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“Look alive, BJ, Daddy's home,” Jack said as he watched headlights sweep across the living room. BJ bounded for the back door, eager to welcome Daniel. Jack idly watched the baseball game, waiting for Daniel to appear. He realized it had been several minutes and rose to investigate, finding Daniel sitting stiffly in his truck.
“Daniel?” He said, in mild alarm at Daniel's stillness.
“Wrenched my back,” he managed to gasp out.
Jack sprang into action. “Okay.” He grabbed his phone and scrolled through. “Dr. Lesley, please. General Jack O'Neill,” he used his title shamelessly. “Hey, Doc, sorry to call so late. It's Daniel, he wrenched his back today and he's in a lot of pain.” He listened, nodding, his free hand automatically going to Daniel's shoulder. “Thanks, we'll be right there.” He closed his phone and hunched down, studying about how best to get Daniel over into the passenger seat. “The doc is going to meet us at the hospital.”
“I'm just going to take a hot bath. I don't need a hospital....”
“Yeah, baby, you do. At the very least, she's going to want X-rays. Hang on, just sit tight and let me do a couple of things.” He fed BJ, refilled his water, locked up and turned off the TV before slipping back into his tennis shoes. “Okay, I'm going to help you out of the truck, let me take as much of your weight as you need to. I'm going to sit you down on the steps while I turn the truck so you won't have to walk around to the other side.”
*
Jack was texting furiously when Dr. Lesley beckoned from the doorway. “Doc. What's the verdict?”
“Dr. Jackson pulled some ligaments in his lower back. I'm recommending he take a few days off work, if possible.”
Jack held up his phone. “Been working on that, Doc.”
She nodded. “I'd rather he not spend hours seated at a desk. He needs to walk, slowly and on a level surface. Limit stairs if possible. I'll be referring him for physical therapy, probably in home for the first few days. If you don't have a recliner, you might want to look into getting one. Sitting with his legs up takes pressure off the back.”
“Heating pad?”
“For brief periods of time. Don't burn him with it.” She saw his quizzical look. “It feels good enough that patients have been known to leave it on too long. Just keep an eye on him.”
“I can do that.” He wondered if the living room would hold one of those sectionals with multiple recliners as he followed her into the room where Daniel was trying to get his shoes back on.
“Daniel,” Jack scolded as he darted over, hunching down to help. “How did this happen anyway?” He asked as he tied the shoes.
“Amanda needed a box of paper and I was getting it off the shelf...”
It was right there, Jack would later tell Sam, that the world came to a crashing end. “At your age....” Dr. Lesley murmured as she jotted notes on her tablet.
Daniel's head shot up, as if someone had suggested the latest load of archaeological finds had been discovered in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. “Excuse me? Did you say 'at my age'?”
Dr. Lesley, sensing no danger, plowed on. “At your age and given your previous injuries, you shouldn't be lifting something that heavy especially at that height. I'm sure there are younger co-workers who could fulfill that task.”
Jack plunged into the silence. “Okay, you're gonna let us know about the physical therapy, right? Any meds?”
“You can pick his prescription up at the pharmacy on your way out.” She patted Daniel's knee. “Please take better care of yourself, Dr. Jackson.”
*
The silence lasted long after Jack had manhandled Daniel onto the living room couch. Then came a dose of meds, a bottle of water and the remote. “Just tell me if you need anything else,” Jack advised as he snatched his tablet, trying to remember the name of the store where they'd bought most of their furniture.
“I'm not old.” Daniel finally snapped.
“No one...” Jack stopped; someone had, in fact, said that very thing. “You're younger than me.” He offered helplessly.
“Did she actually say that I should get someone younger to get a box of fucking paper off a fucking shelf?” Jack started to reply when Daniel's phone chirped. “Where's my phone?”
Jack found it in the kitchen, handing it over reluctantly. “Daniel, you need to take it easy. You heard what the doc said.”
“Oh, I heard everything the doctor said. Loud and clear.” He punched his phone. “Yeah?” His lips tightened when his assistant Amanda began explaining her successful shuffle of his schedule. “Who told you to reschedule my appointments?” His eyes locked on Jack as Amanda floundered in explanation. “I'll get back to you.” He slapped the phone down on the coffee table. “Did you order my assistant to cancel my appointments without consulting me?”
