Part 43
Daniel was sitting patiently while Dr Frasier covered his wound with some suture tape. He flinched when she caught the tender spot with the length of her nail through her latex glove, then his eyes shifted to make sure that Jack was still where he'd been a moment ago. The older man, while preoccupied with fiddling with the end of the hospital bed, was still there, where he'd been since they'd walked into the infirmary together about fifteen minutes ago. Janet had been surreptitiously watching the body language on the two of them, whenever Jack seemed to shift out of the peripheral vision of her charge Daniel's eyes would shift oh-so-slightly to track him - as if he needed to know he was there, to ensure that he wasn't some figment of his imagination. Whenever Daniel made the slightest noise or grunt Jack's head would snap up to ensure he was okay. Biting back her smile at the two of them she quickly completed her task, tidied the site then tugged off her gloves in order to write on his chart.
"Looking good, Dr Jackson," she said as she wrote down a prescription for anti-biotic for him.
"Can I go yet?" The patient asked impatiently.
"Anyone would think you didn't enjoy my hospitality," she retorted jokingly.
As he gathered up his jacket from beside him on the bed his golden lashes fluttered and a polite smile burgeoned on his lips as he muttered, "It's not so much your hospitality I don't enjoy - it's your hospital."
She smiled. "Well, you and my hospital won't need to see each other for three days. Then I'd like to take a look at how that's healing." She pointed to his cheek with the end of her pen then tilted her head to look at the other man, hovering by the end of the bed. "Get him out of here, please, Colonel."
The colonel grinned then held his hand out towards the anthropologist. "This way, Danny."
"Jack, I'm not an invalid! I can walk.." He stopped talking the minute he side-swiped a tray on a trolley beside the door. The metal item smashed to the floor with a loud Clang and then Daniel shied from that, slamming into the side of his friend and almost knocking Jack off his feet as well. Snapping his head around to look at him, he said, "Ugh, sorry."
"You were just telling me how well you could walk," Jack said matter-of-factly, as he gripped Daniel by the elbow and steered him from the room.
Out in the corridor the anthropologist stopped to shrug on his jacket then he gingerly touched the bandage. Jack slapped his hand away and shook his finger at him as he made "tsk" noises. Daniel rolled his eyes and followed him to the elevator.
"So how do you feel?" Daniel asked as he tucked his hands into his BDU's pockets.
Jack considered that question a moment, then waited until they were inside the elevator and on their way to Level 26 before he spoke. "Yeah, well, to be honest with you, Daniel, I'm not really sure how I feel."
"But.." Daniel's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head and said, in an incredulous tone, "You're cured." He seemed to find it hard to believe that Jack wasn't happier by this news. "Surely that's good news?"
"We won't know that until the results are back," the colonel said, playing devil's advocate.
"Oh, come on, Jack! You were in a sarcophagus! It's brought people back from the dead.. surely it can cure a .. a blood disease!" He watched as the metal doors slid open then he stepped out into the corridor, briefly glancing at the officer sitting and monitoring the arrivals from behind his desk. Jack, who'd been stopped in his tracks by the inference of what he and Philip had was merely a 'blood disease', ventured out a moment or two later. Daniel was partway down the corridor now and he turned to wait for his friend. When Jack finally caught up to him, Daniel asked, "Have you telephoned Philip yet?"
"Yeah. I got him at the restaurant still. You know, this is the strangest life, isn't it? When Philip left the house a few hours ago I was HIV positive, unemployed and bored out of my brain. Now, at.." He checked his watch then continued, in a more acidic tone, "At twenty-one hundred hours I've been to another world, saved your butt and been cured of my *simple* blood disease.."
Daniel stopped mid-step at the tone of Jack's reference then.
Ignoring that, Jack went on, without stopping, "and it looks like I might have my old job back again.. Life's peachy!"
From where he remained, a little taken aback by his friend's offhand attitude to the - what he considered - fantastic news, Daniel tilted his head slightly and traced the tops of his bottom teeth with his tongue as he watched Jack turn the corner in the corridor.
*
Sam started the Debrief. "I was alongside Daniel when we felt the ground vibrate and saw the sky cloud over....."
