From The Other Side
It had been a very rough day at Stargate Command, deep inside Cheyenne Mountain, and things were about to get a lot rougher for one of the members of SG-1. This current predicament that they found themselves in was once again attributable to the Goa'uld.
After regaining consciousness after fainting in his office, Jonas Quinn found himself being wheeled rapidly down the halls toward the operating suite. He immediately panicked because he had foreseen Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c being ambushed by several Jaffa on their way back to the gate on the planet where they were presently on a mission. He was about to give up on getting the information to General Hammond when he saw Major Samantha Carter rush up to them and fall into a quick pace beside the gurney.
"What's going on?" Sam asked, her eyes full of concern and worry.
"We can't wait any longer." Dr. Janet Fraiser replied hurriedly as she continued to push the gurney hurriedly down the hallway.
"Sam? Sam!" Jonas cried as Sam reached out and took his hand in her own. "I know what's going to happen. I saw it. You need to inform General Hammond so he can warn Colonel O'Neill."
General Hammond was waiting anxiously to hear something from the two teams he had sent on the mission to free a planet's inhabitants from Goa'uld tyranny when Sam came rushing into the control room.
"Sir, they're walking into an ambush." Sam began as Hammond turned to look on her in confusion. "According to Jonas, the Jaffa are waiting for them at the gate."
"Are you certain, Major?"
"Sir, I believe Jonas. I think we should warn them."
"Sergeant, dial P4S-237 immediately." Hammond ordered.
"Yes, sir."
In the operating room, Janet was corroborating with her own staff as well as the specialist that had been called in to get ready for the surgery to remove the tumor from Jonas' brain.
"We're ready, Doctor." Janet confirmed as she moved beside the gurney and laid a hand gently on Jonas' shoulder. "It's okay. Just relax."
"What's happening?" Jonas stammered nervously.
"Get the Lorazepam." Janet called to her nurse, who
injected the sedative into Jonas' IV line. "It's all right, Jonas. It's not your problem anymore."
As the sedative began to take effect, Jonas felt himself beginning to relax slightly and his shivering stopped. He was becoming increasingly drowsy and even then he could feel the darkness creeping up, waiting to envelope him at any moment. Then the anesthetic was injected into the IV, stinging slightly, and he felt Janet place a warm blanket over him. At that point, Jonas felt the pull of sleep completely engulf him and the urge to close his eyes was simply too overwhelming as he slipped peacefully into unconsciousness.
In his subconscious mind, Jonas found himself in a slightly altered version of the gate room. He stood looking around him for a long moment, trying to figure out what he was doing here. It was then that he heard a familiar voice.
"Jonas."
"Dr. Jackson? What's going on?" Jonas asked in confusion as he turned around and found himself face to face with the spirit of Daniel Jackson.
"I knew you were in a little trouble and I wasn't just going to sit by and let something bad happen. Because of the tumor in your brain, I had to wait until you were unconscious before I could appear to you like this. As for what I'm doing here, I thought you might want a little distraction. I just want to talk."
"Okay. I guess that makes a little sense. Except for the fact that I thought you were gone."
"No. I just ascended to a higher plane of existence. You know what, it's complicated. Let's just leave it at this. You'll understand that when the time is right. I promise."
"Right. So, I'm dreaming, aren't I?"
"No. Not exactly. Although when you come out of this, it'll seem that way. See, I tried to come and help you out a couple of times before but like I said, the tumor in your brain that caused you to have visions made that impossible. So, since your conscious mind was a block, I had to wait until you'd been put under when I could access your subconscious and appear to you and offer my support." Daniel explained, sitting down on the ramp next to where Jonas had already taken a seat.
"I understand. But you said that our conversation will seem like a dream when I come out of this. But what if I don't want to come out of it."
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't do this anymore, Dr. Jackson. I can't keep trying to prove to Colonel O'Neill that I'm worthy of the position on SG-1 that he trusted to me and dealing with the memory of what happened that lead us to the point that we have to communicate the way we are now. I want to move forward, like you have." Jonas said, standing up and looking at the sparkling event horizon behind him.
