"I'm going to take you to my house, Sam. Okay?"
They were sitting in his truck at the entrance to the emergency room. Sam hadn't said much of anything as Frasier put her in the wheel chair and wheeled her down to the main floor, and she nearly broke down into tears when she saw Jack waiting for her at the door, looking tanned and wonderful. He'd even held her tightly for a moment before he'd helped her into the truck.
She nodded, and reached up to his rearview mirror, fingering the leather bracelet that hung from it. The leather was soft from repeated handling, and Sam felt tears welling in her eyes.
"Sam."
She turned and looked at him, and Jack reached out and touched her cheek gently.
"It'll be okay."
She shook her head, and looked down at her hands, which were now in her lap, but she didn't say anything, and Jack didn't press. Now wasn't the time. He reached over her and took her seatbelt, and clicked it into place, brushing a gentle kiss against her cheek as he did so.
"I love you."
He put his own seatbelt on, and put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
~*~
"Here we are."
He was trying to be as cheerful as he could. She was so quiet that it was unnerving to Jack. Normally, he was the quiet one of the two. He pulled up into the driveway, got out and then went around to open the door for her, and helped her out of the truck, aware that she was still a little sore.
"You okay?" He asked, taking her hand.
She nodded, but still didn't say anything, and Jack wordlessly led her up the walk and unlocked the front door. In the entranceway, sitting on a table, was a huge bouquet of flowers in an ornate crystal vase. There was a card. Jack opened it, then smiled and handed it to her.
"For you."
She took it and read it, and managed a weak smile. The flowers were from Daniel and Teal'c, and the card reminded her that they loved her. Obviously, Daniel had written it. She smelled them, closing her eyes as the fragrance soothed her momentarily. Jack merely stood there, giving her all the time she needed. He was going to have to do a lot of that, Fraiser had warned him.
"Teal'c and Daniel said they were going to do some shopping," Jack said, moving past her and into the kitchen. "Apparently, Fraiser was afraid I didn't have enough food to feed company. So I'll see what they got, and you make yourself comfortable."
She took the flowers and set them on the table, then walked over and sat down on the couch. Jack watched her carefully, even as he was opening cupboards and the fridge. He started coffee brewing, then came over and knelt in front of her, resting his hand gently on her knee and looking up into her sad eyes.
"Are you hungry?"
"No."
"Thirsty?"
She shook her head.
"Do you want to talk about it, Sam?"
"There's nothing to say," she whispered. "I killed our baby."
"No you didn't, Sam. There wasn't anything you could have done differently."
"If I would have talked to Janet sooner..."
"There wasn't anything Janet could have done. This tube thing happens. And it can't be fixed, even if you know about it right away."
Fraiser had told him that. Had armed him with every ounce of information she could about the pregnancy so he'd have ammunition if she started blaming herself. And Jack had listened, and was now glad he did.
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue.
"I wanted that baby..."
She started crying, and this time, Jack cried with her as he held her. He didn't know about the baby until it was gone, but he'd wanted it, too. He cradled her in his arms as they sat on the couch, and together they mourned the loss of what might have been.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Sam whimpered brokenly against him. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, love." Again he repeated it over and over as she cried. She had to believe it eventually. He'd make her believe it eventually.
~*~
Fraiser reported to the SGC as soon as she had a chance to get home and change. The doctor was wiped out from the day before, but she was glad to be back on the base, and in her own infirmary. She was going to get some rest as soon as she could, but she figured Hammond would send for her to hear Carter's condition, and she didn't want to get to bed only to be woken up. So she stayed awake, organizing things and checking instruments. Everything was in good shape, as always.
Then the summons came as she'd expected, and she went to Hammond's office.
"Sir."
"Doctor." Hammond looked as worn out as she felt, and Frasier wondered if he'd had any rest. "What's Major Carter's condition?"
"She was released from the hospital this morning, Sir. Colonel O'Neill took her home with him. He'll be taking care of her, and I'll be checking in on them to make sure she's not suffering any complications."
"Any physical complications."
"Yes, Sir. There isn't much I can do about the emotional ones." She knew her next words were going to cause a reaction, but she said them anyways. "Colonel O'Neill is our best hope to get her through the mental part, Sir."
Hammond sighed as if the very thought of Colonel O'Neill pained him. Which was a fairly accurate diagnosis.
"We can't afford to lose her, Sir." Frasier said. "We can't afford to lose either of them."
"O'Neill's going to retire. Did you know?"
"He told me at the hospital. After he told you."
"I can't accept that. If one retires, the other one will leave, too, and I will not lose two of my best people to a stupid regulation. Not to mention splitting up a team that has saved this damned planet more times than I can count."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." Hammond looked at the red phone sitting on his desk for about the millionth time that day. Calling the president for something like this was crazy, though. There had to be a less drastic way. Besides, he didn't think Sam would care to have the president of the United States know about her personal problems. "I'll think of something, though."
