Jack’s Day
0814hr
“Is this working?”
Poking it with my finger I spoke again.
“Testing, one two three, testing.”
I frowned down at the tiny machine with its little blinking lights.
“Does anyone actually say that anymore?”
Oh damn! Note to self – do not say anything out loud when this thing is recording.
Well, not not anything. I can say something – like reports and stuff. Stuff I want Walter to type up for me. Of course, I can type one handed, but one left handed is a very slow way to type. This will be much easier. Nice of Carter to get it for me.
I wonder if it has games.
Crap!
“Walter!”
“Yes, sir?”
“Can you send this to Carter and ask her to put it back together for me?”
**********
1005hr
“I bid you farewell, O’Neill.” Bra’tac grabbed my arm and pulled me into an enthusiastic embrace completely ignoring the fact I still have a large area of healing burn on my arm.
I managed a nonchalant smile and patted him on the back with one hand. “Don’t be a stranger. You know you’re always welcome.”
He nodded, already turning to climb the ramp to the gate. “Thank you, however I shall be busy, O’Neill. We have many more Jaffa to free.”
A quick exchange of bows with Teal’c and he was gone, a definite spring in his step, his robes already replaced with the armor of a fighting man.
**********
1142hr
“Now play nice with the natives, and remember your curfew. Don’t make me have to come and get you.”
Daniel rolled his eyes as he settled his pack on his back. “We’ll be fine, Jack.”
“Yeah, well I’ve heard that before.”
“SG-18 reported that the locals on PTZ-301 were very friendly, sir. We’ll be back before you know we’re gone.”
As SG-1 stepped through into the wormhole I wondered if Carter really believed her parting words – or if there would ever be a time when I didn’t miss them when they were off-world.
I doubted it.
************
1310hr
I need a stamp. That would be better than this left handed scrawl I’m making in place of my signature. Walter says he can’t tell the difference – I think I’ve been insulted.
“General O’Neill?”
Speak of the devil.
Walter stuck his head around my office door and I used the interruption as an excuse to put down the pen.
I smiled at the resigned look on his face when he saw how many files I still had to deal with. “Yes, Sergeant?”
“There was a call for you, sir, while you were debriefing SG-5. Sergeant Morley. He asked for an appointment”
I realised I hadn’t spoken to Morley in weeks. I stood. “I’ll go see him.”
“But General...” Walter waved his hand at my desk, looking panicked.
“You can deal with most of this Walter. That’s why they pay you the big bucks.”
As I left the room I heard a decidedly annoyed mumble – something about big bucks and generals – but I just carried on walking and grinning.
***********
1318hr
I reached the front desk up top and peered around, not seeing any familiar faces. I suppose I shouldn’t have assumed Morley would be there. As I approached the counter the duty sergeant held out the log book.
I shook my head. “I’m not signing out. I’m looking for Sergeant Morley. Is he on duty?”
“He’s on his lunch break, sir.” He glanced at the large clock on the opposite wall. “He just went, but I can have him called.”
I put out my hand as he moved to pick up the phone. “No, don’t worry. Is he in the cafeteria?” At his nod I continued “I’ll join him. I haven’t had lunch myself yet.”
I strode to the elevator, thinking as it dropped down a level that I hadn’t even realised it was lunchtime. My stomach rumbled in complaint and I was thankful I was alone.
The cafeteria was crowded. NORAD worked to a much more rigid schedule than the SGC and the majority of personnel seemed to have decided that this was the time to eat. Sergeant Morley was with two of his colleagues at a table towards the centre of the large room so I wove my way towards him, aware of the wake of whispers I was leaving behind me. He spotted me before I reached him and was already standing as I came up.
“General O’Neill.” His companions looked startled and followed him up when they realised I intended to stop at their table.
“Hello, Morley. You asked to see me?” I admit I spoke a little louder than necessary just to see the reaction. It wouldn’t hurt Morley’s reputation any to have a general come to him instead of the other way around. “Mind if I join you?”
He gestured at the empty place beside him. “Yes, of course sir. Please do.”
“I’ll just go get myself something to eat first. I’m starving.”
“Let me get you something, General,” one of Morley’s companions offered. “What would you like?”
I smiled my appreciation. “A tunafish sandwich and a black coffee will do, Sergeant. . . ?”
“Oates, sir. I’ll go get it straight away.”
I sat and Morley and the other man took their seats again.
