When Sam's sobbing had subsided slightly, Jack pulled back from her.
"You look awful." He said, only concern in his voice. "You should go get some sleep."
Sam quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm ok..I just..I feel like I should be here."
Jack paused, not responding, carefully mulling over how to phrase what he wanted to say. He took a breath before beginning. "I think you should be with Cassie."
Sam's head snapped round to face him. "Why?"
He sighed, "She's a smart kid, she's gonna figure out something's not right. She has a right to know what's going on."
Sam looked down, "I don't think I can face being the one to tell her."
He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know."
At that moment, Jonas and Teal'c entered the room. Teal'c stood stoic as ever, while Jonas felt awkward, unsure of what to do or say.
"Umm.how is she?" Jonas asked nervously.
Sam turned to face him. "They don't know yet. We're gonna have to wait it out."
"I.um.is there anything we can do?" He asked fidgeting nervously.
"Nothing." She replied.
He didn't say anything after that, and the team was still as they prepared for a long vigil by their friends side.
Sam was the one who finally broke the silence, standing, the sound of her chair scraping across the floor sounding infinitely louder in the silence. "I'm gonna go see Cassie." She said quietly, leaving.
Jonas stood for a moment, unsure of what to do, but eventually deciding to follow Sam, "I.umm.I." He mumbled before leaving.
Once they had both left, Jack allowed his head to drop into his hands, trying to rub away the throbbing ache that he found there.
"I am confident Doctor Fraiser will survive this, O'Neill." Teal'c said, trying to reassure his friend.
"Yeah? I wish I was." He sighed.
"She is far too stubborn to die."
Jack laughed despite himself. "Yeah, that's true. She'll probably wake up and tell me how bad my bedside manner is." He paused. "I shouldn't have let this happen."
"You must not blame yourself, there was nothing you could have done to prevent this turn of events."
"There has to be." He paused again. "She pushed me outta the way. I never even saw it coming."
"It is in her nature to help to others."
"And it was my job to protect her! I should have been the one to get her outta the way, not the other way around. This is my fault." He looked up at her, "I should have protected her." He whispered quietly.
Teal'c was silent for a moment, before he moved towards O'Neill, and making an unusually tactile gesture, put a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you should rest. You yourself are injured."
"It's nothing. I'm gonna stay here."
"O'Neill, you must not punish yourself for something over which you had no control."
"It's easier said than done. I'm just so damn angry that I let this happen to her."
"Perhaps." He paused, "Or perhaps you are angry that you may lose someone whom you care deeply about."
Jack didn't look at him, instead studying his hands closely.
"I will return with sustenance for you." He said, turning and exiting the room, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts, which were mainly concerning Teal'c's comment about losing someone he cared about. It amazed him how often he forgot about the massive age difference between them.
Jack gently lifted Janet's hand off the bed, carefully so as not to disturb the IV on the back of it, and held it in his own.
"Come on, Jan." He whispered, "You've gotta wake up." He hadn't honestly expected a response, but he found his heart sinking when she didn't stir. "I can't believe it took this to make me realise what you mean to me." He said more to himself than her.
He struggled in vein to stifle a yawn, and found himself overcome by tiredness. He laid his head down on the side of Janet's bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
Teal'c returned a half hour later, a large plate of food in hand. He found the Colonel fast asleep, his hand still firmly clamped to Janet's, his head still resting on her bed. His lips curled in a slight smile, thinking that Major Carter would class the sight as 'Sweet'. He placed the food down on a table and picked up a blanket, carefully placing it over Jack.
Teal'c moved outside the room, standing guard, deciding that no one, except those necessary, were to disturb the couple.
Jack woke with a start; he was surprised to find a blanket placed over him. He quickly looked up, troubled to see Janet still unconscious. He looked at his watch. He'd been sleeping for seven hours, the constant stream of nurses not stirring him. But that meant she'd been unconscious for over fourteen hours. He stood up, his knees groaning in response,
"I'll be right back." He whispered.
Jack opened the door, jumping slightly when he found Teal'c standing outside.
