Author's Note: Special Guest Star, Dr. Samantha Carter.
Content Warning: Violence, Mild Language
Sharp Pains
****Argos Sector, (October 5, 2026)****
Robin caught herself on the Captain's chair to keep from falling. The blast that has rocked the Foxstar had come from behind them.
"Damn it! How much longer on those maneuvering thrusters?!" she demanded.
"The repair crew say three minutes!" an officer called back.
"We don't HAVE three minutes!" Robin informed him.
"The Selmac is trying to draw their fire," the tactical officer reported. "They're buying us some time."
"Let's hope it's enough," she responded. "Can we acquire any targets?"
"One of destroyers is being forced into our firing arc. We'll have them targeted in less than twenty seconds."
"How's the third laser holding up?"
"So far, so good, Ma'am."
The ship rocked with two more jolts that knocked two officers from their seats and Robin to the ground. Robin grunted something unintelligible and jumped to her feet.
"Target in range, Ma'am," the weapons officer reported.
Robin curled her lips into an evil looking grin and gave the order, "fire." The weapons officer followed his commander's instructions and Robin watched as a portion of the destroyer, lit up brilliantly and then seemed to go belly up like a dead fish in a tank. "Nice shooting. Line up another shot."
"No need, Ma'am! The remaining destroyers are retreating. Their towing the two that were disabled."
For the second time that day, the bridge erupted in loud cheers. It was their first decisive victory over the Maldorians that any of them had experienced. Robin joined in only momentarily before attempting to calm the crew. "Get me whoever is in charge of our cavalry."
"They're already trying to contact us, Ma'am. I'll transfer the audio to the bridge comm."
Robin just nodded as she wanted to hear who was on the other end of the transmission.
*This is Captain Landon Jackson of the Abydos. To whom am I speaking?* the voice crackled over the intercom.
"My name is Robin Michaels, commander of the Foxstar. Thank you for the assistance, Captain. We were quite lucky you came along."
*You're quite welcome to it, Commander, however it wasn't luck that brought us to you. We're actually hoping that you have the man we're looking for aboard your ship. A Captain Glenn Sharp.*
It wasn't that she had forgotten about Glenn, she just hadn't had time to stop and think about it. Now her thinking shifted. When Sam and the rest had contacted them, she remembered that they said Glenn was dying. During the fight, Luke and Chris had taken up stations, but Sam elected to stay with him on the chance the ship's medic might discover a way to wake him. Once this matter with Captain Jackson was taken care of, she'd need to find out how he was doing. "Yes, Captain. He's here. Unfortunately, he's not available at the moment."
*I see,* Jackson replied, concerned. *May I ask why?*
"I wish I had a good answer for you, Captain," Robin sighed. "He was leading to mission to the planet below and lost consciousness. We've been unable to revive him. I'm afraid last time I checked, the prognosis wasn't good."
*I'm sorry to hear that, Commander,* Jackson said, sympathetically. *My superiors and I have been looking for him for quiet some time. We have some urgent matters to discuss with the Captain.*
"May I ask how you know the Captain?" Robin asked, suspiciously. As far as she knew, the only people who knew of Glenn outside of her and her men, were the Maldorians. This very well could be a trap regain the whereabouts of the human hiding places lost after the destruction of the Ra. She had to be certain before she said anything else.
*It's... a long story, Commander,* he said, realizing he still hadn't earned her trust. *I understand your misgivings, but I assure you, we're on the same side. Is there anything I can do to demonstrate that to you effectively?*
Robin thought it over for a minute before responding, "You can start by explaining who you are, where you come from and why you want Captain Sharp."
Jackson smiled to himself. He'd heard she was a tough sell. He remembered meeting her mother once and knew that she had inherited her fire and spirit from her. Not to mention her stubbornness. *As I stated before, my name is Captain Landon Jackson of the Abydos. As for the rest of your questions, it might be better if we discussed them in person. Is that acceptable?*
"Give me one hour to prepare for your arrival, Captain," she replied and cut the transmission off before he could answer. If this was going to happen, it would be on her terms, on her ship.
****Foxstar Infirmary (Meanwhile)****
"There's nothing you can do?" Sam asked the medic.
"I've tried everything I can think of, Doctor Carter," he assured her. "I'm not trained to handle this type of situation. And I doubt we find anyone who is. Since the war, we're lucky we have anyone at all trained in medicine. I'm sorry to say it, but if your friend is gonna come out of this coma, he's gonna have to do it on his own."
Sam watched as the medic turned and went to treat some of the wounded from the battle that had just raged. She then knelt down next to the unconscious captain and said a quick prayer. After the last year they'd been through together, it seemed the least she could do and knew he'd do the same for her.
****Foxstar Conference Room (One hour later)****
Robin stood as Captain Jackson was led into the room. He walked over and they shared a handshake before she offered him a seat to her immediate right. As he took his seat, Robin did the same, "so are you gonna explain who you really are and why you came looking for us?"
Jackson nodded, "I came here because my superiors are very anxious to speak with Captain Sharp about his... unique situation."
"And who exactly are you superiors?" she asked flatly.
Jackson grinned slightly, "I speak for the SGC on this manner."
Robin raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Oh really? What's next, you gonna tell me you knew my mother and father?"
"I did actually meet your mother once, but I'm sorry to say I never knew your father," he replied point blank.
"Uh huh, riiiiiiiiiight," she said rolling her eyes. "And I suppose I should just trust you now?"
Jackson sighed, "I understand your skepticism, believe me, Commander, but we don't have a lot of time. It is is important we speak to Captain Sharp as soon as possible. I realize I'm asking a lot, but once we escort you to our new base of operations, you'll see that everything I'm telling you is the truth."
"You /don't/ seem to understand, Captain," she corrected, "I'm not going anywhere with anyone and I'm certainly not turning over Captain Sharp until you prove that you are who you say you are."
He tried hard not to take offense, but he was sure some annoyance showed through. "Very well, Commander. I hoped it wouldn't come to see, but we don't have time to dance around anymore. I have six warships surrounding yours and and we will take you and your crew by force. I don't want to do it, but we believe that Captain Sharp has information vital to achieving victory in this war."
Robin scowled back at Jackson, "I'm not about to be bullied into anything. You wanna threaten me, you better be in it for the long hall, pal, cause I'm not about to back down just because you have a few more ships."
Definitely her mother's daughter, Jackson thought. He soften his voice and smiled, "My apologies, Commander. I do not mean to escalate this situation into a confrontation. It's just you must understand, how important the Captain is to us." Jackson looked over at the others in the room and then back at Robin. "If we could have some privacy... please."
She thought it over for a moment but eventually dismissed the guard with a head nod. "There, now this had better be good, or we'll be on our way."
After surveying the room for himself, Jackson pulled a data crystal from his pocket and handed it her. "Play this please."
Taking the crystal in her hand, she inserted it into the conference room computer. She was greeted with images of both Glenn and her mother at what looked like a birthday party. She watched for several minutes before turning back to Jackson. "I don't see your point, Captain. I already knew that Captain Sharp and my mother were involved before his disappearance. How is this gonna convince of of anything?"
