Sticks and Stones
Chapter 4:
"Teal'c?"
"I am afraid we have not been fast enough." Teal'c's eyes met Jacks. The sorrow and loss was writing across his face, although you had to know him well to realize it. Jack flicked his radio.
"SG-6, dial us out. I repeat, dial us out. Tell the SGC to have the doc waiting when we arrive. Our patient is critical." The gate was within sight and Jack could see the men following his orders. Teal'c never slowed again. He ran straight through the event horizon and descended the ramp barely stopping before running into the medical personnel waiting at the bottom.
Teal'c placed Sam on a gurney. The doc felt for a pulse and immediately ordered the medics to begin CPR. Jack arrived in time to see Sam being pushed out the door. There was a nurse straddling her body doing chest compressions. Jack's heart fell into his stomach.
SG-1 and Jack waited out in the hall leading to the infirmary. Jack heard the whine of the paddles being charged followed by the zap as they were used. That damn sound repeated itself more than once before it stopped. He couldn't hear the beeping of a heart monitor but he told himself that it probably just wasn't loud enough to be heard this far off. She had to live. He needed her. They all needed her.
It was over an hour before the doctor came out to talk with them.
"How is she, doc?"
"She's been sent to surgery, General O'Neill."
"For what?"
"There are a couple areas of bleeding inside her head. It was causing the pressure to rise inside her skull. The pressure was squeezing her brain and causing it to shut down. The neurosurgeon is going to put in a shunt to remove the excess fluid. Once we get the pressure down we will be able to analyze the true extent of her injuries."
"How will you stop the bleeding in her brain?" Daniel was pale white and barely holding himself upright as he spoke.
"If it doesn't stop on it's own the neurosurgeon may have to do more surgery later."
"How long until we can see her?" Jack stood ram rod straight. Daniel recognized soldier mode when he saw it.
"The surgery will take at least another hour, more if the bleeding requires intervention. After surgery, it will take us a few hours to get her settled and cleaned up. I suggest you all get some rest and something to eat. Come back in about four or five hours. I should know more then."
Daniel and Jack sat down in the plastic chairs along the hall. Daniel leaned forward and placed his head in his hands, which were propped up on his knees. Jack let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes. Teal'c remained ramrod straight watching over his two worried friends. He was afraid that Colonel Carter wasn't going to be lucky enough to survive this time. He wasn't sure what would happen to Daniel Jackson and O'Neill if she didn't make it.
Sam stayed on life support for three days with no change in her condition. The doctors said there were still indications of brain activity, although they admitted there was a significant chance of some degree of brain damage. They all agreed that she needed more time to heal before she would wake. They encouraged her team to talk to her often. Jack had every SG off world team leaving messages for the Tokra. He knew her father would want to be here for her.
It was eight days after bringing her back when Sam opened her eyes. Daniel was sitting with her when he saw her eyelashes flutter. Although her eyes opened slightly, she didn't seem to really be looking at anything.
"Hey, Sam. It's me, Daniel. Can you hear me? Sam?" There was no response and she closed her eyes again. The doctors told SG-1 that is was a good sign. They went back to waiting and watching. For an impatient man Jack was remarkably capable of sitting and staring at her for hours without fidgeting.
The next time her eyes opened Teal'c was sitting with Sam. He reached out and touched her hand. She did not look in his direction. He spoke to her for several minutes but her eyes remained unfocused. He didn't think she was really in that room with him. The sight of her vacant face with the open eyes sent chills down his spine. Teal'c had seen more horrors then most can imagine but the sight of his hollow friend was worse then all the horrors cataloged in his mind.
Teal'c was glad to leave when Jack came by to relieve him. Jack was exhausted. He was running the SGC and spending all of his spare time with Sam. He had been living off 3-4 hours of sleep, or less, each night for two weeks. As Jack sat down beside Sam he couldn't help but acknowledge that he was too old to keep it up for long. Jack jerked awake when he realized he had been disturbed by a moan. He looked around the infirmary but he didn't see any patient who could have made the sound. He briefly wondered if his own snoring had disturbed him. When he turned back to Sam, he saw her eyes were open and she was looking at him.
"Hey, Carter. How ya' feeling?"
"Car.....ter?"
"Yeah. That's your name." His chest tightened. They had told him to expect some brain damage but he hadn't been ready for this.
"Car......ter."
"Right. I'm General O'Neill."
"Neill."
"Not quite but it's a good try." Jack hit the nurse call button. When the nurse saw Jack was talking with Sam, she went to get the doctor.
