give a damn! Release him now!" Daniel spat, wading in to pull them away from Jack.
He managed to get one of them off, and sent him scurrying away to fetch Teal'c and Sam.
He then gingerly approached Jack, calling his name; trying to get through to the injured man that he was safe now. The other nurse released him and stood back watching as Jack stilled, lying panting from exertion and trembling from weakness, though still swearing and cursing in Arabic.
A few moments later the door burst open and Teal'c, followed by Sam and Dr. Sanders. Teal'c spoke softly to his friend who quietened to listen.
"O'Neill. You are safe. There is no-one here that will harm you..." he soothed.
Sam walked towards the bed, but stood back, next to Daniel.
"What happened?" she asked.
Daniel turned round to glare at Sanders, and directed his answer to him.
"What the hell were you thinking of? He was tied down and tortured for Christ's sake. Restraining him only made things worse. He probably thinks he's still in that cell, damn you!"
"I'm sorry, but he became violent..."
"Then why the hell didn't you wake me or go and get Teal'c or Major Carter?" Daniel fumed. "We could have avoided this.
Sam stepped up to Jack's bed and stood watching him gradually calm down.
"Colonel!" she whispered. "Jack, it's me, Sam. I'm right here. It's not a dream, I'm real. You're gonna be okay Jack. You're safe now. We're taking you home," she said, giving the Doctor a glare that he could only interpret as threatening should he disagree.
Jack lay there, subdued now, even passive, but Sam couldn't stop the tears from falling when she saw that he was shedding silent tears too. She moved her hand up, gently placing it on his cheek, tenderly brushing the moisture away with her thumb and she was inordinately pleased when he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep again.
TBC
