Fanfiction: Seeing Clearly

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S3 New Ground
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Jack/Daniel friendship.  Sam/Jack UST. 
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  Written for entertainment purposes only.

 

Seeing Clearly

Teal’c opened his eyes languidly and stared up at the welcome sight of the grey ceiling of the SGC infirmary. He spent a lot of time in the medical wards; pre-mission checks, post-mission checks, looking after his injured team-mates…but he was rarely admitted himself. The times that it had happened were usually dramatic; turning into a bug, getting infested with a Goa’uld killing machine. Simply getting shot didn’t usually involve him being committed to an infirmary bed. Of course, there was nothing simple about the way he had gotten injured on Bedrosia. Point blank shots from his weapon and his enemy had conspired to injure both him and his symbiote.

He could feel the Goa’uld larva moving within its pouch in his belly; the symbiote had healed during the long meditation he had performed after Doctor Fraiser’s treatment and it had in turn healed him. He blinked. His eyesight was back as sharp and accurate as ever. He breathed an inner sigh of relief, refusing to admit that he had been concerned that there would be permanent damage given the delay to his healing. The memory of his time in the cave, alone and blind – helpless – flickered through his mind. He wasn’t used to that feeling and it wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed. As much as he hated to admit it, he was certain he would have struggled to rescue his friends without the assistance of Nyan. He glanced across the ward to where his new friend was sleeping.

‘Doctor Fraiser said he would be out for a while.’ Daniel Jackson said softly.

Teal’c turned his head unsurprised to find the archaeologist sitting in a chair beside him. There was an open book on Daniel’s lap and the human male marked the page with an envelope before he shut it carefully.

‘How are you feeling?’ Daniel asked.

‘I am fine.’ Teal’c replied, inclining his head. ‘My eyesight is once again restored.’

‘That’s good.’ Daniel made a small gesture at the bridge of Teal’c’s nose. ‘Uh, the scarring has gone too.’

Teal’c resisted the urge to check by touching and folded his hands over his stomach to keep them still. ‘Where are Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter?’

‘I took over from Sam; she had to check the dialling computer.’ Daniel frowned. ‘I don’t know where Jack is.’

Teal’c’s eyes darkened with concern. He was aware that the relationship between the Colonel and the archaeologist was strained. A week before, Jack had been involved in an undercover operation that had required him to push the other members of SG1 away ostensibly to complete his mission without tipping off the rogues he had been ordered to bring down. Teal’c knew that the Colonel had also done it in part to protect the team; to keep them out of the firing line.

But Daniel had been the one most hurt by Jack’s actions and behaviour, and despite his attempts to understand and accept why the military man had done what he had, the archaeologist was struggling to put the incident behind him. The two men were both making an effort; both were polite with each other, civil, but there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before and Teal’c was worried the hairline crack in the friendship between the two men would widen before they had a chance to repair it.

‘Well, I should, uh, probably…’ Daniel murmured, gesturing behind his shoulder at the door as Teal’c remained silent. He made to stand up and the Jaffa’s gaze jerked toward him.

‘Something is troubling you, Daniel Jackson.’ Teal’c said softly.

Daniel sighed heavily and sat back down. ‘Yeah.’

Teal’c waited patiently for the young human to continue.

‘I, well, I was thinking about what happened on the planet.’ Daniel confessed, his hands tightening around the book he held as he shot a look at their sleeping companion.

‘I do not believe it wise to dwell upon the matter.’ Teal’c said bluntly.

Daniel blinked at him. ‘You’re probably right,’ he admitted, nudging his glasses up his nose.

There was a moment’s silence.

‘It’s just,’ Daniel began, ‘I can’t help going over everything. I just can’t seem to get the way that guy tortured us…me, out of my head.’

Teal’c looked at him concerned. He had overheard Doctor Fraiser quizzing his team-mates on their injuries when they had returned and regretted he had not been able to rescue them before they had suffered.

‘When the Bedrosian commander found the soldier you killed,’ Daniel continued, ‘he, uh, made me look at the corpse; tried to force me into telling him about you.’

‘Yet you did not give me away.’ Teal’c said confidently.

