Title: Reality
Author: curse_of_avalon
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Jack, Sam, Janet, Daniel, Teal'c
Spoilers: Children of the gods
Word count: 1312
Summary: Jack wakes up in the infirmary and can't seem to remember.
Author's notes: Critique appreciated
Disclaimer: All characters, names etc. aren't mine but belong to the SciFi channel. Not making money with this, just spreading the cheer.

The dull ache in his head flared up to a raging headache as he felt his mind climbing the ladder to consciousness and for a moment Jack contemplated to slump back into sweet, blissful darkness. But before he could convince himself he felt a groan fight its way out of his dry throat, starting a strong cough in the middle of the exclamation. A few expletives came to his mind but before he could utter them he felt a hand on his arm.

"Colonel O'Neill?"

With considerable force Jack opened his eyes and then shut them again, the white light in the room bringing tears into them.

"I think he's waking up. Get Major Carter and SG-1 down here stat!"

Blinking a few times he tried again, slower and this time did swear as a penlight was shoved into his face almost immediately.

"What the hell?!"

Squeezing his eyes shut once more his hands reached out to grab whoever started the torture and shove their hands away.

"Colonel calm down or I'll get the orderlies in!"

The voice registered and he scoffed.

"You and that damn penlight Frasier!"

"Stop fussing Colonel and let's get it over with."

With a groan Jack sunk deeper back into the pillow and clamped his mouth shut, knowing that if he kept his fussing up it would take longer or the Doc would make real of her threat and get some burly orderlies in.

"What happened to me? I feel like my head had a meeting with a Jackhammer."

"I'll explain soon. You had us worried for awhile here Sir."

Jack swallowed around the dryness in his mouth, trying to gather up some saliva to wet his parched mouth.

"Can I have some water Janet?"

"Sure Sir."

Soon the petite Doctor leaned in and shoveled some ice chips into his mouth, smiling softly and understanding as he winced.

"It's good to see you awake Sir."

He could hear the relief in her voice.

"How long was I out Doc?"

"Three days Sir. Believe me Sam is a wreck by now. She'll be relieved to see you awake."

A frown wrinkled his forehead but he let the comment go. SG-1 worried about each other. That was nothing new.

"God damnit Janet what happened to me?"

Grabbing his head, Jack winced as another flash of pain made it through his skull, making him wonder if it would split in two in a few seconds.

"Jack!"

His head spun around sharply at the exclamation coming from the infirmary doorway, his brow furrowing as he realized it had been coming from the mouth of none other but his 2IC, Samantha Carter. An odd feeling settled in his stomach as Jack saw her rushing towards him, beaming through her teary eyes, not at all alleviated by his now full fledged frown. No, it didn't even stop her from almost jumping onto him in the bed, hugging him fiercely, making him wince, and letting a sob lose.

"Jeez Carter! I was only out for three days. Not my record if I remember correctly."

At the mention of her surname she broke lose, her arms sliding from around him slowly as if still processing and then her brows knitted in a frown equaling his. Her head tilted to the side, then Sam's eyes flitted to Janet, a hint of panic in the huge baby blues.

"Jack...?"

"Hey we came as fast as possible when we heard your awake!"

Daniels entry was emphasized by the loud bang when the door was thrown open and crashed into the wall, making Jack wince once more.

"It is indeed most enjoyable that you have woken O'neill"

Came T's deep baritone.

"Ok guys keep it down. The Colonel is still suffering from a severe headache, also Dr. Jackson I'd like to note that the doors of my infirmary don't have to be shouldered open, they function just fine. Look I still haven't completed the exam so Teal'c, Daniel please wait outside. When we're done you can come back in. Silently."

The short Dr. huffed and puffed until a slightly struggling Daniel was pushed back out the door by Teal'c and then turned back towards the Colonel, who looked as confused as ever, if not more and Sam whose look for once matched O'Neill's.

"Colonel O'Neill. Can you tell me what your last memory is?"

"Not much actually. Carter, the guys and me were on the mission to P3X whatever. T and I were checking the perimeter, Daniel was checking some ruins and Carter took the usual soil samples when I heard Daniel crying out. Then I only remember breaking into a jog to get to him and that's it."

"Nothing beyond that Sir?"

Janet kept asking, apparently not satisfied with his answer. By now Carter had slumped down in an infirmary chair across from his bed, her elbows on her knees and her face cradled in her hands.

"Yes...why Doc?"

Absently rubbing his temples, Jack tried to massage some of the pressure in his skull away. Then he noticed it, the look going on between Frasier and Carter and something told him that he might be missing a few important facts.

"Sam, why don't you go update General Hammond on Ja...Colonel O'Neills status while I'll get some tests done and find some answers?"

Carter nodded numbly, shoulders dropping a bit more as she shot him a look, hoping for recognition and seeing none. Then she left quietly, a stark contrast to her entry.

"Doc what's going on? And not just with me, Carter seems off too."

A sympathetic look tried to smother him and his gut's turned into ice. Something was definitely wrong if Napoleon Frasier turned her gentle look, usually reserved for Daniel and Carter, on him, instead of breaking out the big needles.

"You rarely call her Carter these times Sir."

The frown was back, knitting Jack's brow in what he was sure would end up being his deepest wrinkle once he got older.

"I guess you can't remember that Colonel?"

Shaking his head he slouched down in the somewhat scratchy cushion of his bed.

"We'll know more after the test's. After the blow you've taken to the head amnesia could be considered a common result."

"Amnesia? Look Doc I am quite sure that I remember everything, up until when I must've received the blow to the head."

"But you don't remember Sam? Or your relations to her?"

"My relations to her are that she is my second in comment Dr. and nothing else!"

Janet jumped back as he half snarled the comment into her direction and then once more laid a calming hand on his forearm hoping to get him to appease him.

"Col...Jack...Sam is not your second in command and hasn't been since the last Abydos Mission back in 1997."

The anger he had felt before, at the question of the CMO, fled his body and left him behind weak. Jack's ears rung, his eyes wild as he looked at Frasier, then to the door and then back to Frasier, unsure if he had heard the petite Doctor correctly. All of a sudden his throat closed tightly and his mouth went dry once more.

"What?"

He croaked out before closing his eyes, the pain in his head returning full force, making it unbearable to keep them open. Soon after that Jack felt the pull of drugs in his system and, like they ordered him, he succumbed to sleep.