Janet had been unconscious for over three hours now, her breathing was
getting slower, more shallow, and her pulse more erratic. Jack had turned
off his flashlight not long after she had lost consciousness, and in the
darkness he had found himself counting her breaths, while he clung to her
hand. He was afraid that if he let it go she would stop breathing. He had
just passed 1500 when his radio crackled to life. He fumbled for it the
darkness, grabbing it as soon as his hand came into contact with it.
"This is O'Neill, can anybody hear me?"
"Colonel!" Carter's voice was hard to make out through the static, but it was her all right. "Sir, we're outside the cave, are you ok? Is Dr. Fraiser with you?" She questioned.
"Yeah, Carter, I'm ok, Fraiser's here too, but she's in a bad way. How long is it gonna take you to get through the rocks?"
"We're not sure sir; it's pretty tough going out here. How's Janet doing?" Sam's concern for her friend was clearly evident in her voice.
He sighed, "Not good."
"How bad is she?"
"You guys should just pick up the pace a little." Jack replied, the underlying tone of urgency in his voice.
"Understood, sir. Carter, out."
Jack put his radio back down on the ground, listening for the sound of Janet breathing once again, it was half an hour later when he lost count again.
"Sir?" He heard Carter's voice, a lot clearer now, indicating they were further through.
"Yeah?"
"We're almost through here. How are you holding up?" They both knew the question was really how's Janet.
"She's holding on, Carter, just get in here, fast."
"Yes, sir." And with that the conversation ended.
"Jack." He heard her say his name, barely a whisper. He grabbed the flashlight, switching it back on.
"Hey." He said smiling, "You just have to hold on for a little longer, they've found us."
"Don't.think.I can." She replied, her voice still barely a whisper.
"Yes, you can." He said, squeezing her hand. He looked towards the fallen rocks, they could hear the rescue teams voices now, and they were close to breaking through. "They're almost here, just hang on a little longer." He urged.
She didn't answer. Jack panicked as he felt her hand go limp again, her eyes closed. He frantically tried in vein to find a pulse.
"Oh, no way, Janet, you are not dying on me when the cavalry's knocking on the god damn door!" He said as he began CPR. "Come on, Janet!" He had completed 8 cycles of CPR when the rescue team rushed in, pushing him away from her.
The medics rushed to get their equipment out, quickly getting leads attached to their portable monitors, and setting up lights around her. They quickly began with the necessary treatments for her injuries.
"She's in V-Fib! Charge the paddles!" The medic called. Jack was focused on Janet, ignoring Carter as she tried to assess his head wound.
"Clear!" Jack flinched slightly as her small body jumped.
"Charge to 360! And give me an amp of epi!"
"Clear!" Again Jack flinched.
"She's back!" Jack realised he had been holding his breath.
"Ok, let's move!" The medic said, helping to slide the stretcher under her, while his colleague secured a neck brace. "Ok, that's it, people, let's go." He ordered, two medics picked up the stretcher, carrying it out of the cavern with Jack never more than a few feet behind.
Jack squinted as he entered into the daylight.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was an ATV waiting for them outside.
"I sent Teal'c back to get it once we knew the situation sir." Sam clarified.
"Right." Jack replied, still slightly dazed. He watched carefully as the medics skillfully loaded Janet onto the trailer attached to the ATV, all the time continuing to administer her the treatments that were currently keeping her alive.
"Sir, you should go with them, you need that head wound checked out." Sam said.
Jack turned to her, frowning, he reached up to his head, his hand coming back with blood on it. In all the time they'd been in the cave he hadn't even noticed. "Umm, ok." He replied, getting on the trailer. There was room for five, one on a stretcher and two at either side. There were three medics and Janet, a space being left for Jack. He moved close to Janet, taking her hand again as the ATV moved off. He could hear the medics around him talking to one another, the one who was bagging Janet being most vocal. He ignored them, instead focusing on Janet, as though he could somehow channel his energy to her to keep her alive until they got back to the SGC.
