Meant to Be (15/?) Sam/Janet femslash
O'Neill quietly let himself into Sam's room at 0700hrs the next morning. He had hoped to see Janet sleeping, but the small medic was seated by Sam's head, holding her hand between her own, and just staring into her lover's face.
"How is she, doc?" O'Neill asked in a quiet voice.
"Not good," Janet's voice was thick with emotion. "She had a rough night. Her fever is still dangerously high." She gestured to the monitor above Sam's head, which showed her temperature at a steady 104. "If this continues for much longer, there's a real risk of brain damage."
"Not gonna happen, doc," O'Neill said gently. "Nothing bad's gonna happen to that giant brain of hers."
"I hope you're right," Janet was tight-lipped with tension and exhaustion.
"You look terrible," O'Neill said. "Have you gotten any sleep at all?"
"I've dozed," Janet said. She looked up at him, and saw the concern in his eyes. "Oh no," fear crept into her voice. "You're not gonna try and make me leave her, are you? I'm not going anywhere. I wouldn't sleep anyway. Not until she's better. I don't care what...."
"Whoa!" O'Neill held up his hands in mock surrender. "Janet, it's okay," his voice was kind. "I didn't come to get you to leave her. I know there's nowhere else you want to be. Though you should try and sleep here if you possibly can. She'll need you when she wakes up."
Tears filled Janet's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm not thinking straight. I snapped at Sharon earlier when she told me I should eat breakfast. You're right, and she's right."
"Where is she?" O'Neill looked around the room, seeing no sign of Janet's senior nurse.
"Getting me breakfast," Janet half-smiled, ruefully. "And phoning her family, I hope. She's been amazing, says she won't leave until Sam's on the road to recovery. And I know how much she's missing the kids."
"And Cora," Sharon said as she re-entered the room, bearing a tray from the commissary. "She sends her love, Janet. To both of you."
Janet nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"Mikey's real sad to hear Sam's sick," Sharon continued. "Cora says he's painted a picture for her to make her feel better. He said he wanted her to bring it in, so that 'Captain Sam' can have something cheerful to look at while she gets better."
A fat tear rolled down Janet's cheek. She reached out and ran her hand down Sam's flushed cheek. "Hear that baby? We're all rooting for you."
O'Neill placed a comforting hand on Janet's shoulder. "I'm heading out now, with Daniel and Teal'c," he said. "I'm not sure what time we'll be back. We might have a lead," he spoke cautiously, not wanting to give Janet too much information until he was sure what the outcome of the day would be. "I spoke to Ernie yesterday. I'll keep you informed," he promised. "And you call if there's any news on Carter, huh?" he nodded to the prone figure on the bed.
"I swear," Janet said.
She was touched when O'Neill leant down and kissed Sam on the cheek.
"Hang on in there, Carter," O'Neill's words were soft. "I need you out there with me, covering my ass. Confusing me with your explanations. You're the best I've ever worked with."
= = =
"He'll be early," O'Neill said to Daniel and Teal'c as they headed toward the reservoir. "At least half an hour. He'll want to make sure it's all safe. So we have to be there, and hidden, before he shows up."
Daniel nodded agreement. "He's an asshole, but he's not stupid," his language was uncharacteristically coarse. "God I hope he shows up."
"He'll be there," O'Neill said. "And we'll be ready for him."
"He will pay for what he has done to Captain Carter," Teal'c said. "We will not permit him to escape."
= = =
At 0950hrs, O'Neill looked up as he heard a car approaching. His truck was hidden in the bushes near the water. He raised his binoculars to his eyes. "It's him," he confirmed. "It's him," he spoke into his radio. "Into positions, now."
