Sam did her best to wrap the amazingly small infant in the military-issue
blanket, silently cursing over the coarse texture against such new skin, as
she wiped away the mucus and fluid from the little girl's eyes and nose.
The infant mewled softly, her lips open and her mouth searching for a
source of food each time Sam touched her cheek.
Daniel was telling Jack the mother needed help, they needed to move her, but as Sam looked at the woman's face she doubted there was any use. The ground was saturated with her blood, and her limbs trembled with cold and fatigue. She was so young... looking no more than seventeen... and dressed in little more than rags. But she was frail and thin, despite the fact that she had just given birth, and her breath was shallow and ragged.
"Please, M'Lord. You must take care of my baby."
The girl's wavering voice drew Sam's attention, and she looked up from the babe to see the mother clutching Jack's wrist. Sam's heart rose in her throat as Jack took the girl's hand in both of his and moved closer to her.
"Please," she pleaded again. "My Lord, care for my child. I beg of you."
"We're going to take you to your people," Jack said, patting her hand. "You'll be just fine."
"No!" she cried, trying to sit up but only collapsed back into Teal'c's arms. "You must take her, and go. They will cast her away."
Sam looked to Daniel. "What could she mean?"
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know. Milady, where are your people? Your family?" he asked, seeming to adopt some of her speech.
She shook her head, tears rolling from her eyes. "There is no one. I am alone. I am unclean, unworthy. Please, do not allow my sin to shame my babe. You are not of our shire. Please, please take her to your home."
She was near hysterics, and as if on cue, the child cried out. Sam made soft shushing sounds and gave the baby her pinky finger, which the child greedily latched onto.
"Okay, okay." Jack held a finger to his lips. "Take it easy."
Daniel shook his head. "Jack, this isn't good."
"I know, Daniel. I know. What's your name?" he asked of the girl.
"I have no name," she said softly, her strength waning. "I am outcast."
"Ah, hell," Jack mumbled under his breath.
"But you must have had a name," Sam said, still bouncing the baby in her arms. "Come on. Your daughter needs to know her mother's name."
She turned her head and reached a shaky arm out to the baby in Sam's arms, and Sam moved closer so she could touch the still damp head. A weak smile spread her lips and her eyes glistened with tears. This woman knew she was going to die, Sam could see it in her face. Giving her the only and only chance she would ever have, Sam shifted the baby in her hold so she was partially in her mother's arms.
"Tell her, someday, that her mother's name was Elspeth."
"It's a beautiful name," Daniel said.
The very feel of the air around the six of them had changed. Without a word being spoken, they all knew that trying to even move her was pointless. That this would be the place that she would die. One life came into the world, and one leaving. As Elspeth held her daughter, Sam stole a glance at Jack.
He knelt on one knee in the leaves, his elbow on his raised leg and his head in his hand. She tried to see his eyes, to read what thoughts might be swirling and churning behind them, but he didn't look in her direction. Sam looked to Daniel. His emotions were clear, and she knew he remembered the last time he took part in this kind of miracle. Delivering Sha're's child.
"What will you name your daughter?" Sam asked, bringing her focus back to Elspeth and the child she helped her hold.
The look of peace and joy on Elspeth's face far outweighed the wane exhaustion as she stroked her daughter's cheek. "Lorelei. T'was her grandmother's name."
Sam swallowed hard.
"It is indeed a fine name for your child," Teal'c said, and the heavy weight of his voice surprised Sam after his long silence.
"It's beautiful."
Elspeth looked up, meeting Sam's gaze. "Promise me, Milady, that you will not allow harm to come to her? My sin should not be her sin. My sentence not her own."
Sam looked to Jack, and he raised his head. His dark eyes met hers, and he nodded almost imperceptively. She looked back to Elspeth. "I promise."
Elspeth pressed her lips to the baby's head, then with tears streaming from her eyes, she pushed the child towards Sam. With Lorelei in Sam's arms again, Elspeth took one long shuddered breath and her body went limp. Daniel reached for her hand and felt for a pulse. Sam held her breath.