In the operating room back at the SGC, Janet and her colleague were working fervently to remove the tumor from Jonas' brain when they ran into a potentially fatal problem.
"Blood pressure's falling. Heart rate's 120 and climbing." The nurse warned from beside Janet.
"He's hemorrhaging."
"I need more suction." The specialist stated calmly as Janet complied. "I don't see it."
"BP's 80 on 60. Heart rate's 160."
"We've got to find the bleeder. He's pre-arrest."
"BP's 60 on 40."
"Doctor, we're losing him." Janet warned, beginning to fear for Jonas' life.
"What do you mean, you want to move forward. You mean you want to ascend?" Daniel asked, shocked at what he was hearing.
"Yeah, I guess."
"I'm sorry, Jonas, but I can't let you do that."
"Why not?" Jonas asked.
"Because it's not your time. You're journey isn't over, Jonas. Not yet. Not by a long shot. You still have so much more left to do in life before you can move on."
"But what's the point if no one trusts me?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. People do trust you, Jonas. Even now, Sam's worried to death about you and even though they're off world on a mission, I can tell you that Jack and Teal'c's thoughts are with you as well."
"I know Teal'c's concerned but I have a hard time believing that Colonel O'Neill is worried at all about me. I mean, he still blames me for what happened to you."
"No, he doesn't. Jack does trust you and is concerned about what happens to you. He warmed up to you some time ago but he just doesn't show it that openly. That's just the way Jack is. Trust me, you shouldn't take it personally."
"Well, if you're sure." Jonas began as Daniel nodded. "All right. I guess I could give it another go. It couldn't hurt."
"I think I see it."
"Pressure's coming up. Heart rate's stabilizing." The nurse confirmed as Janet breathed with relief.
"Okay. Let's get this thing out of him." The specialist said as she and Janet worked rapidly to finish the surgery.
"So, you're gonna keep at it?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah. I won't give up, yet." Jonas agreed as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "I wonder what's taking so long."
"It's almost over. After Janet's finished, you won't wake up right away. You'll be in a coma for a few days until the swelling goes down. Hang in there, Jonas. Just a little while longer. When you do wake up, I promise everything is going to be all right."
"Wait. You're not leaving yet, are you?"
"Yes. I have to go. As it is, I've stayed a little longer than I should have already but you needed my help. We'll talk again. I promise." Daniel said as he faded into the background as suddenly as he had come, leaving Jonas to the darkness of his unconscious mind.
In the meantime, back in the control room, Sam and General Hammond were dealing with an unscheduled activation with SG-15's iris code, just as it had been in Jonas' vision. Hammond had already tried to raise the team with no response.
"Sir, if we don't open the iris and it really is Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and SG-15." Sam began.
"The second they step through that puddle, they'll be killed. I'm aware of that. Open the iris, Sergeant." Hammond interrupted.
"Yes, sir."
The iris swished quietly open and after a few tense moments, Jack O'Neill and Teal'c came through supporting a wounded member of SG-15, followed closely by the remaining three members of the team. Sam and General Hammond rushed from the control room to meet them in the gate room.
"We've got a wounded man, here!"
"Clear the ramp!" A medical officer ordered as he took over the care of the wounded airman.
Jack and Teal'c walked to the bottom of the ramp and were greeted by Sam and Hammond, as well as the gun barrels of the defense team.
"Expecting someone else, sir?" Jack asked Hammond with a confused expression.
"We'll explain later." Sam said, laughing slightly.
As soon as Jack and Teal'c were given medical clearance and had headed to the briefing room with Hammond, Sam went down to the infirmary to Janet's office. She wanted to check with her about how Jonas was doing.
"Janet. Is this a bad time?" Sam asked, poking her head in the door.