Daniel nodded slowly. ‘I kept telling him that I had no idea how the man died; that we weren’t spies. That there was nobody but the three of us but he wouldn’t believe it.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘When I wouldn’t tell him what he wanted, he brought Jack and Sam back into the interrogation tent.’

Teal’c regarded him with an even gaze.

‘He, uh, he zatted Sam,’ Daniel murmured, ‘and when I wouldn’t tell him, he zatted Jack.’

‘Yet, you did not tell him.’ Teal’c realised.

‘No.’ Daniel met his eyes almost defiantly. ‘I didn’t.’ He looked away. ‘But I wanted to.’ His fingers ran over the cover of his book and came to a halt over the title. ‘When he shot Sam, I…I felt sick.’ He stared at the floor. ‘I knew he was going to do the same with Jack, and he did. I thought I was ready for it but…Jack fell against the cage he was in and kept getting shocked by the force field.’ He took a breath. ‘I thought he was going to die.’

‘And you had a decision to make.’ Teal’c said quietly.

‘I begged the commander to turn it off.’ Daniel replied, his blue eyes remaining affixed to the ground. ‘I told him he was killing Jack but I didn’t tell him about you.’

Teal’c was silent.

‘I could have killed Jack.’ Daniel admitted, his cheeks flushed with guilt.

‘You would not have been responsible, Daniel Jackson.’ Teal’c said solemnly.

‘I was killing Jack.’ Daniel corrected. ‘All I had to do was admit there were four of us.’ He shook his head. ‘It wasn’t like the guy didn’t already know.’

Teal’c shifted in the bed, capturing the archaeologist’s attention. ‘Why did you not tell him?’

‘Apart from the fact that Jack would have killed me?’ Daniel tried to joke but his face couldn’t quite keep the smile he attempted and his gaze quickly fell again. ‘I couldn’t, Teal’c. If you had been captured…you’re the proof of everything they deny. You would have been killed for certain.’

‘So in protecting me, your action led to Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter being…physically hurt.’ Teal’c surmised.

‘Yeah.’ Daniel’s blue eyes met Teal’c’s cautiously. ‘I can’t but help thinking about that,’ he took a breath, ‘and about what Jack did during the undercover op he ran.’

Teal’c could understand why Daniel’s predicament had reminded him of what had happened with the undercover mission the Colonel had performed.

Daniel wrapped his arms around his torso. ‘I guess there’s not a great deal of difference between what Jack did to me and what I just did to Jack.’

Teal’c raised an eyebrow.

‘I didn’t want Jack to get hurt,’ Daniel sighed, ‘and I guess I understand that he didn’t want me to get hurt either.’ He admitted grudgingly. He gave a short laugh. ‘You know Sam told me that because we’re close to each other we sometimes would have difficult decisions to make and intellectually, I understood that, I mean, I’m not stupid. But, on the planet,’ he tapped his book, ‘that’s the first time, I guess, I’ve ever really had to make that kind of decision myself.’

Daniel shook his head a little. ‘It’s like the universe is trying to teach me a lesson somehow and make me forgive Jack for what he did.’ He shifted restlessly. ‘But I can’t help how I feel.’ He gestured with his book.

‘You still feel hurt by Colonel O’Neill’s actions.’ Teal’c said softly.

‘Why can’t I get past this?’ Daniel blurted out. ‘I mean, you and Sam seem OK with it.’

‘That is a question only you can answer.’ Teal’c pointed out. ‘Only you can fully know what it is about what happened that you cannot forgive.’

Daniel leaned forward. ‘But that’s just it, Teal’c, I don’t know.’ He said tiredly. ‘I’ve thought about nothing else especially after…what I did on the planet. I mean, I apologised to Jack for him getting zatted and he patted me on the shoulder and told me to forget about it. Like the fact that I almost got him killed was nothing.’

Teal’c examined his friend’s distraught expression. ‘He understood why you could not reveal my presence.’

‘I know and I understand why he did what he did, I mean, God!’ Daniel got up and started pacing. ‘He was protecting the whole planet!’ He whirled to a halt as Nyan stirred.

They were frozen for a moment before Nyan resettled.

Daniel sat back down.

Teal’c cleared his throat. ‘You have forgiven me for greater transgressions.’ He pointed out. ‘It simply took time.’

