As they were all waiting in the hall, they could hear Ellen screaming, and crying. Her crying, Sam put down to fear, and the screaming, well they could all hear that she was yelling for Sam to be there with her, only for Janet to be saying no. As Jack looked at Sam, he watched her pacing. She wasn't going to stop and if she didn't stop soon he knew that there would be a new whole in the floor. So he got up and grabbed her arm.
As he moved back towards his seat she looked at him, fighting to get her arm back, as he pulled her to the seat with him. Without taking her eyes off him, she watched as he sat back down and pulled her to sit on his lap. As the other three men watched they were all satisfied that she had stopped pacing, and Daniel especially was grinning broadly at the fact that Sam was now sitting on Jack's lap, with his arms around her waist tightly, to keep her there.
"Now sit still!" He stated, as she was shifting against him, trying to get up.
"Colonel!" She huffed.
"Captain, I suggest you comply with the Colonel's orders, it doesn't look like you'll be getting too far if you don't, after all we're all glad your not pacing anymore!" Hammond stated looking her square in the eye.
"General, with all due respect, my sister is in there screaming for me! I have to do something! I can't just sit here and do nothing! She could be loosing her unborn child!" Sam yelled the end of her argument.
"Captain I suggest that you calm down or the General might have you locked up for insubordination!" Jack chimed in gently, whispering it in her ear, as they watched her swallow hard, and look at Hammond.
"Sorry sir," she whispered, looking away instantly.
"No problems Captain, we all understand what you're going through at the moment," he replied gently, at which she nodded and remained still and quiet against Jack. They were waiting for longer then anyone wanted to or expected to. But soon Dr Fraiser came out into the hall and looked at the four of them. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that Sam was still sitting on Jack's lap.
"Doctor?" Hammond stated getting everyone's attention and pulling Janet from her day dream.
"Sorry sir, um… We had to do an emergency caesarean, Ellen is now under a lot of pain medication and we also sedated her slightly. She is now asleep, hopefully in no pain…"
"Janet…" The whispered and scared voice ran cold and deep through her as she looked at Sam. Forcing a smile she just couldn't do it to her. She couldn't tell her best friend that her sister just lost her child; she didn't have the heart to break Sam, like Ellen had been.
"I'm sorry," was all that Janet said before bowing her head and retreating into the infirmary, leaving the four shocked people, alone with their thoughts. As it hit Sam that Ellen wasn't just screaming and crying in pain, and calling for her, it was because she knew she'd lost her child. The child that was conceived with the man she loved, who was brutally taken away from her. That she wanted Sam there to help her through the torture that she was going through. Then it really hit home.
'She's under a lot of pain medication and we also sedated her slightly.' She was in that much pain that they had to knock her out to retrieve the deceased child from within her. They had to knock her unconscious to be able to help her. As all her thoughts came running through her, Sam quickly ripped herself away from Jack. Getting up she ran down the hall. She made a quick and decisive get away. As she ran into her quarters, Sam slammed the door behind her and locked it before she slid down the closed door and cried.
As the three men looked after her, not one of them made a move to follow her. Knowing she needed time to her self, after the news had finally sunk in. Carter was going to be a wreck and emotional. No one wanted to deal with an emotional time bomb, especially not Carter, and especially not now.
"Now what?" Jack mumbled, looking at his hands, and remembering how she felt in his grip, how she didn't protest too much, how she just sat there. How she had eventually let her head fall and rest on his shoulder, how she gripped his hands when they saw Janet walk into the hallway, how she stayed there for a while, after the news had sunk in, just to be in his arms.
"We can't really do anything," Daniel muttered, looking at his own hands and wishing that he had picked up on something sooner, something that he could have mentioned to Janet about, something that could have possibly saved the child.
"I'll have your team on stand down for two weeks Colonel, if I see fit, I might extend that time, understood?" Hammond chimed in watching the two men before him, before his eyes moved and stayed on Jack for a response. He remembered the way Mac had talked to him, about pay back, and how she wanted both Sam and Jack to suffer with their stupidity.
