There's no place like home (Part 2)
Author: Katianna
A collective sigh of relief was released as a third shock was followed by rhythmic beeping.
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Several hours later an exhausted Doctor stepped into a small observation room. It overlooked the ICU room Sam now lay in, surrounded by various monitors and machines that assured the Doctor of her well being. Jack was sat in a plastic chair, where he had been directed after he had conducted a quick debrief and informed Sam's father of the goings on. The Major's father had almost had to be sedated when he had heard of his daughter's condition, but promises of regular updates and warnings of not getting in the way had kept him in bed for the time being.
Or so she thought, as the man himself looked around the door. He frowned as he spotted the Doctor, but she beckoned him in.
"I heard that most of the activity had stopped and I" He trailed off as he caught sight of his daughter through the glass. "Oh, God." He sank into a chair beside Jack.
"I'm glad you're both here. I wanted to talk to you before I give my report to the General." The Doctor spoke up, fatigue echoing in her voice. Jack's concern was immediate.
"What is it, is there something wrong?" Janet sat down in the last empty chair, her eyes resting on the read outs from each machine, one by one, checking, re-checking and starting again. "Janet, what is it?" She looked up at him as though startled he was still there. Her eyes dropping to the floor before continuing.
"Sam's fallen into a coma. I everything's been taken out of my hands now. All we can do is keep her comfortable and be there for her when she wakes up." Jack paled to white.
"What happened? Why is she in a coma?" Jacob managed at last.
"From what I can tell, the hand device somehow channelled and amplified the effect of the zat. Instead of acing like normal electricity and trying to earth itself, like the Zats normally do, it used the energy to cause a lot of tissue damage. She was lucky the impact didn't damage her skull, but there was some swelling of the brain which we had to bring a specialist in for. He warned that this might happen. The coma is just the body's way of allowing the brain time to recover."
"What about the living will?" Jack's question was almost whispered, but Janet understood Jack's worry.
"No, that doesn't come into play here. The ventilator is just a precaution and there's still minimal brain activity. She's still there just in a very deep sleep." The relief on Jack's face was evident.
"Can you tell when she'll wake up?"
"I don't know, there's no way of telling for sure. In my opinion, the sooner the better. We need to know what damage the swelling did. It wasn't bad, so there shouldn't be too much damage, but we can't know for sure until she's here with us."
"What's the worst case scenario?"
"The damage is very bad and she reaches a point where the machines take over the basic body functions, her breathing, heartbeat. All brain activity ceases. At that point the living will comes into play." Jack flinched.
"And the best case?" Janet frowned, it wasn't something she'd considered. She was getting too pessimistic. This was, of course, SG1, renowned miracle workers of the SGC.
"Well. What we know There's damage to the optic system the main optic nerve is damaged, but not irreparably. If we're very lucky the swelling won't cause any damage. If that is the case then I'd say it's going to take at least - at very least - a year to heal the damage to her optic system, give her another year to completely recover her sight."
"Two years!"
"And I think that particular scenario is very unlikely and it does not get mentioned to Sam if she wakes up any time soon - understood? The surgeon was suggesting a high risk of Brain damage and he's the expert. I'm sorry, but I really can't tell you anything until she wakes up. We can only hope." Janet scrubbed her eyes with her sleeves. "I have to go and report to the General. Excuse me."
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Jack observed Jacob from the doorway. He had been allowed a chair in Sam's room and was there now, sleeping quietly. As he watched the sleeping pair the younger man was struck by the resemblance between father and daughter. There was the same strong jaw-line, the same little curve to the sides of the mouth and same little wrinkle at the top of the nose when they frowned. He sighed. He knew his Major far too well.
"That's a very pitiful little sigh, Colonel." Jack jumped as Jacob spoke. Not asleep then.
"I'm sorry, I was just, thinking about things."
"This wasn't your fault Jack. You know that; right?"
"I pulled the trigger. Again." Jacob frowned as he thought of the entity incident.
"There was no way you could have expected this. It's never happened before. It's not even something the Tok'ra forgot to tell you about." Jack gave a small smile. "So. Now I've give you the fatherly pep talk, was there any reason you were watching me sleep?"