"It's never a bad time for you, Sam. Come on in. What's on your mind?" Janet asked, smiling as her friend walked into her office and closed the door behind her.
"How's Jonas? I wanted to check and see if everything was okay."
"Well, everything's okay now. We managed to remove all of the tumor successfully. Jonas is in a coma and will be for a few days until the swelling from the surgery has a chance to go down. That's normal though, so it's nothing to worry about."
"Hang on. What do you mean everything's okay now? Janet, did something happen?" Sam insisted.
"At one point during the surgery, Jonas developed a hemorrhage and we nearly lost him. But we got his condition stabilized and from there things went well. You can see him if you want." Janet explained.
"Yeah. I'd like that."
"Okay. Come with me."
Janet led Sam into one of the private infirmary rooms where Jonas lay in a coma. It was comforting to both of them to hear the monitors beeping at a normal rate. Sam walked up to the bed and gently took her friend's hand and held it tightly in her own, trying to lend him some of her strength. It was as she did this that she realized that now Jonas looked peaceful and calm, a welcome change to the way he had been when she had seen him earlier that day.
"Jonas. It's Sam. Everything's over now and you came through with flying colors. Seems like we're starting to rub off on you. You're starting to catch on to the SG-1 knack to face life-threatening situations and bounce back like normal." Sam whispered, causing Janet to smile as she checked some of the readings on the monitors. "Hurry up and come back to us, Jonas. It's not as safe going through the gate with three people. We need our fourth team member."
"It looks like everything is holding steady, Sam. I need to get back to my office and finish up the paperwork I was working on. I'll see you later. When Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c get out of their briefing with General Hammond, I'll let them know you're down here." Janet said, squeezing Sam's shoulder gently.
"Okay. Thanks Janet."
About an hour later, Sam was still keeping watch over Jonas when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall in the general direction of the hospital room. She turned her head in time to see Jack and Teal'c walking toward her.
"Doc said you were down here, Carter." Jack began, glancing awkwardly at Jonas on the infirmary bed. "So. How's he doing?"
"Well, sir, Jonas is in a coma right down to give the internal swelling from the surgery a chance to go down. Janet says that he won't come out of it for a few days. Other than that, he's stable."
"I believe that Jonas Quinn possesses the strength to emerge from this situation and be well again." Teal'c stated.
"I think so, too. Janet says that they got all of the tumor out of Jonas' brain. Once he regains consciousness he should be able to make a full recovery even though it won't be easy." Sam agreed.
"Well, Carter. That simply means that we're going to have to be here every step of the way to help him through it. I never thought I'd hear myself say this but we need this guy." Jack said, smiling wryly at the shocked look on Sam's face when she heard these words. Even Teal'c looked surprised.
"Yes, sir."
The entire time Jonas lay in a coma in the infirmary, he was never alone at any time. He always had at least one member of SG-1 at his bedside every minute. They were a team and whenever something like this arose, the unaffected members could always be counted on to look after one of their own.
Three days after undergoing surgery to remove the tumor from his brain, Jonas began to show signs of coming out of the coma. When he finally regained consciousness and opened his eyes, Sam was sitting quietly at his bedside reading a book. She turned her head at the sound of his quiet stirring.
"Hey. Welcome back." Sam smiled at her friend, moving close and resting her hand on his arm.
"Hey, Sam."
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel like I've been sleeping for a week. How long have I been out?" Jonas asked groggily.
"It's been about four days. Are you hurting any?"
"I've got a little bit of a headache but it's nothing compared to what I was dealing with before the surgery."
"Hey. What's going on here?" Janet began as she walked in the room and noticed Jonas was conscious. "I'm glad to see you're awake, Jonas."
"Yeah. I haven't been awake for very long. I've got a little bit of a headache but otherwise I'm fine."
"Okay. I'll get you something for your headache so you can relax. I'll be back in a minute."
After a few minutes Janet came back with some medicine for Jonas' headache which she injected into his IV port.
