Told you I'd get Jackie to give me another part to post - Flatkatsi
Language warning
Supporting Rumors - Part 79
Jack flung the garden hoe against the fence with an exasperated growl.
The damn thing was too long ... the damn grass was too wet ... his damn chair was too heavy...
He tried to swing his wheelchair and his temper soared when it wouldn't move without a fight ... snarling and cursing he struggled as his wheels tore at the grass, creating a muddied furrow. He briefly debated trying to get out of his chair, but then hit on the bright idea of using his right leg to put a bit of power behind it ... the crack of the wooden fence panel put paid to that idea and his chair slewed sideways, almost unseating him.
"Fuck!" He glared at the weeds in the border that were mocking his attempts to be rid of them ... plus his knee hurt. It probably hadn't been the smartest move to use his right leg ... given that it was still attached to his bum knee.
Therapy was strengthening his right leg and he had gained quite a lot of control over it, much to his joy, but to his disgust his right knee had certainly seen better days and there was no way he could progress to even trying crutches. The therapist had told him in no uncertain terms how far he had to go before attempting that ... and yes sir, years of practice on said crutches didn't count!
Jack pushed furiously at the wheels, but they still wouldn't budge. He was stuck fast – just like his damn life – stuck and going nowhere. He'd waved Harry goodbye and gone home, knowing full well it was probably the last time he'd feel that sense of adventure that set his pulse racing.
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Daniel rang the bell again. Nothing. He sighed and glanced at his watch. Jack was expecting him and seeing that Sam was at the mountain – strictly light duties, of course – then Jack had to be in ... unless of course... Daniel's heart jumped a beat as he wondered if something was wrong. He had learned the hard way to be patient when waiting for an answer at the door as it could take his friend a while to get there... He checked his watch again – way too long.
Opening the door cautiously, Daniel made a point of calling out loudly. He'd already walked in on his friends in a 'delicate' situation once ... and once was enough. He'd never seen Sam go so red before – but then again, he couldn't remember himself that shade either.
There was no response to his call and Daniel made his way through the lounge, calling out as he walked. As he was wondering whether to knock at the bedroom door he caught sight of the rear patio door open, the sheer drapes blowing a little in the soft breeze and the sound of a disgruntled curse drifted in.
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Jack had managed to pick the hoe up and in the process of trying to turn and keep hold of it at the same time, had covered himself in mud. To add insult to injury, it started to rain heavily as well... He cursed and the wheelchair moved a little forward then slipped back.
"Christ almighty!" he roared, lifting his head up to the sky. He was tired, aching, wet ... thoroughly pissed at himself and...
"Jack?"
He turned his head slowly. He knew the voice alright and he could hear the amusement in it ... yes he was thoroughly pissed...
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Daniel couldn't help the smile that crept over his face. Jack looked like a knight, albeit a knight on wheels, rather than some mighty charger.
The garden hoe was poking out like a lance and Jack was leaning forward, hands on his wheels, his face wearing a thunderous expression, looking as though he was ready to plough through an opponent. Daniel straightened up and tried to wipe the smile off his face – he didn't fancy being the opponent, though the thought of Jack charging a Goa'uld wielding such a weapon brought the smile back...
"What's so fuckin' funny, Daniel?"
The growl in Jack's voice might have wiped the smirk off many a man's face, but Daniel wasn't one of them ... and the smile broadened.
Daniel saw a brief flash of emotion flicker across his friend's face, but it was gone before he could quite...
"If all you've come to do is take the piss out of a cripple, then fuck off!"
Daniel could have crawled inside himself when he realized what Jack was thinking. "Oh God ... no ... Jack I ... shit!" He was off the porch within seconds and by the side of his friend, heedless of the rain coming down and mud that had been churned up.
Jack put up an arm as if to fend him off and Daniel felt such a huge bastard... "No, it was this ..." he indicated the hoe, "you look like a knight of the round table ready to do battle ..."
Jack threw him a puzzled look at first, then the light seemed to dawn. "A knight?" He looked down at the hoe and a grin lit his face, but didn't reach his eyes and his words were more than a little bitter. "Some knight I'd make huh? More like a damsel in distress."
"Trust me on this, Jack, you are nothing like a damsel in distress. Need a hand though?"
The rain was coming down even harder now and Jack peered up. His t-shirt and light pants were soaked through. "Well, I thought if I waited long enough I wouldn't need a shower ..."
Daniel shook his head and grinned. He took hold of the chair's handles and with a great deal of difficulty began to turn it. "Jeez," he puffed, "I don't know what you're eating ..."
"Perhaps you're just not fit enough Danny-boy, maybe Mitchell isn't working you hard enough ..."
"Huh!" Daniel heaved and Jack used his hands on the wheels and together they managed to get it to the ramp. Daniel hesitated whether to continue on up, but one look at his friend's exhausted face removed the hesitation.
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Once on the porch, Jack swung his chair around and looked at the mess he had made on the lawn. The weeds looked even bigger from up here and they were mocking him. "Darn weeds," he growled.
"You were weeding?" asked Daniel incredulously.
Jack felt a flash of irritation. Daniel still seemed to find the whole thing funny, while Jack was so frustrated and disappointed with himself. He'd been out in the garden for what seemed like hours and what had he achieved? Zero, zilch, nadda … absolutely fucking nothing!
