So What did you think? It was going to be a quickie, bit I kinda got into it, so here is Chapter 2, please let me know if I should keep on writing, as you never know if people like what they read or if it's too boring. Thank you to all those that reviewed Chapter one, it's very nice of you to take the time, and I have to say, I'm really getting a boost from your support, so good or bad, keep 'em coming.
Rating PG-13
Spoilers: Season 2 to Season 6.
Stargate is not mine; I'm just having a bit of fun.
Chapter 2 RealisationSitting at her terminal she hadn't realised how long she had been lost in thought. Glancing down at her watch, it had been nearly an hour since the Colonel had left her lab. She hadn't realised that she'd been sat there all this time without moving.
Rising too quickly from her stool, she noticed her body was stiff as she tried to get the blood flowing through her tired body. "Wow, head rush!" she thought, "Don't want to be passing out now."
Her brain just would not co-operate at all today, she couldn't think of how she was going to get hold of the Tok'ra. Over recent months they'd had to keep moving, it was hard to keep track these days. It was usually a case of the Tok'ra contacting them; normally via her father, but she hadn't even heard from him for several weeks now. Never in her life had she felt so alone than she did now. Lowering her head in her hands, emotions of last night washed over her; feeling defeated for the first time in her life.
Down in the commissary, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Jonas were stuffing themselves with pie and blue Jello. The Colonel knew that blue Jello was Carter's favourite, which is why the last one was still left untouched on the table. Mulling over their conversation, he hoped that even if she wouldn't talk to him, she would come and join them for something to eat.
They had all been concerned with Carter's behaviour of late, well, all except Jonas, who didn't quite understand human moods just yet. However for Teal'c and Jack, what occurred this morning, was so un-Carter like. Usually he had to vocally tell her to shut up about new gadgets she' brought back, but today it had been like pulling teeth. Even General Hammond had noticed how quiet she was and he'd even pulled Jack aside after the briefing to ask what was wrong.
"O'Neill, are you not eating your desert?" Teal'c enquired.
"I was actually saving this for Carter, Teal'c, but it doesn't look as if she's going to show. I'm actually a bit concerned, even the General has noticed Carter's lack of enthusiasm."
"Maybe Major Carter is tired! She did not leave here until late last night, and arrived somewhat dishevelled this morning if you remember. It maybe that she pulled what you call an 'all-nighter'."
"Teal'c, your probably right. She has been working hard these days and could probably do with some time off. I'll go and have a chat with her later; we're not scheduled for any off world activity until the end of the week. She did say that place yesterday gave her the heeby geebies, so maybe I'll take this opportunity and invite her fishing, what do you think Teal'c, want to come with?"
"O'Neill, I'm unfamiliar with the word "Heeby Geebies", please explain."
"Sorry Teal'c, it means she didn't like the place."
Teal'c tried to recall Major Carter mentioning this to the team, but could not recall such an instance, and said so. "I do not recall Major Carter mentioning this."
Colonel O'Neill knew technically that Carter hadn't said anything, but he had worked with her long enough to know when something freaked her out. While she didn't show any visible outward signs that she was not happy, he did notice that she seemed on edge.
"Well she didn't actually say it Teal'c, but I know that given the chance she wouldn't want to go back. Anyway, don't try and change the subject, do you want to go fishing with me?"
Teal'c recalling what happened at the lake the last time they went – nothing, absolutely nothing. "O'Neill, why do you say that you are going fishing, when I have yet to see any fish in the lake?"
O'Neill looked straight at him with a mocked hurt expression on his face, and he simply replied. "Teal'c, just because you never caught anything, doesn't mean they're not there. I'm hurt that you don't believe me."
"Nevertheless, I am still not sure O'Neill. Jonas Quinn, will you be accompanying us?"
Jonas looked at the Colonel and then back at Teal'c, and tried to think up a good excuse not to go, he'd heard about the Colonel's fishing expedition from Major Carter, and it really wasn't his thing, to sit and do nothing all day, and hadn't realised that he'd voiced his opinions out loud.
"I object to Carter's description, we do not sit around all day doing nothing. It's a sport of skill, strategy and cunning. You have to think of the fish as your enemy, and knowing your enemy is to observe them, which is what we do. Isn't that right Teal'c? Teal'c?"
Colonel O'Neill just stared blankly as Teal'c rose from the table, and left the Colonel and Jonas alone. Jonas just smiled; he had got his answer.
As Jonas rose, the Colonel just mumbled, "Fine, Carter will come." He knew he was deluding himself - Carter never went with him.
