April 1999 - infirmary
“I take it Daniel’s going to be your guest for the night?” Jack asked Janet as she shifted through Teal’c’s chart. “I thought he was fine.”
“He was - is.” She hastily corrected. “But to be honest after Dr Warner found him collapsed outside the Hasmat room I’m not taking any chances. I trust Daniel about as far as I can throw him when it comes to telling me about symptoms.” Janet sighed noticeably, looking over at Daniel fast asleep in an infirmary bed. “I think I really screwed up.”
Jack’s eyebrows reached new heights, the words being so un- Janet like. “We screwed up. Majorly. Don’t keep all that guilt tripping for yourself.” Jack wasn’t ready to absolve her, but he wasn’t about to let her take the full blame either. They were all Daniel had and they’d all let him down spectacularly.
“No! No!” The words, followed soon after by a chilling ear-piercing scream, drew Jack and Janet into the main infirmary in a flash.
Darting over to the person creating all the noise Jack grabbed a tight hold of Daniel’s inert body, as he lay unmoving on the hard floor.
“He’s alright doc.” Jack rushed out to pacify Fraiser, letting her know there were no broken bones to worry about on top of everything else. “Just a little stunned.” Jack smiled at Daniel’s confused face as he said this. Daniel didn’t say anything; he seemed to be using all his strength to keep focus.
“What happen?” Daniel tried experimentally to stand, failing miserably.
“I think… you fell out of bed.” Jack said lightly.
“I what?”
“Well unless you started out on the infirmary floor…” Jack indicated the floor in question.
“That’s why my butt hurts then.”
“I’d imagine so, yes.”
Daniel nodded a little too forcefully and Jack took pity, deciding he’d need help getting up. Helping Daniel back on the bed, Jack had to lift him almost bodily at the waist when Daniel just started to sort of slide back to the ground again. A nurse joined him at that point and together they eventually managed to get Daniel reasonably settled in bed.
“Better?” Jack asked, giving the side rail he’d just lifted a good jangle.
“What’s that for?”
“So you don’t have another encounter with the concrete.”
Daniel smiled wanly, but made no move to comment otherwise.
“What am I doing here? What are you doing here, everything okay?” Daniel asked, putting a lot of concentration into focusing on Jack.
“Yeah, I checked out fine, just on my way home.”
“Alright for some.” Daniel grumbled.
“Come now, the infirmary’s not that bad, Janet’s here.” Jack added.
“No, Janet’s going home too.”
Jack barely managed to prevent himself from laughing out loud at Daniel’s pout.
“Jack it isn’t funny, I’m going to be all alone here, what am I supposed to do all night with Nurse Shredder for company?”
“Daniel, firstly, I don’t think this is funny. Two, I’d suggest sleeping would be a good idea, that’s what the rest of us do at night - you should try it some time - and three; Nurse Shredder?”
“Ask Sam.” Daniel dismissed with a wave, he was in a rotten mood and wasn’t feeling up to telling the rather gruesome story right now.
Jack smiled when Daniel huffed dejectedly and slid beneath the covers, hiding his face. His resolve severely weakened, Jack pulled back the sheet so he could see Daniel’s face. “You want me to see if there’s a chance in hell Janet will sign you over to me for the night?”
“I’d sell my soul to Nephthys.”
“I’ll take that as a yes…but don’t get your hopes up,” Jack turned to walk away. “And no soul selling either,” Jack threw over his shoulder as an afterthought.
Walking back into Fraiser’s office felt like walking in to the lions den, no way was Janet going to let him go home.
“Doc, Daniel wants to go home.”
“Fine.”
“I know he’s still got a lot of those drugs in him and that it’s a risk, but he’s really unhappy, he-”
“Colonel, I said fine.”
“I’d bet he’d feel better if – ”
“You can have him, just make sure he takes his pills, goes straight to bed and bring him back first thing in the morning for Dr Warner to run follow up tests.”
“Oh, well okay then.” Jack stood for a moment puzzled. “What changed your mind?”
“Daniel doesn’t want to stay, I don’t blame him. If I were in his shoes I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near another hospital.”
Janet seemed agitated, not her normal no-nonsense self.
“Are you caving out of guilt?” Jack was incredulous.
“No, of course not, I just think a friendly face is what he needs more than anything right now and if he really doesn’t want to stay I’m not going to force him.”
Jack hesitated over what he was about to say, but ploughed on, against his better judgement to let sleeping dogs lie.
“He doesn’t blame you, you know.” Janet froze, mid action of packing away several folders. “No lie, he was just complaining about staying here and one of the reasons was because you wouldn’t be here to keep him company.
“After the hasmat incident I’m on stand down for two days.” Janet knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but couldn’t help it.
“Same as the rest of us, which I guess is why I’m taking Daniel home with me tonight.”
“I don’t think I’m the one going soft, Colonel.”
Jack smiled, “Come say good bye, you can give him the happy news.”