Carter wasn't in her lab. Jack really didn't expect her to be, but it was
worth a shot. To save himself any more needless searching, he used the
phone in Sam's lab to call up the guard shack at the main gate. It was a
military base, after all. If someone goes through the gate, they get
noticed and checked. Even someone who goes in every day. The watch Sergeant
told him that Carter wasn't on the list of people who'd been checked in,
and offered to call him if she showed at the gate.
"Thanks," Jack said, hanging up. He called Carter's house, thinking that she might have slept in, but there wasn't an answer. O'Neill hung up, and looked around the lab again, wondering where the heck she was. He picked up the phone once more and dialed Hammond's office.
"Hello?"
"Sir?"
"What can I do for you, Colonel?"
"I was just wondering if you've seen Major Carter this morning, Sir."
"No, Colonel. I haven't. Is she missing?" There was sudden concern in Hammond's voice. Jack O'Neill wasn't the only Commander that cared for the people that served under him, and Hammond had noticed that Carter had been drooping lately.
"Well... not really missing, Sir." Jack said. "She just isn't around."
"You tried her house?"
"Tried calling, Sir. I was going to go over there."
"You do that, Colonel, and keep me informed."
"Yes, Sir."
Jack hung up and left the lab. He stopped long enough to check with the OD to see if there'd been any messages in the last few minutes, but there wasn't. Shrugging, and trying to suppress his concern, he left the base and headed for Carter's.
~*~
Her car was parked on the street. Jack slammed the door of his truck shut, and trotted up the sidewalk, looking around instinctively for anything that might mean there'd been trouble. Not that he really expected there had been, but it was a natural thing for him to do. Everything looked the same as it had the last time he'd been there.
He didn't bother to knock. He'd always had a key, but since they'd returned from camp, he'd been at her house almost as often as he'd been at his own. He opened the door, and went on in.
"Sam?"
At the base such familiarity wasn't common between them, since they were still fairly secretive about their new relationship, but here in her house, it was automatic. There wasn't a response, and Jack walked into the living room.
"Sam?"
He heard a noise from the bedroom, and headed down the hall, his hand reaching for his gun, just in case.
She was there. Slumped on the floor by the bed, leaning half against the side of one of the dressers and half sprawled.
"Sam!"
He rushed over and knelt down beside her, looking for any sign of injury.
There was no blood that he could see. No broken bones that were obvious. Nothing. But she was pale. God, she was so pale.
"Sam." He reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm, turning her head to face him. Her eyes were closed, but they opened at his touch.
"Jack..."
"What is it, Sam? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, frightened tears trickling down her cheeks. The tears frightened Jack far more than anything else. She was so strong and self- assured, and if she was afraid, then he was, too.
"Do you hurt?"
She nodded.
O'Neill turned and reached for the phone that was next to the bed, and called for an ambulance. He gave them the address and then sat down on the floor next to her, cradling her gently in his arms as he waited for help to come.
~*~
He'd called the base once they reached the hospital. There wasn't anything else he could do, and he knew he didn't make much sense with his call. The Colonel, normally calm and cool under the worse pressure, was a wreck. The doctors and nurses that had met the ambulance wouldn't let Jack stay with Carter as they whisked her off into the back rooms, no matter how angry he'd become. Or maybe because of how angry he'd become. So he had no idea what was going on, and no one would tell him anything. He'd asked so many times that the nurses at the duty station only shook their heads whenever he came close.
Fraiser had arrived almost immediately. She'd given him a quick look to make sure he wasn't injured – which was more habit than anything else – then had vanished into the back room as well, flashing her ID and telling the nurses that she was Carter's regular doctor. O'Neill was glad to see her, knowing that Sam was in the best hands possible, but he still he paced.
"Thanks," Jack said, hanging up. He called Carter's house, thinking that she might have slept in, but there wasn't an answer. O'Neill hung up, and looked around the lab again, wondering where the heck she was. He picked up the phone once more and dialed Hammond's office.
"Hello?"
"Sir?"
"What can I do for you, Colonel?"
"I was just wondering if you've seen Major Carter this morning, Sir."
"No, Colonel. I haven't. Is she missing?" There was sudden concern in Hammond's voice. Jack O'Neill wasn't the only Commander that cared for the people that served under him, and Hammond had noticed that Carter had been drooping lately.
"Well... not really missing, Sir." Jack said. "She just isn't around."
"You tried her house?"
"Tried calling, Sir. I was going to go over there."
"You do that, Colonel, and keep me informed."
"Yes, Sir."
Jack hung up and left the lab. He stopped long enough to check with the OD to see if there'd been any messages in the last few minutes, but there wasn't. Shrugging, and trying to suppress his concern, he left the base and headed for Carter's.
~*~
Her car was parked on the street. Jack slammed the door of his truck shut, and trotted up the sidewalk, looking around instinctively for anything that might mean there'd been trouble. Not that he really expected there had been, but it was a natural thing for him to do. Everything looked the same as it had the last time he'd been there.
He didn't bother to knock. He'd always had a key, but since they'd returned from camp, he'd been at her house almost as often as he'd been at his own. He opened the door, and went on in.
"Sam?"
At the base such familiarity wasn't common between them, since they were still fairly secretive about their new relationship, but here in her house, it was automatic. There wasn't a response, and Jack walked into the living room.
"Sam?"
He heard a noise from the bedroom, and headed down the hall, his hand reaching for his gun, just in case.
She was there. Slumped on the floor by the bed, leaning half against the side of one of the dressers and half sprawled.
"Sam!"
He rushed over and knelt down beside her, looking for any sign of injury.
There was no blood that he could see. No broken bones that were obvious. Nothing. But she was pale. God, she was so pale.
"Sam." He reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm, turning her head to face him. Her eyes were closed, but they opened at his touch.
"Jack..."
"What is it, Sam? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, frightened tears trickling down her cheeks. The tears frightened Jack far more than anything else. She was so strong and self- assured, and if she was afraid, then he was, too.
"Do you hurt?"
She nodded.
O'Neill turned and reached for the phone that was next to the bed, and called for an ambulance. He gave them the address and then sat down on the floor next to her, cradling her gently in his arms as he waited for help to come.
~*~
He'd called the base once they reached the hospital. There wasn't anything else he could do, and he knew he didn't make much sense with his call. The Colonel, normally calm and cool under the worse pressure, was a wreck. The doctors and nurses that had met the ambulance wouldn't let Jack stay with Carter as they whisked her off into the back rooms, no matter how angry he'd become. Or maybe because of how angry he'd become. So he had no idea what was going on, and no one would tell him anything. He'd asked so many times that the nurses at the duty station only shook their heads whenever he came close.
Fraiser had arrived almost immediately. She'd given him a quick look to make sure he wasn't injured – which was more habit than anything else – then had vanished into the back room as well, flashing her ID and telling the nurses that she was Carter's regular doctor. O'Neill was glad to see her, knowing that Sam was in the best hands possible, but he still he paced.