May 21st 1999 – Daniel’s apartment, Down Town, Colorado Springs.
Jack rifled through Daniel’s closet until he found what he’d been searching for. Walking back into the lounge, Jack grabbed an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table as he passed and took a huge bite.
Daniel was still sitting on the sofa, slouched, without his glasses, the red burn shining bright on his forehead and looking as dazed and confused as he had when he’d woken up for the first time. Jack had been there of course; in the infirmary from the minute Daniel was admitted till the next day when Janet released him. Jack was here now too, the very same afternoon, at Daniel’s apartment. Daniel’s burn was still sore, preventing him from wearing his glasses and, so, driving himself home was not an option. Even if Daniel could see 100% Jack wouldn’t have felt right about leaving him, having some down time was good, but at the risk of living out of each others pockets for a while Jack was staying.
Daniel remained in his slouch, eyes unfocused, yet unmoving from the balcony windows dead ahead.
“You want anything?” Jack asked, standing by Daniel’s side looking down on him.
Daniel didn’t so much as blink and Jack didn’t push him. He ran his fingers through Daniel’s hair once, whispering a soft "okay" and walked into the back room, picking up the phone that had suddenly starting shrieking for attention.
Daniel felt the pressure come and go, then he listened to Jack’s side of a conversation, same abrupt voice Daniel always knew - a constant he could rely on, all the time never losing focus on the grey cloudy sky lingering outside his window, a storm waiting to happen.
Then the doorbell rang.
“Hang on a minute will ya…”
He heard the receiver hit the counter and felt the vibrations through the floor as Jack moved to answer the door. After that Daniel grabbed the blanket Jack had brought, and wrapped it tight around him.
“Sir.” Sam greeted, stood on Daniel’s doorstep.
“Carter.” Jack said in the same, teasing kind of tone.
They both smiled, the situation simultaneously uncomfortable and familiar.
“How is he?” Sam asked quietly.
Jack opened the door wider for her to come in.
“He’s okay.” Jack said quickly before picking up the phone and resuming his conversation.
Sam smiled tightly and walked further into the apartment, she found Daniel sat on his couch, messily wrapped in a blanket. All indications would point to him being asleep, all except the open eyes.
“Hey Sam.” Daniel smiled at her.
“I brought you something.” Sam produced a brown paper bag and Daniel didn’t have to open it to know Chocolate Walnut cookies would be inside.
“Thank you.”
Sam could hear the words, but could barely believe it was Daniel, never had she heard a tone so flat, so emotionless, come from him.
“Carter, want a drink?” Jack jumped down the couple of steps leading down into the lounge.
Daniel pulled the blanket tighter around him and brought his legs up underneath him onto the couch. “Who called?”
Didn’t sound like he really cared all that much, but Jack answered all the same, trying not to sound too awkward. “Some guy, Robert-”
“Rothman?”
“...Something.” Jack finished. “Yeah him. Took a message, said you’ll call him back another day.”
“Thanks.” Daniel smiled again. Though Sam noticed it was a very tight smile, designed to trick them into believing he was totally fine. Who Daniel thought he was kidding was a question, she knew he wasn’t thinking straight, but surely he didn’t expect to fool two Air Force officers with that.
“Daniel.” Jack walked up to him and crouched down in front. “You doing okay?” He wasn’t expecting Daniel to be his usually positive and bouncy self but the solemn emotionless tone was making him pensive.
“Cold.” Daniel said at long last, a frown drawing his eyebrows in, as if he was finding it hard to understand why.
Jack nodded and patted Daniel’s arm, but looked over at Carter, who during the course of their brief conversation had sat down next to Daniel. I can’t stand seeing him this way…
Sam gave Jack her own look in return …but she’s gone, and there’s nothing more we can do.