After her detailed description of the event, Teal'c explained his part in the ordeal. "I raised my staff weapon and I fired at the underside of the craft above me, but it proved to have no effect on their shields...."
After the Jaffa had finished explaining his side of the event, it was Daniel's turn. Unlike the clinical tones used by both his team members, Daniel's voice was soft, low and strained. He sat, not meeting anyone's eyes as he concentrated on his hands before him. "....I could tell he was dead.. by the way his eyes.. his eyes..." Daniel indicated the bulging eyes with his hand then he coughed softly before lacing his fingers together again.
Jack and Hammond exchanged wary glances at the low, slightly choked voice.
"Then they returned and I knew what to ... expect. That's.. ugh.. that's when Jack came in.." Rolling his head back he frowned as he stared ahead, out towards the gate in the other room. "I really thought I was dead.. this time."
Sam's sad eyes drifted to meet Jack's harder, concerned glare. When Daniel dipped his face Jack shifted in his chair and asked, "But you're okay now, right? Danny?"
There was a long pause then the blond head lifted and Daniel's blue eyes blinked quickly as he stared at the man across from him. "Yeah, Jack. I'm... I'm peachy!"
Every head in the room turned towards the Colonel but only he understood that reference. He also realized that some of Daniel's malaise was his own doing - for not being happier about the possibility of being healthy again.
*
As the group started to push themselves away from the meeting table, Hammond stood and said, "Doctor Jackson, I'd like to see you in my office please."
Daniel looked at the others then dropped his chin to his chest as he followed the rotund man into his office. Sam walked around the table to Jack and stood before the weary man.
"Poor Daniel.”
“Yeah. Glad we got to him in time.”
She nodded sharply then smiled when he refocused on her. “It's great news about you, Sir.”
Jack looked into her eyes and saw how happy she was. He nodded then said, "It's the best."
Sam smiled and gave a sharp nod. "Have you thought about how you’ll explain it to Philip?”
“No,” he said with a sigh, then shrugged. “Well, I’ve two choices. I can’t *not* tell him anything..”
“Or?”
Jack looked at her then, with a miserable look on his face he said, “Or the Doc’s offered to back me up with a story about how my results were false and that I’ve never really had it.”
“Yeah?” Sam smiled. “Janet’s suggested that? That’s a great way to tell him,” she stopped when she saw the look on his face still. “Isn’t it?”
He said nothing but gave a heavy shrug. He didn’t like that option – and doubted Philip would even believe him - but he was too tired to even think about it at that time.
“Maybe we could go out and celebrate," she suggested.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Just.. just.. not tonight, eh?"
The young officer nodded. "Sure. Maybe tomorrow night. We could all go to dinner."
Jack returned his gaze to her from where he had been watching Daniel leave Hammond’s office and quietly go down the stairs.
"Sure, Sam.." He said, forgetting all protocol as he spoke to his friend.
“Colonel?” Hammond called from his office door. “A moment, if you will!”
Jack rolled his eyes a little and Sam’s smile softened as she reached out, touched her hand to his arm before turning and going to see Janet in the infirmary.
With a heavy sigh he rubbed one hand down his face and walked over to Hammond's office.
*
The colonel dropped his boots loudly into his locker area then sat heavily onto the bench behind him. The team had recently been moved from the typical locker room at the other end of the showers to their own little 'area' - where SGC's prime team had the opportunity to prepare for their adventures in private.
With a groan he reached down and peeled his socks off then tossed them into the pile of dirty laundry on the ground in his area. His feet wriggled as they hit the cold floor but he ignored the iciness as he tugged his top from his pants.
Being put on 'Probation – pending Test Results' at his stage of life was not something he was overly thrilled about. As he stood to pull his tops off he realized he was giving some real consideration to staying retired - the least of his reason being that he'd soon have to take time off to care for Philip anyway. Rolling the tops into a green and black ball he added them to the pile then he unfastened the slide on his belt and started on the buttons when he heard a soft voice behind him.
"Jack?"
Startled by the unexpected intrusion into his private moment, Jack turned and saw Daniel, dripping from his shower. The wet man clutched a towel in one hand while his other fist held the edges of his towel securely.