"There we go. That should help you start feeling better here in a few minutes. Just try to relax now. You need to take it easy." Janet said softly.
"What time is it, Sam?"
"It's about 2100, why?"
"I just wondered what time it was. No particular reason. Hey, Sam. Could you stay and keep me company for a little while. I don't want to lay here by myself." Jonas asked.
"Of course I'll sit with you. I'm not going anywhere, Jonas. I promise. Now close your eyes and try to relax." Sam whispered gently, lightly stroking Jonas' arm in support.
Sam remained with Jonas just as she had promised, keeping him company. It was easy to tell when the pain medication that Janet had administered began to affect him. Sam watched as Jonas gave a large yawn and struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Shh. Don't fight the medicine. You need to rest. Just close your eyes."
After a moment, Jonas stopped resisting and closed his eyes as his features relaxed and became calm. Sam continued to stroke his arm comfortingly as she listened as her friend's breathing slowed, falling into a deep, even rhythm that signified that he had drifted back into sleep. Once she was certain that Jonas was resting well, Sam quietly got up, readjusting the blanket in the process, and slipped from the room to tell Jack and Teal'c that things were improving.
Ten minutes later, Jack was sitting in the commissary with Teal'c having a late snack when Sam walked in looking for them. She was about to look somewhere else when Jack called out to her.
"Carter!"
"Sir! I've been looking for you." Sam said, out of breath.
"Yeah, I noticed that. Hey, catch your breath there, Carter." Jack said, rising to give Sam his chair as he pulled another over from nearby.
"Has something happened, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah. I wanted to come and tell you that Jonas came out of the coma a little while ago. I wanted to find you and tell you a long time ago but Jonas wanted me to stay with him for a while."
"That's great. We should go down to the infirmary and look in on him. Right, Teal'c." Jack smiled.
"Indeed." Teal'c added with a nod of his head.
"Actually, I think you should wait guys."
"And that would be, why?"
"Because Jonas is sleeping now. When he came to he had a headache from the surgery so Janet gave him a painkiller that made him drowsy. He'll probably sleep until tomorrow. We shouldn't disturb him because after the ordeal he's been through he really needs all the rest he can get." Sam explained.
"Ah. Right. Well then, I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to look in on our young friend."
"Indeed we should. To disturb Jonas Quinn at this moment may prove to be detrimental to his recovery."
"Okay. Let's all get some rest. That's an order." Jack said, taking in the other two sternly.
"O'Neill. I request permission to stay with Jonas Quinn this evening. It is my belief that some silent support would still be beneficial." Teal'c broke in.
"Whatever floats your boat, Teal'c."
Teal'c stepped silently into Jonas' room and took a seat in the chair next to the bed where his friend slept. A few moments later, the Jaffa looked up from his post to see Janet coming toward him with a smile.
"Teal'c."
"Greetings, Dr. Fraiser. Why are you here?"
"Oh. I just came by to check on Jonas one more time before I go home for the night." Janet whispered, moving around Teal'c to check the readings on the monitors.
"I assume that things are well."
"Yeah. His condition is stable and steadily improving. There's really nothing you can do here, Teal'c. I gave Jonas a fairly strong painkiller earlier. He's not going to wake up until well into tomorrow morning."
"You are incorrect. By remaining here I am doing plenty. Although Jonas Quinn is incapable of responding, I am certain that he is aware of my presence. I intend to remain here until O'Neill and Major Carter return in the morning. Such as he did for me when Bra'tac and I were near death not long ago." Teal'c insisted.
"Okay. I'm not going to tell you to leave, Teal'c. I understand why you want to stay. I'll see you in the morning. If anything happens, I have one of my nurses on staff tonight."
"Indeed."
The next morning, Jack and Sam reported back to base and joined Teal'c for breakfast in the commissary. Despite the lighter mood and joking conversation, it was obvious that all three of their minds were on their friend's recovery.
"So, Teal'c. Anything happen last night?" Jack asked casually.
