Part Four.

Dr. Janet Frasier's day was getting better by the minute. And that was meant in such a way were if - you replaced 'better' with 'worse' and 'minute' with 'second' - you had a fairly good idea of what I was really trying to say.

All things considered, this SGC was still new, a year was a dot in the time-line for a facility of this importance and the listed personnel currently working on the base right now, was skeleton crew. The base was growing, and fast. It was one of the reasons she was rushed in and her application excepted on the spot. They had so many personnel - a lot of which were being injured or struck down with unknown illnesses on a daily basis. It gave the current medical staff a lot of work to do, herself included.

Sure she hadn't been here long, but already General Hammond was calling upon her for personal input, she half wondered if it was the fact she was able to explain her findings in such a way so he could understand, much like Captain Car-- Sam had said. It was a thought that made her proud in a way.

But not right now. Right now she was very angry with herself, for letting one slip through the net.

Dr. Daniel Jackson, as of yet had not turned himself in for his usual post-mission exam. This had to happen with everyone who came back through that gate or - well - she had seen the scenarios painted out in gruesome detail by the powers that over saw the management of the base, and she as CMO had to ensure those rules were upheld. So far she wasn't doing a particularly good job. Not if it meant someone had managed to slip through and avoid the checks completely.

The first thing she done was contact the General, Coming clean about the whole situation. Disappointed he was, yes, very. But he didn't seem that angry at her. Of course that didn't change the fact that she was mad as hell at herself for this.

"Dr. Jackson reported for the de-brief, as ordered." The General confirmed. "He seemed, off but then, he has had one hell of a time. Have a word with Captain Carter, I'm sure she knows where to find, Dr. Jackson, and failing that, get a security patrol out to retrieve him. Tough time or not, everyone needs to complete these checks."

"Yes, sir. Once again I can't apologise enough..."

"I know you're sorry, Doctor. We can't help these things are happening from time-to-time. It doesn't help you and your department are severely stretched right now, but I promise more medical personnel are being selected and drafted into the program. The amount of activity in and out of this base, we need it."

"Especially with the wild and wonderful things they seem to bring through with them."

"Not sure that's how, Jack sees it right now." A pause. "How is he?"

"Resting comfortably, sir."

"Give him my best as soon as he wakes."

"I will, General."

---

Sam wiped her eyes before shifting her position in the rather uncomfortable chair, she knew it wasn't a hospital as such and so such luxuries for visitors wasn't really considered, because right now, Sam could have done with one of those high backed, padded chairs. Even if the colour didn't much match the current decor.

She blinked to clear her bleary eyes, having managed to doze off sitting up the way she was. Jack's still form came into view slowly. He looked so small wrapped up the way he was in the pristine white sheets, making his face appear whiter still. Most of his head was wrapped beneath soft firm bandages, covering and protecting the wound, his mouth and nose were still sitting beneath the oxygen mask, the steady rise and fall of his chest proof of his rested state and Sam silently thanked God he was able to do that now.

She could only imagine the struggle and pain he had been put through. Three days riding a stretcher through a constant down-pour with only the basic medical supplies and medical help from a Doctor, though not of the right doctorate.

"I..I can't do this."

She cringed inwardly as she recalled Daniel's words - but it was his tone that told her far more than what he actually said.

"Sam?" Janet's voice pulled her from her wondering and turning, quickly wiping her eye, she looked over and smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine. Is everything alright?"

"Well," Janet bit her lip. "I was hoping you can tell me where I can find Dr. Jackson, he didn't report in for post-observations."

"Oh, I took him to one of the rest areas, he was dead on his feet I - I'm sorry with everything going on I didn't think to ask him if he..."

"Don't worry about it, it's my mistake. Which room is he in?" Janet was pulling on her white doctors coat, making sure she had a few pieces with her.

"Oh, seventeen-a. Level twenty-five. He was wrecked, was about as far as he could go."

"Was he complaining of anything? Did he seem alright in himself?"

"Well, apart from being utterly exhausted, why?"

"The post-observations were put in place to avoid anything getting through the gate hiding in any of our people, I don't think I have to explain further."

"No," Sam agreed and she looked over at Jack. "You want me to come with you?" She willed the other woman to say no since there was no way in hell she was leaving Jack here alone, not after everything that had been happening to him, not after he had come so close to...

As if reading her mind, Janet shook her head. "No, just don't freak to much if I bring Dr. Jackson back with a security detail. It's just a precaution, one probably not needed."

"Definitely not, Daniel's pretty harmless." They exchanged smiled before Janet left again, taking one of the guards posted at the ward door with her and Sam silently hoped Daniel wouldn't freak to much. She knew how stubborn he was but then it was that stubbornness that had gotten Jack home.

"I..I've got a pulse!"

Daniel's frantic words flooded back as she lingered on the past events of three-days ago. She remembered thinking at the time the Colonel fell that he was dead, that there was no way he could come out of that alive and if he was alive, just what level of life would he have?

The infirmary was now silent again, say for the regular beating of the machines and the soft, steady breathing of the man in the bed before her.

"I'll get him back, Sam, just be there."

"I will be, Daniel...

