That's for all the great reviews, everyone. I'll do some more General Jack soon, I promise, but I have another story I have to write first. I hope you enjoy the last part of 'Slow Ride' - Flatkatsi

On a Slow Ride Through Molasses – part sixteen

Jack woke to the sound of someone opening the door, accompanied by loud clattering in the corridor.

"Sorry, sir, I'm afraid you've lost your private room." Doctor Fraiser bent to hook the door open, ignoring Jack completely.

"What the hell, doc?" Jack took his wristwatch from the cabinet and peered at it, trying to get his eyes to focus. "It's the middle of the night."

"SGs eight and twelve ran into some trouble. I need all the space I can get."

"Trouble? What sort of trouble? Is anyone seriously hurt?"

Janet threw him an exasperated look. "I don't want you to worry, Colonel. There's nothing too bad, mainly just some broken bones and a concussion. Sergeant Nicol is the most serious – he's in surgery at the moment." Her explanation was interrupted by the appearance of an infirmary bed being wheeled in by two airmen. Janet immediately turned to her other patient. "We'll get you settled in no time, sir. I'm sorry we had to do this, but it was a lot easier to move you than the colonel." She gestured at the various tubes tethering Jack to the bed.

"That's all right, doctor. I understand. Colonel O'Neill and I can keep each other company. We'll be fine."

Janet smiled. "I'm sure you will, General." She waited until the bed was properly positioned alongside Jack's. "Now, try to get back to sleep."

"Keep me informed, doctor."

"Of course, sir"

She switched the light out and closed the door behind her.

Jack could just see Hammond's face in the dim gleam of the night light. "Well, son, I hope you don't snore."

"I'll try not to, sir." Jack could feel the tug of sleep as he spoke, and settled back into the pillows. He just managed a mumbled 'Night," before he drifted away.

xoxoxoxoxo

"I have something I want explained, Colonel."

Jack was surprised by how much authority the general could convey even while lying flat on his back in bed. He tried to sit up straighter, but today wasn't one of his good days. He grimaced as another headache took hold.

"Sir?" He thought he managed a fairly creditable tone of normality, but the look in his CO's eyes told him otherwise.

"Bad? Headache, or something else? Doctor Fraiser told me about your other symptoms."

Jack squirmed a little in embarrassment. That wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss with Hammond – or anyone else for that matter. "It's just a headache, sir. What were you saying?"

"It can wait."

"No," Jack said firmly. "I'd rather talk if that's okay with you, sir. It'll take my mind off things." He meant every word. Just thinking about it had his stomach churning. He swallowed hard. "That's assuming you weren't going to put me on report or something, General."

"It did cross my mind." Jack sobered quickly at Hammond's words, but relaxed again when the general smiled. "I thought I was hallucinating when you fell out of the ceiling. What were you thinking?"

"Ah . . . well, there was a method to our madness, sir." He grinned proudly. "We had a Plan." He emphasised the word, giving it the capital letter it deserved. "It was the only way we could think of to get them out of the base and get me the antidote. We figured, seeing Jaahn and the others on his planet had limited contact with Cronus's Jaffa, that it would be fairly easy to fool them. It was lucky Bra'tac had some of those big helmet thingies – they'd a stock pile of weapons and other equipment they 'liberated' in battle. Unfortunately Jaahn didn't react exactly the way we had hoped, but it all turned out okay in the end."

Hammond gestured to the equipment, tubing, and other paraphernalia surrounding his second-in-command's bed. "You have a strange definition of 'okay', Jack."

The colonel smiled ruefully. "Could have been worse."

"Yes, I suppose it could have. Things are almost back to normal. I should be back on my feet in a few days now the paralysis is wearing off. The scientists over at Area 51 are itching to get their hands on one of those weapons."

"I can imagine."

"And now Major Ferretti is cleared for light duties he has taken a lot of the load from Colonel Dixon while we are both out of commission."

Jack was quiet for a few minutes, thinking back over the events of the past few days. Ferretti had visited him, but it couldn't have been at a worse time and Jack knew he'd been less than friendly towards the other officer. He shook his head in confusion.

