Wolf Part 4: Home Sweet Home
I fell through the gate behind Teal'c, barely keeping on my feet. The iris snapped shut behind me, and the gate shut down. I saw General Hammond's portly figure among the swarms of SF's and medics. Exhausted, I clumped heavily down the ramp to make my report.
"General, sorry we're late. Hit a little snag."
General Hammond looked me over, shaking his head.
"A little snag, Colonel? I'd say you hit a boulder. Report to the infirmary."
I was about to retort when I heard a quiet cry of pain and Daniel's panicked voice.
"Jack!" I turned quickly and sprinted up the ramp. Daniel held May's head in his lap, her limp body splayed across the metal ramp.
"What happened?" I asked, alarmed.
"I don't know! She just collapsed," Daniel said worriedly.
Dr. Frasier pushed me aside.
"How far along is she?" Frasier demanded.
"A few weeks!"
"What?!" Frasier asked, alarmed.
Daniel cut in, "The Gou'uld did something to accelerate the pregnancy."
"Well, I should say so! We've got to get this woman to the infirmary." Gesturing to the medic hovering a few feet away, Frasier whisked May off to the infirmary. Daniel, Teal'c and I fast on her heels.
We ran into Carter on our way to the infirmary. She looked frazzled, probably just hopped out of bed and raced to the mountain. She nodded to Teal'c and I with a smile of pleasure, hugged Daniel, and started on an unending list of questions, which Daniel did his best to answer as we walked.
We finally reached the infirmary, and Frasier raced in the examination room with her patient, ordering us to get checked out by Dr. Warner while she was gone.
Carter and Daniel sat on the edge of a bed, still chatting, T crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, and I sat heavily down in a hard plastic chair.
Dr. Warner's check-up was fast and thorough. We were all okay, as far as he could tell. A little undernourished, but not in too bad of shape. He took our blood, of course, and asked all the pertinent medical questions, to which I answered curtly.
I waited impatiently for Frasier to return. What was taking her so long? Finally, her small frame slipped out of the exam room.
"What's up, Doc?" I asked flippantly, hiding my concern.
Dr. Frasier frowned, never a good sign.
"She's alright. I had to clean her up a bit before I could examine her, but once I did, I discovered not a few disturbing facts. Are you aware that she's been violated, repeatedly?" Janet's voice lowered to a whisper, her face pinched in pain.
Daniel glanced over at me before responding.
"We know. One of the Jaffa…" Daniel didn't finish his sentence.
"He bragged about it?!" Janet asked indignantly.
"No. He did it, in front of us, as punishment," Daniel whispered, looking down at his hands.
"Punishment for what?"
Daniel mumbled under his breath, never looking up. I cut in, sparing him from having to say it aloud.
"For not raping her."
Janet gasped, looking at me with wide eyes. I continued.
"We all raped her. They gave us a drug that made us…" I fumbled for a better word than the one I was thinking.
"Libidinous?" Janet asked. I nodded. "So all three of you…" she didn't finish, looking ill.
"Yes," Daniel said softly, "we did."
-ooo-
Frasier ordered us to hit the showers before reporting to Hammond. We obeyed quickly, anxious to leave her recriminating gaze.
Carter was silent, disappearing back into her lab. I was frankly relieved. I didn't want to repeat the story more than once.
When all of SG-1 met General Hammond in the conference room, the briefing began. Carter repeated the part she knew, Daniel down, firefight, etc.
I took over from there, Daniel unnaturally silent.
"Libidinous, Colonel?" Hammond asked incredulously.
"The Gould was a breeder, Sir. We were just stock," I answered coolly.
"So, this, May, she is pregnant with whose child?"
"We have no way of knowing, Sir. It could be any of ours. It could be the Jaffa's. Heck, it could be anyone's!" My temper flared, my stomach rolling at the thought. Just how many men had she serviced before us? Tens? Hundreds?
Hammond frowned. "I'll have Dr. Frasier run DNA tests."
An airman burst in the door.
"Excuse me, Sirs. Dr. Frasier said the patient is awake and asking for you," the man said, looking at Daniel. Daniel sprinted out the door without a thought.
Hammond sighed and shook his head. I looked over at him expectantly.
"You're dismissed," Hammond said shortly.
The words were barely out of his mouth when I disappeared out the door.
-ooo-
May was in labor. I stood by her left side, Daniel on the right. Danny introduced Carter and the Doc. Carter looked near tears. I swallowed back a twinge of fear. May would be fine. She was in the best of care. I glanced up at Doc Frasier.
May cried out and clutched her protruding belly. Alarmed, I watched as Frasier shoved us away from the bed and barked orders. The nurses came pouring in with all sorts of equipment, sensors, and, yes, blankets.
We backed away, loosing sight of May. I heard May's voice, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Janet's strident voice broke over the organized chaos.
"Dr. Jackson!"
Daniel shoved his way through the nurses, a stream of apologies flowing as he pushed people aside.
I stood on my toes to try and see what was going on.
I saw Daniel pushing his way back through the crowd.
"Jack. She's in labor. She wants you."
I didn't say anything, heading towards her.
I reached her, returning to her side. She was sweating and pale, grunts of pain escaping her clenched teeth.
A cramp hit hard and she grabbed my hand, squeezing with surprising strength. I looked up and frowned at Janet, wondering why she hadn't given her any pain medication.
Janet was perched at the end of the bed, surgical gloves on, smock a pristine white.
May screamed and pushed, her body lifting from the bed. As she sank back onto the bed, I heard a sound that made my heart skip a beat. A baby cried. I looked up to see a tiny baby girl in the Doc's hands. My breath caught in my throat.
Frasier wrapped the bay in a pink blanket, handing her to her mother. May was a mother. I blinked back tears as she sobbed, looking down at our child. She was mine. Her brown eyes stared up at me, the few strands of brown hair on her head standing up in disorganized spikes.
I was a father. May looked up at me, smiling with the first true joy I had ever seen in her face. She handed me my daughter. I took her gently. My child. I looked back up at May.
"Lona," she whispered, still smiling.
I looked down at the baby, then back up at Daniel. Daniel whispered in the sudden quiet.
"Lona means light, Jack."
"Lona," I said quietly, playing with her tiny hand. I looked up at Daniel. "She's mine, isn't she?" I asked in wonder.
Daniel chuckled.
My heart returned to my throat as I heard May cry out again. I looked up to Dr. Frasier in alarm. What now?
