Thanks to O'NeillRoxMyWorld for pointing out that mistake, I've corrected
it and will anyone let me know if I have made anymore. I don't use a beta
so the errors are my own. Another huge, enormous, gigantic thank you to
Macisgate, Sandjgirl and Sci Fi Fan Gillian for reviewing that many times
that I've lost count. Thank you for taking the time to review. Only a few
more chapters to go people, hang in there.
They stood in silent vigil around the bed. No one spoke or moved, everyone was captivated by the moment, not wanting it to end for fear of what that end might bring. So for a few minutes the only sound was the incessant beeping of the heart rate machine reminding every person present that the sands of time were slowly, inescapably running out.
"How long?" General Hammond broke the brittle silence with his thick Texan accent.
"Four, maybe five hours. It's hard to tell Sir." Janet said, her eyes wide.
"Ok." He patted O'Neill's arm weakly. "Hang in there son." With one last concerned glance back at Sam he walked out of the infirmary.
"Sam." Said Janet and wrapped her arms around her in a hug, taking care not to knock her crutches. Sam began to cry silently into her friend's shoulder. "Shhh."
"Oh god Janet. What am I going to do?" She said, her words muffled.
"I don't know." Janet stepped back and Sam could see a single tear running down her face. "I'm sorry but I need to go." Sam nodded mutely. "I'll be back in a hour or so. I need to talk to General Hammond about something." She embraced her again quickly and strode out of the ward, sweeping her hand across her eyes as she did so.
There Sam waited. She had felt like this before when Daniel had ascended, suspended between mourning and hope, not trusting herself to do one or the other in case she was wrong. She remembered the last proper conversation they had all had, it seemed like so long ago, it was when they were at the colonel's house and talking about the scientific plausibility of their favourite science-fiction films.
* * *
"I must concur with Daniel Jackson that Starwars is the most realistic of the films I have observed." Said Teal'c seriously.
"Aww come on! 2001 is way more accurate. I mean, what about that weird computer thing that got stuck inside Carter's head?" Everyone stared at O'Neill blankly. "Hello... Hal? Does anybody see the resemblance?"
"What?" Asked Daniel, taking a sip of his drink.
"Both evil computers with homicidal tendencies?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You gotta be kidding me."
"Hmm..." Said Sam diplomatically. "I don't know about that but you must admit that the 'next stage in evolution' is remarkably similar to the Ancients."
O'Neill lent back in his chair contentedly. "See Carter agrees," he said, as if that settled the argument.
"But Jack, you have to agree that as a whole Starwars is better than 2001 in terms of the actual films." Said Daniel irritably.
"Daniel..."
"Jack..."
"Daniel... You know that isn't true." Teal'c glanced bemusedly at Sam.
"If I thought that wasn't true then why would I say it Jack?" Daniel and O'Neill were ready to go into full-scale mock-argument mode.
"Actually I think that Bladerunner is a lot better than both Starwars and 2001," said Sam cutting off O'Neill's reply.
"What!" Exclaimed O'Neill and Daniel simultaneously.
* * *
She smiled at the thought and as she did, her head bowed down towards the bed in front of her. She rested her cheek against the covers and, still clutching his hand, she let exhaustion overwhelm her.
* * *
Janet walked into the infirmary an hour and a half later. She wasn't surprised to find Sam asleep next to the colonel with their hands clasped together. She had known it for a long time.
She gently shook her awake. Sam opened her eyes.
"Sam. Sorry to wake you but there's something I need to tell you." Sam felt an all too familiar lurch in her stomach. "I estimate that he only has a couple of hours left now and... I don't know how to tell you this."
Sam's eyes tried to search hers. "What?" She asked, her voice trembling.
"Well... If Daniel and Teal'c did come back with the plant... Then I would still have to develop an antidote, yes?"
"Yes." Sam knew what was coming. The cold, hard, logical fact rushed towards her with the inevitability of a speeding train.
"There's no time." Janet breathed in shakily. "Even if they did bring it I wouldn't be able to make an antidote in time to save Colonel O'Neill. Sam, I'm sorry."
Then the hope was extinguished like a candle flame in the midst of a storm. Teal'c and Daniel were gone and Jack would die.
Sam just sat there, squeezing his hand tight and holding the tears in. She was numbed all over.
"Sam..." Janet started.
"Could I be alone for a while?"
"Oh. Of course." Janet went into her office and closed the door carefully. But before she did Sam could see that her face was streaked with tears.
She moved her chair so it was up against the bed and leaned in towards him, stroking his short, steely grey hair. Strangely she was quite calm, she had a mission to complete, something she needed to do before she got emotional.
"Jack." She murmured, half expecting him to reply. She moved closer to him. One of her tears fell onto his cheek and his eyelids flickered. "I need to tell you..."
