Chapter 25

Janet saw Anna's desperation and the blood, and immediately started checking her. "Where is she hurt, Sir?"

Jack was so focused on trying to calm her; it took him a minute to realize that Janet was referring to the blood on him and the towel. "It's not hers; it's mine."

"What's the matter with her?"

"She's upset, Doc, but she's not injured." He kept trying to get her to stop crying and climbing him. "Shhh…it's alright." He tried to lay her down and she clenched on to him with an unbreakable resolve.

"What happened to you?" she asked but she already traced the blood to the source and was checking his nose. He cringed when she felt to see if it was broken. "Looks like you were lucky, General."

"Yeah, how's that?" He asked Janet. "Shhh…It's alright. Just relax, breathe." He kept talking to Anna, then reached down and removed her shoes hoping she would do less damage to him.

"Whatever train hit you, I don't think it broke your nose."

Anna shook her head against Jack's shoulder and held on tighter; which he didn't think was possible until she did. Grandpa was wrong, she repeated over to herself; sometimes she was saying it out loud. She tried to get the images out of her head of her Dad holding her Mom on the kitchen floor…and the blood. He was crying and screaming, she turned off the tv and knew then that her Grandpa had been right; she and the baby had gotten their Mom killed. She held on tighter still. "No...No...No…Mooommmmy!"

Janet moved to get a better look at Anna. She looked into Anna's eyes; her pupils were dilated and she was highly agitated. "It's alright, sweetie," she tried soothing her. But Anna did not seem aware of her surroundings. Janet continued to evaluate her.

Anna started hitting Jack's chest with her small fist and screaming.

"You have to give her something, Doc? Anna, you need to calm down." He tried in a commanding yet comforting voice, but she didn't acknowledge him. He felt completely useless. He just continued to hold her firmly and do everything he could think of to calm her.

Janet checked her pulse and then her blood pressure as Jack managed to hold her arm mostly still.

"Mommy!" Anna screamed in a shrill cry.

"Please!" Jack pleaded to Janet.

Sam's fear was realized as soon as she entered the room and saw Anna thrashing about and screaming. Jack was focused on trying to keep her from hurting him or herself as she screamed. Sam wasn't sure what she could do. It was gut-wrenching to see her so desperate, but she took a deep breath and made her way to Anna. As Sam approached she felt it escalating.

Jack looked up and saw Sam. He couldn't bear to see her like this and was hopeful Sam could help Anna. One of Anna's arms swung up and hit him in the nose. He recoiled in excruciating pain. His eyes watered, but he remained calm.

"Mommy! No, help Mommy!" Anna demanded.

"Anna?" Sam calmly stroked Anna's back. Anna spun around and practically leapt into her arms. "It's alright, sweetie." Anna legs went around Sam desperately gripping, it was almost painful. "It's okay. I'm here."

"No Mommy ….I…killed you."

"No Sweetie, I'm here." Sam was rocking her. Anna's desperation did not seem to lessen. "Anna, look at me." She didn't respond. "Anna, look at Mommy." Sam tried to pull her back and Anna dug her small fingers into Sam's shoulders, and seemed to look at her. "Look at me. It's okay. I'm here."

Janet watched hoping Anna would now calm down on her own, but prepared a sedative just in case.

"Grandpa wanted….to take me …. he said ….you would…die." Anna, sobbed and gasped with each word and she held on tighter. Her lungs were gasping for air, "and…. you… did."

Sam felt like someone grabbed her heart and ripped it out, "No, baby, I'm here. It's okay. Anna calm down…calm down…. We're all okay." She could sense the intensity of the naquadah in her system still increasing.

Jacob had come into the infirmary unnoticed, he was angry that Sam had walked out on him. He quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and stayed back out of sight.

