Chapter 12 – Jacob
When Jack woke up Sam was still asleep, her features peaceful; as she lacked her memories still, there were no nightmares to wake her up for once, which was reassuring. Jack loathed the times she screamed herself awake. Her eyes fluttered open, just in time for Janet's visit.
"Hello Sir, Sam. Did you sleep here, Sir?" the lady doctor greeted, entering the room.
"Yep. I should remember to have these chairs replaced!" Jack mused, massaging his lower back after getting up.
"I'll get the x-ray done Sam, and depending on the results you may have a proper breakfast today," Janet declared.
"I'll shower in the meantime, and come back with Carter's tray too," Jack offered.
The two women rewarded him with a smile, and he reluctantly left the room. He thought back to his conversation with the Commander-in-Chief, when he was asked what he thought about Sam's accident, as her husband. He actually was confused, and terribly sad, and there was no way he'd let his feelings take over. He erected walls between his feelings and his heart and mind, and let his General persona take the lead, as he was wont to do in difficult situations.
"The x-rays are looking good, Sir," Janet said as he entered Sam's room.
"Great, here's decaf with fruits and Jell'o to celebrate!" Jack grinned, offering the meal tray he'd piled high with food to his wife.
"Thank you, Sir," she shyly smiled back at him.
Sam had no idea who her husband was, but she felt a strong pull towards this man, and was trying to repress her feelings; it wouldn't do to fall in love with her CO while she was married to another man, and pregnant too!
"So Carter, I remember you said you wanted to know more about Jacob, right?" Jack peered at her above the rim of her coffee cup.
"Yes, I'd like that. Do you know him, Sir?"
"I do, Jacob is your father."
"Oh... will he come to visit?" Sam asked.
"Well, I did send him a message; I hope he'll be able to get time off, he's a very busy man."
"That rings a bell, him being very busy... he's a General too, isn't he?" Sam enquired.
"That's right, a USAF Major General to be exact," Jack smiled.
Sam's heart missed a beat as the warning alarm went off through the PA system.
"Unauthorised off-world activation! General O'Neill to the control room please!" Harriman's voice stated through the speakers.
"Sorry Carter, duty calls!" Jack jumped off the bed and took off at a breakneck pace towards the Gate room; he hoped it was Jacob, and his prayers were answered.
"Hi Dad!" Jack greeted him.
"Hello Jack," Jacob said with a forced smile. He didn't really enjoy being called that, but kept mum.
"So what's the emergency? Is it Sam?" Jacob was starting to get worried, as he realised his daughter wasn't there to welcome him, for the first time ever.
"Yeah, there was an accident in her lab earlier, she's okay but she needs you," Jack beckoned to follow him.
"She needs me? Why?"
"Well, she's got amnesia and had a concussion, which left a huge bump on her head," Jack said, motioning towards his own head in the vague area of Sam's haematoma.
"I see," Jacob answered while they were quickly making their way towards the infirmary. "And what does she actually remember?"
"She remembers you, and Las Vegas."
"Vegas? Does she remember all that happened there?" Jacob asked.
"No, she knows the city and that she went there, but has no idea why or when."
"And you didn't explain?" Jacob was surprised.
"The docs say they don't want us to tell her anything... and we can't upset her either. You'd better change, as a matter of fact."
Jacob nodded, and Jack handed his own BDU vest over with a set of clean fatigues he'd gotten ready, so that the older man would have at least one set of stars on his shoulder boards. Jacob raised a questioning eyebrow.
"She remembers you're a General too.." O'Neill explained.
Jacob entered his daughter's room after he'd donned a black T-shirt and green set of BDUs along with Jack's own vest, with an SGC badge on the top of one sleeve.
"Sir!" she saluted him. She had a weird feeling in her gut, but had no idea where it came from.
"Sam, it's me, it's Dad!"
"Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry."
She gave him an apologetic smile; Jacob sat on the bed and took her hands in his. The weird feeling intensified.
"How are you honey?"
"Well, my headaches are fading away, which is a good start, but my memories are not really back yet."
"And are they taking good care of you?"
"Yes, General O'Neill and Teal'c are looking after me really well.
Jacob kissed her hair.
"How's the baby?" he whispered in her ear. Sam caressed her stomach and smiled.
"Healthy, as far as I know."
Jack was relieved, as he contemplated the scene from the far end of the room.
"Dad? Do you know my husband?" Sam was anxious.
"I do, honey."
"And... do you like him?"
Jacob smiled, as he felt Jack's presence behind them, but remained facing away from him so as not to betray the subject of their conversation.
"Yes, even if he's a bit impudent and cheeky sometimes, but I guess that's what you like in him."
Sam sniggered.
"Do you know why I can't see him? I'd really like for him to be with me..." Sam teared up.
Jack was used to it – thank you pregnancy hormonal changes! – but was crushed not to be able to comfort her.
"Oh, Sammie, honey. It's much more complicated than that... you have to let your mind heal, and then you'll remember him," Jacob soothed.
"What do you mean I'll remember him? He's dead, is that it? Is that why no one wants to tell me anything?" Sam panicked.
Her panic turned into a tantrum, and Jack called Janet, who came running. Sam was crying and hitting her father's chest with her fists, while Jacob was trying to restrain her so that she would not hurt herself. Janet had to give her a light sedative through her IV, so that she'd calm down and rest.
"Doc, isn't that dangerous? What about the baby?" Jack worriedly asked.
"Well, it's better than this tantrum, that's for sure!" Janet replied.
