In Its Truest Form
Aug. 22nd, 2011 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stringertheoryTitle: In Its Truest Form
Rating: PG
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, Samantha Carter, Jack O'Neill
Word Count: 3129
Categories: friendship, drama, angst, humor
Spoilers/Warnings: None. Covers the first five or so seasons. Segments are not necessarily in order. Three of the segments have direct connection to one the following episodes: "Cold Lazarus" (1.7), "In the Line of Duty" (2.2), or "Family" (2.8).
Summary: "Love in its truest form has no language or words; it just has a thousand and one actions we all wish we could describe." - Kenneth B. Emery
Jack sat alone in the empty commissary, cold cup of coffee on the table in front of him, carefully neutral expression on his face.
He had contemplated leaving the base, but he couldn't think of anywhere he wanted to go. Truth be told, he was doing his best not to think at all. The only thoughts that he could seem to dredge up involved dark places he wanted to leave behind and memories he preferred to forget. So he sat alone and stared at the chipped tabletop, keeping his mind as empty as he could.
A shadow fell over the table and Jack glanced up to find Teal'c lowering himself into the seat across from his. Teal'c clasped his hands on the table in front of him and sat there, waiting.
Jack studied him for a moment, taking in the gentle expression and the knowing eyes and the infinite patience, and he felt himself begin to relax. He lowered his eyes back to the table, tracing a finger across the scuffs and scratches thousands of meals had left on its surface.
Teal'c sat, still and silent, radiating calm. Jack sighed and, scrubbing a hand over his face, he began to tell Teal'c about the game of baseball.
-00000-
Daniel sometimes buried himself in work quite unintentionally. He would surface from translating a Goa'uld text or dating pottery shards or doing mountains of research, entirely incapable of saying what day it was, much less what time. It was easy to lose track of the hours under the mountain, and he had always been prone to becoming completely absorbed in whatever he was studying. If anything, that tendency had increased when he started work at the SGC.
He blinked his way out of a round of heavy Greek-Egyptian cross-pollination background research one day, completely disoriented. He rubbed at dry eyes and stretched to ease the stiffness in his back, glancing blearily around the lab.
There was a cup of coffee—hot, by the steam rising from it—on his table. He eyed it warily, suspicious of its unknown origins and the fact that he couldn't recall seeing, hearing, or otherwise sensing anyone enter or exit the room. The smell and the promise of caffeine overwhelmed him, though, and he plucked up the mug and took a sip.
Five minutes later he was back at work, coffee at his elbow.
-00000-
The research and development department kept claiming his second-in-command, and Jack wasn't happy about it. He didn't doubt that Carter was up to whatever paces they were putting her through, but he had less faith in her capability to grind things to a halt if she needed a break. She took orders well; she didn't give them as easily.
He timed his entrance carefully, allowing ample opportunity for tests to be run and data to be collected. Then he put on his best “I'm a colonel, don't question me” expression and burst into the lab where they had Carter sequestered. She was tucked behind a lab table that was covered in all kinds of unidentifiable objects. She looked up at him with a haunted, determined, weary expression on her face, and he quickly cited official business and hauled her away.
She would be back at it a day later, or a week later, or a month later, and Jack would always show up a few days into it to pull her out.
And he did it over and over again until he finally believed her when she said she was alright.
-00000-
Their simple recon expedition had managed to go FUBAR without any outside help. The planet was uninhabited, unspoiled, and completely treacherous.
They had been on the hunt for the mysterious energy reading all their equipment picked up—and what had prompted the mission—and were two days' walk from the gate when things went pear-shaped. A seemingly solid patch of ground had given way beneath them, dropping Jack, Sam, and Daniel into a hidden chasm. Thankfully (and painfully) a ledge just a few meters down caught them and Teal'c was able to haul them back up.
Daniel had a busted lip and a broken arm, Sam had two broken toes and a badly bruised ribcage, Jack had a concussion and a gash along his left shin, but at least they were all alive. From what they could see in the fading light, the chasm appeared bottomless. The ledge they had landed on was the only exception to otherwise sheer walls.
