Here's another chapter, sorry about the cliff hanger from chapter 1 (okay, so I'm not really sorry) If you don't like cliff hangers be aware there will be more coming, I need to try and keep you all interested! I can assure you though, it will all end happily!
Another big thank you to Naliza for the betaing, where would I be without you? Stuck in a land of bad grammar and punctuation, that's where!!!
All mistakes in this story are wholly mine, there may be some glaring mistakes with the medical stuff, my knowledge come almost totally from ER. If anyone spots a medical mistake please (or anything else for that matter) let me know so I can fix it!! :-)
Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 1, keep up the good work and keep on reviewing!! ;-) This is for you lot!
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Corporal James Gibson watched the blonde major as she passed through the security point. He had noticed that she looked unwell but that was not the reason why he was watching her, working the gate was boring work but she brightened up his day significantly. He was still admiring her when she staggered and fell to the floor. Shocked at this unexpected development he grabbed the phone from the station, calling for a medical team. When he hung up the phone he rushed to the unmoving major's side.
He reached to check for a pulse. He found it but it was weak and fast, she was still breathing which reassured him. He knew CPR but did not particularly want to practise it, especially on the person who lay before him.
He was relieved when the medical team arrived. When the medic in charge asked him what had happened he filled them in as best as he could, but he did not really have that much information therefore he was not a lot of help. The medical team quickly loaded Major Carter onto a gurney and the doctor, spouting medical terms he had no chance of understanding loaded her in to the elevator.
Dr Robert Fielding was concerned with Major Carter's vital signs. Her pulse was racing but much weaker than he would have liked. Her breathing was laboured, coming in ragged and wheezing bursts. On checking her temperature and finding it to be 107°F, he was concerned, a temperature this high was dangerous. He was beginning to suspect some alien pathogen or illness of some kind. This was not his area of expertise, he was a surgeon, rare and exotic diseases were Dr Fraiser's speciality.
"Call Dr Fraiser, NOW", he ordered. Next to him a senior nurse has started to draw a number of vials of blood for a battery of tests. He put an oxygen mask over the unconscious Major's flushed face in a bid to ease her laboured breathing. He sent another of the nurses to the commissary for ice to try and bring down the alarmingly high temperature. There was little that he could do for her until he got some answers, he did not want to unwittingly make her condition worse.
As soon as the nurse returned, laden with ice, Dr Fielding immediately begun packing ice behind her neck, under her armpits, behind her knees and other places in a bid to cool her down.
Dr Fielding was relieved to see the petite frame of Dr Fraiser enter the infirmary. He was young and had only been working in the SGC for a few months. He only vaguely knew Major Carter since SG-1 was well known throughout the base.
"What's the emergency?" Janet asked but on seeing her stricken friend she dropped her briefcase and ran over. Fielding filled her in as quickly as he could. Janet was not pleased with his explanation on Major Carter's condition; the concern was evident in her face.
"We need to get the rest of SG-1 here, see if they are experiencing similar symptoms", Janet suggested. She hoped that Sam's mystery illness was an isolated case. If it was not then the rest of SG-1 would probably be showing some signs of illness. After hearing that the rest of SG-1 were feeling perfectly well Janet breathed a sigh of relief, it was looking as though Sam was the only person infected.
*~*
Cassandra Fraiser stretched at her desk, she could not seem to get comfortable, her joints were aching. She put it down to the volleyball game she had played the day before in gym class, though she had not felt quite this stiff when she had gotten up that morning.
She was only half listening to the teacher, who had talked solidly for the past half-hour about the Mongols and Genghis Khan. History was one of her least favourite subjects, especially as it was not the history of her home planet, not that she was allowed to explain that to her teachers and peers.
"Cassandra, are you paying attention?" The teacher, Mr King snapped.
"What?" Cassie answered automatically. To her embarrassment many of her classmates giggled.
"Sorry", she added quietly. She feigned interest in the rest of the lesson and was glad when the bell rang. She walked to the next class, Biology, in a daze, following her friends without paying attention to where she was going.
