.

The second medic continued to monitor her pulse while the first medic continued rescue breathing.

"Carter!" Jack barked. "Carter! You need to fight, dammit!" His words were harsh, but he couldn't keep the fear off of his face.

====o0o==== End Part 13 ====o0o====

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PART 14: Angst

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"She's breathing!" the first medic stated. "Quickly, let's get her up and moving again," he instructed.

Twenty minutes later, they were stepping through the gate with SG-2 and SG-8 covering their sixes as they returned to the SGC.

The SGC's CMO Dr. Janet Frasier and a full medical trauma team swept Sam away from them and out of the gateroom before they could say a word. General Hammond did not ask anything, he simply watched. The Major was not moving, but the returning rescue team did not have the demeanor of a group of men that had just carried a dead body back. No, they looked seriously worried and exhausted. But not completely devastated.

Jack's eyes caught the General's and Hammond read the pain and worry in his 2IC's face. Nodding his understanding, he followed the members of SG-1 and the rescue team as they moved at a quicktime pace to the infirmary. Where they were stopped at the infirmary doors. There were nurses and SFs stationed there to keep them from getting inside and in the way. Hammond noticed a line of chairs in the hallway and was surprised at the foresight of the medical staff.

Turning and addressing the milling soldiers, he raised his voice above their worried terse conversations, "Job well done, airmen, you have my heartfelt admiration in your success at bringing Major Carter home alive."

He had their attention now. "As you all know, the Major's injuries are severe, and it will be some time before the doctors will be able to give us much more definitive information. In the meantime, I want you all to go through standard post-mission protocol. Get a shower and get something to eat and come back for your post-mission checkouts. We will keep everyone advised of any significant changes in Major Carter's condition."

Silence greeted his statements. The men and women in the hallway looked at each other and then slowly, and reluctantly, they each turned and headed off to follow his orders. All except the men of SG-1.

Teal'c was staring into the infirmary entranceway as if he could divine what was happening.

Daniel was pacing quickly back and forth nervously.

Jack was sitting in the first chair next to the infirmary doors. Staring into space.

Sighing, Hammond moved over and took the seat next to the Colonel. He didn't say a word. There was nothing that he could say that Jack didn't already know. He just leant his presence to comfort the soldier and his teammates.

Over an hour passed and no one came out of the infirmary to give them a status report. Of course, that meant that she wasn't dead, Hammond held on to that.

--------

Finally Doctor Frasier stepped out to where she knew SG-1 would be waiting. Formally addressing the General, but her words were for all of them, "Sir, Major Carter has a serious staff blast wound to the left shoulder, a broken right leg that also has an infected knife wound, broken ribs and a concussion. The infections are currently the most life-threatening, her temperature is very high and we must get it lower and quickly," the doctor paused for reactions and questions.

"What are her chances, doc?" Jack said while still staring into space.

More silence answered his question for a few seconds as the doctor struggled with her response. "Unfortunately, the prognosis does not look promising. Her temperature has been too high for too long. The infections are widespread in her system. We are giving her very large doses of antibiotics and fluids while we try to lower her temperature. She also lost a lot of blood and we are trying to bring her blood volume back up. However, she is very weak…and, frankly, I am not sure why she is still alive. I…wish I could give you more hope, but….."

No one said a word to her.
No one shouted.
None of them railed at her.
None of them told her off.
They all simply looked at her.

They seemed to already know what she had had to tell them. And yet…they didn't seem to accept it. In times like these, when doctors had to give this kind of news to friends and families, doctors had to face one of the worst facets of their professions. Typical responses were anger and accusations and, sometimes, threats of physical violence. The close-knit special forces groups and teams of the SGC bred an internal allegiance that often led to confrontations between the soldiers and medical personnel during trying times such as these.

But these men just looked at her.
They didn't say a word.

"We will try everything that we possibly can to give her any chance at surviving…," she tried to continue, "I just thought that you should know the truth…," and her voice trailed off under their inspection.

"Thank you, doctor," Teal'c was the one to finally speak. "We are grateful for all of the expertise and care that your staff offers. We will wait here until you tell us that we can visit MajorCarter."

