Stargate SG-1: There For You
Original post date: September 23, 2006.
Title: There For You
Author: Lhinneill
Summary: When a member of SG-1 is injured offworld, the team draws together like the family they are to help each other through.
Rating: PG
Length: About 3000 words
Category: Action/Adventure, General, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Sam/Jack, teensy bit of Daniel/Janet, team friendship
Author's Note: Rewrite of my very first fic. Still not perfect, but it's still one of my favorites. If you really want to read the original, you can find it here at Heliopolis.
The gray iris covering earth’s Stargate slid open and the four members of SG-1 rushed through. Several energy blasts whizzed over their shoulders, sending sparks flying as they slammed into equipment in the embarkation room. At the command of General Hammond, the iris swiveled shut, blocking several more blasts.
“Medic! We need a medic down here!” Daniel’s frantic voice was heard over the sound of the ‘gate switching off.
Without hesitation, Hammond reached for the phone and paged Dr. Fraiser. Then, rushing down the steps, he arrived in the embarkation room in time to see Teal’c gently laying the unmoving form of Major Carter on the ramp. The other two members of SG-1 hovered over her, barely acknowledging the General’s arrival.
“Colonel! What happened?” he asked.
Colonel O’Neill glanced at him, his face streaked with dirt and sweat. “Damn planet wasn’t uninhabited, General,” he answered shortly.
Before General Hammond could ask another question, the voice of the base’s CMO rang clearly from the doorway, “Out of the way!” SFs scattered before the doctor, and she entered the room with her own battalion of white-coated medics and a gurney. Reluctantly, the male members of SG-1 moved aside to let the doctor care for their teammate.
“Colonel, who attacked you? Jaffa?” the General asked, gaining Colonel O’Neill’s attention.
The man ran both hands over his face, then through his short hair. “I don’t know, sir. We never saw them.”
A sudden command from Doctor Fraiser wrenched the Colonel’s attention away from General Hammond again, and he sighed. Until the team knew Major Carter would be well, he wouldn’t be getting much out of them. “Go get your team cleaned up, Colonel. We’ll debrief in an hour.”
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, his lips curving upwards just slightly when he saw who it was. “Daniel.”
Daniel nodded, “Jack.” He held out the cup of coffee he’d brought with him, “Thought you might like something to drink.”
“Thanks,” the Colonel accepted the steaming cup gratefully, then cautiously sipped it. It wasn’t hot enough to burn his mouth so he took a larger drink. Daniel wordlessly took the chair next to Jack. Seconds passed silently, slowly grinding into minutes. Jack drained the last of his coffee and then crumpled the styrofoam cup in his hand.
Two hours. That's how long his 2IC had been in surgery. Too long. And all that time, they’d heard nothing-good or bad. General Hammond had stopped by over a half hour before, ordering the team to get some rest. Reluctantly, the three male members of the team had scattered, Jack retreating to his quarters. Unable to rest, he'd returned less than ten minutes after leaving.
"Couldn't sleep, huh." Daniel said suddenly.
Jack looked up from his careful study of the floor, shooting a brief glance at his friend. "No," he said.
Daniel nodded, "Me neither." Silence descended again, though it only lasted a moment before the archaeologist spoke up again. “Jack, she’ll be fine. Janet’s doing everything she can.”
The words sounded hollow, as if Daniel was trying to reassure himself as much as Jack. Nodding, Jack muttered a low yeah, then sent the crushed cup flying to bounce off the wall. And again, the silence fell, thick and uncomfortable.
“O’Neill, DanielJackson.” This time it was Teal’c’s voice that broke the silence as he stepped into the room. Stopping beside them, he glanced around the room for a sign of his friend, or even Dr. Fraiser. "Has she not returned from surgery?" he asked.
Jack sighed, his eyes returning to their study of the floor.
“No,” Daniel said dejectedly. "She's...she's still in there."
At that moment, as if she'd been waiting for all three members to gather, the clicking of heels on the floor announced the approach of the base's CMO. Jack and Daniel rose to their feet, looking expectantly at her.
Janet sighed softly, then gave them a half-hearted smile that was probably supposed to look encouraging. "She's out of surgery," she announced unnecessarily.
“And…?” Daniel prodded impatiently, his eyes darting to Jack briefly. The Colonel's face was unreadable.
