Chapter 8
Respected journalist Emmet Bergman was contracted by the Stars and Stripes to interview the men and women of the S.G.C. It had been a rough week and Sam didn't want the press to come snooping around her daughter and thus June was told to avoid SG-1 for the week.
June found herself hanging out with Sophia for the week as Major Mitchell had to go back to Area 51. They promised to spend time together at a later date. She felt relieved to find her father also had a photographic memory for they now had something in common. As June stayed low trouble broke out when SG-13 was trapped off world.
Janet arrived in the infirmary to gather her combat medics. She told June, "I'm gonna need all the help I can get, June. Get ready with the rest."
June simply nodded and soon found herself suiting up with gear and a rifle to go off world as numerous SG teams were now in trouble. Since June was still in training and Sam's daughter, Janet took her safety into consideration and told June to stay with her off world. June found herself stepping through the Gate in full combat gear and into a world that had erupted around her.
She had trouble at first. The sounds, the smells and the sheer volume of visual detail nearly overwhelmed her. She ran behind Janet to Daniel Jackson who was attempting to help Sergeant Wells from SG-13.
June shadowed Janet as the doctor took control of the situation. The wounded man kept insisting he was going to die.
"Please tell my wife…" he tried to speak, "if I die…"
"You're not gonna die on my watch," Janet told him and then inserted a chest tube to drain the fluid. As soon as the tube was inserted Janet was then struck by a staff weapon bolt.
Daniel went into shock, "Janet? Medic!" He screamed. "I need a medic," he looked at June who seemed equally shocked.
June shook herself out of the disbelief and went to Janet's aid. She rolled her on her side as other medics arrived along with Sophia acting as fire support.
A seasoned combat medic searched for a pulse and found none. "She's gone!" he screamed and then turned his attention to Wells trying to complete the difficult tasks upon seeing Janet's lifeless body beside them.
June looked closer at Janet and found signs of life. She detected a faint pulse and a breath. She removed the hand held scanner she and Sam had invented and it held it over Janet's wound. The heart was quivering on the scanner but no sign of injury to the heart. The bolt seemed to have jolted her into cardiac arrest. She opened her bag and retrieved a portable automatic defibrillator. She exposed Janet's chest and place the pads on the body.
Sophia got to Janet's other side and asked, "You need help?"
June nodded, "Start compressions."
The senior medic working on Wells called over, "She's dead."
"No," she shook her head. "Not yet but she will be if I don't get her heart out of defib. The bolt didn't pierce her heart, she has a chance."
"How can you tell that?" he asked.
"I have a scanner that Major Carter invented for us to use," she explained. "Her heart is still intact." She grabbed the drug pouch and started drawing medication in hopes of getting back a rhythm to Janet's heart as the medics evacuated the wounded man. Daniel stayed behind with Janet and the two girls.
He asked hovering, "What can I do?"
"Help Sophia," she told him.
Sophia told him, "You take over compressions and I'll do breathing."
Daniel took over the compressions as Sophia started mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing on the body.
June had the needle in hand and ordered Daniel, "Stop compressions for a second."
He stopped and caught his breath as he witnessed June jab the needle into Janet's sternum. She pulled the needle out and looked at the defibrillator screen. Nothing!
She huffed, "Start compressions."
A litter soon arrived by another enlisted man as June, Sophia and Daniel worked. June then retrieved the experimental scanner and placed it over the heart once more, "Stop compressions, Daniel."
He removed his hands as she scanned for heart activity. She could see an image of the heart go still on the screen. "No," she shook her head. June knew Janet was minutes away from losing all hope of survival. She opened her suture kit and retrieved the scalpel and an alcohol prep pad.
Sophia asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Open heart message," she told her. "Her heart just went still. If I can get it going again we can get her to a rhythm." she told her. She made an incision to the side of the chest between the ribs. She then slid her hand inside the chest cavity and started to manually squeeze Janet's heart.
Sophia asked in shock, "We're not seriously doing this?"
