# # # # #
By the time six months had passed, in one of the hardest decisions she'd ever have to make, Janet decided that he'd been on Life Support long enough. Six months, and no change. As a doctor, the decision had to be made sooner or later - and this was one of the unfortunate cases when it was sooner, rather than the later.
"What is it Dr. Fraiser? Is there a change?" Hammond questioned.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Daniel chimed in. Teal'c wasn't in for asking more unnecessary questions, and so remained silent.
"I called you together to let you know, I think - as a doctor - that it is best if Colonel O'Neill's life-support system is shut off," she explained bluntly. As she said it, she thought of Sam. 'I can't believe I am saying all this Sam. Please forgive me,' she thought.
"Shut it off?!" Daniel hollered. "What?! You're kidding right?"
Fraiser shook her head solemnly.
"No, I'm afraid I'm not."
"You cannot dispose of O'Neill life-support," Teal'c added logically.
"Yeah. I mean, there's still hope that he'll make it, right Doc?"
"I don't think there's much hope of that Dr. Jackson."
"But there is some! You can't just give up on him!"
"Daniel, I know how hard this must be for you to accept, believe me, it's hard for me to do and accept as well, but really, this is the best thing for all of us. And him. Medically speaking, there really isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he is going to wake up any time soon," Janet reasoned.
"General," Daniel pleaded.
"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson, but I'm afraid I have to go with Dr. Fraiser on this one. Believe me, this is one of the hardest things I've had to do. He's one of the best officers I've ever had the privilege to work with, but a medical opinion here means more. As hard as this is, ok Doctor.do what you have to do." Fraiser nodded.
Walking over to the bed of their friend, she stood by the Life Support Machine. "You can all say your goodbyes. Take your time."
It was in that moment that Daniel's conscience exploded with guilt.
'Dammit man, CALL SAM!' was screaming inside him.
'What if' this and 'But' the other confused him.but before they began, he had to call Sam and tell her what they were about to do. She deserved to know.
"I'll be back in a minute.just wait. Ok?"
"Hurry up Dr. Jackson."
"Only a minute. Janet, can I use the phone in your office?"
"Yeah, sure." Daniel walked quickly into Janet office and picked up the phone. He'd memorised Sam's new phone number, in case he ever needed to use it - like now - so he wouldn't have to go find it. Dialling it in quickly, he waiting while the phone rang.
"Hello?" Sam's voice came through the receiver to reach Daniel's ears. He hadn't heard her voice in so long it seemed. It took him a minute to find his voice.
"Hello?"
"Sam.It's,"
"Daniel.why are you calling?"
"Yeah, there something I have to tell you."
"What is it? What's happened? Is everything ok? Is it Jack?"
"Uhh.yeah. It is. He uhh."
"Oh God, what's happened? Is he ok? Please tell me he's ok."
"Uhh.well.I can't tell you that Sam. I'd be lying if I did."
"Oh God no. What happened?"
"On a mission about six months ago,"
"Six months?!"
"He uhh.he got hit. More than once. He's uhh.he's in a coma Sam. Been in the Infirmary the same way for this whole six months. Janet thinks he's got no hope of recovery. Told us today that we should shut off his life support because."
"I'll be right there! Don't do anything!"
Sam shouted and slammed the phone down. Daniel was close to tears. Something he didn't think he'd ever experienced before from a phone call to his friend. He walked out of Janet's office and back out to his friends.
"Are you finished Dr. Jackson?"
Hammond asked quietly. He nodded solemnly. Without thinking a moment of the fact Sam had told him not to do anything.
"Well, I'll go and let you all say your goodbyes. Take as long as you like,"
Fraiser told them, and silently left them with their comatose friend. They all sat down, in full awareness of the sadness surrounding them.
# # # # #
No less than an hour later, the three had told him everything they needed to, and said goodbye countless times. All standing back from the bed, Janet came back to them.
"Are you.?"
she didn't finish the sentence. They understood what she was saying well enough, and all nodded. She repeated the process, and went to the LSS. Taking one more look at the man's life they were about to end by their own choice.the door to the Infirmary was flown open. Startled, they all turned. To see nothing but a seven months pregnant Samantha Carter. Ignoring their eyes on her, she ran to the bed of her love. The father of her baby.