"I didn't know the major had been injured, sir."

Hammond nodded, moving on his bed, his face contorting briefly as he struggled to shift his uncooperative body. "The enemy used him as a doorstop. He was made to stand at the gate, keeping it open while Jaahn's men came through. He was lucky to escape with mild frostbite."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Jack felt annoyance tinged with a touch of guilt at Hammond's explanation.

"Exactly how much do you remember since Jaahn's death, son?"

"Not a lot, to be honest."

Hammond nodded sympathetically. "That's understandable. We thought you weren't going to make it for a while there. Even Master Bra'tac was worried."

Vague memories of the old Jaffa's wrinkled face flashed through Jack. "He was here."

"Yes. He wanted to make sure you were alive. Said he doubted you would be and that he expected to be asked to the funeral."

"Sounds like Bra'tac." Jack laughed. "Bet he was disappointed to find me still alive and kicking."

"No, not disappointed – far from it."

The general's sombre tone had Jack frowning.

"We were all worried, Jack. Still are."

"You don't need. . . " Jack's words came to an abrupt halt as what he had been dreading since General Hammond had been installed as his roommate happened. He folded himself over, hugging his knees, and willing the pains to leave. "Go away. Go away." He wasn't aware he had spoken the words aloud until he heard the general.

"I'm not going anywhere, son."

xoxoxoxoxo

Janet rung the cloth out and applied it to the colonel's forehead again, wiping it gently. He moaned and moved into her touch. She stilled and wasn't surprised when his eyelids opened and a pair of blurry brown eyes stared up at her.

"Doc?"

"Hey, sir." She continued to hold the cool cloth on his head, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. "You've got a slight temperature. Nothing to worry about normally, but you're still very weak so you're probably feeling pretty sick at the moment."

"Um."

Janet took that as agreement. She put the cloth back in the basin.

"Crap." The colonel had lifted his head and was staring down at his naked torso. "I did it again, didn't I."

Janet kept her tone matter-a-fact. "If you mean you had a bout of vomiting and diarrhea – yes. I've changed your medication so hopefully it won't happen again, but we're dealing with an alien drug here so I'm working in the dark at the moment."

He turned his head, looking towards the general's empty bed. "Was . . . ?" His voice petered out and he turned back to her, looking almost afraid to speak the question.

Janet knew what he was asking. "General Hammond was here. And he'll be back in a short while – he's down at physiotherapy." For the first time in the years she had known him Colonel O'Neill was flushed with embarrassment. She gave an annoyed sigh. "You are suffering from withdrawal from an alien drug that almost killed you You're physically weak and you barely know where you are half the time – a state I gather was the norm for you rather than the exception while you were offworld and has only improved marginally since you got home." She halted at O'Neill's look of astonishment. At least he wasn't looking embarrassed – more like stunned. She took a breath and hurried on before she lost courage. "Why do you think everyone is treading on eggshells around you? They're feeling guilty, sir – guilty, and the fact you don't want to see them is only making them convinced you hold them to blame."

"That's not why I don't want them here." He gestured down at himself. "I don't want them to see me like this. It's bad enough that you and the nurses have to. I know you'll say it's your job, but that doesn't make it any easier." He frowned in puzzlement. "Why would I blame them? It was Steffen who gave me the poison, not them."

Janet wondered how a man as obviously intelligent as the colonel could be so thick. "They were with you the whole time since you were first brought back from the planet by Teal'c." She paused at the perplexed look on his face. "You don't remember, do you?"

"No. Remember what?"

Janet put the basin down and pulled a chair over, sitting in it and leaning closer to the colonel. "You were hallucinating – probably a combination of the head injury and the poison. You kept asking for them to believe you – pleading with them."

"And Daniel and Carter were there?" His eyes begged her to say no.

"Yes. Teal'c too. And you wouldn't listen when they tried to apologise for what happened on the planet."

"Crap."

"Then it looked like you were getting better, but the withdrawal hit. Whenever they came to see you, you ordered them out."

"But, that wasn't the reason. . ."

"I know that, Jack, but they don't." General Hammond's voice had Janet turning. He was in the doorway, an airman pushing his wheelchair forward into the room.