"It's her only chance," June stated pumping the heart. As she continued to pump the heart blood filled the vessels. The medications started to move in the system and the heart started to beat. June focused on the beat as the screen of the defibrillator came to life.
Sophia exhaled, "Holy shit you did it!"
"Breathing," June told her calmly. "Keep resuscitating."
Sophia immediately started mouth-to-mouth once more.
Daniel looked at Janet's face. He leaned closer and spoke, "Come on, Janet. You can do this. Come on, fight."
The heartbeat grew stronger and June removed her bloody hand from the chest cavity. She then found a large bandage and placed it over the open wound.
Janet gasped and coughed. She started to regain consciousness and never felt so cold or such pain. "Ahh…"
Sophia soothed her, "It's okay. We got you back."
Janet looked up unable to speak or move.
Daniel scooted closer, "You were hit but we got ya back. Just hang in there." he told her.
Blood started spouting from the entry wound as June covered it with a bandage as well. She then instructed, "Let's move!"
They moved Janet onto the litter, and then Daniel and the soldier carried Janet to the Gate through fire and chaos with June and Sophia right beside them.
Short Time Later
Sam nearly died herself that day. Not physically but emotionally. She witnessed Jack take a hit to the chest plate and then was informed by a combat medic that Janet Frasier was struck down and killed. She stumbled through the Gate angry at the world and threw her helmet against the wall. She walked down the end of the ramp, collapsed to her knees and just cried.
General Hammond emerged from the stairs and made his way to her side. He softly spoke, "Major, your daughter is fine."
"I know," she nodded. "Janet…"
"Is recovering from surgery," he told her.
"I was told she was shot and killed," she looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.
"She nearly was," he agreed. "Your daughter was able to bring her back with the aid of Sophia Harriman and Dr. Jackson. I was told she used a scanner that you helped her design to determine the heart had not been hit. Apparently, Dr. Frasier's heart was stunned from the staff weapon blast. I was also informed that June went about her level of training and did open heart message to get Dr. Frasier's heart going again."
"Janet's alive," she cried.
"She is," he nodded. He didn't wish to bring up the possible legal trouble June now faced. "She's recovering in the infirmary with Colonel O'Neill."
"Thank god," she sounded relieved.
"Why don't you go see your daughter," he suggested as he helped her up.
"June's invention worked." she was overcome with emotion. She was anxious and yet relieved at the same time.
"She said it was yours," he told her.
"It was her idea," she replied. "I just helped her make a prototype." She wiped the tears from her face. She then took a deep breath and gathered herself. "I'll store my gear and go down the infirmary."
"Take your time, Major." he assured her. He watched as she walked away. George knew there could be serious repercussions for June and wasn't sure what he could do to help her.
Infirmary
Jack sat in the waiting area with Teal'c, Daniel, June and Sophia. He listened as Daniel told him and Teal'c what had happened and how they worked to save, Janet.
Daniel came to the next part of his recollection, "Then Janet's heart flat lined. I guess you can't use the defibrillator on that so June took a scalpel, made an incision between the ribs and then got her hand inside Janet's chest and manually squeezed her heart until it started again."
Jack looked over at June and asked, "You really did that?"
"It was that or let her die," she replied.
Sophia added, "You are in it deep after that. That's way about your level of training. I know you are trained to do a trach but not that."
"It was the easiest and quickest path to the heart," she told her.
"But it is still way beyond what you are trained to do." she rebutted. "You can get a dishonorable discharge for that. And if that happens you can forget your G.I. Bill, forget college, forget voting, forget a half dozen other rights."
June figured, "I couldn't just let her die. I knew open heart massage would give her the best chance. Her chances of survival were tanking."
"I know," she agreed. "Heck, most would never even attempt that. You got guts."
"What do you mean?" she wondered.
"Most wouldn't even know what to do other than CPR and shocking them." she informed. "I could never have done that." She looked at the company. "Anyone of you could have done that?"
Jack admitted, "Nope."
"I could not," Teal'c agreed.