"Teal'c? Did anything happen while I was out?"
"Dr Fraiser did not regain consciousness while you were asleep, O'Neill."
"Right." He replied, his face falling.
"I would have woken you immediately."
"Yeah.I know.I just.was hoping."
Teal'c nodded in his customary style.
"Have the docs said anything?"
"They continue to say that we must wait."
Jack nodded, "I figured." He paused, "I'm gonna." He trailed off stepping back into the room.
Teal'c resumed his position guarding the door.
Jack sat back down in the seat he had left only few minutes before, once again taking Janet's hand in his own, that one small act bringing him some small comfort. He sat like that, time not registering with him, until finally, Sam came back. It seemed to Jack that only a few minutes had passed, but in fact another six hours had passed. He looked behind Sam as the door creaked open to reveal a sheepish looking Cassie.
Once she caught a proper look at her mother, the colour drained straight from her face. "Oh, my god." She mumbled quietly. Quickly crossing the room towards her mother's bed. She stood next to Jack, her eyes filling with tears. "Is.is she going to be ok?"
"We don't know yet." Sam replied from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cassie stood, unsure of what to do.
Jack enveloped the girl in a hug, bringing her down to sit on his knee. She began to cry, hiding her face in Jack's shoulder. He gently rubbed her back, "Shhhh.shhhh..it'll be ok..it'll all be ok."
He held her like that until she fell asleep in his arms. He looked around the room, Teal'c and Jonas had entered while he had been comforting Cassie. Jonas and Sam were sitting across from him, Sam's head resting on Jonas's shoulder. Teal'c was sitting to Jack's left, apparently performing kel'no'reem. Jack's legs were asleep, the weight of Cassie on his lap cutting off the circulation, but he didn't care. She was asleep, and in her slumber she couldn't think of what might happen in the next few hours.
They all sat in silence, drifting between sleep and consciousness; time seemed to have no meaning as they waited for the slightest sign of Janet stirring. Only occasionally would one leave for coffee or other necessities.
They waited..and waited.
"You look awful." He said, only concern in his voice. "You should go get some sleep."
Sam quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm ok..I just..I feel like I should be here."
Jack paused, not responding, carefully mulling over how to phrase what he wanted to say. He took a breath before beginning. "I think you should be with Cassie."
Sam's head snapped round to face him. "Why?"
He sighed, "She's a smart kid, she's gonna figure out something's not right. She has a right to know what's going on."
Sam looked down, "I don't think I can face being the one to tell her."
He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know."
At that moment, Jonas and Teal'c entered the room. Teal'c stood stoic as ever, while Jonas felt awkward, unsure of what to do or say.
"Umm.how is she?" Jonas asked nervously.
Sam turned to face him. "They don't know yet. We're gonna have to wait it out."
"I.um.is there anything we can do?" He asked fidgeting nervously.
"Nothing." She replied.
He didn't say anything after that, and the team was still as they prepared for a long vigil by their friends side.
Sam was the one who finally broke the silence, standing, the sound of her chair scraping across the floor sounding infinitely louder in the silence. "I'm gonna go see Cassie." She said quietly, leaving.
Jonas stood for a moment, unsure of what to do, but eventually deciding to follow Sam, "I.umm.I." He mumbled before leaving.
Once they had both left, Jack allowed his head to drop into his hands, trying to rub away the throbbing ache that he found there.
"I am confident Doctor Fraiser will survive this, O'Neill." Teal'c said, trying to reassure his friend.
"Yeah? I wish I was." He sighed.
"She is far too stubborn to die."
Jack laughed despite himself. "Yeah, that's true. She'll probably wake up and tell me how bad my bedside manner is." He paused. "I shouldn't have let this happen."
"You must not blame yourself, there was nothing you could have done to prevent this turn of events."
"There has to be." He paused again. "She pushed me outta the way. I never even saw it coming."
"It is in her nature to help to others."
"And it was my job to protect her! I should have been the one to get her outta the way, not the other way around. This is my fault." He looked up at her, "I should have protected her." He whispered quietly.
