Chapter 21 – A Very Good Thing
"Pack it up." Jack shouted to Daniel who was twenty solid yards away taking notes.
Anders started picking up things around camp and loading them back on the MALP. He'd overheard the conversation between Colonel O'Neill and Sergeant Harriman and knew there was zero chance his current CO was going to wait the last couple hours they were supposed to be here.
"Jack, I wasn't done."
"Fifteen can handle it. It's time to go."
"We've got three more hou-" and then he saw Jack's face. "Sam is in labor, isn't she?" He realized.
Jack nodded sharply as he started taking down a tent. Not trusting himself to reply. He needed to get home now.
Daniel who was nearly as worried about Sam as Jack was, packed up his equipment in record time and started helping Teal'c take down the other tent. The stoic Jaffa had said nothing the whole time, only efficiently rolled up their bedding and packed their belongings up and threw the packs outside in the dirt for Anders to stow in the MALP. Within an hour, there wasn't a speck of anything to indicate they had been there. Jack dialed home himself but in spite of the anxious set to his jaw waved everyone through the gate, took a last look around, then left the planet himself.
Jack was too impatient for the elevator and took the stairs two at a time up to level twenty one. Because of this he rushed to the back of the infirmary where one of the nurses pointed out Sam, out of breath and sweating, not to mention limping slightly as he swung around one of the corners too tight and strained his bad knee.
"Colonel O'Neill, you will get checked out medically before you step one step closer to Major Carter." Janet said firmly from three beds away.
"But-"
"No buts sir. This is especially important right now. Doctor Angstrom has things handled right now."
And Jack could see that Chloe did in fact have things under control as she quietly talked Sam through a contraction. Jack frowned but followed orders. "Make it quick. This is important Janet."
"Yes sir, I agree." Janet told him but the last thing Sam needed was exposure to an alien virus or worse.
A few moments later Jack was shrugging his t-shirt back on and had limped over to Sam's side. "Carter." He said casually as though walking in on your second in command giving birth to your child was just a usual day at the SGC.
"A little busy here sir." Sam said tightly, her eyes screwed shut as she gripped Chloe's hand tightly.
"Breath out Sam." Chloe told Sam softly as she rubbed her back.
"You've done this before." Jack said to Chloe.
"Yup. Two of my sisters have kids. One of them has a husband that keeps getting work assignments out of the country. I've been back up birth coach a few times." She replied and winced at Sam's grip on her hand.
"All right give me a hand here." Jack told Chloe once Sam's contraction had passed. "Help Sam lean forward."
Chloe did as she was asked and ignoring his protesting knee, Jack hiked a long leg behind Sam and settled behind her. "Comfy?" He asked Sam who already looked worn out.
"Do you really want me to answer that sir?" She told him waspishly.
"Easy Sam. I just wanted to make sure you were in a comfortable position before you rip my limbs off." He said softly in her ear which made her frown as a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye.
Without a word Jack wiped it away gently with his thumb and gave her a tender smile.
"Sir I'd like to apologize ahead of time about anything that comes out of my mouth over the next few hours." Sam told him
"Duly noted Carter. You can do this. We practiced."
She nodded.
"Chloe, could you have someone get Carter some ice chips and then you can go pull up a piece of bunk. You look as worn out as Carter."
"She stayed up all night with me sir." Sam told Jack sleepily.
"Thank you Chloe." Jack told her heartfelt.
"My pleasure Colonel. You ok Sam?"
"Yah. Thanks."
"Ok. Ice chips." She said and wandered off to find the ice maker.
"How are we doing here? What are you dilated at?"
"Sam is at six centimeters Colonel. She's been in labor for several hours so I want you to try to get her to rest now that you're here." She looked at Jack's position and noted his knee. "I'll be back with a cortisone shot for your knee. I can't guarantee it won't lock up anyway."
"Thanks Janet." Jack told her as she walked back out.
"What did you do to your knee sir?" Sam asked him in a worried voice.
"I'm fine Carter." He told her brushing her damp bangs away from her forehead. "Just twisted it a little going up the stairs. Why don't you lie back and try to get some rest in between your contractions, ok?" he said in a soothing voice.
"Easy for you to say." She told him sleepily.
"I know sweetheart. It will be over soon." He kissed her temple gently.
"Sir." She nearly sighed.
"Cameras are off. George's orders." He was gently rubbing her shoulders and had eased her back against his chest so she'd relax.
Sam glanced up and saw he was right. They had probably been off since Janet helped her into the hospital gown. "He didn't want proof if I ripped your arms out of their sockets." She said, chuckling softly.
"Or when you threaten to kill me if I ever did this to you again." Jack suggested softly, his nose close to her ear.
Sam snorted in amusement. "You should be so lucky." She told him.
Jack hummed in agreement.
Janet came back a few minutes later with Sam's cup of ice chips and checked Sam's dilation again. "You're doing great Sam. I sent Chloe to bed." She told them as another contraction started and Jack let her crush his hands in response. When she huffed out a sigh and eased her grip, Janet continued. "You are at eight centimeters now. I'll have you start pushing when you hit ten, all right?"
Sam nodded as Jack slipped an ice chip in her mouth.
"Are you doing all right back there Colonel?"
"Peachy Doc. You?" Jack quipped. He was now just as sweaty as Sam was and had stretched his leg as much as he could and still support Sam's sides.
Janet chuckled. "Neither of you is going to get any more rest I'm afraid. Sam is now dilating fairly quickly so it's going to be time to push in about twenty minutes or so."
"Good. I'm sick of this already." Sam snarled. She narrowed her eyes when she felt Jack silently chuckling behind her.
"She's a little out of sorts." Jack told Janet and then grunted in pain when Sam deliberately ground her butt into his crotch in a painful way. "That wasn't nice Carter." He hissed at her.
"I am not out of sorts." Sam huffed.
"Could have fooled me." Janet said.
"I need those for later." He told Sam quietly.
Sam harrumphed but another contraction started and they focused together on getting her through it while Janet left to attend other patents.
"I'm so tired Jack." She told him softly. She'd turned her head to rest it on his chest, one arm was slung over his leg.
"I know but you're almost there Carter. I can't wait to meet the little guy." Jack told her, his voice a low soothing rumble against her back.
"Me either." She admitted softly. "What do you think he'll be like?"
"You hopefully." Jack said with a chuckle and hugged her gently.
"I was thinking a mix would be nice." She said sleepily.
"Ok." He agreed and ran his fingers gently down her arm.
"That's nice." She told him tiredly.
"I love you Sam." He told her softly enough that even if the cameras had been on it wouldn't have been picked up.
"Hell of a time to tell me that Jack." She said chuckling but her chuckle turned to a wince as another contraction started.
"Slow breaths." He murmured and endured the death grip she had on his hands. "Blow out. You're doing great Sam. You can do this."
"This sucks. Next time I'm taking Thor up on his offer."
"Next time?" Jack asked her chuckling.
"You know damn well how dad is going to feel about me only having one kid. You're stuck now." She told him as she chewed on some ice.
"I'm holding you to that Sam."
"I wouldn't hold anything to me right now. I'm sweaty and leaking questionable fluids."
Jack laughed and hugged her. "That's what showers are for."
"Great. You're going to help." She told him as another contraction started.