Authors Note: I am not evil ... I am not evil ... and to prove it - another bit! - you're lucky to get it ... I nearly choked reading some of the feedback :)

amnotevilamnotevilamnotevil ... hey if you say it for long enough it doesn't mean a thing!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Supporting Rumors - Part 42

As an idea crossed Harry's mind, he grinned widely and leaned over the sleeping man.

He placed a sound kiss on the general's forehead, wishing to goodness he had that on camera. Jack would be so mad!

He carefully placed the items he had brought on the pillow beside Jack's head where there was no way he would miss them when he woke in the morning.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Jack stirred. He braced himself against the fog in his mind, searching for a distant memory, a dream? What his gaze alighted on dispelled the fog and had he been able, he would have been up and out of the bed with a roar.

He clutched at the flower that lay almost level with his nose, a single yellow rose, its stem devoid of thorns, and let forth a spew of curses. It was no dream he'd had. He was so caught up with the flower that he didn't notice the DVD case at first and when he did his face was a picture.

He lifted the case, the glaring red of the front cover screaming at him.

"Oh for cryin' out loud, Maybourne!" he bellowed, then cracked up laughing. "Should have got the proper version though, Harry, those remakes are never the same."

If anyone had entered then, they would really have thought General O'Neill had lost it completely, as he lay laughing, clutching a yellow rose and a DVD.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sam's cell blared out from where it lay on the table, making Daniel jump a little, cursing the garish music that littered the quietness of the room. Before he could reach out to pick it up, Sam was there.

She hurriedly snatched the phone up and paled a little as she checked the caller id.

"Hello?"

Daniel sat up straighter as he saw her demeanor and the faint tremble that ran through her.

"Doctor Hill."

He watched as she listened intently and only released the breath he was holding as she did the same.

"Okay, thank goodness, I thought ... yes, no need, honestly. We can be back within the hour. Yes ... well, no actually, I can't ..."

Daniel saw Sam's face fast forwarding through a myriad of emotions and he couldn't keep pace at all with it. He was thankful when Sam ended the call, biting at her lip and obviously troubled as she pocketed her phone.

"Well?" asked Daniel, waiting with almost baited breath.

Sam ran a hand through her hair as she gave him a slightly embarrassed smile. "Uh, sorry, jeez, I must admit that call frightened the life out of me at first. It seems that Jack is inundated with 'visitors'." She made the quotes with her fingers around the word she stressed. "The wing has been sealed and Doctor Hill was ordered out after she refused them access."

"Them?"

"Bigwigs wearing lots of shiny stars!" spat Sam, quoting Doctor Hill.

"Oh, but surely ..."

"Oh, they can and they have. We need to get down there."

Daniel nodded in agreement and they hurried to leave.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

When Daniel and Sam arrived at the hospital they found the security even tighter than it had been before. The entire wing where Jack was, was fully secured, with reporters milling about in small groups outside. Fortunately the military guards were more than enough to prevent the press from approaching them too closely as they made their way into the building.

They had to clear two more security points before getting anywhere near Jack's room. Doctor Hill was at the almost deserted nurses' station when they got out of the elevator, and she hurried down the corridor to meet them.

"Thank goodness you're here, Mrs O'Neill." The doctor ran her fingers through her graying hair, looking as perturbed as Sam had ever seen her. "This is really too much. They've been moving in for well over an hour now and I can't get near the General. I don't know what on earth is going on and I really am concerned, his temperature was reported to be a little higher this morning, than it has been of late ..." Doctor Hill checked the immediate vicinity and lowered her voice. "and I haven't been able to get near him for either more tests or to speak to him."

"About what? ... Oh," whispered Daniel as the light dawned.

Sam knew immediately what the doctor was referring to and she sighed heavily, leaning back against the nearby wall. She resisted the temptation to thwack her skull against it and instead closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down to think.

"Where's Murray?" asked Daniel. Teal'c was very conspicuous by his absence.

"He's been with their security trying to get me access. I am very concerned that this is not in the best interest of General O'Neill, neither physically nor psychologically."

"Do you know who they are exactly?" Sam asked, opening her eyes. The doctor's concerns were a very real issue. If they were who she half expected, she couldn't do anything about it herself.

"No."

Daniel touched Sam gently on her arm, letting his hand rest on the crook of her elbow. "Sam?"

"Oh, shit, with all this security, I think it's one or more of the Joint Chiefs, or ..."

"They shouldn't be keeping the doctor out," hissed Daniel, his annoyance obviously building. "and, you're his wife, they've no right ..."

Sam shook his hand free. "And you would like to point this out to them?"

Daniel glared at Sam. "Let's join forces with Teal'c." He moved quickly down the corridor, Sam on his heels, the doctor following close behind.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC