Disclaimer: Story is mine. But characters and things like that belong to someone else. I don't care who it is.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I am glad you like the story. I assume you're 'dying' (I shouldn't have used that word, it kinda gives away much of the story... just joking, don't worry) to know what is going on... So, here it is. Oh, yes... and keep reviewing. Please?

Till the end of the time

Chapter 3

Pain was excruciating. Just standing there and watching one of his best friends die... it was more that Daniel Jackson could stand. He bit into his lip, hard, as to stiffen the scream that threaten to burst out. He felt cold sweat on his forehead, but the sound, the sound... constant high pitched squeal that seemed to crush his every bone, was the thing that was ripping him apart. 'Sam is dead.' Those words, uttered by his own half-conscious mind, hit him like a ton of bricks. His vision got clouded, blackened and something pulled him down. He firmly gripped the doorframe. She was always there for him, and he wanted a chance to return back everything she gave to him ... To be there for her.

Sound of nails scratching the wooden surface caught Janet's attention and she turned her head, only to see young archeologist holding onto the doorframe, pale as a ghost, with the bleeding lip and trembling like a candle flame.

"Christy, help him out," she said in a soft voice and once more focused on the flat red line.

Nurse looked at her, not completely sure what was she told to do, when Janet repeated in a harsh tone, "Dr. Jackson, out, now!"

Christy fled to the door and grabbing Daniel's arm, slowly led him out of the infirmary. He didn't resist and allowed himself to be dragged away. The only thing that mattered now was the only thing he could not change. His mind kept screaming, and his heart kept refusing to believe, 'Samantha is dead'.

Only once before in his life he felt like this. When he lost Sha're. When he lost himself.

Daniel didn't move more then few steps away, when yells, muffled by the buzzing in his ears, reached him. Fighting the tears, he forced himself to listen. Only one word came through, 'Back.'

Two days later

Dr. Fraiser walked into the debriefing room, and slipped into the chair nearest to exit. Four men were looking at her expectedly, but no one said anything. Signs of weariness were obvious on Janet. Still, she was refusing to get rest, although that was against General's orders.

She raised her head, blinked a few times, trying to wipe off the mist that started to form in front of her eyes, and when it didn't work out, sighed.

"Speak up, Janet, for God sake!"

In spite of the difficult situation, she smiled. The way Daniel cared about Sam was something that always made her feel good about the world, something that always returned her faith, even when things looked hopeless.

"She is still in the 'deep sleep'."

Encountering confused looks, she explained, "'Deep sleep' describes the state between coma and regular sleep. It is in some cases worse that the actual coma, because patient's mind is conscious, but, so to say, captured, in the body whose functions are failing."

As soon as she finished, shudder passed through her. She just explained Sam's case in the most blunt way she could. It was not her intention, but she barely kept herself awake, and thinking of a ways to make it sound less painful was not doing anyone any good. She knew it from experience. Pain does not just go away.

Forcing herself to look across the desk, she met Daniel's gaze. Emotional, warm... all the pain and worry was there. She could read it like an open book. Teal'c... well, you could never be too sure of what that man was thinking, and you were not advised to start pondering about that. General Hammond. He saw too many cases like this, too many...

Finally, Jack. Ever since he brought Sam on his hands in the infirmary (he refused to let anyone else touch her or take her away from him, until Janet forced him to put her in the bed, and wrestled him out), he never came to visit. Not once. Not once in the three days time. It was not the man Janet knew, and yet in some weird way, it all made sense. Just exactly how it made sense was the thing Dr. Fraiser hadn't figured out... yet.

She met his eyes. At the first site, cold and emotionless. Definitely not the Colonel she knew. And for a briefest fraction of the second, thought about possibility of Gou'ld infiltration crossed her mind, but when she looked deeper, she saw shadows of something else and dismissed Gou'ld theory at once. But what she saw was hard to define. Was it guilt?

"Is that all, Doctor?" Hammond's voice broke the silence.

"Yes, I will keep you informed, and if there are any changes..." Janet's voice trembled. She was losing hope, and she was losing it fast. The truth was, according to every medical book in the world (and that was about the number of them Janet went through, searching for answer... for anything), that if the patient doesn't wake up from 'deep sleep' after four days, chances of her ever waking up are very small. That was something Janet carefully hid from SG-1 and General. Books can be wrong, right?

"No, Doctor. You will go and rest, immediately, and that is the order. If you do not obey, I will sedate you. Is that clear?"

Janet shook her head, but still answered, "Yes, General. But someone needs to look after Major Carter. Someone who..." yawn stopped her from finishing the sentence, but her gaze fell on O'Neill. General seemed to pick up on this.

"Very well. Colonel O'Neill will keep the guard in the infirmary. You are dismissed."

Janet wasn't too sure, but she thought she saw flicker of anger in Jack's eyes. She could have been too tired, so she shrugged it off and headed absent-mindedly for the infirmary. Strong grip on her shoulder made her turn around. Jack forced a small smile and asked, "I thought I am on duty in the infirmary tonight."

It was now that Janet realized what she saw in his eyes every time she looked in them. Those emotions she couldn't decipher. Pain, but another kind of pain, not the one friends feel when one of them suffers, but the other one... the one lover feels for the other half of his soul. Pain and guilt. Guilt for which she wasn't sure where it came from, but could make a good guess. Such a dangerous combination. State of mind that can only be described as the Hell on the Earth.

"You gonna be OK?" Janet softly asked and took his hand in hers.

He looked at her, rather confused, but unmasked. In that moment, his emotions were not hidden inside.

"I only care about her."

She looked after him, as he disappeared behind the corner... wondering. 'Will God allow such an injustice and take her too away from him?'

A/N: There you have it. My longest chapter yet. It was a hard work...

And all you have to do is... Review! (I know I am boring, but still...)