Hours later as the 'discussion' about moving the trial of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter to Washington D.C. had reached a new decibel level the klaxons blared announcing the activation of the Stargate. The group seated around the defendants' bedside largely ignored it though.
"Look, General," Chegwidden said sharply. "I need to get back to Washington, and I would hazard a guess, so do you. Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill have agreed. General Hammond has, in fact, requested the trial be moved for the sake of base morale."
"We're here. The witnesses are here. The trial should be here," Moore retorted.
"Witnesses?" Harm protested. "How many witnesses do you think there are going to be at this trial? Other than Teal'c, Dr. Jackson, General Carter, and Major Frasier."
"Well..." Rivers said stalling for time as he tried to come up with an answer.
He might have said more if Frasier hadn't come out her office just then screaming for various personnel.
"Doc?" Jack called. When she turned the expression on her face told them more than words ever could that whatever was going on, it was bad.
She looked at Daniel when she answered though. "It's Abydos," she told them. "Anubis sent an attack force through the 'Gate. Your boys managed to repel the attack, but they've got heavy casualties. Skaara asked for medical aid. General Hammond's given permission to bring them through."
"Skaara asked?" Daniel asked. The expression in his eyes begged her not to confirm what he already suspected, that another part of his family was being taken away.
"I'm sorry, Daniel" she told him as she took hold of his arm. "Kasuf's hurt, but I can't tell you how bad."
"Danny," Jack said quietly bringing his friend out of the stupor he was rapidly falling into. "They're going to need you in the 'Gate room to translate. You'll need to reassure the wounded as they come through."
Daniel nodded numbly as he turned and left the room.
Jack jerked his head towards the door in a silent request that really wasn't needed. Teal'c bowed his head and followed his teammate out the door. Jack watched him go then turned his attention to the IV in his arm. Sam smacked his hand away before he could pull it out himself. She grabbed the IV bag she was connected to and walked to the cart along the wall. Quickly extracting what she wanted she returned to his side and made quick work of removing the IV. She pressed a swab over the site of the bleeding for a moment. Once she was sure the bleeding had stopped she put a band-aid on it then presented her own arm to O'Neill.
"What are you doing?" Janet demanded as she looked away from directing her staff.
"You're going to need the bed, Doc" Jack told her as he pulled the IV from Sam's arm. "And every pair of hands you can get."
"You're not..." Janet started to disagree.
"Plus Daniel's taught Jack and I to speak Abydonian. At least a little bit anyway," Sam interrupted. "You're going to need us to translate and hold hands."
Janet nodded her acquiescence. Even as she did so she knew this wasn't a good idea, but she also knew that fighting with the two stubborn officers was wasting precious seconds she didn't have. "Fine. Whatever. Leave the heavy lifting to the orderlies," she commanded sternly as she wagged a finger at each of them before turning back to the preparation of the infirmary.
"Janet," Jacob Carter called as he jogged into the infirmary. "I was in with George when the call for help came through. Selmak and I'll do what we can with the healing device."
Janet nodded. "Okay, Jacob. They're going to be triaging people down in the Gate room. The walking wounded are going to the auxiliary infirmary on level 32. Everyone else is coming up here. Anyone with a black tag is someone we can't help with normal means. Concentrate on them," she ordered the former general. After Jolinar, Hammond and his superiors had come to a compromise between giving aide and the need for base security. Once a rescue was begun the Mountain was locked down. Personnel and supplies could be brought in, but no one, no matter what, left the mountain unless screened. For the most part, level 32 was unused except for a few storage rooms, and so it had been transformed into a secondary infirmary for circumstances just such as these. A second unused floor within the mountain had been transformed into barracks-style living quarters for refugees who didn't require medical attention.
"Got it, Doc" Jacob assured her.
They waited in silence, lost in their own thoughts, for the first of the casualties to arrive. When the first of many waves of injured were brought to the infirmary there was no more time for thought though. Jack and Sam moved among the wounded giving comfort and explanations as best they could. The four lawyers pitched in as well acting as stretcher bearers and helping bring supplies up from the storerooms. Before any of them knew it three hours had gone by and still the wounded kept coming. Cassandra had appointed herself as runner between the infirmary and the gate room keeping them abreast of the rescue operation. It was she who told them that Hammond had sent several teams through to help excavate the rubble of Nagada. There were still several hundred people missing in the remains of the city.
"Dad!" Sam cried as her father buckled to the ground beside one of the black tagged Abydonians. Harm who had helped bring the dying man to the infirmary caught Jacob and lowered him to sit on the floor with his back to the wall. Sam fell to her knees by his side as she reached for his wrist to take his pulse.
"It's okay, Sammy" Jacob mumbled. "Just tired. Give me a minute."
Sam took the healing device from his hand. "You rest, Dad. Talk me through this," she commanded as she slipped the healing device onto her own hand.
Jacob nodded knowing he and Selmak were too exhausted to continue. Sam would most likely make mistakes with the device, but these patients were dying anyway. She was the only chance they had. Jacob's head bobbed low as Selmak took control of the body and quickly began instructing Sam on the use of the healing device. She listened intently for a minute or two before raising the healing device over the body of the woman on the stretcher in front of her. The level of concentration she needed to bring to bear in order to control the healing device was as intense and difficult as she remembered. Sweat began pouring off her forehead as she moved on to the next injured Abydonian. With her success at healing the first patient, Jacob stopped fighting the blackness which had been threatening to consume him and slumped into unconsciousness.
A.J. Chegwidden watched his friend Jack as he spoke comfortingly to a young man on a stretcher. Chegwidden noticed that though his attention was focused on the young man, Jack nevertheless managed to keep track of Sam's movements around the infirmary as she moved from one black tagged patient to the next. "Sir," Harm said quietly as he walked up beside his commanding officer. "She's pushing herself too hard, sir" Rabb said as he indicated he spoke of Major Carter with a subtle jerk of his head.
"If she doesn't these people are going to die, Commander" A.J. reminded his subordinate sweeping his gaze across those who had been deemed beyond hope by the medical staff and were now waiting for Carter or her father to perform a miracle. He searched the chaos around him for a moment before catching sight of Jacob Carter who lay slumped on the floor exactly where he'd fallen. He appeared to be unconscious at this point. "Colonel O'Neill's got an eye on her," A.J. added. "He's not going to let her push herself too far."
"If you say so, sir" Rabb acquiesced dubiously as he moved away from the admiral to return to the 'Gate room to help carry more injured to the infirmary.
They weren't the only ones keeping an eye on Sam though. Many noticed how Sam began to stagger from patient to patient in the next two hours until finally she too collapsed. Jacob had regained consciousness by then and made his way slowly over to where Jack knelt next to Sam's unconscious body. He reached for the healing device on her hand only to be beaten to it by quicker hands. He looked up to see who had taken the device and for what reason. Jacob glared trying to retrieve the healing device through intimidation instead of brute force.
"Show me what to do," Cassie demanded returning his glare with a stubborn scowl of her own as she slipped the device onto her own hand instead.