He wasn't awake. Sam knew he wouldn't be, but she'd half-hoped that Janet
would be wrong and he'd have been sitting up in bed waiting for her,
grinning that cocky grin of his and able to wrap her up in his strong arms
and tell her that he was okay, and she was okay, and everything was going
to be okay. Instead, he was flat on his back, covered with a warm blanket,
and attached to what looked to be a million machines that were beeping, or
humming, or just making machine noises.
Sam walked over and looked down at him. The side of his head was covered in a large bandage, and she knew that it covered the nasty gash she'd seen right after the accident had happened. His left cheek was bruised, as well, and it looked even worse because his face was paler than she'd ever seen it. Carter bit her lip. He looked awful. She couldn't even imagine how bad it looked under the blankets, and she didn't raise them to look.
"Jack..." She whispered, softly. Not trying to wake him up, just needing to say his name. She reached out and touched his hand, which was covered in a bandage as well, and had an IV tube coming out from under it. It was warm, and rough, and she stifled a sob that tried to escape. "I love you."
She wanted to stay, but knew that she couldn't. He needed rest. Needed to be allowed to sleep without her hovering over him, worrying. She could worry just as easily somewhere else.
"I'll be back, okay?"
She leaned over and pressed a very gentle butterfly kiss against his forehead, and turned and walked out of the door, almost slamming into it when the tears that were flowing freely now blinded her.
~*~
They were all waiting for her when she came out of the room, and no one was surprised to see she was crying. Daniel handed the bags of food over to Cassie, and took her in his arms and held her tightly. He had held her all day, as they'd worried over Jaffer and Jack both, and Sam melted against him once more, sobbing.
"He's going to be okay, Sam," Janet said, putting her hand on the Major's back and rubbing it.
"I know!" She cried. "He looks awful, though. I keep seeing that car come out of nowhere and I keep seeing him lying on that seat, bleeding and so still that I was afraid-"
"He's here, and he's fine," Janet repeated, wrapping her arms around Sam from behind, while Daniel held her from the front. A big group hug, that enveloped Carter in all the warmth and reassurance that the two could give her.
"He'll be okay, Sam," Cassie said, softly. "Jack's tough."
"I know." She sniffled, trying to get herself under control. Cassie didn't need to watch Sam bawl all night, after all, and Daniel was probably going to have to throw his shirt away, she'd cried on it so much already. She pulled away from the two of them and walked over to Cassie, who was holding the bag of food, trying to keep her voice light.
"Why don't we go eat? That chicken smells good." It didn't smell good. It smelled like it would be a huge ball of heavy weight sitting in the pit of her stomach, but the smile on Cassie's face was worth the lie, and the girl took Sam's hand and led her to the lounge, just off the side of the infirmary. There was a table there, and plenty of room for all of them to eat their dinner.
~*~
Dr. Ray looked in on Jaffer from time to time during the course of the rest of her day. She was ready to go home, and she knew he was in capable hands with the veterinarian that was on call at night – in case of emergencies – but she hated leaving him in such a condition. She went to the large cage that he was being kept in – a wire cage that was covered with a thick blanket to muffle any outside noise in. The black lab was sleeping on a fluffy blanket, an IV tube feeding fluids and antibiotics into his system as he recovered from the surgery done on him. His leg had been set, and his sides had been wrapped tightly enough to protect his ribs, and still loosely enough that he could breathe without difficulty.
Monica sat on the floor and opened the cage door, and saw that Jaffer's eyes were opened. The black tail moved slightly – an effort to wag a hello – but the eyes were still glazed over, and aside form the tail, he didn't move. Which, for Jaffer, was a sure sign he was not well.
"Hi, little man," she whispered, using the nickname Jack used for his puppy. She ran her hand along his jowls, and smiled slightly when he tried to listlessly lick her fingers. He was such a friendly dog, even for a lab. She bent over and kissed his nose, despite the tube that was running into it, feeding him extra oxygen.
"Jack has to be going out of his mind with worry about you." She whispered. "Or is it the other way around? Are you worried about him?"
Jaffer whined, uncertainly, and Monica stroked his soft ears lovingly.
"Don't worry, Jaffer." She crooned, using her best Vet Voice. "You're in the best of hands, and I'll get you back together with him as soon as I can."
She checked his tubes to make sure nothing was blocked and that everything was draining properly, then gave him a final gentle pat and closed the door and stood up, wiping her hands. Then she went to the telephone, pulling out the list of numbers Major Carter had given her before she'd left.
~*~
The phone rang just as they were finishing up their meal, and Carter grabbed for it.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Samantha Carter?"
"Yes. Doctor Ray?"
"Yes."
"How is he?"
