Chapter Five: Really and Truly
For a few hours Sam sat at the edge of Jack's bed, mopping his sweaty brow and offering soothing words during the brief moments in which he'd been awake. Those moments didn't last long however, but as soon as he'd been resting without a disturbance for almost an hour, Sam left his side to quietly creep downstairs so she could use the phone without bothering Jack. Since she'd already planned on spending the night at Jack's place, and she wasn't about to leave him alone, Sam decided to give Daniel a call and ask for a favor.
"Uh, yeh, hello?" Daniel answered his phone hastily, as though he'd been interrupted doing something important.
"Hey Daniel, it's Sam," she grimaced at the irritated tone in his voice when he'd picked up. "Uh, is this a bad time?"
"Sam!" He exclaimed, seemingly much more pleased at who was on the other end. "No, no, it's not a bad time. I just thought you were Rothman. He's been bugging me about something-or-other all night."
Sam laughed quietly and smiled.
"Yeh, so anyway, what's going on?" Daniel prompted curiously.
"Well, actually..." Sam paused, wondering if she should even be bothering her friend right now. "I kinda need a favor,"
"Sure, what do you need?" Daniel's tone was light and kind, willing to help her out without even worrying about what the favor was.
Sighing slightly, Sam chewed her lower lip before answering. "I'm at Jack's right now, but I need to stop at my place and get a few things and I don't want to leave him alone, so I was wondering if you'd mind stopping by for a little bit,"
"Yeh, sure, no problem," Daniel agreed, though he sounded a bit disconcerted. "Is Jack doing okay?"
"Janet was here this afternoon and she took a look at him. He's been running a fever, but she said it was just because he'd stopped taking the medication she gave him too soon," Sam said without directly answering his question.
Sensing that she wasn't up to offering any details, Daniel just nodded to himself. "Okay, well I'll be on my way in a minute. It shouldn't take me too long to get there. See ya soon,"
Sam listened as Daniel hung up the phone, then slowly did the same. She hurried up the steps to check up on Jack one last time before Daniel arrived to look over him for a bit.
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Knocking faintly on the door before it was quickly pulled open, Daniel's eyes widened briefly in surprise before a hesitant smile crossed his face and he found himself eye to eye with Sam. Well, almost eye to eye, considering she was a couple inches shorter than him. "Hey, I'm here," he announced as though it was necessary.
Sam sent Daniel a quick smile before ushering him inside and gesturing to keep quiet. "Jack's upstairs sleeping," she explained softly, pulling on her warm winter coat and taking out the car keys in her purse.
"Okay," Daniel just nodded, removing his own jacket after Sam had just done the opposite. He slung it over his arm and waited patiently for some instructions or something.
"I won't be gone long, just have to pick up a few things, that's it," Sam assured him. "You can sit down here and watch tv or something. Jack should be alright, just check on him once in awhile. His fever hasn't broken yet, but it's not getting any worse. If he wakes up, try and get him to drink some of the water on the night table."
Daniel nodded. "Alright, I can do that." He crossed his arms, glancing up the stairs. "Anything else I need to know?"
"Ah, nope..." she paused briefly and then nodded, "You should be all set." Sam flashed a quick smile before pausing in somber thought and reluctantly heading out the door.
Releasing a sigh, Daniel ran a hand through his hair and shrugged idly before he found himself staring blankly up the staircase. Wandering up there, he slowly stepped into the open door of Jack's bedroom. It took a moment for him to focus with the dim lighting, but once his vision adjusted, Daniel slowly stepped toward the bed. His friend seemed to be sleeping alright, chest rising and falling rhythmically, although Jack's breaths rasped just a bit.
For a moment Daniel just stood there with his arms crossed, staring down at his resting friend. There were beads of sweat dotted across Jack's brow, but he seemed to be sleeping alright, so Daniel decided to leave him to it. With a self-assured nod, the archaeologist turned slowly and strode from the room, making his way back downstairs.