"Yes sir!" Jack stated, seconds before he stood before the General.
"Dismissed Colonel,"
"Sir," he whispered before bowing his head yet again and walking off. Knowing that there was only one place that right now he wanted to be above all else, and that was with Carter, having her in his arms, holding her in his arms, protecting her as much as he could from the pain she was in, telling her everything would be ok eventually.
"General,"
"Dr Jackson?"
"I was wondering if…" Sighing he looked away, before shaking his head. "It's alright, it doesn't really matter,"
"Jackson, if your going to try to come up with 'what if's' and blame your self, I'm telling you right here and right now, don't you dare do that!"
"Yes sir!" He stated, before moving away deep in his own thoughts. Still coming up with his own 'what if's' and if he'd seen anything that could have helped. He wracked his brain; he pulled at memories of them in his lab going through pages and pages of translations. Nothing! There was nothing! As he came to this conclusion, Daniel realised he was now in his lab. Looking around he grabbed the latest pieces of text that Mac had helped him translate and threw them to the floor, along with several other items. "NOTHING! THERE'S BLOODY NOTHING!" He yelled, while trashing his office.
Moving to the opened door Jack found himself staring at what he wanted to do. Moving in quickly, he grabbed Daniel's arm. Turning him to him, and looking him straight in the eye. He saw the raw pain that was running though him, and by the look Daniel was giving him, Jack knew that he could see the same raw pain that was coursing through him.
"Daniel, don't… We have to be strong for both Carter's now! We can't fall apart when they need us the most. When Teal'c comes out of his Kel'no'reming we'll tell him what's happened and we'll all be there for them!" With that said both men and Jack's grip on Daniel's arm all slumped. As Jack's grip loosened and fell from Daniel's arm, both men slid down the side of Daniel's desk holding their knees tightly to their chest's and started to think. They were both lost in their thoughts when the phone in the lab started ringing.
As they both looked up, they soon turned to each other, awaiting the other to get up to answer it. 'It's your lab' Jack thought, and sure enough Daniel sighed and stood, moving towards the phone. While doing so Jack could have sworn that Daniel was moving in slow motion, the time it took him to get to the phone was like watching a snail moving five centimetres!
"Doctor Jackson," he muttered, before hearing the reply on the other end. Sighing he nodded. "No, it's ok, send them down. We'll meet them at the elevator, thanks." He muttered, before hanging up and turning to look Jack in the eye. "Ellen's friends from her unit are here, the two blonde's and the guy, who were at the hospital." Nodding Jack looked at the floor. "Jack how are we supposed to tell them! Ellen's unconscious at the moment, and Sam's not capable! I know I'm a mess and I can see you look a fucked as I feel right now! They're going to know something is wrong the minute they step out of that elevator!" Sighing Jack nodded.
"Yeah I know, but we're going to have to deal with that later. Right now we have to put on brave face's say that Ellen and Carter aren't here, and hope to god that something happens which makes them leave before anything gets out, or gets too hysterical!"
"Yeah, ok," Daniel sighed moving to the door and waiting for Jack to get up and follow him to the elevator to greet their guests.
"I so can't believe that they let us in!" Danni exclaimed grinning, as she looked at the others, who were also smiling slightly.
"Yeah I thought they would have at lest tried to protest!" Oscar stated with a slight chuckle.
"Mm," Ange mumbled.
"What is it?" Oscar questioned frowning, watching her.
"Nothing, I just feel that something's wrong," she sighed. No sooner had she said her thoughts did the doors, open. As the trio stepped from the elevator, they were greeted by Daniel and Jack's smiling faces. Forced, but smiling nether the less.
"Howdy folks! What brings you three to our humble abode?" Jack smiled at them.
"We were wondering how Mac's doing. And how Sarah is." Danni smiled back.
"Oh well one of them is easier then the other," Daniel chimed in.
"Why?" Ange frowned.
"Well Mac's out and about here or there, but Sarah's around, somewhere!" Daniel smirked. "Sorry not really up to speed with what's been going on, just come back from a week of down time," he lied, before looking at Jack, with a 'it's all I could think of' look, to which Jack smiled and nodded.
