A Season 1 story

Acknowledgements

Colonel Jack O’Neill ploughed through the tall grass, his long legged stride setting the fast pace for the rest of his team.  SG-1 strode over hills and down into dales, all determined to get back to the DHD, and off that hot world, as soon as possible.  Upon arriving on P3x612 there was only the one sun but after lunch time the group discovered a second sun rose. While it wasn’t perceived as life endangering, the colonel instructed the team to return home.  The long walk back to the DHD was proving tiring and taxing in the twin sun heat.

Captain Samantha Carter watched her fellow team member, Dr. Daniel Jackson as he slowed to sneeze then trotted to catch up with the pace.

“You okay, Daniel?” She called to the man walking in front of her in the single file line.

“Yeah, I’m just,” he puffed slightly then stopped, doubling over with his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath.  Sam stopped and placed a caring hand on the middle of his back.

“Daniel?” She squinted as a tear of perspiration dripped into her eye from her fringe.

He held his hand up, indicating that he only needed to catch his breath as he gulped and swallowed for air.

“Colonel!” Sam called to the rapidly disappearing commander as he continued over the hill unaware of the commotion behind him.  “Colonel!”

He stopped, and said, without turning around, “Captain, the quicker we get back to the gate and get home, the faster we’re out of this heat!” He raised his hand in the air, indicating to the two bright suns blaring down upon them, as he turned back towards his team, still at the bottom of the hill.

“It’s Daniel, sir.  I think he needs to rest!” she called back to him. Jack saw that Daniel was in trouble and started to trot back towards the group.

“No!” Daniel pulled himself upright and gave Sam a determined look, then looked up at the squinted-faced colonel.  He didn’t want to let the team down.  He was lucky just to be on  SG-1, it wouldn’t do for the colonel to have to report that he wasn’t fit enough to keep pace with them. 

“I’ll be fine!” the anthropologist puffed slightly as he started to move off again, his jaw clenching and his cheeks dimpling with the effort of the exertion.

“Sure?” the colonel inquired,  looked at him dubiously.  “Maybe you should take your jacket off?”

Daniel looked at the beige, long sleeved fatigue jacket he was wearing.  To remove that would require taking off his helmet and vest, then he’d still have to carry the article of clothing back to the gate.  It was just as easy to leave it on.  Beside, he thought to himself, it’s providing some protection from the scorching suns.  He wet his parched lips and took in a deep breath.

“I’m just,” he puffed, “not used to this kind of trekking like you all are.”

Jack looked at Sam and they both gave a small shrug before the colonel turned and headed back the way he just came.

Sam walked a little slower, keeping by the side of her hurting team mate, a caring hand still on the center of his back. 

“Well, just take it easy.  It’s really hot, we’ve been walking a long time, not to mention your allergies are playing up,” she said, watching as Jack, also dressed in sandy fatigues but wearing a hat instead of a helmet,  disappeared over the next crest.  She turned to see the determined look Daniel had been giving the back of the colonel.

“You know, he won't think less of you for needing to stop and catch your breath,” she told him.   The archaeologist shook his head adamantly, shaking small droplets of sweat into the air. 

“I don’t want to let the team down,” he said breathlessly. 

“You’re not letting the team down, Daniel, just because you need to take a break.”

“I agree with Capt’n Carter,” Teal'c informed his friend in a deep, even voice as he strode effortlessly along side of the young man. “You are an archaeologist, DanielJackson.  You are not a trained warrior like we are.”

Sam nodded, thankful that Teal'c was lending his support in this. Daniel looked straight ahead as he continued to hobble wearily along the path Jack had just stepped. 

“Teal'c’s right,” she interjected as Daniel opened his mouth to speak again.  “We’re trained.  Hell, I run like 5 miles twice a week.”

“Really?” Daniel frowned as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. 

