Dr. Frasier's face paled as Teal'c placed Sam gently on the stretcher in the Gate room. "Sam?" she called, rubbing her fist hard against her friend's sternum to wake her. When that failed, she whipped out her pen and pushed it into Sam's nail bed.

Neither trick worked, and she swore. "Ready the intubation kit," she ordered, flashing a penlight in Sam's eyes. She then took the tools she was handed and neatly placed a tube down her friend's throat, leaving a nurse to attach a bag and start pumping air into Carter's lungs.

The stretcher ran toward the infirmary, but Janet stayed behind a minute, her eyes moving to where General Hammond stood in the corner of the room. "Call the Academy," she said softly. "Ask for Dr. Jake Heiser and get him here. Now."

"I'm on it, sir," Walter said from the control room, and Janet disappeared.

~/~

It had been hours since they'd stepped through the Gate. Daniel had been pacing on and off, frustrated. Teal'c, as usual, stood silent watch in one corner. But they were both concerned about Jack, who had sunken into the chair closest to the door and not moved.

It was General Hammond who finally approached him on one of his brief visits. "Colonel," he said softly, sitting close to the man, "you should get cleaned up."

Jack didn't move.

"Son. When she gets out of surgery, she's gonna need you with her. You know that."

After a moment, he nodded.

"You can't go see her like that. You'll scare her, son."

Jack looked up in surprise, then looked down and started, as if shocked to see the blood that covered his hands and uniform. "God," he breathed.

General Hammond put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Go shower and change, son. You'll be back in no time, and better for it. Better for her."

He chewed on that for a second. "Yes, sir," he said finally, then stood and left the room.

The general watched him go with a sigh, then looked at the other two. "I don't suppose either of you two know what happened out there."

"I do not," Teal'c intoned.

Daniel just shook his head. Hammond nodded and left the room.

~/~

Just past the eight hour mark, the two doctors emerged from surgery down the hall. Janet's face was red, her eyes downcast, and instead of approaching them, she ducked into her office and shut the door.

The other man approached. "I understand Major Carter is a good friend of hers," he began, "and it's been a long few hours. I hope you won't mind talking to me. I'm Dr. Heiser, neurosurgeon at the Academy Hospital."

"How is she?" Daniel asked softly.

"She came through the surgery very well. Part of her skull was crushed, but we've cleaned out the wound-"

"Wound?" Daniel interrupted. "You mean her brain."

"I do. Obviously, that is a concern, but we believe we've removed all the debris and stopped the bleeding."

"Major Carter will then recover," Teal'c put in.

Dr. Heiser took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I need you to understand that when it comes to traumatic brain injury, surgery is only the beginning. If I were to operate on your arm or your knee, it would swell – increasing the blood flow is the body's natural reaction to speed healing. When the body senses an injury to the brain, it does the same thing. But since the brain is completely enclosed, the swelling just causes increased pressure. That pressure can cause further injury, so the body increases the blood flow, and the cycle continues."

"How do you stop it, Doctor?" General Hammond had stepped just inside the door.

"General," the doctor greeted. "The only thing we can do is stop the body from reacting. It's called a drug-induced coma. That means we've sedated her into a state of extremely low brain activity."

"Such an action does not seem safe."

Dr. Heiser looked at the large man in mild surprise. "Well, no. But it's the only way we have to help her brain heal."

Jack looked up for the first time. "Can we see her?"

"For a bit. You'll need to scrub in." He called over a nurse and instructed her to help them. "I'll be back and forth to check on her in the coming days."

General Hammond nodded and left. Daniel watched his friends head toward the nurse, but shook his head. "I'll be there in a minute."

Swallowing hard, he headed for Janet's door. He knocked gently and tried the knob, but something was blocking it. Janet, he guessed. After a moment, she moved and the door swung open. She was sitting against the wall next to it, and he slid down next to her.

When she looked up at him, she was crying. "It's bad, Daniel," she whispered. "It's really bad."

"Shhh…" He wrapped his arms around her and let her sob into his shoulder. He was trying to be positive, really. But with every falling tear, his sense of dread choked him a little more.

~/~

Teal'c watched from his normal position next to the door as his commanding officer fidgeted in his chair. He hadn't let go of Samantha Carter's hand since he had entered the room.

Even to Teal'c's eyes, the situation looked dire. His friend's head was completely wrapped in white gauze. One tube went up her nose and another into her mouth, both taped firmly in place. More tape held her eyelids closed, and electrodes were attached every few inches across her forehead. Very little of her face was visible past the medical equipment.

A nurse stepped into the room. "Sirs, Dr. Heiser has requested that visitation time be limited for Major Carter right now. If you don't mind…"

Neither man moved.

"Colonel O'Neill will remain," Teal'c told her. "Doctor Frasier will approve it."

She bit her lip. "Okay."

"I will leave shortly."

"Okay." The nurse left.

"Are you in need of supplies, O'Neill?"

Jack shook his head.

"Very well. I will be outside." True to his word, Teal'c switched his guard post from the inside to the outside of the door and settled in for the night.