"Look at the time stamp, Commander," he replied. She looked at the corner of the display and then back up to Jackson. "Do you see my point now?"
"You could have doctored this," she reasoned. "This isn't real."
"It's quite real, Commander and that's why we need to speak to him as soon as we can."
"You have no idea what you're talking about, Captain. My mother told me she was involved with my father before then."
"Please don't take offense at this, but who says she wasn't involved with both your father and Captain Sharp at the same time?" Robin shot him a death glare that communicated all she needed to say. "I sorry. That was tactless. At the same time however, it is possible, isn't it?" Robin remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, with that in mind, you know how difficult it is to doctor a data crystal like this. I think deep down you now it's not a fake." She remained silent still. "Come back with me. Let me prove it to you beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Robin looked away from him and began to consider.
****Paris' quarters, (thirty minutes later)****
The decision had not come lightly and she hoped she had made the right one. It had been bothering her since she'd committed and she needed to talk to someone, which had brought her here to Paris' quarters. She rapped on the door and waited.
The door opened and Paris stood there half dazed, "uhhh... hi... Mac... What's up?"
Robin frowned a bit, "is this a bad time?"
Paris quickly attempted to regain her composure, "uhhhh... well.. kinda... Is it important?"
"Well, no. I guess not," Robin said shaking her head. Oh my God! Robin thought. I didn't even think about it. She hasn't seen Chris in quite a while. Think, Mac! Think! "It can wait. Enjoy," Robin smiled knowingly.
Paris blushed, "Thanks, Mac. We'll talk later, ok?"
"Ok," she said, lessening the smile.
Paris stopped blushing and got serious for a moment, "How's Glenn doing?"
"Not so good," she said, smile gone. "The medic can't do anything for him."
"I'm sorry, Mac. I know all this has been hard on you. We've lost so many people lately"
She forced a smile, "I'll be ok, Paris. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Would I lie to you?" she said forcing the smile bigger. "Now, I'm sure Chris is getting lonely in there. Go keep him company."
Paris blushed again, "Ok... I'll talk with you later, Mac."
Robin nodded and proceeded down the hall. Maybe Sam was available to talk. She preceded down the hall and arrived at her quarters. A quick knock followed.
Sam answered the door in a melancholy mood, "hey Mac."
"Hi, Sam. Are you all right?"
Sam forced a smile, "I'll be fine. Do you want to come in?"
She nodded her head and entered, "thank you."
"What can I do for you, Mac?" Sam asked.
Robin turned to look at her, "Have you heard about where we're going yet?"
"Yeah I've heard. You still have your doubts about them don't you?"
"It seems too easy, Sam. These people show up right when we need them? And make everything ok? It's too tidy," she concluded.
"Maybe. But Glenn was telling me once that he was convinced the SGC still existed somewhere. One of his goals early on was to find them."
"That doesn't mean this is them, Sam."
"I'm just saying don't discount the possibility," Sam told her. "Besides, from what I heard we didn't have much of a choice in the matter."
Robin sighed, "that's the other thing I don't like about this whole mess. I don't like being bullied. I wasn't raised that way. My mother must be turning in her grave right about now."
Sam couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "I'm sure she'd understand, Mac. And if this does turn out to be a trap of some sore, we'll fight our way out it. The old Fox fighting spirit." She smile at her.
Robin smiled back almost as a reflex, "thanks, Sam."
The burden wasn't completely lifted, but it was definitely lighten. Now the only thing left to do was to get there and see if it was true or not.
****Nearing an Unknown Planet, (October 7, 2026)****
"Ma'am, we're being instructed to land near a large concentration of structures."
"Go ahead and do it, but be ready to get us out of here at a moment's notice," she ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
The landing was long and drawn out at the instruction of Robin. With no sign or indications of foul play, however, they finally did settle onto the planet's surface. They were quickly surrounded by a legion of onlookers, all waiting to see who was inside the aged ship. Cutting through the crowd with military escort, however, was a woman wearing high ranking insignia. She finally reached the edge of the throng just as the first of the crew disembarked.
The woman, who looked in her late 40's watched, looking for someone who could pass for the captain and also for Captain Sharp, who she was eager to see... again. Finally, four men brought a man off the ship on a stretcher. She couldn't get a good look at him just quite yet, but figured that had to be Glenn. She approached the four men, but was cut off by a young woman. "Excuse me, miss. I need to see that man."
"You'll see him when I say you can see him," Robin told the woman.
The woman looked up at the face as if she'd seen a ghost. If she didn't know better she'd have swore she was staring at her former CO. "I don't believe we've met, miss."
Robin looked back with a stone face, "Commander Robin Michaels of the Foxstar. Who are you?"
"General Danika Scott," she replied after the younger woman's identity was confirmed. "I'm the commander of this facility. I'm an old friend of the Captain's."
Robin shook her head, "I don't care who you are. You don't see him until I say you do. He's one of my men. Do I make myself clear?"
"Actually, Commander Michaels. He's a member of the SGC. Just a few years removed is all," she smiled.
Robin grabbed Danika as she tried to push past her, "I said you're not seeing him until I say so."
Danika stopped and cracked a small smile, "well we do have to wait for our doctors to revive him first. I guess I can wait to see him until then. In the meantime, can I show you around the facility? I'll have guest quarters assigned for your men shortly."
Robin was still not sure about this General Scott, but decided that getting to know her surroundings would be a good idea. "All right. Lead on then."
The two women began walking toward the main entrance of the facility. Robin noticed as they walked that Danika seemed to be glancing at her quite frequently. "I take it you knew my mother?"
Dani smiled, "sorry. I don't mean to stare, but you share an uncanny resemblance to her."
"So I'm told," she responded, thoughtfully. "How did you know her?"
Dani's voice became soft, "We served together on SG-1 a long time ago. She was even my CO for a while." They stepped onto the base elevator and descended into the facility. Dani tried to approached the next subject carefully. It could end up building some trust or cause irreversible damage. "We all loved and respected your mother very much you know. She died doing a very brave thing."
"I know how she died," Robin said flatly. "And it's not something I discuss with a total stranger."
"I'm sorry," she backpedaled. "I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry about it," Robin cut her off, "I'd just rather check in on Glenn and see what the doctor's have to say."
Dani nodded agreement. "He'll be in our infirmary. I'm sure Dr. Sanders is attending to him personally."
"Dr. Sanders?"
Dani smiled, "yes. She's our chief medical officer. She was even the doctor that delivered you," she added.
That got Robin's attention. "So you and this Dr. Sanders were both there? When I was born?"
Dani nodded again, "yes. Is there something you want to ask about it?"
Robin shifted her eyes away as she thought about the answer to Dani's question. Finally she decided to let her guard down for a moment... but just a moment, "you... knew both my mother.. and my father?"
Dani sighed slightly," I knew him, yes... but I... can't talk about him..."
"Why the hell not?!" Robin asked, frustrated.
"A promise... a long time ago, Robin," she confessed.
