Part 21
Daniel sat quietly watching the sunrise. After the incident last night, he wasn't able to fall back to sleep again so he stayed up and watched the ever-changing color of the sky. Now a bright orange scar streaked across the dark blue backdrop. He slowly sipped his coffee, returning the cup to his lap between sips. He moved without emotion or without purpose. After a night of soul searching - where his thoughts ranged from the near-death experience, the dream and then the discovery of Philip in another man's apartment in the middle of the night. No wonder he couldn't sleep! At one point, Daniel wondered just how complicated life was going to get for him. Why couldn't he return to the simplicity of Abydos. There he knew what he had to do. He got up everyday and taught English and Ancient Egyptian history to Skaara and his peers. Every evening he went home and Sha're had a meal cooked for him. Every night he laid tangled with his wife's limbs and on some occasions, they made love.
Everything was simple. He felt loved, needed and wanted. He had challenges with the gate and the Chamber, and he was fulfilled. What did he have now?
Slowly he raised the cup to his mouth and took another sip of the hot brew. Returning to his thoughts he knew that his life was more complicated than most people in this world.
*
Jack rushed through the hospital corridors until he found the right Nurses’ station. Leaning onto the counter he asked for Philip’s room and was told where it was by the male nurse behind the desk. Jack nodded as he pushed himself up off the counter and went down the corridor.
He carefully pushed the door open and entered the room. Philip was asleep on the bed, and there was another man asleep in the chair beside the bed. Jack frowned as he approached Philip. Languidly the brown eyes opened then, once focused, Philip smiled as he sat up.
“Hello..” He said, adjusting the sheet across his lap. He held his hand out and Jack took a firm grasp of it.
“What the hell happened?”
“There was an accident last night. I went to help but I didn’t have shoes on and my feet got cut up some and there was gas leaking so they’ve got them bandaged and..”
“For crying out loud!” Jack sighed as he sat one cheek on the edge of the bed. “Can’t I leave you alone for a minute?”
Philip laughed. “No, obviously not!”
Jack raised the joined hands and kissed the pulse point on Phil’s wrist. “You’re okay though?”
“Yeah, hun”- the artist smiled at his doting lover. “I’m just in for obs. They’ll probably release me sometime today.”
“Crap!” Jack mumbled as he checked his watch. Philip noted the action and squeezed his hand.
“It’s fine. I know you have to go to work.”
“I want to take the day off, to be with you..” Jack said but watched as Philip shook his head resolutely.
“You’re behind in your paperwork, I know that. And I’m fine! Todd’s going to keep an eye on me..”
Jack followed the jut of Phil’s head towards the man asleep in the chair. Mouthing the name, “Todd”, Jack raided his brow.
“My only other friend,” Philip said, gently reminding Jack with a smile.
The colonel nodded and said, “Ah,” quietly before turning to look at Phil once more.
“I’ll be fine.” The artist reassured him.
“I know, babe, but I want to…” Jack clasped his free hand into a slight fist then shrugged. “But I’ve got to get to work today. Oh!” He abruptly changed the subject and lifted his brows as he pointed to Phil. “I *have* put in for a weeks down time, though, and was hoping….”
“When?”
“Maybe next week.” He sounded hopeful, then brought his lips together lightly as he shrugged. “It all depends on.. some developments..”
Philip nodded and sat back in the bed. “Maybe I can take some time off, too,” he said. Jack looked at him a long moment then nodded.
“That would be good.. Great, even.”
Philip smiled. “Now go to work! I’ll call you when I know more.”
Jack reached the joined hands up to his lips and kissed Phil’s fingers lightly. The young man caressed his other hand through Jack's short gray hair, following the curve of his ear, as he said, “Love you.”
Jack nodded. “I know, babe.” He slipped off the bed, reached forward and planted a soft kiss on Phil’s left ear.
“Should we make some dinner plans for tonight?” Philip asked as Jack's hand slipped from his.
“Yeah,” the older man shrugged as he stood with his hands on his hips.