"She's in a coma,” Janet said. "I'm sorry. Whatever sort of energy weapon that was, it did a lot of damage to several major organs.”
“How bad?” Jack asked suddenly.
Janet sighed, “Bad.” They’d done all they could do, but she wasn’t about to tell SG-1 that. It was bad enough that she would have to inform General Hammond. But then, by the looks on the faces of the three men in front of her-she didn't have to tell them. They already knew.
“Can we see her?” Daniel asked hopefully.
Janet nodded, “I don’t see why not. Sam could use her friends right now.”
Jack was the first to move, pushing his way past Daniel and Janet to the door. Teal'c was next, Daniel staying behind to give Janet a smile of thanks before he followed his teammates. Janet watched them go, sighing sadly. It would be a rough night-for all of them. She still had a report to make to the General; a report she very much was not looking forward to.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
An hour later, after Daniel and Jack had reassured themselves that their friend was indeed alive, Teal'c sat in a light state of kel'no'reem next to Major Carter. Janet had returned a half hour before, directing them all to get some sleep. Unwilling to leave their friend alone, they chose to take turns sitting with her. Having no doubt expected as much, Dr. Fraiser didn't object.
But in spite of his assurances that he too would get some rest while staying with her, Teal’c’s kel'no'reem was troubled.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
The four members of SG-1 stepped through the event horizon. Three of them automatically raised their weapons, not trusting the MALP's report that the planed was uninhabited and safe. Finding that nothing seemed overly suspicious or dangerous, they lowered their weapons. Apparently the MALP had been correct.
“Carter," O'Neill began, turning to his 2IC, "You and Daniel go check out those ruins the UAV picked up. Teal’c and I'll go have a look around.”
The two scientists nodded, Major Carter giving a 'yes, sir' before they headed off to the north. Teal'c fell in beside the Tau'ri commander, gazing suspiciously at the heavily treed ridgeline running in a west to east direction ahead of them. He felt as though they were watched. Pausing in the shadow of a massive tree, he cocked his head to listen.
“Teal’c? What’s wrong?”
Raising a hand for silence, Teal'c scanned the dense vegetation again. Seeing nothing, he was about to respond to O'Neill's question when he heard the distinct sound of an energy weapon discharging, then saw a bright flash. Immediately, he dropped to a defensive position, staff weapon activating as he looked for a target. Nothing. The enemy was well concealed.
Distantly, he heard a shout, then the radio crackled to life. "Jack! Jack, Sam's been hit!"
There was a flash of movement behind and to the Jaffa’s right. Having heard a member of his team was injured; the Colonel had burst from cover. Teal’c followed swiftly, slamming into the man just as a blast flashed from the trees. Barely missing the two, it slammed into a tree, showering them with bark as they hit the ground...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
“Teal’c?” Daniel called. Usually the Jaffa didn't take this much to rouse from kel'no'reem. In fact, he often was just as aware of what happened around him when meditating as he was when not. "Teal'c," Daniel tried again.
That time, Teal'c seemed to hear him, and his eyes popped open abruptly. “DanielJackson," he greeted, rising to his feet.
“I was, uh, here to take my turn with Sam.” Daniel said, suddenly feeling awkward.
Teal'c bowed his head, then glanced quickly at Sam. A worried frown appeared on his face, only to disappear quickly behind the mask of impassiveness. Had Daniel not known him so well, he would have missed the look. "She hasn't...she hasn't changed, has she?"
“No," Teal'c said.
Disappointed, Daniel nodded. Pulling a nearby chair closer, he settled down for a long wait. Teal'c stood behind him for a moment, doubtlessly reluctant to leave his friend. Finally, though, Daniel heard the sound of the Jaffa's footsteps retreating out of the infirmary.
Now alone with his friend, Daniel sighed, pulling his glasses off to tiredly rub at his eyes. During the time Teal'c was sitting with Sam, Daniel was supposed to have been resting. However, sleep had eluded him and he'd ended up alternating between reading and restlessly pacing the floor of his on-base quarters. Every time he'd laid down, the image of his friend falling forward, her back smoking from the energy blast, filled his mind.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
The team split, Daniel and Sam going one way while Teal’c and Jack went the other. Daniel wasn’t all that surprised Jack had chosen to go with Teal’c rather then head directly for the ruins with the two scientists. If there was one thing Jack O'Neill hated, it was standing around for hours waiting for the two to finish examining some alien artifact.