“Sure.  Usually I’m carrying a pack on my back at the time,” she went on drolly, unaware of the impact her words were having on him.  He started wheezing from the mere sound of that kind of exertion.  “When I’m not able to do that  I’m usually hitting the gym on the base, making sure I keep myself in shape.”  

He suddenly felt *very* unfit.  The most exercise he’d had in the past few years was walking over sandy dunes on Abydos.  While the distances were never very great, the activity would still leave him breathless.  Sha’re wontedly teased him about it, saying she was grateful his stamina on his back was better than his stamina on his legs, then flirted with him until he proved her theory.  Shaking his head, he tried to clear away the image of him proving to her, against a pillar in the Abydos Gate Room, that his stamina on his legs ‘could’ equal his stamina on his back!  Brushing his sleeve under his chin, the flushed man tried to concentrate on the here and now.

“I, too, undertook Klem’Trell,” Teal'c disclosed matter-of-factly.  “It’s equivalency in your society would be training camp, I believe.   We also walked everywhere.  There are no vehicles on Chu’Lak.”

Daniel rolled his eyes.  Now he felt *very* unfit.  As an habitual coffee drinker and someone who sat up way too late at night pouring over texts and artifacts, he was practically an insomniac.  It was no wonder he was less fit than the others.  He started to think he should give more attention to the physical training Jack had told him about when he joined the team.  As a civilian, he was not *required* to undertake it, but right now, as he fought to fill his lungs with oxygen while the others seemed less than puffed, he figured his body could do with a little workout, or two!

“Maybe I need boot camp,” he muttered under his breath.  Sam smiled and patted his back lightly, making the weakened man stumble just slightly.

“I think just doing this job will make you fit enough soon enough, Daniel.  I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

Suddenly he crumpled to the ground, crying out in pain.

“Daniel?” She turned back to him, having continued on unaware he’d dropped beside her like a lead weight.

“Cramp!” he winced painfully, clutching at his leg. 

“Okay, try standing up. Teal'c help him,” she  said.  The warrior nodded and passed his staff weapon over to her then he carefully assisted Daniel to his feet. “Now, just stretch..”

“Sam!” Daniel held his hand up to silence his well meaning friend.  “I know how to deal with a cramp.”  He carefully stretched his leg out, trying to relieve the intense pain in his calf muscle.  He wasn’t able to flex his foot the cramp was so severe.  He cried out again in sharp pain, but set his jaw as he stretched and flexed the muscle, determined to get over this obstacle.

“What the hell’s keeping you?” Jack barked as he returned to the group, perspiration running down his face.  He squinted as he looked at Daniel, held up by Teal'c while hobbling on one leg, maintaining balance.  The younger man was doubled over, clutching his right leg. 

“Sir, he’s got the cramp,” Sam told him.  Jack sighed and Daniel looked up at him.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” he said despondently.  Jack eyed the man in pain then lifted his gun over his head, passing it behind him to Sam before slipping his arm around Daniel’s waist.

“I can walk!” The anthropologist was indignant.

“That hill’s a killer, and it’s too damn hot out here to stand around and wait for your cramp to pass.  We’ll just get you up there and see how you are at the top, okay?”

Daniel rolled his eyes then allowed Teal'c to hold him in the same manner.  The two men assisted him along the track and up the steep hill while Sam walked behind, carrying all the weapons in her hands. 

“Ugh, I think I’m better now,” Daniel said as they reached the summit. He could see the Stargate in the field at the bottom of the hill and gave a heavy sigh of relief.

Jack released his arm from around the sweaty archaeologist, feeling the effects of the exertion himself as perspiration rolled down his back in little trails.  Daniel set his foot down onto the ground gingerly, glad to feel he had control over it again. 

“Is it alright?” The colonel asked, licking sweat from his top lip.

“Yeah,” Daniel nodded, then looked up at him.  “Fine. Thanks, Jack.”

Puffing out a deep breath then reaching back blindly for his gun, the officer headed off  down the hill.  “Let’s just get home and out of this damn heat!”