"Daniel," he said, pursing his lips and turning back towards his locker. His eyes fluttered close a moment. "Anyone else in there - Teal'c maybe?" He was trying to ensure he didn't get an audience for his misery.
"You know better than that, Jack. Or, at least, you should!"
With some confusion the older man turned and looked at Daniel, whose face was glistening with moisture from the steam and water from the shower.
"Teal'c and I stopped showering together.. a long time ago!"
Suddenly realizing that what he'd said had totally different connotations to what he'd meant, Jack nodded and lowered his chin to his chest. "Yeah, Sorry, Danny. Really!" He glanced at him then returned to staring at the pile of dirty laundry at his feet. "I wasn't implying.."
"Okay." Daniel moved over to his own locker space, beside Jack's. He kept shooting sidelong glances at the man beside him, because Jack hadn't moved. After laying his towel on the bench Daniel took a step towards the silent man.
"I'm sorry." He shifted his gaze to the corner of the room but his face remained front-on to Jack.
"For what?" The other man asked with a shrug.
Wetting his lips and he returned his gaze to the rugged face, Daniel said, "For not understanding this. For not understanding how you can't be glad that this has happened for you." He drew in a deep breath, making his bare chest expand and glisten in the light. In a sad voice, he told Jack, "For being the reason you became a martyr..."
Jack gave a deep growl of a sigh as he shifted footing.
"No, listen Jack. A few days ago you stood in my apartment and basically told me you were going to end your own life, after nursing Philip..." Small droplets of water sprinkled from Daniel's long hair.
The tired brown eyes glared at him.
"But now.. Now you can still care for him, even better than before. You'll be well. Stronger. Less likely to get sick yourself. And you won't need to face the humiliation of having me care for you..." He swallowed the final words as he bit his lips together.
Jack's eyes blinked slowly then he shook his head and looked away. They remained in silence a moment before Daniel started to move back to his area.
"I feel like I've cheated him," Jack admitted in a low voice.
"Who?"
"The Grim Reaper," the tired man retorted sarcastically.
Tilting his head slightly, Daniel said, "Well, how many times have we done that, Jack?"
With an exasperated growl Jack said, "I mean Philip."
"I know who you mean," Daniel responded quietly. Jack looked at him and they remained in a locked stare for a while before Daniel took a step towards him.
"I know this has put you in an awkward position. You'd resigned yourself to this. Maybe even welcomed it.."
Jack's eyes hardened a little. "The Jack O'Neill I first met wanted to die. I remember that clearly."
Jack's lips parted slightly and his tongue edged out over his bottom lip before disappearing again.
Daniel continued, "I know that losing Philip is not going to be easy. But you can't go on feeling guilty for being well now. It's not fair - to you - to .. us.."
>"I should be able to save him," Jack whispered through clenched teeth.
"But you can't!" He hissed at the tired argument.
"That's not good enough!" The agitated colonel yelled now.
"Well, I'm sorry Jack!" Daniel yelled back then both angry men glared at each other. Daniel gulped down a calming breath then said, "But that's reality."
"Reality! The reality of it is we have the means to prolong people's lives. We CAN help them - we just... don't. That's the reality, Daniel!"
"And just what would happen if this secret got out? The world's population would explode but there wouldn't be enough food or resources to sustain the people. We'd .. we'd have mass killings just for the thrill of watching the victims come back to life again.. And what about the addiction...?" Daniel paused his passionate tirade and clamped his lips together now, forming dimples on his cheeks. "You know what happens when someone gets addicted to that .. thing!"
Jack looked at his distraught friend. It couldn't be easy for Daniel - reliving his addiction to the sarcophagus a little over a year ago.
"It changes you, Jack, believe me!" His voice shook slightly. Determined not to get too emotion, Daniel bit back his shakes and then said, "As Sam and Teal'c say, it's what probably makes the Goa'uld as evil as they are. What if that kind of power got into the wrong hands? What would happen to this world?" Taking another deep breath, the younger man lowered his voice and said, compassionately, "You can't save the world with a sarcophagus, Jack."
