Just a short part today. I haven't had time to write at all this week. Maybe in the weekend?

The Fire Still Burns – Part 5

Now his tissues were lying on the floor out of reach, where they'd ended up when his anger at everything had gotten the better of him and he'd lashed out at the nearest person – Daniel. But he wasn't going to think about that. Not now.

Jack scowled at the box, willing it to come closer, but a very wet and disgusting sneeze drove him to push up from his sitting position on the edge of the bed.

The room turned sideways.

Woah! Instead of standing, he sat back down, fighting the urge to faint. Then, to his horror, his stomach turned over and he rapidly swallowed down bile. Great! Faint and vomit at the same time and drown in the process. To add insult to injury another sneeze rocked him, sending his whole brain flying out his head to land all over his lap.

He was dying. Slowly and very yuckily. And he wished he could hurry the process. Tipping sideways, he curled up and did the only thing he could – grabbed a handful of sheet and used it to wipe his nose and face.

And his neck hurt like a living hell. It did. It wasn't his imagination. He wasn't going nuts.

He was miserable.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Janet? Are you busy?" Daniel knew it was a stupid question as soon as it left his lips. Of course the doctor was busy – she had multiple injuries in her infirmary.

"Come in. We were just discussing Colonel O'Neill. How is he?"

Entering the office, Daniel hesitated, not sure how to answer when he saw Janet wasn't alone. Colonel Makepeace was sitting in her spare chair, turned to face the door, and Daniel really didn't want to have this conversation with him there.

"That's why we're here, Janet." Daniel moved further into the room, allowing Sam to enter behind him. "He's still not well and we wondered when you'd be able to check on him again." Hoping the request had sounded innocent enough, Daniel gave a smile to cover his unease.

"I was planning on doing just that." The doctor stood, gathering up her medical bag from the small table behind her.

"And I'll come too. It's about time O'Neill got off his ass and back to work. This running the base thing isn't everything it's cracked up to be."

Wondering just what it was cracked up to be, other than a lot of hard work, Daniel gave Sam a quick panicked glance – only to spot an equally panicked expression ghost fleetingly across Janet's face as well, before it resolved into her customary professional one.

"It would be better if visitors are kept to a minimum, sir, given Colonel O'Neill's cold. You wouldn't want to catch it as well – then where would the base be, with no senior officer?"

For a second Daniel thought Makepeace was still considering coming with them – almost as if the prospect of a cold was better than being in charge.

Sam jumped into the breech. "Could we take the opportunity to go over the progress of the repairs to the Gate, sir? I wanted to apprise you of the work that still needed to be done."

Makepeace nodded reluctantly. "All right, Captain, but I have some paperwork to complete first. Thirty minutes?" At Sam's nod he continued, turning to Janet. "I want a report as soon as you're done, Doctor."

"Of course, Colonel."

Daniel had another moment of worry when Makepeace followed them out of the infirmary and into the elevator, but offered up a silent 'thank you' when it became obvious his destination was General Hammond's office. The ride was made in silence until they reached Level 25.

"You know where to find me." Colonel Makepeace sighed dramatically as the doors closed again, leaving them standing in the corridor.

Janet's lips twitched upward. "Poor man. I really don't think he's enjoying the responsibility of command."

"He's a marine. Enough said." The brief pronouncement from Sam was met by a giggle from the doctor.

Casting a quick look around to see if they were being observed, Daniel pulled open the door of a VIP suite he knew to be vacant.

"Look Janet, we need to have a word in private before you see Jack." He indicted the empty room.

She moved into it obediently, but as soon as the door was closed her frown made it clear she wasn't happy. "What's going on?"

When Sam folded her arms across her chest and remained silent, Daniel knew it was up to him to explain.

"Ah – Jack's not – he's been…" Getting annoyed with his own reluctance to be honest, Daniel hurried on, his words rushed. "Jack and I had an argument earlier and his reaction was pretty violent."

"Violent? What sort of argument?"

"He accused the colonel of being crazy – that his illness was all in his mind."

Daniel twisted to face Sam. "That's not what I said! I just suggested he might be feeling some effects from the failed implantation. I didn't say he was crazy – Jack's the one that said that. I'd never say that!"

"Okay, okay." Sam held her hand up in a placating gesture. "But if that's what it sounded like to me, imagine what it sounded like to the colonel. It wasn't the most diplomatic thing to say."

Running a hand over his face, Daniel pushed his glasses more firmly on to his nose and nodded. "No, I suppose not. But I really didn't mean it like that. I keep thinking Jack's problem is more than just a simple cold." Not sure if Janet understood what he was trying to explain, he shrugged. "It doesn't seem enough somehow. I'm probably being stupid – looking for trouble where there isn't any."

"Perhaps not." Daniel waited for Janet to expand on her comment, but she didn't, instead her lips thinned a little as her frown deepened. It was several seconds before she spoke again. "Okay, I'll consider what you've said when I examine Colonel O'Neill." It wasn't until they had left the room and were almost at Jack's door before she continued. "I want you both to wait outside."

"But…" Daniel didn't get a chance to finish his complaint – Janet was already shutting the door in their faces.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC