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TWO
Samantha Carter found herself traveling to Jack O'Neill's doorstep inexplicably that night, after a rather dull evening had waranted a long drive to give her something to do. She didn't exactly know why she had chosen to visit the Colonel, but for some reason she just wanted to see him. First she'd called his house, but there had been no answer. Judging by how tired he seemed when he left the SGC, Sam guessed that he hadn't gone out. She gave Daniel and Teal'c a call to see what they were up to, but the guys were on their way to see a movie. They invited her to come along, but Sam confessed she wasn't particularly up to going to the theater.
Instead of doing anything else, Sam found herself standing in front of Colonel O'Neill's door, raising a hand and taking a deep breath in preparation to knock. Finally letting her knuckles rap against the hard wood of the door a few times, Sam kept quiet, listening for an answer of some kind, or footsteps approaching the door. After a few moments, no response came. "Colonel?" She called somewhat hesitantly, leaning back to see that his truck was in the driveway. "Colonel, it's Major Carter. Are you home?"
Brows furrowing, Sam gave another knock, harder this time. When there was only silence again, she tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. Nudging the door open slightly, she poked her head inside and took a quick look around. "Hello? Anybody home? Colonel?"
Now alarmed that no one was answering, and the door had been left unlocked, Sam let herself in, tentatively stepping over the threshold. Her attention was brought to her left where she knew the sitting room to be, and she slowly headed down the few steps leading into the room. Blue eyes traveling to the couch at the right, Sam's gaze lowered until she noticed Jack laying lifeless on the floor just in front of the sofa. "Colonel!" She exclaimed worriedly, hurrying to his side. A shaky hand shot to his neck worriedly, and she checked his pulse instinctively. Sighing with a little bit of relief, Sam found Jack's pulse to be a bit quicker than normal, but it was strong, and it was there.
"Sir," Sam called to him, rolling the unconscious man onto his back and nudging his chest with one hand, trying to wake him. "Colonel, are you alright?"
A moment passed slowly before Jack's vivid brown eyes fluttered open, and he groggily focused on the familiar face of the woman hovering over him. "Carter?" He mumured raspily, confused.
She smiled tightly, relieved he had woken. "Come on Sir, I need you to sit up," Sam reached behind his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position where he managed to shift slightly and lean his back against the couch for support.
"Whu - What's goin' on?" Jack asked drowsily, still tired and confused, though the pounding in his head from earlier seemed to be gone.
"I'm not sure Colonel," Sam answered him honestly, still crouched by his side. "I was out for a drive, and I uh... I decided to stop by. I noticed your truck out front but when I knocked on the door no one answered," She explained, leaving out the part that she had actually called him before leaving her house. "I waited for a little while and knocked again, then I tried the door and it was open so..." A sheepish expression came over Sam's face. "I let myself in and uh...found you like..this."
Blinking a few times, Jack scrubbed a hand over his face roughly. He seemed to become drowsy again, and his head suddenly dropped to his chin, alarming Sam.
"Sir!" She reached out and grasped his arm firmly before he could slump to the floor on his side. "Come on Colonel, let's get you on the couch," Her voice was soft and concerned. Worriedly, she stood and hefted Jack up enough to transfer his weight to the sofa, where he slumped lifelessly with a tired groan. "Sir, are you alright?"
"Mm," he groaned, his upper body sprawled across the cushions while his legs hung over the side of the couch at an angle. "Jus' tired," Jack slurred. "M'fine,"
Sam's hand went to his forehead instinctively. She held it there for a brief moment, then pulled away with a look of confusion on her face and a slight sigh. "Well, you don't have a temperature." Rubbing the back of her neck unsurely, Sam stood with her hands on her hips as she noticed the Colonel was still dressed in his BDUs from when they were off-world. "Sir, do you want me to get you something more comfortable to wear?" Her voice was hesitant and she froze, awaiting his response. God, that sounded like such the wrong thing to say, Sam thought with a faint grimace, thankful that her CO had his eyes closed.
Jack waved a hand listlessly, seeming very out of it. "My room, second drawer from th' top," he murmured, face pressed into a throw pillow.
Nodding, and thankful that he didn't suggest she was way out of line, Sam jogged off toward the stairs to retrieve some other clothes for Jack.
When she hurried back to the living room after finding a pair of plain grey sweats and a white t-shirt, Sam found Jack sitting semi-upright, slumped forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "Colonel?" She whispered questioningly, striding toward him and setting the clothes down on a nearby couch cushion.
Jack rose his head slowly, barely aware of anything besides the muffled voice coming from the woman beside him. He smiled weakly with a murmured, "Thanks," Just sitting there, he turned his head a little and stared down at the pile of clothes. Jack thought about moving his limbs to change, but he couldn't even get his arms to cooperate, they felt so heavy. He felt like crap. "Ugh," Jack moaned, still staring at the clothes.
