Chapter Four

The dark blue sedan was weaving back and forth across the road about five blocks from Jack's house, when it crossed the center line and headed straight for Jack's pickup. Jack had not seen the car at first, due to the fact that its headlights were not turned on, and it was a dark, moonless night.

His mind had also been on other things, mainly on the fact that he had just fucked his 2iC and probably fucked up her life as well...not just once but twice. By the time he had seen the other vehicle, it was too late to do anything but swerve off the highway and into a drainage ditch.

Jack came to momentarily, in the upside-down truck. He could feel something warm running into his eyes. He also smelled the familiar odor of gasoline, and instinct told him to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. Unfortunately he couldn't unfasten his damned seatbelt.

As precious seconds ticked by, he struggled with the latch. It finally gave way, allowing his body to fall to the roof of the overturned vehicle. With all the energy he could muster, Jack crawled out the side window and away from the truck, reaching a safe distance just before it burst into flames. His bruised and battered body fell silently to the earth, as a car pulled up across the highway from his location.

Sam heard the sound of a phone ringing long before her fuzzy brain realized it was her cell phone. It was another ten seconds before she realized the sound was coming from her coat, which was where she had left it hours before. Stumbling from her bed she made her way through the dark house to the front hallway. But her coat wasn't where she'd left it.

The realization, of how her coat had found its way to the back of her sofa, came to her at the same instant she opened her phone and heard Daniel's voice.

"Sam, it's me! Sam, there's been an accident. Jack's hurt," he said rapidly. Sam was instantly wide awake.

"What? An accident? When? How bad is it? Where is he, Daniel?" She almost couldn't stop asking questions long enough for him to respond, but somehow her desire to learn more made her stop and listen.

"He's at CS General. I'm going there now. I can pick you up, Sam," he offered, wondering if she was okay to drive.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be ready in a few minutes," she told him. "Daniel, do you know how bad it is?" The sensitive part of her that was afraid to ask was subdued by the military part of her that was used to almost anything.

"No I don't. I got a call from Hammond. He didn't know much, just that Jack's truck was found in flames and he was injured."

"Oh, my God, Daniel, if he's been burned..."

"Sam, don't jump to conclusions. It may not be as bad as it sounds. Now go get dressed. I'll be right over!"

The drive to the hospital, although only a short ten minutes, seemed to take an eternity. Sam ran into the emergency room as soon as they pulled into the parking lot, leaving Daniel to park the car. He found her hanging over the counter at the nurses station, trying to get a look at the computer screen. There were no nurses present, and Sam was beside herself with worry.

"Nurse! Nurse! Is there someone..." Just then a white-smocked man stepped behind the desk, looking at a chart. He ignored Sam and Daniel and began to pick up the phone. Sam pressed the disconnect button and shouted at him.

"Where is Colonel Jack O'Neill?"

"Are you his wife," the man asked, obviously irritated.

"No. I work with him. He's my friend," Sam shouted!

"Then you'll have to wait over there," he said pointing at a row of plastic chairs. The man picked up the phone again and began pushing buttons. Sam was about to interrupt him again, but Daniel prevented her, pulling her away by the arm.

"Sam, it won't do any good to antagonize him," he told her softly and sensibly. "Come on. We'll wait for a doctor to come out," he told her.

"Do you know if Janet's been told?"

"I imagine, but I don't know for sure. I'll call her," Daniel said, pulling out his cell phone. He made the call as Sam listened. After a minute he hung up. "She already knew. She's on her way," he told her.

Sam was pacing the floor when Janet walked through the door. Janet headed straight into the emergency wing, with Sam and Daniel hot on her tail.

"Sorry you two, I had to wait for a baby-sitter to watch Cassie." She shook her head, sensing Sam's next question. "I didn't have the heart to wake her and tell her," she said.

As she got to a set of double swinging doors she stopped. "Now, I'm afraid I have to ask you both to wait here...just until I find out what's going on," she told the two very upset people.

Daniel took Sam's hand and held it as they stood against the wall nearest the doors. It was about five minutes before Janet reappeared.

"Okay, here's what I know. Jack was run off the road by a drunk driver. Jack tried to avoid the collision and drove into a ditch. His truck rolled over. He managed to get out before it caught fire." Sam let out a sigh of relief, and Daniel closed his eyes as though saying a prayer of thanks.

"How is he?" Daniel asked the question that Sam was afraid to voice.

"He has a broken scapula and a broken wrist...both on his left side. And he has some minor cuts on his face and arms from the broken window glass. And...he has a concussion. He hit his left temple on the side window. I'm not particularly worried about it though. He's conscious and alert, and there's no evidence of internal swelling or hemorrhaging.

He'll probably be released tomorrow afternoon, but he'll need a few days bed rest and someone to wait on him until he can get off the pain meds. They're cleaning him up right now. When they're done you can see him. I've left your names as next of kin, but I also gave them Sara O'Neill's name. I thought it only fair to tell you, Sam." Janet patted her arm, before going to the nurses' station.

"Why did she say that, Sam?" Daniel had heard Janet's comment about Sara O'Neill and wondered why Sam would care one way or the other if she was notified. Sam was wondering about this herself, so she followed Janet back out to the big waiting room.

When Janet was finished with Jack's chart and had handed it to the male nurse, Sam asked her about her remark.

"Janet, why did you say what you did about me and Sarah O'Neill?" Janet took her friend's hand and led her to the row of molded plastic chairs in the waiting area. Daniel followed along like a puppy looking for a treat.

"Sam, I don't know if you want Daniel to hear this," Janet said, nodding at the archaeologist.

"Oh, sorry! I'll just..."

"No! Daniel, it's okay. You're our friend," she told him, patting his hand and he sat down on the other side of her.

"The paramedics were still in there, Sam. They asked me if Jack's wife was named Sam. They said he talked a lot about you before they brought him in. When I mentioned the fact to him just now, he told me that he had been driving home from your house...right after the two of you had... been together. When he came to...right after the accident...he thought you had been in the truck with him when it happened. He sort of lost it...kept telling the paramedics to get you out."

Sam just sat there listening to Janet, the tears streaming down her pale face.

"You and Jack were together right before the accident? You mean together as in... OH!

Oh, Sam, I didn't know!"

"No, no one knew till now, Daniel. We just...the first time was last night. He didn't even make it home after..." Now she was sobbing loudly, the feeling of relief overwhelming her. Janet quickly got up and went into the meds room, where she checked out something to calm Sam's frayed nerves. She brought the tiny white pill and a cup of water to Sam, and Sam willingly took the medication.

"Now, go in and see him, Sam. And then go home and get some rest. I have a feeling you're gonna need it!"

"Janet...I didn't intend to get you involved in this mess," Sam told her friend. "But now that you are, what will you do?"

"Jack told me as his doctor while I was treating him in a public hospital for an accident he had while not on duty. I can always plead patient confidentiality," she said, a look of resignation on her face. She knew her excuse would hold no water in a military court, but Sam didn't need to know that; they were her friends, and she would protect their secret!

"Now go see Jack! But you can only stay five minutes; he needs his rest and so do you! I'll see you here tomorrow, but not till after Ten. That's when visiting hours begin," she told them, and then she left.

Sam looked at Daniel and squeezed his hand before she left him in the waiting room. She didn't have to tell him that she needed to see Jack alone.

TBC