Title: Big Red Button of Doom
Author: clarkoholic
Summary: "Jack, don't touch that!" Henry shouted just as Jack pressed the button.
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 2585
Warning: Set during season two.
Author's Notes: This is not beta'd. All mistakes are mine. This fiction was inspired by nasyu's beautiful piece of artwork titled Please… wake up (.).
***
"Jack, don't touch that!" Henry shouted from outside the room just as Jack pressed the button.
"What?" Jack shrugged, looking through the glass to Henry.
The door automatically slammed shut and a hissing sound jerked Jack's attention back to the corner of the room. White gas began seeping through a vent in the wall and billowed across the floor.
"Henry, what the hell is that?!" Jack shouted, pointing to the gas.
"Cover your mouth!" Henry yelled back, the glass between them made it difficult to hear one another. "It's a toxin used for vegetation in order to see the biogeochemical affects!"
"What?!" Jack pulled his t-shirt over his nose. The gas was inching closer to him.
"It's for plants!"
"Get this door open!" Jack coughed. He pulled on the door handle with his free hand. It wouldn't budge. "Henry!"
"I'm trying Jack!" Henry entered any and every code he could think of into the system, trying desperately to unlock the seal.
"What's going on, Henry?" Nathan and Fargo ran into the control room after hearing the alarm Henry set off.
"Jack accidentally released a toxin." Henry answered, still fervently typing. "The room hermetically sealed itself."
Nathan looked at Jack. He was leaning against the door and Nathan could see he was struggling to breathe beneath the fabric of his shirt. "Override the protocols and initiate a system vent."
"You don't understand, Nathan, the system goes into a complete lock during the process. I can't override it."
"How is it possible to be activated from inside if you can't get out?" Fargo asked.
"It's an isolated room used for studying vegetation," Henry automatically replied while typing. "The botanists know not to start a procedure of this nature without a HAZMAT suit."
"What kind of gas is it?" Fargo asked, coming up to the second computer in an effort to help.
"All you need to know is it's for plants and is very toxic to the human nervous system," Henry replied. "If we don't get him out of there soon..." He didn't finish his sentence but the weight of his words hung in the air.
"Damnit!" Nathan exclaimed, roughly rubbing his hands over his face. "We don't have time for this." Jack's vibrant blue eyes stood out against the white smoke now filling the room and pleaded for Nathan to do something.
"Carter, move away from the window!" Nathan yelled to him. He picked up a metal barstool and ordered, "Stand back," to Henry and Fargo.
Jack slowly moved back, leaning against the wall. He was coughing more than breathing. All he could see was white as the gas enveloped him. His lungs burned, his eyes watered, and his head spun. He didn't notice he was slipping down the wall until he hit the floor.
"Dr. Stark, don't! We can't let that gas into Global." Fargo said quickly.
"The ventilation system will detect the toxin and suck it out before it can do any damage. Cover your eyes." Nathan closed his own eyes and swung the stool as hard as he could at the glass. It made a small crack but the glass remained intact. He swung again and again, using the force of his body to hit harder as crack lines etched through the glass like a spider web. He paused to take a deep breath then swung again, shattering the glass.
White smoke rolled at them like a wave. Nathan dropped the barstool and climbed over the console and through the window, ignoring the shards that sliced into his palm. "Carter," he called out as he tried to waft the smoke out of his vision. He inhaled and choked as the gas filled his lungs.
He found Jack unconscious on the floor in the corner. Nathan knelt and released the breath he didn't know he was holding when he found the pulse in Jack's neck. He put his arms under Jack's and pulled him up.
The air was clearer as he brought Jack back to the window, the ventilation system already doing its job. Fargo and Henry had thrown the floor mat over the opening to cover the glass. Together they got Jack through the window and Nathan climbed over after him.
"Fargo, call the medical team," Henry said while gently lowering Jack to the floor.
"No," Nathan said, breathing heavily. "We don't have time for that. Fargo, help me carry him to section four."
"Nathan, he needs medical attention," Henry protested, standing up to face him.
"There's nothing they can do for him and you know it. I can fix this," he spoke with a matter of fact that made Henry nod in acceptance without hesitation.
***
By the time they reached the lab in section four, Allison had caught up with them and stood in front of the door, blocking their entrance. "Nathan this is absurd. Carter needs-"
"No," Nathan cut her off. "What he needs is time. Now. Get. Out. Of. The. Way." His words bit at her but Allison allowed them to pass by stepping aside.