Sam paused suddenly, and Daniel nearly ran into her back. She held up a hand, her eyes darting from something she saw on the ground, then to the heavily treed ridgeline above them. Daniel had just begun to ask her what she saw, when a bright flash filled his peripheral vision. The greenish energy flew from the trees, slamming into Sam's back before Daniel could shout a warning.
"Sam!" he cried, dashing towards his friend. More blasts flew from the cover of the trees, hitting the ground near him. Without thinking, he gripped the shoulders of his friend's tactical vest, tugging her through the dirt towards the cover of some rocks nearby. Awkwardly, he reached for his radio while still dragging her with one hand, "Jack! Jack, Sam's been hit!"
Once under the cover of the rocks, Daniel crouched beside his friend, checking for a pulse with a shaking hand. The soft thump, thump reassured him. She was alive. A shower of dirt rained down on him, reminding him that they were still in danger. Muttering a low curse, he fumbled for his pistol...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Daniel frowned; biting at the inside of his cheek as he listened to the beep, beep of the machines hooked to his friend. She was alive. All the signs-the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the monitors of the machines hooked to her-said she was alive. They hadn't lost her. Not yet anyway.
The sharp click of heels on the cement floor announced Janet's return, and Daniel turned to look up at her. She smiled softly, pulling a second chair up to sit by Daniel. "Are you okay?"
"Am...am I okay?" He shot a quick look at her, then sighed. "I'm fine."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"How are you holding up?" he asked finally.
She shrugged tiredly, her eyes moving to each of the monitors and then to her friend. "As well as can be expected." There was a pause, both just listening to the constant beeping of the monitors. "I called Cassie...told her I'd be staying the night here. She wanted to come see Sam, but I told her to wait..." her voice broke off suddenly. "I told her to wait until Sam woke up."
“Do you think she will?”
“What, Daniel?” Janet asked, surprised at the abruptness of Daniel's question.
"Wake up, Janet."
Janet sighed, looking away from Daniel's sharp gaze. "Yes, Daniel. I do," she said, pushing away Major Janet Fraiser, the doctor. Right now she was Janet Fraiser, the friend. Daniel didn't need to hear the medical prognosis. What he needed was someone to reassure him that one of his closest friends was not going to die. "Sam's strong. She'll pull through this."
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack slid into the darkened room, quickly taking in the sight of Daniel and Dr. Fraiser sitting next to each other, the petite doctor’s head resting on his shoulder. Moving closer, he saw she was asleep. Daniel looked like he could join her any moment. Sensing Jack, he stirred.
“Jack?”
“Daniel,” Jack’s eyes moved to Carter and he frowned. “How is she?”
“Hmm?” Daniel blinked; suddenly noticing the doctor had fallen asleep on his shoulder. “Oh, uh...”
“Daniel,” Jack said pointedly, nodding towards Sam.
“Oh!” Daniel exclaimed quietly, “She’s...she hasn’t changed, Jack.”
At the sound of their voices, Janet stirred, then sat up abruptly when she realized her head was resting on Daniel’s shoulder. “Colonel,” she said, blinking.
After giving her a clipped nod of acknowledgement, he glanced back to his unconscious friend. “I came by to...take my turn.”
Janet nodded, rising from her seat. “I’ll let you have some time, then.” She reached to touch Daniel’s shoulder, and he stood, nodding his agreement.
“Call me if she...if something changes,” he said.
“I will,” Jack promised.
As soon as the two were out of sight, he stepped to the side of the bed, silently gazing down at Carter’s pale face for a moment. “Hey Carter,” he said finally. “I brought ‘ya something.” He dug into the deep pocket of his BDUs, pulling out a bright yellow yo-yo and gently laying it in her hand. His hand lingered for a moment on her cool skin. Then, giving her hand a small squeeze, he stepped back and tiredly dropped into the nearest chair.
