Title: Wanna Go Fishing?
Author: Wendy Parkinson
Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Category: S/J
Spoilers: Nemesis
Season/Sequel info: Set during Nemesis. Sequel to my previous
story, Seize the Day (on my website at http://www.parkin404.freeserve.co.uk/stories/seizethe.htm)
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: none
Summary: Jack's thoughts on inviting Sam on holiday with him.
Date: 26th May 2000
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko
Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created
solely for entertainment 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.
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly
appreciated. No flames please.
copyright Wendy Parkinson May 2000
WANNA GO FISHING?
Jack O'Neill hesitated outside the infirmary. He hated hospital
visiting. After the initial 'How are you feeling?', conversation
always dried up. He usually ate too many grapes and ended up
feeling sick.
But deep down, there was another reason for his unease. Too many
memories of pain, death and missions gone wrong. The screams of
missing comrades. Over the years, he'd lost too many friends,
come close himself far too many times.
He shuddered. This was ridiculous, he told himself. Anyone could
get appendicitis, Daniel wasn't about to die. Shaking himself, he
shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to look relaxed as he
strolled into the infirmary.
He had to get this over with, then he could go and find Sam. Jack
had decided that after all they had been through over the last
few months, today was the time to finally take Samantha's advice
and seize the day. He'd made up his mind to ask Sam to go on
vacation with him, to Minnesota. Running his hand through his
newly cut hair, he reflected that he had to make the invitation
look non-threatening, a spur of the moment kind of thing. He
didn't want to scare her off by coming on too heavy. To make it
look casual, he was going to ask Daniel first but he knew the
archaeologist would say no. After all, not only had he just had
surgery but he'd told Jack on numerous occasions how much he
hated fishing.
Pausing slightly to let a nurse walk past, he entered the
infirmary and saw Daniel lying in bed. He tried to look cheerful
but it was hard when he saw how ill his friend looked.
"Hey!"
"Hey!" replied Daniel, with less enthusiasm than was
usual for him.
"How ya doing?" asked Jack.
"Good. Did you have your hair cut?"
Jack answered him self-consciously, "Yeah, why?" then
wondered if Sam would notice. He didn't normally pay much
attention to his appearance, it had been quite a while since he'd
tried to impress anyone.
"No reason."
Jack wondered if Daniel suspected the reason for his haircut and
decided to change the subject. "Can I see your scar?"
"No." Daniel frowned slightly at Jack in an offended
kind of way.
Jack tried again. "Er.... Fraiser says it'll be about a week
before you're out of here."
"You know, it's funny.... I mean after everything we've been
through these past few years and of all things, it's my appendix
that lays me out. But it's not going to be a week... I mean I'm
practically.... I feel fine now."
Jack looked critically at his friend. He certainly didn't *look*
fine. The colonel took a deep breath. Now was the time to ask,
"Wanna go fishing?"
"Actually, I wouldn't... er..."
Jack's heart missed a beat. He wasn't going to say 'yes', was he?
"Well maybe..." Daniel tried to sit up, grimaced in
pain and then lay down again. "Ahem... no, you know, maybe I
will stay here for two or three days..."
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could go and find Sam. He
said "Bye" to Daniel and left the infirmary, wondering
if the archaeologist had thought it strange he'd invited him
fishing.
Jack found Sam in her lab. He couldn't begin to guess what she
was doing. "Carter!"
"Sir. Hi, how's Daniel?" Sam turned to face him.
"Oh, he's going to be fine. What are you doing?" Jack
instantly regretted asking the question when he realised he had
no hope of understanding the answer.
"I'm getting ready to do a detailed analysis of the decay
rate of naquadah within the reactor. It's really quite amazing,
that unlike plutonium, naquadah actually has a ....
No, he didn't understand the answer. "Ah ah aaaahhh! I'm on
vacation!"
"Yes, sir."
"So are you." And I'd love to hear you call me 'Jack',
not 'sir', he thought to himself. He could feel his stomach
turning somersaults, as he worked up the courage to ask her about
the vacation. With a jolt, he realised Sam was speaking.
"I know. It's not that I'm happy that Daniel's in
excruciating pain or anything like that but I've actually been
looking forward to an opportunity like this for quite some
time."
"You know, maybe it's just me but I always thought that when
one got some leave, one actually left." Sam treated him to
one of her dazzling smiles. It made him feel kind of warm and
fuzzy inside. He loved the way she laughed at his jokes, no
matter how lame they were. "Daniel's recouping, Teal'c's off
visiting his kid somewhere." Now was the time, he was going
to ask her... he was... "Personally I have a date with a
little lake in Minnesota where the bass grow *that* big." He
held his arms outstretched, demonstrating the monster fish he
intended to catch.
"Really?" Sam obviously didn't believe a word.
"Oh yes! What I'm describing here, Carter, involves a very
special element."
"This is fun to me, sir."
That wasn't what Jack had meant. As far as he was concerned, the
'special element' was Sam accompanying him. He couldn't care less
about the fish. "Well, if playing with your little reactor
sounds better than exploring the lakes and natural beauty of
Northern Minnesota, there's not much I can do." He struggled
to stop himself shaking with anticipation, he felt like a
teenager asking a girl on a first date. Would she say 'yes'?
"Was that an invitation..... sir?"
Of course it was, he wanted to scream. She looked interested
though. Make it casual, he told himself, make it casual.
"Nothing wrong with that, is there? Couple of co-workers,
friends, if you will, fishing. It'd be fun." He waited
expectantly. Her answer wasn't what he'd dreamed of.
"Wow. I appreciate the offer, sir. Really sounds great. But
I should...."
Summoning up his best 'nonchalant' expression, even though it
felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach, he said, more abruptly
than he intended to, "No sweat. See you in a week." He
had to get out of there before she saw how disappointed he was.
As an afterthought, he turned in the doorway and added, with a
wave of his arm, "And by all means, have fun!"
Walking down the corridor, he sighed to himself. Well, O'Neill,
he thought, so much for seizing the day. You're better off
sticking to fishing. Then he heard footsteps behind him. His
breath caught in his throat when he heard Sam's voice.
"Colonel!.... Ah....." She paused, as he stopped and
swung round to face her, seemingly at a loss for words. Jack
found himself hoping she was going to change her mind and come
fishing with him. "Have a good time," she added.
Jack watched her closely. She was definitely hesitating, so close
to agreeing to the vacation. He decided he had nothing to lose,
she just needed a little gentle persuasion.
"Land of sky blue waters... loofahs.... be sure ya betcha
snookums... mosquitoes....
She was going to say 'yes', he could see it in her face. Then he
realised he couldn't see her face but somehow, in spite of this,
his mouth kept going.
.... Home of the loon."
What the hell was that? Where was he? Then recognition dawned.
"Thor?" As he began to walk down the corridor on the
Asgard ship he swore to himself that Thor better have a good
reason for this, or he'd kick his little grey butt from here to
the other side of the galaxy.