‘Maybe.’ Daniel allowed, picking up his book again agitatedly. ‘But what happened with you was different.’

‘Why?’ Teal’c asked, sincerely interested in the answer; he had never understood Daniel’s capacity to forgive him for the crimes he had committed against the younger man.

‘Well,’ Daniel set his book aside and looked at the Jaffa, ‘I mean, to begin with when you kidnapped Sha’re and took part in what happened to her with Ammonet,’ his blue eyes filled with pain, ‘we didn’t know each other. We hadn’t even met.’

Teal’c’s full lips pursed together thoughtfully. ‘I see.’

‘And,’ Daniel continued passionately, ‘you had no choice about what you did; Apophis was giving the orders.’

‘I was not the First Prime of Apophis when I fired upon Sha’re.’ Teal’c pointed out.

‘No,’ Daniel admitted, ‘but you did that to protect me. If you hadn’t…’ he struggled to say the words, ‘Ammonet would have killed me. You couldn’t…you had to do it.’ His blue eyes shone with pain. ‘I know that.’

‘Do you not believe Colonel O’Neill’s actions were also meant to protect?’ Teal’c suggested softly.

‘The mission, maybe.’ Daniel said with a pained smile. He waved his hands. ‘Earth. I know that.’

‘But you do not believe his actions were meant to protect you personally?’ Teal’c realised.

Daniel’s eyes widened. ‘You do.’ It was a statement; a discovery.

‘O’Neill wished to protect you and Major Carter.’ Teal’c confirmed. He hoped the knowledge would help bridge the gap between the two men.

‘And you know that because?’ Daniel probed.

Teal’c held Daniel’s inquisitive gaze. ‘Because O’Neill requested that I watch over you and Major Carter when I escorted him off the base following his meeting with General Hammond.’

‘He…he said something to you?’ Daniel asked again.

‘Only to watch over you and Major Carter. Nothing more.’ Teal’c said firmly. ‘I think he believed if he was more explicit he would have revealed the operation and perhaps been in contravention of his agreement with the Asgard.’

‘But he trusted you.’ Daniel said deliberately.

Teal’c’s eyes narrowed on Daniel. ‘You believe O’Neill failed to trust you.’

Daniel nodded slowly. ‘Well, didn’t he? I mean, he managed to tip you off but he couldn’t find a way to do that with me or with Sam?’

‘He did not…tip me off.’ Teal’c noted. ‘He simply requested I watch over you. He did not confide in me anymore than he confided in you.’ He looked at Daniel carefully. ‘It bothers you that he did not.’

‘Yeah.’ Daniel nodded. ‘We’re his team, Teal’c. We should have been trusted with it.’

‘It was not his choice.’ Teal’c pointed out.

‘I know that.’ Daniel said. ‘And I know he was worried about the Asgard and everything but…’ he sighed heavily, ‘I can’t help wondering why he didn’t tell us.’

‘You are questioning whether Colonel O’Neill trusts you.’ Teal’c realised.

Daniel sighed. ‘The Bedrosian commander picked me.’

‘I fail to see the connection.’ Teal’c said carefully.

‘He believed I would give you up.’ Daniel said. ‘He thought I was the weakest out of Jack, Sam and me. I mean, why else would he make me have to choose? He thought I would cave when he threatened Sam and Jack.’

‘But you did not.’ Teal’c comforted him.

‘But that doesn’t matter!’ Daniel said passionately. ‘He still believed that I was the most likely to give you up.’

‘Even if that was true,’ Teal’c replied, ‘it is not an indication of how much Colonel O’Neill trusts you.’

‘Maybe Jack sees me the same way.’ Daniel looked down as he finally revealed his fear. ‘As the weakest link.’

Teal’c regarded Daniel thoughtfully. ‘You are not weak, Daniel Jackson.’

‘Well, thanks, Teal’c, but…’ Daniel began.

‘However, your desire to use diplomacy and show compassion may sometimes be perceived incorrectly as weakness by others who do not know you.’ Teal’c continued talking as though Daniel hadn’t spoken. He paused for a long moment. ‘I would not make such a tactical underestimation of your abilities and neither would Colonel O’Neill.’

Daniel looked at him stunned.

Teal’c inclined his head, the lights shining on his bald head. ‘You are trusted, my friend.’