Jack refused to quiver in the face of icy blue eyes. “Yes, I did and I'd do it again. You are not able to work. You cannot sit at that damned desk for hours at a time.” He held up his hand. “You can be as pissed as you like but I'm not going to apologize. Amanda is making a list of things we can't postpone and we may have to conference call a few things but you are staying home if I have to tie you to that sofa.”
“Jack,” Daniel's voice was strangely subdued.
“What, baby?” Jack perched on the side of the couch.
“When did I get old?”
Jack leaned forward to kiss that pout. “You're not old but I'm thinking you just discovered you may be as human as the rest of us. How many hours, hundreds of thousands of hours, have you spent scrunched down looking at carvings and writings and scribbles? Kneeling? Crawling? It's a miracle your back held out this long.”
“If I just....” Daniel started to move then hissed in pain.
“A hot bath is not going to fix this. Neither is a walk or anything but rest. Good thing we have that downstairs bedroom, isn't it?” Jack joked weakly. “We just thought it'd be for me. I'm gonna call for a pizza before I change the sheets in there and bring some clothes downstairs. Why don't you take a nap?”
*
By Wednesday evening, the living room was in chaos. The old sofa and chairs were being sent off to the Habitat for Humanity shop and the room was full of movers and the designer was trying to determine the best arrangement. She and Jack finally agreed on the placement of the sectional.
As is often the case, the buying didn't end with just a sectional. Jack had ordered Daniel a new office chair that offered more padding and lumbar support. Then he decided that the downstairs bedroom they'd been sharing had uncomfortable furniture, so that room had been stripped and a new queen-size bed now awaited them. Jack had reluctantly admitted the room was not big enough for a king.
The kitchen island now held an assortment of home baked bread, jams, a chocolate cake and various books and magazines; news had gone round the neighborhood that Daniel was laid up at home and goodies had begun arriving shortly thereafter. A hand-knit throw, in soft misty shades of green and smelling faintly of cedar, had appeared on the front porch; Jack was still trying to find out who had dug it out of some old piece of antique furniture.
Some enterprising soul had dropped off coloring books and pencils. And several hand-written 'get well cards' were displayed on the office credenza.
*
Jack lounged in the door of the study. “How's the new chair?”
Daniel hesitated. “Would you think any less of me if I tell you it's wonderful?”
Jack grinned back at him. “No, I wouldn't. You'll find one in your office when you get back to work.”
“Jack.” He felt obliged to protest but the chair felt so damned good. “Can I come out now? You haven't refurnished every room while I've been locked up in here, have you?”
He walked over to help Daniel to his feet. “Just the ones that needed it, I promise.”
*
They were snuggled up on the new recliner when Jack said, out of the blue, “We could, you know, retire.”
Daniel, moving slower than he would have liked even after two weeks, raised his head to stare. “Retire?”
“Retire. You know, throw the alarm clock out the window, go fishing whenever we want...okay, whenever, I want.” His face turned serious. “I don't think we have anything left to prove to anyone, Daniel.”
Daniel contemplated. “No, we don't. Can we? Really?”
“Everything we fought for is in good hands. Carter has her own geek squad to ride herd over, Teal'c pretty much comes and goes as he pleases. Tishie has your department in great shape.”
Daniel thought for a long moment. “What would we do? I mean, really, how long can you fish before you lose your mind?”
Jack chuckled. “Oh, about a week, I guess. As for you, I know I've seen more than one letter from some institution of higher learning, begging for your attention. And can you tell me that there isn't at least one elementary school that doesn't need a volunteer language tutor? You're always big on this giving back thing so do it. On your own terms, at your own pace. Plenty of little minds out there you can corrupt.”
“Well, Georgetown has offered me a professorship. I could teach two classes a semester, that's not too time consuming.” He hesitated. “I saw a notice in the newsletter that Ralph was forming a Habitat for Humanity team. We could take some time, build a couple of houses.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that. And Vidrine asked me to sit on a board for him. Angel Wings, they transport donated organs to hospitals. I told him I'd think about it but if we retire, I could actually fly for them. Keep my hours up. And the SGC is always going to have you on speed dial, you know that.” He kissed Daniel's temple. “How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a pretty busy retirement.”