Dr. Brightman had never been so aggravated with a superior officer in her life. She was shaking her head in annoyance as she walked up to the convalescing General, Nurse Dean bandaging a second-degree burn on his shin from the dropped coffee cup. The doctor snapped his file shut. "Well, General, you'll be pleased to hear there's nothing wrong with your head. When was the last time you ate?"

Jack frowned in confusion. "What's that got to do with it?"

Brightman pursed her lips. "You're suffering from low blood sugar, General...probably caused by not eating enough after your blood donation yesterday. Now what was the last thing you ate?"

Jack closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose, trying to think. "Uh...I dunno...jello...?"

Daniel, who with Teal'c was looking over the proceedings, uncrossed his arms in disbelief. "Uh... Pardon me. As in the jello you ate yesterday afternoon...about two o'clock?"

Jack said nothing, but his guilty look was enough.

Dr. Brightman groaned and shook her head. "That was eighteen hours ago. No wonder you passed out. I told you to eat well after the blood donation...even if you hadn't donated, you'd still need to eat something more substantial in that time." She looked up at the nurse, who had finished bandaging Jack's leg and re-entered the room with a full breakfast tray. The plate of eggs, toast, orange juice, and milk was set down on Jack's bedside table. "Eat. Now."

Jack sighed, staring at the unappetizing hospital food.

Brightman raised her eyebrows. "Don't forget, sir, I can relieve you of duty on a medical basis. Don't think I won't."

Like a scolded child, Jack meekly inched into a more upright position and picked up the fork. A large mouthful of scrambled eggs went into his mouth. The taste wasn't so good, but he swallowed anyway.

The doctor nodded in appreciation. "That's better. I'll be back in a half hour. That tray had better be empty by then. You're not getting out of here until it is." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Satisfied that Jack was all right, Teal'c nodded and left. Daniel stayed behind to sigh heavily and perch on the footboard of Jack's bed. He watched Jack gobble down the hospital food with a heavy heart. "Jack..."

Jack glanced at Daniel through his eggs.

"Jack, I know you're worried about Sam." Daniel looked down at his crossed arms for a minute. "I know you don't want to do anything else until you know she'll be OK. But you're not going to do her any good by not taking care of yourself."

Jack looked up as he swallowed his food. "You wanna chew me out, go ahead. But trust me..this hospital food is punishment enough." He made a face.

Daniel cracked a smile. Even a hint of the old Jack was better than nothing. "Serves you right." He glanced over at the curtained area where Sam slept for a moment. "I'm gonna go check on Sam. Eat up."

Trapped...trapped within a computer mainframe. It is an odd, unsettling sensation. Sam knows what is happening around her, and yet she can't hear, see, taste, smell, or touch anything. It is incredibly frustrating.

The computers are going to be blown up...they think she is the Entity. Sam panics and does the only thing she knows to do. Speak.

'I am here' reads the computer monitor.

Daniel is the first to catch on...but Jack doesn't believe him!

'I am here...I am here...I am here...'

A faint beeping noise reached Daniel's ears as he sat by Sam. His head snapped up to regard the heart monitor screen...and he felt his own heart drop.

Sam's heart rate had dropped to only 45 beats per minute...and it was still dropping. Red text on the screen flashed 'critical'.

No! Daniel leapt to his feet, looking around for a nurse...an orderly...anyone. Upon seeing Lt. Evans, a blonde nurse, he frantically waved her over. "Where's Dr. Brightman?"

Lt. Evans' eyes widened and she motioned out the door. "She...just went to her office-" The nurse noticed the monitor and jogged over to double-check Sam's pulse manually. Another glance at the monitor showed the heart drop continue to drop. 42 beats per minute... 41...40...She sighed and quickly reached for phone, pushing the extension for Brightman's office. After a pause she spoke. "Dr. Brightman? Lt. Evans. Colonel Carter's heartrate is dropping again. It's at 39 beats per minute...understood." The phone was replaced on the hook. "She'll be down in a minute."

Daniel stared at Sam, brows knitting. Sam doesn't have a minute.

Hearing the commotion, Jack had forgotten the rest of his breakfast and discarded the finger clip. He was at Sam's side in less than five seconds, limping only slightly. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Sam's heart rate's been dropping," sighed Daniel.

"Where's the God-da-"

Dr. Brightman rushed in. Her office was just upstairs as she appeared in the doorway and swung her stethoscope off her shoulders. "What have we got?" The bell was pressed to Lt. Colonel Carter's chest.

The nurse sighed. "31 beats per minute and dropping."

Suddenly an ominous, sustained beep filled the room. Sam was flatlining.

Brightman sighed and put the stethoscope back over her neck. "She's in cardiac arrest. Charge paddles to 100!"