‘I, uh, I…’ Daniel stuttered, taken aback by the fulsome testimonial. The archaeologist opened his mouth to say something more and stopped at the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, Janet Fraiser appeared in the ward doorway.

‘Teal’c.’ Janet smiled. ‘You’re looking much better.’

‘I am feeling much better, Doctor Fraiser.’ Teal’c confirmed with satisfaction. ‘Your treatment has enabled my symbiote to recover much faster than I had anticipated.’

The doctor made a non-committal noise and Daniel moved out of the way as she pushed past him to start checking on Teal’c’s and the symbiote’s vital signs. Eventually, she snapped her gloves off and nodded.

‘Well, I don’t know how Junior did it, Teal’c, but you both look good to go. I’m going to suggest you go on light duties for a few days just to make sure there are no after-effects.’ Janet stated.

‘What of Nyan?’ Teal’c asked as he got out of the bed and accepted the towelling robe Daniel passed him.

‘He’ll be fine, Teal’c. He should probably stay in bed for another day.’ Janet said, glancing over at her second patient. ‘You can start showing him round the base tomorrow.’ She patted his arm and walked out of the ward.

‘I’ll stay with Nyan, Teal’c.’ Daniel offered. ‘If you want to get showered and changed.’

Teal’c placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘I will return shortly.’ He was almost at the door when Daniel called his name.

‘Thanks.’ Daniel said simply.

Teal’c inclined his head and left. He only hoped his words had helped the archaeologist.

o-O-o

Daniel picked up his book and pulled up a chair to Nyan’s bed. He was three pages in and immersed in an obscure reference to Kheb when Jack appeared in the doorway.

‘Where’s Teal’c?’ The Colonel sauntered in, hands in his pockets.

‘He woke up.’ Daniel said. ‘He’s fine. Doctor Fraiser released him. He’s just gone for a shower.’ He looked over at Jack and took in the deep lines that carved the other man’s strong features. ‘Where’d you get to?’

Jack sighed and fiddled with a piece of medical equipment on a nearby tray. ‘Makepeace asked to see me.’

Daniel’s eyes widened behind his glasses at the mention of the former SG3 leader. Jack had arrested Makepeace for his part in the rogue operation. ‘Oh.’ He shut his book. ‘What did he want?’

‘To yank my chain.’ Jack shot back.

‘It looks like it worked.’ Daniel remarked. The military man looked severely pissed off. ‘What did he say?’

‘Does it matter?’ Jack snapped, waving a pair of forceps at him. ‘Why do they have this out anyway?’ He asked trying to distract Daniel.

‘It matters to me.’ Daniel said evenly.

Jack’s eyes flickered to him.

They looked at each other across the brightly lit infirmary room for a moment.

Jack sighed and gestured with the forceps again. ‘He told me he wanted me to arrange an honourable discharge for him.’

‘Or?’

‘Or he’d allege Carter and he broke the frat regs.’ Jack said bluntly.

Daniel’s mouth dropped open. ‘Can he do that?’ He demanded.

‘Oh, he can try.’ Jack’s brown eyes glittered dangerously.

‘He made it up.’ Daniel said hurriedly. ‘I mean, she would never…you know that, right?’

‘Of course I know that.’ Jack shot back. He looked down as he fiddled with the forceps. ‘It won’t help though. If he follows through on it…’ he took a deep breath and looked up, ‘it’ll be his word against hers.’

‘But he’s a traitor and she’s Sam.’ Daniel said bewildered. ‘I mean, she’s saved the world and…won’t that count for something?’

‘A charge like that even if it’s dismissed as completely unfounded…’ Jack waved the forceps. ‘There are plenty who’ll think the worst, you know that.’

Daniel frowned.

‘I told Hammond not to put him anywhere near you guys.’ Jack continued, his frustration bleeding through the unusual criticism of his CO. He slapped the forceps down with a crash. He thrust a hand through his hair. ‘Look, I have to go tell Hammond, see if we can’t do…something. Keep this to yourself, OK? I don’t want to worry Carter until it’s really necessary.’ He waved a hand vaguely in the air.

