by crash

Jack swam back to consciousness again. The pain was still there but numbed by the cold. Jack couldn't help but think that the hypothermia that he was sure had already set it might save his life once again like it had when him and Sam were thrown through the gate in Antarctica. It slowed down his metabolism stopping him from bleeding to death.

Opening his eyes Jack looked around and noticed that he could see the two moons in the sky. He also noticed that much of the debris that had kept him trapped were gone leaving the large slab that was currently keeping him pinned. Jack heard the voices again. The ones that he had heard before. They were to far away for him to make out any words but he knew that they were there.

The voices grew louder as Ferretti and Carlson moved back toward where Jack was still trapped. Jack took a deep breath so that he could yell and get their attention but it ended up being a coughing fit.

"Jack!" Ferretti skidded to the ground besides the opening. Shining his flashlight down he could see that Jack's eyes were open and blood trailing out of his mouth. "Just hang on okay! We're gonna get you out of there."

" 'ury c c c old" Jack managed to croak out between shivers and coughs.

"We're coming, Jack. We're being careful so that it doesn't collapse on you again." Ferretti surveyed the area around his trapped friend. He could only see Jack's right arm floating in the dank cold water the injured man was partially submerged in. His left arm appeared to be pinned under the slab.

"It's flooded. See his right arm is floating." He motioned for Carlson to take a look.

"Shit we got to get this rock off of him." Carlson muttered under his breath looking around "Who's the smallest person we got?"

"Andersen!" Ferretti shouted to the medic that was still with them. "Get over here. Bring that climbing gear too."

Andersen quickly did as she was told, grabbing the pack that contained the nylon rope and harness. Once on scene she hurriedly donned the gear. There was just enough room for her to be lowered down headfirst into the pit. "Sir, his left arm is pinned beneath this slab." Andersen called back up. "There's about two feet of water down here also."

"Okay Andersen we're gonna pull you up. Ready?" Carlson replied signally the man behind him to get ready and pull.

"No sir with all due respect I'd like to stay here." Andersen answered looking into the Colonel's eyes.

"That's not anŠ." Carlson was cut off by Ferretti.

"You can help us in a minute Andersen. I think we have a plan to get the Colonel out."

"Yes sir." Andersen looked back at the Colonel and saw that he was starting to fall asleep again. "No you don't Colonel Come on wake up." She reached over and tapped his cheek with her hand. "You have to stay awake no sleeping!"

"Ti'er" Jack tried to tell her.

"I know you're tired but you don't want to sleep here. Just imagine the kinks that you will get in your back if you sleep here."

" 'ad 'inks" Jack answered paying a little more attention to her.

"Yeah don't want any of those." She kept talking to the weakening man, trying to keep him alert.

Above them the Teal'c and Sunez were shouting out directions for placing the rope around the top of the slab.

"Andersen which way do we need to move the slab to free Jack's arm?" Ferretti yelled down.

"See if you can pull it towards his feet. Then I think that I can free his arm."

"All right. Stand by." Ferretti responded

The woman's calm voice broke through to O'Neill as he lay semi-conscious in his watery trap. "Okay Colonel you ready? It's gonna hurt but you know that."

"1Š2Š3 Lift"

Andersen could hear the grunts and groans of the men above her as they tried with all their might to move the stone slab. Her shoulder was pressed against the slab and as soon as Andersen felt it shift, she gently tried to free the Colonel's arm.

On the third try they managed to move the slab enough for Andersen to free the Colonel's arm. Tears were streaming down Jack's face when his arm was finally free. It didn't look broken but the simple act of moving it sent pain shooting up and down his arm.

"It's over Colonel." Andersen told him one hand gently laying his newly freed left arm, "I'm going to have to leave in a minute."

"No" Jack looked at her with pleading eyes.

"I'm going to come back all right. I promise I'll come right back." She assured him.

"Kay."

"Now don't go to sleep. I need you to stay awake" Andersen tried for a bargain. "If you stay awake until we get you out of here I'll buy you a steak from O'Malley's. Deal?"

"Deal" He managed to croak to his mud-covered rescuer. "Champagne's on me."

