Teal'c tried to relax into kel'no'reem but he was too distracted by his concern for O'Neill's condition. His own back wound had been examined, cleaned and bandaged and one of the nurses had thoughtfully retrieved a few candles from his room, as well as removing anything flammable or explosive like the oxygen tanks, but still, he couldn't concentrate on his own healing. He realized he wouldn't be able to achieve kel'no'reem until he was sure his friend would be alright.

They had arrived at the SGC over two hours ago but O'Neill was still in surgery according to the nurses. General Hammond had come to the infirmary for an unofficial debriefing and Teal'c had explained how O'Neill had received his injuries and how they had helped each other to survive while they waited for a rescue team.

He decided for the moment not to mention that by activating the Stargate and attempting to communicate with them, General Hammond had likely revealed to the Jaffa that there were still survivors on the planet. It was a serious tactical concern but there had been no viable alternative, given the lack of information with which the General was making his decisions. It was unfortunate that he and O'Neill hadn't been able to communicate via the radio when the SGC had attempted to contact them.

He glanced at the door anxiously as he heard footsteps approach but forced himself to relax when he realized it was just one of the nurses. He would have recognized Dr. Fraiser's distinct heel click.

He closed his eyes again, relieved when the battering pain in his skull receded a little. He could understand O'Neill's aversion to Dr. Fraiser's penlight, and it wasn't just from their experiences together during the time loop. A bright light in the eyes was not the most pleasurable sensation when dealing with a severe headache. He would have to apologize to O'Neill for the joke he had once made about O'Neill's childish responses to such trivial discomforts. Colonel O'Neill seemed to have an unreasonable aversion to needles and penlights.

He began to understand the aversion, now.

And he was beginning to develop a severe hatred of waiting.

He glanced at the candles sitting on the table beside his bed, and reached out for one with a shaky hand.

--

An hour later Daniel Jackson and Major Carter quietly entered the infirmary, expecting Teal'c to be in kel'no'reem. Instead, they found him sitting up in the bed staring ahead at the blank concrete walls. Two candles lay smashed and shattered on the floor by the far wall which they had obviously impacted with a great deal of force.

Daniel looked at the candles nervously, his arms wrapped around himself in a self-hug as he walked up to Teal'c's bed. "Can't sleep?"

Teal'c didn't bother to correct the other man's statement, since he didn't require sleep. He recognized the comment as an expression frequently used by O'Neill. "No," he replied simply.

"We haven't heard anything from Janet, yet, but Warner will do the best he can. I'm sure Jack will be fine."

Teal'c raised his chin slightly. "Indeed." He had no doubt of that. However, that didn't stop him from worrying.

Major Carter came up close to the bed and touched his arm gently, offering her support with the silent gesture. "How are you feeling, Teal'c?"

He considered telling her he was fine, as this was the customary response for any member of SG-1 whether they were fine or not, but decided against it. "I am concerned for O'Neill."

"Yeah," she agreed, casting her gaze down to the floor. "So am I. You said the Colonel lost his hearing," she prompted.

"I am unsure of the exact events as I was unconscious at the time. When I awoke I found myself lying across O'Neill's back. He had carried me from the Stargate but my weight was too great a strain for him. He fell and I landed atop him. When I tried to communicate with him he informed me he was unable to hear. He complained of a slight ringing in his ears. This was all before the ship crashed, and I have no knowledge what injuries he sustained after that."

"I can't believe he actually carried you." Her eyes were wide with awe. "I mean, don't get me wrong the Colonel's a strong man but…You're…"

"O'Neill was in great pain from his efforts," he admitted.

Daniel glanced at the candles on the floor again, the only evidence of Teal'c's anger at the situation. "So how did you steal the Goa'uld ship?"

Teal'c spent the next few minutes informing his teammates about what had transpired on the planet after they had escaped through the Stargate. As he was explaining O'Neill's discovery of the thin walls of their prison cell he abruptly stopped when he heard Dr. Fraiser's distinct footsteps coming from the hall. He sat up straighter and turned to face the door.