As Jack entered Carter's lab, slowly this time, he saw her bent over her laptop, looking as if she'd lost her best friend. At that point he was not going to let Carter off with any more lame excuses.
"Hey Carter, it's only me"
"Sir, I'm sorry, but I still haven't finished those reports, and I won't get them finished if you keep interrupting me. I'll let you know when I'm done."
"Actually Carter, I've come to whisk you away for a few days."
"Sir?" Carter looked at him all confused, her brain still hadn't got back up to speed after last night, but going away with her C.O? She couldn't believe it.
"Picture this Carter, me and you out in the sun, crickets chirping, a cool wind blowing through our hair, " He ignored the look she had given him when he mention the hair thing, and carried on. He was now on a role. "Fishing on the lake with not a sole or a pager in site, it'll be great. Now before you say anything, SG-1 have got clearance for some down time and don't tell me you couldn't use a break, because I know better."
Jack stood by her watching her carefully. By the look on her face he knew that she was going to flatly refuse his offer, but before she had a chance to say 'No', he butted in. "Ah! I won't take 'no' for an answer, Carter."
Sam looked at the Colonel mused sadly, //if only he'd asked her a few days ago, before this whole mess//. Openly she retorted, "Look Colonel, I appreciate the offer, but I've got so much work on. Maybe another time?" It was more of a subtle plea than anything, but as usual, subtlety was not one of the Colonel's fortes, so flew right over his head.
He couldn't believe she'd refused him again! Well enough was enough, she was going with him whether she liked it or not - even if he had to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder – "ooh where did that thought come from?" he mused.
Shaking the picture from his mind, he replied "Carter, that wasn't a request!"
Sam couldn't believe her ears; he was ordering her to go fishing with him. Now she knew that was one order she didn't have to obey, and told him so.
" Colonel, you can't order me to go fishing, it's not in my job description." she advised blatantly. "Please sir, trust me on this when I say that now is not a good time."
He looked at her intensely, he knew he shouldn't push it with her, but he couldn't help him self and pulled up a chair next to her. Carter's mind began working overtime, "Oh god, he's gonna ask me what's wrong, and I can't tell him anything." She thought.
"Carter, what's going on with you these days? You're distant, moody; you didn't even give me the chance to tell you "enough" when you were describing the techno gadget thingy. It's not like you. Please, tell me what's going on?"
She looked at him, bless, he really was worried about her. For an instant when she saw his concerned expression, she nearly blurted it all out. That was until Jack suddenly grabbed his head, and screamed in pain.
"Oh, god, Carter!" He jumped from his chair, holding his head in his hands; blood began pouring from his nose onto the concrete floor below.
Colonel O'Neill had never experienced anything like this. The room spun wildly around him, his head felt as if it was ready to explode, and he saw Carter's shocked expression - mouthing the words, "Please no…I'm sorry." He tried to grab Carter's arm for support, but felt like the world was slowly crashing around him and he subsequently sank to his knees. Carter ran to the nearest intercom shouting "Medical Emergency – Carter's Lab".
Everything became blurry within a few seconds and he mercifully passed out, and didn't hear her last words as she whispered, "What have I done?"
Within a few minutes there was a flurry of activity in her lab. Dr Frasier came running, demanding to know what happened, 3 nurses swiftly followed her. "Sam, I need to know what happened?" Doctor Frasier requested urgently. Carter looked at her, torn between saving the life of her friend, but knowing that telling the doctor may cause his death.
Sam looked down at the Colonel's still form; his face a deathly white, blood still seeping from his nose. She felt so helpless just stood there whilst Dr Frasier issued orders to the medical staff.
"Sam!" Janet barked.
"I don't know?" she lied "He just grabbed his head and collapsed!"
"You sure there was nothing else? No seizures? Dizziness before he collapsed? Slurring?" she demanded, before ordering the med team to take the Colonel directly to the infirmary for a CAT scan.
"Is he going to be alright Janet?" Sam pleaded.
"I don't know Sam, I really don't! We'll know more after the scan!" With that said, Janet followed her staff towards the infirmary, leaving Sam alone to face the consequences of her actions.
Sam felt physically sick; she couldn't believe she'd let Colonel O'Neill past her defences. "One thing's for sure, I won't let it happen again, not to the Colonel, nor Teal'c or Jonas," she reiterated to herself. "I will do whatever it takes!" With that last thought, she ran to the bathroom to throw up. With her stomach now as empty as her heart, the pain in her ribs intensified, she knew she was doing more damage to herself by being here, but she would rather risk her own life than that of her friends.