Just as Cassandra took her seat in the classroom and the teacher began talking she began coughing heavily. Once she started she found it difficult to stop, each cough causing her pain. The teacher, Miss Martinez, stopped as the coughing fit continued. When she finally managed to stop and catch her breath she gave the teacher a sheepish look.
"Are you alright Cassie? Do you need to go to the nurse?" Cassie simply shook her head and the teacher restarted the lesson.
"Are you sure you're OK Cass?" Her best friend Liz asked from the seat beside her.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered, smiling slightly at the blonde girl sitting next to her. She did not really believe that and they both knew it.
By the end of the class, Cassandra was feeling significantly worse. She had another painful coughing fit during the class; she was also feeling feverish. She decided to call her mother during lunch, she was not hungry, in fact the thought of food turned her stomach. As she reached the pay phone and dug in her purse for change she had another coughing fit. Before she could regain her breath she fell to the floor in a dead faint.
*~*
Jack O'Neill rushed into the infirmary. Seeing Sam laying on the bed he crossed to her side. Her face was flushed and ice packs surrounded her.
"Doc?"
"Colonel."
"What happened?"
"She collapsed, she's running a high fever, having some difficulty breathing but she's stable."
"Why?"
"We don't know yet, Sir."
"Is she gonna be okay?"
Janet exhaled loudly. "I don't know Sir, I just don't know, I've given her anti-virals and anti-biotics but neither have helped. We're still waiting for the full blood work to come back, hopefully that can tell us more."
"We're ready to move her Dr Fraiser." One of the nurses called out.
"Thank you."
"What's going on?"
"We're moving her to an isolation room, until we know what this is…if it's contagious." Jack nodded slowly, feeling unable to form an adequate response.
Daniel rushed in to the infirmary just as they started to move Sam. Jack grabbed his arm as he made a rush to Sam's side.
"What happened Jack? Is Sam okay?"
"It's pretty bad Daniel. She's sick and they don't know why."
Daniel sighed deeply. "Where are they taking her?"
"Iso room, they're not taking any chances."
As Jack and Daniel made to leave the infirmary Janet called them back. "I need blood samples from both of you." Daniel and Jack both sat quietly on one of the beds, their concern was obvious, neither complained about the procedure.
*~*
Daniel, Jack and Teal'c sat in the observation area of the isolation room, all quietly watching their friend. Jack was staring at the monitors, trying to make sense of the numbers and lines. All three of them looked up as Janet walked in; her concerned look was not missed.
"We got your blood work ups back."
"And?"
"They're clean, Sir."
"I sense a but."
"But Sam's blood shows something I've never seen before. Whatever it is, shows properties of a virus, a protozoa and a bacteria. To make matters worse I think it has combined with the naquadah in her blood."
"And that's bad?"
"I don't know Sir, but I'm guessing it's not good."
"But she's stable?"
"Yeah." Janet sounded tired. Jack snatched the phone from the wall as it rang.
"O'Neill...umm...She's right here." He passed the phone to Janet, "It's umm...it is Cassie's school."
A worried and concern expression played across her face. Her hand shook slightly as she took the offered phone, "Janet Fraiser…Yes…Is she alright? Where is she? I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you…Goodbye."
"Janet, what's happened?" Daniel asked gently.
"It's Cassie. She...she collapsed at school, they've taken her to Memorial hospital", Janet's voice was shaking audibly.
"Go, Cass needs you, I'll tell General Hammond". Janet nodded and left the room.
Jack, Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other, all thinking the same thing, first Sam and now Cassandra. It seemed that this strange disease might be contagious and had spread out of the base.
*~*~*
NB. Not sure if everyone knows this but a protozoa is a single celled organism, many of which are parasitic by nature. Some protozoa cause disease, for example Malaria is caused by a protozoa, of the genus Plasmodium (2 years of A level Biology really was worth it, don't you think?)
I know, I know another cliff hanger type ending, I've got to keep you coming back for more or at least try to!! I know it's getting boring me asking so much but please review, it really does make me write faster!!!