CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When O'Neill returned to Daniel's bedside a few minutes later, he was surprised to see a second bed had been moved into the room. He was even more surprised to see who was in it.

Samantha Carter lay quietly in the bed, conversing with Teal'c, who was still standing guard over the unconscious archeologist. Jack limped over to the newcomer, questions in his eyes.

"Carter, Teal'c. What's going on?"

Teal'c nodded in greeting and answered. "Colonel Carter has suffered a minor setback in her condition, O'Neill."

Jack's brow furrowed in concern. "Carter?"

"It's nothing, sir. Lam is making me check in daily because I had so many contaminated wounds, especially on my feet and legs. It seems I've got a bit of a fever today. She's worried I might be coming down with some sort of infection. She re-admitted me for observation and IV antibiotics."

"And they let you in here?" Jack had spent enough time in medical facilities to know that infected patients weren't generally allowed anywhere near an ICU of any kind.

Teal'c's deep voice answered, and his words carried an undercurrent of subdued sarcasm. "Dr. Lam was convinced to make an exception to the usual policies in this instance. It seems she believes it will be best if Colonel Carter stays in here with Daniel Jackson."

Jack merely grunted in response. He knew damn well that the doctor had merely given up when faced with a determined Jaffa and a more determined Carter. If she wanted to keep Carter under watch, she'd have to do it on Sam's terms. Jack had made the same deal many times. He almost felt bad for the physician…almost, but not quite.

Jack looked down on Sam then, growing more concerned. "You're ok, though?"

Sam nodded up at the General. "Yes, sir. It's just a precaution."

"You sure?"

"Yes, sir. Do you really think they'd let me be in here if it were serious?"

O'Neill leaned his head to one side and half nodded in a gesture of satisfaction with that logic. "Good point."

Jack and Sam grew quiet then, and Teal'c took the opportunity to speak.

"I am in need of sustenance. I shall take my leave of you for the moment. Do either of you require anything?"

Sam shook her head gently. "No, Teal'c. Thank you."

Jack also declined, and the Jaffa bowed his head once in respect before leaving.

A long but comfortable silence followed Teal'c's departure. Sam rested quietly in her bed while Jack absently flipped through a magazine in the hard plastic chair nearby. Daniel slept on soundly, oblivious to everything.

After a few moments, Jack stood and crossed the room to stand next to Daniel's bed. His experienced eyes took in the younger man's injuries, and his blood began to boil at the atrocities that had been heaped upon his friend. His anger subsided quickly, though, replaced by a gentle caring concern. Jack's hand traced his friend's brow tenderly while his mind made note of what was likely in Daniel's future. Jack knew that the myriad of cuts and bruises that covered his friend like splattered paint were just the tip of the injury iceberg here. Daniel's right leg had been broken twice, several ribs were shattered, and he was missing a few teeth. Daniel had already had facial reconstructive surgery to repair fractured cheek and nasal bones, and his left arm was encased in a fiberglass cast. His road to full recovery would be a long one. More surgery, physical therapy, and a trips to the dentist would likely take up all of Daniel's time for many months to come.

Jack sighed, thinking of the arduous journey ahead. He knew Daniel could fully recover, and Lord knows the surgeons had already made him look nearly normal, but this wouldn't be easy, and Jack wished he could lift the burden from his friend.

As the small sound escaped his lips, Jack was reminded he wasn't alone. A soft whisper floated to him, barely audible above the machinery in the room, but as clear as crystal to Jack.

"Thanks for coming after us, sir."

Jack continued to stare at Daniel for another long moment before turning back to look at Sam.

Jack leaned on Daniel's bed rail for a moment and just looked at his former 2IC. He shrugged, and when he spoke, his voice was gentle as a warm summer breeze. "It was an acceptable risk. You just keep getting better, ok?"

Carter smiled, a little blearily. "Yes, sir."

"You know you don't have to call me that anymore. I'm retired."

Carter's grin widened. "Yes, sir."

Jack began to laugh, and before he knew it, he'd crossed the space between the two beds again. He looked down at the blue-eyed blonde before him and did his best to be serious.

"You are impossible, you know that?"

Colonel Samantha Carter began to giggle then. The stress of the last week, the pain medications she was on, and simple pleasure at seeing Jack again made her uncharacteristically giddy. A light chuckle turned into a full blown fit as she gasped out another two word answer.

"Yes, sir."

Jack lost it then, too, and laughed out loud. His laughter joined Sam's, and for a moment their merriment overpowered all other sounds in the room. When they finally settled down, no words could be said between the two old friends for several long seconds, but it was Carter who spoke first, her voice shakily bringing them back to the situation at hand.

"Christ, that hurt. Don't make me laugh, sir. It's a bitch with broken ribs."

Jack sobered immediately, and put a hand on Carter's shoulder, remembering her injuries.

"You ok? You need something? Want me to call the doc?"

"No, sir. I'm ok, really, just…ow…"

Carter's hand began to slowly massage her tender side, and Jack's eyes softened. His hand began to tremble ever so slightly, and his tongue flicked out to wet his lips, as if in preparation for speech. His lips moved then, but no sound came out. He sighed.