"He's awake, but not very lucid, I'm afraid." Before Sam could worry about that, the doctor was quick to reassure. "It's common, though. He's been given a lot of sedatives and antibiotic, and he's been through a lot. If he's still looking out of it tomorrow, then we'll worry."
"Should I come see him?"
"No. He's fine, and the office is closing for the night. I'll have someone with him all night, though, checking on him, so don't worry. I just wanted to let you know he was awake."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Call me in the morning, and I'll let you know more."
"I will."
Ray hung up, and Sam put her phone away as well. The others were all watching her, and she gave them a half-smile.
"That was the vet. Jaffer's awake."
"How is he?" Cassie asked.
"She says he's a bit out of it from the medicines she's given him, but she expects him to be more himself in the morning."
"Are you going to go se him?" The girl asked. "Can I come?"
Sam shook her head at the same time Fraiser did.
"You need to get your homework done, and get to bed."
"Mom..."
"The vet's office is closing, Cassandra. I can't go see him. Maybe tomorrow, though." Sam said.
Cassie looked at Janet, who shrugged. "Maybe."
"What are your intentions for this evening?" Teal'c asked Fraiser. The doctor knew what he meant, immediately.
"I'm going to take Cassie home and leave Jack to get the rest he needs." She had a very good staff, and she knew that he was out of danger. If he weren't, she never would have considered leaving him. Sam knew this as well, and took that as a good sign, s Janet had known she would.
"Can I stay with him?" Carter asked.
Janet hesitated, but shook her head.
"No. I want you to go home – better yet, Daniel, Teal'c, you two take her home and stay with her tonight if you can. I want you to take a hot bath – with bubbles – and get a good night's sleep. You've had a rough day, and I don't want it to catch up to you."
"We can do that, Janet," Daniel assured her. Teal'c nodded, as well. Sam, however, wasn't so quick to agree.
"But I want-"
Janet held up her hand to stop the protest. "Sam, he's going to be fine. He's lost a lot of blood, though, and if he wakes up, I can't have you around upsetting him or getting him worked up. I'm sorry, but he needs this night to himself. If you don't want Daniel and Teal'c staying with you, you can come home with us, but I want you off this base before 2000 hours."
"But that's only a few-"
"I know."
"Janet-"
"Sam." She was in doctor mode, now, and Carter knew she was beaten. Not even Jack was very good at getting his way when Janet went into Doctor mode, and the Colonel was far more adept at it than Sam was. She sighed, and nodded.
"I'll go home with Daniel and Teal'c." At least she'd be in her own bed. Even if Jack wasn't in it with her.
"Good. Don't forget; bubbles."
Sam walked over and looked down at him. The side of his head was covered in a large bandage, and she knew that it covered the nasty gash she'd seen right after the accident had happened. His left cheek was bruised, as well, and it looked even worse because his face was paler than she'd ever seen it. Carter bit her lip. He looked awful. She couldn't even imagine how bad it looked under the blankets, and she didn't raise them to look.
"Jack..." She whispered, softly. Not trying to wake him up, just needing to say his name. She reached out and touched his hand, which was covered in a bandage as well, and had an IV tube coming out from under it. It was warm, and rough, and she stifled a sob that tried to escape. "I love you."
She wanted to stay, but knew that she couldn't. He needed rest. Needed to be allowed to sleep without her hovering over him, worrying. She could worry just as easily somewhere else.
"I'll be back, okay?"
She leaned over and pressed a very gentle butterfly kiss against his forehead, and turned and walked out of the door, almost slamming into it when the tears that were flowing freely now blinded her.
~*~
They were all waiting for her when she came out of the room, and no one was surprised to see she was crying. Daniel handed the bags of food over to Cassie, and took her in his arms and held her tightly. He had held her all day, as they'd worried over Jaffer and Jack both, and Sam melted against him once more, sobbing.
"He's going to be okay, Sam," Janet said, putting her hand on the Major's back and rubbing it.
"I know!" She cried. "He looks awful, though. I keep seeing that car come out of nowhere and I keep seeing him lying on that seat, bleeding and so still that I was afraid-"
"He's here, and he's fine," Janet repeated, wrapping her arms around Sam from behind, while Daniel held her from the front. A big group hug, that enveloped Carter in all the warmth and reassurance that the two could give her.
"He'll be okay, Sam," Cassie said, softly. "Jack's tough."
"I know." She sniffled, trying to get herself under control. Cassie didn't need to watch Sam bawl all night, after all, and Daniel was probably going to have to throw his shirt away, she'd cried on it so much already. She pulled away from the two of them and walked over to Cassie, who was holding the bag of food, trying to keep her voice light.