"You gotta deal, Colonel. Okay I'm getting pulled up. I'll be back." Andersen left her

flashlight next to Jack lighting up his tiny prison.

"Colonel, Fries or Baked potato?" Andersen asked trying to distract Jack.

"Huh?" Jack grunted in pain as Janet probed his broken leg. She had arrived just after dawn with a transport team.

"With your steak. Fries or baked potato?" Andersen asked again.

" 'aked potato. Who get fries with steak " Jack looked at Andersen as if she had grown a second head?

"I do! You have a problem with that?" Andersen teased as she helped Janet slide the backboard beneath him. The two and a half feet of water that was in the bottom of the pit made it easier to move Jack on to the backboard.

"Just another minute Colonel. Then we'll have you out of this pit and get you warmed up." Janet told him double-checking everything before giving Teal'c a thumbs up. Sunez, with the help of Carlson and Ferretti began to slowly pull up the litter that held Jack. Janet and Andersen made their way out next. Andersen almost fell loosing her footing on the muddy wall.

Not even fifteen minutes after Janet had made it out she was ready to head back to the 'Gate. Jack's wet clothes were cut away the second he was out, replaced by blankets and sleeping bags that had been set near the fire to warm. Blood transfusion had already been started and oxygen mask was on.

"Colonel." Andersen checked to make sure that the central line was secure. "You can sleep now. Just like I promised." Jack just nodded closing his eyes.

"Hendersen let's go!" Janet hollered to the sergeant piloting the ATV.

"Unauthorized wormhole activation." Lt. Simmons announced over the intercom as the chevrons began to lock into place.

"Closing the iris" Sgt Davis said as General Hammond made his way down the stairs from the briefing room.

"Receiving IDC transmissionŠSir it's Sg-5!"

"Open the Iris!" General Hammond ordered leaving the control room and going to the gate room.

Sunez and Carlson were the first to exit the wormhole on either side of the litter. Janet and Andersen were next followed by Teal'c and Hendersen at the end of the litter. It had been an uneventful trip back to the 'gate. Jack had remained stable the entire way much to Janet's relief.

The litter was quickly placed on the awaiting gurney and Janet wasted no time getting to the infirmary. General Hammond only caught a brief glimpse of his 2IC as he was rushed by. Jack's face pale and caked with dirt. One eye looked as if it was nearly swollen shut.

Turning to the remaining men, "Where is everyone else?"

"They are following sir. They will be returning shortly with Major Ferretti." Sunez reported.

"Get cleaned up and report to the infirmary." Hammond ordered receiving a chorus of 'Yes Sirs' as the men passed by him on their way out.

Sam walked back in and took her place in the chair on his left side. The nurse had just finished changing the dressings and told her that he was doing better. It was her shift to sit with their CO. It had been over a week since Jack was brought back from P5J-1314. As soon as Jack was stable enough Janet had transferred him to the Academy Hospital.

Sam cautiously picked up his left hand careful of the IV and pulse oximeter. Wires and tubes were everywhere. Steel rods that connected to an external fixator, called an Hoffman Device, held the bones of his right leg in place. There were two one that held his femur and another that held the tibia in place. The sheet draped across his waist was more for dignity then anything thing else. Sounds that Sam normally found extremely annoying were comforting. Each beep of the heart monitor and swoosh of the respirator reassured her that Jack was still hanging on.

"Sam." Daniel tapped her shoulder gently.

"Sam!" He said a little more forcefully succeeding in waking Sam who was sprawled in the plastic chair asleep still holding Jack's hand.

"Daniel?" Sam jumped dropping Jack's hand.

"Yeah. Sorry didn't mean to scare you. Coffee?" Daniel offered her the second cup of coffee.

"Thanks" Sam immediately took a drink of the scalding liquid.

"No problem. How's Jack?"

"Same as yesterday. The Nurse said that he was doing better." Sam shrugged.

"Well at least he's not doing worse" Daniel sighed and plopped down in the other chair.

