Author's Website:None Category: H/C,SMARM,DRAMA,SMARM,HUMOR,AND SMARM Warnings: None, but, it is smarmy. Summary: Daniel, Jack, Infirmary Disclaimer: Not mine, but I am saving up. Don't sue me, I haven't saved that much. Author’s Note: Many thanks to Devra and Joag for the Alpha and Beta. I never would have and never could have, if not for them.
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"Daniel!"
He heard the voice, but there was no time to stop and catch his breath, no time to listen. Daniel couldn't afford to lose the rhythm. Breathe in.
Daniel leaned over and placed his mouth over Jack's. Forcing another breath into Jack's lungs as separate hands pumped Jack's chest, pushing air through a body that was too still, too cold under his touch. Thoughts raced through Daniel's mind, a mantra of sorts, in perfect sync with the puffs of air he was blowing into Jack's lungs. 'Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Don't give up'.
"Daniel, stop!"
Daniel felt Teal'c's large hands on his shoulders and finally listened to Sam's words, the words that made his own heart start beating again.
"Daniel, you did it, he's breathing on his own. C'mon, hurry, we have to get him out of these wet clothes, then back to the gate."
~~ Six days later~~
"I know you're mad, but glaring won't help. General Hammond asked me to go with SG -17 and help with translations; I have to go, Jack. You know that." Daniel stopped, waiting for a response he wouldn't get.
Daniel stood at the foot of Jack's infirmary bed. Not only was it strange seeing Jack in the infirmary due to illness, but also it was the quiet that was so. unnerving. Jack was never silent. He joked, laughed, yelled, discussed and argued; until this last mission, Jack O'Neill didn't do quiet. Daniel watched as the nurses efficiently and ever so gently stripped the colonel and the bed out of scrubs and sheets and into new ones. Even the nursing staff seemed off, they usually joked with Jack and threatened him good-naturedly for all the complaining he did, but now they, too, walked quietly, almost silently, around the sick man.
Jack now sat semi-upright in the bed, cheeks flushed with fever. Ever since SG-1's last trip through the gate, he had been in the infirmary. Jack had gotten pneumonia after taking a header off the crumbling steps of the platform where the Stargate rested on PK6-977. The steps and wet ground had given way and Jack had fallen head first into a large underground cavern filled with icy water. The fall had knocked him unconscious and although they had gotten him out quickly, Jack had swallowed enough water and alien germs to land him in the infirmary since their return. Jack had also been stricken with a severe case of laryngitis, an apparent side effect from the alien pneumonia.
Daniel stared at his friend, noting the exhausted half opened lids that were finally succumbing to Dr. Frasier's latest round of antibiotics/sleeping medication for alien illnesses and stubborn colonels. Daniel pushed the tray away, noticing the full bowl of green Jell-O and the chocolate pudding. Daniel had tried for the last hour to get his friend to eat something. Daniel knew both Sam and Teal'c had also failed in their attempts to get him to eat. Apparently, no matter the color, Jell-O was still Jell-O. Daniel held out the glass of cold water for Jack and placed the straw in his mouth. "Small sips, Jack. Janet says as long as you have a fever and still have laryngitis, you're stuck here."
"Did I hear my name?" asked Dr. Frasier as she walked over to Jack's bed. Daniel looked on as Janet pulled Jack's chart and after reading the last set of labs, checked his temperature again. Daniel could see that Jack had lost weight. The fever was taking its toll. His condition seemed worse at night, so Daniel made sure he took that shift, quietly reading to his friend, reassuring him when the nightmares from the fever got too intense. Jack usually had terrible dreams that seemed worse when he was ill and he seemed to respond to Daniel best in his fevered state.
"Well, you're back up to 102. Sorry, Colonel, looks like you're staying another night."
Jack just looked from Janet to Daniel and back to Janet.
"No, sir, you can't go home with Dr. Jackson. Not only won't he be here for the next two days, but you also have to be fever-free and I also need to hear your dulcet tones making my nurses cringe before you can pack your bags and leave." Daniel watched as Janet crossed her arms. He knew then that Jack was staying. "Now, the more rest you get, the faster you'll get better. Go to sleep, sir. Daniel, please stop by my office on the way out."
