Title: Lean on Me

Author: MandySg1

Rating: PG-13 or T

Warnings: Depression, Character death cannon on show.

Prompt: Sam whumping. Janet saves the day, on earth.

Summary: A tag to Meridian. We all need someone to lean on.

Author's Note: This was written for the Women of the Gates ficathon. I want to thank JanSam for being my beta and lending a hand in the title. I'd also like to thank Ann for her input. I'd like to dedicate this fic to Deejay435 who started the ficathons, and was inspirational all through her fight with cancer. I'd also like to dedicate it to my dad who also lost his fight with cancer in July.

Lean On Me

The room was dark, the only light coming from the distant light left on in the kitchen. She sat alone in the room on the floor next to the coffee table; a bottle of vodka on top of it. She couldn't remember how full or empty the bottle was when she started but now it was three quarters empty. The glass was still in her shaky hand, which stopped half way to her lips. She let out a sigh before downing the glass and slapping in down on the table. She'd heard the door bell ring and the knocking but didn't feel like getting up. Given her mood moving was not something she was going to do for anyone.

"Sam, are you here?" Janet asked loudly, she'd used her key to let herself in. She knew by the car parked haphazardly out front that Sam was home.

"No," came the answer so low Janet almost didn't hear it. Janet followed the sound and saw the silhouetted form of Sam Carter sitting on the floor in the living room.

"Well it sure looks like you are."

"What do you want Janet, I'm busy." Sam lifted the bottle and filled the glass half way for the umpteenth time; by now she'd lost count of how many times she'd filled it.

Janet shook her head and proceeded into the room sitting in the chair across from Sam looking the woman over. "Sam what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm having a drink." Sam put the glass to her mouth and took a big gulp, then slamming it down hard for affect.

"Sam, I know this is hard on you, but you can't just drown yourself in booze."

"Do you, do you really know what I'm going through?" Sam's voice had an edge of anger now.

"I was there too Sam, when he died." Janet replied sadly, "If he really did die."

"That's just it Janet, we don't even know if he is dead, but he sure as hell is gone!" Sam lifted the glass again taking another gulp.

"Sam drinking won't help,"

"Sure it will, it will make me not feel anything!"

"Sam I know Daniel's death is hard on you, it's hard on all of us."

"Hah! It doesn't seem to be so hard on the Colonel. He just brushes it away, and nothing seems to ever faze Teal'c."

"I couldn't help him, how do you think that makes me feel? I'm a doctor; I'm supposed to heal people."

"It's not the same Janet, I was responsible for Daniel, it was my job to protect him and make sure he was safe! He was a civilian, I'm the soldier, and I'm the one that's supposed to put my life on the line, not Daniel!" Sam tried pouring another glass, but Janet came over kneeling in front of her putting her hand on Sam's shaking one.

"This is not what you need."

"Yes…yes it is. I just can't do it."

"Do what?" Janet asked her voice showing concern.

"I can't get the images out of mind. The images of him slowly dying, getting worse and worse." Sam wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "His body giving up on him, his struggle just to breathe." Sam pulled her hand away from Janet's grabbing the glass and throwing it across the room. "Damn it, Janet I couldn't even heal him with the Tokra device!"

Janet put her hands on Sam's shoulders looking her square in the eyes, "Sam, it's not your fault! You know how Daniel was, no one and I mean no one, could have stopped him from going into that reactor room and doing what he did. He was not the kind of person to do nothing when other people's lives were at stake. And that's what we all loved about him."

Sam nodded unable to keep her tears back, "I know you're right Janet, it's just…just hard to accept that he's not here."

"I know Sam, believe me, I know," Janet hugged Sam and let her cry on her shoulder. "That's why we need to lean on each other.

Janet wiped the tears from her own eyes then stood up holding out her hand to Sam, "now as your doctor, I think the best medicine for you is bed."

Sam looked up at Janet, shaking her head she took Janet's hand and let her help her up. She staggered a little, but Janet helped to steady her; by allowing Sam to lean on her. Janet helped put Sam to bed then went to the living room put the bottle away, cleaned up the glass and settled on the couch. It was going to be a long night, and she would be here if Sam needed her help.

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A/N: This was not my typical whumping type story; but sometimes emotional pain can be as bad if not worse than physical pain.