"Why don't we go eat? That chicken smells good." It didn't smell good. It smelled like it would be a huge ball of heavy weight sitting in the pit of her stomach, but the smile on Cassie's face was worth the lie, and the girl took Sam's hand and led her to the lounge, just off the side of the infirmary. There was a table there, and plenty of room for all of them to eat their dinner.
~*~
Dr. Ray looked in on Jaffer from time to time during the course of the rest of her day. She was ready to go home, and she knew he was in capable hands with the veterinarian that was on call at night – in case of emergencies – but she hated leaving him in such a condition. She went to the large cage that he was being kept in – a wire cage that was covered with a thick blanket to muffle any outside noise in. The black lab was sleeping on a fluffy blanket, an IV tube feeding fluids and antibiotics into his system as he recovered from the surgery done on him. His leg had been set, and his sides had been wrapped tightly enough to protect his ribs, and still loosely enough that he could breathe without difficulty.
Monica sat on the floor and opened the cage door, and saw that Jaffer's eyes were opened. The black tail moved slightly – an effort to wag a hello – but the eyes were still glazed over, and aside form the tail, he didn't move. Which, for Jaffer, was a sure sign he was not well.
"Hi, little man," she whispered, using the nickname Jack used for his puppy. She ran her hand along his jowls, and smiled slightly when he tried to listlessly lick her fingers. He was such a friendly dog, even for a lab. She bent over and kissed his nose, despite the tube that was running into it, feeding him extra oxygen.
"Jack has to be going out of his mind with worry about you." She whispered. "Or is it the other way around? Are you worried about him?"
Jaffer whined, uncertainly, and Monica stroked his soft ears lovingly.
"Don't worry, Jaffer." She crooned, using her best Vet Voice. "You're in the best of hands, and I'll get you back together with him as soon as I can."
She checked his tubes to make sure nothing was blocked and that everything was draining properly, then gave him a final gentle pat and closed the door and stood up, wiping her hands. Then she went to the telephone, pulling out the list of numbers Major Carter had given her before she'd left.
~*~
The phone rang just as they were finishing up their meal, and Carter grabbed for it.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Samantha Carter?"
"Yes. Doctor Ray?"
"Yes."
"How is he?"
"He's awake, but not very lucid, I'm afraid." Before Sam could worry about that, the doctor was quick to reassure. "It's common, though. He's been given a lot of sedatives and antibiotic, and he's been through a lot. If he's still looking out of it tomorrow, then we'll worry."
"Should I come see him?"
"No. He's fine, and the office is closing for the night. I'll have someone with him all night, though, checking on him, so don't worry. I just wanted to let you know he was awake."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Call me in the morning, and I'll let you know more."
"I will."
Ray hung up, and Sam put her phone away as well. The others were all watching her, and she gave them a half-smile.
"That was the vet. Jaffer's awake."
"How is he?" Cassie asked.
"She says he's a bit out of it from the medicines she's given him, but she expects him to be more himself in the morning."
"Are you going to go se him?" The girl asked. "Can I come?"
Sam shook her head at the same time Fraiser did.
"You need to get your homework done, and get to bed."
"Mom..."
"The vet's office is closing, Cassandra. I can't go see him. Maybe tomorrow, though." Sam said.
Cassie looked at Janet, who shrugged. "Maybe."
"What are your intentions for this evening?" Teal'c asked Fraiser. The doctor knew what he meant, immediately.
"I'm going to take Cassie home and leave Jack to get the rest he needs." She had a very good staff, and she knew that he was out of danger. If he weren't, she never would have considered leaving him. Sam knew this as well, and took that as a good sign, s Janet had known she would.
"Can I stay with him?" Carter asked.
Janet hesitated, but shook her head.
"No. I want you to go home – better yet, Daniel, Teal'c, you two take her home and stay with her tonight if you can. I want you to take a hot bath – with bubbles – and get a good night's sleep. You've had a rough day, and I don't want it to catch up to you."
"We can do that, Janet," Daniel assured her. Teal'c nodded, as well. Sam, however, wasn't so quick to agree.
"But I want-"
Janet held up her hand to stop the protest. "Sam, he's going to be fine. He's lost a lot of blood, though, and if he wakes up, I can't have you around upsetting him or getting him worked up. I'm sorry, but he needs this night to himself. If you don't want Daniel and Teal'c staying with you, you can come home with us, but I want you off this base before 2000 hours."
"But that's only a few-"
"I know."
"Janet-"
"Sam." She was in doctor mode, now, and Carter knew she was beaten. Not even Jack was very good at getting his way when Janet went into Doctor mode, and the Colonel was far more adept at it than Sam was. She sighed, and nodded.
"I'll go home with Daniel and Teal'c." At least she'd be in her own bed. Even if Jack wasn't in it with her.
"Good. Don't forget; bubbles."