The intensive care unit was darker than the rest of the infirmary and he paused in the doorway for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. He was aware that Hammond, Carter, Daniel and Teal'c had followed him and were now gathered just behind him, waiting as he hobbled towards her.
Her eyes were open, but the tube in her throat stopped her from speaking. Her normally tanned skin was as white as the sheets on which she was laid and he had an idea of just how close he had come to losing her.
He reached out and took her hand in his own running his fingers over her palm.
"Jack"
He could feel her relax slightly, her eyes running over his face and her fingers entwined in his own.
"I'm here. Everything's gunna be fine."
"What happened?"
"It doesn't matter. You're safe now. I promise"
Janet appeared at his side checking the monitors that beeped at her bedside. Lalia's eyes widened slightly and her fingers tensed in his hand.
"She's a doctor. She's here to help"
Janet looked at him.
"Everything seems to be okay. I think she's out of the woods, but she really should get some rest"
He lifted his hand to her face and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, pausing for a moment to brush her cheek.
"Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up"
He raised her fingers to his mouth and brushed his lips across the back of her hand, watching as her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into sleep.
He turned to ask Janet to bring him a chair to sit in, he had told Lalia he would be there when she woke up and he meant to be, but stopped, almost laughing out loud at the faces of the five people who stood behind him.
Janet was the first to recover, ordering him back to his bed. He shook his head, pulling a chair up to her bedside.
"I promised her I'd be here when she woke up"
Janet shrugged and left the room, giving him orders to call her if they needed anything. The rest of them moved into the room, studying him, and still looking at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Sir, how did you know she was awake?" Carter asked.
He sighed "I already told you that"
"Colonel, do you really expect me to believe that you and this woman can talk to each other telepathically? That you can hear each other's thoughts?"
Jack looked at his commanding officer before smiling slightly.
"After all the weird things we've seen and done the last couple of years, is it really that shocking. I can even hear what you guys are thinking…. sort of. Don't worry I won't hold it against you."
"What?" Daniel finally asked.
"That all three of you think I'm crazy"
"Three?"
"Teal'c believes me, don't you buddy?"
Teal'c inclined his head, smiling slightly. "That is correct"
Cater spluttered slightly. "How….. Okay what number am I thinking of?"
"One million, twenty three thousand, six hundred and forty four….. three……four. Make up your mind!"
He smiled at her before looking over at Daniel a sly grin on his face.
"Oh and Daniel….. That red head you took out to dinner last night……. Nice"
He laughed at the look on both Daniel and Carter's faces but sobered slightly as Hammond glared at him. He knew what he was thinking.
"No General I don't think I'm telepathic, I don't get anything from Frasier or from the nurses, not anything more than a vague sense, only from you guys."
"That's weird" Cater said.
He shrugged "Not really. You guys are the closest thing I've got to a family and I knew what you were all thinking half the time anyway, it's just clearer now, a lot clearer, and a little disturbing." He glanced at her "Especially you…. Way too many thoughts in that little head of yours"
She blushed.
Hammond cleared his throat and they looked at him.
"Colonel I am obligated to report all of this to the NID"
"General. I promised her……."
Hammond held up his hand to stop him.
"But due to the current critical situation of both your health and hers, I won't be able to get your report for a couple of weeks. I hope you'll be well enough to submit your report by the 14th"
He nodded to each of them and left the infirmary. Jack sighed in relief and looked at each of his team mates.
"Two weeks. Guys you gotta help me out on this one, I can't let the NID get their hands on her, they'll rip her apart. She saved my life I owe her for that much at least"
"We'll do what we can sir"
"Thanks guys"
All three turned to leave and Jack turned his attention back to Lalia, he recaptured her fingers in his hand and again raised it to his lips. He winced slightly at the coldness in her fingers and shuddered at how close he had come to losing her.
A noise from the doorway drew his attention. Daniel had paused there before leaving and was studying him intently, his fingers frozen on the door handle. Jack blushed slightly and released Lalia's hand, letting it fall back onto the bed.
"You're in love with her aren't you?"
"I……" his voice cracked so he just nodded.
Daniel nodded slowly and silently pushed open the door.
"We'll figure something out Jack"
As the door swung closed Jack thought about what his friend had said. Now that he had admitted it he didn't know how he could have missed it before. His reluctance to leave the planet, the peace he had felt there, had been nothing to do with the way she lived, and everything to do with her.
