An even bigger thanks to Naliza than normal, not only did she beta this she helped me out when I saw that metaphorical wall approaching, the big ideas for this chapter came from her. I've just got to say I'd be lost without you.
I know I said it might be a while between chapters but a serious post-Halloween hang-over kinda stopped me doing much work so I took the opportunity to do some fic writing and the great reviews I got helped a lot!!!
Please, please read to the end of the chapter and don't give up half way though, you will understand what I mean when you read it, are you all intrigued now??
*~*~*
Colonel O'Neill uttered a sigh of relief when he saw Jacob Carter step through the open Stargate. The Tok'ra representative walked quickly down the ramp and met Jack at the door.
"What going on Jack?"
"She's pretty sick Jacob, bad alien bug bite. It's spreading like wild fire. We need your help Jacob, Sam needs your help."
"Where is she Jack?"
"I'll take you to see her."
"Thanks."
Jacob followed Jack to Sam's room. Neither of them spoke along the way, instead preferring to remain alone with their thoughts surrounding the welfare of a woman they both hold dear. When they arrived at the isolation room Jack tried to prepare Jacob for Sam's condition. Seeing Sam like that was already deeply shocking to Jack and he figured that it would be even harder for Jacob to see his only daughter in that condition.
Despite Jack's warnings he could still hear Jacob inhale deeply in shock as he entered the room and quickly made his way across to stand at his daughter's side. He gently touched her face and smoothed her hair off her forehead. Not wanting to intrude Jack quietly left the room.
Jacob sat by Sam's side as he tried to absorb her condition. He had never seen her so ill, he barely recognised her behind the machines that were keeping her alive. He could hear Selmak trying to talk to him but he ignored the internal voice of his symbiote as he focused on his daughter's condition. He looked up as the door opened and saw Dr Fraiser and Colonel O'Neill standing in the doorway.
"General," Janet said by way of greeting.
"What's happened to Sam?"
"She was bitten by a mosquito off-world, a previously non-infectious organism combined with naquadah in her blood to form an incredibly infectious organism."
"How infectious?"
"Well over half of the base personnel are infected. It's spread out of the base; thankfully it has been contained within the high school and Memorial Hospital."
"The high school?"
"Cassandra's infected, she collapsed at school and was taken to Memorial."
"How is she?" Jacob asked gently.
"Pretty much the same as Sam."
Jacob looked at Janet with sympathy, for the first time he noted her appearance. Her face was flushed and she seemed to be using the rail of the bed for support.
"You're infected." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes and I don't know how to stop this thing. We need your help."
"I don't know if I can help. What is doing this?"
"It's an organism I don't recognise, it doesn't match any classification I know. I can show you."
Jacob thought this over for a moment; he was hesitant to leave Sam's side.
"I'll sit with her," Jack said quietly in an attempt to aid Jacob's decision.
Jacob nodded and stood, as Janet went to leave the room she wavered slightly and Jack immediately took hold of her arm to steady her. She shook her head in an attempt to throw off the dizziness.
"Doc?" Jack asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"I'm okay," she replied quickly.
Everyone present knew that it was a lie but no one questioned her. Jacob took Janet's arm in a supportive manner and escorted her out of the room leaving Jack with Sam.
"See your dad's here, the Tok'ra will be able to help us. After all the help we've given them, they can give us a hand."
He sat with Sam until Jacob and Janet returned. Jack had been convinced that the Tok'ra would provide them with a miracle cure for the disease. The look Jacob was wearing made his face fall; he looked much more concerned than when he had left. He had the Goa'uld healing device clutched in his left hand.
"I don't know if this is going to work but there's nothing else I can do," Jacob admitted.
Jacob stood by Sam's side, he waited until Janet came back escorted by Daniel and Teal'c before starting to try and heal her. Janet was obviously worsening significantly; Jack immediately gave his seat to the doctor which she took gratefully.
Jacob took a deep breath and holding the healing device in both hands he started working his way across his daughter's chest. Jack and Daniel held their breaths as Sam was enveloped by the warm glow. After only a few seconds the light dissipated and Jacob pulled his hands away.
"There's nothing I can do," Jacob announced quietly, fighting to keep his emotions in check.
"Try again, you've got to try again," Jack pleaded.
"She's my daughter Jack, there's nothing I can do," the despair in his voice was clear.
"So what now?" Daniel asked quietly.
"We could still find a cure," Janet replied, her voice betraying the positive sentiment of her words.
