Thank you to everyone who reviewed. So glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Just a little fluff in this one then we get back to the business of reasons. Hope you like it.
Title: Unity.
Author: LetitiaRichards.
Previously:
"I see. As you wish, Achilles!" Teal'c deadpanned as he rushed out of the door and down the corridor, leaving – 1, Jack confused this time and holding on for dear life; 2, Sam and Daniel running to catch up; and 3, Janet to hold her breath in expectations of seeing them back any second now after a mishap.
Chapter 33
"What?" Jack asked as soon as he got his breath back in the elevator. Sam and Daniel were still trying to regain theirs. Teal'c could run when he had a mind to and they managed to reach the elevator without mishap. Everyone had managed to leap out of the way in time, thankfully. "Achilles? Where did you get that from?"
"According to your mythology Achilles was a mighty warrior who unfortunately had a weakness in his heels. Is this not the reason you are in your chariot O'Neill? Do you not have a weakness in your heels at this time?"
"Well, yeah. I guess you could say that!" Jack grinned.
"Actually, that's good Teal'c," Daniel said, and then he related the whole story of the Greek hero from his birth to his death. By the time they had reached the surface, Jack had heard enough of Daniel's lecture and had fallen silent; not quite asleep, but it was a close thing. Way to go Daniel for spoiling the mood, Jack yawned, and it wasn't even 10:30 hrs yet.
Sam had noticed that Jack had gone very quiet, and wondered if all the excitement had gotten to him. He didn't say much at all on the drive home either. She kept giving him surreptitious glances whenever she had a spare moment from concentrating on the road ahead.
Once she turned to look at him when she stopped at a red light, only to find him watching her.
"I'm fine," he grumbled a little testily, his earlier good mood gone. "You don't have to worry yourself over me, I'm just...tired." He turned away from her without waiting for an answer, to gaze out of the side window at the houses as they flashed by, thereby avoiding her eyes.
"Sorry, pardon me for caring!" Sam retorted softly. She was frustrated. One minute he was acting normally then he'd get moody, like now. Janet had warned her he could be depressed a little but it would do no good snapping at him. She felt a guilty flush rise up and could see Daniel in the mirror behind her, trying not to notice the tension in the car. "Sorry. I didn't mean that,"
"No. It's okay," Jack waved her apology aside. "I'm the one who should apologise. I'm tired, really." He went back to gazing out of the window, resting his head against it.
If the truth were known, Jack was worried about how he was going to cope; how they were going to cope with him. The last thing he wanted was all three of them dogging his every move. He was quite capable of pushing himself around his home, except for the lounge because of the steps down to it. What the hell possessed him to buy a house with a sunken lounge? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but then if he'd had that, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. He pushed the digressing thoughts away and concentrated on the problems of here and now; he really didn't want to stay in bed all day, and if Teal'c lifted him down to the settee, then he was stuck there until Teal'c could help him back again. He wasn't looking forward to being so dependant on them; if only Janet had given him some crutches instead.
"Jack!"
The sound of his name seemed to come from afar and tickled his consciousness.
"Jack!" Came his name, but louder now.
This time he roused. When had he fallen asleep? He stirred sluggishly, blaming his drowsiness on the pills Janet had insisted he take before the journey.
"Huh? What?" he mumbled, trying to drag his brain into gear.
"You're home!" Sam said, her hand feeling warm against his goose-flesh as he gave an involuntary shiver when the car doors opened behind him, sending a chill through him from the blast of cool air. It was an overcast gloomy day with a cold wind that brought with it the promise of rain.
"Oh. Yeah. Okay," he said, blinking away the sleep with difficulty.
The door on his side of the car was opened and his wheelchair readied for Teal'c to help him from his seat. For the first time of doing this it was awkward and he hit his head on the edge of the door frame, letting loose a string of colourful words that made Daniel blush and helped him to forget the pain in his feet when he stood for a moment.
Daniel wanted to stop and check him over, but all he wanted to do was go indoors out of sight of any nosy neighbours and the cold wind. The last thing he needed was a string of well-wishers on his doorstep asking awkward questions as to why he was in a wheelchair and he certainly didn't need to catch cold from the chilly air after being cocooned indoors for so long. The weather had turned since yesterday's outing on top of the mountain.
Sam hurried up the stoop to the front door and opened it using Jack's key, setting it wide for Teal'c who then pushed Jack towards the back of the house where his bedroom was situated. Daniel followed carrying Jack's medication; a list of instructions from Janet for the care of one slightly abused USAF Officer; and Jack's personal items.
Jack didn't argue when Teal'c entered the bedroom and helped him onto the bed. He just lay back, luxuriating in the softness of his own mattress, surrounded by his own things. It felt good. Teal'c left the wheelchair beside the bed and after Daniel had made a fuss by making him take some pain meds again, they left him to sleep.