"But….he…wanted….me….. they…wanted…me... not you." Tears streamed down her face; her eyes, nose and lips swollen from the crying. Anna was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Sam sat on the bed next to Jack hoping being near both of them would help. How was she supposed to help Anna through this? Sam smiled at Anna hoping to ease her anxiety and stroked her back, "I'm your Mommy, honey. It's my job to keep you safe. I couldn't let anyone take you away from me and Daddy. I'm here. Daddy made sure of that. I'm here. I love you." Anna was smart enough to be able to understand what she saw; but she wasn't emotionally mature enough process it. Sam looked up at the helpless look Jack's eyes held and realized no one really was. "I love her." Sam cried helplessly.

"I know." Jack responded now feeling doubly useless.

"No…No! Mommy! Help my Mommy!" Anna screamed again she wasn't even aware of Sam holding her anymore. Sam felt the full impact of the failure of her feeble attempts.

Jack tried to reassure Anna again. "It's alright, Princess. Calm down, breathe. It's alright." But she continued to cry panicked and out of control; worsening with every passing moment.

Janet realized the situation was beyond their control, she needed to quickly arrest the progress of the shock. She injected Anna with a sedative. Anna struggled fearfully, but her struggle lessened as the drugs started to take effect.

"Mommy, Mommy…" Anna sniffled and continued to cry, but less panicked.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay. It's alright. I'm right here with you. It's alright. It's okay." Sam continued over and over to try and reassure her as her own tears fell onto Anna's hair. While still in Sam's arms Janet hooked Anna up to the monitors and inserted an IV.

"The fluids and sedative should reduce the effects of the shock, but she's hypertensive." She explained surprised that Anna was still awake, "General, has this happened to her before?"

Jack didn't answer. He couldn't take his eyes off of Anna.

"Teal'c what are you doing here?" Jack looked at him aggravated that he had left Sam and Anna after all that had happened tonight.

"Anna is not doing well. You should go to the infirmary, O'Neill. "

Jack ran to elevator and into the infirmary.

All activity was centered around one bed in the infirmary. He could hear the beeping of the monitors. He heard Janet explaining to Sam, "I've given her fluids and a sedative to help reduce the effects of the shock." He didn't even remember walking across the room, but there he was holding Sam's hand. Daniel was right. He should have been at home. Not looking for revenge. He kissed Sam's hand as she looked up with tears in her eyes and back at Janet, "I need to get her blood pressure down. Her naquadah levels are still increasing. Her body produced the adrenaline in response to the shock which activated the nanites to enhance the naquadah. I think it's out of her control and the naquadah is actually stimulating the production of more adrenaline. I'm going to try and break the cycle by giving her Benazepril for the hypertension. Hopefully, between that and the sedative…"

"General?" Janet, demanded. Hoping for confirmation of her planned course of treatment.

"What?" He looked a little dazed, "Benadryl?"

"Benadryl or Benazepril?" She had already thought of a beta-blocker, but didn't know if it would work.

He nodded. "Yeah, that…second one. That will stop it. It's out of control, she can't stop it. If you don't stop it, her heart could be damaged, right?"

Sam continued rocking her…"It's alright, baby."

"Are you sure?" she asked, but was already ordering the syringe.

He shook his head. "Yes, it will break the cycle." He rubbed his head.

Sam listened to them and she felt Anna's body relax in her arms, but Anna's heart continue to pound strongly against her chest. "Please, Janet?" Sam rocked Anna. "It's alright, sweetie." The drugs started to bring her blood pressure down as the nanites released the naquadah. Sam could sense the decrease of the naquadah's intensity. She closed her eyes, oh thank you, God.

"Mommy…Daddy…" Anna whimpered.

"We're here. It's alright." They watched her put her thumb into her mouth and close her eyes, finally.

Janet pulled the curtain as she left to give them privacy. Jack put his arms around them thankful for the freedom privacy would allow him now. He felt like he had run a marathon. Sam leaned into him, exhausted and put her head on his shoulder. He felt her tears through his shirt and kissed her head; his own pounding heart finally finding some peace.

Jacob backed out of the room and went for a walk. Concern and hurt continued to battle. He hurt his daughter and a granddaughter he didn't even know he had. Of course if they had just been honest with him…he just couldn't seem to let it go.