"Who cares about some old promise?!" Robin pushed. "This is my family we're talking about. Is it my business. It was bad enough my mom never told me anything about him, but I'm not going for that promise crap."
Dani looked up at her, "it's not just that. There is a good reason, and if I could tell you, I would, but I can't."
"You mean you won't," she shot back, as the doors opened. She exited and was gone before Danika could respond. If she was anything like Riley, and Dani suspected she was, the best course would be keep an eye on her from afar and let her cool off a bit. For now she'd go check on Glenn's condition.
She walked into the room and the concerned look on Chandra's face did not signal good news, "How's he doing?"
Colonel Chandra Sanders, base physician, shook her head, "Not good. We didn't get to him fast enough. My treatment won't work now, he's too far advanced."
Sam approached them both from Glenn's bed, "what treatment?"
Chandra turned to face her, "a DNA treatment technique."
"DNA treatment?" she questioned. "I thought he was in a coma."
"He is, but it's more than that," Chandra started and then thought for a moment. "Riley explained it to me once. Glenn wasn't just sent into the future. The time-inversion wave created a complete tunnel that opened at three points. It pulled in the Glenn from that time, a past Glenn and a future Glenn and displaced them all twenty-three years. When Glenn disappeared on that mission, he was replaced by his past five-year old self. I don't really understand all of it. Does that make any sense, Sam?"
"It does actually. In fact I read Riley's work on that theory, but I never realized it was based on Glenn's disappearance," she replied. "It was her conclusion that a rift that big in the space-time continuum couldn't be sustained for very long and that eventually the rift would try to correct itself."
"That's what we believe is causing the coma. Something about this rift trying to repair itself," Chandra continued.
Sam nodded, "it makes sense. His DNA would be a state of high flux as the rift tried to pull the displaced Glenns back into their own time. Unfortunately, the farther away from the point of the rift, the slower it happens. Which means all three of them would be dead before it finished."
"What if we took Glenn back to the planet?" Dani asked. "Would that allow him to return to his time alive?"
"Unfortunately, that wouldn't be enough. The size of the rift is also a factor. It's probably so small now after so much time, it can only pull a small amount of matter through at a time," Sam explained. "Besides," she said turning back to look at him, and holding back the tears, "he doesn't look like he's got too much longer anyway. We'd never make it back in time unless we used the stargate and who knows what would happen if we did that."
"Getting him there wouldn't be a problem," Chandra informed her. "I may not be able to cure him, but I can stabilize him for a while. Extend his life a few months."
Sam spun her head around back at Chandra, "how?"
"Well my original treatment was to extract DNA unaffected by the rift and use it to create more DNA strands that would allow him to survive in our time. A less permanent solution would be to extract DNA strands from someone in this time and modify them, that would serve the same purpose. However, our technology isn't advanced enough to make it perfect. The new DNA strands would eventually break down and become useless."
Sam's look quickly changed to confused, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless our technology has drastically improved in the last ten years, and from the looks of things, I doubt it, we can only successfully modify first degree relatives' DNA. So unless you know where Glenn's parents are, that still won't work. He doesn't have any siblings or children."
Chandra and Dani exchanged glances before Dani turned back to Sam, "That's not exactly true."
****New SGC Briefing Room (An hour later)****
"You people are unbelievable! You ran out of good lies, so you're trying bad ones now?" Robin wasn't in the mood for fairy tales and that's exactly what this felt like. It had taken them almost an hour to work their way up to the explanation and when it came, it sounded like pure fiction.
"We're not lying, Robin," Dani rebutted. "I know it's hard to believe but it's true. Why would we lie about something like this?"
"I don't know, but there is no way this makes sense" she said, raising her voice.
Sam decided to chime in, "I don't know if it's true or not, Robin, but I know how smart you are and you know it's theoretically possible. Just have an open mind and let them prove it. What have you got to lose? Besides, not to sound insensitive, but I'd like to know. From a scientific point of view of course."
"Yeah... fine... whatever," she relented. "It'll only prove I'm right."
Chandra walked over to Robin with a small device that looked much like a hand scanner. "Put your hand on this please." Robin did so and left it there until Chandra told her she could remove it.
"So?" Robin asked impatiently with a hint of anticipation.
Dani and Sam gathered around Chandra and the device and then collectively looked up at Robin. "See for yourself, Robin," Danika admonished.
Robin took the device and looked over the results. The first set of results proved to be correct identifying Riley Fox as her mother, but the second set confirmed what Chandra and Danika had been saying. The man lying in the infirmary bed, in a coma, slowly being eaten away by a space- time rift was her biological father. He had said he was sterile. That he'd never been with Riley. And she believed him. So how could this be true? "This can't be right. Mom didn't met my father until after Glenn disappeared. And... this... it just isn't possible. It has to be wrong," she said with tears in her eyes. She found herself not wanting to believe it. She couldn't understand why, though. She was very confused.
Sam approached her and wrapped her into a hug, "I know it's a lot to accept all at once, Robin, but we're here for you. We're your friends and we wouldn't lie to you."
Robin looked up to Danika, "why couldn't you tell me before?"
"I made a promise... to Glenn," she admitted.
"I don't understand. He doesn't know I'm his daughter."
"I know don't understand, but you will," Dani assured her. "And if it helps any, it was the most agonizing promise he'd ever had to ask, and most agonizing we've ever had to keep."
Chandra hated to break in, but they were running out of time, "if we're going to do this, it'll have to be soon. He doesn't have much time left."
Sam moved back and looked at Robin face to face with the question in her eyes. All Robin could do was nod consent. With that, Chandra sprang into action. The clock was ticking.
****New SGC Infirmary, (October 10, 2026)****
Chandra was hurrying as much as she could, but one mistake and everything she'd done so far would have been for naught. The new strands were ready but she needed to implant them in the delivery system. She carefully injected the genetic material into a small capsule. "There, that should do it."
Robin and Danika had been allowed in to watch the procedure, but Sam, Paris, Chris and Luke were told to wait outside. "How soon will we know if it works?" Dani asked.
"Hard to say. Our best guess says if it does work, he'll be awake and coherent in a few days. But really all we can do after I inject him is wait."
Dani nodded acknowledgment, "Do it."
Chandra turn and walked to the bed with the syringe. She carefully and gently injected the capsule and withdrew the syringe. Robin watch in complete silence, unable to even begin to articulate what she was thinking. All this time her father had been dead. Now here she was, watching the father she never knew die right before her eyes. It was too much. She thought about all she's missed and all she wouldn't get to ask him. Sure they'd gotten to know each other, but only as friends. Not as a family. And now that chance could be gone. She did her best to bury her emotions. She had responsibilities and she couldn't let this get in the way. If he died, she would just have to deal with it just like any other death.
"How are you doing, Robin?" came a voice that Robin didn't even try to identify.
"I'm fine." She was out the door before anyone could stop her.
****General Scott's Quarters, (October 13, 2026)****
Danika waited for the others to arrive. She was concerned about Robin and it was time to do something. She's seen Riley get like this before and it usually lead to very bad habits. The resemblance between them now was uncanny. Not only in appearance but in mannerisms as well. If there was anything they could do to help her, it was the least they could for the sake of their friendship with Riley.