“What about I make the arrangements and call you later?” Phil offered.
Jack gave a sharp nod, and then pointed to him as he said, “Sounds like a plan to me.” As he turned he saw Todd and jibed, “Pleasure to have met you, too! No, don’t get up, I’ll see myself to the door!”
Philip laughed as he watched Jack leave then his expression altered slightly as he bit his bottom lip and rolled over in his bed, facing the sleeping man. He just closed his eyes when Todd opened his, shifting them towards the direction of the door.
The sitting man sighed then shifted in his chair before allowing his eyes to close again.
Philip’s eyes opened at the sound of the sigh, but as Todd was quiet once more, he put the noise down to the fact that he’d simply shifted in his sleep. Closing his eyes once more he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
*
Jack coughed to clear his throat as he slipped the top folder from the towering pile beside him and flung it open dramatically. Every pore of the colonel oozed his contempt for having to be there that day, especially while Phil was laid up in hospital - but there was nothing he could do for Phil, apart from sit by his bed and wait. It made more sense to go to work and make a dent in the pile of neglected reports that had been building up over the past few weeks.
Still it was tedious work, and mind bending – especially reviewing Sam and Daniel's reports, with all the science-talk in them. With a disgruntled sigh he slammed his elbows onto his desk and buried his face in his hands. Growling and mumbling like a petulant child, he completely missed seeing the beige colored envelope slip under his door.
Flinging himself back in his chair he winced a little when he hit his soft spot on the high chair-back. Growling again he rubbed the sore spot as he reached for his coffee cup and saw that it was empty. Getting up, he rounded his desk and stood on the unseen envelope as he opened his door. As he stepped off his foot slipped on the envelope and he looked down. A frown creased his face as he checked the abandoned corridors before bending to pick up the beige letter.
Stepping into his office once more he kicked his door shut and went to his chair while he ripped the sealed envelope open with his index finger.
He recognized the handwriting immediately. A little spidery these days, Philip’s handwriting was always so noticeably perfect – with nice, neat strokes and flawlessly rounded letters.
/Well, if my brother is a man of morals and honor this letter will find you intact and unopened. If it doesn’t, you have my permission to whip his butt.. oh, no, don’t, because I think he likes that kind of thing, actually!
I’m going to be released by 2 o'clock so you can stop worrying now (and I know you are, so don’t bother to try to pretend that you’re not!). I’ve just thought about where we can have dinner tonight. I want something wonderful, something romantic, something very, very intimate, my love! We have a lot to talk through, wouldn’t you agree? And I don’t want to be interrupted when we do.
So that’s when I thought of this place. The atmosphere is the best I’ve ever found anywhere! Romantic, open fire and candlelight… soft music – maybe I’ll persuade you onto the dance floor? Maybe not!
Interested? //
The note went on to give him actual physical directions from the mountain to the place in question. Jack read them, mentally mapping out the ‘turn lefts’ and ‘turn right’ and ‘four streets down from Caesar’s Pizza Shop’.. Until he wound up in his own drive way.
A smile filled his face as he settled back into his leather chair and re-read the directions, just to be sure. Shaking his head at his lover’s ingenious note he tried to think of someway of contributing to the evening. Suddenly he reached for his laptop and logged on. Checking through the sites he found the one he was after then he grabbed his wallet from his top draw and pulled out his credit card. Taking his time going through the site, Jack chose exactly what he wanted, carefully placing the items into his ‘shopping basket’ before paying for the lot on his card. Requesting immediate delivery, he knew that that would mean that the surprise would arrive at his front door step sometime within the next three hours. Perfectly timed, especially if they were running to the three-hour mark instead.
As he closed the screen down he smiled to himself. Philip was right in his note – they did have a lot to discuss, but he also liked the effort that his lover had gone to to ensure that they do take the time to do just that. He was hoping his gift would add to their evening as well.
He recalled how, as he’d come in that morning, he’d cursed the rain but now, he wasn’t so sure. Images of him and Philip snuggled together on his sofa, the fire roaring in the hearth and rain cascading picturesquely down his large windows while they watched television together in the dark wouldn’t leave his mind. In fact, it managed to carry him through the rest of the pile of reports in an almost cheerful manner.