Between the assaults from Jacob and Anna, Jack's body was pretty well beaten. He was grateful when Janet came back with something for the pain. He wanted to be able to focus on Sam and Anna.

Sam was exhausted from the onslaught of emotions. The dream that had her worrying about George this morning seemed so distant. "So not indestructible?"

"No." He ran his hand over Sam's back. "But, it's manageable."

"Manageable?" Sam scoffed.

"This only happens in extreme situations…." He tried to get the images out of his head. Over the past couple of weeks he had replaced those images with thoughts of fishing, sidewalk chalk color faces, buckling shoes… " She can control it at the lower levels. There have been only a couple of times… some things are just too much for anyone to handle."

When he found her in the safe room she was so scared and starting to fall apart, and he was such a mess. He injected both syringes into her, the sedative and beta blocker, just to be certain and then watched her sleep. If she was going to say anything, he hadn't given her the chance. He thought she was just upset about waiting up there alone. He thought the fear was enough to upset her.

He took a deep breath in and wiped some of Anna's tears from her face. She looked peaceful, now. The way a six year old should look. Why couldn't he protect his daughter from this pain? Why did she have to suffer like this?

Sam sat back up, resituated Anna on her lap, and then wiped away as much of the evidence as she could of her own tears.

"So you work things out with Dad?" She shook her head and continued to rock Anna. "You explained it to him?"

She shook her head again, "He wouldn't give me a chance." She bit back the new tears threatening to make their appearance.

"Don't worry. He'll understand, Sam. He really does want you to be happy."

"I am." She said quietly and cheerlessly.

Jack laughed at her incongruous answer. "I know. Why don't you lay down with her for a while?" he picked up Anna so that Sam could lie down. Then he gently laid Anna down next to her and checked all of the tubes and wires for tangles. "I have some critical National Security kind of stuff to finish up after that NORAD meeting." He informed Sam, hoping she would understand that nothing deemed less than critical could pull him away from them right now. "You two rest. I'll come back and get you and take you home as soon as I can get this finished up."

She reached up and touched his head and ran her thumb over his temple. He closed his eyes at the relief her touch provided, "Your head hurts."

"Not so much." He kissed them both, and pulled himself away; so that he could get them home sooner than later.

-s-j-s-j-s-j-&-a

Sam watched each breath Anna took, she took the rubber bands out of her hair and combed her fingers through the soft, fine curls. She took inventory of each finger and eyelash and held her as she slept peacefully. She struggled with the challenges Anna was facing; worried about how much her little body could take and how much pain her young mind could handle.

Sam was barely holding her own emotions in check. She couldn't believe anyone could walk away from having this precious gift in their life. If her father wasn't going to be a part of her family, she would just have to get over it. She closed her eyes and kissed Anna's head. She had hardly had a relationship with him before he became a Tok'ra, so she would manage, she tried to convince herself.

She hated that her personal life had once again invaded the halls of the SGC; the halls with recorded video surveillance. She pulled her thoughts away from those concerns and focused on the most important thing…. her little girl. She smiled realizing Anna really was her little girl….her child….her daughter….

"…I heard her father hit the General and broke his nose and Anna got in the way and got hit too." An unfamiliar voice on the other side of the curtain exclaimed rather excitedly.

"No, Gena said that the General hit her father, because he hurt Anna."

"Hello ladies, you're in charge of Col. Reynolds tonight." Janet punished the two nurses for gossiping as they came on shift. She entered the curtained area and saw Sam's open eyes, "Sorry about that. They are the worst gossips on this base."

"Oh, I don't know, I know a couple of mechanics that could compete for that honor." She smiled faintly and maneuvered to sit up without disturbing Anna.

"Don't let them get to you."

"How do I do that?"

"Same way you always have, Sam." Janet smiled and checked Anna.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." She excused her sensitivity.

"You've been through a lot these past 2 weeks." Sam shrugged. She'd been through a lot these past eight years. "Sam, this is a lot. Your entire life has changed; you've changed, honey."

