Web Counter by TrafficFile.com
|
Title: The Assistant 08 - Flashback Author's Notes: This one is for Lynette. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Clarissa, Kathy, Allyson, Lynette and Jamie for their (very) early morning beta read, and as always, Julia for making her invaluable comments and suggestions. This one is long y,all - enjoy! Previously on the Assistant… Not everything makes it to the SGC grapevine in a timely manner. I actually didn't hear a darn thing about an unexpected IDC-encoded message from the Alpha Site. I didn't hear Teal'c running down the hallway (some said, he ran so hard, his footsteps could be heard two floors below). I had no idea that over in the infirmary, Dr. Janet instantly stopped what she was doing (suturing Sgt. Siler) when she heard the news. Apparently, she quickly handed the needle off to a nurse, peeled off her gloves and ran out the door with a fully equipped med kit. I had no idea that there was a flurry of activity as Sam, Jonas, General Hammond and several airmen met an out-of-breath Dr. Fraiser, and a not-breathing-hard-at-all Teal'c in the Gate Room just as the iris opened. No, the SGC grapevine didn't fill me in on any of this until much later. All I heard was that one tired, disheveled, but gloriously alive Jack O'Neill had made it home. It was enough. It took all of Kira's self control not to show up for work at 6 AM . As much as she wanted to see Jack, she was aware that he probably wasn't going to be up to seeing visitors anytime soon. There was the mandatory mission debriefing, which would probably be a little longer than normal considering an implanted symbiote was involved, and of course a medical checkup. With luck, Dr. Fraiser would declare Jack free and clear of all foreign bodies. Maybe she would even allow him to go home and sleep in his own bed before the debriefing. Kira was a little doubtful on the ‘going home' part, but her fingers were crossed that he wouldn't need to spend any considerable amount of time in the infirmary. She arrived at the mountain at 0700, an hour earlier than normal. Dr. Edwards wasn't due to arrive for another 90 minutes, which gave Kira plenty of time to find Jack and make sure he was really okay. After assuring herself that no one was paying her the least bit of attention, Kira opened the emergency ‘door' at the end of the hall and stepped inside. She knew she was probably being paranoid, but she really didn't want to run into Dr. Drexell on her way to see Jack – especially as she was heading towards his personal quarters. Taking the stairs rather than the elevator might be a little extreme, but Kira justified it by telling herself she really did need the exercise. While she was hopeful that Jack had been allowed to go home, more than likely he was either in his own quarters on Level 25, or the infirmary on Level 21. Kira was hoping for 25. Taking the stairs down seven levels wasn't difficult, but she wasn't exactly looking forward to the trip back up. Judie had assured her that the stairwells were unlocked and would take a person all the way to the surface, or down to the gate room on Level 28. Kira knew the stair ‘corridor' between the library on Level 17, the labs on Level 18 and 19 and the commissary on Level 22 were open, but she had no idea if she'd be able to access Level 25. She held her breath as she reached the proper floor and swiped her cardkey on the electronic lock. Nothing happened. It wasn't that the lock was showing red and telling her that access was restricted; the electronic keypad simply wasn't working. "Well, it isn't like it's telling me no…" Kira justified to herself, as she reached for the submarine-esque handle, and turned it several times counter-clockwise. A soft hiss could be heard from the door, telling Kira that the seal was now broken and she should be able to push the door open. Mentally crossing her fingers, Kira leaned into the door with a good deal of weight and grinned as it opened. "Sweet!" Tucking her ID card back into her pocket, Kira began to explore the seemingly deserted floor. She passed two rooms marked ‘ VIP ', and then a door that simply said ‘Teal'c'. She was halfway down the hall when she passed another door that made her gasp out loud. Dr. Daniel Jackson Daniel's room! Kira couldn't help but take a step towards the closed door and run her fingers lightly across Daniel's name. It took all of her self control not to open it. She had seen Daniel's apartment, but she was really curious what his room looked like on base. Logic told her that most likely it had been emptied and cleaned, and they just hadn't