Teal'c was silent for a moment, before he moved towards O'Neill, and making an unusually tactile gesture, put a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you should rest. You yourself are injured."
"It's nothing. I'm gonna stay here."
"O'Neill, you must not punish yourself for something over which you had no control."
"It's easier said than done. I'm just so damn angry that I let this happen to her."
"Perhaps." He paused, "Or perhaps you are angry that you may lose someone whom you care deeply about."
Jack didn't look at him, instead studying his hands closely.
"I will return with sustenance for you." He said, turning and exiting the room, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts, which were mainly concerning Teal'c's comment about losing someone he cared about. It amazed him how often he forgot about the massive age difference between them.
Jack gently lifted Janet's hand off the bed, carefully so as not to disturb the IV on the back of it, and held it in his own.
"Come on, Jan." He whispered, "You've gotta wake up." He hadn't honestly expected a response, but he found his heart sinking when she didn't stir. "I can't believe it took this to make me realise what you mean to me." He said more to himself than her.
He struggled in vein to stifle a yawn, and found himself overcome by tiredness. He laid his head down on the side of Janet's bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
Teal'c returned a half hour later, a large plate of food in hand. He found the Colonel fast asleep, his hand still firmly clamped to Janet's, his head still resting on her bed. His lips curled in a slight smile, thinking that Major Carter would class the sight as 'Sweet'. He placed the food down on a table and picked up a blanket, carefully placing it over Jack.
Teal'c moved outside the room, standing guard, deciding that no one, except those necessary, were to disturb the couple.
Jack woke with a start; he was surprised to find a blanket placed over him. He quickly looked up, troubled to see Janet still unconscious. He looked at his watch. He'd been sleeping for seven hours, the constant stream of nurses not stirring him. But that meant she'd been unconscious for over fourteen hours. He stood up, his knees groaning in response,
"I'll be right back." He whispered.
Jack opened the door, jumping slightly when he found Teal'c standing outside.
"Teal'c? Did anything happen while I was out?"
"Dr Fraiser did not regain consciousness while you were asleep, O'Neill."
"Right." He replied, his face falling.
"I would have woken you immediately."
"Yeah.I know.I just.was hoping."
Teal'c nodded in his customary style.
"Have the docs said anything?"
"They continue to say that we must wait."
Jack nodded, "I figured." He paused, "I'm gonna." He trailed off stepping back into the room.
Teal'c resumed his position guarding the door.
Jack sat back down in the seat he had left only few minutes before, once again taking Janet's hand in his own, that one small act bringing him some small comfort. He sat like that, time not registering with him, until finally, Sam came back. It seemed to Jack that only a few minutes had passed, but in fact another six hours had passed. He looked behind Sam as the door creaked open to reveal a sheepish looking Cassie.
Once she caught a proper look at her mother, the colour drained straight from her face. "Oh, my god." She mumbled quietly. Quickly crossing the room towards her mother's bed. She stood next to Jack, her eyes filling with tears. "Is.is she going to be ok?"
"We don't know yet." Sam replied from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cassie stood, unsure of what to do.
Jack enveloped the girl in a hug, bringing her down to sit on his knee. She began to cry, hiding her face in Jack's shoulder. He gently rubbed her back, "Shhhh.shhhh..it'll be ok..it'll all be ok."
He held her like that until she fell asleep in his arms. He looked around the room, Teal'c and Jonas had entered while he had been comforting Cassie. Jonas and Sam were sitting across from him, Sam's head resting on Jonas's shoulder. Teal'c was sitting to Jack's left, apparently performing kel'no'reem. Jack's legs were asleep, the weight of Cassie on his lap cutting off the circulation, but he didn't care. She was asleep, and in her slumber she couldn't think of what might happen in the next few hours.
They all sat in silence, drifting between sleep and consciousness; time seemed to have no meaning as they waited for the slightest sign of Janet stirring. Only occasionally would one leave for coffee or other necessities.
They waited..and waited.