Jack came back to consciousness slowly. He faded in and out. The first thing that he realized was that he was no longer short of breath. That it didn't' hurt to breath. The second thing was that nothing hurt. He distinctly remembered being stuck in a cave with someone who promised him a steak. He just couldn't remember that person's name or what happened after that. But before he had the chance to find out he slowly floated back into the darkness again.

"What she doing?" Sam asked two days later coming to stand behind Daniel at the door to Jack's room

"Reading to him." Daniel answered turning around to face Sam. "Janet said that Cassie refused to leave until one of us arrived. So she's been sitting there doing her homework and reading to Jack out of the book that they are reading in English."

"Janet's told us to talk to him. Said it might help." Sam shrugged peeking through the doorway again.

Jack floated to the surface once again. He was still amazed that he didn't feel any pain. In the distant he could hear that annoying beeping sound and some one was talking. But he couldn't make out the words. Jack tentatively tested each limb to see if they were in fact still there.

Cassie was sitting with Jack again. It had become part of her daily routine over the last two weeks. She went to school then to the Academy Hospital and sat with Jack until Daniel, Sam or Teal'c arrived.

"Colonel Jack!" Cassie squealed noticing his arm moving. Quickly she hopped out of her seat dropping her book on the floor.

Teal'c and Daniel who were standing outside the door with Janet rushed inside at the sound of Cassie's squeal.

"Cassie what's wrong?" Janet asked

"Colonel Jack was moving his arm!" Cassie announced proudly.

Janet rushed over and started checking monitors

"Colonel O'Neill," Janet said grabbing his hand "If you can hear me squeeze my hand."

"That's good" Janet responded after he squeezed her hand weakly.

Jack struggled to open his eyes. He recognized that voice. The one that was telling him to squeeze her hand but he couldn't place it. Jack opened his eyes slowly blinking away the bright light that his eyes were unaccustomed to. Jack gave a mental sigh of relief when he saw that plain white tile ceiling that meant he was home. Safe. On earth. In the infirmary where he spent way too much time.

"Nice of you to join us Colonel" Janet said as she shined her ever-present pen light in his eyes. Jack tried to swat her arm away but was too weak.

"Yes, I know you hate me shining this light in your eyes." Janet commented as she put the pen light in her pocket making notes on the clipboard.

Jack took in his surroundings finding Cassie, Daniel, and Teal'c standing near the doorway. They weren't much more then blobs but Jack knew what and who they were. But someone was missing. Jack mentally checked off who was there. Janet, Teal'c, Daniel, Sam, Cassie... wait Sam wasn't there! Jack turned to look at Janet his eyes wide and tried to ask were Sam was but started choking on respirator tube

"Sir, Colonel calm down." Janet grabbed his hand and put the other hand on the side of his face to keep his attention. "Jack! There is a tube in your throat that is helping you breath. You need to let it do that for you."

"Daniel?" Janet sent him a pleading look hoping the archeologist could help her out.

Daniel looked at Jack's face recognizing the look in his eyes. Making a quick visual sweep of the room Daniel realized what was wrong. Sam wasn't there. Jack always made sure that his team was okay. Quickly Daniel stepped forward to his friend's side hoping to help Janet calm him down. "Jack, it's okay. We're all okay. Sam's here, she's just getting something; Sam's okay. She'll be right back. You're safe...we're all safe! Relax let the machine breathe for you."

Janet continued speaking soothingly to Jack until he calmed down and let the machine breathe for him, his battered lungs still not up to the task of doing it for him. Eventually Jack drifted back to sleep.

Sam absently rubbed her thumb across the knuckles of the hand she was holding. She had been called off world two days before when a team could not dial home on the DHD. Daniel had told her how Jack had reacted when he had woken up and not seen her. As soon as the debriefing was over and she was cleared, Sam had went to see her CO and friend.

Janet had just left updating Sam on Jack's condition. Jack had been taken off the respirator the day before an oxygen canula in place instead. Sam still winced when she looked at her CO's broken body on the bed. But, he was slowly healing and luckily no infections or other complications that usually plagued the team had reared their ugly face.

Sam looked up from the book that she had been reading. Jack was muttering his sleep, which wasn't all that unusual. Sam gave his hand a quick squeeze and he settled back down. Sam went back to her book still looking up every so often to check on him.

