"Argh!" Jack hissed as Janet dabbed his shredded knuckles with an alcohol wipe, cleaning out the wounds before she would bandage them.
"You really did a number on these, Colonel" Janet sighed as she gently placed a non-adhesive dressing on top of the knuckles of his right hand. Jack didn't look up and she continued wrapping a bandage around the hand, holding the dressing firmly in place. Once finished she started on the next hand with a shake of her head.
"Your results are back Colonel" Janet attempted to start a conversation "if you wanted to know what I concluded based on the results from the examination…" Janet began while Jack let out an exaggerated sigh. "Some normal hormones are slightly elevated; mostly stress hormones which I'm not surprised about. You have somewhat elevated Testosterone levels; and you have decreased serotonin activity." Janet told him as she bandaged the other hand.
"Dumb it down for me doc" Jack groaned as he pulled his battered hands closer to himself.
"Well we mostly find these sorts of results in patients suffering from alcoholism. Decreased serotonin activity is associated with impulsivity and aggressive behavior. Testosterone as I'm sure you know is responsible for the development of male primary and secondary sexual characteristics, and high concentrations have been associated with violence and hostility." Janet explained as Jack tried to follow her. She looked to him expectantly and he shrugged.
"So…" he held his hands out open equally as expectantly.
"So you and Daniel both have these altered levels, Colonel" Janet offered and he nodded still confused. "Sir Serotonin alone is thought to function as a behavioral inhibitor. I believe these results explain the behavioral changes you've been experiencing."
"Fraiser, save it" Jack sighed heavily "right now, I wouldn't care if those results came back with a big red flag indicating I was drugged. It doesn't explain what I did and it sure as hell doesn't change it"
"But colonel there may be something on the planet causing these…"
"Tell it to Carter." Jacks eyes met Janet's with a sad sort of furiousness. Anguish was clearly evident on his features. Janet bit her lip having a vague understanding of what the colonel was going through.
"Sir I know you want to help her." Janet spoke up "I know you want to be able to comfort her and you desperately want her forgiveness…" Janet watched as he looked at her with a stunned sort of expression. "But right now she's afraid of you, and I know that's a difficult thing to come to terms with but there's really nothing you can do to make her understand that you won't hurt her"
"Janet…"
"Jack, it's up to her now. Right now what she needs is time to sort out her emotions and she needs a friend, a confidant and someone to talk to, to help her through this" Janet explained while Jack shifted on the cot. "I know you want to be that person for her; but you can't" Janet stated as Jack dropped his head into his bandaged hands.
"What am I supposed to do then?" Jack asked looking back up at Janet's mothering gaze
"You can start by helping me find out just what happened on that planet to alter these levels" Janet smiled but Jack just nodded as she turned to pick up his chart.
"Doc, what if it isn't something on the planet?" Jack asked holding her gaze.
"Given you and Daniel are both suffering from these same effects, I doubt it isn't"
"But it's a possibility?" Jack asked still holding her gaze intently
"Yes sir, it is"
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