Sam grimaced. She didn't know what to do. Truthfully, she would have been more than happy to give him a hand, but figured that it probably wasn't appropriate. But in actuality, if the man couldn't dress himself, there was no wrongdoing, right? "Jack - uh, I mean, Colonel," she quickly corrected herself, "Do you need some help?"
"No," Jack snapped indignantly, not noticing her slip of his first name. Liar. His mind accused bitterly.
Noticing moisture along his brow, Sam reached for his forehead once again. This time she frowned, finding that he was decidedly much warmer than what was normal. "You're feverish Sir," She excused his irritability because it was very clear to her that he wasn't feeling well.
Close to panicking, Sam looked Jack over. He didn't look too good. Picking up the clothes that the Colonel continued to stare blankly at, Sam thrust them into his lap and got up. "Here, try and put these on. I'll be back in a few minutes," Heading back toward the stairs, she ventured toward the kitchen, intent on finding the phone and giving Daniel a call.
-
A few minutes passed before Sam returned to the living room, surprised to find that Jack had gotten out of his boots and managed to change into the sweats, but it seemed he was having trouble getting his shirt off. He looked sweaty and out of breath. With a sympathetic sigh, she strode toward him, hoping that Daniel would get there fast. The archaeologist had expressed his concern upon hearing the worry in Sam's voice, and said he'd be on his way with Teal'c, since the Jaffa had announced he was coming along as well.
Without waiting to be asked for help, or bothering to ask if he needed it (since she was sure he'd refuse anyway), Sam sidled up to the Colonel and helped get his black t-shirt the rest of the way off. She was worried that he seemed too distracted by exhaustion and pain to argue. His face kept contorting and she saw his jaw clench a few times while she reached for the white tee and helped him into it. "Colonel, you alright?" Sam asked softly, brows furrowed.
"Headache," he grumbled with a wince, brown eyes snapping shut while he bowed his head.
Sam chewed her bottom lip, bright blue eyes focused on Jack. "Try and lay down, I'll get you something," she insisted, moving so he could put his feet up on the sofa.
-
Jack had fallen asleep by the time Daniel and Teal'c arrived, letting themselves in. Sam looked up from the magazine she'd had in her lap and was pretending to read for the past twenty minutes. She just couldn't get her mind off of the Colonel. Smiling tightly, Sam got up while Daniel and Teal'c came down the few steps into the living room. "Hey guys, I'm glad you're here," she told them honestly, a hint of relief in her tone.
Daniel's eyes settled on Jack, and he took in the fevered sweat across his friend's face. Brows furrowed, he turned to Sam. "How's he doing?"
She grimaced faintly. "Well, he's definetly got a fever. Said he had a headache before he fell asleep." Sam had already told Daniel how she'd found him passed out on the floor. "I gave him a few Tylenols."
Teal'c stood stoically beside Daniel with his hands clasped behind his back. His steady gaze was directed toward the Colonel.
Scratching his chin for a moment, Daniel switched to adjusting his glasses before taking a seat. "Think he's caught the flu or something?"
"I'm not sure," Sam shrugged. She doubted it though, not thinking that something as simple as the flu could effect him so severely in such a short amount of time.
"Hm," Daniel nodded absently. "There's not much we can do really, besides let him sleep and get plenty of fluids I suppose." He looked to Sam as she nodded. "If he's no better in the morning, we should take him back to the SGC and have Janet look him over."
"Yeh, I figured as much," Sam nodded again. She sighed softly before sinking into the sofa by Jack's feet.
"I shall keep watch over O'Neill if it is necessary," Teal'c announced, his deep voice catching both Daniel and Sam's attention.
Waving a hand dismissively, Sam felt the urge to speak up. "No, don't worry about it. I can look after him tonight. I'm too tired to drive home anyway," she yawned, as if for effect.
Daniel was about to offer giving her a ride, but instead he kept his mouth shut. Something told him that Sam needed to look after Jack on her own. He nodded, then looked over at Teal'c with a smile and patted the Jaffa's shoulder. "Okay then. Come on Teal'c, let's head back to my place and finish off that pizza,"
"Indeed," His head tilted down in a slight nod before he shared a glance with Sam and headed back up the steps.
"See you tomorrow. Let Jack know we stopped by." Daniel waved with a smile as he followed Teal'c out the door. He was sure his buddy was in good hands with Sam looking after him, and a wry grin spread across his face while he headed toward his car.
-
Before she knew it, Sam had drifted off to sleep on the recliner by the couch. It was a little past midnight when a low moaning noise in the Colonel's direction had woken her. Sitting up quickly with a start since she hadn't even been aware she'd fallen asleep, Sam had to fumble for a lightswitch as her eyes failed to adjust to the darkness. Her hand groped out along the table beside the couch, and she found the lamp after nearly knocking it over. Turning it on, Sam had to blink a few times while her eyes got acclimated to the new brightness. While her focus shifted to the couch, she got up and crouched down to reach for her CO's forehead. He was hot to the touch and sweating profusely.
Sam frowned, pulling back slightly as he thrashed and groaned. "Colonel," she called out gently, hoping to wake him so she could atleast take him to his room where he could sleep in a real bed.