They were sitting in his truck at the entrance to the emergency room. Sam hadn't said much of anything as Frasier put her in the wheel chair and wheeled her down to the main floor, and she nearly broke down into tears when she saw Jack waiting for her at the door, looking tanned and wonderful. He'd even held her tightly for a moment before he'd helped her into the truck.
She nodded, and reached up to his rearview mirror, fingering the leather bracelet that hung from it. The leather was soft from repeated handling, and Sam felt tears welling in her eyes.
"Sam."
She turned and looked at him, and Jack reached out and touched her cheek gently.
"It'll be okay."
She shook her head, and looked down at her hands, which were now in her lap, but she didn't say anything, and Jack didn't press. Now wasn't the time. He reached over her and took her seatbelt, and clicked it into place, brushing a gentle kiss against her cheek as he did so.
"I love you."
He put his own seatbelt on, and put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
~*~
"Here we are."
He was trying to be as cheerful as he could. She was so quiet that it was unnerving to Jack. Normally, he was the quiet one of the two. He pulled up into the driveway, got out and then went around to open the door for her, and helped her out of the truck, aware that she was still a little sore.
"You okay?" He asked, taking her hand.
She nodded, but still didn't say anything, and Jack wordlessly led her up the walk and unlocked the front door. In the entranceway, sitting on a table, was a huge bouquet of flowers in an ornate crystal vase. There was a card. Jack opened it, then smiled and handed it to her.
"For you."
She took it and read it, and managed a weak smile. The flowers were from Daniel and Teal'c, and the card reminded her that they loved her. Obviously, Daniel had written it. She smelled them, closing her eyes as the fragrance soothed her momentarily. Jack merely stood there, giving her all the time she needed. He was going to have to do a lot of that, Fraiser had warned him.
"Teal'c and Daniel said they were going to do some shopping," Jack said, moving past her and into the kitchen. "Apparently, Fraiser was afraid I didn't have enough food to feed company. So I'll see what they got, and you make yourself comfortable."
She took the flowers and set them on the table, then walked over and sat down on the couch. Jack watched her carefully, even as he was opening cupboards and the fridge. He started coffee brewing, then came over and knelt in front of her, resting his hand gently on her knee and looking up into her sad eyes.
"Are you hungry?"
"No."
"Thirsty?"
She shook her head.
"Do you want to talk about it, Sam?"
"There's nothing to say," she whispered. "I killed our baby."
"No you didn't, Sam. There wasn't anything you could have done differently."
"If I would have talked to Janet sooner..."
"There wasn't anything Janet could have done. This tube thing happens. And it can't be fixed, even if you know about it right away."
Fraiser had told him that. Had armed him with every ounce of information she could about the pregnancy so he'd have ammunition if she started blaming herself. And Jack had listened, and was now glad he did.
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue.
"I wanted that baby..."
She started crying, and this time, Jack cried with her as he held her. He didn't know about the baby until it was gone, but he'd wanted it, too. He cradled her in his arms as they sat on the couch, and together they mourned the loss of what might have been.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Sam whimpered brokenly against him. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, love." Again he repeated it over and over as she cried. She had to believe it eventually. He'd make her believe it eventually.
~*~
Fraiser reported to the SGC as soon as she had a chance to get home and change. The doctor was wiped out from the day before, but she was glad to be back on the base, and in her own infirmary. She was going to get some rest as soon as she could, but she figured Hammond would send for her to hear Carter's condition, and she didn't want to get to bed only to be woken up. So she stayed awake, organizing things and checking instruments. Everything was in good shape, as always.
Then the summons came as she'd expected, and she went to Hammond's office.
"Sir."
"Doctor." Hammond looked as worn out as she felt, and Frasier wondered if he'd had any rest. "What's Major Carter's condition?"
"She was released from the hospital this morning, Sir. Colonel O'Neill took her home with him. He'll be taking care of her, and I'll be checking in on them to make sure she's not suffering any complications."
"Any physical complications."
"Yes, Sir. There isn't much I can do about the emotional ones." She knew her next words were going to cause a reaction, but she said them anyways. "Colonel O'Neill is our best hope to get her through the mental part, Sir."
Hammond sighed as if the very thought of Colonel O'Neill pained him. Which was a fairly accurate diagnosis.
"We can't afford to lose her, Sir." Frasier said. "We can't afford to lose either of them."
"O'Neill's going to retire. Did you know?"
"He told me at the hospital. After he told you."
"I can't accept that. If one retires, the other one will leave, too, and I will not lose two of my best people to a stupid regulation. Not to mention splitting up a team that has saved this damned planet more times than I can count."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." Hammond looked at the red phone sitting on his desk for about the millionth time that day. Calling the president for something like this was crazy, though. There had to be a less drastic way. Besides, he didn't think Sam would care to have the president of the United States know about her personal problems. "I'll think of something, though."