*
Philip pulled his car into the driveway and he quickly checked his watch. After he'd been released from the hospital Todd had taken him back to the apartment where he showered and changed, then got into his own car to go to the store on his way to Jack's place. Now he had precisely twenty minutes to get into the house and set it up just as he wanted it to be before Jack was due home. Twisting across himself he reached for his satchel on the passengers seat but found, to his frustration and dismay, that at that angle he didn’t have the strength or the purchase to lift the heavy case. Since his muscles had begun wasting away he’d discovered that his arms were becoming less and less powerful and it was always little moments like this that rocked him – discovering you’re not the man you used to be would rock most people, Philip reminded himself quietly. Ordinarily someone wouldn’t think twice about hauling a bag off a seat beside them, but for Philip it showed that those days were now over for him and that the disease was really taking a strong hold on his body.
Pushing all the negativity and fear that that thought brought with it to the back of his mind instead, he simply got up out of the car, circled it and opened the other door. Now he could quite easily lift the bag from the seat. He felt a twinge of pride in himself for not letting that one small action ruin his night as he tossed the bag over one shoulder. Turning to close the door he saw Mr. Kravofal watching him from where he was, kneeling in the mud and pulling out weeds along the fence adjoining the two properties.
“Oh, uh, Hi!” Philip said, unable to avoid making polite conversation as he didn’t want to appear rude and simply walk away after they had clearly made eye contact.
Rising to his feet slowly, the older man – well into his eighties, Philip surmised – nodded as he looked him up and down thoroughly. The artist looked down at himself, wondering if he had something on his clothing that made the neighbor stare so much. Lifting his face, he smiled once more.
“Hello.” The accent on the other man was thick. Philip picked it as German. “I almost did not recognize you!” Mr Kravofal commented with a slightly laugh as he waved his hand around his chin.
Realization escaped Philip in a soft laugh. “Oh, my beard. Ugh, yeah. Decided it was time for a change.” He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. “You’re observant, aren’t you?” He added, a little under his breath. The old man was nodding and Philip swore he saw a wily glint in the green orbs that implied that ‘yes’ he was very observant.
He tugged the glove off his left hand then waved it around beside his head as he said, “I see you sometimes. Coming and going from here.” His eyes shifted to the direction of the concealed front door but visible porch. Phil instantly remembered the morning he stood out there watching Jack go off to work. It had been a while ago now, but he was pretty sure the old guy hadn’t forgotten it either. A deep, mischievous laugh came from the other man and Philip looked at him. “You do not stay home too much, do you?”
“No, no I don’t,” Philip agreed with a nod.
Kravofal’s eyes shifted down the black clad body once more then he said, “You are young thing! Very handsome!” He pointed to Philip’s long hair now as he nodded and said, “You must party!” He stated that with the same kind of conviction that someone might state the need to war.
Philip blushed at the compliment but laughed at that notion. It had been a long time since he felt handsome or like partying.
The other man added, “Your poppa does not mind you going off to party at all time of nights? Coming home days later! You are lucky!”
The smile faded on Philip’s lips and he took a long moment to gauge the expression on the neighbor’s face now. Was he an innocent man who genuinely thought that Jack was his father and that Philip was some reckless teenager who disappeared for days on end to party and have fun – or was he trying to be clever, and in being so, implying that he fully understood the relationship between the two men in that house? The moment of silence might have been menacing had the neighbor not waved his glove beside his face again and say, “You are like my boy! He is busy with friends, girlfriends, parties. He look like you too! Very handsome though he does not have the ..” His hand hovered over his chin.
“Beard.” Phil informed him quietly. Mr. Kravofal nodded.
“That is the word,” he said cautiously and even that prickled up Phil’s back suspiciously.
“But he is good looking. Gets his looks from his momma! You get your looks from your momma, too? You not look too like your poppa. He look more like me!” The neighbor ran his hand through his gray hair now and laughed.