The other men did not move.

Nodding her acceptance at their fierce allegiance, she quietly returned to the infirmary to assist with the care of her friend and to prep a portion of the medical bay for the string of post-mission checkouts ahead of them.

==========================

Two hours later and General George Hammond was returning to the impromptu infirmary waiting area. He had just spent the past few hours sending messages and requests for help to the Tokra, the Tollan, the Asguard and the Nox. He hadn't gotten through to anyone. The Tokra who had returned with Colonel Roberts had left almost immediately after arriving in the gateroom. The only one left who could use the Go'a'uld healing device…was the one fighting for her life right now.

George had not been able to get through to Jacob Carter, Sam's dad, either. The Tokra were -again- moving their main base of operations while they continued several other offensives against the Go'a'uld. Hammond had called … and 'left messages' that they might never return to even hear.

George knew how devastated Jacob would be if Sam did not survive. George knew that he himself would find it difficult enough, but Jacob would never forgive himself for not being able to help her.

Still a few turns from the infirmary, Hammond could hear the sounds of people ahead of him. Rounding the last corner, he saw that the hallway was full again. This time most of the men and women were freshly showered and wearing clean fatigues. All except SG-1. The members of the rescue team awaited both news of the Major and their post-mission checkouts. Other base personnel had joined the group in the hallway. The milling crowd had grown in numbers as technicians, soldiers and scientists intermingled as they waited. The men of SG-1 waited silently just outside the infirmary entrance.

General George Hammond watched his base personnel interact.
He was proud of the men and women that worked here.
So many of them were selfless and hardworking.

So many of them sacrificed their personal lives for the greater purpose of this project and its goals.

He looked over the interesting diversity of the personnel interacting quietly in this hallway. Sam Carter was the reason they were here, in this hallway. She was a competent, fierce soldier that commanded the respect of the other airmen and special ops troops. She was a brilliant scientist who worked with the eggheads and other geniuses assembled here. She also worked alongside and oversaw the gate and computer technicians.

Soldiers, scientists, engineers and technicians. In so many places on earth, these groups could not find common ground. These groups often fought and warred against each other. But Sam Carter could work with them all. She could walk amongst them all as an equal, or as their leader. Hardly ever was a cross or mean word said about the Major. That, Hammond knew, was rare for someone so talented and gifted. Most humans with such gifts usually alienated people around them due to jealousy of them or arrogance from them. But Sam Carter's natural unassuming demeanor put most everyone at ease.

Glancing over, he saw that O'Neill was no longer staring into space and that he was also watching the growing crowd in the hallway.

"Sir," Jack spoke for the first time in hours, "What else could pull this group of people together like this? If it were any other soldier lying in there, there would only be fellow airmen out here. She…," and his voice broke with emotion and he stopped.

"Yes, son," Hammond replied softly. "I understand. I can't say that there are very few people like Sam Carter, because I don't think that there is anyone else like her. I don't know what made her the way she is, I'm just glad that I've been lucky enough to have had her in my life."

Jack was stunned at the General's words. The depth of emotion was unexpected from a superior officer when speaking about a subordinate in his chain of command. But he knew that Sam had 'connected' with the General, too. She'd been a Captain and then a Major in his command, but there was something that also made him feel like a father to her.

Jack thought about what really made her special.
She was a fiercely competent soldier.
Dedicated to her teammates.
Passionate.
Yet willing to follow orders.
A brilliant scientist.
A genius who make connections and leaps of deduction.
And a practical scientist…
…– one who could hotwire a Stargate and jury-rig a naquadah bomb.

But he knew that all of that was not what truly made her special.
What made her special was -her-.
Her soul.
She had a beautiful soul.
He'd known it for years now.
It had captivated him.
And, he'd watched it captivate man after man after man.
Fellow SGC personnel…scientists, technicians, soldiers.
All sorts fell for her.
Every alien male that they met seemed to notice what made her special. And she was hardly ever aware of her affects on those around her.

She was beautiful…slender, athletic and with fine features. But what radiated out and ensnared every male was her soul. Jack couldn't describe it any other way.

She wasn't Pollyanna saccharine-sweet….but there was a wholesome happy goodness that radiated from her. And as pathetically sappy as that sounded, he was at a loss for words that provided a better description. Especially when she smiled…her smiles seemed to open the window into her soul and all that shone out was a welcoming positiveness that made him (and all other males) want to step in and join her.

In some ways, when she smiled, she almost seemed naive…even though he knew that she wasn't. She was trained as a soldier, was a scientific genius and she'd experienced years of battle-hardening experiences. And, yet, she was still willing to extend trust to people.

That was the major difference between him and her. He'd acquired the typical cynicism that came to most of those who followed the special forces path for many years. She, on the other hand, had not allowed it to overtake her. She and Daniel shared that in common. Neither of them were arrogant scientists, and neither of them had allowed their souls to be destroyed or curdled by the events of the past several years.

Neither of them held onto their hurt and anger as long as he did, Jack realized. And, yet, somehow, the two of them put up with him. When he'd first met the two of them, he'd thought that his life had been unnecessarily burdened and that his time with them would be a time of suffering for him. He'd since discovered that he was the lucky one and he felt that they had to suffer with his presence. He couldn't seem to leave his cynical sarcastic side behind, but they simply rolled their eyes and allowed him his behaviors. And he loved them for it.

She and Daniel did have so much in common. He'd often wondered why the two of them hadn't pursued anything romantic between them. They seemed so…suited for each other. He had heard Sam state that she felt like Daniel was like a brother to her. And he'd heard Daniel state that he felt like Sam was like a sister to him. But they weren't actually brother and sister…and…they didn't have any nasty military regulations preventing them from being together…so, Jack was at a loss to explain why the two of them had never become more than just friends…or surrogate siblings.

Jack started as he realized that he was staring at Daniel…and that Daniel was staring back at him. Neither man said a word as they locked eyes. Mutual pain and worry traveled back and forth between them. Their thoughts not as different as they might have expected. Consciously shifting his eyes down to the floor, Jack broke the moment as they continued their vigil outside the infirmary in front of the milling crowd.

-------------

The tableau of personnel shifted as the hours passed.

Periodically a nurse or doctor would come out with an update.

They had finally gotten her temperature down and she seemed to be responding to the antibiotics.

Hours later, they were told that her leg had been set and that the knife wound had been stitched up.

Then the infirmary jangled with noise and commotion as monitors whined and jangled.

She'd arrested. Her heart had stopped.

They could all hear the repeated orders and vitals, the sound of the flatline…and the jolting sounds of the electrical paddles as they tried to jumpstart her heart.

They got it going again and the machines settled back to their reassuring repetitious beeping. The men of SG-1 and the General had crowded into the doorway. The hallway was still and quiet as no one moved or spoke while they waited for the report.

Doctor Frasier empathetically came over and gave them a status report. Nothing they didn't already now. They'd seen and heard it all. The doctor's tone and face let them know that she still did not expect Sam to survive. They'd brought her back, but she didn't think that she was going to stay with them for much longer. She didn't say it in those words…she couldn't…but they understood her.

They just didn't agree.
They couldn't.
At least not the men of SG-1.

She was still breathing and her heart was still beating.
They had to hold onto their hope.

==========================

Finally, another doctor came out and addressed the General, SG-1 and the assembled personnel. "Major Carter is now in intensive care. Her prognosis is serious, but she is currently stable. Each hour that passes however is a step towards the positive." The doctor's words were carefully chosen. She had not stated that Carter might live. But she hadn't come right out and said that she was going to die either.

"Doc, may we see her?" Jack asked.

Expecting this request, the doctor nodded sympathetically. "You know the rules, Colonel. We can't have a crowd in the medical bay, however, we can allow one or two of you in at a time, as long as you stay out of the way."

"How about three, doc, if they promise to be practically invisible to your staff?" Hammond gently requested for all three men of SG-1. Daniel flashed the General a grateful grin.

Slowly nodding, the doctor acquiesced. "I will inform the rest of the medical staff." The doctor knew that these fellow soldiers needed to be by her side in the coming hours.