Just then there was a rap at the door. Danika answered it and invited the three people standing outside to enter. They each took up seat on Dani's dinner table. "Ok, you all know why you're here. We all care about Robin and can't stand to see her like this. The question is what can we do about it?"
"I think we've all tried to talk to her," Sam started. "She's just not talking to anyone."
"Does this surprise you?" Paris asked. "I don't think there is anything we can do. Robin isn't the type of person who talks to people. I practically have to drag what little I get out of her."
"Sounds like a certain gal we used to know, right Dani?" Chandra pointed out.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing earlier. The only problem is that we never did quite figure out how to help her either," Dani reminded.
Sam shook her head, "well we can't just give up. There has to be something we can do. She's been spending day and night on the bridge of the Foxstar and she's going to burn herself out."
"Well I don't think anything short of Glenn waking up will do that," Paris remarked.
"He's responding well to the treatment," Chandra informed them. "The only problem is, I'm not sure whether it will actually work or not. According to the simulations we ran, he should be awake by now."
"Who's with him now?" Sam wondered.
"Nurse Chesser. I told her where I'd be if..." Suddenly the computer interrupted her.
"Priority message for Dr. Chandra Sanders."
Chandra got up and touched a few buttons and the image of Nurse Chesser appeared. "Something wrong, Jodie?"
"No Ma'am, but you said to inform you the minute Captain Sharp regained consciousness."
"Thank you, Jodie," she said excitedly. "I'll be right there."
All four stood and were out the door in an instant.
****New SGC Infirmary, (Minutes later)****
"What's his condition?"
"Stable and getting stronger," Jodie responded. "He said he was hungry so I gave him something to eat. He's waiting for you inside, Dr. Sanders."
"Thank you, Jodie. I'll take it from here." Chandra entered the lab alone after instructing the others to wait a bit before entering. Danika decided to go get Robin while they waited.
Sharp looked up at her as she entered. "Are you the one who saved my life?"
"That's right, Captain, but not just me. I had some help from your crewmates." He didn't recognize her yet. That was to be expected though. He was recovering from a major procedure. Things would take time.
"I owe you and them a lot more than thanks then. I don't have anything else to give however."
Chandra smiled. Same old Glenn. "Your thanks will be enough. You're welcome. I'm going to look you over to see if there were no side effects, all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine," he said putting the bowl of soup he was eating on the tray next to the bed.
Chandra took a few minutes to look him over before drawing some blood. "I'm going to run some tests on your blood and I'll be back with the results soon. In the meantime, there are some people who would like to see you." She waved for Paris and Sam to enter. Chris and Luke has joined them at Paris' request and entered as well. Sharp smiled when he saw them coming.
"About time you woke up, Captain," Corra joked to him.
"Well you people are enough to wear anyone out, Luke," he chuckled back. The rest smiled in amusement.
"How are you feeling, Glenn?" Paris asked.
"I'm actually feeling quiet good for a guy who's apparently been in a coma for almost two weeks. Can't wait to get back on my feet and kick some butt," he smiled.
"Yeah, well we should probably get you caught up on what's been happening first, Cap," Stewart quipped. "Been a lot going on while you were gone. Robin's been keeping us busy doing it too."
"Speaking of Robin... where is she?" he wondered.
"We sent someone to get her," Paris answered. "She'll be here soon."
"You know her, Cap. Busy, busy, busy," Stewart smiled.
"But it'll be nice to have you up and around and doing some work," Sam teased. "We could use the help."
Glenn laughed but then the young woman who entered the room just then grabbed his attention. He smiled at first, but then saw that she wasn't smiling back. Something was wrong. She walked toward him until she was at the foot of his bed.
"Hi... Glenn..." she finally got out.
"I think we'll leave you two alone," Sam motioned. "It's good to see you doing better, Glenn."
Sharp was quite confused and worried at both Robin's face and the sudden disappearance of everyone else, "what's going on, Robin?"
Robin rolled her eyes as Sam and the other left. "They think we need to talk I guess."
Sharp was really worried now, "talk? About what?"
"It's a good thing you're sitting down, Glenn..."
****New SGC Infirmary, (An hour later)****
Sharp didn't know what to say. Other than what she had just said was impossible.
"I didn't believe it at first either, Glenn," she admitted. "I'm still not sure I do... but if it's not true, why did Dr. Sanders' technique work?"
"Robin... I'm telling you... I was never intimate with Riley. We weren't even together two weeks yet..." Even as he said it, he knew it didn't matter. She was right. If it weren't true, he wouldn't be alive right now. Beyond that it began to explain what he experienced while he was in the coma. If he was Robin's father...
"I know. It doesn't make sense to me quiet yet either, but General Scott said she'd explain everything to us when it was time. Yes, it is greatly annoying, I know, but for now..."
Sharp smiled, "For now, I have a daughter."
"And I have my dad," she smiled as she teared up. Sharp pulled her into a hug to hide his own tears.
Danika and Chandra stood outside the room, watching the whole interaction. They didn't want to interrupt, but time was becoming critical. They finally decided they couldn't wait any longer. They both proceeded to the side of the bed, "Captain Sharp?"
He looked up to the doctor he had spoken to before. He got another feeling of familiarity that he had experienced before. His eyes then moved to the general. A woman... General Scott... Danika? And that would the doctor was... "Chandra?"
Chandra and Dani smiled at him. "Good to see you again, Glenn," Dani responded.
"So.. you're a general now, huh?" he smirked. "Does this mean I have to start calling you ma'am?"
"Scary thought, huh, Glenn?" she smiled back wickedly. Her look turned more insightful, "yeah, well promotions are easy now a days if you understand what I mean."
"I see... so... Chandra's rank is....?"
Chandra gritted her teeth as she spoke, "Colonel..."
Sharp cracked a wide and evil grin, "Colonel, huh?"
"Don't say it, Glenn," she warned.
His smiled widened, "but it makes you..."
"I said don't say it," she said, more aggravated.
"Can you at least give me one of the secret herbs or spices?" he asked, unable to control his laughter as he said it. Dani finally let loose the laugh she was holding back as well. Chandra meanwhile resisted the urge to smack Glenn upside the head.
"It's not wise to make fun of the doctor when you're not well, Glenn," she warned. "Bad things can happen." This sent Danika into a hysterical laugh and made Glenn consider if she was serious. Chandra finally cracked an evil smile and then turned to Danika. "Can we get down to business now?"
Danika did her best to get a handle on herself and get serious. It took a few moments. When she was finally able to do so, she cleared her throat and did her best to be as serious as the situation required. "Well as we told Robin, Sam and the others. We need your help."
"Well it's Robin's ship. I don't know why you're talking to me."
Dani shook her head, "We're not talking about the ship, Glenn. This war is going badly. One more ship isn't going to make a difference now. We need /you/, Glenn."
Sharp was confused, "if you said one more ship wouldn't make a difference, how can one more man make a difference?"
"Because if all goes according to plan... we'll be sending you home."
