Chapter 1: Waking up

Year: 2015
Date: 25th December
Time: 20:34 GMT or 13:34 MTZ (Cheyenne)

Jack POV

I woke up with a head ache the size of Antarctica. I didn't know why I chose that simile but it was the first on my list. I opened my eyes and heard a voice. It was Sam.

"Merry Christmas Jack." She spoke as she stood up to leave the room. I blinked again. I had to say something before she left. I managed to say,

"Merry Christmas Sam," I whispered the words but they caught her attention.

"Jack?" Sam started back towards my bed. I could see her properly now. She looked different. The word that came to mind was: older. I tried to sit up but failed so I just said,

"Sam? Is that you?" Sam's confused and concerned face changed to one of happiness and glee. She ran back to the door of the room which I realised was one of those damned infirmary rooms in the SGC, and shouted out,

"JANET! JANET! HE'S AWAKE! JANET!" The shouting over she came back to my bed to check on me. She peered at me with a smile like a Cheshire cat as a certain red headed doctor came into the room and spoke in a sad voice,

"Sam, sorry if I don't believe you but you've said it too often to believe."

"But this time he spoke to me," Sam turned to me and asked, "Tell her Jack, talk to her like you talked to me." I was about to speak but Janet cut across me.

"Sam, honey, you have to face the facts. He might never wake up."

"Janet, will you stop doubting Sam and tell me what's going on here?" I finally said, getting a word in edge ways. Janet's face turned from sorrow to one of surprise. I don't think she quite believed what she was hearing.

"J…J…Jack??" she asked, her voice hoarse and as quiet as mine had been.

"It's me. Can I ask why everyone seems to be on first name terms with me? I thought I was the one with the highest rank. Well at least between us three." Sam and Janet just stared at me as if I had just said Macbeth in a theatre. Sam was the first to break out of her reverie.

"Jack, we're on first name terms because…" she paused for what seemed like an eternity, "because we have higher ranks than you. Well I do but Janet has the same as you." Now it was my turn to hear Macbeth in the theatre. Sam had a higher rank than me! Yeah right, and pigs flew. Then I realised that pigs could fly on one of the planets we had been to so I change the statement to – and pigs flew on Earth. Sam brought me out of my own reverie.

"I'm a Brigadier General and Janet's a Colonel. I out rank you since you haven't had any promotions like I have, Colonel." Sam stressed the rank to emphasise her authority but I didn't buy it. So I voiced my thoughts.

"Carter, Sam. You can't be a general. It takes years and I don't think I have been asleep for that long." I saw Sam give a look at Janet. Janet nodded and replied,

"I know this is going to be hard to believe but everything we have told you is true."

"We wouldn't lie to you, Jack. You know we wouldn't." Sam seems desperate to make me understand but how could I? Carter, my beautiful second in command, was now my commanding officer. It was impossible. Or was it?

"How… how is this possible?" my voice croaked out the words. I didn't want to believe it and I still don't know why.

"You've been…been…" but Sam just burst into tears and ran out of the little room. I didn't understand it. Had I said something or done something to upset her? At that point she came back and whispered something to Janet before disappearing again. Janet sat down in the chair that was next to my bed. She spoke to me in a calm voice but it seemed like she was also holding back her tears.

"Jack, I'm going to try to explain. About Sam, the promotions, everything. But I don't want interruptions, ok?" I nodded and she continued, "Sam is upset but I wouldn't worry. She's still in slight shocks that you have actually woken up." I was about to speak but she inclined her head and I realised that I said that I wouldn't interrupt. She continued. "Sam was trying to say that you have been…" here Janet paused also but only for a moment before saying, "You've been in coma." Again she paused, to give my time to digest the information.

Once I realised that I was looking down, I looked up and into her eyes. I remembered Daniel saying that she had the eyes of an angel, but I had disagreed. That statement was reserved for Sam, at least in my eyes.

I suddenly felt tired. Janet's voice interrupted my thoughts and I heard one more sentence before letting sleep take a hold of me. As soon as those words were processed in my brain, everything fell into place. The promotions especially. Sleep grasped me as I heard Janet speak,

"You've been in a coma, for 10 years."