“This is Sergeant Villman, sir. He works in Stores.”
I smiled at the older, sandy haired man. “Pleased to meet you, Villman. You been stationed here long?”
“Eleven years, sir. I’m coming up on retirement next year.”
“Looking forward to it?”
He grinned. “Hell yeah!” and added a “Sir” in a slightly abashed voice. I couldn’t help laughing..
“I would have waited for an appointment, sir”, Morley interjected, looking worried. “It wasn’t that important and well…” His eyes were on the sling holding my right arm.
“This? Training accident.” I smiled as they both snorted. Sergeant Oates appeared at my elbow, and put a plate holding a sandwich, and a cup of coffee down on the table before sitting.
I took a long sip of the hot liquid and smiled in appreciation. I needed that! I took a bite of the sandwich and swallowed before continuing.
“What did you want to see me about, Morley?”
“We’ve got a competition coming up, sir, and we’re one competitor down. It’s not too important, but I’d still rather not forfeit if I can help it. I was going to ask if you could shoot, but…” He gestured at my arm.
“This little thing?” I restrained a wince at the pull on my abused flesh as I moved it slightly. “It’s no problem, just a slight burn.” I noted his quickly concealed look of scepticism. “I’ll tell you what – you call my office with the date of the match and I’ll see if I can be there.”
“It’s in four days, sir.”
Oh. Damn.
I took another bite of my sandwich, thinking.
“Okay, don’t forfeit. Let me check out a couple of things and I’ll get back to you on it tomorrow.”
**********
1652hr
Carter brought me back the little recording thingy before she left. I remember when they used to be called dictaphones, but back then they were much bigger and had buttons large enough to for me to read easily.
One of my fingernails on my right hand hurts. It’s half dead where it was stabbed by something during that fight with the Jaffa. Strange how it’s more painful than the staff weapon burn. So now I have one bandaided finger sticking out of the sling and looking totally out of place.
Oh well – back to work.
***********
1735hr
Requisition of towels: form 34C.
I wonder what’s happening in the Control Room.
I’ll go look.
**********
1738hr
Talk about timing! I walked in to the sound of ‘Unscheduled off-world activation.”
“It’s SG-1’s IDC, sir.”
Moving closer to the window, I gave the command. “Open the iris then, son.”
I felt a momentary pang of concern, but brushed it off. They were early, but there could be any number of reasons for that. It had been a straight forward meet and greet. No reason to worry.
I was already half way down the stairs to the gate room before I realised I’d moved.
And boy, was I glad I had reached the bottom of the ramp before SG-1 stepped through, otherwise I might have missed out on some of the finer details. As it was I had a front seat view of Carter practically falling through the gate in hysterical laughter, followed closely by Daniel wearing the latest in designer shackles and not much else, with Teal’c bringing up the rear. I caught T’s eyes and I swear he almost lost it for a moment before he regained his usual unemotional mask – the one I saw through years ago.
I rocked on my heels, my left hand in my pocket. “Hi there kids. Have fun?”
Carter gulped, took a deep breath and gulped again, her face red. She managed a strangled “Yes, sir.”
“It was indeed a pleasurable experience, O’Neill.”
I stared into the face of the only person yet to speak. “Daniel? Make new friends?”
The chains that hung from his wrists clanged as they tugged on the wide bands of metal locked into place around his ankles.
He glared at me. “Can we take this somewhere else, Jack?”
I nodded in sympathy. “Where would you suggest Daniel? The nearest dominatrix’s house? Got the address?”
“Oh very funny.” He waved his hands, setting the chains clinking again. “Just get me out of these!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Sure. Got the keys?”
Daniel stared down in consternation at the locks.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
I patted him on his bare back, noting it was totally unmarked by whip or branding iron. Couldn’t have been much of a torture session if Carter’s laughter and Teal’c’s amusement was anything to go by.
“Come on, let’s get these things off you and you can tell me all about your adventure.”
The surveillance footage of our trip to the infirmary was probably selling for a vast sum on the SGC internal black market within minutes of our leaving the gate room. I made a mental note to get a copy.
**********
1829hr
“I don’t ever want to go there ever again, Do you understand, Jack, ever!”
“I thought the Hemtheeps to be a particularly friendly and obliging tribe, Daniel Jackson.”
The look Daniel threw Teal’c would have curdled milk. He shifted in his chair.