The ride back to the 'gate passed in a haze for Jack, before he knew it, they were moving him out of the way so they could unload Janet. He reluctantly let go of her hand, and followed the stretcher through the 'gate.
Another bustle of activity upon their return to the SGC passed by Jack, before he knew what was happening he was waking up in the infirmary.
"Hey, glad to see you're awake Colonel." A Nurse greeted him back in to the land of the living, Jack was confused for a minute, it was always Janet who was there when he woke up, and then he remembered.
"The Doc!" He said trying to sit up. The nurse eased him back down.
"Take it easy, sir. You had a nasty head injury, you passed out right after you got back." She told him.
Jack blinked, trying to remember anything after coming back through the 'gate, but there was just a blur. "Janet?" He asked, realising his lack of memory was unimportant.
The nurse took on a grave look, and Jack realised that it would be hard for the infirmary staff to treat Janet, she wasn't just their boss, she was their friend, "We don't know yet." She said quietly. "She was in surgery for almost three hours, and so far she hasn't woke up yet." She continued.
"Can I see her?" He asked.
The nurse nodded, "Yes, sir. Major Carter's in there now." She said, offering him a hand getting off of the bed.
"What about Cassie?" Jack asked as they walked.
"Major Carter didn't think it would be a good idea for her to see her mom like this." She replied.
"Like what?" Jack frowned.
The nurse stopped walking as they reached the door. "She had to be put on a vent, sir."
Jack physically paled, that was never a good sign. "What're her chances?"
"We don't know." She paused, "The next twenty-four hours will be crucial.all we can do is wait." She replied swiping her card to open the door.
Sam was sitting on a chair, next to Janet's bed, a blank expression on her face. Jack could see unshed tears in her eyes, he pulled up a chair next to hers, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder, she responded to his silent invitation, burying her head in his shoulder and letting her emotions out. He wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back.
"Hey, hey..shhhhhh..it's gonna be ok, she'll pull through." Jack comforted her.
As he was doing so, something struck him. A year ago, hell, even a few months ago, doing this - holding Sam like this, being the one to comfort her - would have made him feel great, wonderful, thrilled. It would have been the opportunity to be close to her that he had wanted since the forbidden feelings had surfaced themselves, , but now. Now, he was just a friend, comforting another friend. He didn't feel anything more for her, something had changed.
"This is O'Neill, can anybody hear me?"
"Colonel!" Carter's voice was hard to make out through the static, but it was her all right. "Sir, we're outside the cave, are you ok? Is Dr. Fraiser with you?" She questioned.
"Yeah, Carter, I'm ok, Fraiser's here too, but she's in a bad way. How long is it gonna take you to get through the rocks?"
"We're not sure sir; it's pretty tough going out here. How's Janet doing?" Sam's concern for her friend was clearly evident in her voice.
He sighed, "Not good."
"How bad is she?"
"You guys should just pick up the pace a little." Jack replied, the underlying tone of urgency in his voice.
"Understood, sir. Carter, out."
Jack put his radio back down on the ground, listening for the sound of Janet breathing once again, it was half an hour later when he lost count again.
"Sir?" He heard Carter's voice, a lot clearer now, indicating they were further through.
"Yeah?"
"We're almost through here. How are you holding up?" They both knew the question was really how's Janet.
"She's holding on, Carter, just get in here, fast."
"Yes, sir." And with that the conversation ended.
"Jack." He heard her say his name, barely a whisper. He grabbed the flashlight, switching it back on.
"Hey." He said smiling, "You just have to hold on for a little longer, they've found us."
"Don't.think.I can." She replied, her voice still barely a whisper.
"Yes, you can." He said, squeezing her hand. He looked towards the fallen rocks, they could hear the rescue teams voices now, and they were close to breaking through. "They're almost here, just hang on a little longer." He urged.
She didn't answer. Jack panicked as he felt her hand go limp again, her eyes closed. He frantically tried in vein to find a pulse.
"Oh, no way, Janet, you are not dying on me when the cavalry's knocking on the god damn door!" He said as he began CPR. "Come on, Janet!" He had completed 8 cycles of CPR when the rescue team rushed in, pushing him away from her.