As the horrified Daniel and Jack watched, the defibrillator was rolled over and flipped on. Sam's chest was partially bared and a pair of gel packs were placed near her heart.

Dr. Brightman held the paddles over the gel packs. "Clear!" The paddles went down, and the shock was administered.

Sam's limp body jolted at the shock. Thankfully, the steady beep of the heart monitor returned.

Brightman, somewhat surprised, put the paddles back in their charging station and listened to the Lt. Colonel's heart again. "We got her back..." She turned toward the heart monitor screen. The numbers were climbing. 30...39...47...52...and finally steadying at 68 beats per minute. Brightman sighed in relief and put up her stethoscope once again. "Heart rate normal." That was close.

Jack and Daniel seemed to sag with relief upon hearing those words. Daniel took off his glasses for a minute to blink hard while Jack looked from Sam to the doctor. "OK...what just happened?"

"I don't know, sir," admitted Dr Brightman, shaking her head. "It seemed to be spontaneous. One minute she was here, the next..." Her dark, thin brows furrowed. "Evans, was she in REM sleep when this happened?"

Lt. Evans shook her head, frowning. "I'm not sure-"

"Yes," Daniel broke in, making everyone look up. "She was dreaming...at least I think she was. Her eyes were moving."

"What's that got to do with it?" Jack wanted to know.

"Colonel Carter's heart rate has changed every time she's entered REM sleep. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but always a distinct change. Apparently her dreams are vivid enough that they're affecting her vital signs," explained the doctor.

"Can you stop the dreams?"

"Not while she's sedated. I didn't think she would even enter REM sleep while under sedation, but apparently I was wrong. Either way, whatever she's dreaming of clearly isn't good for her."

Jack chewed his lip, feeling helpless. "Can you do anything for her?"

Dr. Brightman sighed, nodding reluctantly. "It's sooner than I would have liked, but for the Colonel's own safety, I'm going to take her off the sedative."

Daniel grimaced, knowing what that would mean. Sam was going to wake up...and when she did, she was going to be in a lot of pain. He glanced at Jack to see his reaction.

Jack stood like a statue, staring at Sam's sleeping form with worry...and fear. I almost lost her...again...He closed his eyes and sighed. That's it. I'm gonna do it. He lifted his head to look at the doctor. "Doc...you said I could go as soon as my tray was empty?"

While confused at the timing of this question, Brightman nodded. "Yes, sir."

That was enough for Jack. He marched over to his tray, took the last piece of toast into his mouth, and drained the rest of the orange juice. "Done." And with that he made his way out, still limping a little.

Daniel's mouth dropped open in shock. How could he just leave? Doesn't he care? Quickly Daniel jogged after his friend. "Jack!"

Jack didn't stop. "Not now, Daniel."

Daniel wouldn't be shrugged off. Not this time. He broke into a run and stopped in front of Jack, barring his way. "Yes. Yes, now. Sam almost dies, and you practically run to her. She comes back and you leave. What's going on?"

Jack blew out a hard breath through his nose. He couldn't admit it. Not even to Daniel. "I got work to do." He moved to step around Daniel.

Daniel wouldn't move. "That's never stopped you before. Jack, I thought you cared about Sam-"

"I do care!" snarled Jack in a whisper, pointing his finger in Daniel's face. "I care too much! That's the problem. That's why I can't..." He stopped, his eyes stinging, and took a step back.

"Do you love her?" While the thought had crossed Daniel's mind before, he had never asked. He'd figured it was none of his business.

A storm of emotion passed over Jack's face. For a moment it looked as though he might cry. Then he looked angry. Then he hung his head and looked away.

For Daniel the silence was enough. Somehow he wasn't surprised. His anger on behalf of his friend began to fade into understanding. Now it all made sense...all the times Jack has risked it all just to save Sam...why he got so quiet and couldn't focus on anything when she was hurt...all those looks they thought no one else had noticed. Daniel sighed. "Have you told her?" he asked in a near whisper.

Jack looked up incredulously. "You know why I can't."

Daniel stared at the floor for a minute. His mouth twitched with a half-forgotten memory that was filled with anguish. "You know...before Sha're died, I never got a chance to tell her I loved her. I'd told her after...after she was gone, but..." He shrugged. "That doesn't keep it from haunting me." His blue eyes grew moist and he looked away for a minute.

Jack shook his head. "It's not the same."

Daniel looked up. "Tell her, Jack. If you don't, you're going to regret it the rest of your life."

Jack closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath full of mental pain. Daniel was right. He had to tell Sam how he felt...and soon, in case he never got another chance.

Not yet, he amended. He didn't look up before pushing past Daniel without answering.

"Jack, where are you going?"

"There's something I have to do."