Supporting Rumors - Part 40

Sam sat staring at the foot of the bed. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it.

She couldn't deny that she still had hopes, deep down inside she still hoped that she would get her Jack back. What stopped her being positive out loud was fear. It was the inherent dread that if she encouraged Jack in his belief that he would walk again, that if there was no improvement, he would sink into that black hole that was just waiting to ensnare him, and blame her for getting his hopes up. She didn't care if he could prove her wrong, that didn't matter, in fact she hoped he would - it only mattered if she let him down. If he focused on cajoling her along, then perhaps it would stop him dwelling himself ... Argh! Sam's thoughts circled like a vulture around carrion ... mostly bleak, but with wanting and waiting …

She stood abruptly and paced across the small space. The mass of well wishers' cards had overtaken the room - Teal'c had arranged most of them, to great effect, along the walls, quite fascinated with the tacky balls he'd used to stick them, much to Jack's amusement, and if she admitted it, hers too.

Her attention was so caught by the colorful display that a sudden cough from the bed made her jump.

"Watchya doin?"

Sam turned and smiled at the bed's occupant.

"Just checking out the latest admirers." Sam nodded towards the cards on the wall.

Jack cleared his throat a little, his voice was low and a little hoarse. "God, I hope not - some of them are from guys, you know."

"Good taste isn't exclusively gender driven, you know." Sam couldn't resist winding him up and she moved close to him, brushing at the hair on his forehead. "You need a haircut," she said absently as she sat down.

"Nah, thinking of letting it grow ... always fancied the hippy look."

Sam gave him an 'are you serious?' look and he grinned at her, giving a slight wiggle of his brows, before a more serious expression crept over his face.

"What time is it? I can't keep track if you let the doc keep stickin' me with stuff."

Sam's face clouded. "You were exhausted. You know you shouldn't have ... but it's done now and Minucos admitted enough to put him away. The officers thought he was a complete wack job, but I must admit I had my heart in my mouth wondering just what he knew. "

"Did they question him about whom he thought he saw at the cabin?"

"We haven't had any word yet." Sam shook her head. "Thank god he was a lousy shot." She frowned. "What? Don't tell me he really - oh, Maybourne?"

Jack grinned. "You won't believe what I've got to thank Maybourne for."

Sam cocked her head questioningly, smiling at him as she waited for him to fill her in.

Jack gave her a shit eating grin, "Promise me you won't tell him huh?"

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"What the hell is so fascinating on the end of the damn bed?" groused Jack as he watched Sam's gaze slide down there again.

The eyes that met his were laden with remorse.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying to raise himself more upright. He hissed with pain as the fire in his chest burned and he felt a breathless panic beginning to envelop him. He closed his eyes as he fought to bring his breathing back under control, avoiding the concerned look from his wife. He sensed, rather than saw, her reaching for the buzzer to summon assistance and he lifted a hand to stall her. "Don't," he pleaded softly.

It took a few more minutes before he felt able to face the eyes that he knew were watching and the guilt that would be there, thinking she had been the cause of his pain.

"I'm okay," he said finally as he faced them, smiling softly, trying to lighten her load.

"Sure," she whispered, "and Teal'c is an Eskimo."

"Oh? Always wanted to know how they build those igloos, think he'd share?"

The guilt was replaced with a glare and Jack found he preferred the glare any time, and of course, his anti-glare shield was still set on maximum ... ya think!

He gave her a cheeky grin and relaxed back down against the pillows, trying to stifle the yawn that rose.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Jeez, can't stay awake ... sure there was a game ... later ..." His voice died to a mumble as he drifted to sleep again.

Sam sat back in the chair with a weary sigh.

The 'interview' had certainly taken more out of Jack than she cared to admit. It brought home with a bang just how vulnerable he was at the moment ... and the thought of just how precious he was to her was overwhelming.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The door swung open with a loud crash and Sam sat up with a start from the doze she had fallen into.

"Sam!" Daniel's voice was loud and agitated.

"Shsssssssssss," she hissed viciously as a quick glance told her that thankfully the noise hadn't roused Jack from his sleep.

"Sorry," whispered Daniel, just a little shamefaced. He had bundles of newspapers in his hands and was waving them. "Have you seen the headlines?"

Sam shook her head, wondering what disaster had befallen the planet in her time out from the outside world.

Daniel opened the bundles, laying them flat on the wheeled table that stood at the foot of Jack's bed.