The harrowed man sighed forlornly then said, "I don't want to save the damn world - Not this time, Danny." Swallowing hard, he drove back the thickness in his voice as he went on, "But what about my world? Just this once, why can't I be allowed to save *my* world?"
With a slight nod, Daniel said flatly, "It's the least the world can do for you.. for everything you've done for it?"
Jack blinked, knowing how petulant he sounded. "I guess.." He said with a slight shrug.
"And what about next time and the next?" Daniel asked.
"Once!" Jack snapped as he held one finger up. "All I want to do is make him healthy again - once!"
"And how do we explain his sudden resurrection to his family and friends - let alone to him?"
"How do we explain mine to him?” Jack shot back quickly.
“You never got this far!” Daniel said.
“I don't care! I just want him well.. I just… " Jack's eyes flashed angrily and he turned and said, "Anyway, you did it."
"What?"
"Sha're. You'd known her a day and you stuck her in one of those damn things because you couldn't bear to see her die..."
"That was different," Daniel said gently.
"How?"
"We were on an alien planet already.."
Cutting him off, Jack suggested, "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"When the Rectogs killed you, Teal'c put you in a sarcophagus and brought you back to life."
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head. "Selmak did that, not Teal'c."
"Close enough for me."
"Teal'c also put you in the same sarcophagus a few hours ago and healed you.. so we're back to where we started from." He sighed tiredly.
A silence filled the room then Jack twisted to collect his towel from the hook. Tossing it over his shoulder he said, "I guess we are.."
Daniel clamped his eyes shut tightly as the sound in his friend's voice; he'd never heard Jack sound so despondent. As the older man walked past him he reached out his arm and pulled him towards him. Although the embrace was unexpected, Jack gave into it fully, wrapping his arms around Daniel's naked torso as he buried his face in the curve of his neck. Daniel wrapped both of his arms around Jack's neck and pressed his lips to the side of his friend's head, as he held him while he sobbed quietly.
After a long while Daniel leaned back from the hips and touched Jack's furry chest with his fingers. The colonel frowned and looked down at him then realized what he was doing. Daniel's long fingers gathered up the dog tags, caught between them, and hooked them over Jack's shoulder instead. The brown eyes lifted to meet the blue ones.
"It was beginning to hurt.." Daniel explained. Jack looked back down at the smooth chest and saw the reddened skin, dented slightly by the tags.
"Sorry."
Daniel gave a slight shrug then as Jack started to pull back further he said, "No, don't." He held Jack against him tightly.
"Daniel, I have to shower.."
Wetting his lips, a slight blush crept up Daniel's face. "Then do me a favor?" He smiled as he said, "Give me a minute? I've.. ugh.. dropped my towel."
"Oh!" Jack's eyes widened then he inched his foot out to feel the wet towel gathered around Daniel's ankles with his toes.
Daniel blushed even further then said, "Count of three?"
"What? I'll turn around.. and you'll bend over to get it?" Jack asked.
With a soft laugh, Daniel said, "Oh god, I'm so glad no one walked in when you suggested that!"
Jack looked at him then a smile crept over his features. "With you standing there in all your glory....? Me too, Danny!"
"Count of three?" Daniel said with a smirk now.
Jack stared back at the flushed face and said, "Screw it!" He slapped his hand over his eyes and raised his face to the ceiling instead. Daniel quickly reached down and picked up his towel then secured it around his waist again before stepping away from his friend.
"Okay," he said, once he was ready. Jack uncovered his face as he lowered it.
"Better," he said, looking at the towel around Daniel. The younger man smiled and nodded. They remained in a more companionable silence now then Jack jutted his thumb over his shoulder and said, "Shower."
Daniel nodded and pointed to his locker area. "And I'll .. get dressed.."
They held the gaze a moment longer then both turned to their tasks. Daniel collected up his clean boxer shorts and was starting to undo his towel when he heard, from behind him, "Thanks, Danny."
He turned and looked at the man, who was nothing but a head peering around the doorway. He nodded then said, "Believe me, I do understand."
Jack nodded then his eyes glinted as he said, "By the way, interesting place for a birthmark!"
"Jack!" Daniel said in surprise as his friend disappeared from view. Although he couldn't see Jack, he could hear his chuckles from the next room.
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.