"SG-4's post-mission tests came back. They're all in perfect health." Janet said, dutifully.
"And Siler?"
"Will be fine in a day or so. As usual, he got a nasty shock to his system. It's nothing to worry about."
"And Dr. Martin from SG-8?"
"Should be ready for active duty in another few days."
Both paused before discussing the last patient in the infirmary.
"Dr. Kosovich still shows no change." Janet finally spoke up.
Jack nodded. "And Lena?"
"Still here…she just took the boys to the commissary for some dinner." Tony said, walking toward them.
They both turned, surprised and yet not surprised to see the Albanian there. "Tony!" Jack greeted.
"Jack."
"Ria suggested that you could help me to the commissary to find Lena and the boys."
"Once I'm finished with Dr. Fraiser, I would be glad to." Jack said, giving a succinct nod.
"Thanks. And, I'm sorry for interrupting."
"You're fine, Tony. We just finished." Janet assured. "General O'Neill, I'll get the latest reports on your desk ASAP."
"Thank you, Doc."
She gave a tiny smile as she walked toward the isolation room that Tony had just vacated.
"So, Tony…back in town, huh?"
"Yes. Ria called and told me about Nick. I thought I'd come and support the family."
Jack nodded, leaning heavily on the crutch he used to support his broken leg. "She says I can walk on my leg, but even with the crutch, it hurts like hell." Jack muttered as they got to the elevator.
"How badly broken was it?"
"Well, it's been about five weeks since I initially broke my femur in four places. This is the first broken bone that required reconstructive surgery."
Tony winced.
"Yeah…and believe me, I've had my share of broken bones."
"How many?"
"Before this? Seven if you count skull fractures."
"Skull fractures?"
"Yeah. My chute opened a little late."
"Ouch."
"Yeah…but I've only been as sick as Nick once…"
"When was that?"
"A few years ago. I had cerebral meningitis."
"Whoa."
"Yeah…we used some experimental medical technology, and I managed to pull through."
"Impressive."
"Yeah, Doc Fraiser's too modest to say anything, but she's a genius. Put her with my wife, and they can solve anything."
Tony gave a tiny smile as they walked into the commissary. They walked up to the table that Lena shared with the boys. "Hi, Lena."
"Tony…did something happen?" Lena asked, almost about to stand up in worry.
"No, Ria just needed to check his vitals…"
She started breathing fairly normally again. "Thanks."
"Why don't we get some food and come and join you?" Jack asked, quickly.
"That'd be nice." Lena said, playing with the mashed potatoes on her plate much like both of her sons.
Tony looked at Jack, a look of worry passing over his face as the older man motioned for him to join him in the line at the commissary.
"I know how to make anybody eat." Jack said with a wry smile.
"You do?"
"Of course." He said, before seeing one of his friends on the kitchen staff. "Georgette?"
"General O'Neill!"
"I have some friends who could use some chocolate cake. You wouldn't happen to have a couple pieces lying around?"
She gave him a sly smile. "How many pieces are you looking for?"
"Five."
"Five?"
"Hey, this time I really do have friends who want them…"
She grinned. "Give me about fifteen minutes. I just took another cake out of the oven a few minutes ago…it's cooling now."
"Thanks, Georgette!"
"You're welcome, sir."
"Keep up the good work." He said with a smile.
He and Tony walked past, picking up their trays and retrieving their roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn.
They walked over to the table where the Kosoviches sat, looking forlorn. "If you all eat your dinner, I have a surprise for you!" Jack said as if he was talking to his own kids.
All three managed to look up, interestedly.
"I have a friend who makes the best chocolate cake you've ever eaten! But you've got to finish your dinner before you can even smell it!"
Tommy began eating his dinner as quickly as he could without making himself sick, while Danny looked at his food and unwillingly took a few more bites of it. Lena watched the magic that Jack had just initiated and, like her son, took a few more bites of the "home-cooked" meal.
By the time that Georgette brought the pieces of cake out to the table, Lena and Danny were only a few bites away from being finished while Tommy had been waiting patiently for the dessert.
"Folks, meet one of the best cake-makers in the world!" Jack said, standing up and putting his arm around Georgette's shoulders. "Georgette Jacobs."