-
Sam had only been gone for around forty-five minutes, but it was already getting late and she was worried about Daniel having to drive home with the roads getting more icy from the cold and bitter night air. She returned to Jack's house with a bag slung over one shoulder, quietly letting herself inside. Pleased, and somewhat surprised to find the fire going, Sam smiled as she strode into the living room to find Daniel passed out on the couch. Setting her bag down beside the armchair, she decided to sneak upstairs and check on Jack before waking the slumbering archaeologist.
Reaching Jack's room, Sam smiled affectionately when she discovered haze-filled brown eyes watching her. "You're awake," she stated unnecessarily, making her way over to the bed.
"Can't fool you," Jack remarked raspily with a faint smirk. He blinked slowly, a hand sliding over his bandaged ribs after he gingerly rolled onto his back. Sighing heavily with a mild grimace, he scrubbed a hand over one side of his face before his fingers trailed lightly over the bruises.
Sam sat down on Jack's bed and pressed her hand to his forehead, already seeing that his skin was still damp with sweat. She frowned, causing him to look at her strangely with furrowed brows.
"What?" Jack questioned with a partly-raised eyebrow, not even bothering to lift his head from the pillow where it rested.
"You're still pretty warm," she told him with a disappointed sigh. Sam watched him shift slightly on the bed and wince, even though he tried to turn his head so she wouldn't see. "Jack," she began seriously, "Do you need some of the mild pain pills Janet left for you?"
Clearing his throat, Jack eyed Sam with slight confusion. "Doc was here?" he asked without answering her question.
"Mm-hm," Sam nodded with a quick smile. "She stopped by earlier and checked you over while you were sleeping. You're suffering effects from not taking the medication she gave you. That's why you've got a fever,"
"Oy," Jack groaned, closing his eyes and dragging up his right arm to press a hand to his forehead.
"Were you awake at all with Daniel?" She asked, already knowing the answer by the look that crossed his face. Sam suddenly felt bad for confusing him in his fevered state. The delirium was bad enough.
"Jeeze, Danny-boy was here too? Is the rest of the party hiding under the bed?" Jack quipped softly with a brief grin.
Sam laughed quietly, then immediately stood up from the bed, startling Jack. "Oh, I forgot!"
"What?" Both brows shot up in surprise.
She ran a hand through her short hair. "Daniel's still here! I only asked him to come by so I could stop at my place and get a few things. I just got back actually, and he was fast asleep on the couch downstairs,"
"Well, send the poor guy home," Jack exclaimed with a faint, weak chuckle. He blinked, struggling to sit up and eyeing the clock. "It's late."
Sam held a contemplative expression for a long moment. She chewed her lower lip and glanced back toward the door. "I know it's late, but the roads are getting bad and I don't want Daniel to have to drive home half-asleep as it is,"
Jack blinked, an indifferent look on his face. "Let him sleep then. Just toss him a blanket, he'll be okay,"
Smiling, Sam nodded, then started out the door, her hand momentarily resting on the frame as she glanced back in the room at Jack. "I'll be right back,"
He just grinned back at her. "You better be."
-
Making her way down to the living room, Sam locked doors and shut off lights as she went, guided by the reflective glow of the moon shimering off the brilliantly white snow that shone through the big windows. Sneaking down into the sitting area, she was pleased to find Daniel still fast asleep. Grabbing and unfolding a blanket from the armchair nearby, Sam draped it over Daniel before moving toward the fireplace and adding in a few more logs to keep it lit throughout the night. She was almost tempted to remain by the warmth of the fire, even if that meant grabbing a blanket and settling down on the floor. Remembering that Jack was still ill and awaiting her return upstairs, Sam thought better of it and left the living room. She'd rather be curled up by the fire with Jack than by herself anyway.
Silently entering the dark room after changing into a comfortable pair of sweats and a tank top, Sam crept over to the bed, guided by the wisps of moonlight shining through the windows. She cautiously knelt down just in front of where Jack lay on right his side near the edge. Her hand found it's way to his forehead and she ran it through his short, unruly hair.
Jack's head jerked slightly at the contact of the cool hand against his forehead, eyes opening sleepily. "Hey Sam," he murmured, still fighting the pull of sleep that threatened to bring him back to the comforting, pain-free darkness. "Lay down...with me," His voice was quickly losing strength and volume.