"Jack's made front page again. Quote, 'Alien in Top Washington Position'." Daniel flipped the paper to one side. "'Our Military Run By Aliens'." He shuffled through more. "'Invasion Earth ... top secret plot revealed'."

"Oh, guess it was only a case of when and not if anything got out," commented Sam, one eye on her sleeping husband.

"Yeah, he won't like this. 'World security run by Aliens'." Daniel took a breath and flipped over a couple more. "There's a few more like that, plus they've got some personal stuff about Jack in there. You're mentioned too."

"What?" Sam sat up straight. "What the hell are ..."

"Cover up ... Two Star and hugely decorated General Jonathon O'Neill married his former 2IC ... promotion ..." Daniel's voice died and he hurriedly flipped the paper over. "Load of rubbish."

"What did they say?" demanded Sam.

"You know better than to listen to this stuff, Sam," soothed Daniel. "Anyway, the headlines should put anyone but wackos off reading them."

"People will read that stuff, if only out of curiosity. They're not exactly weekly rags you have there, are they?"

Daniel shrugged. "No, guess not, but he is not going to be pleased when he reads these, nor do I imagine will the brass. I just hope it doesn't bring the SGC into the foreground."

Sam glared at him. "Thank you, Daniel."

"Oh, Sam, you know I don't ... I didn't mean it how it sounded. It's bad enough that Homeworld Security is getting the front page, even if it's only what most people will think is fiction, but they're bent on dragging anything related to Jack out it seems."

The man in question stirred softly and Sam held a warning finger to her lips. Daniel shut his open mouth and nodded his acknowledgement.

"Daniel?" muttered Jack as he fought to open his eyes.

"Hey, yes, Jack?"

"Shutupandgoaway."

"Oh, that's nice, I bring you ..." Daniel coughed as he caught Sam shaking her head frantically in his peripheral vision.

Jack's eyes flickered open a little more, the weariness in his voice betraying the effort it took. "Brought coffee?" he asked hopefully, "Proper food?"

Daniel gave him a smile and tried to push the trolley further from the bed.

"Whatyagot?" enquired Jack, straining to see.

"Erm, just ..." Daniel hesitated.

"Daniel?" Jack glared at him.

"Uh, some newspapers." Daniel muttered, giving in.

Sam glared at him and he flinched. "Ouch," he mouthed at her.

"Its hit the news already?" asked Jack.

Sam and Daniel exchanged a look of surprise.

"Well, yes actually."

"Okay, no alien general jokes, please," pleaded Jack. "Oh, crap," he uttered, seemingly as an afterthought.

"What?" asked Sam in concern.

"This means the brass will be hollering again. I've got to get ..." Jack strained to reach out towards the phone.

"Jack," called Sam, more sharply than she intended. "You need rest. Tell me what you need and I'll ..."

"Pass me the phone damn it," Jack snapped as he found it out of his reach.

"No. You are not to be disturbed, doctor's orders, and that works both ways." Sam stood her ground, giving him an all out glare.

Daniel had backed up a little and began to gather up the papers. There was no way he wanted to come between them. Jack, he could cope with mostly, but when Sam rose to the occasion ... he did not want to be caught in the cross fire.

"Leave the papers," barked Jack.

Daniel hesitated.

"Leave them. I need to be up to speed on them and speak to my office," ground out Jack. "There are things that ..."

"You are not in any fit state to ..."

Jack's violent fit of coughing stopped her words and she closed the gap between them.

Daniel winced in concern for his friend as he watched him struggling to regain control of his breathing. The paleness of Jack's face and the slight blue hue around his mouth alarmed him and he debated whether to summon assistance, however it seemed Sam was content to just wait it out. He knew that the coughing fits were aggravated by not only exertion, but stress also. Doctor Hill had warned them this was yet another side effect of his injuries and it was important that he was kept calm and reassured.

The light wheezing of Jack's breathing as he finally settled back was the only sound in the room for a few minutes, his eyes tightly closed as he continued his inner battle.

Sam gathered some wipes from the cabinet beside the bed and gently mopped at his face, uttering a few soothing words.

Daniel felt his breathing timing with the breaths of his friend and he stood frozen for a few minutes, unsure whether to go or stay. It seemed to Daniel, that these coughing bouts were getting more frequent and the wheezing more prolonged ... or was it that each turn of events was laying more stress on Jack? In the end he drew a chair up to the bed and encouraged by Sam's nod, he sat down.