"You're back sooner than I expected, sir." Janet stood and pulled back the covers on the general's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but in a good way." He stood shakily, the airman's hand supporting him, and was soon settled back in bed again.

They waited until the door shut behind the young man before resuming their conversation. Hammond nodded to Janet to take a seat and she did so, staying quiet, but pleased she had been given unspoken permission to stay.

"We need to get this sorted out, son. The doctor here tells me you are well on your way to recovery." Janet wasn't the only one that heard the small snort of disbelief from the other man as he continued. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but take my word, you're a lot better than you were just a few days ago." Janet found the general's gaze resting on her for a second and she gave a small nod of agreement. She doubted the colonel understood just how worried they had all been. Hammond turned his attention back to the colonel. "I've had full reports from everyone involved in the mission. Both Major Ferretti and Doctor Jackson feel the blame for what happened rests with them."

"That's bullshit, sir. I probably would have done exactly the same thing as Ferretti. I wasn't in any condition to be leading the mission and certainly wasn't coherent enough to be making decisions. Major Ferretti made the right call in relieving me of command."

"That isn't what he thinks."

"Maybe not now, General, but given the information he had at the time he couldn't have done otherwise. Jaahn had it all planned. Everything he and his men did was working towards getting our people to trust him. The fact I didn't was more luck than judgement, sir."

"And instinct."

O'Neill nodded. "Yes, sure, but you can't rely on instinct alone." His voice rose a second and Janet saw the line of pain between his eyes that indicated another headache. "I came back from being tortured for information with a skull fracture that I assume resulted in a concussion – would I be right, Doc?" Janet nodded and he continued. "I was already weak and disoriented by hunger and thirst - of course they were right to mistrust my judgment. Then Jaahn had me drugged. I was lucky I could string two words together by the end."

"But you managed to put together a plan – one that worked."

Colonel O'Neill raised a hand, stopping the general's words. "Excuse me for being blunt here, sir, but that was just dumb luck. Without Bra'tac's help it wouldn't have succeeded." He smiled slightly. "Plus, I had Teal'c on my side and that's always good."

"So, you do not hold Majors Ferretti or Carter to blame in any way for what happened."

"No, General, I don't and I'm willing to go on record to that effect." He raised a hand to massage the bridge of his nose. "Everyone involved with the mission carried out their duties in a manner they should be proud of."

"What about Doctor Jackson?"

The colonel was silent for a while, long enough for Janet to worry about his answer. "It's no different to what happened with Daniel and Ma'chello's trap. I was acting irrationally – he had no reason to believe me. I have no problem with that. At least I haven't had to see McKenzie."

"Yet, Colonel, yet."

"Sir. . . "

"Sorry, son. Regulations."

The expression on the colonel's face was priceless and Janet barely restrained herself from bursting out in a loud laugh. Then she sobered, taking in the increasing paleness of her patient's face and his pinched expression.

She stood and approached his bed, adjusted the IV. "You need to relax now, sir. Try and sleep"

When he didn't protest she knew she had made the right call.

They waited a few minutes, until they were sure he was asleep.

"That was unexpected."

General Hammond shook his head, his gaze fixed on the colonel. "No, not really. He's right and I wouldn't have expected any other response from him."

"Daniel and Sam don't think so, sir."

"They will, Doctor, they will. I'm certain Colonel O'Neill will see to that."

xoxoxoxoxo

"Come on in, kids." Jack beckoned his visitors in. "Find yourself a seat. The general has gone back to his own room so that bed is free if you want to use it. Can't say I'm sorry. God, but that man can snore."

"Thank you, sir." Carter gave him a formal nod and took his offer, sitting rather stiffly at the end of the empty bed.

Jack waited until they were seated – Ferretti in one chair and Daniel in the other. He knew better than to insist Teal'c sat. The Jaffa stood comfortably at the foot of Jack's bed. He gave him a quick smile and received a nod in return.

"Where's the pizzas, Lou? I thought I told you to bring pizzas." He hurried on before anyone could speak. "Listen guys, we need to talk. . . "

xoxoxoxoxo

The End