**************
Jack didn't stop to hear the rest. He ran to the infirmary as fast as he could, Mulder following hard on his heels. He reached it in record time, and practically collided with Janet.
"Whoa, slow down!" she said. "She's right here, she's okay.". Jack peered over her shoulder at Sam lying on the bed, white and bandaged.
"She doesn't look okay. She's not awake.".
"She will be, I hope. Where did you get to?".
"There was no-one at the base." Mulder replied, half-watching Jack staring at Sam's lifeless body. He knew that feeling all too well, that feeling of utter and total hopelessness, that fear that she would be gone soon, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.
"We looked around for a while." Mulder continued. "When we returned to the 'copter, it was gone. We had to search around for alternative transport.".
Daniel pushed past him into the room.
"I just ran into Graham Simmons!" he cried. "What happened to Sam?".
"Maybourne." Janet replied. Jack turned to watch her.
"You know he threatened to take over the base, have us all tried for treason if we didn't give it to him?" she continued. Daniel nodded.
"Well, Sam refused. She just stood there in front of him. She just told Graham to go and lock down the gate. Even when he pulled a gun, and pointed it straight at her, she refused. She didn't even flinch. She just said,'Colonel O'Neill gave me command of this base, and I'm only handing it back to him. I shan't leave until he tells me to.'".
"What then?" Daniel asked. Jack was silent, imagining the scene. Imagining Sam, standing stock still in the face of certain death, refusing to move, because he had ordered her not to.
"Maybourne fired. I ..sort of jumped him, spoiled his aim, but he got two shots off. One grazed her forehead, the other hit her in the stomach. She'd bought enough time for our forces to regroup though, and we defeated them.".
She looked up, straight into Jack's eyes. He said nothing, merely blinked a few times.
"Where was Teal'c?" asked Daniel.
"She ordered him to go with Lt. Simmons, to make sure the iris was closed and locked. He's wounded, but he'll survive.".
Daniel and Mulder left. Jack stepped forward, to Sam's side, gazing silently down at her. He looked up as Janet approached him, but before he could say anything, she said, "I know, you're staying. I brought you a chair.".
"Thank you.".
"You're welcome.".
"No.". He touched her lightly on the arm. "I mean thank you for saving Sam's life.".
She looked up, listening to the husky voice, seeing the eyes shining with tears he would not shed in front of her, and said, "It's my job, but you're welcome.".
She left, turning at the doorway to see Jack sit down, and gently take one of Sam's hands.
Mulder was outside, looking through the window. He'd been where Jack was now, feeling what Jack was feeling too many times before. He knew the coldness, the emptiness the other man was feeling. He felt an almost unbearable empathy for the man. As Dr. Frasier came out, he said to her,"Where's Agent Scully?"
She swallowed. Sometimes she really hated her job, especially when it meant being the bearer of bad news.
"We don't know. We think Maybourne took her.".
Suddenly Mulder felt the coldness and emptiness too, with a blind panic.
************
"I need your help.".
Jack glanced up at Mulder, then back down to Sam.
"Not now." he said.
"Yes now." Mulder insisted. "Maybourne's taken Scully. I need a 'copter pilot, and I need somewhere who knows where they've gone.".
"There's lots of 'copter pilots here, and try southern Utah.".
"They're all injured, and southern Utah is a big place.".
"No!" Jack shouted. "I am not leaving her to chase your partner round the country! I'm sorry she's gone, but I am not leaving Sam until I'm sure she's ok!".
Mulder stepped back, surprised by the man's anger.
"Please." he said quietly, almost begging. "You're the last one who can help me. I have to find her.".
Jack said nothing, merely stared at Sam. He could feel Mulder's desperation, but he couldn't leave her like this.
"Imagine Captain Carter had been taken." Mulder pressed, "Imagine it was she who was gone, missing, and I was the only one who could help. Then you might see how desperate I am.".
Jack imagined. Sam gone. Sam not even here in the bed, but no-where. No idea if she were dead or alive, no idea if she were in pain. Gone, and he would be helpless. He closed his eyes for a moment, unable to bear the idea of Sam not being by his side. He opened them again, and looked up at Mulder.
"And imagine if it was Scully lying here. Would you leave her?" Jack asked.
Mulder looked down at her, remembering all the times she had been the one lying there, how gut-wrenching it had been to leave her side.
"I don't know." he admitted.
"Jack." Daniel said from the doorway. "Jack, she won't be alone. I'll stay with her.".
"And I'll be here too." Janet added, from behind Daniel. "You're not the only one who loves her, you know.".
Jack looked at them, then back at Sam.
"She's going to be ok." Janet said.
Jack looked at the desperate man beside him, quietly begging for his help. "Alright." he said. "I'll take you. Danny, Janet..just please take care of her for me?" his pleaded. Danny nodded solemnly, and Jack left, pausing only to take one final glance at his Sam, lying unconscious and helpless.