gotten around to removing the name plaque yet. However, emotion told her that perhaps they had simply forgotten all about Daniel's on base quarters. Maybe there was something in there? Maybe it was unlocked... "May I help you, miss?" Kira noticeably jumped, and thanked her lucky stars she wasn't actually reaching (yet) for the door knob. Guess the floor wasn't quite as deserted as it appeared. She slowly turned around, resisting the urge to hold her hands up as a sign of her obvious guilt. "Um, hi there," Kira said brightly, desperately trying to get her heart rate back under control. "I'm looking for Colonel O'Neill." The airman frowned as he read the name on the door behind her. "You were looking for Colonel O'Neill in Dr. Jackson's old room?" "Oh no," Kira said quickly. "I just happened to pass Daniel's room on the way to Jack's and…" The airman's military features softened. "Yeah, that happened to a lot of us the first couple of weeks after he…" "Left?" Kira offered. The guard gave a small smile of thanks and nodded. "Left," he agreed, trying the word on for size and finding that it fit. They continued to stare at one another for several moments before the guard broke the détente. "Colonel O'Neill's quarters are across the hall," the guard said finally, pointing towards the door opposite Daniel's. "But he's not there." "Are you sure?" Kira asked. Maybe Jack crashed in his bunk before this guy got on duty? The guard shook his head. "He's still in the infirmary," the soldier explained. Kira's face fell with the news. So much for hoping. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Janet, I'm fine," Jack said forcefully, waving the bevy of morning nurses away. "You've kept me here for nearly a week now, I think it's time you let me go home." Part of Janet was happy to hear Jack say this. The simple act of expressing himself meant that he honestly was on his way towards recovery; the problem was it was just the beginning. "Colonel," Janet answered patiently. "You know as well as I do that…" "That what?" Jack growled impatiently. "That I'm suffering from acute withdrawal? That I'm going to have night sweats, crying jags, flashbacks?! Doc, I've been there, done that and have got the scars to show for it." Jack lowered his voice to near normal as he pleaded his case. "I know what to expect, Janet. Please just let me go home." "Colonel," Janet tried again. "It's not that simple." "It is that simple!" Jack shouted, losing his tentative grip on normal. "You notify Hammond, sign on the damn dotted line and let me out!" "Colonel O'Neill," Janet answered in a firm voice. "You need to calm down." Jack's eyes flashed with anger, and Janet wondered if she shouldn't have kept the gentle bedside manner just a little longer. She glanced furtively at the padded leather straps by the side of Jack's bed and wondered if they had removed the restraints too soon. She hated having been forced to use them, and was only saved from an inordinate amount of guilt (he had been killed for God's sake) by the fact that the restraints had been Jack's idea. Jack had known. Jack had known that his withdrawal from the sarcophagus was going to be bad. He might not have recalled the exact number of times he had died (been killed), but he believed it to be over a dozen. Janet would not be surprised if the number was twice that. Jack knew this wasn't going to be easy, and he had been right. At first, everyone had been so relieved to see him; the fact that Jack was walking under his own power and able to communicate led both General Hammond and Major Carter to believe everything was fine. Or rather would be fine in due time. Janet wasn't so certain, but her initial observation had been similar. While it had been obvious that Jack had been through an ordeal, the fact that he had made it home led most to believe that everything would be fine and that his stay with Ba'al hadn't been as bad as feared. At least that's what the humans of the SGC believed; the alien members of SG-1 were a different story. In the six months since Jonas had been at the SGC, he had virtually inhaled every report written on SG-1. Something in Colonel O'Neill's bearing made Jonas think of an old mission file from several years ago. Hoping he was wrong, Jonas hastily welcomed the Colonel home and then headed off in search of a file on Dr. Jackson's disastrous stay on a planet with a Goa'uld sarcophagus. Teal'c's observations were more meticulous. He carefully examined the state of Jack's clothing, as well as the guarded way his friend was holding himself. The lack of humor in Jack's eyes was unsettling, but