Patching themselves up quickly, they tried to make as much headway as they could back toward the gate before night set in. As they were the walking wounded, they didn't get very far. Teal'c set up camp for them, helped by Sam and Jack as they were able. He took his kel'no'reem while they ate dinner, having already informed Jack that he would handle all of the watches for the night. Jack, knowing the importance of sleep when injured, hadn't argued. While Teal'c meditated, the rest of the team took stock of their resources.
Sam had lost her pack entirely during the fall, and most of their medical supplies with it. Though Daniel still had his pack, it had popped open when Jack landed on it, and many of the supplies he carried had been lost as well. Most of the remaining materials had been used for their first aid jobs, including almost all of their pain meds. There had only been a handful of doses to begin with and now, still a day and a half's hobble from the gate, they were down to only one.
Huddled together near the fire, they argued over who should take the last dose.
Daniel claimed that Sam should have it, as he knew from experience just how painful bruised ribs could be. Besides, they had a long walk ahead of them, and breathing through that would be difficult for her without something to ease the pain. Sam countered that Daniel should have it for his arm, as that was the most serious of all their injuries. Jack backed her up, despite Daniel's protest that Sam had broken toes, so they couldn't use the broken bone argument against him. When they didn't budge, Daniel switched tactics, trying to fob the medication off on Jack who, he argued, needed to be at his best to lead them. Jack just gave him a look. It took them until Teal'c returned to the fire to convince Daniel to take the pills, and even then Jack had to all but order him into it.
Daniel barely made it onto his bedroll before he was asleep, the makeshift splint Sam had crafted just visible above his blanket. Jack and Sam winced and groaned as they lowered themselves to the ground, but they shared a glance over Daniel as he lay between them, his breathing steady and deep, his expression relaxed for the first time in hours.
-00000-
Sam started finding chocolate in her pack during that time of the month.
She wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed, angry, or grateful. No one ever mentioned the mystery confections, though, so she decided it was meant to be a kind gesture and didn't bring it up either. But every time they went off world during her time, she would find a chocolate bar in a side pocket, or some fudge in her pack, or a couple of truffles in her vest.
She settled on being grateful.
-00000-
A memento of his family was something Teal'c never expected to have.
His sudden departure from Chulak on the heels of the Tau'ri had not allowed time for the collection of personal items to bring with him on his new journey. When his wife and son had been cast out for belonging to the shol'va, they had lost all their personal possessions, so there had been nothing, no small token he could have taken from them to remember them by. But Jaffa remember most clearly those whom they hold dearest, and Teal'c contented himself with memories of the family he fought for every day.
When he returned to his quarters one night and spotted the picture frame on his dresser, he almost thought he had entered the wrong room. But the small collection of candles on the nearby table proved otherwise, and he approached the dresser with curiosity, carefully picking up the frame.
Inside was a picture of his wife and son. They were smiling at the camera as if the person who had taken the picture had just said something humorous. Drey'auc's face was lit up in a way Teal'c had not seen in many years. She looked younger, stronger, happier—the woman he remembered marrying, and not the wife plagued by the hardship her husband had brought down upon her. And Ry'ac's grin was infectious; Teal'c could feel his own mouth curving in response to the sheer joy that shone in his son's eyes.
He touched their faces gently, heart filled with pride and concern and love. Then he glanced around for any sign of who had given him such a wondrous gift. There was no note on the dresser, and nothing on the back of the frame to tell him to whom he owed thanks. The frame itself offered little in the way of clues—it was simply made, similar in style to others Teal'c had seen around the base, and had no significant markings of any kind. It was an anonymous gift, then.
Teal'c carried the picture across the room and placed it on his bedside table. Then he began to set out candles for his nightly kel'no'reem session, his heart light.
-00000-
Jack gingerly crawled into the tent, every bruised muscle in his back protesting vehemently at the motion.
Once inside, he leaned back on his heels. Sam was asleep on one side of the tent, pack pillowed under her head, nothing but tent floor beneath her. Jack frowned and glanced around for her bedroll. He realized that it was piled on top of his own, neatly laid out for him on the other side of the tent by Daniel. Daniel's own bedroll was there as well, creating what would most likely be a much more comfortable sleep than Jack had been expecting.
He contemplated waking Carter and making her take her roll back, but he knew he would have to make it an order for it to stick. Besides, she had the next watch, so he let her sleep.