Sam handed Teal'c back his staff weapon.  The Jaffa accepted it with a deep nod.

“Sure you’re okay now?” Sam checked Daniel as he limped down the hill.  His face was flushed red, and perspiration ran down from his temple. 

“Yeah, it’s still a little tender, but it’s fine.  It’s just a cramp, right?” He tried to smile.  She nodded as she removed her helmet and  swiped the back of her hand across her forehead, pushing her blonde fringe from her eyes.

“We’re probably all lacking fluids, too.  Be sure to get the Doc to check out that leg when we get back,” she said, then saw the smile in his eyes.

“Yes, Mom,” he joked lightly as they approached the dais of the gate.  

Jack was already sitting down on the steps, waiting for his team.   Daniel leaned his weight against the edge of the DHD and lifted his foot slightly off the ground as he pressed the chevrons to dial up home.  Relief flooded through him as he flattened his hand onto the red onyx-like centre, causing the gate to explode into life. 

Sam and Teal'c headed through the gate while Jack waited for Daniel.  He watched, with some concern, as the scientist carefully stepped up towards the shimmering surface.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, looking down at the favored leg.  Daniel nodded.

“It was just a cramp, Jack,” he said.  Jack looked him in the eye for a long moment then reached across and put his arm around Daniel’s waist again.

“Come on,” he said, tugging him close.

Daniel protested.  “I’m fine!”

“Look, humor me here!  I don’t like seeing you hurt! Let’s get you back and have that leg looked at, okay?”

The scientist nodded, quite relieved for the assistance as his leg was hurting and he wasn’t sure how he would cope stepping into the event horizon.  Pressing his glasses back into place after they’d slipped to the end of his nose, Daniel let Jack lead him into the shimmering light.  

.o0o.

“Medic!” Jack called as they exited the rough ride together. Turning towards Daniel, he lifted the kevlar helmet off his team member’s head, dropping it onto the ramp where it clanged loudly as it rolled down the mesh incline.  He reached out and steadied his friend  by his shoulders.  Sam ran up the ramp.

“Still hurting?” she asked.

“A little,” Daniel nodded, teetering on one leg.  She put her arm around his waist and helped Jack get him to the end of the ramp, just in time for the medical team to come running into the gate room.

.o0o.

Sam was standing by the side of Daniel’s bed when Jack entered the infirmary, freshly showered and in clean greens again. 

“How’s the patient?” He smiled at his friend.  Daniel sat at the head of the bed, arms crossed over his chest, looking very unimpressed. He was still in his sticky clothing, unshowered and unimpressed about being kept waiting. 

“I’m fine!  I just have to convince them of that!  If anyone would come and see me, that is!” He sighed dramatically.

Sam filled Jack in about the delay.  “SG-9 have just returned.  Major Kovacek and Captain Timmits were both injured.”

“Stan?” Jack frowned, looking around for his friend.

“He’s okay apparently, just a busted leg.” She shrugged.   Jack gave a slight nod then looked back at the impatient patient.

“And you’re still waiting?”

Daniel’s blue eyes fluttered slightly clearly indicating his annoyance. 

“I just want to shower and change,” he grumbled.  Jack patted his leg, feeling Daniel flinch slightly.  He frowned.

“You okay?”

The anthropologist nodded.  “Yeah.”

Jack checked his watch.  “Well, we have a de-brief in fifteen minutes, Captain,” he nodded towards the door then said to Daniel, “I’ll check to see if you’re still here afterwards.”

“Probably will be,” the annoyed scientist muttered under his breath as he watched Jack go.

“I should get out of here.  I need to shower before the de-brief,” Sam said. He gave her a quick smile.

“Thanks, Sam.  I appreciate your help back there.”

She smiled, her cheeks dimpling.  “That’s what team mates do for each other, Daniel.”

The she patted his good leg lightly and headed out of the room. 

 .o0o.

