A/N: As promised, the second post of the day. Happy Friday.

Chapter 5

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A loud splash behind him drew O'Neill from his sleep. He fought a momentary flash of panic when he realized he couldn't move. The panicked feeling was followed by another flash, this time of awareness. He wasn't paralyzed, he just had somebody's...Carter's he hoped...head on his shoulder. Jack took a deep breath and confirmed it. Yep, Carter. Sick or not, he'd recognize her anywhere. Nobody else smelled that good.

The splashing came closer and Jack tensed up, summoning the energy to try to defend them both. Before he could move, however, Teal'c's warm voice washed over him.

"O'Neill, do not be alarmed."

The large Jaffa stepped around so that he was in O'Neill's line of vision and Jack relaxed once again. He was aware of Carter's breath warm on his shoulder, her arm tucked comfortingly around his stomach. His...bare...stomach. He looked up at Teal'c and raised and eyebrow.

Teal'c crouched low to spare Jack the effort of bending his neck. "You are both feverish. Daniel Jackson told me that if your temperatures rose above one hundred and one that I should find some means of cooling you. This method seemed the most efficient."

Jack nodded, then fought the shiver that seemed to shake his entire being. "I th-think it's workin,' T. How much longer?"

"I was just returning from preparing your tent. It is time for the two of you to dry off."

"'Kay." Jack made a halfhearted attempt to rise, then groaned as it became clear that he was unable to do so without help. "G'd...wha's wrong with us?"

"I do not know, my friend. But Daniel Jackson should be back soon. He returned through the stargate this afternoon to fetch help. You and Major Carter have been asleep for many hours." Teal'c worked as he spoke, untying the strap around Sam's waist and lifting her gently out of the water. He laid her on his sleeping bag, which he'd spread out on the grass of the riverbank. When she was safely wrapped inside, he returned for O'Neill. "Can you walk now?"

Jack clenched his jaw and gave the tiniest nod possible. "Jus' help me. God...my neck. I'm so damned tired."

Teal'c slipped O'Neill's arm over his shoulder and essentially lifted him out of the water. He checked on Sam who appeared to have fallen asleep again, then helped Jack back to the tent the two officers shared. As soon as they were within a few feet of it, Jack waved Teal'c back to where Sam lay. "Go. Get Sam. Don' want her t' fall back in."

"You must first put on dry clothing, O'Neill. I have left some for you."

Jack slowly climbed back into the tent, wishing for all the world that the SGC allowed teams to travel with air mattresses. God, he ached from head to toe. He fumbled with the clothing Teal'c had pulled from his bag, awkwardly sorting out his boxers when his legs became tangled. As he slid into his bag he frowned, trying to puzzle out what was different. The bag seemed bigger, roomier. The effort of moving those last few feet on his own and then changing clothes took its toll and he gave up trying to figure it out. He didn't really care what was different, just that it was there.

Teal'c returned to the tent a few minutes later, a sleeping but wet Major in his arms. He set her down gently and reached for the dry clothes he'd laid out for her. As she sat propped against his chest, Teal'c had second thoughts. Major Carter had been so very embarrassed earlier in the day when he'd assisted her to the restroom. He knew instinctively that this would really upset her. Perhaps it would be easier if.... He checked on O'Neill and found the man's eyes on him, blinking sleepily.

"W's wrong, T?"

"Major Carter too needs to change into dry clothing. However, I am certain she would be...embarrassed...if she knew I had assisted."

"Oh." Jack closed his eyes and weighed the options as best as he was able. "Tell you what, T. You close th' flap an' I'll try to get her t' wake up a little, 'kay?" Jack hated that he couldn't form words correctly, but it seemed to work well enough that Teal'c understood.

Teal'c eased Sam inside of the tent and then let the flaps fall closed. "I shall remain immediately outside, O'Neill."

"Fine." Jack reached out and nudged Sam, poking her where she sat slumped on the edge of the sleeping bag. "Sam. Sam. C'mon, wake up, 'kay?"

"Hmm?" Sam's voice was thick with fatigue. "Jack?"

As tired as he was, Jack didn't even register her use of his first name. He needed to sleep and he couldn't do that until Sam was dry. And beside him. "C'mon swee– er, Sam. T's gotten us cooled off, but you're wet. Can you change?"

"Mhm hm." Her eyes still closed, Sam reached blindly for the cloth resting against her knee. She wrestled with her damp shirt, her normally smooth motions jerky and uncoordinated. "Damn. Stuck."

Jack, who had been determinedly lying back with his eyes closed started at her oath. "Carter?"

"Stuck. Sir. Stuck. Can' get m' hand...ow. Now I'm...oh for..."

Risking a peek, Jack bit back a tired smile. Before him sat his incredibly capable Second, her lower legs folded under her, one arm out of her soaking wet t-shirt and the other arm caught in the neck hole. And a very long expanse of toned abdomen just at his eye-level. Jack sucked in a sharp breath as he realized, thankfully, that Teal'c had put her in a large shirt, probably one of his own, but left her sport bra on. As that thought filtered through his head Jack realized that the bra was now as wet as the shirt and should probably come off too. Sweet.