“You know,” he said softly. “You’ve gotta wake up, Carter.” He fell silent again for a moment, watching-hoping-for any sign she’d heard him. “I...” he sighed, looking away from her still form to the ceiling, his hands, the floor...anywhere he could avoid looking at her. “We can’t have that party ‘till you get better,” he finally said, his gaze returning to her face. It wasn’t what he’d meant to say. It wasn’t what he should’ve said. But for now, it was all he could say.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Gasping, Jack rolled out from beneath the heavy Jaffa. Blasts flew through the trees all around them, snapping the smaller saplings in two. Jack ducked a crashing limb, dropping beneath the cover of a thick bush. Above the constant fire of the alien weapons, he could hear the more familiar sound of Teal’c’s weapon discharging as he fired at their invisible enemies. So far, none had dared to show themselves for reasons Jack could only guess.
And whatever the reason, Jack found himself not caring. Daniel’s brief radio message had him on edge. One of his team was injured, and he was pinned down, unable to get to her.
Without warning, he felt a strong hand grip the back of his tactical vest, pulling him to his feet. Jack stumbled, struggling to get his footing as the Jaffa pulled him deeper into the dense cover of the vegetation. Cursing under his breath, he paused to release shower the unseen enemy with a full clip of bullets as soon as Teal’c let him go. He heard a low, strangled cry, and the blasts from the trees cut off abruptly. He’d hit something.
“O’Neill!”
Jack turned at his friend’s voice. The Jaffa motioned, then took off through the trees, bent low to the ground as he ran. Jack followed.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack squirmed uncomfortably in the hard chair, hopelessly trying to find a more comfortable position. He glanced at his wristwatch, frowning when he saw less than thirty minutes had passed. It felt like hours.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
He wanted to smack the damned machine.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Instead, he smacked the armrest of his chair.
“Damn it, Carter!” he shouted, pushing to his feet and stepping closer to her bed. “Wake up! That’s an order!”
No response.
Feeling guilty for his outburst, he angrily rubbed at his eyes, then trailed his fingers through his hair.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
“Damn it, Carter! Wake up! That’s an order!”
His voice rang clearly in her mind. She recognized it, clung to it like a lifeline. She wasn’t alone. But where was she? Last thing she remembered was the planet...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Sam moaned, drifting from oblivion. Gunshots rang out just above her head, and she cracked her eyes open. Daniel crouched beside her, occasionally firing over the rocks at someone. Who was he shooting at? She couldn’t remember.
Daniel ducked suddenly as a bright flash impacted the rocks, showering them both with flecks of stone and dirt. As he ducked, he glanced at her, eyes widening when he realized she was conscious. “Sam! You’re-oh thank God!”
She frowned, starting to say she was fine, but the words slurred off her lips. Distantly, she heard a shout, then loud voices over her. A shadow fell across her vision. “Carter!” the shadow shouted.
“Sir?” she murmured, trying to focus on his face.
“Stay with me, Carter.”
“Sorry ... sir...”
“Carter!”
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
She woke to the soft-and familiar-voices of Teal’c and her Colonel. They sounded distant.
“Has she awakened yet?”
“No, Teal’c. She hasn’t.”
Forcing her eyes open, she blinked. The ceiling appeared, blurry at first, then clearing some. Rolling her head on the pillow, she looked to her right where she’d heard the voices. Colonel O’Neill slumped in a chair, resting his head in one hand. Behind him, Teal’c, with hands clasped behind his back, stood guard over her and the Colonel. He glanced from Colonel O’Neill to her, their eyes meeting. Had she not known him better, she would have missed the smile that flashed across his face.
“O’Neill.”
“What?” he mumbled.
“She is awake.”
The Colonel shot up in his chair, smiling when he found her looking back at him. “Hey. Welcome back,” he said softly.
Returning his smile weakly, she murmured, “Good to be back, sir.” Her throat felt dry and scratchy, and she coughed. “Water?”
The Colonel nodded, reaching for the seemingly ever-present glass beside the bed as he stood. Gently resting a hand on hers, he let her drink a little before returning the glass to its place.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He smiled softly, “Think nothing of it.”
She nodded, her own smile returning as sleep tugged at her again. But first...what was in her hand? She moved her hand just enough to see what lay in her palm. Eyebrows shooting up in amusement, she glanced at her CO with another smile. “A yo-yo, sir?”
“Thought you might get bored,” he shrugged, his lips forming a quirky smile.
Behind the two, Teal’c smiled as well, knowing O’Neill didn’t realize that he was still holding her hand.