She blushed. "Thank you."
"Georgette, meet Tony Dovolani, Lena Kosovich and her sons, Thomas and Daniel."
"Nice to meet you." Lena said, politely. "Thank you for making the cake."
"There's only one man who can get me make this much cake…" She teased. "And that's the man who signs my paycheck."
Jack grinned. "I knew there was a reason I wanted to be 'the man'."
Despite the seriousness of their circumstances, Lena, Tony and the boys joined in his chuckling.
--
Tony's visit had been strange to Nick. Not only had he been reminded of how much like brothers they were, he was strangely touched. And not only in the emotional way that the word could be used, but also physically. Something had changed within him. As if something was on its way to recovery. But the warning was quite clear to Nick: at this point, he would only be healed if he actively worked toward the healing taking place.
That was something he wasn't sure he wanted. But he didn't want to hurt Lena or his boys, so…he would look for something…something that could help him make his decision.
In the distance, he saw the ocean. He'd always been able to think near the ocean. Slowly, he made his feverish trek to the flowing water.
--
Ria took the results from Nick's vital signs back to Janet, awestruck.
"Janet?"
"Ria."
"I think you should look at this."
She looked at Ria as if to discern what the news would be as she accepted the chart.
Ria's facial expression didn't change as Janet turned her eyes to the chart. She gasped in surprise. "How is this possible?"
"Honestly, ma'am? I have no idea."
"His vitals are just returning to normal because he's willing them to? I'm sorry, Ria, I've seen a lot of things in my life and especially in my career here, but…a man that sick does not begin getting well just because he thinks he wants to. Especially not if the man has the same amount to live for than he left at the beginning of his illness."
Ria shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it otherwise. Unless you take into consideration the fact that Tony touched him…"
"What? Now, Tony's an Ancient?"
"I know it sounds crazy."
Janet sighed. "Crazy, I could handle. But this…unless something else comes up, I don't recommend running any tests."
"But if he's an Ancient…" Ria began, knowing that this could mean a lot for the program.
"He will be captured by the Trust and experimented on."
Ria's blood chilled. "Yes, ma'am." She said, realizing that Janet knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Now, as far as we're concerned, this is a freak accident…enough of them happen around here…" She said, wryly.
Ria nodded.
"And, we're going to keep this under wraps until we know for sure that this isn't just a fluke in the equipment."
Again, she nodded, grateful that Janet had her husband's best interests at heart. The possibility of having married an Ancient made her a little nervous. Especially with all of the problems that Janet had just mentioned.
Suddenly, she wished very diligently that her husband was as normal as they came. The Trust aside, she did not want to be like Lena, the woman waiting for her husband to awaken from a coma. A shudder overcame her. Somehow, she wasn't sure that she'd be spared that experience.
--
Daniel sat at the Denver International Airport Terminal, awaiting Marie and Raddeus Kosovich's flight. His cell phone was in his hands so that he could receive the latest updates to pass onto the family.
He had seen the look on Janet's face after her shift yesterday, and it was the look she wore when she was weary...when she knew she couldn't do anything more to help her patient.
He had known then that Nick wasn't doing very well...in fact, he had known almost immediately that Nick was doing VERY poorly. She'd stayed around the house to catch a moment of rest, only to leave an hour later, to return to care for the invalid ethnomusicologist and dancer.
A tall man, followed by a gray-haired woman stepped out of the gate area. Daniel could see almost immediately the Kosovich resemblance and approached him. "Raddeus Kosovich?"
"Yes?" Raddeus asked, recognizing the man who had approached them as one of Jonathan and Samantha's friends.
"I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson. Lena sent me."
He nodded. "Dr. Jackson, this is my mother, Marie Kosovich."
Daniel gave a slight bow. "Mrs. Kosovich."
"Dr. Jackson." She greeted. "How is Nicholas?"
Daniel held up his silent cell phone. "Last night, he was still very feverish and delirious, but I haven't received any updates saying he's worse off..."
"No news is good news, Mum." Raddeus said, putting his arm around her.
She nodded. "May we see him?"
"Of course." Daniel said, reaching for the small bag in Marie's hand. "If you'll follow me, we'll go to my car and be on our way."