"Yeah just got in a few hours ago our selves, place's been busy. We're still waiting to be filled in on…"
"Jack…" A chocked and strained voice called, from behind him. Spinning around he saw Sam standing there. Obviously she'd heard the entire conversation and wanted to talk to him.
"Ah, excuse me," he stated looking back at the three foreigners. Walking over to her, he took her elbow gently, and moved her around the corner. "Carter you alright?" He whispered, watching her. Shaking her head Sam inhaled deeply.
"Ellie's still unconscious. I just went to the infirmary, and talked to Janet. She told me what happened." Stopping Jack couldn't help but prod.
"And?" He whispered.
"She didn't loose the baby…"
"WHAT?"
"Shhh!" She huffed.
"Sorry, what?"
"I mean she did, but it wasn't anything she did, Janet said that the baby was healthy and should have been fine! The only thing that could have done something like this would have had to have been…"
"Someone from the trust…"
"I think so, and so does Janet. We think that, as Sarah and Ellie can do what they can do, well they might become a threat to them, if she has anymore children."
"Well what about you?"
"What?"
"Well what if you had kids? You are sisters! No one would no until you had kids right? So what if you had kids and, or even if we got someone to carry the foetus to term for her, or something…? Surely there's something we can do for her?"
"I don't know, I never thought of anything like that, I'm just really worried about her, and Janet said that when she gave Ellie the mild sedative, she passed out! Colonel there's something more going on here! And with her friends just happening to turn up, just after she lost the baby?" Sam whispered watching him, hoping he was getting to the same conclusion.
"Mm," he mumbled, watching her. Smiling gently she sighed.
"Sir, what if they have something to do with it? What if they are here to make sure that the baby's dead? That what ever Ellie was given, inhaled, digested, whatever actually worked? What if they are here to report back, so that other people, people who have the gene, people like you, people like the others here who have the gene, and can reproduce healthy children, who may or may not eventually possess the gene, that may or may not possess the same abilities as Sarah and Ellie. That if this gets back that it's worked, and then Sarah's life might be in danger?"
"Ok, so we keep them away from Sarz and Ellen?" He suggested with a slight shrug.
"Well I think Daniel would be better at keeping Sarz occupied, I mean with all those translations and…"
"Cleaning,"
"Pardon?" She frowned, with a slight laugh.
"Daniel trashed his office, I saw him. He thinks there's something he missed, in her behaviour that could have stopped her loosing the child."
"Sir, there's nothing that could have helped her. I know that now, and I never have blamed any of you, especially not Daniel!"
"Good to know, how about you go tell him, to find Sarz then, and I'll take these three to the mess for some cake. Meet you there in ten?"
"Sure," she whispered. "Just make sure Sarah's not in there, before you take them in."
"Do my best…" As he went to move after pushing off the wall he leant into her slightly, and whispered. "Boss." Then moved back around the corner leaving her, startled slightly, but with a small smile forming. "Alright people, how about I take you lot to the mess to get something to eat? I hear that there's cake and pie today!" Jack grinned at them, as they nodded.
"Yeah sure, bit hungry after all that flying!" Danni grinned at him. Nodding he turned to Daniel and whispered something to him.
"You are to find Sarz and keep her away from them, Carter and I think something's off. Get her to help tidy your lab?" Jack smirked before looking at him, and he nodded, before looking at the frowning trio.
"Sorry you're stuck with Jack for a while. I have a few things I have to finish up. Reports!" He sighed and groaned and they nodded.
"Know the feeling!" Oscar laughed.
"Hope to see ya around sometime!" Daniel called over his shoulder as he moved down the corridor quickly.
"So let's go," Jack smiled. "Pie, and cake here we come!" He smiled and took them off to the comissionary.
Daniel was jogging through the corridors, looking for Sarah, asking every personnel that he came by, if they had seen the child. He finally found her curled up in Jack's office, on his chair, sleeping soundly. Smiling at her, Daniel bent down and scooped the child up into his arms, holding her tightly, and securely. Stirring slightly at the movement, she sighed.