"Okay," Sam nodded with a smile, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek before standing from her crouched position. "Go back to sleep Jack," she whispered gently, tugging the blankets up snugly around him before making her way to the other side of the bed and crawling under the covers. Sliding toward Jack, she curled up into the warmth of his back, her head resting on the pillow just behind the nape of his neck. Sam could already tell by the steady sound of his breathing that Jack had drifted off once more. Closing her eyes, she drew the covers up more so they covered her shoulders, then slowly fell into a tired sleep, exhausted by the stressful days events.
-
Opening his eyes groggily, Jack slowly allowed himself to focus in the near-overwhelming brightness from the sunlight shining through the bedroom windows. When he noticed he was alone, his brows knit together with confusion and surprise. He was normally used to being the first one up. That made Jack realize how out of it he'd been. With a low groan, he slowly rolled to his back before gritting his teeth and sitting up stiffly.
Sliding toward the edge of the bed and then getting to his feet with a jaw-clenching grimace, Jack made a quick stop to the bathroom before shuffling slowly toward his dresser to retrieve a shirt before heading downstairs.
-
"Sleep okay, Daniel?" Sam asked with a gentle smile, sliding a cup of hot coffee across the table to the sleepy archaeologist.
"Oh yeh," Daniel yawned, blinking and adjusting his glasses. "I slept fine." He gratefully sipped at the caffeineated beverage before yawning again. Clearing his throat, he sent Sam a tired smile of gratitude. "Thanks for letting me stay the night by the way,"
She nodded, sipping at her own coffee. "Well the roads were bad last night and it was late when I got back. I didn't want you driving home with the roads so icy, just in case..."
When Sam trailed off, Daniel realized exactly what she was thinking. He frowned, remembering the night of Jack's accident as well. Smiling thinly at Sam, he just nodded and decided to change the subject. "So how's Jack doing?"
"He still had a fever when I got home, but he seemed to be feeling a little better," Sam's eyes trailed unconsciously out of the kitchen. "I thought I'd let him sleep."
Just then both Sam and Daniel were brought to attention by the sound of a crashing thud coming from upstairs. Each shooting to their feet in alarm, fearing the worst, they took off at a hurried pace and scrambled up the stairs.
Sam heaved a huge sigh of relief at the sight before her when she reached Jack's bedroom. He was standing there over a fallen lamp with a t-shirt slung over his right shoulder, an innocent look on his face.
"What?" Jack looked between Sam and Daniel, confused by the apprehensive-turned relieved looks on their faces. He rose an eyebrow before his gaze dropped to the lamp on the floor, then offered a one-shouldered shrug. "It fell," was his simple explanation. Grinning like a bashful little boy that just broke his mother's favorite vase, Jack made a move to pick up the fallen lamp.
"I got it," Daniel jumped in, easily bending down and retrieving it. He adjusted the now-crooked lampshade before placing the miraculously unbroken lamp back on the dresser. Standing back and smiling uncomfortably, he crossed his arms over his chest for a moment, then attempted to smooth out his clothes that were rumpled from being slept in.
With a sigh, Sam smiled and moved beside Jack to steady him as he headed out of the room. She knew his knees were still sore, the slight limp as he walked proving as much.
"I'm hungry," Jack announced while allowing Sam to lead him down the stairs slowly.
Daniel smiled and followed after them. Leave it to Jack O'Neill to change the subject so easily in a tense situation.
-
While Jack sat at the table and Sam helped him get his t-shirt on, Daniel hovered in front of the cupboards to look for something edible. Grabbing a box of cereal and deciding it was good enough, he poured three bowls before heading to the fridge for milk. He yawned sleepily, lingering a little longer by the counter to give Jack and Sam a little time alone, even if it was only for a moment.
After she had already gotten Jack into the oversized shirt, Sam sat herself in the chair next to his and pressed a hand to his forehead. The stern look she shot him as he growled with annoyance and tried to pull away managed to halt any further struggling. She chewed her lower lip in thought for a brief moment. "Hm, I can't quite tell if your fever's gone," Sam commented quietly, mostly to herself.
"Sam, I'm okay," Jack said slowly, trying to make her believe him. His eyes fixated on hers, brown locking to blue and twinkling gently.
Smiling tightly in response, Sam nodded and affectionately ran her hand through his hair. At the sound of someone clearing their throat, she turned to see Daniel fumbling to carry three full bowls of cereal toward the table. Standing up and gently laying her hand on Jack's right shoulder, Sam then took two bowls from the archaeologist and set them down carefully.
"Breakfast is served," Daniel said cheerfully, putting his own bowl on the table and sitting down across from Jack and Sam.
"Mm, Fruit Loops," Jack smirked slightly before digging in without another word.
Sam watched him for a moment, just glad that he had an appetite. She looked down at the colorful cereal before her, then looked up with an arched brow at Daniel.
He shrugged with a helpless smile and a mouthful of Fruit Loops.
Jack had nearly finished off his bowl, only a few soggy remains of colorful O's left swirling around the faded pinkish-colored milk. He rose his chin slightly and peered across the room out the window toward the backyard. Sure enough, puffy little flakes of snow had begun fluttering at an increasing pace from the sky. Gesturing toward the window with his spoon, Jack jerked his chin slightly. "It's snowing," he murmured conversationally.
Daniel turned and stood suddenly. "Oh, that reminds me," he exclaimed, hurriedly taking his empty cereal bowl and bringing it off to the sink. "I'd better get going. I've got some artifacts and Goa'uld skeletal remains that I promised to look over with Rothman, but I've gotta stop home to change and pick up a few things first," Smiling apologetically at Jack and Sam, Daniel nodded and headed off for the livingroom where he'd left his coat and shoes. "Thanks for putting me up for the night!" He called out, shrugging into his coat and moving to the door.
"Anytime," Jack called out softly with a half-smile and a wave, still partly wondering how snow had reminded the archaeologist about old junk and research. "See ya later Danny, don't wanna keep them dead Goa'uld waitin',"
"Bye Daniel," Sam waved after him with a gentle smile before the archaeologist was out the door.
Heaving a sigh, Jack folded his arms on the table and dropped his head down on them.
Concerned, Sam scooted her chair a bit closer and rested a hand on his back. "Jack? Are you alright?"
"Yeh," he mumbled into his arms. "I'm just...ah, I dunno...tired I guess,"
Getting up from her chair, Sam went over to the cupboards to retrieve Jack's pills. She set them on the table in front of him along with a glass of water. "Here, Janet assured me it would be alright for you to take these now."
Lifting his head from his arms slowly, Jack heaved a faint sigh before glaring slightly at the pills. Raising an eyebrow as he picked them up, he directed his questioning gaze at Sam. "Now you're sure this isn't gonna make me sick?"
Sam just gave him a meaningful look that said, 'trust me', and gestured for him to take the pills.
Rolling his eyes, Jack obediently took the pills without further questioning. He was keenly aware of the current ache in his ribs, managing to chalk it up to having moved into an awkward position overnight. With a muted groan, he sat up further and wearily eyed the bowl of soggy Fruit Loops remains in front of him. Brows furrowing as a thought occured to him, Jack tilted his head to look over at Sam. "Shouldn't you be at the SGC?"
"Trying to get rid of me?" Sam scrutinized him with a teasing smirk, blue eyes glinting.
Jack snorted and rubbed at his forehead, letting his eyes linger closed for awhile. "I just thought the General'd be expecting you for something important. You know, that brain of yours is always appreciated where technical-geek stuff is concerned," He opened his eyes and offered Sam a weak smirk.
"Mm-hm," Sam just smiled with a wistful sigh, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I called the base earlier. The General doesn't need me 'till SG-9 returns around 1300. They found some sort of device I need to run a few tests on."
"Ah, so I see," Jack nodded slightly.
Lifting her head from Jack's shoulder, Sam let her hand trail through his soft hair before gathering the bowls off the table and bringing them to the sink. She could see that Jack was tired, so she suggested he go into the livingroom and lay down on the couch for awhile.
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