****To Be Continued in "Causality"****
Content Warning: Violence, Mild Language
Sharp Pains
****Argos Sector, (October 5, 2026)****
Robin caught herself on the Captain's chair to keep from falling. The blast that has rocked the Foxstar had come from behind them.
"Damn it! How much longer on those maneuvering thrusters?!" she demanded.
"The repair crew say three minutes!" an officer called back.
"We don't HAVE three minutes!" Robin informed him.
"The Selmac is trying to draw their fire," the tactical officer reported. "They're buying us some time."
"Let's hope it's enough," she responded. "Can we acquire any targets?"
"One of destroyers is being forced into our firing arc. We'll have them targeted in less than twenty seconds."
"How's the third laser holding up?"
"So far, so good, Ma'am."
The ship rocked with two more jolts that knocked two officers from their seats and Robin to the ground. Robin grunted something unintelligible and jumped to her feet.
"Target in range, Ma'am," the weapons officer reported.
Robin curled her lips into an evil looking grin and gave the order, "fire." The weapons officer followed his commander's instructions and Robin watched as a portion of the destroyer, lit up brilliantly and then seemed to go belly up like a dead fish in a tank. "Nice shooting. Line up another shot."
"No need, Ma'am! The remaining destroyers are retreating. Their towing the two that were disabled."
For the second time that day, the bridge erupted in loud cheers. It was their first decisive victory over the Maldorians that any of them had experienced. Robin joined in only momentarily before attempting to calm the crew. "Get me whoever is in charge of our cavalry."
"They're already trying to contact us, Ma'am. I'll transfer the audio to the bridge comm."
Robin just nodded as she wanted to hear who was on the other end of the transmission.
*This is Captain Landon Jackson of the Abydos. To whom am I speaking?* the voice crackled over the intercom.
"My name is Robin Michaels, commander of the Foxstar. Thank you for the assistance, Captain. We were quite lucky you came along."
*You're quite welcome to it, Commander, however it wasn't luck that brought us to you. We're actually hoping that you have the man we're looking for aboard your ship. A Captain Glenn Sharp.*
It wasn't that she had forgotten about Glenn, she just hadn't had time to stop and think about it. Now her thinking shifted. When Sam and the rest had contacted them, she remembered that they said Glenn was dying. During the fight, Luke and Chris had taken up stations, but Sam elected to stay with him on the chance the ship's medic might discover a way to wake him. Once this matter with Captain Jackson was taken care of, she'd need to find out how he was doing. "Yes, Captain. He's here. Unfortunately, he's not available at the moment."
*I see,* Jackson replied, concerned. *May I ask why?*
"I wish I had a good answer for you, Captain," Robin sighed. "He was leading to mission to the planet below and lost consciousness. We've been unable to revive him. I'm afraid last time I checked, the prognosis wasn't good."
*I'm sorry to hear that, Commander,* Jackson said, sympathetically. *My superiors and I have been looking for him for quiet some time. We have some urgent matters to discuss with the Captain.*
"May I ask how you know the Captain?" Robin asked, suspiciously. As far as she knew, the only people who knew of Glenn outside of her and her men, were the Maldorians. This very well could be a trap regain the whereabouts of the human hiding places lost after the destruction of the Ra. She had to be certain before she said anything else.
*It's... a long story, Commander,* he said, realizing he still hadn't earned her trust. *I understand your misgivings, but I assure you, we're on the same side. Is there anything I can do to demonstrate that to you effectively?*
Robin thought it over for a minute before responding, "You can start by explaining who you are, where you come from and why you want Captain Sharp."
Jackson smiled to himself. He'd heard she was a tough sell. He remembered meeting her mother once and knew that she had inherited her fire and spirit from her. Not to mention her stubbornness. *As I stated before, my name is Captain Landon Jackson of the Abydos. As for the rest of your questions, it might be better if we discussed them in person. Is that acceptable?*
"Give me one hour to prepare for your arrival, Captain," she replied and cut the transmission off before he could answer. If this was going to happen, it would be on her terms, on her ship.
****Foxstar Infirmary (Meanwhile)****
"There's nothing you can do?" Sam asked the medic.
"I've tried everything I can think of, Doctor Carter," he assured her. "I'm not trained to handle this type of situation. And I doubt we find anyone who is. Since the war, we're lucky we have anyone at all trained in medicine. I'm sorry to say it, but if your friend is gonna come out of this coma, he's gonna have to do it on his own."
Sam watched as the medic turned and went to treat some of the wounded from the battle that had just raged. She then knelt down next to the unconscious captain and said a quick prayer. After the last year they'd been through together, it seemed the least she could do and knew he'd do the same for her.
****Foxstar Conference Room (One hour later)****
Robin stood as Captain Jackson was led into the room. He walked over and they shared a handshake before she offered him a seat to her immediate right. As he took his seat, Robin did the same, "so are you gonna explain who you really are and why you came looking for us?"
Jackson nodded, "I came here because my superiors are very anxious to speak with Captain Sharp about his... unique situation."
"And who exactly are you superiors?" she asked flatly.
Jackson grinned slightly, "I speak for the SGC on this manner."
Robin raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Oh really? What's next, you gonna tell me you knew my mother and father?"
"I did actually meet your mother once, but I'm sorry to say I never knew your father," he replied point blank.
"Uh huh, riiiiiiiiiight," she said rolling her eyes. "And I suppose I should just trust you now?"
Jackson sighed, "I understand your skepticism, believe me, Commander, but we don't have a lot of time. It is is important we speak to Captain Sharp as soon as possible. I realize I'm asking a lot, but once we escort you to our new base of operations, you'll see that everything I'm telling you is the truth."
"You /don't/ seem to understand, Captain," she corrected, "I'm not going anywhere with anyone and I'm certainly not turning over Captain Sharp until you prove that you are who you say you are."
He tried hard not to take offense, but he was sure some annoyance showed through. "Very well, Commander. I hoped it wouldn't come to see, but we don't have time to dance around anymore. I have six warships surrounding yours and and we will take you and your crew by force. I don't want to do it, but we believe that Captain Sharp has information vital to achieving victory in this war."
Robin scowled back at Jackson, "I'm not about to be bullied into anything. You wanna threaten me, you better be in it for the long hall, pal, cause I'm not about to back down just because you have a few more ships."
Definitely her mother's daughter, Jackson thought. He soften his voice and smiled, "My apologies, Commander. I do not mean to escalate this situation into a confrontation. It's just you must understand, how important the Captain is to us." Jackson looked over at the others in the room and then back at Robin. "If we could have some privacy... please."
She thought it over for a moment but eventually dismissed the guard with a head nod. "There, now this had better be good, or we'll be on our way."
After surveying the room for himself, Jackson pulled a data crystal from his pocket and handed it her. "Play this please."
Taking the crystal in her hand, she inserted it into the conference room computer. She was greeted with images of both Glenn and her mother at what looked like a birthday party. She watched for several minutes before turning back to Jackson. "I don't see your point, Captain. I already knew that Captain Sharp and my mother were involved before his disappearance. How is this gonna convince of of anything?"