Daniel ended up waiting another half an hour for the doctor then he shuffled to the locker room to change. Walking was extremely painful and he soon discovered that he couldn’t lower his heel to the floor.  He limped the whole way there and slumped onto the bench as soon as he made it, summoning up the energy to go and shower.  

He was standing at his locker, fresh from his shower and wearing his issued green underwear, when Jack entered the room. 

“Oh, there you are!  What did the Doc say?” he asked, sitting down and undoing his boot laces before tugging them off and tossing them into the locker.  

“Says I’m to rest it for the next few days, and to apply this liniment.”

Jack glanced at the tube in his friends hand as he stood and undid his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders.  Topless, he bundled the shirt up and stuffed it into his laundry bag. 

“You wearing it now?” he asked, sniffing at the air. 

“No,” Daniel said with a slight pout.  “I thought I’d wait and stink up my home instead of here.”

Jack shook his head and reached in for his t-shirt.  “And how are you going to get home with that leg hurting like that?” he asked, matter-of-factly as he slipped the top on over his head. Daniel looked down at his foot hovering off the floor, too painful to apply any pressure to.

“Oh,” he said, looking up at Jack. The colonel smiled. 

“You want me to drop you off home?  I can swing by and get you in the morning.  I’ve been meaning to set up a car pool with you, considering we live so close to each other,” he said, undoing his fatigue pants and slipping them down his legs.  Stepping out of them he shot a glance at the quiet man beside him.

“Daniel?” he waved his hand before his friend’s face.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.  No, you don’t need to take me home Jack, I’ll be fine.”

He hopped over and sat on the bench, carefully lifting his leg up and lying it on the wooden slats.  Jack tugged on some fawn pants, tucking in his t-shirt then he fastened them up.  He watched as Daniel reached forward, wincing slightly with discomfort, then the young man rubbed the white cream onto his leg. 

“Ouch!” he hissed through clenched teeth.  Jack sat at his feet and  looked at the dimples on Daniel’s face as the injured man gritted his teeth together. 

“You sure it’s just a cramp?”

Daniel rolled his eyes as he reached under his calf to the aching muscle.  “Err, something about a torn thingy..”

“Fascia?”

Daniel looked up, his glasses teetering on the tip of his nose as he stared at Jack with a surprised look.  “Uh, yeah, I think that’s it.”

Jack nodded. “Did he mention anything about a haematoma ?” The concerned colonel  laid his hand on the shin gingerly, twisting to look under the leg at the pulled muscle. 

“Um, no,” Daniel shook his head as he watched the colonel with fascination.  Jack nodded then looked up at his friend.  Holding his hand out, he indicated towards the cream.  Daniel handed it over and Jack squirted some into his palm.

“You want to be careful you don’t rub it too hard,” Jack said, concentrating as he lightly rubbed the cream in.  Daniel flinched, even the soft strokes were painful but it was obvious Jack was being as gentle as he could.   The patient hooked his hands under his thigh as he let the colonel apply the liniment.  Closing his eyes, he zoned into the light sensation of Jack’s rough hands passing over his skin, smearing the balm in carefully. He felt the long, soft strokes as the tanned hand glided from just above his ankle to the back of his knee. As he inhaled the stingy aroma of the cream, Daniel felt Jack incorporating his other hand into the light massage, both hands cupping the aching muscle and passing over the clean skin, coating it with the sticky balm.  Opening his eyes, he stared straight into the soft, doe-like eyes of his friend. 