~Finis
Title: There For You
Author: Lhinneill
Summary: When a member of SG-1 is injured offworld, the team draws together like the family they are to help each other through.
Rating: PG
Length: About 3000 words
Category: Action/Adventure, General, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Sam/Jack, teensy bit of Daniel/Janet, team friendship
Author's Note: Rewrite of my very first fic. Still not perfect, but it's still one of my favorites. If you really want to read the original, you can find it here at Heliopolis.
The gray iris covering earth’s Stargate slid open and the four members of SG-1 rushed through. Several energy blasts whizzed over their shoulders, sending sparks flying as they slammed into equipment in the embarkation room. At the command of General Hammond, the iris swiveled shut, blocking several more blasts.
“Medic! We need a medic down here!” Daniel’s frantic voice was heard over the sound of the ‘gate switching off.
Without hesitation, Hammond reached for the phone and paged Dr. Fraiser. Then, rushing down the steps, he arrived in the embarkation room in time to see Teal’c gently laying the unmoving form of Major Carter on the ramp. The other two members of SG-1 hovered over her, barely acknowledging the General’s arrival.
“Colonel! What happened?” he asked.
Colonel O’Neill glanced at him, his face streaked with dirt and sweat. “Damn planet wasn’t uninhabited, General,” he answered shortly.
Before General Hammond could ask another question, the voice of the base’s CMO rang clearly from the doorway, “Out of the way!” SFs scattered before the doctor, and she entered the room with her own battalion of white-coated medics and a gurney. Reluctantly, the male members of SG-1 moved aside to let the doctor care for their teammate.
“Colonel, who attacked you? Jaffa?” the General asked, gaining Colonel O’Neill’s attention.
The man ran both hands over his face, then through his short hair. “I don’t know, sir. We never saw them.”
A sudden command from Doctor Fraiser wrenched the Colonel’s attention away from General Hammond again, and he sighed. Until the team knew Major Carter would be well, he wouldn’t be getting much out of them. “Go get your team cleaned up, Colonel. We’ll debrief in an hour.”
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, his lips curving upwards just slightly when he saw who it was. “Daniel.”
Daniel nodded, “Jack.” He held out the cup of coffee he’d brought with him, “Thought you might like something to drink.”
“Thanks,” the Colonel accepted the steaming cup gratefully, then cautiously sipped it. It wasn’t hot enough to burn his mouth so he took a larger drink. Daniel wordlessly took the chair next to Jack. Seconds passed silently, slowly grinding into minutes. Jack drained the last of his coffee and then crumpled the styrofoam cup in his hand.
Two hours. That's how long his 2IC had been in surgery. Too long. And all that time, they’d heard nothing-good or bad. General Hammond had stopped by over a half hour before, ordering the team to get some rest. Reluctantly, the three male members of the team had scattered, Jack retreating to his quarters. Unable to rest, he'd returned less than ten minutes after leaving.
"Couldn't sleep, huh." Daniel said suddenly.
Jack looked up from his careful study of the floor, shooting a brief glance at his friend. "No," he said.
Daniel nodded, "Me neither." Silence descended again, though it only lasted a moment before the archaeologist spoke up again. “Jack, she’ll be fine. Janet’s doing everything she can.”
The words sounded hollow, as if Daniel was trying to reassure himself as much as Jack. Nodding, Jack muttered a low yeah, then sent the crushed cup flying to bounce off the wall. And again, the silence fell, thick and uncomfortable.
“O’Neill, DanielJackson.” This time it was Teal’c’s voice that broke the silence as he stepped into the room. Stopping beside them, he glanced around the room for a sign of his friend, or even Dr. Fraiser. "Has she not returned from surgery?" he asked.
Jack sighed, his eyes returning to their study of the floor.
“No,” Daniel said dejectedly. "She's...she's still in there."
At that moment, as if she'd been waiting for all three members to gather, the clicking of heels on the floor announced the approach of the base's CMO. Jack and Daniel rose to their feet, looking expectantly at her.
Janet sighed softly, then gave them a half-hearted smile that was probably supposed to look encouraging. "She's out of surgery," she announced unnecessarily.
“And…?” Daniel prodded impatiently, his eyes darting to Jack briefly. The Colonel's face was unreadable.