David Richmond settled into the driver's seat of his car. He wanted to be early, to take Ernie by surprise. He wanted to remain in control of the situation, so he turned his car round so that it was facing back up the lane he'd just driven along. If Ernie had anybody with him, or if he behaved unexpectedly, he would just drive back up the lane at high speed, and Ernie would be powerless to do anything about it. He was so busy gloating about his foolproof plan that he was totally taken by surprise when his door was wrenched open, and he came face to face with an angry O'Neill, who held a pistol to his head. In a blind panic, he kicked the door, which rebounded and hit O'Neill on the shoulder, knocking him temporarily off balance. David threw the car into gear, and screeched off up the lane. He couldn't believe how close he had come to getting caught. Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief, he rounded the bend in the lane, and saw that his path was blocked by six military Hummers, all of them filled with heavily armed airmen. He saw 24 P-90s trained on him, and he knew his luck had finally run out.
He couldn't go back to prison. He knew that. And he had killed that blonde bitch. Judging by the helicopter that he had seen over the scene, they had already found the body. The military were protective of their own. Maybe he wouldn't go to prison. Maybe they would take him back to that top-secret facility and he would 'disappear' from the system, thrown to the mercy of that bitch's friends. Who included the huge black guy with the bizarre tattoo, he remembered. And the older guy with the gun. He had seen the look in his eye. They would make him suffer. His life wouldn't be worth living. And God only knew what lies they would tell to Janet. She'd never have him back. Not now. Even though she needed him, he thought bitterly. If just she had realized that he was acting in her best interests. She needed him to guide her. She made all the wrong decisions when he wasn't there to take care of her. No, he couldn't let them catch him. It was over. There was only one thing he could do.
David suddenly reversed his car, the tires screeching as he turned it around, and gunned the engine. Within seconds he saw a startled looking O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c as he reappeared in the clearing where they stood. They jumped rapidly to the side, missing being hit by the speeding car by a split second. "Oh my God," Daniel said. "He's gonna do it. He's actually gonna do it."
O'Neill knew what Daniel meant. He hated David Richmond more than anybody on Earth -- or offworld, he realized -- but he had to try to stop him. Suicide was an ugly way to go. So he levelled his gun, aiming at the tires of the speeding vehicle. He managed to blow out both of the rear tires. The car swerved dangerously, but if anything its speed increased. As he neared the edge of the reservoir, David hit a large boulder, throwing the car into the air at a crazy angle, so that it arced viciously as it left the ground. It hit the water with an almighty splash. The impact snapped his neck, killing him instantly.
The three male members of SG-1 stood open-mouthed as the car started to sink.
"We should probably try and pull him out," Daniel said.
"We should," Teal'c agreed. "But we will not," his tone brooked no argument.
"He'll be dead anyway," O'Neill said in a monotone. "He wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Nobody could survive that impact."
"Good," Daniel said, and turned away.
"Danny boy?" O'Neill's voice was concerned. Usually Daniel was the one who preached forgiveness and mercy.
"He doesn't deserve to live," Daniel said. "Look at what he did to Sam. And Janet. He's lucky we didn't catch him," he spat.
O'Neill nodded. "I'll call General Hammond," he said.
= = =
"I can't eat any more," Janet's said as she pushed the half-eaten bowl to one side.
Sharon smiled. "That's okay," she said softly. "You did good." She took the tray away and set it outside in the corridor. She returned to Janet, and knelt at her feet.
"You're exhausted, Janet," she said gently. "You haven't left her side. I've put some clean BDUs in the bathroom, I think you'll feel better if you take a shower. Get out of these clothes," she pulled at Janet's uniform shirt. "You'll be more comfortable in BDUs. You can leave the door open in the bathroom, I swear I'll call out if there's any change at all."
Janet looked up at her, heavy-lidded eyes barely focusing. "You too," she said. "You've been here the whole time."
"I've slept more than you have," Sharon said.
"You should get some proper rest," Janet said. "In your quarters."
"I'll make a deal with you," Sharon said. "I swear that, as soon as Sam's breathing on her own again, and her fever's down, I'll go to my quarters. If," she smiled, "you go shower now. You can be back at her bedside in five minutes. And I'll be with her the whole time, holding her hand. Okay?"
Janet nodded. "Thanks," she whispered, as she headed toward the bathroom.