it was the absence of Jack's indefatigable spirit that really had Teal'c worried. He knew something horrible had taken place. Both he and Jonas had been right. Within hours of Jack's arrival home, those closest to him, the General, Janet and SG-1, knew it too. "You won't need them again," Jack said softly as he tracked Janet's eye movements towards the restraints. "I might still be in a sorry state, but I'm beyond needing those." Jack spit out ‘those' as if it were poison. "I hope so, Colonel," Janet replied sincerely. "Because while I'm used to your outbursts, if I feel you're going over the line…" "I won't," Jack replied earnestly, hoping Janet might actually let him leave. "You did before." Jack ducked his head. So much for going home. She was right. He had. "You know I didn't mean it, Jan," Jack said quietly, not able to lift his head to look his doctor and friend in the eye. "I would never have …" "I know Jack," Janet answered. While never a good patient in the best of circumstances, the damage inflicted upon him by Ba'al was the worst kind: psychological. Well, and physical too, but for a Goa'uld, the two went hand-in-hand. She might not know all the details of what was done to him, but she had seen the physical and psychological after effects. In silence they regarded one another. "You know this isn't the best place for me," Jack said finally, motioning at the isolation room around him. "I'm sorry Colonel," Janet answered, switching back to the more comfortable role of doctor. She and Jack were friends. Good friends. But right now, Jack needed his doctor far more than his friend. "I know you need and deserve something better, but right now this is the best we have." Janet wished more than anything that the Alpha Site were equipped to deal with Jack's unique situation. Jack was absolutely right – this was not the best place for him. But no matter how much he threatened or begged, she also knew he couldn't go home. Not yet. There was no way she was going to send him home while he was still experiencing violent nightmares and flashbacks. If there were a hell for Goa'uld System Lords, Janet fervently hoped Ba'al paid it a visit soon. "Janet, I can't stay here," Jack whispered, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Under normal conditions, hiding his feelings was as easy as breathing, but after a few dozen visits to Ba'al's damned sarcophagus, Jack was finding it difficult to appear nonchalant. Hell, it was taking all his self control not to curl up in a ball. Jack could see that none of his pleas were working, so he tried a different tactic. "The flashbacks are getting worse the longer you keep me here." ‘Here' was isolation. Janet shook her head no. "Colonel, you not only attacked me, you injured another patient." "I didn't know what I was doing!" Jack shouted, clenching his fists so hard he drew blood. "Don't you think I would have stopped myself if I could?!" "I know you would have," Janet said, fighting her urge to go over to him. The last thing Jack O'Neill wanted right now was comfort. "It's because you had no control over it that you have to stay here," Janet continued. Jack lowered his head in misery. "Just a little while longer, Colonel," Janet offered. "As soon as the flashbacks have stopped and you're sleeping through the night, I'll consider releasing you." "Home?" Jack whispered. He didn't even want to hope, but his voice betrayed him. "We'll see, Colonel." It wasn't a no. Kira felt horrible. Not only was Jack in the infirmary, but he was in an isolation room and wasn't allowed any visitors. Not even her! She tried getting Sam's help, but much to her surprise (and horror), not even members of SG-1 were allowed regular access. To make matters worse, no one was telling her exactly what was wrong with Jack. Obviously, he must have contracted something serious while living on the Tok'ra world, but no one would tell her what. Not even Dr. Fraiser! Kira had just returned from her (unsuccessful) twenty-third attempt at visiting Jack. By now, Dr. Fraiser was used to her daily (sometimes hourly, if there was a change in the nursing staff) attempts, and although sympathetic and occasionally apologetic, Kira was always turned away and told little. Kira angrily returned to her lab and slammed the door. Dr. Edwards was at a conference, so she could sulk and worry in silence. "Hi Kira." Or not so silence. Kira whirled around at the sound of the voice. She knew that voice. "Daniel!" "Kira, I need you to do something for me," Daniel began without preamble. Kira blinked. "Daniel?" Her voice was tentative, as if doubting what…who was