With a sigh, he gently lowered himself onto the veritable pillow mattress his team had given him.
-00000-
It was the first all-male civilization they had encountered. The leader, Hatako, seemed very open to trade and relations. He showed particular interest in Sam—far too much interest. And he wasn't the only one. The openly hungry way he stared at her made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to stare back blandly.
Soon, she found herself staring at a broad back clad in a black shirt. She blinked in confusion and tilted her gaze upwards until she saw the back of Teal'c's head. He had stepped in front of her, effectively cutting off Hatako's view. Sam sensed Daniel and the colonel step closer to her on either side, essentially surrounding her with a wall of male protection.
Their concern was sweet, and it warmed her to see them step into the line of fire, as it were. In fact, she was pleased enough about it that she never brought up the fact that she had to pull Colonel O'Neill from the mob at least once, or that she was the one who hauled Daniel through the Gate during their escape.
Instead, she just smiled innocently during the debriefing and told General Hammond that the boys had saved her.
-00000-
Corporal Habersham appeared to be in no hurry as he chatted with his companion in the commissary line in front of Teal'c. Teal'c did not mind overly much until they reached the desserts.
While the corporal joked with Lieutenant Simmons about their last visit to the firing range, other diners reached between them to pluck pudding, pie, and gelatin from the shelves. Teal'c, too polite to do the same, waited. By the time the corporal gave a final laugh and turned to make his own selection, only one blue Jell-o remained. Habersham reached for it, but stopped short as Teal'c leaned forward slightly, edging into the man's personal space. Habersham looked around as if he wanted to say something, but his mouth clamped shut when he realized that Teal'c was the person menacing him.
Without looking away from Teal'c's stern face, he grabbed a pudding at random and stalked away with as much dignity as he could manage during a full retreat. Grinning inwardly, Teal'c casually placed the gelatin and a slice of pie on his tray and walked to an empty table.
A few minutes later, Major Carter bustled in. She threw Teal'c a wave as she slipped into the line. When she reached the desserts, Teal'c saw her scan offerings with a curled lip. Bypassing the options altogether, she grabbed a cup of coffee and made her way to Teal'c, a dissatisfied expression on her face. She frowned at the Jell-o on his tray as she sat down.
Once she was settled, Teal'c reached over and placed the Jell-o by her plate. She looked at it in surprise, then glanced up at him, a grin spreading across her face. Teal'c was pleased to see the tension around her eyes lessen, and he nodded his head to her in turn.
-00000-
With Bra'tac's help, Daniel managed to procure a traditional Jaffa tea set, tea leaves, and instructions on how to prepare the latter. He practiced once with the limited supply, to make sure that he understood the directions and wouldn't serve unpalatable tea. He memorized his part and cleaned off his lab work station and made arrangements with Sam to keep Jack occupied.
Then he invited Teal'c to the ceremony of tek shal mek, the honor given by one whose life has been saved to the one who saved him.
-00000-
Jack woke to the familiar sensation of pain numbed by prescription-grade painkillers. He said a silent prayer of thanks for everyone involved in getting the medication to him, from the scientists who had created it to the infirmary staff that administered it. Medicated as he was, his head still throbbed slightly, and he lay there with his eyes closed for a minute or two before he risked opening them. He was greeted by the sight of the infirmary ceiling.
The infirmary was dimly lit, a sure sign that it was late at night. He tried to calculate a rough estimate on how long he had been out, but his memories of the mission were a little fuzzy there at the end, and everything after that was a blank. He might have been unconscious for a few hours or a couple of days.
As he surveyed the ceiling tiles dully, a bit of brightness at the edge of his vision caught his attention. He tried to figure out what it was without moving, but it was too far outside his visual range to see clearly. Once he was fairly certain that it wasn't a light that would send him into spasms of agony once he looked around, he carefully rolled his head to the side.
Carter was there, her hair glowing in the low light. She was fast asleep, curled up in one of the hard infirmary chair in such an unnatural position that it made Jack hurt just to look at her. Someone, probably one of the nurses, had tucked a blanket around her. She had dark circles under her eyes and even in sleep she carried the faint line of a frown between her eyebrows.
Jack sighed and closed his eyes.