Jack was dreaming of a place that he would soon rather forget. He was trapped in a dark hole. They had thrown him in here after he wouldn't answer their questions. They would get angry and punish him. Sometimes it was a good old fashion beating or whipping. On this particular day Jack had another session with the one he referred to as "Sparks." And when he still refused to answer their questions, they threw him in a tiny room with no windows or light.

Jack's eyes shot open as he woke silently from his dream. He blearily looked around the room recognizing it as the same place he had fallen asleep. Jack had no idea what day it was. The blinds on the window were opened just barely enough that he could make out the early morning sun rising. Jack's throat was raw from the plastic breathing tube that had been removed late the day before. He could feel the oxygen trickling up his nose from the canula annoying him along, with the continuous beeping of the heart monitor to no end.

Considering what had happened, he didn't feel too bad. A little tired and cold but that was it. A small smile made it's way across his face he caught sight of Sam slouched in a chair in the corner of the room asleep. Jack was almost asleep again when he heard the door open and someone walk in.

"Well good morning Colonel. You're up early." Lt. Andersen said quietly smiling at her patient as she began to check his vitals. "How are you doing this morning?"

"Kay." Jack croaked out and waved his left hand in a so-so motion.

"How long?" Jack pointed Sam's sleeping form after getting a sip of water from the cup that Andersen held for him.

"How long has Major Carter been there?" Andersen looked over at the sleeping major "Night nurse said that she came about eight last night."

"Dr. Frazier said that you could have something to eat if you felt up to it." Andersen said as she started the morning routine of disinfecting the area around the Hoffman device on his right leg to prevent infection.

"Steak?" Jack asked hopefully as he watched every move she made. Andersen reminded him of the person that had stayed with him while he was still trapped on the planet. His memories of what occurred on that planet after the quake were still somewhat fuzzy. But her voice more so then her face struck a chord.

"Nope sorry." Andersen grinned remembering the conversation they had about steaks while she stayed in the pit with him. She doubted that he remembered very much of it. "No steak yet. Breakfast isn't for another two hours. Cream of wheat or oatmeal."

"No like oatmeal." Jack announced as he pulled a face.

"Cream of wheat then. Any other complaints besides your disapproval of the menu?" Andersen asked when she was done five minutes later. "Anything hurt?

"Nothing hurts yet. Just cold." Jack answered watching as she checked the IV lines one more time.

"That can easily be fixed. I'll be right back with a warm blanket so don't go anywhere." Andersen gave his hand a quick squeeze before she left.

"I'll try." Jack answered sarcastically, suppressing a yawn

Sam groaned as she woke up feeling the kinks in her back from sleeping in the plastic chair all night. Someone had set her book on the widow sill and draped a blanket across her during the night. The room was dim, the only light coming from a small lamp next to Jack's bed that was always left on.

"Morning Carter." Jack said not much louder then a whisper causing Sam to jump. "You have a nice nap?"

"Err yes." Sam answered stretching her arms above her head "How you feeling sir?"

"Oh pretty good considering." He answered with a yawn holding up his left hand, which had the IV line "Doc's happy juice"

"Good morning Major Carter." Andersen greeted as she returned warm blanket in hand.

"Lt. Andersen isn't it?" Sam asked, folding up the blanket that had been spread across her. Sam remembered Janet telling them when they first rescued Jack about one of her nurses/medics that stayed with him most of the time.

"Yes ma'am" Andersen replied spreading the blanket that she had over Jack who was trying not falling back asleep again. "Dr. Frazier asked me to keep an eye on the good Colonel here. Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

"Hey!" Jack tried his best to sound hurt causing both women to laugh some.

"I'll see you in a little bit Colonel." Andersen patted his shoulder. "Nice to meet you again Major I'll see you around also."

"Your arm?" Jack asked around another yawn pointing to Sam's left arm that had a short cast on it.

"Simple fracture. Janet says the cast won't be on for long."

"Go back to sleep Colonel," Sam told him as she saw him fighting to keep his eyes open. Sometimes her CO was like a four-year old fighting sleep till the last possible second, afraid that he would miss something.