Oh crap.

"Hang on, Major." Yeah, Jack. Stick with the grades. That'll work. Major, Colonel, Major, Colonel. Major...majorly hot Major. Right here. Oh crap. Jack propped himself up and reached over. He grabbed the edge of the huge t-shirt and gave it a tug.

Carter gave a squeak as the shirt popped off, pulling a few blonde hairs with it. She was alert enough to realize she was still wearing her bra. Her very wet bra. Great. She reached for the t-shirt resting on her knees and then thought again. "Sir?"

"It's okay, I promise t' close m' eyes."

Her faint giggle penetrated the fog surround his brain and Jack tried again to figure out what she wanted. "Carter?"

"Can I get into yours?"

"S'cuse me?"

Sam frowned in concentration. She thought she'd been pretty clear, but apparently not. "Need a big shirt. Bra."

Somehow that made sense to Jack and he reached behind his head and pulled the last of his clean t-shirts out of his pack. While he was there he also pulled out a spare pair of boxers. Oh...Sam Carter in my boxers. There is a God. How come I can be sick and still think like...like a guy? "Here," he said, his voice gruff.

"Thanks."

Jack flopped back onto the bed, hoping the rest of her changing would go smoothly. He'd burned up what little energy he had and was fighting the urge to curl up and go to sleep. After a moment he fought though the growing haze and realized Carter hadn't moved. "Swe– Sam?"

"Can't." Her voice quavered slightly, a completely un-Carterish sound.

"Can't...oh."

"O'Neill, is all well?" Teal'c's voice sounded further away than just outside the tent.

"We're good, T. Just going to sleep."

"Rest well."

"Yeah." Jack looked up to find Carter staring at him forlornly, her big blue eyes grey with fatigue and pain. Exhaustion was visible in every line of her body, highlighted by the waning afternoon light filtering through the tent walls. "Okay, Sam. C'mere."

Sam crawled forward and collapsed onto the sleeping bag, struggling to stay in a seated position. Jack pulled the top half over her lap, realizing as he did so that Teal'c had zipped their bags together to form one larger unit. He shook his head, too tired to even consider the implications. "I'm gonna close my eyes, 'kay? You lift up your arms and I'm gonna pull."

Sam just nodded, tears sneaking past her closed lids.

Jack's heart broke at the sight. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder then lifted it to brush her tears aside. "Shh, Sam. It's okay, honey. C'mon. I know you're tired. Me too. Just a few more minutes, then we can sleep." She nodded and he took a deep breath. "Okay, arms up." Once they were high enough Jack slid his fingers under her sport bra, one hand on either side of her, just under her arms. "Ready?"

"Yeah, just...my neck. Sore."

"I know, me too."

"Are your eyes closed?"

"They are."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. Go ahead."

Jack gave a tug and lifted the elastic up and off of her shoulders. Thankfully the material had stretched while wet and it came fairly easily. Sam immediately dropped her arms down to cover her breasts and she quickly slipped on the t-shirt he'd loaned her. They both blew out a sigh at having that task accomplished.

"Um..."

"Yeah. This part's a bit trickier, Carter. I'm not...ah...gonna do any tugging here, okay?" Because it didn't really matter just how sick he was, if he, Jack O'Neill got his hands anywhere near the edges of her panties, it'd be all over. Her career, his career, all of it. Just thinking about it raised his body temperature again and he couldn't afford that. "You, um...lie down. Pull off your...and when you're ready I'll hand you my boxers."

"'Kay."

Sam wiggled until she was lying flat. She took another deep breath and reached down, pulling and tugging until her wet panties came free. She pulled them out and exchanged them for the blessedly dry boxers the Colonel was holding out for her. So intent was she on the task of putting them on that she missed the expression on O'Neill's face as he stared at the twisted cotton undergarment dangling from his fingertips.

When she was finished, Sam let out a long, slow breath. "Good. Sleep now?"

Jack could only nod as he slowly wadded up her discarded underwear and, still slightly bemused, tucked it into his pack. Sleep. That seemed like a really, really good idea. He settled back into his side of the sleeping bag and pulled the other half over them both. A small part of him was concerned, very concerned. Whatever it was that had hit them so hard didn't seem to be fading. He was more tired now than he had been last night, and Carter, who had gotten sick before he had didn't seem at all better. Slowly, though, that worried voice was smothered by the misty tendrils of sleep that crept in and drew him deeper into the darkness.

Beside him, Sam turned and reached out restlessly, calming only when her hand found his chest. She slid closer until her head rested once again on his shoulder. She burrowed closer until her head was resting just under his chin. All other things faded from Jack's mind as he drifted off, his arm coming around to hold her tightly to him. Her softly whispered, "G'nite, Jack" could have been just a whisper on the breeze that stirred the flaps of their tent as the sun set on the second day.

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