"Jack!"
she cried and fell into the chair next to the bed. Leaning as far over the bed-side as she could, she clasped her hands around one of his and cried onto the sheets at the simple sight of him.
"How could this have happened to you?"
she asked. His face, so colourless. No colour at all. Insipid skin. His hands - cold and lifeless. She'd never seen him this way before. And she was scared by seeing him like it. It frightened her. She knew that she wouldn't be able to cope with losing him. Knew that she would surely wither away and die with him.
And in doing so, taking the life of their baby. That couldn't happen, she decided. And it wouldn't happen. No. Lifting her eyes to look at his pale, motionless face, the tears she cried blurred her vision, which she decided was better than having a clear view of this man she loved so much in such a poor condition. Not in that moment. In that moment, she didn't want a clear view of him. It would have only saddened her more.
"You cannot give up on me here Jack. You just can't. You don't know how much I've missed you over these six months. I haven't stopped thinking about you. I love you so much. You don't know how much you mean to me. This baby.this is our baby I've got in here. It's our baby. You can't leave me. Especially not now. Not when I need you the most. We need you. This baby needs you. It needs a dad.and if you.well, you're not going to let it grow up without a dad. You can't do that. I won't let you. I'm seven months pregnant Jack.I'll do anything just to know you'll wake up. Please wake up. You have to wake up. I love you."
Still standing behind Sam in her emotion, were Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser. They spoke no words to her. None were needed. Not then. They had all accepted the situation long ago. And they all knew of the two's love. It was more than obvious for them. No Sherlock Holmes was needed to discover the simple and delicate fact that they were in love and had been for a long time. It had been well covered up on their part, but no matter how well covered up it was, it remained deadly obvious that they were truly in love.
There was no more to be said about it. Their love had been going on, and would go on, for years longer. Even if one of them were to leave. By choice or otherwise. The only thing stopping the revelation of their relationship to begin with had been regulations. Now all that seemed irrelevant.
# # # # #
By the time six months had passed, in one of the hardest decisions she'd ever have to make, Janet decided that he'd been on Life Support long enough. Six months, and no change. As a doctor, the decision had to be made sooner or later - and this was one of the unfortunate cases when it was sooner, rather than the later.
"What is it Dr. Fraiser? Is there a change?" Hammond questioned.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Daniel chimed in. Teal'c wasn't in for asking more unnecessary questions, and so remained silent.
"I called you together to let you know, I think - as a doctor - that it is best if Colonel O'Neill's life-support system is shut off," she explained bluntly. As she said it, she thought of Sam. 'I can't believe I am saying all this Sam. Please forgive me,' she thought.
"Shut it off?!" Daniel hollered. "What?! You're kidding right?"
Fraiser shook her head solemnly.
"No, I'm afraid I'm not."
"You cannot dispose of O'Neill life-support," Teal'c added logically.
"Yeah. I mean, there's still hope that he'll make it, right Doc?"
"I don't think there's much hope of that Dr. Jackson."
"But there is some! You can't just give up on him!"
"Daniel, I know how hard this must be for you to accept, believe me, it's hard for me to do and accept as well, but really, this is the best thing for all of us. And him. Medically speaking, there really isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he is going to wake up any time soon," Janet reasoned.
"General," Daniel pleaded.
"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson, but I'm afraid I have to go with Dr. Fraiser on this one. Believe me, this is one of the hardest things I've had to do. He's one of the best officers I've ever had the privilege to work with, but a medical opinion here means more. As hard as this is, ok Doctor.do what you have to do." Fraiser nodded.
Walking over to the bed of their friend, she stood by the Life Support Machine. "You can all say your goodbyes. Take your time."
It was in that moment that Daniel's conscience exploded with guilt.
'Dammit man, CALL SAM!' was screaming inside him.
'What if' this and 'But' the other confused him.but before they began, he had to call Sam and tell her what they were about to do. She deserved to know.
"I'll be back in a minute.just wait. Ok?"
"Hurry up Dr. Jackson."