-00000-
Teal'c requisitioned candles at first, asking General Hammond directly for a few to use in his quarters. The general ordered the requested allotment, and assured Teal'c that he would continue to provide candles for as long as they were needed.
The first batch were delivered to him by a young airman who blanched when Teal'c opened the door. He handed off the box with a shaky salute and all but ran away, casting nervous glances over his shoulder until he was out of sight. Teal'c took the box into his quarters and pulled out the small load it contained. The candles he received were much like the quarters they would decorate: unadorned and functional. They fulfilled their purpose.
A few orders later, there was a candle in the batch that did not match the rest. It was a long taper, deep red, and it stood out against the short, stubby, white candles in the box like a line of blood. The next batch had two or three candles of varying shapes, sizes, and colors included. Other candles continued to find their way into his shipments: round, square, slim tapers, squat cylinders, small cones. Some were such ornately woven creations that he was loathe to use them, and he stored them away for a special occasion.
Soon, candles just began appearing in his quarters: a new one on his dresser, a basketful on his table. Some were scented, and he enjoyed the warm, spicy notes—both familiar and foreign—that filled his room when he burned them. Before long, he had quite a collection. Candles filled every available surface, and many more filled drawers and shelves.
Teal'c informed the general that he no longer needed the requisitioned candles.
-00000-
In the chaos of the infirmary, they were an island of stillness.
Teal'c stood at the foot of the cot. Sam sat cross-legged on the end of the bed just to his right. Jack was propped against the headboard, with Daniel between them. They sported a variety of impromptu wraps, braces, and hasty bandage jobs. Teal'c's jacket and shirt were torn at the shoulder, the arm beneath showing signs of a staff blast wound. The square of gauze on Sam's forehead had a growing patch of blood on it under the grime. A trail of gauze dangled from Daniel's left hand, where the wrap Sam had put on it was coming undone. Jack held a large rag over his arm, careful not to put too much pressure against his ribs.
They shared glances as the infirmary staff bustled around them. Teal'c put a hand on Sam's shoulder. She took Daniel's right hand in hers, and Jack put his uninjured hand on the back of Daniel's neck.
They didn't say anything. They didn't need to.
Rating: PG
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, Samantha Carter, Jack O'Neill
Word Count: 3129
Categories: friendship, drama, angst, humor
Spoilers/Warnings: None. Covers the first five or so seasons. Segments are not necessarily in order. Three of the segments have direct connection to one the following episodes: "Cold Lazarus" (1.7), "In the Line of Duty" (2.2), or "Family" (2.8).
Summary: "Love in its truest form has no language or words; it just has a thousand and one actions we all wish we could describe." - Kenneth B. Emery
Jack sat alone in the empty commissary, cold cup of coffee on the table in front of him, carefully neutral expression on his face.
He had contemplated leaving the base, but he couldn't think of anywhere he wanted to go. Truth be told, he was doing his best not to think at all. The only thoughts that he could seem to dredge up involved dark places he wanted to leave behind and memories he preferred to forget. So he sat alone and stared at the chipped tabletop, keeping his mind as empty as he could.
A shadow fell over the table and Jack glanced up to find Teal'c lowering himself into the seat across from his. Teal'c clasped his hands on the table in front of him and sat there, waiting.
Jack studied him for a moment, taking in the gentle expression and the knowing eyes and the infinite patience, and he felt himself begin to relax. He lowered his eyes back to the table, tracing a finger across the scuffs and scratches thousands of meals had left on its surface.
Teal'c sat, still and silent, radiating calm. Jack sighed and, scrubbing a hand over his face, he began to tell Teal'c about the game of baseball.
-00000-
Daniel sometimes buried himself in work quite unintentionally. He would surface from translating a Goa'uld text or dating pottery shards or doing mountains of research, entirely incapable of saying what day it was, much less what time. It was easy to lose track of the hours under the mountain, and he had always been prone to becoming completely absorbed in whatever he was studying. If anything, that tendency had increased when he started work at the SGC.
He blinked his way out of a round of heavy Greek-Egyptian cross-pollination background research one day, completely disoriented. He rubbed at dry eyes and stretched to ease the stiffness in his back, glancing blearily around the lab.
