Title: Still Standingwritten for word challenge word: Backlash
rated: PG
no spoilers
disclaimers: the usual, just borrowing them for the fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
His hand moved into position and felt through his arsenal, finding
the right length, heft and grip; he froze and listened, a lifetime
of experience behind his judgment as he thought it out, `position:
eleven o'clock moving due north, speed: a fast clip'. His
calculations anticipated trajectory, angle and environmental
factors. Stealthily he set his weapon and making last second
adjustments for distance -- he launched.
SUCCESS! As a resounding yelp was heard along with an angry, "What
the…?!!"
Jack assumed his out-of-it, sleep pose, mastering his face by wiping
off his slight triumphant grin before his `acquired target' got any
closer. He remembered that his weaponry was still visible on top of
the covers and he moved one hand to quickly cover the bag of rubber
bands.
Too late, she must have spotted them. Jack listened to the fast
approach and resigned himself to his fate. He sat up, his bandaged
eyes turning towards the `incoming bogey'.
A familiar voice demanded, "Colonel, hand them over."
Reluctantly he yielded up his `weapons'.
"I thought it was Nurse Ratchet… if I'd known it was YOU, Janet I
would never ha…"
"Save that Irish Charm for someone that's not immune..." Frasier cut
him off as she checked his chart even as the small smile contradicted
her words.
"Well it was a pretty good shot if I have to say so myself … what…20
feet away or thereabouts…a moving target… a small moving target
(still trying to soften her up with blarney) and me, blind as a
bat."
Janet did marvel a bit at his skill until she recalled the scene on
the planet that they had rescued him from. Colonel O'Neill alone
and blinded had withstood the onslaught of a heavily armed enemy for
over 12 hours in an almost indefensible location while also aiding
and protecting his badly wounded second-in-command.
She had overheard General Hammond talking to the leader of SG-3 –
more than a bit of awe evident in his tone -- as they discussed the
final tally of enemy dead, which had come in at well over 60. She
sometimes had problems reconciling this dark aspect of him with the
fatherly, gentle man who had taken Cassie under his wing. He was
definitely a man with many faceted sides.
Putting the chart away, she moved closer to his side. Jack knowing
the procedure anticipated her, and positioned his face so that she
didn't have to ask as she carefully removed the bandages from his
eyes.
Finding her penlight she allowed him time to adjust to the bandage
removal as he blinked and automatically looked around the room, his
deep brown eyes squinting in concentration. She began her
examination as she asked,
"How are you feeling Colonel …any changes in vision?"
He replied, "No change -- shadows and the occasional flash of color."
"Are you seeing these `flashes' more frequently than before?"
"No, maybe the opposite… seeing them less and less." He said and
then added in a lighter tone,
"Ya know Doc I've been looking for an upside to my situation and I've
finally found it… You could torture me with that penlight all day
long and it wouldn't bother me one bit."
She smiled and said nothing, as she put her penlight away, retrieved
the chart and began updating it.
Jack listened to her pen scratching and felt the unsettling panic
trying to well up again. Usually it only visited during the late
night hours between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. when the lock was weakest on
his subconscious dungeon where his subjugated emotions resided.
"How's Carter? Have you heard this morning?" He asked abruptly.
The worry for her was always there. He'd kept track of her condition
through anyone who came close enough to his bed for him to ask. He
knew that she'd been comatose since her surgery. Janet had reassured
him that it was induced for medical reasons.
Her injuries had been severe enough for her transfer to the ICU at
the Air Force Academy Hospital. Long hours of surgery had repaired
her perforated colon but her system now had to deal with the
incipient infection that had been unavoidable due to the type of
injury.
Janet paused in her writing. She'd been waiting for the question, as
she knew he would ask. "She's stable. The infection is being
treated aggressively but it'll take a while before the antibiotics
get it all. I expect to be able to move her back here tomorrow if
all goes as hoped."
He nodded one hand scrubbing through his tousled gray hair, his sigh
of relief noticed by her, "That's good news" He paused and then
asked, "Well? What about me? Do I need to get a white cane? Or
better yet…a dog?"
While he waited for her response, he willed his eyes to focus as he
tried to see the petite Doctor, but instead saw nothing but a small
shadow in the overall night of his new, dark world.
"It's only been three days Colonel. The specialist said your burned
retinas could take up to possibly two weeks to heal. Do you recall
that conversation? "
"Of course I remember. My brain's not affected." And the frustration
at his situation was fully evident in his tone.
"Well actually Sir, your brain is affected. You were badly
concussed."
His head shot up, alert, "We've got company!" He said just as Teal'c
and Daniel appeared in the doorway of the infirmary. Daniel was
carrying a heavily laden breakfast tray.
"Well your hearing is certainly functioning well." Fraiser
responded wryly and wondered how that was possible after all his
years of being around loud artillery.
