DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
Chapter 21: The Sun Breaks Through
Jack felt something missing...
His hand slinked over to his left...definitely something missing.
Daniel...
Jack pushed himself up on his elbows and looked around...
"Daniel!"
The sound of rough coughing echoed from the direction of the bathroom, the sound going on and on until Jack could almost feel it physically...sympathetically sharing his friend's pain...
"Daniel?"
" Coming...hang on..."
Jack could hear a metallic clank, a thump, then Daniel moving...the crutch clicking as it sank into the hardwood floor. Finally Daniel was on his way back, Jack could see the younger man had changed clothes...now dressed in dark blue sweats, still far too large for him. There was something wrapped in a towel under his free arm, plus a triangular bottle of green liquid in his hand, Nyquil.
Jack laughed to himself and shook his head, then put his stern face on.
"Daniel, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "I think I may have figured out a way to get you out of there..."
Jack's protests died at the words, he was way beyond ready to get out. If Daniel had an idea important enough to drag him up as sick as he was, Jack was more than ready to listen.
Daniel outlined his plan quickly, unwrapping the object in the towel showing Jack a wheel from what looked like a lawn mower or cart. Daniel had cut away the rubber to reveal a rimmed wheel that looked remarkably like a pulley.
"Now all I need is some rope and we're in business."
Jack shook his head, amazed at the simplicity of the plan.
"Rope? I saw some in the pantry."
Daniel nodded and headed off. Jack tracked the sounds of the crutch hitting the ground rhythmically, the occasional stifled cough, the creak of the pantry door and a muffled 'yes'...
Though this wasn't the first time Jack had been in such a situation, it was the first time it wasn't occurring under some sort of urgently perilous circumstance. It was strange how the forced inaction had made him appreciate the simple freedom to do things...not to mention the patience it took to be still.
'It takes a whole damn lot of work to be still...'
And yet in the stillness, Jack had found truth...and that he did understand. Their misbegotten vacation had progressed pretty much as their lives had lately...one crisis after another...but somehow events had conspired to allow things to begin to work out between them. Jack definitely did not want to repeat the experience, but he couldn't say he was sorry it had happened either.
'My knees might be sorry once I'm out of here...'
The falling tarp interrupted Jack's thoughts. Daniel had untied the canvas and was rigging the pulley...wheel...with a length of rope strung through the hole and tossed over one of the remaining overhead support beams. Daniel looped more around through the wheel's rim and the whole thing was then hoisted up and anchored to one of the upright posts.
It looked like it should work...
Jack held his breath as Daniel used his crutch to lasso the beam on top of the debris pile, a few misses...so close... then it was looped and Daniel was coaxing it snugly into place before tossing the end of the rope over to Jack.
Daniel reappeared around the debris, his breathing a bit rough. "Think you can push it off with one of those boards when I get it up?"
'When not if...that's my boy...'
Jack nodded. "Sure, no problem. I am way past ready to get out of here."
Daniel smiled as he pulled on some old work gloves he'd found. "Me, too. You...You know..."
The 'stumbling over his own thoughts' tone conveyed many things and Jack wondered once again how Daniel managed it. This particular tone said 'this may not work,' 'the whole thing might come down,' are you sure you want to do this?'
Jack responded to the unspoken things, knowing with an absolute certainty there was really only one thing to say...something he should have said a long, long time ago, when he had first recognized the truth of it.
"I trust you, Daniel. Let's do it."
Daniel looked down at Jack...almost visibly gauging the truth behind the words. Finally, he nodded and moved to select a board long enough for the purpose. Jack shifted around on his side, seeking the optimum position for as much leverage as possible. Daniel passed over a sturdy two-by-four, taking up the rope then looking down one last time, head tilted a bit in question...last chance to back out...
Jack grinned and nodded his head, trying to impart trust and faith in the space of a single glance...
"Ready when you are."