The pain was incredible. It felt as though an inferno was consuming his toe. Making its way up his foot, it would soon reach his ankle, then his calf. Who knew when it would abate. Jack bit his lip to keep from screaming. The last time he'd felt this degree of agony was when an arrow exited the wormhole, shattered the control room's bulletproof glass and pierced his shoulder. At least then, he'd had Daniel's comforting hands supporting him. This time, he was alone.
The fire burned hotter, making Jack bite his lip so hard he drew blood. The metallic substance washed across his taste buds. His stomach churned. The lunch he'd consumed a short time before threatened to reappear.
Gritting his teeth, he silently berated himself. He was a colonel in the United States Air Force, for crying out loud. He'd endured pain the first hour of the first day of his enlistment. This was nothing he hadn't experienced before.
The fire flared. He could feel the flesh throbbing. His resolve weakened. Help was
nearby. All he had to do was ask.
Moaning as the pain enveloped his ankle, Jack rose and limped out of his office. The corridor had never seemed so long or the elevator so slow. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he finally entered the infirmary. Clipboard in hand, Dr. Janet Fraiser stood by one of the supply cabinets counting its contents. Jack opened his mouth to announce his presence. A groan escaped his lips, making any other verbal declaration unnecessary.
The familiar sound galvanized Fraiser. Dropping the clipboard, she crossed to her superior's side. "Colonel, what's wrong?"
Afraid more embarrassing displays of his distress would gush out, Jack clamped his lips
closed and pointed to his foot.
"Let me help you to a bed." Janet put one hand on his arm and the other around his waist, guiding him to the nearest examining table.
***
Daniel took off his glasses. Shaking fingers rubbed eyes so tired, he could barely keep them open. Throwing down his pen, he decided the translation he was working on could wait. Sleep couldn't.
"Dr. Jackson?"
Quickly replacing his glasses, Daniel blurrily focused on the airman peeking through the
door. Before he could issue a greeting, the sergeant continued.
"I thought you'd like to know, I just saw Colonel O'Neill going into the infirmary."
The words slowly filtered through Daniel's exhaustion. Rising so fast the chair flew back
against the wall, he stuttered a hasty acknowledgment as he brushed past the soldier.
The infirmary was a frequent destination. His feet made the journey automatically, leaving his mind free to contemplate what disaster could've befallen his friend. Jack was a soldier. Whatever had happened, the pain must be excruciating for him to have sought assistance. This knowledge made Daniel pickup his pace. Jack had been there through all the agonies, mental and physical, Daniel had endured since joining the Stargate project. Daniel was determined to return the support.
As soon as he entered the infirmary, he saw O'Neill. White as a sheet, the older man was sitting on a bed, hands gripping the metal frame so tight the flesh was leached of color. Crossing to his friend, Daniel put one hand on a tense shoulder. The other, he wrapped around bloodless fingers. "Jack?"
"Daniel." Emotions flashed across the pale face, ranging from surprise to embarrassment before finally settling on appreciation.
"Why didn't you tell me you were hurting?" Daniel softly reproached him.
"I was hoping it would go away."
"These kinds of things don't just go away, Jack. You know that."
"Yeah, well . . ."
"You could've called me. I had to find out from an airman that you were in here."
"I can walk."
"Barely."
"Gentlemen," Fraiser berated, approaching the two men with a small covered tray. "My infirmary is not a battlefield."
"Sorry, Doc."
"Sorry, Janet," Daniel echoed.
Placing the tray on the bed, Fraiser asked, "Daniel, could you help me remove the colonel's shoe?"
Daniel gently squeezed the shoulder beneath his hand before moving around to assist the physician. Jack didn't make a sound as they pulled out the shoelace. When they started to remove the boot, he hissed in pain. Unable to inflict further abuse on his friend, Daniel stopped. "Sorry, Jack."
"Just do it," O'Neill pleaded, gritting his teeth.
Hesitant to comply with the request, Daniel gratefully watched as Janet slipped the boot off in one fluid motion. Jack was still gasping for air when the sock quickly followed.
Grabbing the forceps off the tray, Janet encouraged, "It won't be long now, Colonel."
Daniel returned to stand at Jack's shoulder, offering his support. A soft snip from the medical instrument was followed by a sigh of relief from the stricken man.
Smiling, Fraiser acknowledged, "Hangnails can be a bitch."
© 1999 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.