Hey all.
Thanks Naliza, the best beta I could have wished for!!
Here is chapter 5 (drum roll please!!) Seriously though, this chapter is darker than previous chapters (not that they were brilliantly white), it's quite angsty (I was missing writing angst) but it made it easier for me, no medical research, I thought I should probably warn you all about the darkness but it's not too bad though. I don't want to spoil the surprise for you so I'm going to leave it there…
*~*~*
Jack O'Neill sat in the high-backed leather chair in Hammond's office. 'His office,' he corrected, at least temporarily. He spun slightly in the chair, a mischievous grin on his face as he momentarily forgot the gravity of the situation he found himself in.
"Hey Daniel, you know this chair is good. We should get these for the briefing room. Be good for those long briefings about dead civilizations and languages," Jack said as Daniel entered the room. He expected Daniel to rise to the bait, but to the Colonel's surprise he seemed to barely notice what he had said.
"Daniel, what is it? It's not Carter is it?" Jack asked hurriedly, panic creeping into his voice.
"Cassie, Janet had to intubate her."
Jack put his head in his hands as he contemplated the unwelcome news.
"Is she…stable?"
"Yeah."
"Screw this waiting for phone calls."
"What?" Daniel asked, obviously confused.
"The President's supposed to be calling. He can wait," Jack announced standing.
"It's the President, Jack."
"It's Sam and Cassie, Daniel," replied Jack quietly. Jack silently followed Daniel out of the office and to the infirmary.
*~*
Janet sat beside Cassandra's bed; the regular beeping of the monitors was serving to keep her calm. She was torn between duty and the need to be with her daughter. She was trying to analyse all the samples SG-1 had collected but could not bear to be away from Cassandra for more than ten minutes.
The only sample she had left to analyse was the giant mosquitoes; she grabbed the sample, already prepared for her to study. Once Janet had figured out the anatomy of the mosquito she extracted a blood sample.
Preparing a slide and putting it under the microscope Janet was surprise at what awaited her.
"Jeez," she exhaled.
She now knew where the contagion came from. The mosquitoes of P5J 347 had the unknown organism she had originally found in Sam's blood.
There was no trace of naquadah, which meant that the naquadah had come wholly from Sam. It had been her original hypothesis that the organism, combined with the naquadah, had caused Sam's illness. The hypothesis still applied when Cassandra had become ill as she also had naquadah in her blood.
Once other people had started to become infected Janet had disregarded the hypothesis. She was now thinking that the organism had assimilated the naquadah into its structure, making it extremely contagious. Unfortunately she was still at a loss to why Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were uninfected and seemingly immune. This could lead to a possible cure. Junior could easily explain Teal'c's immunity but Jack and Daniel were a different matter.
Janet looked up as she heard the door open, she saw O'Neill standing in the doorway.
"How's Cassie Doc?"
"Stable, she stable," Janet said. Her tone told Jack that she thought that if she believed it enough, it would come true.
"Sir, you shouldn't be in here."
"You're a good one to talk Doc, besides it seems like I'm immune."
"I'm already infected Colonel, I wouldn't leave Cassandra even if I weren't," Janet said, matter of factly.
"I figured."
"I've identified the organism Sir."
"That's good," Jack said hopefully.
"I still have no idea how to stop it Sir."
"We'll work it out. We're waiting to hear from the Tok'ra, they might be able to help. Look Doc, can I go in and see Carter?"
"Sure," Janet agreed after a moments thought.
"Thanks Doc."
Jack went through to Sam's room. Her hair was plastered to her head with sweat and water that had been used to control her temperature. The regular hiss of the ventilator, combined with the beeping of the monitors made the room unusually loud.
He pulled a chair to the bed and took hold of Sam's hand, careful not to dislodge the IV line delivering medication and fluid.
"Hey Carter."
"Look I don't know if you can hear me but you gotta hold on. We're finding a cure, we're nearly there I promise. You just gotta hold on."