"Don't worry I'll still be here when you wake up." Sam reassured him once more as his eyes finally slid shut.

It had been a month since the quake on the P5J-1314. Sam and Daniel had been cleared for active duty and went on missions occasionally with other SG teams. Jack was still in the hospital but had been moved over to the orthopedic rehab wing. SG-1 was always there, day and night never far away.

"Hey Maggie." Daniel greeted Jack's physical therapist as she stepped out of the elevator. It had been Daniel's turn to spend the night and he was on his way back to the base. Teal'c would arrive shortly after Jack's now morning therapy session with Maggie Risen.

"Good mornin' Daniel." Maggie nodded to him "How's Colonel Cranky?"

"Cranky. Hasn't been feeling to good. Janet says it's probably just the flu."

"Hope not. It'll put him back."

"Well I'll see ya later Maggie. I've got to get going." Daniel waved as he stepped into the elevator hitting the button for ground level.

" 'Morning Jack!" Maggie greeted warmly as she walked in.

"Hey Maggie." Jack responded lacking his usual vigor.

"What's wrong, you have a hot date last night? She wear you all out?" Maggie teased looking over the notes that the night nurse had made.

"Just Cassie." Jack shrugged a shoulder

"I thought I was the only woman in your life?" Maggie protested hands on her hips.

"You're sadly mistaken." He gave her a small smile

Maggie laughed. She was only slightly older then Jack with silver hair from years of dealing with stubborn patients. She was the orthopedics ward secret weapon for stubborn and uncooperative patients. She dealt with the ones that all of the other therapist wouldn't work with. Maggie had met Colonel Jack O'Neill after an ill-fated parachute jump and had worked with him since, and anytime he ended up at the Academy Hospital.

"Not feeling to good today eh? I ran into Daniel on the way up" Maggie pressed the back of her hand against his forehead in a motherly fashion.

"Little warm. Sure you up to it?" Maggie asked giving him a once over.

"Mm okay." Jack answered pushing himself up straighter trying not to let the pain that the movement caused in his right leg to show.

"Well how about light and easy today." Maggie suggested knowing that he was hurting but wouldn't admit it. "Just some stretching. Don't want your leg to cramp up later like it did the other day."

****

"What exactly do you have in that backpack Cassie?" Daniel asked eying the seemingly heavy backpack. Daniel and Sam had picked her up from school after their shifts were over at the base. They had been doing the same thing everyday for the last month since Jack had woke up.

"Nothing that you need to know about." Cassie answered giving Daniel a sly grin.

"Smuggler!" Sam accused laughing.

"I didn't see you arguing last time I snuck stuff in for you." Cassie returned looking up at Sam.

"Okay I won't tell." Sam backed off hands held up in surrender still smiling.

"So do you think Colonel Jack will like it?" Cassie asked holding up the picture of the hockey player she sketched in art class as the trio exited the elevator.

"I'm positive!" Sam said ushering Cassie down the hallway toward Jack's room.

"Mum, look what I drew for Colonel Jack!" Cassie held up her picture after giving her mother a hug.

"Look's good Cass. Go ahead and go show the Colonel. Teal'c's in there too." Janet gently pushed her daughter into the room motioning the other two across the hall to a small waiting area.

"What's wrong Janet?" Sam asked her best friend as they sat down.

"Colonel O'Neill's not doing to good" Janet said straight, knowing that the two didn't need or want it sugar coated

"What's wrong? I thought you said he just had the flu that was going around?" Daniel asked leaning forward and resting his forearms on his thighs.

"I thought that was what it was." Janet told them taking a deep breath. "Maggie called me this morning. During therapy this morning she noticed his leg was swollen, red, and tender."

"AndŠ"Sam prompted her to go on

"He's been running a fever all afternoon. Hasn't kept anything down. Looks like his leg is infected from the Hoffman Device. I called Dr. Leutje. He'll be down in a little bit to take a look."

"Dr. Frazier! Colonel O'Neill's temp is spiking." A nurse hollered from the corridor. Janet leaped to her feet and in her hurry almost knocked into Teal'c and Cassie who had been pushed into the hallway by another nurse.