The medics rushed to get their equipment out, quickly getting leads attached to their portable monitors, and setting up lights around her. They quickly began with the necessary treatments for her injuries.
"She's in V-Fib! Charge the paddles!" The medic called. Jack was focused on Janet, ignoring Carter as she tried to assess his head wound.
"Clear!" Jack flinched slightly as her small body jumped.
"Charge to 360! And give me an amp of epi!"
"Clear!" Again Jack flinched.
"She's back!" Jack realised he had been holding his breath.
"Ok, let's move!" The medic said, helping to slide the stretcher under her, while his colleague secured a neck brace. "Ok, that's it, people, let's go." He ordered, two medics picked up the stretcher, carrying it out of the cavern with Jack never more than a few feet behind.
Jack squinted as he entered into the daylight.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was an ATV waiting for them outside.
"I sent Teal'c back to get it once we knew the situation sir." Sam clarified.
"Right." Jack replied, still slightly dazed. He watched carefully as the medics skillfully loaded Janet onto the trailer attached to the ATV, all the time continuing to administer her the treatments that were currently keeping her alive.
"Sir, you should go with them, you need that head wound checked out." Sam said.
Jack turned to her, frowning, he reached up to his head, his hand coming back with blood on it. In all the time they'd been in the cave he hadn't even noticed. "Umm, ok." He replied, getting on the trailer. There was room for five, one on a stretcher and two at either side. There were three medics and Janet, a space being left for Jack. He moved close to Janet, taking her hand again as the ATV moved off. He could hear the medics around him talking to one another, the one who was bagging Janet being most vocal. He ignored them, instead focusing on Janet, as though he could somehow channel his energy to her to keep her alive until they got back to the SGC.
The ride back to the 'gate passed in a haze for Jack, before he knew it, they were moving him out of the way so they could unload Janet. He reluctantly let go of her hand, and followed the stretcher through the 'gate.
Another bustle of activity upon their return to the SGC passed by Jack, before he knew what was happening he was waking up in the infirmary.
"Hey, glad to see you're awake Colonel." A Nurse greeted him back in to the land of the living, Jack was confused for a minute, it was always Janet who was there when he woke up, and then he remembered.
"The Doc!" He said trying to sit up. The nurse eased him back down.
"Take it easy, sir. You had a nasty head injury, you passed out right after you got back." She told him.
Jack blinked, trying to remember anything after coming back through the 'gate, but there was just a blur. "Janet?" He asked, realising his lack of memory was unimportant.
The nurse took on a grave look, and Jack realised that it would be hard for the infirmary staff to treat Janet, she wasn't just their boss, she was their friend, "We don't know yet." She said quietly. "She was in surgery for almost three hours, and so far she hasn't woke up yet." She continued.
"Can I see her?" He asked.
The nurse nodded, "Yes, sir. Major Carter's in there now." She said, offering him a hand getting off of the bed.
"What about Cassie?" Jack asked as they walked.
"Major Carter didn't think it would be a good idea for her to see her mom like this." She replied.
"Like what?" Jack frowned.
The nurse stopped walking as they reached the door. "She had to be put on a vent, sir."
Jack physically paled, that was never a good sign. "What're her chances?"
"We don't know." She paused, "The next twenty-four hours will be crucial.all we can do is wait." She replied swiping her card to open the door.
Sam was sitting on a chair, next to Janet's bed, a blank expression on her face. Jack could see unshed tears in her eyes, he pulled up a chair next to hers, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder, she responded to his silent invitation, burying her head in his shoulder and letting her emotions out. He wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back.
"Hey, hey..shhhhhh..it's gonna be ok, she'll pull through." Jack comforted her.
As he was doing so, something struck him. A year ago, hell, even a few months ago, doing this - holding Sam like this, being the one to comfort her - would have made him feel great, wonderful, thrilled. It would have been the opportunity to be close to her that he had wanted since the forbidden feelings had surfaced themselves, , but now. Now, he was just a friend, comforting another friend. He didn't feel anything more for her, something had changed.