‘Sure.’ Daniel agreed absently. His mind was already whirling as Jack left. He reopened the book and stared at the open page, not seeing the words in front of him. Jack had worried about them, Daniel realised, more than they had known; the Colonel had anticipated Makepeace would try something. It was no wonder he had taken the time to hint to Teal’c…maybe he had been trying to protect them from the rogue operation and any fallout from his own undercover work.

Makepeace had chosen the perfect target in Sam, Daniel mused, recalling the rare look of unguarded anxiety in Jack’s eyes. He wondered at Jack’s feelings for the young officer. He knew before Jack had been stuck in Edora the Colonel had seemed in love with Sam if ostensibly trying to move on from his feelings. It was evident that Jack had been involved on Edora with a woman called Laira, but when they had returned to celebrate the signing of a treaty, Jack had left the hall with Laira and returned with Sam. Daniel still didn’t know quite how that had happened. With everything that had happened since, Daniel didn’t know if Jack felt the same way about Sam anymore but he knew the Colonel cared about her. Daniel was certain though that Sam was in love with Jack; she’d worked herself to exhaustion to rescue him.

The former SG3 leader could do a lot of damage with his threat, Daniel realised. They’d already experienced how some of the military guys assumed Sam had attained her position because of sexual favours. Daniel knew most of them kept silent around SG1 after Captain MacNally had been foolish enough to express the sentiment in front of them, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think the problem had gone completely away.

They had to do something, Daniel thought fiercely. They couldn’t let Makepeace wriggle out of his conviction as a traitor or allow Sam’s career to be tainted that way…there had to be something…

‘Hi.’

Sam’s softly spoken words startled him. Daniel visibly jumped and stared at her almost in shock. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard her enter the infirmary.

‘Oh.’ Daniel blinked and fiddled with his glasses. ‘Hi.’

‘Are you OK?’ Sam asked. Her blue eyes peered at him with concern. He knew she was worried about him. She had been when they had been captured and Daniel had been taken by the Bedrosians for interrogation.

‘I’m fine.’ Daniel said eventually.

She frowned unconvinced.

He clamped his mouth shut on the urge to tell her and stood up suddenly. ‘Teal’c got released.’ He said quickly. ‘I said I’d sit with Nyan while he got changed.’

‘OK.’ Sam said slowly. ‘Are you sure you’re OK?’

‘I’m fine, I just, uh,’ Daniel waved his book at her. ‘Look, there’s, er, something I have to do. Can you sit with Nyan?’

‘Sure.’ Sam said, nodding.

‘Great.’ Daniel escaped before Sam could ask him anything else. He made his way through the mountain, walking so fast that he was almost running. He was in front of Hammond’s office door and knocking before he had considered what he was doing. He entered without waiting for reply.

Hammond and Jack turned to look at him; the General with startled annoyance and Jack with surprise, his eyebrows rising.

‘Doctor Jackson, Colonel O’Neill and I are in the middle of something here…’ Hammond began.

‘I know, Jack told me.’ Daniel said, closing the door behind him as he stepped into the room.

Hammond glanced at the Colonel.

‘I may have told Daniel, sir.’ Jack admitted sheepishly.

‘Well, I appreciate your concern,’ Hammond began, ‘but this is a matter for…’

‘I have an idea.’ Daniel said, cutting into the General’s sentence with an apologetic smile. ‘I think I know how we can get Makepeace.’

o-O-o

The holding facility was off the grid. The helicopter ride from the base had been brief and silent; the security guard escorting him had been so impassively cold that Daniel had felt like he was a prisoner. Daniel swallowed hard as he waited in the sterile interrogation room and tried not to fidget as he waited.

The door opened and he stood up awkwardly as Colonel Robert Makepeace was escorted into the room in shackles and a fetching orange jumpsuit. The guard pushed Makepeace into the chair opposite Daniel and left the room.

Daniel sat down slowly, pulling the chair up to the table and clasping his hands on top of the cheap wood veneer.

Makepeace looked back at him insouciantly. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you’ll forgive me but I never expected to see you, Jackson.’

‘I heard what you were threatening to do.’ Daniel said succinctly.

The Marine smirked at him. ‘I might have known. O’Neill sent you, did he?’

Daniel frowned. ‘Nobody sent me.’ He shifted position a little on the hard wooden chair. ‘General Hammond agreed I could talk to you.’ He paused. ‘Jack was against it; he’d rather just shoot you.’