Daniel looked at Janet, but she shook her head very slightly and then left, heels clicking through the silent infirmary. Jack was the only patient at this time. Daniel turned back to his friend. Jack sighed and shifted in the bed, restless as his body fought the illness. Daniel walked over to the nurse's desk and brought the cloth and basin back with him. He wrung the cloth out and wiped off Jack's face and neck.
"You're going to be fine, Jack. Sam, Teal'c and I will be back before you know it." The dark brown eyes looked up at Daniel, fever-bright, but also laced with concern.
"I know you're worried about us, but SG-3 is with Sam and Teal'c. They should have all their Naquadah samples collected by tomorrow and then they'll be back. Sam and Teal'c have called through the gate three times today to make sure you were doing okay." Daniel smiled and looked around the infirmary, then leaned over and whispered quietly in Jack's ear, "I promise not to touch anything." Daniel smiled again as Jack looked directly at him. "Forty eight hours and I'll be back."
Jack's hand reached out to catch Daniel's. Daniel smiled at his friend, reaching out to lay the back of his free hand across Jack's forehead. Jack coughed and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the pillow but wouldn't let go of Daniel's hand. Daniel stretched out a leg, hooking his foot around and pulled the chair closer to the bed. He sat down, never letting go of Jack's hand. Daniel noticed Jack was shivering. One-handed, Daniel reached for and unfolded the extra blanket from the foot of the bed and covered Jack's shivering body. It took about ten minutes before Daniel knew Jack had fallen asleep.
Standing, Daniel gave Jack's warm hand a small squeeze, and then placed it under the covers. He turned, walking quickly towards Janet's office. Daniel opened his mouth, but was interrupted even before he could speak.
"Contrary to how it looks, the colonel is getting better. I can't explain why most of the pneumonia has already resolved. I know it seems like it's taking longer than it should, but it is an "alien" bacteria, Daniel. I just got the latest lab results and it seems that despite the fever and the laryngitis, he's finally responding to treatment."
Daniel pursed his lips. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Janet over the top of his glasses, question in his eyes.
Janet looked into Daniel's face and cleared her throat.
"The colonel would never forgive me if he knew I was telling you this. However, as his physician, I feel I would be doing less than my duty if I didn't ask you to be careful." Janet stopped. Daniel watched as a red blush rose on her cheeks. "You were sleeping yesterday when Sam and Teal'c had to leave, but we almost had to strap him to the bed. He became quite determined to go through the Stargate with them, raging fever or not. Finally, I had to administer a sedative to keep him in the infirmary." Janet fell silent and studied the floor.
"You, Sam and Teal'c, you're the colonel's family. He needs you all and he needs you all back in one piece. I can't remember a time when one of you was in the infirmary and the others weren't on base, so, just be careful and make sure to get back here so your teammate isn't alone." Janet stopped. "That's, uh, all I wanted to say."
Daniel gazed at her, his vision blurring suddenly. He took a step forward and placed a hand gently on Janet's slight shoulder.
"Janet, Sam and Teal'c and I, none of us want to leave while Jack is still here sick and yes, we're his teammates. However, not one of us thought we were leaving Jack here alone." Daniel stopped and Janet looked up at his face.
"We're leaving Jack here with you." Daniel watched as Janet bit her lip and tears rose unbidden to her eyes.
"We know that every time we come back through that gate, injured in body or mind, you're always here fighting back against diseases, alien artifacts and a thousand other unexplainable things. You never stop; you never give up on us. We may be out there saving the planet, but we'd never be able to do that if you weren't back here, saving us. Jack isn't alone."
Daniel pulled Janet close, hugging her, and then walked out of her office. He walked out of the infirmary and straight to the elevators.
~~~~~
Daniel flipped the light off in his office and left with his gear for the Gate room. He had just enough time to run by the infirmary to say good-bye to Jack. Dropping his pack to the floor, he walked quietly to the corner of the room, and peered around the privacy screen. He could see Jack's bed. He was sleeping, rolled over on his right side facing Janet. Janet had the book Daniel had been reading from last night, and was reading aloud from where Daniel had left off. Her coffee cup sat on the nightstand next to the bed.
Daniel smiled as Janet reached out, pulling the cover up around Jack's shoulder, her hand sliding softly up to gently rest against his forehead. Janet smiled and continued reading. Daniel walked out of the infirmary; his heart felt lighter than it had in days as the soft sound of Janet's voice followed him out the door.