It took her a while to pull herself together, and she glanced at her watch. It had been nearly an hour since the Colonel had collapsed in her lab. Painfully she picked herself up from a kneeling position, rinsed her face and mouth and headed towards the infirmary.
The Colonel's scan had completed a few minutes earlier. The nurses were now hooking him up to an ECG machine and an I.V drip was being connected to the back of his hand as Sam walked in. Taking in her surroundings, Sam watched as the Colonel was being placed on machines. Janet was just hooking up a pint of O Negative blood.
Sam's didn't know how much more of this she could take. Walking up to Teal'c, General Hammond and Jonas, she waited restlessly for Janet to finish with her patient so that she could give them an update. General Hammond was the first to ask her what had happened. It was one thing to keep things quietly to herself, but when faced with direct questions from her C.O was another thing. She reiterated another mantra to herself, "I will do whatever it takes, and deal with the consequences later."
Sam looked at the General, but was saved from lying to him when Janet walked over. General Hammond was the first to speak. "How is he Doctor?"
"He's stable for now, the CAT scan revealed a small arterial bleed in his brain, which is normally caused by prolonged high blood pressure. His BP's still very high at 220/180, but we've placed him on high doses of beta-blockers fed through an I.V to bring it to a reasonable level. Until it reaches an acceptable level though, he's still at risk from another bleed. All we can do now for him, is to keep him comfortable, and monitor his pressure. We'll repeat the scan tomorrow to see if the blood from his brain has been reabsorbed."
The team just stared at Janet. Sam knew what they were thinking, there would have been no way Janet would have allowed the Colonel to continue to command SG1 with blood pressure as high as she claimed.
Sam thought the whole world was becoming telepathic, as Janet spoke "I don't have any explanation as to how the Colonel's BP got so high as it is, it would have been picked up when he returned from the DeAsha homeworld yesterday."
General Hammond was the first to ask the question to Doc Frasier. "Is it possible that SG1 picked up some form of virus from the DeAsha homeworld?"
"I do not feel ill, General Hammond" Teal'c stated.
"Me neither." Jonas advised following Teal'c's lead.
Sam, lost in daydream was not as quick as her comrades, and missed the beat.
"Major? How are you feeling?" General Hammond enquired, his thoughts returning to the conversation he had had earlier with Colonel O'Neill.
"Me sir? I'm fine too." She answered, but not quite as convincing as she wanted. The day was starting to take its toll. "How long before the Colonel wakes up?"
"Well I've sedated him for the next 24 hours, so he should wake up sometime tomorrow afternoon."
Sam walked over to where the Colonel was sleeping. Not caring who was there in the room with her she placed her hand in his and gently caressed the back of his hand with her thumb. Her mom used to do this when she was sick, and whilst she knew that the Colonel was oblivious to his surroundings, it made her feel a bit better knowing that he was going to be OK.
Placing his hand back under the covers, she made her excuses to the others, and headed out of the infirmary. Just as she was about to walk through the last door, Janet stopped her advising that she wanted to do a physical on her before tomorrow morning. When Sam began to protest that she was fine, Janet stopped her in mid-stream, advising plainly and simply, that she was not going to argue with her. Continuing she stated firmly that if she didn't submit to a physical, then she would have no other option, but to report it the General.
Damn, Sam cursed to herself as she marched purposefully across the corridors, how the hell was she going to explain the bruises and various drugs in her system to the Doc? "No matter what happens tomorrow," she thought, "I can't have that physical."
With still no word from the Tok'ra, she headed for home. "Dad," she thought, "Wherever you are, please get in touch soon!"
As Sam reached the front door of her home, her heart slammed into her chest, knowing that Jaret cold turn up at anytime. As she tentatively took her keys from her pocket she cautiously entered through the front door. She looked around at her surroundings, there still lying on the floor, reminiscent from last nights encounter was a broken chair, and cloth bindings strewn across the lounge. Before picking up the chair, she took a deep breath and went from room to room searching for any kind of sign that he was still here. With her hands shaking, she slowly went to the last room. Cautiously reaching for the light switch she suddenly heard a gruff voice from behind her; "Looking for me? I'm flattered!"
Startled, she knocked the lamp over; the lamp Jack had given her when she had moved into her first new home.
As the lamp smashed into minute fragments on her wooden floor, tiny fragments of the pottery spearing her ankles, she sank to the floor, sobbing quietly, knowing that once again she was alone in the night.
End Chapter 2.
Thanks again everyone for your fantastic support. Let me know what you think. A bit more lovey dovey between Sam and Jack? Some angst maybe? I personally like the chemistry between them – sexual magnetism. I luv it.