standing right before her. It was one thing for Kira to talk to a ‘ghost' version of Daniel, someone she hadn't (at the time) believed to be real, but something completely different to be in the presence of the actual Daniel Jackson. An ascended-yet-here Daniel Jackson. Kira took a step closer and tentatively reached out her hand. "Sorry Kira," Daniel said apologetically, giving her a small smile. "I'm still ascended." Kira withdrew her hand. She knew she'd seen Daniel like this before, but those days of swinging in the park seemed like years ago. "So, you're really not here?" Daniel shrugged, and cocked his head slightly to one side. "I'm here," Daniel explained. "Just not real in the corporeal sense." Kira wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "So if I were to try and touch you…" Kira began. "Your hand would go right through me," Daniel concluded. "I really wouldn't recommend it. It's rather disconcerting for both of us." "But you're here," Kira confirmed. "You're really talking to me." "Yes," Daniel said with a nod and smile. "I'm really here." "I think this is where I say ‘I need a drink'," Kira said laughing at the sheer craziness of having a conversation with an ascended Daniel. "Would it help?" Daniel asked seriously." Kira shook her head. "Somehow, I don't think anything will really help with this one." Kira paused as she eyed the seemingly solid-looking Daniel Jackson. "You're really here." She continued to stare at Daniel for several long seconds. She took in his khaki pants, white polo shirt and dark brown shoes. Ascended people wore shoes? Her eyes traveled back up his body to his face. Daniel looked good. Content. He also wasn't wearing any glasses. "No glasses, huh?" Daniel reached up, as if to touch his face, but pulled his hand in at the last moment. "I don't actually need them now," he began. "I can choose to wear what I want when I appear in corporeal form." "So as an ascended person, you walk around naked?" Had Daniel been corporeal he would have blushed. As it was, Kira blushed for him. She really needed to learn to control those impulse comments. "No…," Daniel began. "I'm energy." "Naked energy?" She just couldn't let that go, could she? "Kira, could we get back to the matter at hand here?" Daniel said, rolling his eyes. He hadn't quite remembered Kira being so…cheeky. Must be Jack's influence. "Sorry," Kira said contritely. "So Daniel," she began again, taking a seat just a few feet from her friend. "What brings you to my neck of the woods? Do you know that Jack is in the infirmary? Isolation room, actually. " Kira babbled. "Maybe you can help me in to see him?" "That's why I'm here, Kira," Daniel explained seriously. "It's about Jack." Sometimes, not often, but every now and then, Jack was glad he had lived through the horror of being a prisoner of war. As a POW, Jack had learned to mask his emotions. Occasionally, he could even hide the nightmares. Jack knew Janet would never allow him to leave until he got his flashbacks and nightmares under control. Ergo, if he couldn't shake them, he needed to at least hide them. Janet was pretty good at knowing when Jack was ‘faking', but she was human, and occasionally he could pull the wool over even her eyes. The first night he didn't even try. He woke up twice in the throes of a horrendous nightmare, and after the second time, needed a shot of valium to fall back asleep. During the day, he had two "minor" flashbacks (one caused by taking the elevator from the isolation room to the commissary), and one major one after an aide attempted to change an IV. The man had brought with him a small bottle of antiseptic. The bottle was plastic and had a little dropper – just like the one Ba'al had used. Jack screamed so hard, his throat was raw. The second night, Jack concentrated on "fixing" his nightmares. He still had two, but the nurses only heard about one. Day two was a flashback-free day, but Jack was pretty certain that had more to do with the fact that he spent most of the day playing chess with Teal'c. After the third night (one nightmare), Jack was moved back into the infirmary. By the fourth night, he had Janet's attention. His nightmares had (visibly) ceased, and even though he occasionally had a flashback, they usually resulted in Jack's withdrawal from whatever he was doing, and not a violent outburst. He would stop talking (or eating) and just stare straight ahead for several long moments until the flashback was over. To anyone who witnessed these, Jack looked like he was all right. What they failed to notice was how he often had to "go to the bathroom" shortly after