"She's in a coma,” Janet said. "I'm sorry. Whatever sort of energy weapon that was, it did a lot of damage to several major organs.”
“How bad?” Jack asked suddenly.
Janet sighed, “Bad.” They’d done all they could do, but she wasn’t about to tell SG-1 that. It was bad enough that she would have to inform General Hammond. But then, by the looks on the faces of the three men in front of her-she didn't have to tell them. They already knew.
“Can we see her?” Daniel asked hopefully.
Janet nodded, “I don’t see why not. Sam could use her friends right now.”
Jack was the first to move, pushing his way past Daniel and Janet to the door. Teal'c was next, Daniel staying behind to give Janet a smile of thanks before he followed his teammates. Janet watched them go, sighing sadly. It would be a rough night-for all of them. She still had a report to make to the General; a report she very much was not looking forward to.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
An hour later, after Daniel and Jack had reassured themselves that their friend was indeed alive, Teal'c sat in a light state of kel'no'reem next to Major Carter. Janet had returned a half hour before, directing them all to get some sleep. Unwilling to leave their friend alone, they chose to take turns sitting with her. Having no doubt expected as much, Dr. Fraiser didn't object.
But in spite of his assurances that he too would get some rest while staying with her, Teal’c’s kel'no'reem was troubled.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
The four members of SG-1 stepped through the event horizon. Three of them automatically raised their weapons, not trusting the MALP's report that the planed was uninhabited and safe. Finding that nothing seemed overly suspicious or dangerous, they lowered their weapons. Apparently the MALP had been correct.
“Carter," O'Neill began, turning to his 2IC, "You and Daniel go check out those ruins the UAV picked up. Teal’c and I'll go have a look around.”
The two scientists nodded, Major Carter giving a 'yes, sir' before they headed off to the north. Teal'c fell in beside the Tau'ri commander, gazing suspiciously at the heavily treed ridgeline running in a west to east direction ahead of them. He felt as though they were watched. Pausing in the shadow of a massive tree, he cocked his head to listen.
“Teal’c? What’s wrong?”
Raising a hand for silence, Teal'c scanned the dense vegetation again. Seeing nothing, he was about to respond to O'Neill's question when he heard the distinct sound of an energy weapon discharging, then saw a bright flash. Immediately, he dropped to a defensive position, staff weapon activating as he looked for a target. Nothing. The enemy was well concealed.
Distantly, he heard a shout, then the radio crackled to life. "Jack! Jack, Sam's been hit!"
There was a flash of movement behind and to the Jaffa’s right. Having heard a member of his team was injured; the Colonel had burst from cover. Teal’c followed swiftly, slamming into the man just as a blast flashed from the trees. Barely missing the two, it slammed into a tree, showering them with bark as they hit the ground...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
“Teal’c?” Daniel called. Usually the Jaffa didn't take this much to rouse from kel'no'reem. In fact, he often was just as aware of what happened around him when meditating as he was when not. "Teal'c," Daniel tried again.
That time, Teal'c seemed to hear him, and his eyes popped open abruptly. “DanielJackson," he greeted, rising to his feet.
“I was, uh, here to take my turn with Sam.” Daniel said, suddenly feeling awkward.
Teal'c bowed his head, then glanced quickly at Sam. A worried frown appeared on his face, only to disappear quickly behind the mask of impassiveness. Had Daniel not known him so well, he would have missed the look. "She hasn't...she hasn't changed, has she?"
“No," Teal'c said.
Disappointed, Daniel nodded. Pulling a nearby chair closer, he settled down for a long wait. Teal'c stood behind him for a moment, doubtlessly reluctant to leave his friend. Finally, though, Daniel heard the sound of the Jaffa's footsteps retreating out of the infirmary.
Now alone with his friend, Daniel sighed, pulling his glasses off to tiredly rub at his eyes. During the time Teal'c was sitting with Sam, Daniel was supposed to have been resting. However, sleep had eluded him and he'd ended up alternating between reading and restlessly pacing the floor of his on-base quarters. Every time he'd laid down, the image of his friend falling forward, her back smoking from the energy blast, filled his mind.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
The team split, Daniel and Sam going one way while Teal’c and Jack went the other. Daniel wasn’t all that surprised Jack had chosen to go with Teal’c rather then head directly for the ruins with the two scientists. If there was one thing Jack O'Neill hated, it was standing around for hours waiting for the two to finish examining some alien artifact.
