Big Baddaboom
Disclaimer: My things are mine. The rest…well, you know how it goes.
A/N: Important: This story doesn't have a real plot. It kinda does, if you squint, but it's really just a Sam/Jack whump and fluff fic. As for the title…well…blame it on lack of sleep and a recent viewing of 'The Fifth Element.'
I'm not usually one for sappy stuff…but…this is dedicated to all those lost and left behind in the 9/11 attack. Sometimes it hurts worse to be the one left to pick up the pieces. Jimmy and Ron, you are missed.
Set in later seasons, but there are a few changes. Hammond's still there, Jack is still a colonel, Sam is still a major…and, of course, Janet and Jacob aren't dead.
WARNING: I go into a somewhat detailed description of injuries…so if blood and bones turns your stomach do NOT read.
Oh, and I know this concept has probably been done to death…but I had to give it a shot.
So, once again, no real plot…just my bored and highly over-active imagination.
ENJOY!!
Jack looked over Walter's shoulder at the rapidly spinning gate. The klaxons had started blaring a few seconds ago, signaling an unscheduled offworld activation. Jack, Hammond, Daniel, and Teal'c had been having a short debriefing when the alarms sounded.
A small shudder ran up Jack's spine. Carter was offworld. She was with SG-6 studying some doo-dad or whatnot on P4X-995. While MALP scans and several weeks of recon had shown the planet to be devoid of all human or human-like presence…you could never really be sure. Jack himself had never been there, only letting Carter go because she had given him that damn infectiously adorable smile and turned sparkling blue eyes in his direction.
He made up his mind right then; of course she could go. If that would make her happy. So he had put on a show of being indecisive and a regular pain in the ass. The second the excited glimmer around her faltered he gave in. Still…he hadn't been able to go. Hammond had said he needed him on base for a few meetings involving the operation of the SGC. The colonel had never been required to go to one of these conferences before, but Kinsey was there…and Hammond needed somebody willing to speak his mind about the smarmy bastard.
Jack had been the obvious choice.
But, in the back of his mind there had been that damn niggling feeling that something wasn't right. That he should be watching Carter's back instead of playing devil's advocate.
Daniel stood behind him, frowning slightly with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. Teal'c stood next to him, hands clasped behind his back with his usual raised eyebrow. Hammond was standing to Walter's immediate left.
"Who is it?" the general demanded.
Walter shook his head. "No iris code yet, sir." He waited, hand twitching as though readying to slam it down on the iris control to open it.
Jack let out a long breath and bounced slightly on his heels. He was hoping against hope that it wouldn't be SG-6 or Carter. However, he had learned the hard way that hope doesn't get you very far. And that sense of trepidation was growing. He felt his hands shake and shoved them into his pockets.
He would not lose control. It was probably nothing.
Walter tensed noticeably. "Receiving a signal sir." The computer processed the incoming transmission. Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c waited with baited breath. "It's Major Carter's iris code, sir."
"Open it!" Jack ordered before Hammond could even open his mouth.
"Yes, sir." Walter said, knowing that Hammond would have said the same thing.
The iris slid open to reveal the glistening puddle of blue…that was still undisturbed.
Walter glanced down at the computer. "We're not seeing any travelers, sir."
"Keep it open." Hammond said without pause. Walter nodded.
"Come on, Carter." Jack muttered, searching the event horizon even though he knew no one was coming through yet.
Daniel glanced sideways at his friend and practically felt the waves of anxiety radiating from the man. Teal'c also appeared to notice, for he raised his eyebrow further, but kept silent.
"She's fine, Jack. It's probably nothing." Daniel said quietly, watching the older man closely.
Jack winced slightly and gave Daniel a small smile. "Yeah. I know. Carter's probably made some discovery and can't wait to techno-babble us to dea--!" he was cut off as Walter made a sharp sound of surprise.
A massive wave of energy swept through the gate shattering the windows facing it. Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, Walter, and Hammond threw themselves to the ground as the energy wave swept through the control room; the machines hissing and sparking.
The main computer made a sharp beeping noise and Walter yelled, "Incoming traveler!"
Jumping to their feet among the wreckage they looked out over the glass strewn gateroom. The wormhole flickered and made an odd sucking-swooshing sound.
Suddenly, something came flying through the horizon and slammed into the wall just below the control room before crashing into a heap on the floor. A heap dressed in BDUs. With blonde hair.
"Carter!" Jack yelled, his cry tearing from his throat as he bolted down the stairs and through the blast doors into the gateroom. Daniel and Teal'c were running right behind him, desperate to get to their unconscious friend.