Daniel really thought that Jack had lapsed into sleep, it seemed an age since his face had finally relaxed and his breathing had deepened slightly. Sam had leaned back in her chair and curled her legs beneath her, and was resting. The voice that broke into his thoughts made him jump.

"What was the best headline then?"

"Shit, Jack, don't do that!" he exclaimed.

The flicker of brown beneath the eyelids and the slight tug of a grin at the man's lips betrayed the humor he found in Daniel's flinch.

"Sorry."

"Huh, you are not."

"Am."

"Not."

"Okay ... so what was it?"

Daniel grinned at him. "Okay, I surrender. You want me to read them to you?" Daniel figured that he could skip anything he thought Jack might get annoyed or upset with that way.

Jack seemed to be weighing something up, before he agreed and Daniel eagerly got up. He spread the papers again and leaving them on the table, he read from them where he stood, hoping Jack wouldn't then bother to read through them later.

Daniel got a few of the 'Alien' headlines out of the way before Jack asked if they had anything they shouldn't have.

"Are you looking for a leak?" enquired Daniel.

Jack lifted one shoulder in a poor imitation of a shrug. "Minucos has had access to a lawyer, there's a good chance everything he said is on the loose."

"Oh."

"It's an urgent case of damage limitation to the department and preventing further speculation on what we do. If the papers start digging and we don't put this to bed ..."

Daniel nodded. He knew things could escalate and there was nothing like world press involvement to intensify any situation.

Jack yawned. "Sorry."

"Look, seriously Jack, you need to rest. Sam needs to rest. I can get hold of someone for you and they can begin whatever needs to be done, can't he? You'll be no good to anyone if Doctor Hill sedates you again."

Whilst Daniel was speaking, Jack's gaze had wandered over to where Sam was sleeping, her head lolling uncomfortably on her chest. Daniel knew that Jack's concerns were not for himself when he spoke again.

"Okay," he said with a heavy sigh. "Look, take Sam back home - let her get some proper rest, she needs it. I'll be good, I promise."

Daniel regarded Jack seriously for a moment and watched as he sank against the pillows heavily, complete exhaustion lining his features.

Finally he nodded in agreement. "If I find out you did anything except rest there'll be hell to pay."

Jack gave him a weary grin. "Yeahsureyoubetchya, scouts honor."

"I seriously doubt you were a scout."

Jack thought for a moment. "Was," he pouted. "For one day."

"One day? Must be a record, what happened - didn't you like it?"

"Got booted."

Daniel grinned and leant forward, resting his elbows on the table. It wasn't often Jack shared his childhood.

"For what?"

Jack rolled his eyes for a moment. "For conduct unbecoming."

Daniel snorted. "Jack, it was the scouts for God's sake, not the military. What did you do?" His imagination was beginning to work overtime.

"I farted."

Daniel burst out laughing. "Farting? They kicked you out for farting?" he asked incredulously.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, and it is not funny. Mom nearly skinned me alive."

Daniel couldn't help it then, he creased up at the thought of a gangly youth disrupting a meeting farting ... and Jack joined in, though he had to settle for a more gentle laughter.

Sam stirred and her eyes darted suspiciously from one to the other.

"What's going on?"

Daniel straightened a little and swiped at his eyes, trying to stifle the laughter. "Nothing," he choked out.

It took several minutes, with Sam getting more annoyed that they wouldn't let her in on the joke, before Daniel managed to get control. It seemed like an age since he had last laughed like that and he scrunched his eyes trying to remember, then he sobered, realizing the last time he had laughed like that was before the shooting.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sam was finally persuaded to leave and after having attained Jack's promise to behave at least three more times, she grudgingly grabbed her purse and jacket and walked ahead of Daniel to the door.

She turned as she opened the door and opened her mouth to speak and Daniel gently pushed her forwards.

"Say good night, Jack," he called out.

"Good night, Jack," responded Jack.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Say good night, Sam."

Sam gave him a grin. "Good night, Sam."

"Oh save me," muttered Daniel as he gave her another push and turned to face the bed, the door handle in his hand. "Night, Jack, remember your promise? Or else!" he warned.

Jack grinned and waved two fingers, so not a scout's salute. Daniel frowned but let it pass as he closed the door behind him with a soft curse.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC