A/N: Read….Review….Enjoy! And keep the faith! ;)
Chapter 24
Sirens could be heard waning and whining in the distance, getting closer and closer but still not fast enough for Jack's liking. Janet placed a pillow beneath Sam's head while Daniel cleared a pathway for the EMTs to get through. Jack was nervously pacing, feeling useless.
"What happened? Is she breathing? Why is she bleeding? Jack asked a mile a minute, not sure if he really even wanted to hear the responses.
"Um...I don't know. It could be a number of things. We'll have to wait until we get to the hospital to know more." Janet spoke rushed and just as nervous. "Where's that damn bus!"
A small groan was heard as Sam started regaining consciousness. She blinked her eyes, disoriented to where she was. "Where….where am I?"
"It's ok, you're ok. You're home. We gotta bus coming for you. Everything is gonna be fine." Jack held her hand, telling her promises he was praying he could keep. Her hand lifted up, and her eyes drew wide upon seeing her own red-tinged fingers. Grasping her stomach with the other, Sam gasped as a sharp pain shot up her body. If she wasn't only in the beginning days of her final trimester, she would have thought she was in labor.
"The baby. Janet! What's wrong!" Sam demanded, tears rolling freely down her face. Janet couldn't control the tears that escaped her eyes. Bleeding was never a good sign, and with the amount that Sam was losing, a first year residency student could tell what Sam was experiencing.
"The EMTs are here! Sam, we're gonna get you to the hospital, don't worry!" Daniel announced. He couldn't help but wince at the last choice of words, of course she was worried.
"Excuse us Ma'am, Sir. Can you step aside." A tech asked briefly, already making way to place Sam on the stretcher with his partner.
"Ma'am, Ma'am! Can you tell me what your name is?"
"Sam."
"Okay Sam, I'm gonna need you to take some slow, deep breathes for me okay?"
Sam nodded at his request. Time felt as though it stopped completely. Her brain felt as though a fog surrounded it. Looking around, Jack, Janet, Daniel and Teal'c all looked pixelated and soon, the room began to spin.
"I think I'm gonna…." Sam passed out, mid-sentence.
Time stood still. Seconds, minutes, hours passed by all in a blur. Everyone was crowded in the hospital waiting room. They had all traveled together following the ambulance. Janet was the only one allowed in the bus with Sam.
Jack was pacing the floor, constantly looking at the doors where the doctors would give them an update on Sam's condition.
"Sit down Jack, you're burning a hole in the ground. She's going to be fine. Janet is with her." Daniel tried to reassure his friend. He was hopeful that his words were more than just warm, meaningless thoughts.
"You don't know that. Did you see how much blood she lost?" Jack's voice wavered and his eyes shined with unshed tears. It scared Daniel to see them. It brought back memories to when Sam was first lost. Brought back the haunted look that he always held the rare times Jack mentioned losing his son, Charlie.
"I can't do this again Daniel. I can't."
"You won't do anything alone O'Neill. Not when we are here." Teal'c assured him. Teal'c hugged O'Neill in a rare exchange. He felt O'Neill relax and let out a deep, ragged breath. O'Neill and Teal'c both prided themselves on being strong and resilient. Letting everything bounce off of them, putting on a strong face for their friends and family. Feeling his understanding and empathy in that moment, helped O'Neill feel as though he really could survive his worst fears.
The doors swung open and at the sound of heels clicking, O'Neill and Teal'c broke apart with a short nod of appreciation.
"What's going on Janet?"
Janet stole a glance backwards at the door, then at her feet. She swallowed her nerves, tried to swallow down the emotions and thoughts that were simmering below the surface.
"Say it." Jack spoke, unnervingly calm and steady.
"The doctor's went above and beyond in performing every life saving measure they could. I made sure of it. But, ultimately Sam's blood loss was too great. I'm so sorry Jack." Janet placed a gentle hand on his arm. She could barely wrap her mind around this. They were all just beginning to find happiness again. They almost lost Jack completely to his despair the last time. How does anyone come back from this? The human spirit can only take so much and Jack had more than his fair share.
Jack stood there, numb. Hearing that Sam was gone, Jack felt like his last breath was gone with her. Everything else felt empty, the room felt like a vacuum trying to consume him. Wordlessly, he slid into a chair and stared aimlessly attempting to process the unprocessable.
"What about the baby...is the baby…" Daniel stuttered, still feeling the shock of Janet's revelation. Janet nodded and a small smile slid on her face.
"Slightly jaundice, but she's ok, she's breathing on her own. They have her in NICU."
"Are we able to see her?" Teal'c spoke up, Jack had yet to move from his spot.
"Hospital policy states only direct family are permitted in NICU." Janet paused and waited until Jack finally looked up. "I...told them that you were the father, I'm sorry, I just thought…."
"No. That's fine. Um...thanks Janet. Take me to her, please?" Jack voice interrupted, void of any emotion.
"Of course." Janet inhaled deeply.
"We'll give you some time and wait here." Daniel promised. He wasn't really sure what to do. But it felt wrong to leave. Everything felt wrong.
Jack and Janet stood in front of a window, looking into room filled with babies in hospital grade bassinets. Nothing but silence stood between them. Mothers and fathers could be seen fawning over their newest bundle of joy.
"Which one is Sam's daughter?" Jack whispered.
Janet pointed to a baby in the corner, wrapped into a pink blanket. "Can you come in with me?"
Janet nodded and moved to meet Sam's daughter properly for the first time. Jack slowly walked around the corner, glancing into the bassinet with a look of awe in his eye. He felt pure joy and pure insufferable pain all at once.
"You weren't lying when you told the hospital I was her father ya know? This is my beautiful little girl, her adoption papers were finalized last week. How is that for irony?" Jack gave out an emotionally void laugh.
"There's nothing I can say that will matter. But you were always her father Jack, no court of law needed to tell you that."
"Before this moment, I was planning how to be back with Sam as soon as possible. I didn't even consider anything else. But now, I see, Sam is still with me in a small way." Jack confessed a part of the darkness that threatened to consume him.
A nurse came by and offered to show Jack how to bottle nurse the small child. Politely declining, Jack took the extended bottle from the nurse and lightly pressed it to the sleeping baby's lips. Running it along her mouth, the baby hungrily latched on, with closed eyes.
"Just like riding a bike." Jack whispered, careful not to jostle or startle the newborn.
Wanting to give him some time alone, Janet slipped out to return to the waiting room where she was sure Teal'c and Daniel were still waiting at. So much uncertainty laid ahead, but Janet swore she would do everything in her power to make sure Sam's family not only survived this but would thrive.