"Shh, it's just me," he whispered to her, which got her shifting against his chest getting comfortable again, and drifting back to sleep.
"Uncle Danny," she murmured.
"Yeah its uncle Danny," he whispered kissing her forehead as he walked out of Jack's office.
"Waiting for Uncle Jack, talk Uncle Jack…" She murmured before drifting fully into a deep sleep.
"So kids, what brings you all this way?" Jack smiled at the trio in front of him, as they were seated at the informally dedicated 'SG-1' table.
"Well actually we came to see Mac, and Sarah." Danni said looking at him, over her fork full of pie. Smiling gently he nodded.
"Miss 'em huh?"
"Yeah something like that," Ange mumbled, poking her fork at her pie. Frowning Jack watched the younger woman, she had her head resting against her right fist, as her elbow was propped up on the edge of the table, and she was starring aimlessly at the pie that she was so carefully dissecting, without acknowledging it.
"Well I can't really tell you were either of them are, sorry kids! But I can give you a small tour of the place before the airmen behind you over there will escort you back topside,"
"Topside?" Oscar frowned.
"Yeah that's what we call the surface, I mean after all it is pretty far down, down here, don't you think?"
"Yeah I suppose your right about that one!" he chuckled lightly. As they finished their pie, Sam walked in, cleaned up, changed and looking better then ever. Moving over to the table with her blue jelly, she smiled.
"This seat taken?"
"Nope it's all yours Carter," Jack grinned at her. Rolling her eyes she smiled.
"Thank you sir,"
"Don't mention it!"
"O'Neill!"
"Dagnamit!" Sighing he looked up to see Teal'c standing at the end of the table, tray of food in hand. "Ah T!" He stated, looking around before getting up. "Here sit with Carter; I better go check on Space monkey anyway. Keep our guest's company while I'm gone!" He grinned, patting the tall jaffa on the back, as he past him. The only acknowledgement that Teal'c showed was the slight bow of his head, before he moved to sit next to Sam.
"Major Carter, what did O'Neill mean by checking on Daniel Jackson?"
"Ah he kind of trashed his office earlier today Teal'c, he's got a lot of cleaning up to do, according to the Colonel," she smiled gently.
"Ah, was that after what…"
"Yes," she jumped in quickly, forcing a small smile at him, to which he once again bowed his head slightly, and turned back to his tray, of food.
As Jack walked down the corridors of the SGC, he couldn't help but feel for Sam and everything that Mac has gone through in the last few hours. Sighing he turned the last corner, that headed towards Daniel's lab. As he got to the closed door, he used his card to open it. Looking up Daniel moved quickly to stand in front of a still sleeping Sarah.
"Just me space monkey," Jack said moving in quickly and swiping his card again to close and lock the door.
"Oh, hey Jack! How are the guests?"
"Their, with Carter and Teal'c in the mess still. Did you find Sarah? Is she in here?" he questioned looking around at the mounds of paper scattered throughout the lab, and he couldn't help but smirk.
"Yeah she's here, I found her sound asleep in your office, I woke her by accident when I picked her up, off your chair, she said she was waiting for you, and that she needed to talk to you, but then she fell asleep again, and has been out of it since I brought her back here about twenty minutes ago." Sighing he nodded. Moving around the desk Jack crouched down, and started picking up some of the pieces of paper.
"You know, if anyone comes looking for either of us, they'll find her right?"
"Yes,"
"Oh ok. Just making sure."
"Jack?"
"Daniel, how can you know what is what in here?"
"Jack!"
"What I asked a question," Jack replied quickly and innocently as he stood from his position on the floor holding out two hand fulls of paper, sticking out at all different angles form his hands. Taking them Daniel smiled slightly, and rested them on his desk.
"I just have this feeling that, Sarah knows something, that maybe we're jumping the gun about Ellen's friends. I mean she was there waiting for you, she seemed upset but that was clouded with sleep, so I can't be sure, but what if she knows what happened? What if she could have even prevented it? Or what if Sarah's the reason? Jack thinks about why would she be there in your office waiting to talk to you?"