“Stay still please, Doctor Jackson. This is very tricky.” Siler hooked a strange looking saw-like tool under one of the wrist shackles. I noticed his largest wrench sitting on the table beside him and wondered what exactly he intended to do with it.
“Colonel, while Daniel loses his jewellery perhaps you’d care to enlighten me on how exactly this came to pass.”
Carter nodded, keeping her eyes resolutely forward and I realised that Daniel’s boxers had dropped on his hips, held only by the chains around his waist. I decided not to warn him.
“Apparently the natives on PTZ-301, the Hemtheeps as they call themselves, have an ancient ritual that Daniel found fascinating.”
“Really?” I let my gaze flicker to the action, and back to SG-1’s CO.
She smiled, and I noticed her eyes shift just as mine had. “Yes, sir. When he discovered the ritual was being carried out today he just couldn’t miss the chance to participate.”
I shook my head in mock exasperation. “Daniel, Daniel, Daniel – when will you ever learn?”
“It was a perfectly innocent ritual, Jack. It was just the…” He waved an indignant hand at himself. “the ceremonial costume, or lack thereof that I hadn’t noted in my translation.”
Siler stepped back, pulling the chains from Daniel’s body, and before I could say anything, Daniel stood.
This time even Teal’c laughed.
**********
1915hr
“Do you need me for anything else, sir?”
I shook my head. “No, you go on home Walter. I’ll put the cat out.”
“Very funny, sir.” He smiled ever so slightly, but then he likes my jokes. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, General. Your first meeting is scheduled for 0900 hours.”
It wasn’t until he left that I realised how late it was. Suddenly that ever complaining stomach of mine was reminding me I hadn’t eaten in hours, except those cookies Walter had provided with my coffee.
I should go get something.
And look for Carter. See if she can get this tiny button unstuck on this thing. It’s more trouble than it’s worth – it doesn’t even have games.
***********
2147hr
Swiping my access card down the slot beside the door I waited until it unlocked, pushing it open with my shoulder. The range was completely empty, just as I expected given the lateness of the hour.
Apart from the fight with the Jaffa the previous week I hadn’t shot left-handed for years except during the occasional practice. The firefight as Bra’tac and I ran for the gate could hardly be called shooting either – it was more like uncontrolled carnage. I needed to see how accurate I could be.
I knew there was no way my right arm would be healed enough to compete in a match in four days. As it was I was sure the doctor would be very unimpressed to see what I was about to do. I was meant to rest and not put any strain on my arm whatsoever.
I raised the Beretta and took careful aim, taking my time.
***********
0019hr
“Goodnight, sir.”
I spared a thought for the driver pulled from the warmth of the mountain to take me home and summoned up a smile of thanks. He waited as I turned the key in the lock, only getting back in the car when I had entered the house. I knew he was watching the surroundings carefully and felt unusually grateful for his care. Normally the need for a bodyguard while outside the base was irking, but tonight I was just too tired to be alert and I knew it.
Still, I had accomplished one thing. I now knew I could hold my own in the competition, albeit a little slower and less accurate than my normal form. I had to remember to call Morley in the morning to put me on the team.
Throwing my keys on the coffee table, I pushed myself into going straight to my bedroom, knowing the routine of getting out of my clothes and ready for bed would take twice as long as normal.
By the time I finally slipped under the covers my finger was throbbing after bumping it on the hand basin while cleaning my teeth. The now half black nail was once again covered with a new bandaid although I was beginning to think it might be quicker and less painful to just pull the nail off completely and be done with it.
I lay on my back, cradling my right arm with my left and working through the pain that now sent urgent signals down the nerves from my shoulder to my elbow. Taking a few deep calming breaths I took myself back through my day,
There had been quite a few good moments when I thought about it.
I laughed out loud as I pictured Daniel’s face while he stood there on the ramp. I was sure he would enjoy the joke as much as the rest of us – eventually.
The rest of the day hadn’t been too bad either, from Bra’tac’s new enthusiasm for returning to the fight to Sergeant Villman’s pleasure at the thought of retirement.
This wasn’t where I imagined myself to be ten years ago either, but I had long realised that life is what happens while you are making plans.
My eyes were drawn to the photo of Charlie I kept beside the bed.
Sure I’d change some things, but I was surprisingly happy doing what I was doing.
I whispered a goodnight to my son as I did every night, and shut my eyes.
***********
The End
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