"She's gone."
"Ah, damn..." Jack mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face.
Sam closed her eyes and slowly released her breath. The baby in her arms filled the forest with her cries.
Daniel was telling Jack the mother needed help, they needed to move her, but as Sam looked at the woman's face she doubted there was any use. The ground was saturated with her blood, and her limbs trembled with cold and fatigue. She was so young... looking no more than seventeen... and dressed in little more than rags. But she was frail and thin, despite the fact that she had just given birth, and her breath was shallow and ragged.
"Please, M'Lord. You must take care of my baby."
The girl's wavering voice drew Sam's attention, and she looked up from the babe to see the mother clutching Jack's wrist. Sam's heart rose in her throat as Jack took the girl's hand in both of his and moved closer to her.
"Please," she pleaded again. "My Lord, care for my child. I beg of you."
"We're going to take you to your people," Jack said, patting her hand. "You'll be just fine."
"No!" she cried, trying to sit up but only collapsed back into Teal'c's arms. "You must take her, and go. They will cast her away."
Sam looked to Daniel. "What could she mean?"
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know. Milady, where are your people? Your family?" he asked, seeming to adopt some of her speech.
She shook her head, tears rolling from her eyes. "There is no one. I am alone. I am unclean, unworthy. Please, do not allow my sin to shame my babe. You are not of our shire. Please, please take her to your home."
She was near hysterics, and as if on cue, the child cried out. Sam made soft shushing sounds and gave the baby her pinky finger, which the child greedily latched onto.
"Okay, okay." Jack held a finger to his lips. "Take it easy."
Daniel shook his head. "Jack, this isn't good."
"I know, Daniel. I know. What's your name?" he asked of the girl.
"I have no name," she said softly, her strength waning. "I am outcast."
"Ah, hell," Jack mumbled under his breath.
"But you must have had a name," Sam said, still bouncing the baby in her arms. "Come on. Your daughter needs to know her mother's name."
She turned her head and reached a shaky arm out to the baby in Sam's arms, and Sam moved closer so she could touch the still damp head. A weak smile spread her lips and her eyes glistened with tears. This woman knew she was going to die, Sam could see it in her face. Giving her the only and only chance she would ever have, Sam shifted the baby in her hold so she was partially in her mother's arms.
"Tell her, someday, that her mother's name was Elspeth."
"It's a beautiful name," Daniel said.
The very feel of the air around the six of them had changed. Without a word being spoken, they all knew that trying to even move her was pointless. That this would be the place that she would die. One life came into the world, and one leaving. As Elspeth held her daughter, Sam stole a glance at Jack.
He knelt on one knee in the leaves, his elbow on his raised leg and his head in his hand. She tried to see his eyes, to read what thoughts might be swirling and churning behind them, but he didn't look in her direction. Sam looked to Daniel. His emotions were clear, and she knew he remembered the last time he took part in this kind of miracle. Delivering Sha're's child.
"What will you name your daughter?" Sam asked, bringing her focus back to Elspeth and the child she helped her hold.
The look of peace and joy on Elspeth's face far outweighed the wane exhaustion as she stroked her daughter's cheek. "Lorelei. T'was her grandmother's name."
Sam swallowed hard.
"It is indeed a fine name for your child," Teal'c said, and the heavy weight of his voice surprised Sam after his long silence.
"It's beautiful."
Elspeth looked up, meeting Sam's gaze. "Promise me, Milady, that you will not allow harm to come to her? My sin should not be her sin. My sentence not her own."
Sam looked to Jack, and he raised his head. His dark eyes met hers, and he nodded almost imperceptively. She looked back to Elspeth. "I promise."
Elspeth pressed her lips to the baby's head, then with tears streaming from her eyes, she pushed the child towards Sam. With Lorelei in Sam's arms again, Elspeth took one long shuddered breath and her body went limp. Daniel reached for her hand and felt for a pulse. Sam held her breath.
"She's gone."
"Ah, damn..." Jack mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face.
Sam closed her eyes and slowly released her breath. The baby in her arms filled the forest with her cries.