Sam noticed his discomfort and looked up at him quizzically.

"What?"

Jack seemed unable to find his voice for a second, and he stumbled over his next few words. "I…uh…nothing…it's just…"

Sam's voice was as soft as the touch of a feather. Her eyes radiated only concern.

"What?"

Jack took a deep breath and steeled himself before answering. He squared up his shoulders and looked Carter straight in the face. "Well, it's just that, all joking aside, things could be different now. You really could drop the sir…if you wanted to." Jack ducked his head down and murmured the last part, as if afraid of Sam's reaction.

Sam's eyes enlarged to the size of dinner plates for just a second at Jack's statement. She hadn't expected an honest, raw, emotional response. She was so used to dancing around the topic of her relationship with Jack O'Neill that to be confronted with it directly surprised her for a minute.

By the time Jack lifted his head to check her reaction, though, Sam's face had softened, and while there was a tiny bit of apprehension in her eyes, there was also something else. A mixture of hope and tenderness danced behind the blue. Sam's hand left her ribs and reached up to trace Jack's jaw line as he leaned over her bed. Her next utterance was not under her control.

"Jack…"

O'Neill smiled at Carter's use of his name, and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Sam's forehead before pulling away to look into the face he'd seen so many times in his dreams. His hand traced Sam's cheek. She smiled, leaning into the touch.

Neither Jack nor Sam noticed the slight movement from the neighboring bed, but as Daniel Jackson's eyes slid open, an involuntary smile crawled its way across his features. There was no way he could stop it, even though it pulled a little at his wounds.

He didn't want to suppress it anyway. It felt too good, despite the physical twinges it caused.

Daniel licked his lips a few times, preparing to speak.

A soft but strong and rather annoyingly amused voice brought Jack and Sam out of their shared moment of tenderness a second later.

"You know, there's better places for that sort of thing…"

Two heads, one blonde and one silver, whipped around to look at Daniel as he spoke. Jack bowed his head a little, and Sam's pale cheeks turned as red as a carnation in bloom. She stifled a giggle and grinned at Daniel from under hooded eyes.

Daniel grinned back, and for a moment nothing was said in words but three pairs of eyes said more than could be written in a hundred books. Jack broke the silence first.

"Daniel, how long have you been awake?"

Daniel's grin grew wider. "Long enough, Jack. Long enough."

Jack nodded a little and looked down at the floor for a second before looking back at his friend. He looked at him for a long time, studying his features for any signs of judgment or disapproval. There were none. Daniel's eyes shone with a genuine simple amusement and with true happiness. After what seemed an eternity, Daniel's eyes flicked quickly to look at Sam before settling back on Jack. Daniel nodded his head ever so slightly in understanding, and his eyes seemed to go soft and warm.

It was all the sign Jack needed.

Jack crossed the space between the two beds in three long strides. As he reached Daniel's side, he hesitated for only a second before crouching down and bringing his face level with Daniel's on the edge of the bed. He pointed his finger in mock lecturing.

"Well, you just forget about anything you saw, and get yourself well."

Daniel stifled a laugh. "Sorry to disappoint, Jack, but I think it might take me a while this time. I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Whatever. You'll be up and around in no time."

"Thanks to you."

Jack shifted a little, and avoided Daniel's eyes briefly. When his moment of discomfort had passed, Jack's brown orbs met blue. "Not a problem, Daniel."

"Still, thanks."

Silence fell between the two men for a minute, and Jack slowly stood, his knees protesting his time on the floor. As Jack creaked his way upright, Daniel reached one hand up to touch his own forehead, feeling the line of new sutures there. His brow furrowed.

Jack noticed. "What?"

"It's nothing. Really. I just…how bad?"

"Well, Dannyboy, you'll have some new scars, but you'll live. It'll be ok."

And Jack meant it. For the first time in a long time, it did seem like everything would be ok. He felt like he was home. His team was alright. He was at peace. The decision about whether or not to retire had been consuming Jack for a long time. Now that the choice had been made for him and it was over and done with, it felt good. He knew it was time for him to let someone else take the fight to the bad guys. He was back where he belonged, with his family, and while the Ori and a thousand other evil types were still out there, someone else could deal with it for a while. There would always be evil. It would never end. This last experience with your standard malicious humans had proven that. The world would always need saving, but what good was saving the world if you couldn't enjoy it? Jack O'Neill had hidden behind his duties for far too long, not allowing himself to really live. That was going to change right now.

Jack briefly touched Daniel's face in the lightest of caresses and then looked over at a now drowsy Sam for a moment before turning his eyes back to Daniel. The archeologist had fallen back asleep, Jack's hand still resting on his neck. Jack didn't know where things were going to go from here, but as he looked at these two people, the two most important people in his world, it didn't matter. Jack's world had been saved. He could figure the rest out as he went.

A smile crept across Jack's face. He reluctantly removed his hand from Daniel, and after arranging his little plastic chair just so, Jack sat, leaned back, propped his feet up on Daniel's bed, and continued his familiar vigil. He'd be there forever if need be, watching and waiting in case he was needed. Teal'c rejoined O'Neill shortly, and the four strangers who had become a family so long ago were together again. For now, and for always.