As the doctor led the men into the infirmary, Hammond turned to address the rest of the group waiting in the hallway. "I would like to thank you all for the concern and dedication that you have shown to Major Carter," Hammond paused as he looked over the melange before him. "Now, we must all leave her to the doctors and to the care of SG-1. Everyone will be apprised of any significant developments in the Major's status. Dismissed." This wasn't an official military gathering, but he wasn't sure of how else to send them all along their ways. In some ways, it was sad to break up the intermixing as they all headed back to their labs, equipment and different portions of the base. The soldiers finding each other and moving off from the rest. The scientists walking back to their labs, or off to head home to their families.

Hammond forced himself to walk back to his office to face the pile of paperwork and to deal with the aftereffects of the day's missed appointments and meetings.

==========================

They spent the next 40 hours by her side.

"Daniel, Teal'c," Jack spoke up, "why don't you go and get some food and some sleep. I'll stay with her for now….."

"Jack," Daniel began to protest.

"Please, Daniel," Jack asked, "I…I…just want…," some time to speak to her…some time to say some things to her…he couldn't say it outloud, he wasn't supposed to feel this way….

Daniel started to open his mouth to reply and then he stopped, a look of anguish on his face.

"Danny, I know that I'm being selfish…but, please…just give me a little time here?" Jack asked again.

Daniel looked at the Jaffa, "Teal'c?" he asked while looking at Sam.

Teal'c did not answer immediately. He did not want to leave her side at this time either. And then, he thought…perhaps… "O'Neill, DanielJackson, I will return in a moment," and he quickly left the infirmary without any explanation.

Daniel turned back to look at Sam. Lines, tubes and electrical leads ran from all parts of her to the large array of machines surrounding her bed. They'd all seen variations of this scene many times in their years at the SGC. Never was it easy to deal with. Never did they get used to it. Always, it inspired fear for a companion. Always, it gave him a sick, roiling sensation in his stomach.

And, now after all of these years of experience, they could all interpret a lot of the readings from the machines without the assistance of the medical staff. They knew what 'good readings' looked like…and they knew 'dangerous readings'…and it was no surprise that most of the displays surrounding Sam were reporting grave conditions.

He and Jack both scanned the displays and silently digested the implications. Only a miracle would save her. A Tokra using a healing device, the Nox, or some sort of advanced medical technology from the Asgard or the Tollan. One of those types of miracles.

Daniel moved over next to her and gently sat in the chair alongside her bed. Her left chest and shoulder were covered in bandages. Her right leg was swathed in bandages and in an open-frame type of rigid splint. Apparently, they had not been able to put a cast on her leg because of the knife wound and its infection. She had various and asundry bandages on her hands and face.

She was -not- on a ventilator, however. She was breathing on her own, barely. They had an automated assist machine strapped to her that was providing her an air mix with a slightly enriched oxygen ratio.

Her breaths were ragged and, he could tell, painful. Her face still looked feverish, although the doc had told them that they had gotten her fever down. Apparently not down to normal, however.

Her face was pale, so pale. And the pain showed. She was still in pain. The doc had explained that if they administered much more pain medication that she would simply slip into sleep and never wake up. Of course, the docs didn't think that she was going to wake up anyway, but doctors were not allowed to simply administer euthanasia. Even when they thought it was for the best.

Daniel's heart felt like it was being ripped apart. He felt so helpless. Sam was so special. She did not deserve this. He knew that her death would leave a large hole in his soul that would never heal. He had been lucky in his life and he had known many special people. He had unconditionally loved several women, and been loved unconditionally in return.

Sam, was something else, though. She was, of course, a colleague. A brilliant colleague who appreciated his work, his efforts and his contributions to their eclectic team called SG-1. She comforted him when he hurt. She backed him up when Jack was relentlessly obstinate. She listened to him while he expounded on his latest discoveries, theories and interpretations. He really did cherish their friendship and she was, truly, like a sister to him. A soulmate who wasn't a lover. In many ways, he felt that their relationship was better than that of lovers. They didn't demand the selfish things from each other that lovers did.