In seven minutes, Janet was back at Sam's bedside, her damp hair scraped back, with no make-up. Sharon looked over at her and marveled at how young she looked. And frightened. She stood up, ceding her place in the chair to her boss. She left the room and came back a minute later, two pillows and a blanket in her arms. "Stay there," she said gently to Janet, as she put the pillows behind her on the chair, and tucked the blanket around her. "Try and sleep if you can." She looked up at the computer screen above Sam's head. "103.9," she said quietly. "It's a slight improvement," she said. "And her O2 levels are good."
Janet nodded. "Her fever's still dangerously high," she whispered.
"I know," Sharon said quietly. "Have faith. She's fighting this all the way Janet. I know she'll do anything to come back to you."
= = =
"Hey squirt," O'Neill poked his head round the door in Cassie's room.
Cassie looked up from her chair, where she sat, Angus dozing in her lap. Carefully she stood up and set the dog down in his basket. She ran into O'Neill's arms. "Uncle Jack!" she cried.
He hugged her fiercely, and kissed her affectionately on her cheek. "Hey Mrs K," he smiled at the older woman.
"Call me Ella, please," Ella said.
"Ella," O'Neill said. "And you must call me Jack."
"Did you find the bad man?" Cassie asked O'Neill.
"We did," O'Neill said, lowering himself into the chair. "Come, sit," he said gently, patting his knee. Cassie crawled into his lap, where she always felt so safe.
"Is he going to be able to hurt Sam again?" Cassie asked, an anxious look on her face.
"No, Cass," O'Neill replied. "He'll never hurt her again. I swear. He won't hurt anyone ever again."
"Did you hurt him?" Cassie asked.
"No," O'Neill replied, honestly. "We didn't. I swear. But you're safe now. He won't be around to frighten Sam, or your mom, or you. Or Ella. It's all over now."
"He's dead, isn't he?" Cassie demanded. "You killed him."
"We didn't kill him, Cass," O'Neill said quietly. "But you are right." He swallowed. This poor child had seen too much ugliness in her life. "He is dead. But it was his choice."
"How come?" Cassie wanted to know.
O'Neill put his arms around her. "Sometimes people can decide they don't want to live any longer," he tried to be as gentle as he could. "And usually that's wrong. Very wrong. And very sad. But I think in this case, the mean man decided he'd rather die than go back to prison. 'Cos he wouldn't have gotten out this time. It was his choice," he reiterated.
"Good," Cassie said, unexpectedly.
"Cass?" O'Neill asked.
"I'm glad he's dead. He tried to kill Sam. And he was mean to Mom. He used to be married to Mom, didn't he?"
O'Neill looked astounded. Cassie wasn't supposed to know that Richmond was Janet's ex-husband.
"Cass....," he started.
"It's okay," she said. "You don't have to explain. And Mom will tell me herself one day. I just worked it out."
"You're a smart kid," O'Neill kissed her on the top of her head. "No wonder your Mom and Sam are so proud of you."
= = =
"Any change?" O'Neill asked as he let himself into Sam's room later that afternoon.
Janet looked up at him. "103.5," she said. "And her chest sounds a little clearer."
O'Neill smiled.
"She still has a very long way to go," Janet said. "But at least now it's starting to move in the right direction. So did you find him?" she asked directly.
"Yeah," O'Neill said. "We did. He's dead, Janet," he said, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. "I'm sorry, we didn't go out intending to kill him." He gave her all the details of the morning. When he had finished the tale, he saw tears rolling down Janet's face. "I'm sorry, doc," he said, taking her hand. "I know he was your husband. You loved him once."
Janet shook her head. "I'm crying because I'm relieved," she said eventually. "You're gonna get better, baby," she addressed Sam. "And when you do, it's over. You won't put yourself at risk looking for him. Trying to protect us. He's gone. Thank God."
= = =
"Think you can sleep a bit?" Sharon asked Janet at midnight. She had just changed all the ice packs surrounding Sam, and looked up at the monitor. "103.1," she smiled. "It's still dropping."