"Teal'c?"
"I am afraid we have not been fast enough." Teal'c's eyes met Jacks. The sorrow and loss was writing across his face, although you had to know him well to realize it. Jack flicked his radio.
"SG-6, dial us out. I repeat, dial us out. Tell the SGC to have the doc waiting when we arrive. Our patient is critical." The gate was within sight and Jack could see the men following his orders. Teal'c never slowed again. He ran straight through the event horizon and descended the ramp barely stopping before running into the medical personnel waiting at the bottom.
Teal'c placed Sam on a gurney. The doc felt for a pulse and immediately ordered the medics to begin CPR. Jack arrived in time to see Sam being pushed out the door. There was a nurse straddling her body doing chest compressions. Jack's heart fell into his stomach.
SG-1 and Jack waited out in the hall leading to the infirmary. Jack heard the whine of the paddles being charged followed by the zap as they were used. That damn sound repeated itself more than once before it stopped. He couldn't hear the beeping of a heart monitor but he told himself that it probably just wasn't loud enough to be heard this far off. She had to live. He needed her. They all needed her.
It was over an hour before the doctor came out to talk with them.
"How is she, doc?"
"She's been sent to surgery, General O'Neill."
"For what?"
"There are a couple areas of bleeding inside her head. It was causing the pressure to rise inside her skull. The pressure was squeezing her brain and causing it to shut down. The neurosurgeon is going to put in a shunt to remove the excess fluid. Once we get the pressure down we will be able to analyze the true extent of her injuries."
"How will you stop the bleeding in her brain?" Daniel was pale white and barely holding himself upright as he spoke.
"If it doesn't stop on it's own the neurosurgeon may have to do more surgery later."
"How long until we can see her?" Jack stood ram rod straight. Daniel recognized soldier mode when he saw it.
"The surgery will take at least another hour, more if the bleeding requires intervention. After surgery, it will take us a few hours to get her settled and cleaned up. I suggest you all get some rest and something to eat. Come back in about four or five hours. I should know more then."
Daniel and Jack sat down in the plastic chairs along the hall. Daniel leaned forward and placed his head in his hands, which were propped up on his knees. Jack let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes. Teal'c remained ramrod straight watching over his two worried friends. He was afraid that Colonel Carter wasn't going to be lucky enough to survive this time. He wasn't sure what would happen to Daniel Jackson and O'Neill if she didn't make it.
Sam stayed on life support for three days with no change in her condition. The doctors said there were still indications of brain activity, although they admitted there was a significant chance of some degree of brain damage. They all agreed that she needed more time to heal before she would wake. They encouraged her team to talk to her often. Jack had every SG off world team leaving messages for the Tokra. He knew her father would want to be here for her.
It was eight days after bringing her back when Sam opened her eyes. Daniel was sitting with her when he saw her eyelashes flutter. Although her eyes opened slightly, she didn't seem to really be looking at anything.
"Hey, Sam. It's me, Daniel. Can you hear me? Sam?" There was no response and she closed her eyes again. The doctors told SG-1 that is was a good sign. They went back to waiting and watching. For an impatient man Jack was remarkably capable of sitting and staring at her for hours without fidgeting.
The next time her eyes opened Teal'c was sitting with Sam. He reached out and touched her hand. She did not look in his direction. He spoke to her for several minutes but her eyes remained unfocused. He didn't think she was really in that room with him. The sight of her vacant face with the open eyes sent chills down his spine. Teal'c had seen more horrors then most can imagine but the sight of his hollow friend was worse then all the horrors cataloged in his mind.
Teal'c was glad to leave when Jack came by to relieve him. Jack was exhausted. He was running the SGC and spending all of his spare time with Sam. He had been living off 3-4 hours of sleep, or less, each night for two weeks. As Jack sat down beside Sam he couldn't help but acknowledge that he was too old to keep it up for long. Jack jerked awake when he realized he had been disturbed by a moan. He looked around the infirmary but he didn't see any patient who could have made the sound. He briefly wondered if his own snoring had disturbed him. When he turned back to Sam, he saw her eyes were open and she was looking at him.
"Hey, Carter. How ya' feeling?"
"Car.....ter?"
"Yeah. That's your name." His chest tightened. They had told him to expect some brain damage but he hadn't been ready for this.
"Car......ter."
"Right. I'm General O'Neill."
"Neill."
"Not quite but it's a good try." Jack hit the nurse call button. When the nurse saw Jack was talking with Sam, she went to get the doctor.