He'd watched her in awe over the years. He could understand her brilliant mind. He didn't understand her physics, but he could understand her mind and how she made the intellectual leaps and connections. What he'd never quite been able to understand was how she was able to function so well in the military chain of command. And, how could she be such a competent soldier? How could she be all of that simultaneously? He knew that a lot of people were always asking those questions about Sam. Sometimes they even asked him…they figured that after working with her for so many years, he must know the answers. But he didn't. He still didn't know how she managed it.

But more than anything else, he was mostly taken with her heart, and her soul.
That inner essence that made her what she truly was.

Not a brilliant physicist, that was what she did.
Not a soldier, that was her job.
No, what made her special was her soul.
How she looked at the world and how she interacted with it.
How her smiles showed an inner beauty that, quite literally, blew men out of the water.

He looked down at her and seeing her feverish and in pain…seeing the bandages and the tubes and machines….he suddenly felt sick and leapt up and ran for the nearest sink…and threw up. Shaking, he held his head over the sink as the tears fell unnoticed. No one interrupted him. No one came over and asked if he needed help. Everyone respected his obvious feelings and allowed him to grieve.

Splashing water over his face and rinsing out the sink, he pulled himself upright and walked back over to Sam's side. Jack was watching him with sympathetic eyes.

==========================

A few minutes later…and that's all it had been -just 15 minutes or so since Teal'c had left so abruptly…and the Jaffa returned. He handed radios to Jack and Daniel. "I have spoken with GeneralHammond and we can use channel 14 for communication within the base for the duration of the Major's stay in the infirmary."

Understanding, Daniel and Jack nodded silently. None of them wanted to leave, but they also each wanted some private time with her over the hours to come. Swallowing his own desires and needs, Daniel gave Jack his request to stay with her first. "Jack, Teal'c and I will go and grab some showers, food, and…," he didn't think he could actually sleep…or eat….

Teal'c immediately followed with, "Yes, O'Neill, we will return in an hour." Neither of them needed to say anything about when to use the radio. They would expect a call for anything. If she woke up, if the readings on the monitoring devices changed – for better or worse…or for any other…events….

"Thanks," Jack softly and gratefully acknowledged their sacrifices.

==========================

Jack spent the next hour watching her.

Watching every ragged breath.

He wanted so desperately to help her.
But he couldn't breathe for her.
He couldn't repair her injuries.
Helpless… to do nothing but watch as she fought for every breath.

He knew that he'd blown it. He'd allowed their time together to slip away…he'd wanted more, but he'd been willing to wait.

They'd been friends.
They'd been comrades.

They'd enjoyed the special, deep bonding that comes from working on a small special-forces type of squad for years.

But the two of them had sensed something else between them.
Something that was almost indefinable.
Something that could only be… felt…

Daniel had told him that sometimes he thought he could literally -see- the sparks flying between Jack and Sam. The Colonel and the Major. Not allowed. And they hadn't pursued it. But every now and then it caught them unawares and yanked at their hearts.

His rational mind knew that a relationship between them was unlikely not just because of their ranks and positions. A relationship between them was unlikely because he was a sarcastic, cynical older man and she was a trusting, brilliant scientist. Oh, yeah, and younger too. What could she see in him? Why would he want to be around a -scientist-? And yet, no one could stop that connection that they had. Not even the two of them.

His mind drifted over scenes and events and memories of the past years since meeting her.

He could see her fully kitted out, competently marching along as SG-1 explored new worlds. Keeping pace with Teal'c, Daniel and himself. Never complaining. Often, actually, the one listening to others complain. He could see her small smiles of amusement and exasperation as he and Daniel bitched about something.

He could see her firing her P90 as they fought off Jaffa, replicators, and other enemies throughout the years. Not showing fear or trepidation, simply showing strength and competence.

He could hear her saying "Fine" when he asked her how she was doing after Niirti's machine had rearranged her DNA. The pain that she'd been in… yet her stoicism when she knew that her fate was inevitable.

He could see her gently interacting with a young Cassandra just after they had found the young orphan on the planet that Niirti had decimated.

