Heat Chapter 29

Dreams. Sam was lost in a world of dreams.

Everything was moving much too fast … faces from her past whisking by … she reached out to touch them. Janet! She had so much to say to her – wait! Jacob! Dad, is that really you? Please, stay with me! She was trying so hard. Why didn't they come closer?

She felt herself spinning, caught in a whirlwind of bright white light and sporadic sound.

"She's coming around."

Sam's eyes opened and the world stopped spinning. Strange faces met her gaze. They looked concerned.

Her body shivered. She was cold now, away from the unyielding heat of the desert.

Where was Jack? Karnak?

"We have to get that bleeding under control. Push another analgesic dose into her IV; she's waking up."

Sam wanted to speak but there was something covering her mouth. C-cold … can't breathe … am I drowning?! After a brief struggle, she returned to the world of dreams.

The medical team was startled by the sudden need to increase the dosage of drugs.

"We gave her enough to calm a giant. How the hell did she wake up? These Tau'ri may have a more complex physiology than we thought. Our medicine may not be so compatible; we may have to contact her military doctors. Let's just get her stabilized and finish the procedure in the city."

Jack sat on the edge of a metal gurney as an Aquilian medic poked and prodded. He winced a few times when the doctor touched bruises which had already turned dark and tender. The penlight shining in his eyes brought back memories of Janet. How he wished she were around, not so much for him as for Sam. He watched as they rushed her away after they were beamed up. He wanted to be at her side but was held back by others who insisted that he be examined immediately.

"We'll scan your chest and head just to be sure there are no broken ribs or intracranial damage. The stitches in your scalp laceration will be removed and our wound-closure technique will be less invasive. We've come a long way in the field of skin and tissue injury. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised as there will be minimal scarring on your nose and neck. By the way, who sutured the gash? A bit crude, but it did the job."

"Sam … Lt. Colonel Carter used whatever was available in the survival kit. We couldn't get the bleeding to stop."

"Well, she did admirably considering the situation."

Jack looked at the young medic and asked, "How is she? What's happening in there?"

The doctor continued to examine Jack but tried to reassure, "I'll find out as soon as we get you cleaned up. I think you may have a concussion - there's a fairly large bump on the back of your head. How is your vision? Spots? Dizziness?"

Jack's mind was elsewhere. Sam was so pale, almost lifeless, when they were beamed aboard. He should have realized that she was hurting badly, should have made her rest more. She tried to do too much, but that was Sam – she always gave 110 percent.

"General O'Neill? Are you seeing me clearly?"

Jack refocused and nodded. "Sorry, doc - just worried about my friend in there. I knew she had internal injuries but didn't realize they were that bad."

"We have an amazing staff onboard the ship. In another few minutes we'll be beaming you all down to the main medical facility in the city. She's in good hands."

"And Karnak?" Jack was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"The president is in critical condition; we are doing all we can and soon will have him attended by Aquila's top trauma and orthopedic physicians."

The medic explained that Jack's clinical tests and scans would also be done in the hospital since his injuries seemed stable and he was not in immediate danger. A nurse brought a hospital gown and Jack scowled.

God, how he hated hospitals and drafty hospital gowns. He felt foolish and naked and he didn't even know these people.

"So … why don't I change when we reach the city?" Jack was stalling.

The nurse fixed him with a no-nonsense glare and he realized that some rules and personalities were immutable, no matter the galaxy. He gave her his best little-boy-on-good-behavior grin and she drew the curtain, leaving him alone. Score one for the O'Neill charm. He rolled up the gown and put it under a pillow, then made sure the corridor was empty before sneaking out. He wanted to find Sam but he wasn't going to do that with his bare ass flapping down the hallway.

Alayna refused to leave the examining room as doctors worked feverishly to treat Karnak's wounds. She could not stop replaying the terrible moment when he, Sam and Jack were beamed up to the ship. The beam's bright light revealed a shocking tableau: Karnak lying on his back, his legs bloodied and bandaged, Sam's head cradled in Jack's lap. Jack was the only one conscious and quickly called for help. The medical staff was waiting and ready, surrounding them immediately. Jack was led off, somewhat unwillingly, as Karnak and Sam were placed on gurneys and wheeled to advanced-care stations.

Alayna was a seasoned veteran, having seen her share of combat during their war of liberation, but seeing her husband so stricken came as a shock. She wanted to run to him, embrace him, but the medics and nurses swiftly took charge. She had been the one in charge for the past two days and now she was relieved to stand back and let others make the hard decisions.

At this moment, she only wanted to be Karnak's wife. She wanted to give all her energy to being with him, to bringing him back to her and the baby.