"Daniel she's like almost five years old! She doesn't know what happened, and she doesn't know anything about who is here and why, ok? So lets just get this mess cleaned up alright?" sighing he nodded. Before looking at Sarah and smiling gently. As the hours ticked over, both Daniel and Jack had managed to clean up the entire lab, and in the end change the way that he had things stored, stacked, and filed away. Making it easier for anyone to walk in and find something that they required, after he had acknowledged them and told them to get it themselves. In this time Sarah had stirred but remained where she was.
"Looks, good thanks Jack!"
"Don't mention it Danny boy." He smiled gently, before looking at Sarah who shifted. Smiling he walked over and scooped her up into his arms. "Hey," he whispered in her ear. Smiling gently, she curled up against him tightly, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and hooked her ankles together around his waist.
"Uncle Jack, I have to tell you something about mummy." She whispered before pulling back and staring straight into his eyes.
"Ok, what is it angel?"
"Mummy's going to die." She stated with more ease then Jack thought possible for a toddler.
"Angel mummy's not going to die, mummy's going to be fine!" he stated looking at her, with a slight frown.
"No Uncle Jack you don't understand! When mummy had me she was supposed to do something, but she never did it, because she didn't know that she was supposed to do it, and she thought that if she told daddy then he would make her go and get looked at by the psychologist! And now she's dying!"
"Angel…"
"Uncle Jack is mummy sick? Is mummy's baby ok? Is the baby dying? Is the baby still alive inside mummy? Is mummy sleeping?" she was rattling off questions a million miles an hour and Jack knew that he had to stop the questions by answering them, but he didn't quite know how to, without telling her that Mac was indeed sick. "Is mummy in the infirmary? Are mummy's friends here? Are you trying to hide me…?"
"Sarah, angel, sweetie, listen to me please. Mummy is not going to die!"
"Uncle Jack, please put me down." Frowning Jack did as he was told. Letting Sarah stand on the stool that he had picked her up from. Looking at him, she slowly raised one hand and rested it against the left side of his face, before taking her right hand and bringing his right hand to sit on her left. Then she took his left hand in her right and put his left hand on the side of her face and held it there with her right. As she stared straight at him, he noticed that her eyes changed colour, and that her body stiffened.
As she lent closer to him slightly, Sarah let her mind open up to him, and let him search it, unknowingly. Once she found the information stored away in her memory that she wanted and needed him to see and understand she let him read through it and take his time in trying to comprehend and understand what he was almost being told. Once she felt that he had a grip on the situation, she closed her mind off to him, and moved both hands away from him, and his grip.
"Oh my god!" He gasped. Staring at Sarah, she could see the pain and hurt mixed with his disbelief and fear. Not only at, that Sarah knew but with how she knew it, and that she never said anything knowing that it was going to happen, within the period of time that it did.
"What is it? Jack?" Daniel questioned moving over to the duo. "Jack?"
"She's going to die Daniel, there's nothing we can do for her. There's nothing that anyone can do for her. Sarah… Sarah, she knew this whole time, and never said anything because she knew that if we knew then we'd do anything and everything to help Ellen, but nothing can or could be done to help her." He stated in shock, which in turn, caused him to just resight what he had 'read', saw and was trying himself to understand and believe the unbelievable.
"WHAT? Jack!" shaking his head slightly, Jack turned to look at Daniel, with glazed eyes, which shocked the young linguist and archaeologist.
"Daniel, we have to tell Doc Fraiser, and Carter, and Hammond and everyone!"
"Jack, she's not going to die she's…"
"Daniel, you don't understand, Sarah and Ellen, they, well…" stopping he looked back at Sarah who was looking more tired then what she did only minutes before hand. Picking her up, she cuddled into him tightly, as he held her tightly to him. "They have to know what's going to happen Daniel," he whispered before he turned, and moved from the room. Daniel hot on his heals seconds later.