Makepeace laughed. ‘Well, it’s good to hear O’Neill still has a pair of balls on him.’ He leaned forward. ‘Let me make it easy for you: I’m not talking. I said my piece to Jack already and I’m not stupid, this whole conversation is being recorded.’ His head jerked towards the tape recorder at the end of the table while his eyes lifted up to the camera in the corner of the room.

Daniel leaned across and pressed a button. The tape recorder opened to reveal an empty slot inside. He turned to the camera and made a quick gesture. The red light blinked out indicating it was no longer switched on. ‘Happy?’

Makepeace looked at him thoughtfully.

‘Look, the only reason I’m here is Sam.’ Daniel said forcefully, his blue eyes shining with determination. ‘What you’re threatening to do will ruin her career.’

The Marine shrugged as though to signal he didn’t care.

‘Why?’ Daniel asked. ‘Why Sam? I mean, it’s Jack you’re annoyed with not Sam.’

‘I did hear a rumour you were pissed at Jack yourself.’ Makepeace commented.

Daniel flushed but kept his eyes on Makepeace. ‘If you’re trying to get to Jack through Sam than you know you’re mistaken if you’ve heard that. Let’s face it; he didn’t exactly confide in us about you or his op to take you down so he’s hardly likely to cave and give you what you want just to protect Sam’s career.’

Makepeace stood up. ‘We’re done here.’

‘So if you’re not doing it to get to Jack,’ Daniel theorised out loud, ‘you must be doing it to get to Sam.’ His eyes widened with realisation. ‘She turned you down, didn’t she? You approached her and she turned you down.’

The Marine glared at him. ‘You think you’re so much cleverer than everybody else, don’t you, Jackson?’

‘I’m right, aren’t I?’ Daniel said with certainty.

‘This conversation is over.’ Makepeace snarled.

‘What happened?’ Daniel asked as though Makepeace hadn’t spoken. ‘You asked her out and she said no? I mean, why did you even try? Sam would never break the frat regs, you had to know that.’

Makepeace grimaced.

Daniel’s eyes widened. ‘Oh.’ He gestured at the other man. ‘You mean you thought all those rumours about Sam and Jack were actually true?’

Makepeace went red. ‘O’Neill should have fucked her; taught her some respect.’

‘Jack would never harm Sam’s career.’ Daniel said firmly.

‘Which is why he’ll get me that honourable discharge.’ Makepeace shot back. ‘Or I will ruin Major Carter.’ He smirked again. ‘It’s just a shame I didn’t actually get to try her out.’

Daniel got to his feet. ‘Oh, I don’t think you’re getting that discharge.’ He took hold of the neck of his black BDU t-shirt and pulled it down to reveal the wire.

Makepeace’s face contorted in rage and Daniel took a stumbling step backwards as the Marine charged across the table.

The door flew open and Jack raced in.

‘I am going to fucking kill you!’ Makepeace yelled at Daniel as Jack pulled him away from the archaeologist.

Jack turned Makepeace around and slammed his fist into the other man’s face. Makepeace slumped to the floor. Jack winced and shook his hand as he directed the guards to pick up the disgraced Marine and take him back to his cell.

‘Uh, thanks for the rescue.’ Daniel said quietly. ‘Did we get…?’

‘We got all of it.’ Jack confirmed.

‘He won’t be able to blackmail you about Sam anymore.’ Daniel reassured him.

‘There’s that.’ Jack said harshly.

Daniel raised an eyebrow in a remarkably good impression of Teal’c. He guessed Jack’s feelings for Sam were still there after all. ‘Is, er, this switched off?’ He asked pointing at his mike.

‘Yeah.’ Jack sighed. His brown eyes flickered to Daniel. ‘You did great.’

Daniel shrugged. ‘I figured Makepeace would underestimate me.’

‘More fool him.’ Jack said quietly.

Daniel caught the sincerity in the Colonel’s eyes; maybe Teal’c had been right and Jack did trust him. His gaze dropped to the way Jack was cradling his hand. ‘That has to hurt.’ He said sympathetically, remembering the only time he had ever knocked someone out with a punch.