There was a cup of coffee—hot, by the steam rising from it—on his table. He eyed it warily, suspicious of its unknown origins and the fact that he couldn't recall seeing, hearing, or otherwise sensing anyone enter or exit the room. The smell and the promise of caffeine overwhelmed him, though, and he plucked up the mug and took a sip.
Five minutes later he was back at work, coffee at his elbow.
-00000-
The research and development department kept claiming his second-in-command, and Jack wasn't happy about it. He didn't doubt that Carter was up to whatever paces they were putting her through, but he had less faith in her capability to grind things to a halt if she needed a break. She took orders well; she didn't give them as easily.
He timed his entrance carefully, allowing ample opportunity for tests to be run and data to be collected. Then he put on his best “I'm a colonel, don't question me” expression and burst into the lab where they had Carter sequestered. She was tucked behind a lab table that was covered in all kinds of unidentifiable objects. She looked up at him with a haunted, determined, weary expression on her face, and he quickly cited official business and hauled her away.
She would be back at it a day later, or a week later, or a month later, and Jack would always show up a few days into it to pull her out.
And he did it over and over again until he finally believed her when she said she was alright.
-00000-
Their simple recon expedition had managed to go FUBAR without any outside help. The planet was uninhabited, unspoiled, and completely treacherous.
They had been on the hunt for the mysterious energy reading all their equipment picked up—and what had prompted the mission—and were two days' walk from the gate when things went pear-shaped. A seemingly solid patch of ground had given way beneath them, dropping Jack, Sam, and Daniel into a hidden chasm. Thankfully (and painfully) a ledge just a few meters down caught them and Teal'c was able to haul them back up.
Daniel had a busted lip and a broken arm, Sam had two broken toes and a badly bruised ribcage, Jack had a concussion and a gash along his left shin, but at least they were all alive. From what they could see in the fading light, the chasm appeared bottomless. The ledge they had landed on was the only exception to otherwise sheer walls.
Patching themselves up quickly, they tried to make as much headway as they could back toward the gate before night set in. As they were the walking wounded, they didn't get very far. Teal'c set up camp for them, helped by Sam and Jack as they were able. He took his kel'no'reem while they ate dinner, having already informed Jack that he would handle all of the watches for the night. Jack, knowing the importance of sleep when injured, hadn't argued. While Teal'c meditated, the rest of the team took stock of their resources.
Sam had lost her pack entirely during the fall, and most of their medical supplies with it. Though Daniel still had his pack, it had popped open when Jack landed on it, and many of the supplies he carried had been lost as well. Most of the remaining materials had been used for their first aid jobs, including almost all of their pain meds. There had only been a handful of doses to begin with and now, still a day and a half's hobble from the gate, they were down to only one.
Huddled together near the fire, they argued over who should take the last dose.
Daniel claimed that Sam should have it, as he knew from experience just how painful bruised ribs could be. Besides, they had a long walk ahead of them, and breathing through that would be difficult for her without something to ease the pain. Sam countered that Daniel should have it for his arm, as that was the most serious of all their injuries. Jack backed her up, despite Daniel's protest that Sam had broken toes, so they couldn't use the broken bone argument against him. When they didn't budge, Daniel switched tactics, trying to fob the medication off on Jack who, he argued, needed to be at his best to lead them. Jack just gave him a look. It took them until Teal'c returned to the fire to convince Daniel to take the pills, and even then Jack had to all but order him into it.
Daniel barely made it onto his bedroll before he was asleep, the makeshift splint Sam had crafted just visible above his blanket. Jack and Sam winced and groaned as they lowered themselves to the ground, but they shared a glance over Daniel as he lay between them, his breathing steady and deep, his expression relaxed for the first time in hours.
-00000-
Sam started finding chocolate in her pack during that time of the month.
She wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed, angry, or grateful. No one ever mentioned the mystery confections, though, so she decided it was meant to be a kind gesture and didn't bring it up either. But every time they went off world during her time, she would find a chocolate bar in a side pocket, or some fudge in her pack, or a couple of truffles in her vest.
She settled on being grateful.
-00000-
A memento of his family was something Teal'c never expected to have.
