Don't Let It Bring You Down

Jack got into Dixon's car trying not to get covered by the dog hair, stray bits of food and other nondescript items of debris that littered the inside. They had just left his truck at the shop for new shocks and breaks and Dixon was giving O'Neill a lift to the base.

"I didn't think of you as the minivan kind of guy, Dave."

"Sorry about the mess" Dixon said, well aware the open windows were keeping at bay the stench of wet dog, curdled milk and some other ill-defined aromas left by his marauding brood of children and hoping it wasn't a wad of bubble gum Jack sat in.

The CD player was playing erratically and Dave gave it a good thump. Neil Young sang out:

'All alone the captain stands'

"So Jack…ah…General, sir, how you doing?"

"Dave, for the love of Christ, I get enough of that on the base."

"I suppose you got a load of the new CIA agent. Half the guys are drooling and the other half are still freaked out by redheads since Hathor graced our base."

'I am lonely
but you can free me
all in the way that you smile'

Jack compared the two in his mind. Kerry won hands down. Thoughts of Hathor always brought one of his hands to his gut or to the back of his neck and, too, the feel of Carter warming him up.

Plaintively in the background he heard

'There will be another one
Who'll hover over you
Beneath the sun
Tomorrow see the things
That never come today.'

Dave nattered on as Jack's mind wondered.

"…ran into Colonel Carter in the supermarket. She said she had an engagement ring – so I guess…"

'Old man lying by the side of the road…
Dead man lying by the side of the road…'

"…I guess you knew."

'with the daylight in his eyes'

"You must have seen the ring."

'Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning.'

"…do you when the wedding is, cause my wife wanted to get them a little something…"

The car hit a pot hole and the CD jumped tracks.

'Only love can break your heart.
Try to be sure right from the start.
Yes, only love can break your heart.
What if your world should fall apart.'

O'Neill tried to fast forward the disc but it began skipping

"Break your heart…
Break your heart…
Break your heart"

Jack switched to the radio. Only static poured out of the speakers.

"I think one of the little buggers broke the aerial." And Dave turned it back to the CD and thumped it a few times for got measure.

'…the space ships flying in the yellow haze of the sun'

"You know that's one of my wife's favorite songs, God knows why, and I can't tell her anything. She does give me that old fishy eyeball when I come home injured. She's no dope. Sometimes I wish I could tell her and other times I glad I get to shield them all.
By the way, is it true Carter's squeeze got briefed. That's the word but, you know Jack, it doesn't sit right with the men."

O'Neill was trying to tune out all ambient noise but caught the mention of Carter's name again.

"Special case Dave, he walked into Osiris in all his glory, even wound up in the infirmary."

'Lover there will be another one'

"Still I don't think special treatment is good for moral, everyone is aware." Dave continued.

'Aware of exactly what?' Jack wondered.

'another one
another one
another one'

O'Neill smacked the dashboard so hard the glove box popped open, cracked him on the knee and spewed papers and sunglasses into his lap.

'without you
without you'

O'Neill repeatedly pressed the eject button just causing the repeated skipping to continue.

"Don't you have any other CDs"

"Yeah but that one is stuck, I don't know gum or something one of the kids crammed in there. You should be glad it isn't Barney or Yanni."

As a last resort Jack grasped the knob to lower the volume. It fell off in his hand, roll into the debris pile on the floor as if down a black hole.

"Hey, Jack, do you need a ride back to the shop tonight?"

"No! No thanks Dave but no, Daniel is going to give me a lift."

"I thought you said he drove like an old lady. Maybe Carter can give you a ride on the back of her Indian."

"Funny, Dave."

Col. Dixon did not realize it but his simple act of kindness, giving Jack O'Neill a ride to the base, made Walter Harriman's life a living hell that day.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

All on the 'After the Gold Rush' CD

Neil Young – Cripple Creek Ferry

Neil Young - Tell Me Why

Neil Young - Birds

Neil Young - Don't Let It Bring You Down

Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush

Neil Young - Birds