"Look at the time stamp, Commander," he replied. She looked at the corner of the display and then back up to Jackson. "Do you see my point now?"
"You could have doctored this," she reasoned. "This isn't real."
"It's quite real, Commander and that's why we need to speak to him as soon as we can."
"You have no idea what you're talking about, Captain. My mother told me she was involved with my father before then."
"Please don't take offense at this, but who says she wasn't involved with both your father and Captain Sharp at the same time?" Robin shot him a death glare that communicated all she needed to say. "I sorry. That was tactless. At the same time however, it is possible, isn't it?" Robin remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, with that in mind, you know how difficult it is to doctor a data crystal like this. I think deep down you now it's not a fake." She remained silent still. "Come back with me. Let me prove it to you beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Robin looked away from him and began to consider.
****Paris' quarters, (thirty minutes later)****
The decision had not come lightly and she hoped she had made the right one. It had been bothering her since she'd committed and she needed to talk to someone, which had brought her here to Paris' quarters. She rapped on the door and waited.
The door opened and Paris stood there half dazed, "uhhh... hi... Mac... What's up?"
Robin frowned a bit, "is this a bad time?"
Paris quickly attempted to regain her composure, "uhhhh... well.. kinda... Is it important?"
"Well, no. I guess not," Robin said shaking her head. Oh my God! Robin thought. I didn't even think about it. She hasn't seen Chris in quite a while. Think, Mac! Think! "It can wait. Enjoy," Robin smiled knowingly.
Paris blushed, "Thanks, Mac. We'll talk later, ok?"
"Ok," she said, lessening the smile.
Paris stopped blushing and got serious for a moment, "How's Glenn doing?"
"Not so good," she said, smile gone. "The medic can't do anything for him."
"I'm sorry, Mac. I know all this has been hard on you. We've lost so many people lately"
She forced a smile, "I'll be ok, Paris. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Would I lie to you?" she said forcing the smile bigger. "Now, I'm sure Chris is getting lonely in there. Go keep him company."
Paris blushed again, "Ok... I'll talk with you later, Mac."
Robin nodded and proceeded down the hall. Maybe Sam was available to talk. She preceded down the hall and arrived at her quarters. A quick knock followed.
Sam answered the door in a melancholy mood, "hey Mac."
"Hi, Sam. Are you all right?"
Sam forced a smile, "I'll be fine. Do you want to come in?"
She nodded her head and entered, "thank you."
"What can I do for you, Mac?" Sam asked.
Robin turned to look at her, "Have you heard about where we're going yet?"
"Yeah I've heard. You still have your doubts about them don't you?"
"It seems too easy, Sam. These people show up right when we need them? And make everything ok? It's too tidy," she concluded.
"Maybe. But Glenn was telling me once that he was convinced the SGC still existed somewhere. One of his goals early on was to find them."
"That doesn't mean this is them, Sam."
"I'm just saying don't discount the possibility," Sam told her. "Besides, from what I heard we didn't have much of a choice in the matter."
Robin sighed, "that's the other thing I don't like about this whole mess. I don't like being bullied. I wasn't raised that way. My mother must be turning in her grave right about now."
Sam couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "I'm sure she'd understand, Mac. And if this does turn out to be a trap of some sore, we'll fight our way out it. The old Fox fighting spirit." She smile at her.
Robin smiled back almost as a reflex, "thanks, Sam."
The burden wasn't completely lifted, but it was definitely lighten. Now the only thing left to do was to get there and see if it was true or not.
****Nearing an Unknown Planet, (October 7, 2026)****
"Ma'am, we're being instructed to land near a large concentration of structures."
"Go ahead and do it, but be ready to get us out of here at a moment's notice," she ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
The landing was long and drawn out at the instruction of Robin. With no sign or indications of foul play, however, they finally did settle onto the planet's surface. They were quickly surrounded by a legion of onlookers, all waiting to see who was inside the aged ship. Cutting through the crowd with military escort, however, was a woman wearing high ranking insignia. She finally reached the edge of the throng just as the first of the crew disembarked.
The woman, who looked in her late 40's watched, looking for someone who could pass for the captain and also for Captain Sharp, who she was eager to see... again. Finally, four men brought a man off the ship on a stretcher. She couldn't get a good look at him just quite yet, but figured that had to be Glenn. She approached the four men, but was cut off by a young woman. "Excuse me, miss. I need to see that man."
"You'll see him when I say you can see him," Robin told the woman.
The woman looked up at the face as if she'd seen a ghost. If she didn't know better she'd have swore she was staring at her former CO. "I don't believe we've met, miss."
Robin looked back with a stone face, "Commander Robin Michaels of the Foxstar. Who are you?"
"General Danika Scott," she replied after the younger woman's identity was confirmed. "I'm the commander of this facility. I'm an old friend of the Captain's."
Robin shook her head, "I don't care who you are. You don't see him until I say you do. He's one of my men. Do I make myself clear?"
"Actually, Commander Michaels. He's a member of the SGC. Just a few years removed is all," she smiled.
Robin grabbed Danika as she tried to push past her, "I said you're not seeing him until I say so."
Danika stopped and cracked a small smile, "well we do have to wait for our doctors to revive him first. I guess I can wait to see him until then. In the meantime, can I show you around the facility? I'll have guest quarters assigned for your men shortly."
Robin was still not sure about this General Scott, but decided that getting to know her surroundings would be a good idea. "All right. Lead on then."
The two women began walking toward the main entrance of the facility. Robin noticed as they walked that Danika seemed to be glancing at her quite frequently. "I take it you knew my mother?"
Dani smiled, "sorry. I don't mean to stare, but you share an uncanny resemblance to her."
"So I'm told," she responded, thoughtfully. "How did you know her?"
Dani's voice became soft, "We served together on SG-1 a long time ago. She was even my CO for a while." They stepped onto the base elevator and descended into the facility. Dani tried to approached the next subject carefully. It could end up building some trust or cause irreversible damage. "We all loved and respected your mother very much you know. She died doing a very brave thing."
"I know how she died," Robin said flatly. "And it's not something I discuss with a total stranger."
"I'm sorry," she backpedaled. "I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry about it," Robin cut her off, "I'd just rather check in on Glenn and see what the doctor's have to say."
Dani nodded agreement. "He'll be in our infirmary. I'm sure Dr. Sanders is attending to him personally."
"Dr. Sanders?"
Dani smiled, "yes. She's our chief medical officer. She was even the doctor that delivered you," she added.
That got Robin's attention. "So you and this Dr. Sanders were both there? When I was born?"
Dani nodded again, "yes. Is there something you want to ask about it?"
Robin shifted her eyes away as she thought about the answer to Dani's question. Finally she decided to let her guard down for a moment... but just a moment, "you... knew both my mother.. and my father?"
Dani sighed slightly," I knew him, yes... but I... can't talk about him..."
"Why the hell not?!" Robin asked, frustrated.
"A promise... a long time ago, Robin," she confessed.
"Who cares about some old promise?!" Robin pushed. "This is my family we're talking about. Is it my business. It was bad enough my mom never told me anything about him, but I'm not going for that promise crap."