His sudden departure from Chulak on the heels of the Tau'ri had not allowed time for the collection of personal items to bring with him on his new journey. When his wife and son had been cast out for belonging to the shol'va, they had lost all their personal possessions, so there had been nothing, no small token he could have taken from them to remember them by. But Jaffa remember most clearly those whom they hold dearest, and Teal'c contented himself with memories of the family he fought for every day.
When he returned to his quarters one night and spotted the picture frame on his dresser, he almost thought he had entered the wrong room. But the small collection of candles on the nearby table proved otherwise, and he approached the dresser with curiosity, carefully picking up the frame.
Inside was a picture of his wife and son. They were smiling at the camera as if the person who had taken the picture had just said something humorous. Drey'auc's face was lit up in a way Teal'c had not seen in many years. She looked younger, stronger, happier—the woman he remembered marrying, and not the wife plagued by the hardship her husband had brought down upon her. And Ry'ac's grin was infectious; Teal'c could feel his own mouth curving in response to the sheer joy that shone in his son's eyes.
He touched their faces gently, heart filled with pride and concern and love. Then he glanced around for any sign of who had given him such a wondrous gift. There was no note on the dresser, and nothing on the back of the frame to tell him to whom he owed thanks. The frame itself offered little in the way of clues—it was simply made, similar in style to others Teal'c had seen around the base, and had no significant markings of any kind. It was an anonymous gift, then.
Teal'c carried the picture across the room and placed it on his bedside table. Then he began to set out candles for his nightly kel'no'reem session, his heart light.
-00000-
Jack gingerly crawled into the tent, every bruised muscle in his back protesting vehemently at the motion.
Once inside, he leaned back on his heels. Sam was asleep on one side of the tent, pack pillowed under her head, nothing but tent floor beneath her. Jack frowned and glanced around for her bedroll. He realized that it was piled on top of his own, neatly laid out for him on the other side of the tent by Daniel. Daniel's own bedroll was there as well, creating what would most likely be a much more comfortable sleep than Jack had been expecting.
He contemplated waking Carter and making her take her roll back, but he knew he would have to make it an order for it to stick. Besides, she had the next watch, so he let her sleep.
With a sigh, he gently lowered himself onto the veritable pillow mattress his team had given him.
-00000-
It was the first all-male civilization they had encountered. The leader, Hatako, seemed very open to trade and relations. He showed particular interest in Sam—far too much interest. And he wasn't the only one. The openly hungry way he stared at her made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to stare back blandly.
Soon, she found herself staring at a broad back clad in a black shirt. She blinked in confusion and tilted her gaze upwards until she saw the back of Teal'c's head. He had stepped in front of her, effectively cutting off Hatako's view. Sam sensed Daniel and the colonel step closer to her on either side, essentially surrounding her with a wall of male protection.
Their concern was sweet, and it warmed her to see them step into the line of fire, as it were. In fact, she was pleased enough about it that she never brought up the fact that she had to pull Colonel O'Neill from the mob at least once, or that she was the one who hauled Daniel through the Gate during their escape.
Instead, she just smiled innocently during the debriefing and told General Hammond that the boys had saved her.
-00000-
Corporal Habersham appeared to be in no hurry as he chatted with his companion in the commissary line in front of Teal'c. Teal'c did not mind overly much until they reached the desserts.
While the corporal joked with Lieutenant Simmons about their last visit to the firing range, other diners reached between them to pluck pudding, pie, and gelatin from the shelves. Teal'c, too polite to do the same, waited. By the time the corporal gave a final laugh and turned to make his own selection, only one blue Jell-o remained. Habersham reached for it, but stopped short as Teal'c leaned forward slightly, edging into the man's personal space. Habersham looked around as if he wanted to say something, but his mouth clamped shut when he realized that Teal'c was the person menacing him.
Without looking away from Teal'c's stern face, he grabbed a pudding at random and stalked away with as much dignity as he could manage during a full retreat. Grinning inwardly, Teal'c casually placed the gelatin and a slice of pie on his tray and walked to an empty table.
A few minutes later, Major Carter bustled in. She threw Teal'c a wave as she slipped into the line. When she reached the desserts, Teal'c saw her scan offerings with a curled lip. Bypassing the options altogether, she grabbed a cup of coffee and made her way to Teal'c, a dissatisfied expression on her face. She frowned at the Jell-o on his tray as she sat down.