****

"Wake up guys." Janet shook Sam and Daniel's shoulders at the same time.

"Wha.." Daniel straightened up yawning. He looked through bleary eyes at his watch "It's four in the morning Janet."

They had been waiting on word about Jack since his fevered had spiked. People were going in and out all evening and eventually they had all fallen asleep in the waiting area sometime ago. Teal'c was still awake and Cassie was sleeping with her head in his lap.

"News on the Colonel?" Sam asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah. Dr. Leutje came down not long after the Colonel's temp spiked earlier and examined his leg and ran a couple of test. We just received the results of the last test a few minutes ago. Colonel O'Neill has Osteomyelitis. A bone infection in his right leg. We've just started him on

IV ceftriaxone and metronidazole. "

"How bad Janet?" Sam asked sensing Janet was hiding something.

"Look Osteomyelitis can get nasty. It's hard to get rid of and I don't know how the Naquadah that is in Colonel's O'Neill's blood will affect it or if it will counter act the antibiotics. Penicillin is usually used to treat it but Colonel O'Neill is allergic to it. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Dr. Leutje wants to remove the Hoffman Device. He might have to re..." Janet didn't get to finish before a nurse stuck her head in.

"Dr. Frazier Colonel O'Neill is seizing!" the nurse announced and darted back across the hall

"Merde!" Janet cursed as she practically flew back across the hall.

Daniel sighed as he reached forward with a damp cloth and wiped his friend's brow once again. Jack's temperature had been going up and down for two days now as his body tried to fight off the infection. Early yesterday morning Jack's temp had spiked so high and so fast, the day before that he went into a seizure. The nurse had coming running across the hall while Janet was telling them what was happening. Just a short while ago the nurses were planning an old fashion ice bath if his temp didn't come back down. Luckily it had and didn't seem to be going any higher.

Arrangements had been made by Dr. Leutje to transfer Jack to the Naval Hospital in San Diego. He had told them something about hyperbaric treatments and helping to fight off the infection. But Daniel was so preoccupied that it had all went in one ear and out the other. General Hammond had given Sam Daniel and Janet permission to travel to San Diego also. Teal'c was forced to stay behind due to security issues and had volunteered to take care of Cassie in Janet's absence.

Jack moaned and shifted restlessly again slowly opening his eyes. "Da'el"

"Yeah Jack" Daniel dipped the cloth the in the bowl of cool water again.

"mmm hot" Jack shifted again trying still to get comfortable.

"Yeah you got a fever." Daniel explained sponging Jack's face again.

"Oh. Daniel, where's Dustin?" Jack asked a few minutes later. "He was right next to me when they showed did up." "I haven't seen him Jack. Maybe he's in another room. I'll check in a little bit okay." Jack seemed to consider Daniel's words and fall back into a fevered sleep reliving some nightmare from his past.

"They killed him." Jack said eyes still closed "They used a knife. His blood was all over my hands. I was supposed to be watching his back. It's what friends do. Then we left him behind. Couldn't even bring him home to his family..." Jack kept speaking his sentences becoming disjointed and more incoherent as time passed.

Daniel stayed by Jack's side the entire time b

iting his lip as he listened to Jack recount some horrible event from his dark past.

"It's okay Jack." Sam said softly as she saw his eyes flitter open. The only time Sam called Jack anything other then 'Colonel' or 'Sir' was when he was sick as he was now. She knew that he would be confused waking up somewhere other then where he had fallen asleep. It had been a little over a week since Jack had gotten sick in Colorado.

"Where?" Jack asked after he realized that he wasn't in his room at the Academy Hospital. He remembered very little about what had transpired over the last week. The last thing that he really could remember was talking to Cassie the day that he got sick. She had brought him a picture that she had drawn in art class.

"Coronado Naval Hospital."

"San Diego? Why?" Jack furrowed his brow trying to figure out what the hell he was doing in California.

"You got sick last week. Your right leg got infected. Dr. Leutje had you transferred down here so that you could undergo hyperbaric treatments to help with the infection. You've been here a couple of days." Sam explained patiently.