Sam paused suddenly, and Daniel nearly ran into her back. She held up a hand, her eyes darting from something she saw on the ground, then to the heavily treed ridgeline above them. Daniel had just begun to ask her what she saw, when a bright flash filled his peripheral vision. The greenish energy flew from the trees, slamming into Sam's back before Daniel could shout a warning.
"Sam!" he cried, dashing towards his friend. More blasts flew from the cover of the trees, hitting the ground near him. Without thinking, he gripped the shoulders of his friend's tactical vest, tugging her through the dirt towards the cover of some rocks nearby. Awkwardly, he reached for his radio while still dragging her with one hand, "Jack! Jack, Sam's been hit!"
Once under the cover of the rocks, Daniel crouched beside his friend, checking for a pulse with a shaking hand. The soft thump, thump reassured him. She was alive. A shower of dirt rained down on him, reminding him that they were still in danger. Muttering a low curse, he fumbled for his pistol...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Daniel frowned; biting at the inside of his cheek as he listened to the beep, beep of the machines hooked to his friend. She was alive. All the signs-the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the monitors of the machines hooked to her-said she was alive. They hadn't lost her. Not yet anyway.
The sharp click of heels on the cement floor announced Janet's return, and Daniel turned to look up at her. She smiled softly, pulling a second chair up to sit by Daniel. "Are you okay?"
"Am...am I okay?" He shot a quick look at her, then sighed. "I'm fine."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"How are you holding up?" he asked finally.
She shrugged tiredly, her eyes moving to each of the monitors and then to her friend. "As well as can be expected." There was a pause, both just listening to the constant beeping of the monitors. "I called Cassie...told her I'd be staying the night here. She wanted to come see Sam, but I told her to wait..." her voice broke off suddenly. "I told her to wait until Sam woke up."
“Do you think she will?”
“What, Daniel?” Janet asked, surprised at the abruptness of Daniel's question.
"Wake up, Janet."
Janet sighed, looking away from Daniel's sharp gaze. "Yes, Daniel. I do," she said, pushing away Major Janet Fraiser, the doctor. Right now she was Janet Fraiser, the friend. Daniel didn't need to hear the medical prognosis. What he needed was someone to reassure him that one of his closest friends was not going to die. "Sam's strong. She'll pull through this."
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack slid into the darkened room, quickly taking in the sight of Daniel and Dr. Fraiser sitting next to each other, the petite doctor’s head resting on his shoulder. Moving closer, he saw she was asleep. Daniel looked like he could join her any moment. Sensing Jack, he stirred.
“Jack?”
“Daniel,” Jack’s eyes moved to Carter and he frowned. “How is she?”
“Hmm?” Daniel blinked; suddenly noticing the doctor had fallen asleep on his shoulder. “Oh, uh...”
“Daniel,” Jack said pointedly, nodding towards Sam.
“Oh!” Daniel exclaimed quietly, “She’s...she hasn’t changed, Jack.”
At the sound of their voices, Janet stirred, then sat up abruptly when she realized her head was resting on Daniel’s shoulder. “Colonel,” she said, blinking.
After giving her a clipped nod of acknowledgement, he glanced back to his unconscious friend. “I came by to...take my turn.”
Janet nodded, rising from her seat. “I’ll let you have some time, then.” She reached to touch Daniel’s shoulder, and he stood, nodding his agreement.
“Call me if she...if something changes,” he said.
“I will,” Jack promised.
As soon as the two were out of sight, he stepped to the side of the bed, silently gazing down at Carter’s pale face for a moment. “Hey Carter,” he said finally. “I brought ‘ya something.” He dug into the deep pocket of his BDUs, pulling out a bright yellow yo-yo and gently laying it in her hand. His hand lingered for a moment on her cool skin. Then, giving her hand a small squeeze, he stepped back and tiredly dropped into the nearest chair.