"Nothing happened, O'Neill. As of the time I departed to meet you for breakfast, Jonas Quinn still sleeps. It is my belief that he will continue to do so for a while longer."
"Well, let's eat right now and after we finish breakfast we can go down to the infirmary to check on Jonas." Sam broke in, her voice muffled slightly through her coffee cup.
"Right."
When they finished eating, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c returned to the infirmary to look in on Jonas and were extremely surprised to find him awake. He was sitting up in the bed reading a book that Janet had retrieved from his office at his request.
"Hey!" Jack shouted, causing Jonas to look up from what he was reading. "I thought you were supposed to be resting that brain."
"How are you doing?" Sam asked.
"I'm a little sick of staring at these walls all the time. Other than that, I'm fine." Jonas said honestly.
"Are you still having visions, Jonas Quinn?" Teal'c asked.
"Not since the surgery, no."
"So, uh, no lottery numbers."
"I'm afraid not." Jonas laughed.
"No trip to Vegas, just you and me." Jack added, causing Sam to smile as well.
"Okay. Visiting hours are over for now. Jonas, you need your rest." Janet interrupted.
"Sure." Jack agreed a little reluctantly, turning to Jonas. "Well, get well soon. We need you out there."
"Yes, sir." Jonas said a little puzzled as Jack left the room with Teal'c. "Is he feeling okay?"
"I knew he'd warm up to you eventually." Sam grinned.
"Right." Jonas smiled as Sam followed the others from the room and he turned his attention back to his book.
Two days later, Jonas was released from the infirmary with strict instructions from Janet that he was to rest and remain on base. That evening, he was relaxing in his quarters with a cup of tea when he got a big surprise.
"You've done good organizing things in the old office." Daniel commented casually.
"Dr. Jackson? What are you doing here?" Jonas said, clearly startled.
"Well, I don't know how much you remember from the last conversation we had, I mean you were unconscious at the time, but I felt I needed to come back again. It's getting late and most of the personnel have left for tonight. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm doing better. I vaguely remember some of when we last talked. At least I know I'm not dreaming this time. You were right about something you said, you know."
"What was that?"
"A couple of days ago, when I was still in the infirmary, Colonel O'Neill told me that he needed me on his team. He said it to sound like a joke or something for the sake of his ego, but I know he really meant it." Jonas explained.
"See. What did I tell you?" Daniel smiled.
"It's not that I doubted you or anything, but let's just say that I'm glad you were able to talk me out of giving up. I really appreciate that. I realize now what you were talking about. I do have quite a bit left to do."
"That's what I came for. I knew you needed help and I wasn't about to just sit by and watch. Well, I can't really stay. I just wanted to see that you were okay."
"So, what now?" Jonas asked.
"It's really late. Just go to sleep. When you wake up, things are going to be okay." Daniel said calmingly.
As Jonas lay back on his bed, Daniel rested a hand on his shoulder. This helped the young man relax and his eyes soon closed and he drifted into a peaceful slumber as Daniel faded out as quietly as he had come.
Not long after Daniel had gone, Sam walked quietly down the hall toward Jonas' quarters. She was working late and had decided to spend the night on base and she wanted to see how Jonas was doing before she retired for the night.
"Hey, Jonas. How are you…" Sam started to ask but stopped as she stepped into the room and noticed Jonas sleeping peacefully on the bed against the back wall.
As she moved close to the bed, Sam got a strange feeling of a strong presence somewhere in the room. When she moved to place the blanket over Jonas, she felt a slight draft of wind blow her hair which she thought was very strange since she had closed the door behind her when she entered. After pondering on this strange happening for a moment, she came to a realization and a smile came across her face and she felt tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Daniel. Thank you for watching over Jonas. For watching over all of us." Sam whispered as she clicked off the lamp beside the bed and left the room quietly, thankful for her friend's continuing presence in their lives. Thankful that even if they couldn't see him, Daniel would always be with them. He would always be there.