"Oh"

"Daniel and Janet are here too. Sir you sort of scared the living day lights out of us all."

"Sorry." Jack gave her a lopsided grin letting his head fall to the side.

"I thought I was getting rid of that thing." He nodded towards the pesky device that was still attached to his leg.

"It was gone for a little while. You had a couple of seizures because your fever spiked. During one of them your leg banged the guard rail and with out the added protection of a cast it was easily knocked out of alignment."

"Carter I got to ask you. Will people ever stop poking me full of holes?" Jack asked his voice serious.

"No sir I don't believe they will." Sam replied handing him a cup of water.

"I was hoping that you would say yes." Jack mumbled around the cup he was sipping water from.

" Just think of it this way Jack. They must like you if they take the time to poke a hole in you" Daniel supplied walking in. Obviously happy about seeing his friend awake and coherent for once. Sam was desperately trying not to giggle.

"Gee thanks Daniel" Jack gave Daniel a sardonic look before yawning deeply.

"You're welcome. Nice to see you awake again." Daniel patted his friend's shoulder a huge grin spreading across his face.

"No giggling Major" Jack told tiredly Sam when he saw that she was still trying to hold them in.

"Sorry sir." Sam said giggling.

"Get some more sleep Jack." Daniel told him when he saw Jack yawn yet again. Jack nodded his head letting his eyes drift shut

It had been close to four months since the quake on P5J- 1314. It had been four extremely long and trying months. Jack's battle with Osteomyelitis and then later with bronchitis. He still wasn't done with physical therapy. Jack still had a walking cast on his right leg. Dr. Leutje didn't want anything happening to his leg, not after all that had happened and with only one surgery left. Jack had been working with Maggie twice a day for the last month eager to be declared fit to leave.

So Jack was hurriedly getting dressed in his now usual attire of black jogging pants and t-shirt. He was ready to be sprung he didn't care by who at the moment. Jack was still on medical leave and if Janet had her way it'd be like that for another month.

"So Colonel," Andersen leaned on the door frame "I take it that your ready to go. Got your bags packed already and everything?"

"You act as if I can't wait to get away from you people." Jack played as if he was offended by her comment.

"And like you're as innocent as you act." Andersen countered grabbing the duffle that was on the end of the bed. "Come Old Wise One. Janet said that she'd let you go out on your crutches since you were good"

"What did you say?" Jack asked looking up at her as he situated himself with his crutches.

"I said come on *Oh* wise one. That's all." Andersen grinned and walked down the hall towards the lift.

"Smartass." Jack muttered before quickly catching up to her despite crutches.

"Daniel where are you going? My house is the other way?" Jack asked when Daniel turned right instead of left.

"I can't tell. You know doctor/patient confidentiality and that sort of thing" he replied, looking over at Jack as he stopped at a red light.

"You're not that kind of Doctor!" Jack protested twisting around to look at the two passengers in the back seat. "Nice to see that you two ladies are enjoying this."

"I'm keeping my promise Colonel. That's all." Andersen said cryptically.

"Which promise? The one where you said you were gonna throw me off a bridge or the one that you made to Ferretti after he beat you in poker the other week."

"Neither." Andersen answered, as Daniel pulled the car into the parking lot at O'Malley's. Jack stopped questioning when he saw were they were.

O'Malley's; Home of the best steaks in town. O'Malley's was perfectly fine with Jack who had been forced to eat the nasty hospital stuff except on the occasion that something was smuggled in.

"That was good" Jack announced some time later taking a long drink from his Dr. Pepper and yawning.

Everyone that had been on P5J-1314 had gathered at O'Malley's for lunch. Ferretti had already taken the liberty of telling a few stories embarrassing the good Colonel enough for him to blush. The events of the day however had worn out the still recovering Colonel.

"One last thing Colonel O'Neill." Andersen said walking over to the bar and retrieving a Champagne bottle that had already been opened.

"Champagne's on you!" Lt. Andersen said grinning madly shaking the bottle and spraying Jack sending the entire room into laughter.

finis