"There's nothing the Tok'ra can do then?" Jack asked with some hostility.
"You think I like seeing my daughter in this condition? I know how seriously ill she is, for this not to work it has to be pretty bad. You think I'm holding something back? Why would I do that when Sam's life is in danger? Come on Jack, I thought you were smarter than that."
"I'm sorry Jacob," Jack apologised, chastised by the older man's outburst.
Attention was suddenly shifted to Janet as Daniel noticed she was having difficulties breathing. She was almost hyperventilating, breathing quickly in a bid to get her breath. Daniel was quickly at her side.
"Maybe we should find you a bed in the infirmary?"
"No, I need to keep working," Janet answered breathlessly.
"Janet, you can't keep working. Besides, there are other people who are also working on finding a cure."
"I know but I'm the expert on this. They need my help."
"I can pull rank," Jack countered, as much as he knew Janet was the resident expert he could see just how ill she was. She would have forced anyone else into a bed hours ago.
"I shall escort you to the infirmary Doctor Fraiser."
Janet allowed herself to be escorted out of the room, leaning heavily on Teal'c. She was brought back to the room as alarms began sounding, the shrill beeping of the heart monitors striking fear into everyone's hearts. A group of assorted medics rushed in behind Janet and Teal'c. Despite their protests Jacob, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were hurried out of the room. That act alone convinced Jack of the seriousness of what was happening at that moment.
"V-Tach, there's no pulse. Start compressions," one of the doctors announced.
"V-fib, charge to 200," came another voice.
The door was shut behind them, cutting them off from the activity in the room. As excruciating as watching the medics work on Sam was, it was much worse for them waiting outside. They could hear muffled voices but no words were discernable.
Jack began pacing the corridor. He could be an incredibly patient man even under the right conditions. He had waited almost perfectly still for hours during his time in special-ops but waiting outside hospital rooms drove him crazy and he could never stay in one place for long.
The longer they waited, the more Jacob became nervous. If Sam had stabilised someone would have come out to tell them. The prospect of losing his only daughter was incredible frightening. They had worked so hard and spent so much time repairing the relationship that had been damaged over the years. Selmak was again offering words of support but Jacob choose to ignore the symbiote. He did not want the advice of a parasitical snake at that moment.
They all looked up as the door opened, Janet was standing there with tears streaming down her flushed face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered before collapsing to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
The medical staff reacted before any of the shocked group standing outside the room. The medics scooped the now unconscious doctor onto a gurney and rushed her to the infirmary, leaving one of the doctors behind.
"I'm sorry General; there was nothing we could do."
"She's gone?" Jacob asked in disbelief.
"Yes Sir. Her body couldn't take it anymore. We tried everything we could. I really am very sorry."
"Thank you. Can I see her?" Jacob asked, his voice strangely devoid of emotion.
"Of course, take as long as you need. If you will excuse me?" the doctor said before leaving the assembled group.
"Can I have a minute alone with her?" Jacob asked and not waiting for an answer entered the room and closed the door.
Jack looked at Daniel who had tears falling unchecked from his eyes, it took a few moments for Jack to realise that he too was crying. Teal'c looked deeply shocked, his face broken from his usual stoic expression and was instead wearing a look of what could be described as confusion and grief.
They waited in silence until Jacob opened the door. They quietly filed in, it was clear that Jacob had also been crying though he appeared to have brought the tears under control.
Sam was laying on the bed, she looked peaceful, at rest. The tube was still sticking out of her mouth though it was no longer connected to the ventilator, the wires of the ECG and much of the rest of the equipment had been removed.
Jack was having a hard time accepting that Sam was dead, she looked much as she had before, the absence of the machines the only difference.
"How did this happen Jack?" Jacob spat, his voice laden with accusations.
"This bug…"
"I don't want to hear about the bug Jack, you're her CO, you should have done something. Why is she…was she infected and you're not?"
"You don't think it kills me seeing her like this, knowing she's gone. I'd swap places with her in a heart beat. I'd die for any member of my team. I did everything I could Jacob. I'm sorry Jacob, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry isn't going to bring her back Jack."
"Nothing's going to bring her back Jacob," Daniel offered quietly.
In the anger and grief that was consuming them no one saw the faint movement in the index finger of Sam's left hand.
*~*~*
I know, I know an evil cliff hanger, the most evil cliff hanger I have ever written. Please don't run away screaming, do any of SG-1 ever stay dead for long??? Okay, let me know what you think, do you hate me now I killed of Sam, even if it is only temporary??