"It was those damn bugs from that stupid planet. Some stupid bug's done all this."
"I think the President's kinda pissed at me, I was supposed to take a call from him but you and Cassie are more important. I guess that open invitation to the White House has probably expired. Cassie's doin' okay by the way. She's a fighter, just like you."
"You know Carter you've gotta be alright, I don't know what I'd do without you Sam. Where would I be without my favourite astrophysicist hey? Who's gonna simplify all the that techno babble for me? You've just gotta be alright," Jack said, close to tears.
He had spent too much time in the infirmary where a member of his team became seriously ill. Despite all of his experience he was still not used to seeing Carter in this situation and he was finding the situation tortuous. He had not admitted it to anyone before but he had deep-rooted feelings for the woman who was laying critically ill in front of him. He knew that in both of the alternate realties they had contact with, the O'Neill and Carter's had either been engaged or married. He could not help but wonder if thinking of these relationships had made him consider the feelings he had for his Carter.
He sat back in the plastic chair, not willing to let go of the hand he was holding onto as though it was the only thing that was keeping him afloat.
As Daniel entered the room Jack gently put Sam's hand back on the side of the bed. Daniel put a hand supportively on Jack's shoulder.
"Hey Jack, how's Sam?"
"No change, why do we do this Daniel?" Jack asked forlornly.
"Do what?"
"Go through the Stargate."
"You know why Jack. To stop the Goa'uld."
"But look what it's brought us. Carter, Cassie and don't forget half of the base and even the city have got some disease that we brought back through the gate. Carter nearly died Daniel, she still really ill. What are we going to do if she doesn't make it?"
"She'll make it Jack."
"But-"
"But nothing Jack, you've got to stay positive. What good are you doing Sam being negative?"
"Being positive won't help, nothing I can do will help Sam Daniel, don't you realise that?"
"I know Jack but…but I don't know what else to do."
Jack looked up at Daniel, seeing a little-boy-lost expression on the face of his friend.
"Come on Jack, let's get out of here."
"But Sam."
"Sam'll be all right, the doctor's here for her. You can't spend all of your time here. Apparently the President wants to talk to
you."
"Yeah, I figured. How's General Hammond?"
"Not sure, he's in
the infirmary, let's go find out."
"Sure."
*~*
They entered the infirmary and were struck by the scene, every one of the regular beds was occupied and extra ones had been put in every possible location. The medical staff was rushing from patient to patient. They saw General Hammond in the corner and crossed to him. He seemed to be holding onto consciousness, though barely.
"General, how are you feeling?"
"Not too bad Jack," Hammond said weakly.
"That's good. Doc Fraiser's nearly found a cure."
"Colonel, I know you well enough to know when you're lying."
"Yes sir," Jack replied with a slight smile.
Jack's smile was quickly lost as alarms started sounding across the room. Their heads snapped round. Jack recognised the man to which the medical staff was rushing. It was Sergeant Martin, the first person, other than Carter and Cassandra, to have developed the disease.
Jack walked slowly across the infirmary and stood watching as the doctors and nurses worked on saving Martin. He was shocked as they used the defibrillator on the man, without any effect. Daniel crossed from the General's bed as he head the ominous continuous tone of a flat line.
*~*~*
I know, I know I am pure evil, back to my cliff hanger ways, at least I left Sam pretty much alone (today at least)!!!
I don't think I've got any medical stuff to explain this week (woo hoo) so instead I'm going to use this opportunity to send a big thank you to Jet, Tinuviel and Vegasbarbie621 who have let me know that the temperature of the fevers of Cassie and Sam were too high! As I've said my information is limited (especially at that point in the story) and I have no medical experience and so I'm not overly surprised I made mistakes, my other big excuse is that I'm strictly a Centigrade kinda girl, not used to that whole Fahrenheit thing, so please forgive me. Please. Review if I'm forgiven, hey review if I'm not, I love those reviews!!!