each flashback. In the bathroom, Jack often threw up. On the sixth day, eleven days after escaping Ba'al's planet, Jack went home. Kira's talk with Daniel had been…educational. She had learned a little (not much, but at least a little) of what had happened to Jack after he left with the Tok'ra. Daniel wouldn't fill her in on the details, and to be honest, Kira didn't think she wanted to hear them. Jack had been tortured. Tortured by a Goa'uld. At first she had been horrified for Jack, and more than a little angry. Angry at Ba'al of course, but also angry with Daniel. Daniel knew a hell of a lot about what happened to Jack. If he knew all of this, why couldn't he have gone to Jack and helped him? And now that Jack was back on Earth, why did Daniel need her help to make Jack better? What good was having all these ascended powers, if you weren't allowed to do anything? The one good part of all of this was that she had confirmed for herself that Daniel was really…real and not just a ghost image of her imagination. Just knowing that somewhere out there a Daniel Jackson really existed did wonders for Kira's mood. She stopped thinking of Daniel as Dead, and began to think of him as Ascended. She was determined to read everything she could in the base's library and mission files on this very odd angel-state. But first she needed to see Jack. If Daniel Jackson, Ascended Being wanted her to head over to Jack's house (a house he had kindly given her directions to) and try to talk to him, who was she to say no? Besides, if this all went horribly wrong she could just blame it on Daniel. On second thought, maybe it would be for the best to keep Daniel's name out of it. Kira had no idea if Daniel regularly popped in on others, but she didn't want to risk a mandatory psychological screening to find out. Daniel told her how to find Jack; now all she had to do was wait. She hadn't been at the house more than an hour or so when she heard the sound of wheels on gravel. "Daniel, you had better be right about this," Kira mumbled, as she watched the truck pull into the driveway and park. "Hey Jack," Kira said cheerfully, giving him a little wave, as she watched him get out of his truck. Jack was used to seeing squirrels, deer, even the occasional elk, but an unexpected house guest was…well, unexpected. He eyed the young woman sitting comfortably on his front porch and frowned.
"Kira," Jack answered warily. He shifted his groceries from one arm to another and looked around to see if anyone else was with her. All he could see was her little Toyota Corolla parked next to the ditch. "So," Jack began, as he closed and locked his truck door. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?" He paused in mid-step as he tried to remember if Kira had ever been to his house. He was fairly certain she hadn't. "Come to think of it, Ms. Meyers, how did you know where I lived?" Kira shrugged. "Besides," Kira added as she was helped up. "I hear you're ninja-good on the self-defense stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if you have guns and other nasty things in here." "Take a seat anywhere," Jack motioned, as he set down his grocery bag and began to put things away. "May I offer you some cheese?" Jack asked, as he withdrew a block of cheddar from the bag. Kira giggled. "I'll pass on the cheese, but would love a beer if you're having one." Kira had only seen Jack drink on a few occasions, but he seemed like a beer person to her. "Beer I can do," Jack replied as he finished putting away the rest of the groceries. Kira noticed that he seemed to be big on hot pockets and frozen pizza. Jack opened two bottles and handed one to Kira as he motioned her towards the living room. Kira took the couch, while Jack sat down in a comfortable old leather chair. He leaned back, took a long swig of his beer and spent several long moments just looking at Kira. He gazed at her with such scrutiny that Kira began to feel uncomfortable. "What?" She asked. Jack said nothing as he took another swig and continued to stare. "Jack, you're freaking me out here," Kira joked. Jack just took another swig. "I'm just wondering what you're doing here," Jack said finally. "There's no way Teal'c put you up to it, and while I'm guessing both Fraiser and Carter are concerned, it just isn't either of their styles to not come themselves. In fact…" Jack paused as the truth hit him and he exhaled a single name. "Daniel." "Daniel?" Kira repeated, trying to appear puzzled. "This is Daniel's doing, isn't it?" "Jack, Daniel is dead." Kira had found that things were simpler if you just stuck to the truth. Well, the