She looked exhausted but there was a small smile on her face that instantly reassured him that O'Neill would recover. "He's going to be fine," she announced without preamble, holding her clipboard up against her chest as she folded her arms around it. "He has a few cracked ribs, a fractured wrist and a severe concussion, but he should make a complete recovery in time. I wouldn't recommend he start running any marathons anytime soon, he's got a strong heart but it's been through quite an ordeal and I don't want him putting it under any stress for the time being. Actually, his entire body looks like it's been through the ringer, he's coiled tighter than a serpent spring."

Teal'c tilted his head at the unusual phrase, but chose not to comment or ask for clarification so she would continue her account of O'Neill's condition.

She looked straight at Teal'c. "In your report to General Hammond you said the Colonel lost his hearing from a grenade explosion, and unfortunately we won't know the extent of the damage until he wakes up. However, I'm confident it won't be a permanent condition, it seems to be just a pressure build-up in his inner ear and eventually it will take care of itself, one way or another."

He guessed that one way would be extremely painful. Knowing O'Neill's luck, it would be that way.

She cleared her throat. "The Colonel also has a sprained knee, and it's possible he may need surgery on it later but at this point his body's been under too much stress to even consider dealing with it now. Our tests were a little rushed, we didn't get a good look at the damage but given his history with his knee problems I'm surprised they've lasted this long."

Teal'c allowed a very small smile to grace his lips. "O'Neill surmised you would be most upset with him for the damage to his knee. He claimed it gave out on him while he was carrying me to safety. For this, I must apologize for my part in the injury."

She frowned and shook her head. "No Teal'c, it wasn't your…" She looked up at him suddenly, confused and shocked at first, then gradually amused. "You've been spending too much time with the Colonel, Teal'c. I swear, sometimes I'm not sure whether you're joking or one hundred percent in earnest."

He bowed his head, neither confirming that it was a joke nor denying it.

"Anyway, he's just coming out of surgery. You can see him for a few minutes but he won't wake up for several hours and he'll be heavily medicated so it's anyone's guess how lucid he'll be. He may decide to regale us with another recitation of Dorothy's speech to the Wizard of Oz."

Carter snickered, covering her mouth with her hand as she recalled the day of that recital after the Netu mission. General Hammond had turned an interesting shade of red when his Second-in-Command referred to him as Professor Marvel.

"When can we see him?" Teal'c asked.

"Give us a few minutes to get him settled. You have your own healing to do as well, Teal'c, but I know you all have to see him before you'll look after your own needs. I'll be back in a few minutes."

The three members of SG-1 sat quietly while they waited for Dr. Fraiser to allow them to see O'Neill. Teal'c finished his account of what happened on the planet up until the Alkesh crashed and the team was reunited in that heart-rending moment of fear when O'Neill's heart stopped.

Eventually Dr. Fraiser returned and Teal'c allowed Daniel Jackson to assist him to the recovery room where O'Neill was laid out on one of the beds, connected to various tubes and wires which thankfully didn't appear as frightening as they had seen following previous missions.

He accepted the only chair beside O'Neill's bed, his other two teammates standing just behind him. O'Neill's face was pale and still, but he was definitely alive. Teal'c could just see the telltale rise and fall of the other man's chest, and the clear monotonous beeps of the heart monitor were more reassuring than annoying.

"I will remain with O'Neill," he stated, and everybody in the room knew there was no way he was leaving, no matter what Dr. Fraiser told him.

"I'll have a nurse set up another bed for you," Daniel Jackson said quietly, and silently moved away to speak with the nearest nurse.

"He looks okay, right?" Major Carter asked nervously, her hands clenching at her sides as though preventing herself from reaching out to touch O'Neill.

Teal'c didn't answer. There was a bandage taped to O'Neill's forehead covering the gash he received during the crash, and a sheet pulled over his chest, concealing the bandages on his chest. Under the thin sheet he could see the outline of a temporary cast on his right knee. He did not look okay, as Major Carter hoped. However, he was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment. He would do everything in his power to ensure O'Neill made a complete recovery.

TBC

--

Author's Note: There will be one more chapter to wrap this story up. Thanks to all of you who stuck with me on this, I never intended for it to go on this long and I sincerely apologize you've had to wait so long for updates. A very heartfelt thanks to everyone who reviewed, you are the best!

-Bixata