He was tired. Despite the good night's rest, he felt the pull of sleep, tugging at his eyelids. So far it had been a long day for him. He wasn't used to all this much activity yet, and it was telling on him.
Before long he had drifted off and a few minutes after that, Sam entered the room softly, trying hard not to disturb him. She smiled down at his sleeping figure, and pulled the coverlet over him, keeping the coolness of the room from chilling him while he slept.
He stirred slightly at her touch, but didn't wake, which said a lot for how bad he was feeling. Too many years with Black Ops had finely tuned his hearing and reactions, and he always woke at the slightest sound or movement when they were off-world. She held her breath until he'd settled again, then left him to join the others in preparing their lunch.
She'd called in the house yesterday and run the duster and the vacuum round making it presentable again; then cleaned out the wasted food in the fridge and re-stocked his shelves with plenty of fresh foods and fruit and veg, knowing that he would need feeding up. Jack had lost a lot of weight during his imprisonment and its subsequent aftermath. His face still looked gaunt and was shadowed with black smudges beneath his eyes.
There was no telling how long Jack would sleep, so they ate their meal in the kitchen, and put Jack's back in the fridge to reheat later if he wanted it. Sam was just tidying away the last of the clean dishes when she heard Jack call out.
Daniel's face appeared it the cut out section of the wall between the lounge and the dining room.
"Did I hear Jack call out?" he called.
"Yeah. It's okay Daniel. I'll go," Sam replied, dropping the dish towel onto the countertop; she'd finish up later. Jack was probably hungry; either that or he needed Teal'c's help in getting to the bathroom.
When Sam poked her head round the bedroom door, Jack called out again, causing Sam to hurry to his side. Jack was writhing on the bed, once more in the throes of a nightmare. His limbs thrashed, pounding the bed and Sam hoped he didn't smash his healing fingers into the night stand. Sweat was beading on his heated brow and over his upper lip as he fought off the invisible demons.
She did her best to soothe him, calling his name softly, reassuring him until she deemed it was safe enough to reach out and touch him.
"Jack, it's okay. You're home now." She brushed away his tears of remembered agony and held his cheek in her palm, all the while talking softly. He finally stilled under her touch.
Jack eyes shot open, darting about the room searching out anything recognizable. He was disoriented, wondering where he was. The nightmare had seemed so real that he fully expected to find himself back in Iraq. But the familiarity of the room registered along with Sam's voice which came to him again, her dulcet tones easing him down from his panic. He was trembling, sweating, and his breathing was harsh and rapid as if he'd just run a marathon in record time.
Her smile when he locked onto her face was beautiful, lightened by the soft sunshine that now filled the room through the drapes.
"You okay now?" she asked gently, still holding onto him. Grounding his scattered thoughts.
Too pent up to answer, he merely nodded with a sigh of relief, finding her touch was helping.
She moved slightly, moving her hand away until he grabbed it, pulling her back. His dark eyes still wide with remembered pain and fear.
"Stay Sam. Please?"
The whispered plea reached her before she had time to move away.
"If that's what you want?"
He nodded.
"Okay."
Sam sent him a wide smile then settled herself on the edge of the bed, holding his hand. He was fighting to stay awake, but he was too tense to relax enough for sleep to come. He was restless and fidgety, needing more than she was offering.
On a sudden impulse, Sam moved round to the other side of the bed and kicked off her shoes. She then slipped under the coverlet, taking Jack into her arms so that his back was cradled against her chest. He snuggled down, relaxing with a deep sigh and was asleep in no time.
Sam could feel his heart rate slow down, and his jerky movements calmed until a soft even breathing told her that he'd fallen asleep once more. She felt her own eyelids droop and struggled to stop them from closing but it was a losing battle, and eventually she joined her partner in slumber.
Several minutes later, Daniel poked his head round the door to find out why Sam hadn't returned nor had she yelled for any assistance for Jack. He grinned at the sight of his two best friends spooned together fast asleep and left as quietly as he'd arrived.
"Did O'Neill not wish to rise yet?" Teal'c asked, cocking an eyebrow at the archaeologist who was still beaming widely.
"Ah...No. He's...um...fallen asleep again," Daniel smiled once more at the memory of Sam and Jack curled up together. It would do them both good. Sam had hardly slept since Jack went to Iraq and even less after he'd been taken prisoner. Spending night after night by his bedside didn't help either. He hoped they would stay like that for a few hours at least.
"This is a good thing is it not Daniel Jackson?"
"Yeah. I don't think anything will wake him right now, except maybe the call of nature."
Teal'c's eyebrow raised even higher until Daniel thought it would disappear over the top of his head.
"He's good Teal'c, and Sam's with him." Literally, he mused. "She's asleep too."
Enlightenment caused Teal'c's thick lips to curve into a knowing smile.
"Then we have done the right thing in bringing O'Neill home. Perhaps they will both recuperate from the distressing times of late."
Daniel wholeheartedly agreed and they sat together enjoying a movie while their friends slept on.
TBC