Jack flexed his fingers and winced again. ‘He had it coming.’ He said a little defensively.

‘You won’t get any argument from me.’ Daniel replied evenly.

Jack shot him a look and nodded slowly. ‘We’d better get back.’

o-O-o

Nyan looked at the machine Sam was setting up in front of him with interest. ‘You say this device is capable of transmitting images for entertainment purposes?’

‘That’s right.’ Sam gave him a quick smile as she finished plugging in what seemed to Nyan a mess of wires behind the large square box.

He blushed a little; he couldn’t help noticing that underneath the masculine clothes of her uniform, Sam was a beautiful woman especially when she smiled. ‘We have something similar.’ He hurried out, eager to say something. ‘But it is only for official communications.’

Sam picked up a thin object as she walked back to the bed. ‘Well, our media is protected under our laws so it can remain independent.’

‘You must not be at war.’ Nyan murmured.

‘Actually, the freedoms our media enjoy came out of a war of independence.’ Sam commented absently.

‘When was this war?’ Nyan asked curious.

‘A couple hundred years ago.’ Sam said. She sat down in a chair beside Nyan’s bed and smiled at him again. ‘You should ask Daniel. He’s the expert.’

‘But you’re a scientist?’ Nyan questioned.

‘Yes.’ Sam nodded. ‘Astrophysics.’

‘Sounds fascinating.’ Nyan said honestly.

Sam nodded again. ‘I think so.’

Nyan opened his mouth to ask another question and shut it again as Daniel and Jack walked into the infirmary ward.

Jack glanced at the machine and back at Sam. ‘What’s going on?’ He asked lightly.

Nyan noticed the way Jack’s face softened as he looked at his female team-mate and the slight blush that heated Sam’s cheeks as she responded.

‘Teal’c thought Nyan might enjoy watching some TV, sir.’ Sam explained. ‘He’s gone to get some popcorn.’

‘Cool.’ Jack pulled up a chair beside Sam.

Daniel followed Jack’s example and sat beside the Colonel, leaving the empty chair on the other side of the bed for Teal’c.

‘Where have you guys been?’ Sam asked curious. Her eyes dropped to the fresh bandage on Jack’s right hand.

Jack and Daniel exchanged a look and Nyan shivered at the feeling that an entire conversation had happened without any words between the two.

‘We, uh, were just,’ Jack began.

‘Taking care of something.’ Daniel finished.

Sam looked hard at the two men who both looked back at her with patently false innocence.

Nyan suppressed the urge to smile at the interplay. He felt a sudden surge of homesickness and looked down at his blanket.

‘You OK, Nyan?’ Sam asked compassionately, reaching out to touch his arm gently.

‘I’m fine. Thank you.’ Nyan attemped a smile but he couldn’t quite hold it. ‘It’s just…’

‘Strange?’ Daniel asked.

Nyan cleared his throat. ‘Please don’t misunderstand me, I am grateful to be here, it’s just…’

‘There’s no place like home?’ Jack quipped.

Nyan was surprised at the glimmer of understanding in the older man’s brown eyes. He nodded shyly.

Teal’c entered his arms filled with a number of stripey tubs. Nyan stared in wonder at his new friend. The dark-skinned Jaffa was completely healed; Nyan shook his head in disbelief as Daniel got up to help Teal’c. He handed off a tub of what Nyan noticed were yellow looking puff-balls to Jack before he sat back down. Nyan accepted a tub from Teal’c a little hesitantly before the Jaffa sat down beside him. The newest member of the SGC looked at the tub suspiciously before he tentatively picked up one yellow puff-ball. He relaxed as the slightly salty kernel evaporated in his mouth. He eagerly took a handful and stuffed them in his mouth.

Sam pointed the thin object she held and the screen flickered to life. He watched in amazement at the different images that appeared as the team-mates argued over what to watch. Eventually, Teal’c reached over and grabbed the remote from Jack.

‘Hey.’ Jack protested.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow which had Jack subsiding into his chair. The Jaffa turned to Nyan. ‘I believe you will find this programme most instructional. I found it very useful in understanding the behaviour of the humans on this planet.’

Nyan settled back against the pillows and turned his attention back to the screen. He frowned at the title scrolling across it. ‘What is an Oprah?’

fin.