near-truth. "Oh, don't give me that," Jack accused, pointing a finger at Kira. "He's not dead, he's ascended. I've seen him, and damn recently I might add. I have a funny feeling you have as well." He stared at Kira with his intense brown eyes, and Kira hung her head in defeat. She hadn't actually thought the ‘little bird' explanation was going to fly anyhow. Wait a minute, Kira thought to herself. Recently? "You've seen Daniel?" Kira asked with interest. "When?" Daniel hadn't told her that he'd appeared to anyone else. Of course, for all she knew, he regularly visited his friends on SG-1. "When did you?" Jack shot back. Kira gave him her own version of a steely gaze and took a sip of her beer. Fine! Two can play this game, Jack O'Neill. "The first time was just a week or so after he ‘died'," Kira began. She shrugged and began to play with her beer label as she remembered those earlier meetings. "I thought he was a ghost." "A week?" In spite of himself, Jack was impressed. He hadn't even gotten a hint that Daniel was still around until nearly two weeks after he…left. Absently, he wondered why Daniel had shown himself to her first. "He sat with me for a couple days while I tried to decide if I should join the SGC," Kira explained. Jack nodded. That made sense. Daniel would of course feel guilty that he had turned Kira's life upside down and then…left "I seriously was considering turning the job offer down, but Daniel convinced me otherwise." Kira scoffed out loud. "Actually, I think I convinced myself, and Daniel just did a lot of nodding and looking sympathetic. He did occasionally say some things to me, but now that I think about it, I was the one who did the majority of the talking." "Well that's different," Jack mused. "Different?" "It isn't like Daniel to play the silent type," Jack explained. "He tends to give details. Lots and lots of details." Jack finished off his beer and mused. "I miss him." "Me too." They sat in a Daniel-induced silence for several moments before Jack abruptly stood up. "Another beer?" Kira shook her head no. Jack threw his bottle into the recycling container next to the sink, and then helped himself to another beer before returning to his chair. "When did you first see Daniel?" Kira asked after Jack was settled. "A couple weeks ago," Jack answered vaguely. Kira did the math. Jack must have seen Daniel during the time he was with the Tok'ra. "He knew about the symbiote?" Kira asked carefully. Daniel never actually told her what she should or shouldn't talk about with Jack, just that talking would be good. "Yep," Jack said, drinking. "Although we met shortly after the snake turned Benedict Arnold on me and died." "Died?" "Yep." He gave no details. "You hungry?" Jack asked, not so subtly changing the subject. "According to Fraiser, I need to eat more, so why don't you join me for lunch?" "You sure?" Kira asked. She still wasn't sure if her presence here was wanted. "Absolutely. You can microwave the Hot Pockets." Jack was kidding and Kira knew it. "Jack!" "What? I like Hot Pockets." Kira rolled her eyes. She remembered Jack's block of cheese. "How about grilled cheese?" "You're in luck," Jack said smiling. "I like grilled cheese, too." Kira laughed. "The bread and a cutting board are next to the toaster," Jack said pointing to the end of the kitchen. "And I think I have a cheese slicer in that drawer to the left of the sink. "You start the sandwiches, and I'll make us some tomato soup." "Sounds good," Kira replied. She opened the fridge and took out the cheese, bringing it back to the counter. Kira grabbed the cutting board and bread, and then opened the drawer and rummaged around for a cheese slicer. Not finding one, Kira grabbed a small-handled knife and began to cut the cheese in thick slices. She heard the sound of a can opener and smiled at the notion that Jack O'Neill uses an electric can opener. Somehow, it just didn't seem macho enough. "Butter?" Kira asked over her shoulder. "Hold on, let me get the soup going first." Jack emptied the can into a saucepan and then opened the fridge to get the butter. He bent down to take out a frying pan, and turned around the same time as Kira. "Cheese?" Kira offered, holding out a chunk of cheese on the knife. [Knife!] "Jack?" Kira repeated, waving her offering. "Want a taste?" She wrinkled her brow in confusion. What was Jack staring at? [Knife!] Without warning, Jack reacted. "Get that thing the hell away from me!" Jack roared, as he swung the frying pan with all his might at the gleaming knife. Kira didn't even have time to scream. The force of the blow spun her