CHAPTER SEVEN

The knock at the door startled Jack. Who would be here? And why? He was packing up a few things at his house to take back to Washington with him. His apartment there was functional and nice, but there were a few things he hadn't thought to take back with him last time he was in Colorado, so now was a good time. He had to go back to Washington soon, anyway, for work, and Carter obviously didn't want him here, so he figured he would just head back a little early.

"Jack?" Daniel's voice echoed through the still furnished but empty feeling house.

Jack sighed in resignation and called from the bedroom. "In here."

Daniel was soon in the doorway. "What's going on, Jack?"

Jack raised his eyebrows a bit at the question. "I was about to ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"

Daniel responded in that nervous, fast-talking way that only he could pull off. "I was on my way to the hospital when Teal'c called. Yeah, he actually called, which was odd, but anyway…he said he thought I should swing by here to check on you. I thought that was strange, but when I asked Teal'c about it, he just said he, and I quote, 'believed it was important'. So, here I am."

"So you are. What do you want?"

"Um…you ok, Jack? What are you doing?"

"Packing a few things I forgot to take to Washington last time I was here."

"Heading back already?"

"Yeah. Something came up."

"What? Anything we should know about?"

"Just…something…I have to go."

"Jack." Something in Daniel's voice told Jack he wasn't buying it, and Daniel's next words proved him right. "Jack, I know something happened with Sam. I know there was an…incident."

"You could say that."

"She wasn't lucid, Jack. I don't know what she said, but it wasn't Sam talking. You know that, right?"

"She seemed pretty lucid to me, Daniel. She doesn't want me here…"

"Jack, aggression is common with mind altering drugs. You know that."

"Yeah, but…"

"People say crazy things when they're in Sam's condition. Come on, blow it off. I've had to do that I don't know how many times with you. Give the woman have a little slack."

'Besides,' thought Daniel, 'even if Sam doesn't want or need you here, maybe the rest of us do. Maybe I do.' Daniel didn't want to have to speak his thoughts, because he knew it would make Jack uncomfortable. He would if he had to, though. It was so good to have Jack back. His team needed him now, even if things were a little different. And Daniel had a sneaking suspicion Jack needed them, too, despite the fact that there was no way he would admit it.

That actually brought a small laugh from Jack. "Yeah, you're right. She deserves a little leeway. I'm sure she didn't mean it. Alright. I can stick around for a few days. I do have to get back to Washington by the end of the week, though."

Daniel marveled at how easy it had been to convince Jack to stay, but decided not to dwell on it. That was a good thing, as Jack wouldn't have told him why he was staying anyway. Jack wasn't staying for Sam. He was still hurt and angry over her words, and although he probably would've regretted it, he could have left her in order to seek some sort of petty revenge. But he wasn't strong enough to leave Daniel. Jack's former team was falling apart at the seems, and he didn't have to look to see it. Daniel's eyes ached with a hurt that was plain as day. Daniel was having a hard time coping with Sam's injury-probably a worse time than Sam herself. Jack couldn't leave him like this.

"We can handle that, Jack. So, still keeping up this house and one in Washington?"

"Yeah, well, this one is paid for, and all mine. Besides, I like it. I rented a little apartment in Washington for now. We'll see."

"What about Minnesota? Still get out there much?"

"Well, it's a little more out of the way from DC, so I sublet it for the summer. I don't make it out there enough to make it worthwhile right now to do anything else."

This was the beginning of an actual conversation, and Daniel was relieved he could actually talk to his friend like this. It had been a long time since they had just talked. They continued to talk about things big and small for a bit, then decided to head out for a late breakfast. After that, they headed over to the hospital to check on Sam. She was scheduled to have her first leg surgery today, and they wanted to be there when she came out of it.