"Only a minute. Janet, can I use the phone in your office?"
"Yeah, sure." Daniel walked quickly into Janet office and picked up the phone. He'd memorised Sam's new phone number, in case he ever needed to use it - like now - so he wouldn't have to go find it. Dialling it in quickly, he waiting while the phone rang.
"Hello?" Sam's voice came through the receiver to reach Daniel's ears. He hadn't heard her voice in so long it seemed. It took him a minute to find his voice.
"Hello?"
"Sam.It's,"
"Daniel.why are you calling?"
"Yeah, there something I have to tell you."
"What is it? What's happened? Is everything ok? Is it Jack?"
"Uhh.yeah. It is. He uhh."
"Oh God, what's happened? Is he ok? Please tell me he's ok."
"Uhh.well.I can't tell you that Sam. I'd be lying if I did."
"Oh God no. What happened?"
"On a mission about six months ago,"
"Six months?!"
"He uhh.he got hit. More than once. He's uhh.he's in a coma Sam. Been in the Infirmary the same way for this whole six months. Janet thinks he's got no hope of recovery. Told us today that we should shut off his life support because."
"I'll be right there! Don't do anything!"
Sam shouted and slammed the phone down. Daniel was close to tears. Something he didn't think he'd ever experienced before from a phone call to his friend. He walked out of Janet's office and back out to his friends.
"Are you finished Dr. Jackson?"
Hammond asked quietly. He nodded solemnly. Without thinking a moment of the fact Sam had told him not to do anything.
"Well, I'll go and let you all say your goodbyes. Take as long as you like,"
Fraiser told them, and silently left them with their comatose friend. They all sat down, in full awareness of the sadness surrounding them.
# # # # #
No less than an hour later, the three had told him everything they needed to, and said goodbye countless times. All standing back from the bed, Janet came back to them.
"Are you.?"
she didn't finish the sentence. They understood what she was saying well enough, and all nodded. She repeated the process, and went to the LSS. Taking one more look at the man's life they were about to end by their own choice.the door to the Infirmary was flown open. Startled, they all turned. To see nothing but a seven months pregnant Samantha Carter. Ignoring their eyes on her, she ran to the bed of her love. The father of her baby.
"Jack!"
she cried and fell into the chair next to the bed. Leaning as far over the bed-side as she could, she clasped her hands around one of his and cried onto the sheets at the simple sight of him.
"How could this have happened to you?"
she asked. His face, so colourless. No colour at all. Insipid skin. His hands - cold and lifeless. She'd never seen him this way before. And she was scared by seeing him like it. It frightened her. She knew that she wouldn't be able to cope with losing him. Knew that she would surely wither away and die with him.
And in doing so, taking the life of their baby. That couldn't happen, she decided. And it wouldn't happen. No. Lifting her eyes to look at his pale, motionless face, the tears she cried blurred her vision, which she decided was better than having a clear view of this man she loved so much in such a poor condition. Not in that moment. In that moment, she didn't want a clear view of him. It would have only saddened her more.
"You cannot give up on me here Jack. You just can't. You don't know how much I've missed you over these six months. I haven't stopped thinking about you. I love you so much. You don't know how much you mean to me. This baby.this is our baby I've got in here. It's our baby. You can't leave me. Especially not now. Not when I need you the most. We need you. This baby needs you. It needs a dad.and if you.well, you're not going to let it grow up without a dad. You can't do that. I won't let you. I'm seven months pregnant Jack.I'll do anything just to know you'll wake up. Please wake up. You have to wake up. I love you."
Still standing behind Sam in her emotion, were Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser. They spoke no words to her. None were needed. Not then. They had all accepted the situation long ago. And they all knew of the two's love. It was more than obvious for them. No Sherlock Holmes was needed to discover the simple and delicate fact that they were in love and had been for a long time. It had been well covered up on their part, but no matter how well covered up it was, it remained deadly obvious that they were truly in love.
There was no more to be said about it. Their love had been going on, and would go on, for years longer. Even if one of them were to leave. By choice or otherwise. The only thing stopping the revelation of their relationship to begin with had been regulations. Now all that seemed irrelevant.
# # # # #