"And, everyone's talking about it."

"Yes, they are. Try to focus on how much you've gained." Janet put the blood pressure cuff on Anna. "So when were you going to tell me you got engaged."

"I was…oh… I'm sorry, Janet." Sam realized she had not thought about it all day.

"Yeah, well you know how you can make it up to me? Make me wear a very ugly maid of honor dress." Sam smiled. Janet watched the gauge, then removed the cuff.

"I'm sure we can find something you like."

"And, you already have a beautiful little flower girl." Janet stroked Anna's head.

"Yeah, and I'm sure we can talk Cassie into being a bridesmaid."

"Are you kidding. I don't think you have a choice there."

"Boy, when did I become a so sappy?"

"Love has a way of bringing out all sorts of repressed parts of us."

"How is she?"

"She's much better. Everything seems to be back to normal."

"So Jack was right? About the medication?"

"Close enough." She smiled.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Sam this is manageable. The drugs I gave her can stop the cycle and prevent damage, until she learns to control it. I gave her a very thorough physical over the past two weeks. She is a very healthy, six year old, little girl."

Janet pointed to the bag she brought in. "If it happens again…you both have field training. You know how to administer the injections if there's an emergency?" Sam nodded.

"Can I take her home now?"

"Well, she did finish off the IV….are you sure you're alright to drive?"

"I'm fine. Hey, don't let the tears and the goofy grins fool you. I'm still the Samantha Carter all know and fear." Janet smiled glad to know her friend was alright. "Would you do me a favor though? Go to my locker and get my things for me? I'd rather not leave her."

-s-j-s-j-s-j-&-a

"Hi." Sam said walking through his open office door. She wanted to sit down and take a break, but was afraid she wouldn't get up and her main objective was to get home.

"Hi." He stood up surprised to see here there holding Anna. "So, how's she doing?" She walked closer to his desk. Jack reached over and placed his palm on Anna's back; feeling her warmth and her faint heartbeat gave him some tangible relief. Oscar came over and sniffed at Anna's feet, wagging his tail cautiously.

"Janet said Anna's doing much better. All back to normal."

"Good." Sam looked tired and he imagined he didn't look any better. "Look, I still can't….I can't leave quite yet." He pointed at the paperwork covering his desk. "Can you stick around?"

"Have you seen my Dad?"

He shook his head. Luckily he hadn't. "But, he hasn't gated out yet either, so unless he has something parked and cloaked out there-"

She could hear the restraint in his voice and she knew what that controlled tone meant. Although she was angry as well, she was also starting to worry about her Dad, "I'm going to take her home."

His eyes narrowed with his concern, "You okay to drive?"

"I'm fine." She said sternly.

"Okay. You want to take my truck? Oscar?"

"Yes, thanks." She said switching keys with him.

"Let me help you get to the truck."

She shook her head, "Your truck's practically outside the elevator door, General. I'm sure, I can handle it." Sure she was beginning to see pack mule as another word for mother, but she could manage her laptop case, Anna's sedated self and Oscar. It was easier than running to the gate with full gear and Jaffa on your six. "At least no one will be firing at me on my way to the elevator. I hope." She smiled tightly. She tried to be light, but the strain this was causing her was clearly evident to him.

Jack leaned over and kissed Anna's head. He wanted to kiss Sam as well, but when she looked away he knew she needed the distance to maintain control and get out of here with her dignity, "Look, if he doesn't find me, I'll find him before I leave. Okay?"

"Thank you."

"Nah, it's nothing; I can handle Dad. Now get going so I can finish up here."

"See you at home."

This time her smile was more relaxed and it gave him the peace of mind he needed to let her go, "You betcha." Making this relationship work required knowing when to let her lean on his shoulder and when to let her walk out on her own two feet.

AN - I had about six different ways I wanted to write these two chapters, but had to pick one - well actually I got to choose two. The fun of messing with timelines...so many possibilities...too many other chapters to write though. We have quite a ways to go yet. Thanks for the reviews and support. You all are great! Quarkie