'She is just unconscious…right?' Jack's heart froze as he saw the battered body of his second lying on the gateroom floor face down, spread-eagled.
"Medical team to the gateroom! I repeat medical team to the gateroom!" Hammond shouted over the PA.
"Sam!" Jack shouted, dropping to his knees next to her, not even realizing his slip. He pressed his fingers to her throat, almost passing out with relief when he felt it flutter against his fingertips.
The relief was short-lived however, soon replaced with a mind-numbing dread as he took in her appearance.
Blood was trickling down her neck from a gash at the back of her head and from a deep wound on her cheek. Her knuckles were bruised and torn, blood trickling from the tattered skin. A growing sticky puddle under her left leg could only mean that it was severely broken; the bone protruding violently through the skin. She was pale; God knows how much blood she'd already lost and how long she'd been trying to get back home. She could have been out there; broken…bleeding…alone for hours. Even a few days. SG-6 was on a check-in schedule of five days.
Anything could have happened.
Jack's stomach lurched and he had to fight not to get sick. She looked horrible. Goddammit! She was dying and he hadn't been there to save her. This was all his fault.
Sam's eyes snapped open; a look of pure agony clouding her blue eyes and turning them a translucent grey. She opened her mouth and took a harsh, liquid sounding breath before coughing up blood.
A lot of it.
"Sam! Jesus, Sam…take it easy." It was the stupidest thing in the world to say. He knew that, but it was the only thought that made it through his panic-induced haze. 'God…she's bleeding internally too.' Jack shuddered as the urge to become ill threatened to overtake him again.
"Sir…" her voice was broken and wet, more blood leaking from between her lips.
"Ssh." He tried to sound soothing and ran gentle fingers through her hair. "You're home. You're safe."
Her eyes slipped closed and her already labored breathing became shallower. "Thank you…sir…" The finality in her voice scared him beyond anything he had ever felt.
"Carter, you hang on!" he ordered as he heard Janet's voice shout for Daniel and Teal'c to move back. "Don't you dare even think of leaving me!" It was out of his mouth before he could stop it…and, frankly, he couldn't care less about who heard him. No way was going to let her go that easily.
"Sir! I need space!" Janet yelled, shoving forcefully past him. "I need a brace!"
One of the nurses practically threw Janet the neck and back brace and hurried to hold Sam's head in place. Sam moaned, but it came out a liquid whisper.
"Jack." Daniel laid a hand on the colonel's arm. Jack shrugged him off without even looking at him. "Jack!" Daniel said forcefully, spinning the older man to face him. Jack's eyes were wide and wet. There was an almost animalistic terror about them.
"What, Daniel?" Jack's voice was choked and he hurriedly cleared his throat.
"Jack…This is bad." Jack scoffed, all the while keeping his eyes locked onto his barely breathing second. "Let me finish." Daniel gently squeezed Jack's arm and let him go. "She needs more than what we can give her."
Jack's eyes darkened. "So what? You're saying we should just give up? Over my dead body, Daniel."
Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, Jack. I'm saying we need to call Jacob."
"So he can say goodbye?" Jack spat, glaring at Daniel.
"No, dammit, Jack!" Daniel glared right back. "We need the Tok'ra healing devices! That's the only way Sam is gonna come out of this!"
Jack's eyes widened and his jaw tightened. He knew Daniel was right. Of course he was right. But…he didn't want any Goa'uld technology around Carter…his Carter. SG-1's track record with those things wasn't so hot. Looking back at Carter, he knew there was no choice.
"Dial the Tok'ra homeworld!" he shouted up to Walter and General Hammond. Without so much as asking why, the general motioned for Walter to do it.
"Chevron one encoded!" Walter's voice rang through the gateroom.
"Dammit!" Janet's panicked voice brought Jack's attention back to his fallen teammate. His fallen 'more-than-just-a-teammate.'
"What?" He had meant for his voice to come out loud and strong…instead it was low and raw with emotion. Emotion he really shouldn't be showing, but couldn't muster the will to hide.
"We can't move her." Janet's voice was subdued and there were undertones of helplessness and fury. "I can't tell if her neck is broken."
Jack's heart launched into his throat…his stomach following soon after. He tried to speak, but no sound would come.
Daniel stepped forward, his glasses dangling uselessly in his hand. "Broken? As in…?"
"As in I don't think we'll be able to hold on to her for that long." Janet's eyes darkened and she looked as though the words were choking her.
Jack felt as though he had been submerged in ice water. He was so numb it hurt. This wasn't happening. This was not happening. Carter…Sam…no.
He could not lose her.
TBC
A/N: Please R&R! Part two up tomorrow…hopefully.