Once she was settled, Teal'c reached over and placed the Jell-o by her plate. She looked at it in surprise, then glanced up at him, a grin spreading across her face. Teal'c was pleased to see the tension around her eyes lessen, and he nodded his head to her in turn.
-00000-
With Bra'tac's help, Daniel managed to procure a traditional Jaffa tea set, tea leaves, and instructions on how to prepare the latter. He practiced once with the limited supply, to make sure that he understood the directions and wouldn't serve unpalatable tea. He memorized his part and cleaned off his lab work station and made arrangements with Sam to keep Jack occupied.
Then he invited Teal'c to the ceremony of tek shal mek, the honor given by one whose life has been saved to the one who saved him.
-00000-
Jack woke to the familiar sensation of pain numbed by prescription-grade painkillers. He said a silent prayer of thanks for everyone involved in getting the medication to him, from the scientists who had created it to the infirmary staff that administered it. Medicated as he was, his head still throbbed slightly, and he lay there with his eyes closed for a minute or two before he risked opening them. He was greeted by the sight of the infirmary ceiling.
The infirmary was dimly lit, a sure sign that it was late at night. He tried to calculate a rough estimate on how long he had been out, but his memories of the mission were a little fuzzy there at the end, and everything after that was a blank. He might have been unconscious for a few hours or a couple of days.
As he surveyed the ceiling tiles dully, a bit of brightness at the edge of his vision caught his attention. He tried to figure out what it was without moving, but it was too far outside his visual range to see clearly. Once he was fairly certain that it wasn't a light that would send him into spasms of agony once he looked around, he carefully rolled his head to the side.
Carter was there, her hair glowing in the low light. She was fast asleep, curled up in one of the hard infirmary chair in such an unnatural position that it made Jack hurt just to look at her. Someone, probably one of the nurses, had tucked a blanket around her. She had dark circles under her eyes and even in sleep she carried the faint line of a frown between her eyebrows.
Jack sighed and closed his eyes.
-00000-
Teal'c requisitioned candles at first, asking General Hammond directly for a few to use in his quarters. The general ordered the requested allotment, and assured Teal'c that he would continue to provide candles for as long as they were needed.
The first batch were delivered to him by a young airman who blanched when Teal'c opened the door. He handed off the box with a shaky salute and all but ran away, casting nervous glances over his shoulder until he was out of sight. Teal'c took the box into his quarters and pulled out the small load it contained. The candles he received were much like the quarters they would decorate: unadorned and functional. They fulfilled their purpose.
A few orders later, there was a candle in the batch that did not match the rest. It was a long taper, deep red, and it stood out against the short, stubby, white candles in the box like a line of blood. The next batch had two or three candles of varying shapes, sizes, and colors included. Other candles continued to find their way into his shipments: round, square, slim tapers, squat cylinders, small cones. Some were such ornately woven creations that he was loathe to use them, and he stored them away for a special occasion.
Soon, candles just began appearing in his quarters: a new one on his dresser, a basketful on his table. Some were scented, and he enjoyed the warm, spicy notes—both familiar and foreign—that filled his room when he burned them. Before long, he had quite a collection. Candles filled every available surface, and many more filled drawers and shelves.
Teal'c informed the general that he no longer needed the requisitioned candles.
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In the chaos of the infirmary, they were an island of stillness.
Teal'c stood at the foot of the cot. Sam sat cross-legged on the end of the bed just to his right. Jack was propped against the headboard, with Daniel between them. They sported a variety of impromptu wraps, braces, and hasty bandage jobs. Teal'c's jacket and shirt were torn at the shoulder, the arm beneath showing signs of a staff blast wound. The square of gauze on Sam's forehead had a growing patch of blood on it under the grime. A trail of gauze dangled from Daniel's left hand, where the wrap Sam had put on it was coming undone. Jack held a large rag over his arm, careful not to put too much pressure against his ribs.
They shared glances as the infirmary staff bustled around them. Teal'c put a hand on Sam's shoulder. She took Daniel's right hand in hers, and Jack put his uninjured hand on the back of Daniel's neck.
They didn't say anything. They didn't need to.