A prickly burning sensation filled Daniel’s stomach as he remained, eyes locked with Jack’s, feeling the backs of the other man’s hands brushing over his sensitive skin.   He inhaled a long deep breath, his chest expanding beneath the pale green t-shirt and filling it out nicely.  Without a word, Jack’s eyes moved down to the chest then back up to the mesmerizing blue eyes.  The ministering hands leisurely skimmed up the front of the leg, over the soft fuzzy hairs and all the way up to Daniel’s knee, sending a bolt of electricity through the younger man which culminated in his groin.   When Jack did it again, and it gained the same result again, Daniel became terrified that his friend would see his arousal.  He started to shift back away from the touch, but Jack kept his hand upon his leg not letting him go. Daniel looked back at him, now flushed with a warm blush,  and watched as Jack’s eyes dipped to the obviously aroused groin then back up at him again.  Clenching his eyes shut, Daniel awaited the response nervously.  Jack’s hands returned to their gentle ministrations and Daniel’s eyes shot open.   As he tilted his head ever so slightly and parted his lips, Daniel watched Jack’s eyes immediately flick down to his mouth.  He was then aware that Jack was watching his every move.  The colonel’s tongue flitted out and swiped his own bottom lip as he lifted his eyes to meet Daniel’s gaze once more.  

The silent spell was shattered as two other officers entered the locker room, talking amongst themselves and unaware of the two men frantically scrambling for some sort of dignity on the far side of the room.  Jack leapt to his feet, swooping a towel from his locker and tossing it at Daniel’s chest.  From there it dropped over the erect groin, effectively covering it from the others in the room.

When one of the officers left the room the other stopped next to Jack at his locker.

“Hello, Colonel.”

“Hey, Peters.  How goes the training?” the calm and collected man smiled as he turned towards the younger officer. 

“It’s good, Sir.   Haven’t dropped my gun once this week!”

Jack nodded his head and patted his shoulder as he smiled at the lieutenant.  Daniel saw the dimples on Jack’s cheeks and felt himself harden once more.

“I see we have a pulled muscle here,” the officer pointed to Daniel, lounging back on his outstretched arms, towel firmly ensconced to cover all evidence.  Jack turned to look at the anthropologist, a wicked smile gleamed in his eyes.

“I’m not sure it’s pulled at the moment, but if he’s not careful, it just might end up that way.”

The younger officer nodded, completely missing the innuendo, but Daniel’s jaw fell noticeably and he tilted his head and stared, unblinkingly, at Jack.  

“Yeah.  I hear they can get pretty nasty,” the lieutenant shot the anthropologist a quick smile before turning back to Jack.  “Well, I need to get going.  I’ve only come in for this.” He held up his baseball hat.  The colonel nodded.

“Well, glad to hear that the training’s going well.  Keep it up.”

“I will, Sir.  Bye, Sir!” He left the room after nodding a quick goodbye towards Daniel.  

The sitting man lifted his hand in a poor attempt of a wave, but he was too stunned by Jack’s earlier comment to think straight.  He moved his head slowly to look back at Jack, his large owlish eyes blinking rapidly behind his lenses, his mouth still gaped open.

“Errr, Jack.”

For the first time, the colonel seemed to blush.  He coyly looked down at his shoes and he dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. Avoiding Daniel’s dazed expression he started to bounce on the balls of his feet. 

“If I was out of line earlier,” he flicked his hand in the air, “with the, um,” he flicked his hand towards Daniel’s leg, “or even with the, uh, muscle crack..” he bounced on his toes once more, then with nervous pain etching his face, he finally settled his eyes upon Daniel.  His eyes lolled shut against the wide eyed stare then opened once more to see that his friend’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Fercryingoutloud, I’m sorry, Danny!” He shrugged, looking away again and burying his hand back into his pant pocket. 

After a few tense moments, Daniel found his voice.  “So, you still interested in taking me home, Jack?”

The colonel spun around and looked at him cautiously. 

“I can?”

Daniel nodded and a sweet smile filled his face.

Jack smiled too.  “Cool!”

- THE END -

Page updated: Sat 8th September, 2001
Page URL: www.geocites.com/jackdanielites/cramps.htm
Page Author: Slida

Thanks!

 ** Special thanks must go to Rowan.  For her help with the cramping and the training.. what would I do without you - my friend and my source of military information!!!