The lab was dark. Henry and Fargo held Jack while Nathan moved to work at a console against the wall. Allison checked Jack's vitals, "He's barely breathing. Whatever you're planning, do it soon."
The room was suddenly illuminated in a green glow from what looked like a tank perched against the wall. "Here, put him in." Nathan pulled the front of the tank open. They positioned Jack inside and closed the door; it hissed as it sealed.
Nathan went back to work at the console and a moment later the green glow intensified and surrounded Jack.
"Stasis?" Henry asked.
"Similar. Suspended animation. It essentially slows his existence to one one-hundredth of a second." Nathan said, taking the closest seat he could find.
"And that gives us time to create an antidote before it causes permanent damage. That's brilliant, Nathan!" Henry exclaimed with a smile. "I'll go find a sample and begin work to reverse engineer the toxin."
Nathan nodded as Henry left, trailed by Fargo. His adrenaline faded and he began to feel drained. For the first time he noticed the burning cuts in his hand. Allison came over with a first aid kit and pulled a chair next to him. She took his hand and examined his wounds. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"For what?"
"For trying to stop you. I had no idea what you were planning."
"I wouldn't call it a plan."
"Well, either way, your quick thinking will probably save Carter's life."
He looked at the tank. Jack looked almost peaceful, like he was only resting. "I hope so," his voice was soft and when he looked back, Allison was looking at him with a quiet realization. He quickly added, "Eureka needs a Sheriff and he's already got the badge," in a deeper tone.
She gave him a small smile and finished wrapping his hand, "You should get some rest."
Nathan sighed, "No, I need to help Henry." He went to the control console. "I'll just check the power source first to make sure the chamber is stable."
"Alright, I'll go supervise the clean up."
He turned back to her, "Ali?"
"Yes, Nathan?" She paused in the doorway.
"Thank you," he gestured to his wrapped hand.
She smiled, "You're welcome," and stepped out of the room.
Nathan double and triple checked the readings until he was satisfied there was sufficient power to sustain Jack's stasis. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, a slow ache started to pound behind his eyes.
Except for the soft hum of the chamber, the lab was quiet. Before leaving to help Henry, Nathan stood in front of Jack. He was unsettled by his stillness. Jack Carter, the boisterous Sheriff always joking, laughing, or asking stupid questions. Now he was too quiet. Nathan pressed his hand against the glass and whispered, "Hang on, Jack."
***
"Wake up, Nathan," Henry said, nudging him.
He sat up; the lab coming into focus. "What? Did you find something?"
"No," Henry answered, trying not to look annoyed. "You were drooling on my notes."
"Oh," Nathan tried to focus. "Sorry." He was reading… something. Notes? Chemical analysis? He shuffled the papers formerly known as his pillow.
Four days passed and they still hadn't found a solution to counteract the toxin in Jack's system. Nathan probably slept the total sum of five hours; all accumulated in short naps taken against his will while sitting at a desk.
"You need to go home and sleep," Henry said, concerned. "You're no good to us in this state."
"I'm fine, Henry."
"You're not and I'm not taking no for an answer." He practically forced Nathan from his seat and maneuvered him toward the door. "I've already called Fargo. He's waiting to drive you home."
"Fargo?" Nathan said, irritated. "I don't need a chauffeur."
But Henry kept walking him toward the door. Nathan grabbed the doorframe, stopping himself from being pushed out. "You'll call me if you find anything?"
Henry squeezed his shoulder, "I promise."
***
Nathan didn't realize just how exhausted he was until his head hit the pillow. He melted into his bed and closed his eyes in an effort to ease a headache that had been with him for days. His bed still smelt like Jack. They had only been together for a few months but it felt longer. It had taken both of them nearly a year to realize the banter and one-upping was their way of flirting. "Great minds," Jack had said.
The thought of losing him now, after they finally found each other, made Nathan sick. He put his arm over his eyes and tried not to think as he fell asleep in the cold silence of his empty room.
He dreamt Jack was drowning in a green pool of water and he stood at the edge, unable to reach out to save him. When he woke it was dark; he'd been asleep for twelve hours. He stayed in bed, awake for several hours just thinking. He ran the numbers and equations in his head, trying to find the chemical compound that would work.