She stopped. She could hear him speaking to her again, saying his last word. Sam.
She brushed her lips against his and whispered in his ear like she was sharing a secret.
"I love you."
Then sirens sounded.
They stood in silent vigil around the bed. No one spoke or moved, everyone was captivated by the moment, not wanting it to end for fear of what that end might bring. So for a few minutes the only sound was the incessant beeping of the heart rate machine reminding every person present that the sands of time were slowly, inescapably running out.
"How long?" General Hammond broke the brittle silence with his thick Texan accent.
"Four, maybe five hours. It's hard to tell Sir." Janet said, her eyes wide.
"Ok." He patted O'Neill's arm weakly. "Hang in there son." With one last concerned glance back at Sam he walked out of the infirmary.
"Sam." Said Janet and wrapped her arms around her in a hug, taking care not to knock her crutches. Sam began to cry silently into her friend's shoulder. "Shhh."
"Oh god Janet. What am I going to do?" She said, her words muffled.
"I don't know." Janet stepped back and Sam could see a single tear running down her face. "I'm sorry but I need to go." Sam nodded mutely. "I'll be back in a hour or so. I need to talk to General Hammond about something." She embraced her again quickly and strode out of the ward, sweeping her hand across her eyes as she did so.
There Sam waited. She had felt like this before when Daniel had ascended, suspended between mourning and hope, not trusting herself to do one or the other in case she was wrong. She remembered the last proper conversation they had all had, it seemed like so long ago, it was when they were at the colonel's house and talking about the scientific plausibility of their favourite science-fiction films.
* * *
"I must concur with Daniel Jackson that Starwars is the most realistic of the films I have observed." Said Teal'c seriously.
"Aww come on! 2001 is way more accurate. I mean, what about that weird computer thing that got stuck inside Carter's head?" Everyone stared at O'Neill blankly. "Hello... Hal? Does anybody see the resemblance?"
"What?" Asked Daniel, taking a sip of his drink.
"Both evil computers with homicidal tendencies?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You gotta be kidding me."
"Hmm..." Said Sam diplomatically. "I don't know about that but you must admit that the 'next stage in evolution' is remarkably similar to the Ancients."
O'Neill lent back in his chair contentedly. "See Carter agrees," he said, as if that settled the argument.
"But Jack, you have to agree that as a whole Starwars is better than 2001 in terms of the actual films." Said Daniel irritably.
"Daniel..."
"Jack..."
"Daniel... You know that isn't true." Teal'c glanced bemusedly at Sam.
"If I thought that wasn't true then why would I say it Jack?" Daniel and O'Neill were ready to go into full-scale mock-argument mode.
"Actually I think that Bladerunner is a lot better than both Starwars and 2001," said Sam cutting off O'Neill's reply.
"What!" Exclaimed O'Neill and Daniel simultaneously.
* * *
She smiled at the thought and as she did, her head bowed down towards the bed in front of her. She rested her cheek against the covers and, still clutching his hand, she let exhaustion overwhelm her.
* * *
Janet walked into the infirmary an hour and a half later. She wasn't surprised to find Sam asleep next to the colonel with their hands clasped together. She had known it for a long time.
She gently shook her awake. Sam opened her eyes.
"Sam. Sorry to wake you but there's something I need to tell you." Sam felt an all too familiar lurch in her stomach. "I estimate that he only has a couple of hours left now and... I don't know how to tell you this."
Sam's eyes tried to search hers. "What?" She asked, her voice trembling.
"Well... If Daniel and Teal'c did come back with the plant... Then I would still have to develop an antidote, yes?"
"Yes." Sam knew what was coming. The cold, hard, logical fact rushed towards her with the inevitability of a speeding train.
"There's no time." Janet breathed in shakily. "Even if they did bring it I wouldn't be able to make an antidote in time to save Colonel O'Neill. Sam, I'm sorry."
Then the hope was extinguished like a candle flame in the midst of a storm. Teal'c and Daniel were gone and Jack would die.
Sam just sat there, squeezing his hand tight and holding the tears in. She was numbed all over.
"Sam..." Janet started.
"Could I be alone for a while?"
"Oh. Of course." Janet went into her office and closed the door carefully. But before she did Sam could see that her face was streaked with tears.
She moved her chair so it was up against the bed and leaned in towards him, stroking his short, steely grey hair. Strangely she was quite calm, she had a mission to complete, something she needed to do before she got emotional.
"Jack." She murmured, half expecting him to reply. She moved closer to him. One of her tears fell onto his cheek and his eyelids flickered. "I need to tell you..."
She stopped. She could hear him speaking to her again, saying his last word. Sam.
She brushed her lips against his and whispered in his ear like she was sharing a secret.
"I love you."
Then sirens sounded.