Rubbing his hands over his face to try and wipe off some of the rainwater, he growled an answer. "No, doing the laundry ... of course I was ... well, at least I was trying to ... damn it to hell ..."
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In the few patches where it wasn't dripping wet, Jack's hair stood up in messy spikes. Smiling at his friend's appearance, Daniel shook his head. "Well Sir Lancelot, can I interest you in a hot shower?"
Jack sighed heavily. He looked absolutely exhausted. Daniel took the hoe from him and propped it up on the porch before taking hold of the chair once more.
"Stop!"
Daniel nearly had a heart attack. "What?"
"We can't go in like this!"
"What?"
"I only cleaned the floor this morning. You are not going to track this lot through."
Daniel looked down at his own shoes and there was mud – sure ... however, the chair's wheels were encrusted... "Jack, I think it's more important that we get you out of those wet clothes, you're exhausted."
"Take your shoes off," ordered Jack.
"Jack ..."
"Quit whining. Grab that hose and wash off these wheels before you take them off."
"Take the wheels off?"
"Your shoes, idiot."
Daniel saw Jack trying to suppress a shiver even as he spoke and he shook his head. "Look, if you go down with something Sam is going to kill me. Trust me, I can clean a floor, I'm not ..." He stopped speaking.
"What ... useless? Helpless? Yeah, well maybe a clean floor isn't the be all and end all of your world Daniel, but it took me two freakin' hours this morning ... exciting huh?"
Biting his lip, Daniel gazed down at Jack who was beginning to shiver in earnest now.
"Oh forget it." Jack rolled his chair through the doorway, cursing as he went.
Daniel cursed himself silently. He had put his foot in every conceivable hole possible all within the space of ... oh, twenty minutes of visiting his friend... Jack could be very prickly to deal with on the best of days and today was so not one of them.
He straightened and took a deep breath before following Jack into the house. Muddy tracks led straight to the main bathroom which had been converted into a shower room for Jack and it was here he found him struggling to get out of his soaked clothes.
"Look, I'm sorry I ..." Daniel died a thousand deaths as he realized what he had been going to say and his face must have displayed his horror.
"What, put your foot in it?" Jack shook his head and pulled at his shirt, popping a couple of buttons in the process.
"Yes. Jack, you are not a helpless ccripple," he stuttered slightly over the 'c' word.
Jack took a deep breath and stilled his movements, his eyes closing. "God damn it Daniel, I feel so useless ..." His voice was barely a whisper.
Daniel hesitated, then came closer, sitting down on the toilet seat so that he was level with his friend and he touched him on the arm gently. Jack's eyes opened at the contact and Daniel's heart contracted at the pain and confusion he saw in them.
"Sorry."
Jack's apology took Daniel by surprise. "You're sorry? For what?"
"For living I think. Look, I'll understand if you don't come round any more. I know it's awkward for folk ..." He gestured at the chair with one hand and shrugged.
"Jesus Jack, do you really think that I'm that shallow? I know we've not been as close friends as we used to be, but for God's sake, you have been in Washington for several months and pretty much before that running the SGC took up ninety percent of your time, but ..." Daniel drew a deep breath. The thought that Jack thought he visited him out of some sort of duty... "I admit that sometimes it is awkward, but not because you're in a wheelchair, but because I'm frightened of upsetting you, hurting your feelings. I am frightened ..." Daniel shook his head and bit at his lip anxiously. "I am frightened of saying the wrong thing. I hate seeing you in that chair, and I want you to be okay, be back to normal ... ah, shit, see ... normal? Huh, what's normal? I want you to walk again. I want to visit you, spend time with you as a friend. It hurts me to see you in that chair Jack, but what would hurt most would be if you had died, because that way I would have lost you completely."
Jack stared back at Daniel before looking down at his hands, his eyes dark and his face unreadable.
Daniel rose. "Now, either you let me help you, or I get on the phone and call Sam."
The barest of smiles began to tug at Jack's mouth as he looked up. "In that case Daniel, how can I refuse?"
Eventually Daniel had a very exhausted Jack stripped, ready for the shower and he left him to get washed.
"I'll go get some soup or something on the heat. I could sure do with something warm. Yell if you want me."
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Daniel finally persuaded a very reluctant Jack to get into bed. Jack only agreed when Daniel told him how tired he looked, and how upset Sam would be if she found him like that when she got home. One thing Jack didn't want to do was cause Sam any more concern, so he begrudgingly complied, pulling the covers up almost over his head as soon as he was under them, as if he was wanting to hide from the world.
"Not so much of a good way to spend an afternoon off huh Daniel?" said a drowsy Jack.
Daniel sat on the foot of the bed, watching as Jack yawned sleepily. "Oh, I don't know, I got to spend some time with my best friend."
Jack smiled slightly, his eyes were already closing. "Me too." He paused, and Daniel thought he had drifted off to sleep, but he began talking again, his voice soft. "I took Charlie to the park one afternoon and the heavens opened on us ... and I trailed the pram through the house when we got back. You should have seen the look on Sara's face ... oh boy, was she mad... Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Don't forget to clean the floor before Sam comes home."
Daniel sighed and rose. "I had better get dinner thrown in for this ..."
The only response was the soft gentle snore from his friend...
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TBC