***************
Jack didn't stop to hear the rest. He ran to the infirmary as fast as he could, Mulder following hard on his heels. He reached it in record time, and practically collided with Janet.
"Whoa, slow down!" she said. "She's right here, she's okay.". Jack peered over her shoulder at Sam lying on the bed, white and bandaged.
"She doesn't look okay. She's not awake.".
"She will be, I hope. Where did you get to?".
"There was no-one at the base." Mulder replied, half-watching Jack staring at Sam's lifeless body. He knew that feeling all too well, that feeling of utter and total hopelessness, that fear that she would be gone soon, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.
"We looked around for a while." Mulder continued. "When we returned to the 'copter, it was gone. We had to search around for alternative transport.".
Daniel pushed past him into the room.
"I just ran into Graham Simmons!" he cried. "What happened to Sam?".
"Maybourne." Janet replied. Jack turned to watch her.
"You know he threatened to take over the base, have us all tried for treason if we didn't give it to him?" she continued. Daniel nodded.
"Well, Sam refused. She just stood there in front of him. She just told Graham to go and lock down the gate. Even when he pulled a gun, and pointed it straight at her, she refused. She didn't even flinch. She just said,'Colonel O'Neill gave me command of this base, and I'm only handing it back to him. I shan't leave until he tells me to.'".
"What then?" Daniel asked. Jack was silent, imagining the scene. Imagining Sam, standing stock still in the face of certain death, refusing to move, because he had ordered her not to.
"Maybourne fired. I ..sort of jumped him, spoiled his aim, but he got two shots off. One grazed her forehead, the other hit her in the stomach. She'd bought enough time for our forces to regroup though, and we defeated them.".
She looked up, straight into Jack's eyes. He said nothing, merely blinked a few times.
"Where was Teal'c?" asked Daniel.
"She ordered him to go with Lt. Simmons, to make sure the iris was closed and locked. He's wounded, but he'll survive.".
Daniel and Mulder left. Jack stepped forward, to Sam's side, gazing silently down at her. He looked up as Janet approached him, but before he could say anything, she said, "I know, you're staying. I brought you a chair.".
"Thank you.".
"You're welcome.".
"No.". He touched her lightly on the arm. "I mean thank you for saving Sam's life.".
She looked up, listening to the husky voice, seeing the eyes shining with tears he would not shed in front of her, and said, "It's my job, but you're welcome.".
She left, turning at the doorway to see Jack sit down, and gently take one of Sam's hands.
Mulder was outside, looking through the window. He'd been where Jack was now, feeling what Jack was feeling too many times before. He knew the coldness, the emptiness the other man was feeling. He felt an almost unbearable empathy for the man. As Dr. Frasier came out, he said to her,"Where's Agent Scully?"
She swallowed. Sometimes she really hated her job, especially when it meant being the bearer of bad news.
"We don't know. We think Maybourne took her.".
Suddenly Mulder felt the coldness and emptiness too, with a blind panic.
************
"I need your help.".
Jack glanced up at Mulder, then back down to Sam.
"Not now." he said.
"Yes now." Mulder insisted. "Maybourne's taken Scully. I need a 'copter pilot, and I need somewhere who knows where they've gone.".
"There's lots of 'copter pilots here, and try southern Utah.".
"They're all injured, and southern Utah is a big place.".
"No!" Jack shouted. "I am not leaving her to chase your partner round the country! I'm sorry she's gone, but I am not leaving Sam until I'm sure she's ok!".
Mulder stepped back, surprised by the man's anger.
"Please." he said quietly, almost begging. "You're the last one who can help me. I have to find her.".
Jack said nothing, merely stared at Sam. He could feel Mulder's desperation, but he couldn't leave her like this.
"Imagine Captain Carter had been taken." Mulder pressed, "Imagine it was she who was gone, missing, and I was the only one who could help. Then you might see how desperate I am.".
Jack imagined. Sam gone. Sam not even here in the bed, but no-where. No idea if she were dead or alive, no idea if she were in pain. Gone, and he would be helpless. He closed his eyes for a moment, unable to bear the idea of Sam not being by his side. He opened them again, and looked up at Mulder.
"And imagine if it was Scully lying here. Would you leave her?" Jack asked.
Mulder looked down at her, remembering all the times she had been the one lying there, how gut-wrenching it had been to leave her side.
"I don't know." he admitted.
"Jack." Daniel said from the doorway. "Jack, she won't be alone. I'll stay with her.".
"And I'll be here too." Janet added, from behind Daniel. "You're not the only one who loves her, you know.".
Jack looked at them, then back at Sam.
"She's going to be ok." Janet said.
Jack looked at the desperate man beside him, quietly begging for his help. "Alright." he said. "I'll take you. Danny, Janet..just please take care of her for me?" his pleaded. Danny nodded solemnly, and Jack left, pausing only to take one final glance at his Sam, lying unconscious and helpless.
***************