"The Doc. wanted to talk to you about Ysabelle." Jacob sighed and looked back at Sam.
"She got her eyes from her mother you know, and he hair. He mother always had beautiful hair. I was kinda sad when Sam cut it short." Both men looked down on the still woman, both missing her presence, though her form was in the room with them. "Stay here with her for me?"
"I won't leave her side."
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"She's been intensively tortured. From what she's said to me it sounds like someone heard your communiqué. She's in a pretty bad way, but S'mat has already started the healing process."
"When will she be fit to move?" Selmac asked.
"24 hours minimum."
"I'll have to go back through with her. They will need help relocating the base camp, just in case she gave something away." The inner turmoil was clear on the Tok'ra's face.
"Sam's in good hands, Selmac. We'll look after her." He offered her a small smile and turned to head back to Sam's room.
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One Month Later
He stood quietly at the door, not wanting to break the peace within. Jacob, his old friend, was sat back in his place at his daughter's side, her hand clasped tightly in his. He looked truly exhausted, having fought with the other Tok'ra to be allowed to return to earth for a period of leave to watch over his daughter. His head rested lightly on the side of the bed, his eyes shut. In the observation room Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson also slept. Jack with his head on the small ledge and Daniel laid back in the chair, sweater folded beneath his neck.
It wasn't until the huge man stirred that the General registered Teal'c's presence, sat cross-legged in the corner of the room. The Jaffa's eyes opened slowly and he inclined his head at the General. Taking in his friend's slumbering forms he stood silently and gestured to the General that they step outside.
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"It would be a great loss to the Tau'ri if Major Carter does not return to us. She is a great scientist and a formidable warrior. But it is true that the Tau'ri should suffer should they lose the talents of the others of SG1. I am sure that O'Neill and Dr. Jackson will be able to see that in time."
"I agree. Of course, if Major Carter does recover, she will always have a place back on SG1. As soon as she's fit for active duty, I'm sure she'll want to return to them."
"Dr. Fraiser has said that it may be some time before Major Carter will have returned to full fitness."
"And that is something we may have to consider. But I cannot afford to lose my best team for as long as it takes for her to recover. I would if I could, but I can't. It's just not possible. We have to be prepared to accept that Major Carter may never be fully able to return to duty. It is a possibility. But one I hate to consider."
"I will consult SG1 when they awaken."
"Thank you, Teal'c. I'm sure they'll take it better from you." Teal'c returned to the room with a heavy heart. His young Tau'ri friends would not take this news well. He sat back down amongst them and waited for them to stir, dreading the talk to come.
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"No! We can't do that! She'll wake up, we all know she will. She's too strong to give up." As suspected, Daniel was not taking the news well.
"Daniel Jackson. We are not suggesting that we abandon our friend, simply that we do not ignore our duties during this time." Teal'c tried once again to inject some calm into the archaeologist.
"But but we have to be here, when she wakes up. We've always been here"
"The General's right you know Daniel. We have no idea when she'll wake up. I mean, there's a possibility she might"
"DON'T say it! You can't! We've never fallen apart before. And it won't happen now."
"Daniel, you know I would never give up on Sam, but I'm not giving up on her, I'm just making sure Earth is still here for her when she wakes up. It's our duty, that's what we've got to keep doing."
"What happens when she wakes up and finds out she's been replaced?"
"She will understand Daniel Jackson."
"Danny, the SGC need SG1. If that means we take a part time replacement that's what happens. It's been almost a month. Sam will wake up eventually, when she's ready. We just have to go and save the world a couple more times first." Daniel slumped back into his chair.
"I don't know if I can do it."
"She'll be back, we all know she will. We're the invincible SG1 - no one touches our team."
"Major Carter has great strength. She will return to us as soon as she is able."
"I know." Three pairs of tired eyes stared down on the pale woman beneath them, willing her to rise for them and give them one of her earth shattering smiles, to reassure them that she was 'fine' as always and that she would be joining them in a moment. But the still figure remained still save the slight rise and fall of her chest.
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Three quarters of SG1 left the room that day. For the first time in a month, nothing stirred. No one whispered, snored, bustled, stared. All was silent. She was alone.