Jack's eyes were tightly shut, his face drawn and twisted with discomfort. Brown eyes fluttered open in the midst of the fevered dream, but he wasn't quite aware. The bleary figure of a female form was hovering over him, that much Jack knew. Unless he was hallucinating, for which he couldn't be sure of. He groaned, his head aching as though it were splitting more and more apart with each movement. The Tylenols he'd been given before didn't seem to be doing anything now.
Frowning more-so than before, Sam gently tugged Jack into a sitting position, regretting it as soon as he winced sharply and released a strained moan of pain. "I'm sorry Sir, but I really think it's best if we get you into your own bed," She urged him to get to his feet, and her words must have somehow gotten through to his bleary mind because he did so almost automatically. Jack's movements were languid, and he leaned heavily on her, but atleast Sam got him moving.
She could feel the heat radiating from his body as she led him clumsily up the stairs, staggering along and leaning against the railing so she could steady him as much as possible. The dampness of his clothes had Sam worried about how high a fever he had. As soon as she got him somewhat settled into bed, the Airforce Major hurried toward the bathroom to search for a thermometer. When five minutes of frantic searching had passed without finding one, Sam soaked a folded facecloth in cool water and hurried back to the Colonel's room.
"Sir?" Her whispered voice was filled with unspoken concern. She strode across the dark room after flicking off the lights, then ended up sitting on the edge of Jack's bed. Leaning over, she reached for his forehead and gently placed the folded cloth across his heated skin. "I hope this helps some," she whispered, trying to reassure herself that Jack would be alright and his fever wasn't too high. Sam wasn't exactly sure she'd be able to handle things if his condition got bad.
For a long while Sam just sat there next to Jack on his bed, wiping the wet cloth over his sweaty face on occasion to wash away the droplets of sweat. He seemed to fall back asleep, fitful like before, but his thrashing eased up a bit after an hour or so. She had to wonder if her presense had anything to do with it.
Feeling her own body begging for sleep, Sam found herself laying next to the Colonel after grabbing a quilt she'd found in the closet and draping it over her. Her sparkling blue eyes had fluttered closed, but before she could drift into the welcoming darkness of sleep, she felt the bed trembling faintly and leaned up on her elbow to notice that Jack was shaking. "Colonel?"
There was no response. He was on his back, eyes clenched shut tightly for a few seconds before he rolled onto his right side and curled up.
Chewing her bottom lip for a moment and battling with her conscience at the same time, Sam eventually decided to let her concerns and instincts take over. She slid closer to Jack on the bed, taking the large quilt with her and wrapping them both in it. The washcloth had long since fallen off his forehead, so she snatched it from where it lay on the pillow and tossed it to the floor. As Jack began groaning, and Sam could hear his teeth chattering, she curled up to his back and held onto him. They laid like that for a long time before the tremors of Jack's body eased and Sam had fallen into an exhausted sleep.
-
The morning sunshine pressed insistantly against the window to Jack's bedroom, and Sam instantly regretted not shutting the blinds the previous night. She laid there, comfortable for a moment until she remembered she'd been snuggled up extremely close to her CO when she'd fallen asleep. With a soft gasp, Sam pulled herself to a sitting position, only to realize that Jack wasn't even in the bed. A feeling of dread washed over her, and she immediately climbed out of bed to search for the sick Colonel.
The awful sound of retching brought Sam's attention to the adjoined bathroom, and she hurried over, pushing the door open gently and poking her head in. "Colonel," she called out worriedly, finding Jack hunched over the toilet and continuing to empty the bare contents of his stomach in about five second intervals. Stepping further into the bathroom while he finished a few bouts of vommiting and seemed about done, Sam soaked a cloth in warm water and knelt by his side to wipe his face. Her brows furrowed anxiously. His face was slicked with moisture, and his sweat-dampened clothes clung to his lean frame. "Alright Sir, I definetly think we need to get you to Janet," she announced in a firm, yet worried tone.
Despite how sweaty he was, Jack couldn't stop himself from shaking. He was so cold and sick, he hated it. He didn't even have it in him to protest being dragged to the SGC infirmary to get checked out by ole' Doc Fraiser. Groaning, he lifted his head to look up at Sam. The misery he felt was reflected in his 2IC's bright blue eyes. I must look like hell, he thought with the barest hint of a weak smile.
Lightly touching a hand to Jack's dampened back, Sam stood from her crouch and helped him to stand on shaky legs. He was shivering violently. "Think you can get downstairs and into my car, or do you want me to give Daniel a call and have him and Teal'c give us a hand?"
"Don't call Danny," he mumbled raspily, breathing steadily in hopes he wouldn't start throwing up again. "He's like a mother hen, you know him,"
Sam noticed a faint smirk on Jack's pale face, and couldn't help but smile slightly herself. She clung to his sweaty arm, allowing him to lean on her as much as he needed to. "Come on, I'll get you a blanket and then we'll head out to my car."
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