“You know,” he said softly. “You’ve gotta wake up, Carter.” He fell silent again for a moment, watching-hoping-for any sign she’d heard him. “I...” he sighed, looking away from her still form to the ceiling, his hands, the floor...anywhere he could avoid looking at her. “We can’t have that party ‘till you get better,” he finally said, his gaze returning to her face. It wasn’t what he’d meant to say. It wasn’t what he should’ve said. But for now, it was all he could say.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Gasping, Jack rolled out from beneath the heavy Jaffa. Blasts flew through the trees all around them, snapping the smaller saplings in two. Jack ducked a crashing limb, dropping beneath the cover of a thick bush. Above the constant fire of the alien weapons, he could hear the more familiar sound of Teal’c’s weapon discharging as he fired at their invisible enemies. So far, none had dared to show themselves for reasons Jack could only guess.
And whatever the reason, Jack found himself not caring. Daniel’s brief radio message had him on edge. One of his team was injured, and he was pinned down, unable to get to her.
Without warning, he felt a strong hand grip the back of his tactical vest, pulling him to his feet. Jack stumbled, struggling to get his footing as the Jaffa pulled him deeper into the dense cover of the vegetation. Cursing under his breath, he paused to release shower the unseen enemy with a full clip of bullets as soon as Teal’c let him go. He heard a low, strangled cry, and the blasts from the trees cut off abruptly. He’d hit something.
“O’Neill!”
Jack turned at his friend’s voice. The Jaffa motioned, then took off through the trees, bent low to the ground as he ran. Jack followed.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Jack squirmed uncomfortably in the hard chair, hopelessly trying to find a more comfortable position. He glanced at his wristwatch, frowning when he saw less than thirty minutes had passed. It felt like hours.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
He wanted to smack the damned machine.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Instead, he smacked the armrest of his chair.
“Damn it, Carter!” he shouted, pushing to his feet and stepping closer to her bed. “Wake up! That’s an order!”
No response.
Feeling guilty for his outburst, he angrily rubbed at his eyes, then trailed his fingers through his hair.
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
“Damn it, Carter! Wake up! That’s an order!”
His voice rang clearly in her mind. She recognized it, clung to it like a lifeline. She wasn’t alone. But where was she? Last thing she remembered was the planet...
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
Sam moaned, drifting from oblivion. Gunshots rang out just above her head, and she cracked her eyes open. Daniel crouched beside her, occasionally firing over the rocks at someone. Who was he shooting at? She couldn’t remember.
Daniel ducked suddenly as a bright flash impacted the rocks, showering them both with flecks of stone and dirt. As he ducked, he glanced at her, eyes widening when he realized she was conscious. “Sam! You’re-oh thank God!”
She frowned, starting to say she was fine, but the words slurred off her lips. Distantly, she heard a shout, then loud voices over her. A shadow fell across her vision. “Carter!” the shadow shouted.
“Sir?” she murmured, trying to focus on his face.
“Stay with me, Carter.”
“Sorry ... sir...”
“Carter!”
---------------)(/--/)(---------------
She woke to the soft-and familiar-voices of Teal’c and her Colonel. They sounded distant.
“Has she awakened yet?”
“No, Teal’c. She hasn’t.”
Forcing her eyes open, she blinked. The ceiling appeared, blurry at first, then clearing some. Rolling her head on the pillow, she looked to her right where she’d heard the voices. Colonel O’Neill slumped in a chair, resting his head in one hand. Behind him, Teal’c, with hands clasped behind his back, stood guard over her and the Colonel. He glanced from Colonel O’Neill to her, their eyes meeting. Had she not known him better, she would have missed the smile that flashed across his face.
“O’Neill.”
“What?” he mumbled.
“She is awake.”
The Colonel shot up in his chair, smiling when he found her looking back at him. “Hey. Welcome back,” he said softly.
Returning his smile weakly, she murmured, “Good to be back, sir.” Her throat felt dry and scratchy, and she coughed. “Water?”
The Colonel nodded, reaching for the seemingly ever-present glass beside the bed as he stood. Gently resting a hand on hers, he let her drink a little before returning the glass to its place.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He smiled softly, “Think nothing of it.”
She nodded, her own smile returning as sleep tugged at her again. But first...what was in her hand? She moved her hand just enough to see what lay in her palm. Eyebrows shooting up in amusement, she glanced at her CO with another smile. “A yo-yo, sir?”
“Thought you might get bored,” he shrugged, his lips forming a quirky smile.
Behind the two, Teal’c smiled as well, knowing O’Neill didn’t realize that he was still holding her hand.
~Finis