The silence of the phone not ringing was beginning to nag at him. He couldn't stop himself from worrying the suspended animation wouldn't hold long enough. A thought crossed his mind that it could take months to find a cure for the toxin. He started to feel sick to his stomach again when the ring of his phone finally pierced the quiet.
Henry spoke before Nathan even said hello, "We've got it!"
***
"But how do we administer it?" Allison asked after Henry finished explaining how he conjured the antidote.
Nathan stood by the chamber holding Jack. "We can filter it through the chambers air system. We'll have to turn the stasis off and wake Carter but it should only take the vapor a few minutes to inoculate the toxin." He turned to Henry who was working to patch into the tank's ventilation. "Ready, Henry?"
"Wait," Allison said, "How can we wake him if he was unconscious when the stasis started?"
Henry and Nathan exchanged glances before Henry spoke, "Suspended animation is a form of cryogenic freezing. It isn't as extreme but it lowers the body's temperature significantly. Usually when someone is woken from cryo, the temperature of the tank is gradually raised to room temp but since we need to startle Jack awake quickly, we're only raising it just above 32 degrees Fahrenheit."
Allison looked worried. "That's still low enough to cause severe damage."
"He'll only be exposed for a few minutes, not nearly long enough for frost bite or hypothermia to set in," Nathan said. "It's the only option."
Henry finished his work and stood near Allison. He nodded to Nathan, giving the go head. Nathan flicked the switch on the console and the glow of the tank decreased as the stasis began to reverse. A moment later they could see Jack's breath, goose bumps formed on his skin and he began to tremble. He coughed as he woke up, the original toxin still constricting his lungs.
Nathan stepped closer to the chamber, "Carter, calm down," he tried to reassure Jack. He wanted to let him know he was there.
Jack was visibly shaking; his eyes were wide as he struggled to breath in the cold.
"He's panicking," Allison said, worried. "Do something, Nathan."
"Henry, turn the lights up." Nathan knew Jack needed to see them but the room was dark except for the interior lights of the tank. He stepped closer, "Breathe," he said louder as the lights came on. "Jack, just breathe. We're filtering your air with something to counteract the toxin."
Jack nodded, trying to calm his shaking so he could take a deep breath. His coughing began to subside as the antidote cleaned his lungs of the poison. "It c-c-cold," he stuttered through his clattering teeth.
"Just hang in there for a minute," Nathan tried to smile reassuringly. He checked the read outs on a monitor fixed to the tank. "The toxin is almost neutralized."
Henry came to his side and pressed some keys on the display. "Okay… it's gone. Let's get him out." He turned to Jack, "Listen Jack, you may feel some pain as your muscles adjust to the warmth after being in the extreme cold."
"H-Henry!" Jack practically rolled his eyes, "J-Just g-g-get m-me o-out!"
They stood back and pulled the lever to open the tank's door. Ice cold air spilled out followed by Jack. Nathan and Henry gripped his arms and helped him out but the strain on his body was too high and he collapsed into Nathan's arms.
***
The medical doctors confirmed there weren't any traces of the toxin left but the process of removing it had taken a physical toll leaving Jack exhausted. Nathan stayed by his side while he slept for most of the day.
Nathan was nodding off when Jack finally woke late that night.
"Hey," Nathan said, smiling.
"Hi," Jack sat up. "Geeze, how long was I out?" He asked noticing it was dark outside.
"All day. Or five days depending on where you start."
"What?! I was in that lab this morning."
"That was five days ago. We had to put you in stasis until we could find a solution."
Jack didn't say anything for a minute while he processed the information. "Oh my God, what about Zoe? Is she okay? Where is she?" He asked urgently.
"She's fine. She's with Jo; they'll be here in the morning."
"Good," Jack visibly relaxed, leaning back into the pillows. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the bandage on his hand.
"I am now," Nathan answered, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, after you froze me," Jack joked.
Nathan smiled, "At least you're lips aren't blue anymore. You don't look good as a Smurf."
"Oh thanks!" Jack laughed but could tell Nathan was still concerned. "I'm okay, you know."
"I know." He knew Jack would be fine but the whole ordeal was too close to devastation. "Just… can you please stop pressing buttons?"
"What?" Jack feigned ignorance. "Maybe you guys should stop putting big red buttons everywhere. They're just begging to be pushed."
Nathan laughed, "You know, most intelligent human beings have something called 'self-control'. You should look into it."
Jack reached for Nathan's collar, "Lets see how much self-control you have," and pulled him in for a kiss.
The End.