Dani looked up at her, "it's not just that. There is a good reason, and if I could tell you, I would, but I can't."
"You mean you won't," she shot back, as the doors opened. She exited and was gone before Danika could respond. If she was anything like Riley, and Dani suspected she was, the best course would be keep an eye on her from afar and let her cool off a bit. For now she'd go check on Glenn's condition.
She walked into the room and the concerned look on Chandra's face did not signal good news, "How's he doing?"
Colonel Chandra Sanders, base physician, shook her head, "Not good. We didn't get to him fast enough. My treatment won't work now, he's too far advanced."
Sam approached them both from Glenn's bed, "what treatment?"
Chandra turned to face her, "a DNA treatment technique."
"DNA treatment?" she questioned. "I thought he was in a coma."
"He is, but it's more than that," Chandra started and then thought for a moment. "Riley explained it to me once. Glenn wasn't just sent into the future. The time-inversion wave created a complete tunnel that opened at three points. It pulled in the Glenn from that time, a past Glenn and a future Glenn and displaced them all twenty-three years. When Glenn disappeared on that mission, he was replaced by his past five-year old self. I don't really understand all of it. Does that make any sense, Sam?"
"It does actually. In fact I read Riley's work on that theory, but I never realized it was based on Glenn's disappearance," she replied. "It was her conclusion that a rift that big in the space-time continuum couldn't be sustained for very long and that eventually the rift would try to correct itself."
"That's what we believe is causing the coma. Something about this rift trying to repair itself," Chandra continued.
Sam nodded, "it makes sense. His DNA would be a state of high flux as the rift tried to pull the displaced Glenns back into their own time. Unfortunately, the farther away from the point of the rift, the slower it happens. Which means all three of them would be dead before it finished."
"What if we took Glenn back to the planet?" Dani asked. "Would that allow him to return to his time alive?"
"Unfortunately, that wouldn't be enough. The size of the rift is also a factor. It's probably so small now after so much time, it can only pull a small amount of matter through at a time," Sam explained. "Besides," she said turning back to look at him, and holding back the tears, "he doesn't look like he's got too much longer anyway. We'd never make it back in time unless we used the stargate and who knows what would happen if we did that."
"Getting him there wouldn't be a problem," Chandra informed her. "I may not be able to cure him, but I can stabilize him for a while. Extend his life a few months."
Sam spun her head around back at Chandra, "how?"
"Well my original treatment was to extract DNA unaffected by the rift and use it to create more DNA strands that would allow him to survive in our time. A less permanent solution would be to extract DNA strands from someone in this time and modify them, that would serve the same purpose. However, our technology isn't advanced enough to make it perfect. The new DNA strands would eventually break down and become useless."
Sam's look quickly changed to confused, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless our technology has drastically improved in the last ten years, and from the looks of things, I doubt it, we can only successfully modify first degree relatives' DNA. So unless you know where Glenn's parents are, that still won't work. He doesn't have any siblings or children."
Chandra and Dani exchanged glances before Dani turned back to Sam, "That's not exactly true."
****New SGC Briefing Room (An hour later)****
"You people are unbelievable! You ran out of good lies, so you're trying bad ones now?" Robin wasn't in the mood for fairy tales and that's exactly what this felt like. It had taken them almost an hour to work their way up to the explanation and when it came, it sounded like pure fiction.
"We're not lying, Robin," Dani rebutted. "I know it's hard to believe but it's true. Why would we lie about something like this?"
"I don't know, but there is no way this makes sense" she said, raising her voice.
Sam decided to chime in, "I don't know if it's true or not, Robin, but I know how smart you are and you know it's theoretically possible. Just have an open mind and let them prove it. What have you got to lose? Besides, not to sound insensitive, but I'd like to know. From a scientific point of view of course."
"Yeah... fine... whatever," she relented. "It'll only prove I'm right."
Chandra walked over to Robin with a small device that looked much like a hand scanner. "Put your hand on this please." Robin did so and left it there until Chandra told her she could remove it.
"So?" Robin asked impatiently with a hint of anticipation.
Dani and Sam gathered around Chandra and the device and then collectively looked up at Robin. "See for yourself, Robin," Danika admonished.
Robin took the device and looked over the results. The first set of results proved to be correct identifying Riley Fox as her mother, but the second set confirmed what Chandra and Danika had been saying. The man lying in the infirmary bed, in a coma, slowly being eaten away by a space- time rift was her biological father. He had said he was sterile. That he'd never been with Riley. And she believed him. So how could this be true? "This can't be right. Mom didn't met my father until after Glenn disappeared. And... this... it just isn't possible. It has to be wrong," she said with tears in her eyes. She found herself not wanting to believe it. She couldn't understand why, though. She was very confused.
Sam approached her and wrapped her into a hug, "I know it's a lot to accept all at once, Robin, but we're here for you. We're your friends and we wouldn't lie to you."
Robin looked up to Danika, "why couldn't you tell me before?"
"I made a promise... to Glenn," she admitted.
"I don't understand. He doesn't know I'm his daughter."
"I know don't understand, but you will," Dani assured her. "And if it helps any, it was the most agonizing promise he'd ever had to ask, and most agonizing we've ever had to keep."
Chandra hated to break in, but they were running out of time, "if we're going to do this, it'll have to be soon. He doesn't have much time left."
Sam moved back and looked at Robin face to face with the question in her eyes. All Robin could do was nod consent. With that, Chandra sprang into action. The clock was ticking.
****New SGC Infirmary, (October 10, 2026)****
Chandra was hurrying as much as she could, but one mistake and everything she'd done so far would have been for naught. The new strands were ready but she needed to implant them in the delivery system. She carefully injected the genetic material into a small capsule. "There, that should do it."
Robin and Danika had been allowed in to watch the procedure, but Sam, Paris, Chris and Luke were told to wait outside. "How soon will we know if it works?" Dani asked.
"Hard to say. Our best guess says if it does work, he'll be awake and coherent in a few days. But really all we can do after I inject him is wait."
Dani nodded acknowledgment, "Do it."
Chandra turn and walked to the bed with the syringe. She carefully and gently injected the capsule and withdrew the syringe. Robin watch in complete silence, unable to even begin to articulate what she was thinking. All this time her father had been dead. Now here she was, watching the father she never knew die right before her eyes. It was too much. She thought about all she's missed and all she wouldn't get to ask him. Sure they'd gotten to know each other, but only as friends. Not as a family. And now that chance could be gone. She did her best to bury her emotions. She had responsibilities and she couldn't let this get in the way. If he died, she would just have to deal with it just like any other death.
"How are you doing, Robin?" came a voice that Robin didn't even try to identify.
"I'm fine." She was out the door before anyone could stop her.
****General Scott's Quarters, (October 13, 2026)****
Danika waited for the others to arrive. She was concerned about Robin and it was time to do something. She's seen Riley get like this before and it usually lead to very bad habits. The resemblance between them now was uncanny. Not only in appearance but in mannerisms as well. If there was anything they could do to help her, it was the least they could for the sake of their friendship with Riley.