completely around, sending the knife whirling in one direction and Kira's body in another. Her head hit the counter with a horrifying crack and she sank to the ground without a sound. "Oh God!" Jack cried, as he desperately tried to shake himself out of the violent flashback. He was not with Ba'al! This was not real! Kira! The frying pan clattered noisily to the floor. "K..ira?" Jack stared at her unmoving body, scarcely able to breathe. He did this. Kira was lying on her side, one arm awkwardly under her and the other lying limply by her hip. Judging by the odd angle, it was broken. While the hand concerned him, it was her unconsciousness that really had him worried. "Kira?" he tried again. His limbs shook as he kneeled beside the prone young woman. "Bealive, bealive, bealive," Jack panted through his teeth as he reached one shaking hand over to her bared neck. He could feel his eyes fill as he carefully pressed against her cartoid artery, next to a visible blue vein. Half a second later he felt the resounding pulse of her heart. She was alive. Hot tears trickled unnoticed down his cheeks as he kept his fingers against her neck for several long seconds, taking comfort in her strong heart beat. "OhthankGod." With the heels of his hands, Jack rubbed his eyes and exhaled. She was alive. Now he needed to keep her that way. Knowing he should call for help, Jack first wanted to make sure Kira had no other visible injury. He carefully felt around her neck and head and was relieved to feel only a large goose egg-sized bump. Hopefully this was just a minor concussion and not a full blown head injury. "Kira?" Jack tried. He really needed for her to wake up. "Kira honey, I'm so sorry, but I'd really like for you to wake up for me." He tapped her gently on the face. "Please." Nothing. It was time to call in reinforcements. Jack was half way to the phone when the realization hit him. Kira was sent here by Daniel. "Daniel!" Jack hissed, not wanting to shout, on the off chance it might hurt Kira's head worse than it already was. "Dammit, Daniel, I know you must be nearby. Get your ascended ass down here and help me. DANIEL!" Jack blinked and suddenly Daniel was there. "Oh God," Daniel breathed as he took in Kira's still form and Jack's fear. What had he done! "I didn't know, Jack," Daniel began. "I swear to you had I known…" Daniel looked horrified. "I'm so sorry." Daniel moved to Kira's side and bent down next to her. Jack could see how much he wanted to reach out and touch her. "She's alive," Jack informed him. However angry he might be at Daniel right now, he knew Daniel was just as angry at himself. "Can you tell how badly she hit her head?" Jack asked. Kira's silence was beginning to scare him. Help. He needed to call for help. "I'm not a doctor, Jack," Daniel said helplessly. "Yes you are," Jack replied automatically. "Jack…" In a different situation, Daniel might have laughed. "Had I been a medical doctor, I might have been able to tell you something." "You sure?" Jack asked. Daniel nodded. "I can't tell you anything more than you already know." "Somehow I doubt that," Jack muttered as he stood up. "We need to get her some help, Daniel, you call Janet, while I go get some ice for her head." Daniel looked at him quizzically. "Um, Jack?" "Daniel, you know where the phone is!" Jack said angrily, as he reached into the freezer for the ice cube trays. Daniel continued to look confused, and more than a little sad. "Jack, I can't help you," Daniel explained. "I'm not physically here, remember?" "Dammit!" Jack cursed, angrily setting down the tray. "I can't believe I forgot something like that. You need to wear a bell or something." "A bell?" Daniel asked, perplexed. "Or something!" Jack was both frustrated and more than a little distraught. He emptied the ice cube tray into a heavy Ziploc bag and grabbed a clean towel. He returned to the kitchen and once again put his fingers on Kira's neck. He exhaled with relief: still strong. "She's going to be fine," Daniel said confidently. "And you know this how?" Jack asked, as he gently pulled back part of Kira's hair to gain better access to the rapidly growing lump on her temple. I gave her this concussion. "The same way I know that you are now blaming yourself," Daniel answered. "Daniel," Jack warned. Ascended being or not, Daniel still knew how to read Jack O'Neill. Their conversation wasn't bringing Kira much help, but it was helping Kira regain consciousness. "Would you guys keep it down a little," Kira whispered painfully, as she shifted minutely on the floor. The small movement made her gasp out loud. "Kira, try not