Philip decided that this would probably be the first and only conversation with this man so he decided not to correct him about the relationship. After all, Jack was going to be living here long after he was gone so it was best not to destroy his relationship with his neighbors over one little mistaken identity incident.
“Speaking of..” Phil checked his watch again as he juggled the bag within his arms. “He’ll be home soon and I really should have dinner ready.”
“Ah!” Mr. Kravofal nodded enthusiastically and waved his hand towards the house. “Feed him up!” He laughed as he patted his rounded stomach. Phil cringed a little at that then nodded.
“Yeah,” was all he said before waving him good-bye and heading up the rose lined garden path to the front porch. He tried to disregard the uncomfortable feeling rising from his stomach as he moved towards the house. He was not going to let anything upset his evening, though he was having a little trouble dismissing some of the looks the old man had given him.
Mumbling under his breath he cautiously (for his feet were still a little tender and bandaged) made his way towards the house. Without caring if he was far enough away from the neighbor, Philip muttered distastefully, “Jack looks like you, my ass!”
Hobbling up the front steps he stopped mid way when he saw the basket waiting for him. With a smile he squatted to pick it up. Juggling that and his bag now, he managed to get through the heavy wooden door then dropped the lot onto the dining room table before returning to shut the door. Shrugging off his coat he reached for the card and opened it.
“Philip ~ Care to share in front of an open fire? Let’s hope for rain tonight! Love you, Jack.’
Phil’s mouth dropped open when he read the message. Jack didn’t even try to hide that it was a note between two men - and that floored him and excited him at the same time. He peeled back the cellophane wrapper and peered in. Inside was a bottle of Phil’s favorite white wine and some Belgium chocolates as well as some white chocolates - his personal favorites! He lifted out a squat purple candle and sniffed it - it smelled of boysenberries. Rummaging around inside the basket he found the stand, assembled it and put the lot on the table. Suddenly aware of the time he let the rest of the contents for later and he quickly went to the hall cupboard to get Jack's best linen.
Soon the dining room looked splendid. The best of everything the colonel owned was on that table, and the new candle was a highlight in the center. Philip picked up the basket in both arms, cradling it to his chest as he carefully went down the steps into the living room and put it on the hearth. Recalling everything he could about lighting a fire, he was pleased to see that it finally caught and then he built it up slowly with kindling and a few larger logs. Shifting the basket to the side more, he picked up a long twig of kindling from the flames and used it to light the candles along the mantel. Tossing the burnt out twig back into the fire he went to the stereo and turned on the c.d. player.
Nervously he gnawed his lip and rechecked his watch. It was now a race to see who would get there first - Jack or the delivery boy with their dinner. When the doorbell rang Philip was relieved. He went as quickly as he could to the front door and opened it. A young man from Shrivers was standing on the porch, wet from the light rain falling outside. Philip dragged his wallet from his back pocket and quickly handed over the cash plus a decent sized tip for ‘being here early’. The boy smiled gratefully then left him with his arms full of boxes of food.
Kicking the door shut, he went to the kitchen and put the food onto the counter. Once it was dished out onto the plates, covered in foil to keep it fresh and then placed in the oven on very low to keep it warm, Philip went up to the bedroom.
He quickly made up the bed then opened the windows for some fresh air. Puffing enough to feel uncomfortable, he merely kicked any item of clothing on the floor under the bed so that the room looked inviting, even if it was only an illusion. Happy as he could be with the bedroom he returned to the living room, rummaging through his bag for his MDI while he walked over to the fire once more. One of the candles had gone out so he relit it and then went and switched off all the lights in the house so that nothing but candlelight and the fire illuminated the rich timber home.
The light from outside cast a blue haze over the windows and the rain on the glass as it fell gently against them. Philip hugged himself as he stood watching the droplets roll down the smooth surface in tiny rivulets. His breathing slowed down as he lost himself in he soft sounds of the music and the mesmerizing sight of the rain on the window before him.
**************
End of part 21
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.