Daniel gently spoke, "You have a gift, June. Your mind can process information at a much faster rate than most. That only person I know who might be able to pull that off other than Janet is your mother. She doesn't have a degree in medicine but she might have done that."
"Would my mother get in trouble if she did that?" June wondered.
Jack shook his head, "Nope."
"But she's not a medical doctor," June asserted.
"Carter would be too valuable to get in trouble," he told her.
"But I can get tossed out," she figured.
"Heck, you could face a court martial kid." he told her.
"Oh," she pondered. "I guess it came down to my life or Dr. Frasier's."
"Don't say that," Sophia huffed. "We will find a way to keep that from happening. You saved the life of the base C.M.O. That has to account for something."
June shook her head, "It's my life or hers. I chose hers."
Daniel asked, curiously, "Why did you choose hers?"
"Dr. Frasier is needed and I'm not," she figured.
Jack cocked his head, "Why would you think that, kid?"
"I've never been needed," she told him.
"You were needed today," he countered.
She thought about the assertion, "I guess you're right."
Sam walked into the room next. She found everyone just waiting. "How is she?"
"She's got through surgery," Jack told her, "she is in recovery now."
Sam took a seat beside him and looked about the grim faces. "I'm just glad she made it."
"Me too," Jack agreed.
The surgeon walked into the room next. He was a tall man wearing blue scrubs from head to toe and sporting glasses. Captain Allen Blake spoke to his audience, "Dr. Frasier is stable. She's recovering, is waking up and beginning to talk. So far she shows no signs of brain damage from the full arrest." He looked about and spotted Sam, "You operated on her! Man, you did a hell of a job, Major. I couldn't have done that better myself." Captain Black assumed it was Sam Carter who did the emergency surgery.
Sam looked at her daughter and then at Jack. She wasn't sure what to say.
Jack spoke up, "Carter is a genius after all, Blake." He smiled at his companions in a silent signal to keep the secret.
Blake stated, "You should be a surgeon, Sam." He grinned thinking it was Sam who saved Janet. "You have a knack for it."
Sam looked at June unsure if she should correct him.
June nodded, "She's very talented."
Sam looked at Daniel who sat with a pleading look for if Sam didn't take the credit, June would be in trouble. She looked at Teal'c who also seemed concerned. She spied Sophia who held her hands in prayer pleading for her to help save June's future. She felt torn; she wanted June to be credited for the feat but also wanted to protect her. Sam slowly gave a nod and told Captain Blake, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Anytime," he stated pleased. "Two visors at a time. I'll come back and get ya in a few minutes." He stepped back out the door.
Sophia looked up at the ceiling, "Thank god! If they think Major Carter did it then June off the dishonorable discharge hook."
Sam gave a heavy sigh, "But I didn't do it. We just lied."
"Carter," Jack soothed. "Ya did the right thing. Mini-Carter could face a court martial. We can't let that happen. As long as everyone thinks you are the Carter who saved Frasier we're all good."
"I don't like lying," she winced.
"You want your kid in trouble for saving Frasier?" he asked.
"Of course not," she balked. "I want her to get credit for what she did."
"She's not in the position to take credit for it. That was far beyond her level of training. You take the credit and save her a court martial." he stated.
"What do we tell Janet?" she asked.
"I'll explain it to Frasier and Hammond," he assured her. He looked at June and pointed, "I want you on SG-1. We place you on as training and fast track your ass through college. We can't keep covering for you."
"But I don't have money for college and how would I do that working?" she asked.
Sam stated, "You become a cadet."
Sophia told her, "That's not a bad idea. It could work for you."
Daniel mentioned, "I'm surprised you don't want to go to the Academy, Sophia."
"They don't have criminal justice," she told him. "See, my plan is to eventually become a detective and then hire June as my sidekick."
June stated straight faced to her, "I think you should get a career as a comedian."
Sophia cross her arms annoyed as chuckled and giggle erupted around her.
Daniel tried to keep from laughing. "She got ya good," he told the girl.