Just then there was a rap at the door. Danika answered it and invited the three people standing outside to enter. They each took up seat on Dani's dinner table. "Ok, you all know why you're here. We all care about Robin and can't stand to see her like this. The question is what can we do about it?"
"I think we've all tried to talk to her," Sam started. "She's just not talking to anyone."
"Does this surprise you?" Paris asked. "I don't think there is anything we can do. Robin isn't the type of person who talks to people. I practically have to drag what little I get out of her."
"Sounds like a certain gal we used to know, right Dani?" Chandra pointed out.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing earlier. The only problem is that we never did quite figure out how to help her either," Dani reminded.
Sam shook her head, "well we can't just give up. There has to be something we can do. She's been spending day and night on the bridge of the Foxstar and she's going to burn herself out."
"Well I don't think anything short of Glenn waking up will do that," Paris remarked.
"He's responding well to the treatment," Chandra informed them. "The only problem is, I'm not sure whether it will actually work or not. According to the simulations we ran, he should be awake by now."
"Who's with him now?" Sam wondered.
"Nurse Chesser. I told her where I'd be if..." Suddenly the computer interrupted her.
"Priority message for Dr. Chandra Sanders."
Chandra got up and touched a few buttons and the image of Nurse Chesser appeared. "Something wrong, Jodie?"
"No Ma'am, but you said to inform you the minute Captain Sharp regained consciousness."
"Thank you, Jodie," she said excitedly. "I'll be right there."
All four stood and were out the door in an instant.
****New SGC Infirmary, (Minutes later)****
"What's his condition?"
"Stable and getting stronger," Jodie responded. "He said he was hungry so I gave him something to eat. He's waiting for you inside, Dr. Sanders."
"Thank you, Jodie. I'll take it from here." Chandra entered the lab alone after instructing the others to wait a bit before entering. Danika decided to go get Robin while they waited.
Sharp looked up at her as she entered. "Are you the one who saved my life?"
"That's right, Captain, but not just me. I had some help from your crewmates." He didn't recognize her yet. That was to be expected though. He was recovering from a major procedure. Things would take time.
"I owe you and them a lot more than thanks then. I don't have anything else to give however."
Chandra smiled. Same old Glenn. "Your thanks will be enough. You're welcome. I'm going to look you over to see if there were no side effects, all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine," he said putting the bowl of soup he was eating on the tray next to the bed.
Chandra took a few minutes to look him over before drawing some blood. "I'm going to run some tests on your blood and I'll be back with the results soon. In the meantime, there are some people who would like to see you." She waved for Paris and Sam to enter. Chris and Luke has joined them at Paris' request and entered as well. Sharp smiled when he saw them coming.
"About time you woke up, Captain," Corra joked to him.
"Well you people are enough to wear anyone out, Luke," he chuckled back. The rest smiled in amusement.
"How are you feeling, Glenn?" Paris asked.
"I'm actually feeling quiet good for a guy who's apparently been in a coma for almost two weeks. Can't wait to get back on my feet and kick some butt," he smiled.
"Yeah, well we should probably get you caught up on what's been happening first, Cap," Stewart quipped. "Been a lot going on while you were gone. Robin's been keeping us busy doing it too."
"Speaking of Robin... where is she?" he wondered.
"We sent someone to get her," Paris answered. "She'll be here soon."
"You know her, Cap. Busy, busy, busy," Stewart smiled.
"But it'll be nice to have you up and around and doing some work," Sam teased. "We could use the help."
Glenn laughed but then the young woman who entered the room just then grabbed his attention. He smiled at first, but then saw that she wasn't smiling back. Something was wrong. She walked toward him until she was at the foot of his bed.
"Hi... Glenn..." she finally got out.
"I think we'll leave you two alone," Sam motioned. "It's good to see you doing better, Glenn."
Sharp was quite confused and worried at both Robin's face and the sudden disappearance of everyone else, "what's going on, Robin?"
Robin rolled her eyes as Sam and the other left. "They think we need to talk I guess."
Sharp was really worried now, "talk? About what?"
"It's a good thing you're sitting down, Glenn..."
****New SGC Infirmary, (An hour later)****
Sharp didn't know what to say. Other than what she had just said was impossible.
"I didn't believe it at first either, Glenn," she admitted. "I'm still not sure I do... but if it's not true, why did Dr. Sanders' technique work?"
"Robin... I'm telling you... I was never intimate with Riley. We weren't even together two weeks yet..." Even as he said it, he knew it didn't matter. She was right. If it weren't true, he wouldn't be alive right now. Beyond that it began to explain what he experienced while he was in the coma. If he was Robin's father...
"I know. It doesn't make sense to me quiet yet either, but General Scott said she'd explain everything to us when it was time. Yes, it is greatly annoying, I know, but for now..."
Sharp smiled, "For now, I have a daughter."
"And I have my dad," she smiled as she teared up. Sharp pulled her into a hug to hide his own tears.
Danika and Chandra stood outside the room, watching the whole interaction. They didn't want to interrupt, but time was becoming critical. They finally decided they couldn't wait any longer. They both proceeded to the side of the bed, "Captain Sharp?"
He looked up to the doctor he had spoken to before. He got another feeling of familiarity that he had experienced before. His eyes then moved to the general. A woman... General Scott... Danika? And that would the doctor was... "Chandra?"
Chandra and Dani smiled at him. "Good to see you again, Glenn," Dani responded.
"So.. you're a general now, huh?" he smirked. "Does this mean I have to start calling you ma'am?"
"Scary thought, huh, Glenn?" she smiled back wickedly. Her look turned more insightful, "yeah, well promotions are easy now a days if you understand what I mean."
"I see... so... Chandra's rank is....?"
Chandra gritted her teeth as she spoke, "Colonel..."
Sharp cracked a wide and evil grin, "Colonel, huh?"
"Don't say it, Glenn," she warned.
His smiled widened, "but it makes you..."
"I said don't say it," she said, more aggravated.
"Can you at least give me one of the secret herbs or spices?" he asked, unable to control his laughter as he said it. Dani finally let loose the laugh she was holding back as well. Chandra meanwhile resisted the urge to smack Glenn upside the head.
"It's not wise to make fun of the doctor when you're not well, Glenn," she warned. "Bad things can happen." This sent Danika into a hysterical laugh and made Glenn consider if she was serious. Chandra finally cracked an evil smile and then turned to Danika. "Can we get down to business now?"
Danika did her best to get a handle on herself and get serious. It took a few moments. When she was finally able to do so, she cleared her throat and did her best to be as serious as the situation required. "Well as we told Robin, Sam and the others. We need your help."
"Well it's Robin's ship. I don't know why you're talking to me."
Dani shook her head, "We're not talking about the ship, Glenn. This war is going badly. One more ship isn't going to make a difference now. We need /you/, Glenn."
Sharp was confused, "if you said one more ship wouldn't make a difference, how can one more man make a difference?"
"Because if all goes according to plan... we'll be sending you home."
****To Be Continued in "Causality"****