"Like a cat!" He quipped and then frowned, "wait…that's wrong, its
eyes like a cat…for crying out loud…what animal can hear well?" Hefrowned heavily as he pondered his inconsequential question making
Janet Fraiser shake her head in amusement at his strange, yet normal behavior.
"Sir, I'm going to check your chart – I think your getting too much
medication."
"Hey guys…Is all that food for me? Nice!" Jack called out in
greeting.
Daniel carefully placed the tray on Jack's bed table as he
exclaimed, "Jack, your visions' returned!"
"Nope, but I can hear and smell with the best of `em, Danny boy, I
would know your walk anywhere and that coffee smells great."
"Oh." Daniel responded disappointedly.
"And Good Morning to you too, Daniel!" Janet said sarcastically.
"Sorry Janet… uhh…good morning! How're you doing? Got your hands
full I imagine." Daniel answered, a bit flustered.
Teal'c stepped forward after inclining his head in greeting to Janet,
he spoke up, "We have brought you breakfast, O'Neill. Do you require
any assistance?"
"Thanks, T, actually, I'm not that hungry, all I want is the
coffee." His long hand moved and adroitly found the Styrofoam cup
without a problem.
Daniel ignored his comment and began busily removing the coverings
from the food filled plates and unwrapping the cutlery from the
napkin as he said,
"Jack you need to eat and Teal'c kinda went overboard so we have a
ton of food."
"I did not as you say, "Go Overboard". This is the precise amount I
eat every morning on base DanielJackson. "
Jack grimaced as his hand skimmed lightly, finding piles of scrambled
eggs, bacon, sausage, at least 6 slices of toast, along with grapes,
orange wedges and sliced melon.
"Come on guys…ya got to be kidding me. There's enough here to feed a
platoon."
His face then flushed in embarrassment as he added, "I'd rather eat
alone…"
Daniel understood then his reluctance to eat in front of them and
answered, "Of course. Sorry Jack. We're just getting ready to go
to the Academy Hospital to check on Sam, there have been signs that
she's coming out of it."
"Hey, no problem." He spoke up again, his voice lower as he made his
request, "Would you give Carter a message from me? Just tell
Carter...uhh. ..just… tell her…" He paused for a long moment and then
finished lamely, "just give her `my best'."
Teal'c inclined his head and turned away. Daniel patted Jack's
arm, "Sure Jack I'll do that. Have I ever told you that you
CERTAINLY have a way with words...a BAD way might I add…" andyelped as Jack hit him with a rubber band.
"THAT…THAT HURT!"
Janet chuckled, "Tell us about it. The whole staff's been his
personal shooting gallery. I thought I'd confiscated his arsenal,
but … evidently he saved a few back…"
Daniel, rubbing his arm, responded, "I'll wear Kevlar next time I
visit… IF I do…" and with that he waved and left for the door, where
Teal'c awaited him.
"Wusses" Jack muttered as he cupped his coffee. Then abruptly he
sat the cup down and asked, "Hey Doc, when can I go home?" As he
then pulled the bedcover back and swung his legs around to the side
of the bed so he could maneuver the tray closer.
Janet checked her watch … and noted the time, wondering who had won
the betting pool.
Sir… you are unable to see!" She said stating the obvious
emphatically.
SO? I can manage. Get a driver to take me home and I'll be just
fine. I have pizza and Chinese food delivery on the speed dial. I
know my property like the back of Teal'c's head … so everything's
covered."
"I'm afraid General Hammond wants you to remain here. I'll release
you to your base quarters but that's all I can do."
He nodded in resignation and felt her gently re-wrapping the gauze
around his head.
"Come on Doc… do I have to wear this?"
"Yes. I don't want any strain on those eyes."
It was then that his crust of complacency caved in, as a backlash of
depression rolled over him; an almost physical manifestation that
Janet sensed immediately.
She covered one of his hands with hers, gently she spoke, "Jack, I
know this is hard but you've got to stay upbeat."
"For an instant he allowed her to see beneath his hardened veneer as
he questioned, "What if the damage is permanent? What then? The
specialist said that was a possibility. "
"Hey…listen to me." She gripped his long hand in her small
one, "Let's take this a day at a time. Worrying will do nothing but
make matters worse. Trust me… no matter what…you'll get through
this. That's what I'm here for."
His chiseled features fought and won as they formed a smile,
squeezing her hand, he said softly, "Thanks…Janet”, calling her by
her given name – a rare digression for him -- at least while on base.
She stepped back and realized how bored he must be – as he fumbled
with a napkin, found a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth.
Not hesitating, she quickly she pulled the rubber bands out of her
pocket and laid them on the tray where she knew he would eventually
find them. "I'll be back in a little bit to check up on you. And
uhh… Colonel, take NOTE of my walk… cause I want you to KNOWwhen it is I returning."
His face showed his puzzlement at this, but just at that moment he
found the `weapons' on his tray. His handsome face lit up in
amusement. "Roger that Doctor. I can guarantee that YOU will NOT be
the victim of friendly fire."
<the end>