to move," Jack advised, laying a warm hand on her shoulder. He looked down at her with worried brown eyes. "You're going to be fine." Kira darkly decided that 'fine' was a euphamism for 'in a lot of pain'. She hurt - and not just her head. She recalled Jack hitting her with the frying pan, but...not much more. Over her head, Kira could still hear Jack and Daniel talking. She attempted to open her eyes a little to look at the men, but the light sent her into sensory overload, and she quickly scrunched them shut. Maybe if she shielded her eyes with something.... Kira tried to move her left arm to shade her light-sensitive eyes. Her arm wouldn't move. Or to be more precise, her hand wouldn't. That didn't make sense. Kira tried again and was rewarded with a sharp, blinding pain that left her gasping in agony and wondering if she might throw up. "What's wrong with me?" She managed to ask. "Kira, I think you.." Jack fumbled for the proper pronoun. "I broke your wrist." "Hurts," Kira hissed between her teeth. It hurt a lot. Kira struggled hard not to cry. Not only would it scare her friends, but it would probably make everything hurt worse. "Try not to move, Kira " Daniel advised. "We need more ice, Jack." "We need an ambulance, Daniel." "It's not going to get any less broken, Jack." "She needs help, now, Daniel!" Beneath their bickering, and through her tears, Kira smiled. "I love you guys," she murmered as the men hurried to get her more ice and imobolize her wrist. She had missed them. With Daniel keeping her company, Jack dialed the SGC and talked with Janet. He knew this would mean an automatic return to the Infirmary for him as well, but seeing how well his trip home had turned out, he thought it might not be a bad idea to go back. Just for a few days. This time he wouldn't hide any of his outward…manifestations. Well, none of the psychological ones. Daniel he was going to continue to keep quiet about. He had enough to worry about without folks thinking he was bonkers. Daniel stayed with them both until help arrived. The ice, and keeping her hand immobile, helped control the pain in her hand, but it did little for her head – she hurt. Jack had given her three ibuprofens for the swelling and pain, but it did little to ease the jack hammer in her head. Both Daniel and Jack did their best to keep her distracted. "On the bright side, Kira," Jack said trying to take her mind off things, "you get to witness the awesome power of Dr. Janet Fraiser and her brightly-lit infirmary." "Brightly lit?" Kira groaned, shutting her eyes. "Jack will turn the lights down for you," Daniel added. "Won't you, Jack?" "Absolutely," Jack agreed, nodding. "We can even get glow in the dark chess pieces." "You're going to stay with me?" Kira asked softly. She had found it hurt less if she talked slow and soft. Jack shrugged. "Probably for a few days," Jack said. Realization made him pause. "That is if you want me too," he said hurriedly. "I would completely understand if…" "Jack it was an accident," Kira replied. "I'd love for you to keep me company." "He snores though," Daniel said with a grin. Jack gave him a look. "Do not." "Do too." "Not." "Too." "Um, guys?" Kira interjected. As much as she enjoyed listening to them argue, she suddenly realized she had a problem. "Actually, sharing the infirmary with Jack might be something of a problem," Kira explained. She was thinking about Dr. Drexell. Ryan was going to have a field day with this! In addition to a pounding headache and a wrist that was rapidly becoming the size of a Big Mac, Kira now had to deal with terminal embarrassment. She had no idea how she was going to explain any of this. "I don't snore that bad," Jack insisted. Kira would have shaken her head back and forth if she could. "It's not that," Kira explained. "Um, you see..." Kira stumbled to find the right words. In the distance, she could hear the sound of an ambulance. "It all started when Daniel broke a light bulb in the base library..." ============================ Completed July 14, 2006 Notes: The SGC floors/layout came from http://wiki.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/index.php/Stargate_Command_%28SGC%29_Base Bendict Arnold – His name is used in American vernacular (everyday speech) to mean "traitor". BA lived during the American Revolution and betrayed the Americans to the British. Not that it helped all that much... ;p http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold This is my longest Barista/Assistant ever. Please let me know what you thought of it! Home |Series Home | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |