Sorry to keep everyone waiting for this, but now my other fic is finished, I can concentrate better on writing this one. Hope you enjoy this little break from all the angst.
Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming pretty please?
NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE
By LetitiaRichards
Previously:-
The look on Jack's face was priceless as he cuddled the squirming bundle of fur.
Chapter 16 – Puppy Dog Tales
"So what's his name Colonel?" Siler asked when he saw the puppy happily sniffing along the walls, his huge disproportional paws padding alongside Jack's wheelchair as Teal'c pushed him down the corridor for his physical therapy session.
"Actually, I thought about naming him 'Sparky', but that would only confuse people with you, so I'm gonna call him, Mac."
"Mack?" Siler asked confused. "Not Max?"
"Nope. Mac."
"Why?" Sam asked puzzled as she approached and overheard the conversation. This was the first she'd heard of it. Jack hadn't decided on anything when she'd seen him earlier.
Jack turned and looked up at her with a serious face.
"Mac, short for MacGyver, after that guy. You know the one; that guy on the TV that takes things apart to make all those handy little gismos to get himself out of trouble? He's always putting the world to rights an' all."
Sam's eyes widened in surprise and her eyebrows shot skyward, just like Teal'c's and Siler's did. He watched MacGyver?
"You are?" she gasped, shaking her thoughts free but still puzzling over the connection to the puppy.
"Sure I am. The little fella is just like him!" he said with a smug confidence, adding, "He's always takin' things apart." Jack called the dog and it leapt up onto his lap where he sat there stroking it.
Sam burst into laughter, her hand flying up to cover her mouth trying to contain her amusement.
"What?" Jack demanded, pouting indignantly.
"You can't call him MacGyver!"
"Who says?"
"But that's..."
"Unusual," Teal'c interrupted tactfully, seeing Jack's annoyance growing.
Sam took the hint and did her best to stop giggling, and Siler excused himself before Jack could blow a gasket. She'd calmed a little but shrugged her acceptance over his choice of name.
"Okay! Mac it is then," she said, giving in, "But just don't expect him to fix things again after he's ruined them."
Actually the name suited the dog. In the few days since Jack had been presented with him, he had just about shredded everything in Jack's room, from the stack of video tapes in the corner, to the armchair; and from the mass of cables leading from the TV and VCR to the spare pair of boots left under the bed for easy access.
Jack wouldn't be without him though, and Teal'c had been charged with taking the puppy for training sessions, with the rest of the base's security guard dogs, in the near future while Jack was unable to do this very basic necessity.
"You wanna look after him while I wear myself out for the next hour?" he asked of Sam before she disappeared on some errand.
"Sorry, he's all yours. I have work to do. I need my work lab intact, thank you."
Jack scowled, but the smile she gave him, took away any thoughts of being put out by her refusal to look after Mac.
"Oh well, I dare say Cindy won't mind, though she did make a fuss over an itty-bitty little indiscretion yesterday. He's a puppy for cryin' out loud. He's supposed to chew things. It's what they do!"
"What did he ruin Jack?" she asked, giving him her stern look, knowing it would be more than a little misdemeanour on the dog's part, by his avoidance.
Jack looked at his watch.
"Teal'c we're gonna be late," he grumbled, even though they all knew he still had plenty of time to get there.
"Jack!" she warned.
He shied away, even more sheepishly, and although she would never mention it to him, he looked adorable wearing that look.
"Mac found Cindy Wilson's open locker most interesting," Teal'c intoned, clarifying the problem.
"She shouldn't have left it open," Jack retorted in defence of his pet.
"She was most displeased O'Neill."
"I noticed that," Jack replied. "I told her I'd pay for a new one for her."
Sam could only shake her head.
"What? Pay for a new what?" Sam persisted.
"A cell phone."
"Oh, is that all?" Sam gasped in amusement. "Then I guess that's not as bad as I thought, though bad enough," she added sarcastically.
"And a..."
"Teal'c!" Jack warned, screwing his head round to look up at the big Jaffa with a scowl.
"I'm paying for the damages, even though you bought him for me. I can't be expected to stop him when I'm working my butt off in a sweat trying to get myself mobile again!" he snipped in frustration.
Sam squatted down beside him so that she could be eye level with him. Laying a hand on his arm, she calmed him with one of those disarming smiles of hers.
"I'm sure it will be okay Jack. He'll soon learn not to chew and nobody expects you to watch him when you can't. It was just unfortunate that Teal'c couldn't stay with him that time to stop him."
"Ya know, I knew there was a reason I loved you."
She patted his hand and stood up.
"I need to get going. Sg-1 has a briefing in a couple of hours and I need to get my report ready. See you later."
She walked away and Teal'c resumed his task.
OoOoOoOoO
Jack held onto the bars, his knuckles white with the tenacity of his grip; his arms shaking from the effort of holding himself upright and bearing all his weight. He stepped forward, willing his muscles to work. It was hard work after so long without so much as a twitch before his team had found him. He took another step, and then another until he'd reached the end, sweating profusely, exhausted but happy with his progress so far.
Cindy, apart from the annoyance over having the puppy chew everything in her bag during yesterday's session, was pleased too.
"I think it might be better, now that you can bear some of your own weight Jack, if you came down to the gym. We've got a therapy pool there and you would find the effects quite beneficial after a heavy workout."
Jack liked the idea of the pool; it would take some of the strain and cramp out of his muscles after a hard session. Of course he would have to find out from Janet if he would be allowed out of her clutches long enough to leave the base for a couple of hours. She'd been hovering over him worse than his mother ever did, and more so than if he'd still been in the infirmary.
"Sure, why not," he agreed. "You'll have to persuade Doc Fraiser though, she might not let me out to play just yet."
"I'll do that. That was a good workout today Jack. You're doing well. We'll soon have you up and about again," Cindy crowed with a twinkle in her eye. She liked Jack despite his snappy disposition when he was working hard. She knew that it wasn't aimed at her, merely at himself in his frustration to forge ahead; wanting to run before he could walk, literally.
Cindy pushed the wheelchair within easy reach and Jack flopped bonelessly back into it, relieved to be off his feet again. He wiped the hard earned moisture from his neck and face with the towel and his breathing and heart-rate calmed now he was at rest once more.
She beckoned Teal'c over from where he had been sitting keeping an eye on the puppy and making sure he didn't get into mischief again.
"That's all for today Jack, I don't want you to try any walking on your own just yet. Just keep up those gentle exercises that I showed you, but don't overdo it. As soon as I'm finished here, I'll go find Janet. See you tomorrow Jack, Teal'c, and you too," she added, grinning down at Mac.
Cindy bent down to fondle the puppy's ears affectionately, telling him, he'd been a good boy today.
She held the door open for them and hurried back to her locker when she heard her cell phone ring. Not the one the dog chewed on, but fortunately the one she kept for private conversation in her jacket pocket.
She listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line.
"Yes sir... He's doing fine. Better than I expected... A few weeks yet, but I know Dr. Fraiser says she will release him for light duties around that time... Yes sir... I already have... I'm sure Dr. Fraiser will agree, he should be ready for his first session next week... Yes sir."
With a satisfied smile on her lips, she dropped the phone back into her pocket and changed her clothes, leaving the base. She was doing her part, now it was up to them.
TBC
