Too bright. Too much noise. Everything hurts so badly. Why? Wait . . . Accident! There was an accident! Sam! Teal'c! Jack!
"Jack."
The name is whispered so softly that the only ears the small voice reaches are the colonel's.
"Shh," Jack holds up a hand, halting the explanation of Daniel's condition from Janet.
"Colonel?" She questions, her eyebrows knitting in frustration from having been interrupted.
"He said something," Jack replies, crossing the room and leaning over the archaeologist's prone figure.
"Colonel, I don't think that-" Janet's skeptic remark is cut short as Daniel starts to stir.
"Jack," he says again, louder this time.
"Right here, Daniel," Jack replies, clutching the younger man's hand lightly.
"Okay?" Daniel whispers, his eyes remaining closed.
"Well, you've looked better," Jack smiles softly.
"No," Daniel says breathlessly. "You . . . Sam, Teal'c . . ."
"We're fine, Danny," the colonel sighs sadly. "Everyone's fine. Once again, you've managed to come out with the most scrapes and bruises." Daniel visually relaxes.
"Good," he sighs in relief, causing Jack to chuckle. "Hurts, Jack."
"I know," the older man nods solemnly. "Get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel's words fade off as he falls into a dark, dreamless world.
0 o 0 o 0
"Sir," Sam stands as her C.O. enters the waiting room. "How is he?"
"Doc says he's staying put for a while," Jack sighs in irritation. "At least four or five weeks."
"Can we move him to the base?" Major Davis asks, standing next to Sam.
"Not until he's a little more stable. They don't want to take any chances of making his head injury worse."
"Can I . . ."
"Yeah. You can see him, Carter," Jack nods in the direction of the doors, and she quickly walks through them. The colonel rubs his face and sits roughly in one of the chairs.
"Should you not attempt to rest, O'Neill?" Teal'c questions solemnly.
"I will, T. Later," Jack replies, exhaustion coating his words. "I'll be fine."
"I disagree," Teal'c responds.
"You're entitled to your opinion," Jack grates out with annoyance. "If I have to, I'll sleep in one of theses chairs, but right now, I'm just . . . concerned."
"For DanielJackson?"
"Yeah."
Teal'c nods, "As am I."
0 o 0 o 0
"Colonel!"
Jack awakens with a start to a sore neck and Sam shaking his shoulder.
"Carter?" he yawns, stretching in the uncomfortable, plastic chair.
"He's asking for you, Sir," she says quickly. Immediately, Jack is on his feet and jogging towards Daniel's room. Upon arriving, he finds the archaeologist sitting up, his body looking limp and sickly.
"Hey," the colonel greets, shoving his trembling hands deeply into his pockets. Daniel turns to him, and a smile immediately breaks out on his face.
"Hi, Jack," he responds softly, his voice cracked and worn. "Five weeks, huh?"
"Four if you're a good boy," Jack smiles, sitting on the end of the bed. "And as I understand it, only one and a half of those weeks should be in this hospital."
"One and a half?" Daniel winces.
"Just until they're sure your head won't explode if they transport you."
"Comforting . . . then they'll transfer me back to the base?"
"Yeah."
"What do you think my chances are that Janet will let me 'rest' in my office?"
"Slim to none," the doctor's firm voice comes from the doorway of the small room.
"Good morning, Doctor Jackson. As usual, I can see that not even a severe concussion can keep you down."
"You kiddin', doc?" Jack smirks. "The man's died more times than I can count. A concussion is nothing compared to what he's been through." Daniel smiles shyly and looks down at his clasped hands.
"I don't really mind staying put for a while," he admits. "Just as long as I have something to do while I'm . . . staying. Can I read books?"
"Books are fine," Janet nods. "I know Cassie would enjoy reading you some of her favorite Dr. Seuss collections."
"And I'll always be nearby with a deck of cards and a chess set to fill in the dull moments between," Jack encourages, making Daniel chuckle.
"Yeah. Sam says she's got a few drafts of the first chapters of her book she needs edited," he replies softly. "Teal'c's found a new television show he'd like to discuss. Something called the 'The Pretender.' General Hammond informs me that his granddaughters are already in the process of drawing me 'Get Well Soon' cards. I think I'll stay busy for a while."
"As long as you get the amount of rest I tell you to," Janet warns.
"Yeah, yeah," Daniel waves a hand in the air, dismissing the doctor's obvious caution. "Just wish this headache would go away."
"Well, the headache you can have painkillers for," Janet explains, scratching something on her chart. "That happens to be the least of our problems. Anything else hurt?"
"Everything?" Daniel tries with an innocent grin, attempting to get himself out of long explanations, especially in front of Jack. The archaeologist hates very few things, but one of them happens to be admitting weakness.
"Specifics, Daniel," Janet scolds. " 'Everything' is not a pain or an ache I can fix." With a sigh, Daniel starts his list.
"Alright. I'm having a little trouble breathing, I guess."
"Okay," Janet nods, writing down a few more lines.
"Okay?" Jack asks nervously. "Doc, I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but even I know there's something wrong if you can't breath right."
"Relax, Colonel," Janet says calmly, used to the man's concern for the members of his team, especially Daniel.
The two are best friends, and the archaeologist does seem to get into more trouble than he is worth. But Daniel is a special case. He is a special person. Someone that could not be traded for all the technology in the universe.
"This is normal," she continues. "The surgeons had to repair several areas of Daniel's lungs. The stitches will constrict the amount of air for a while, but he'll get used to it and they'll loosen and disolve eventually when everything is healed." The young man nods, once again, staring at his hands. For the life of him, he cannot figure why Jack fusses so much about him.
A fuss over Sam, he can understand. There is not another person on the base as "number smart" as the physicist. She can whip an equation out of thin air and manage to confuse anyone who dares to listen. Daniel had taken a few college physics courses when he was younger, so most of the time he actually does understand what the woman says, but he is way out of her league when it comes to the heavy astrophysics and space telemetry.
Teal'c is the most experienced in battle than most of the base combined. To look as him, you would never figure that he has one of the biggest hearts that Daniel has ever come to know. Everything about the jaffa screams eternal loyalty, courage, and passion.
So why, in God's holy name, would an Air force colonel such as Jack, special ops trained, pilot extraordinaire, and damn fine officer, why would he want such a geek? A nerd who delves into books like a kid in a candy store? A naïve young man who has been laughed out of several lecture halls around the globe?
"Why keep me?" he whispers to himself.
"Daniel?"
"Hm?" Daniel's head pops up as Jack says his name, looking concerned that his friend had zoned out.
"Did you say something?" the colonel inquires.
"Oh," Daniel forces a smile. "Just wondering what's keeping Sam. She promised me some of those chocolate walnut cookies."
Janet's lips purse in protest, but one look from those deep, pool-blue eyes and all arguments leave her mind. The colonel, on the other hand, watches Daniel carefully. Although he had not caught the younger man's whispered thoughts, he does not buy that they were in any way about chocolate walnut cookies.