---

"...count on it." Daniel closed the channel of the radio and looked back down at Jack who was once again out cold. The stress he had been put under as Daniel had reset the leg to much even for him. He felt sick having done it, since he knew better than anyone - except Jack of course - just how bad it had been for him the first time he had broken that leg. He had heard from both Sam and Jack how bad it had been, and after sitting with both of them, for days at a time after the whole incident, seeing the aftermath, he could very well believe how bad it was. In fact after seeing the the state of them, what they then told him didn't seem to be bad enough!

"Weather's starting to close in, it's going to be some kind of storm." Mitchel confirmed as Daniel routed through the supplies Sam and Teal'c had managed to send down. He wasn't listening to the guy, he was to busy. He knew the weather was bad, hell he could feel it falling around him, hear the wind kicking up woodland debris and playing with the tree tops as if they were an instrument. It was a soothing kind of sound, but he wondered how long it would be before it turned into a frightening one.

He found what he was looking for and started to unpack it, placing the pieces around Jack's body.

"I'm gonna need a hand here," Mitchel didn't seem to be in to much of a hurry, but he eventually set to it and within the next couple of minutes Jack was on the stretcher, groaning quietly as he was disturbed. Luckily his leg was now strapped securely in the splint, straight and well padded. It kept his leg steady and protected it from any sudden jolts as both Daniel and Major Mitchel lifted Jack from the now soaking wet floor.

"It's gonna be a long trek," Mitchel stated as they placed Jack down in a drier area and started to pack up the equipment they needed.

"I know." Daniel checked each of the medical supplies. Gauze, bandages, morphine, sterilised needles and antiseptic wipes to name but a few.

"Longer still because of, Colonel O'Neill."

"I don't see your point." Daniel's tone was flat as he concentrated simply on reducing the load they had to carry. Only the things they were desperately going to need. So...not the book on Mayan Cultures which he had brought, of which he shot to one side.

"He fell, his could have died."

"I still don't see your point."

"He could be dead."

"Major, its pretty obvious, being the kind of man I am, I am unable to digest the meaning of what you're trying to subtly suggest, so why don't you just come out and say it."

Silence.

"Probably the smartest thing you've said all day, Major..."

"Daniel..." A quiet, desperate voice called out now to him and Daniel turned from his task to Jack. He had come to, for how long he could only guess and he shot a glare at Mitchel as he went to his friends side.

"'Bout time you woke up." He muttered and having brought the blanket he had been rooting for, started to wrap it around Jack's shivering form. First went on the silvery one, then the material one. He tucked it behind Jacks shoulders and Under his legs, taking special care of the injured one.

"W..well, I did tell you not to let m..me sleep past ten."

"The way you snore I'm surprised you don't wake yourself by choking on the duvet you practically inhale each night."

"Funny."

"You've taught me well." He started cutting into the set of wet weather gear and wrapped that around Jack to. Warm and now weather proof. He looked like a bundle, all that was left was to cast him into the river. He would probably float to considering how air and water tight Daniel had made it.

"I'm starting to regret that..." Jacks eyes closed briefly, sweat and blood having marked the left side of his face. "Listen I-"

"If this is about what Not-So-Mighty-Mitchel just said, you can forget it. Save your strength for the trip, you're going to need it and I can't afford to expend my energy arguing about something I'm obviously going to win."

"My team is a democracy, Daniel. We have the majority on our side..."

"The majority can go take a long walk off a short peer, I'll drag you back myself and alone if I have to." He turned to Mitchel. "You're gonna have to shoot me to stop me."

"Daniel...Daniel..."

---

"...Daniel? Dr. Jackson, can you hear me?"

There was something different about that voice. No, not something. Everything. When had Jack sounded so...feminine? He knew he was hurt but...

"Dr. Jackson, can you open your eyes for me?"

He could give it a try right? But then why? He had finally drifted off to sleep...or at least he thought he had, since he still felt just as tired now as when he first closed his eyes he just couldn't be sure of that fact.

"...'kay" He dragged his eyes open just a little, they felt warm and itchy, especially the left one and he quickly closed that one, finding it irritated more when he done that. A warm trail ran down the left side of his face and into his hair. With one single eye he turned to the right, a pillar of light out-lined the figure currently sat by his side and he fought to focus on that face. Having just that second woke up, it was easier said than done.

"Dr. Jackson do you know where you are?"

Oh, a very good question and it was one he clearly had to think about. So where did he think he was?

"Am'strdam." If he was on a quiz show he would have won the jackpot by now. "W'it, no..." Time to turn the tables. "Who'areyou?"

"I'm Dr. Frasier."

"Oh." He literally jumped about an inch off the bed when he felt her cold hand touch his face and he reeled off a curse or two - one of which would have had his poor Aunt turning in her grave - when a bright seering light assailed his eyes.

"Easy, Dr. Jackson."

"It's Daniel."

"Daniel." Did she smile? Her voice changed slightly, he could hear her smile. "How long have you been feeling like this, Daniel?" Her hand left his face and went to his chest, an act that seen him jump once more. "Can you describe your symptoms?"

"I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge..."

"...of that."

"I'm telling you this is impossible, Jackson!"

"And I told you, leave if you want! But I'm not leaving him!"

"Daniel...Daniel? Are you still with me?"

"Yeah." Why was he gasping? Why did it feel like every breath was more taxing than it should be? Why did it hurt so much? His hand went again to his chest, trying to knead away the ache.

"Take it easy, Daniel." Frasier's voice was soft and her hand was now around his, preventing him from clawing at his chest. "You're gonna be..."

"...okay, Jack. I promise."