"Very slowly," Janet said glumly.
"Slowly, but surely," Sharon said, as she arranged the pillows behind Janet's head. "You sleep for a couple of hours, then I'll sleep after that. We'll keep watch," she smiled slightly.
= = =
"102.7," Janet was smiling when Sharon woke the following morning. "And she looks so much better, doesn't she?"
Sharon smiled. "She does," she agreed.
"Warner's just been in," Janet was very animated. "He and Frankie agree that if she continues to improve, we can maybe think about extubating later on."
Sharon pulled Janet into a warm hug. "I'm so pleased, Jan," she said.
= = =
"102.2," Frankie Michaels smiled. "I've stopped the sedative. She should wake up any moment. And then," she squeezed Janet's hand. "We can get that tube out. Her lungs sound so much clearer," she said. "The antibiotics have finally worked. I think she's gonna be okay Janet. She's got a long road ahead of her, but she's gonna be okay."
Janet nodded dumbly. She reached out a shaking hand and stroked Sam's cheek. "Hear that, baby?" she whispered. "You did it. You're gonna be fine." Very carefully, she peeled away the tape that held the tube in place. When she had finished, she saw that Sam's eyes were flickering. She wiped the sweat off Sam's forehead. "It's okay, sweetie," her voice was gentle and loving. "You're starting to wake up now. Try not to panic, baby," she soothed. "You've got a tube in your throat," she saw Sam's eyes opening. A look of panic spread across Sam's face as she realized that she couldn't breathe normally. She tried to reach up to remove the obstruction, but Janet seized one hand, as Sharon held the other. "Sam, baby," she said, "listen to me," she saw the look of terror in Sam's eyes. "We're gonna take the tube out, and you'll be fine. No, honey," she said as Sam tried to jerk against the restraining hands. "Try and stay calm," she was already pressing the button to elevate the bed. "In just a few seconds, I need you to cough for me, can you do that Sam?" Janet kept up a low commentary. "And then we'll have that out of you. It'll all be over. Okay, now," she said.
Seconds later, the tube was out. Sam was trying desperately to haul oxygen into her lungs, coughing and retching with the effort. Janet rubbed her back tenderly, holding an oxygen mask over her face. "It's okay, sweetie," Janet repeated, again and again, "just give it a few minutes, you'll be fine. The worst is over now. That's it, honey, you're doing good. Just try and calm your breathing. On my count, honey. In. Out. In. Out," she held Sam tight in her arms as the blonde finally calmed.
Sam clutched desperately at Janet's shirt. As her breathing started to even out, and the terror of asphyxiation slowly leached away, she still felt frightened, and could only find solace in Janet's warm embrace. She didn't know what was happening, or where she was. But she knew Janet's touch, heard her soft voice, though she couldn't discern what she was saying. She felt worse than she had ever felt, and clung to Janet as though to a lifeline. "It's okay," she heard Janet say. She didn't feel okay, but if Janet said it, then she would be. Sam started to cry, her whole body wracked with pain.
"Shh, baby," Janet whispered, perching on the side of the bed and pulling Sam more fully into her arms. "It's over now." She took a cool cloth from Sharon, and ran it lovingly over Sam's face and neck. "You're going to be okay. I know you feel lousy, but I'll take care of you. That's it, honey. Just try and relax." Janet heard Sam whimpering, and kissed her lovingly on her forehead. She put a tender hand over Sam's fist that clutched at her shirt, stroking it softly.
Sam pulled back slightly in Janet's embrace, so that she could look at Janet's face. She forced her eyes to focus on her. Sam reached up, her hand shaking violently, to cup Janet's face. She ran her hand down her soft cheek, and her face crumpled once more as tears overwhelmed her.
"It's okay, baby," Janet rocked her gently. "It's okay. I'm here with you. And I'm staying. You're gonna be okay. We're all okay." She kissed her very softly on the lips. "I love you Sam. Thank you for coming back to me."
= = =