He could hear her telling them that she was going to stay with Cassandra in the bottom of that silo. To wait for the explosion -with- the young girl instead of abandoning her.

He could see her brilliant smiles when she pieced some scientific puzzle together.

When she made connections that no one else had even dreamed of.

He could see her legs sticking out from under a Go'a'uld DHD console as she hotwired or jury-rigged it back together.

He could see her competently working with the special forces teams as they infiltrated a Go'a'uld complex.

He could hear her laughter at one of his horrible jokes.

He could hear her self-deprecating remarks about "just another one of my dumb ideas, sir," …after saving the Asgard from the replicators.

He could hear the anger in her voice after he had ordered her to lie and trick the replicator Fifth.

He could see her giving mouth-to-mouth to a stranger on a foreign world while staff blasts and Go'a'uld attack ships bombed the battlefield.

He could see her working out on the treadmill in the base workout facilities.

And the images kept passing through his mind.

And his hour passed both quickly and slowly.

==========================

"O'Neill?" Teal'c stood patiently next to Jack alongside Sam's bed.

Jack looked up at his friend.
He hadn't gotten past the memories.
He hadn't gotten to say what he needed to say to her.
But, it was Teal'c's time now.
Jack would have to wait.

Looking back at her once more, he rose and relinquished his chair to the silent Jaffa.

==========================

Teal'c watched the young woman struggle to hold onto life. The Jaffa was much older than his teammates and Samantha Carter looked extremely young and fragile on the bed before him.

When Teal'c had first joined SG-1, his new world was so foreign in so many ways. Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter were the first two people to earn his respect outside of the realm of the standard male warrior elite. At first, he had felt that it was his job, and his burden, to protect the two scientists. As the years passed, he realized that it was his honor to protect them.

Teal'c respected Major Carter as a fellow warrior.
He had witnessed her skills and inner fire on the battlefield.

However, he knew, just as Daniel and Jack did, that what he truly admired was simply….her. She was a special person. A person that he wanted in his life. A person that he felt lucky to have known and to have worked with so closely.

"MajorCarter," he addressed her prone form, and then he stopped…she was always asking him to call her Sam… "Sam…" he tried, but it didn't sound right. He was always formal and reserved. He wanted her to hear him now, and she wouldn't know it was him if he called her Sam….

"Samantha," he started again…and that would probably work, "You are in the SGC. You are severely injured and you must fight for time to allow your body to heal. SG-1 will not survive without you. Daniel Jackson will not remain the same if you leave us. O'Neill will be shattered. You must help us to keep him from such devastation."

"And, Samantha, I will not be able to stay with the SGC if you are not here. You are too much a part of my SGC experience. I need you to confide in. I need to know that you will come to me when you need the comfort of a friend. I require your strength of character."

"You must fight to stay with us. Do not leave us. None of the three of us are strong enough to deal with your absence at this time."

Teal'c watched her breathing…and he wished for a sarcophagus. Just one. He'd seen so many Go'a'uld resurrected with them. Go'a'uld who did not deserve one shot at life.

His hour passed quickly as he spent it quietly talking to her about past missions and adventures that they had shared.

==========================

Daniel sat quietly next to Sam and he allowed his tears to fall silently but without restraint.

He'd thought about Sam Carter many times over the years. And he'd finally decided that she was simply…an angel. Not a saint. An angel. She wasn't 'holier than thou'. She was simply…just so…special…that she had to be an angel.

-That- was what everyone saw in her. -That- was why every male seemed to fall -in love- with her. Not just lust…but heart-rendering love. And her lack of arrogance, her lack of self-absorption, her nature to extend trust and understanding to even those newly met….. Yes, she was an angel.

Daniel didn't care if she wasn't an angel in the religious, mystical sense. He knew that she was an angel in the -real- sense.

Daniel had known and met and loved people in his life that he knew were special, people that he would fight to protect, people that he would die for.

But Sam was an angel.

Martouf and Lantesh had sensed it.
Nareem had felt it.
Orlin had experienced it.

Daniel could remember watching Sam when he was ascended. Daniel had spoken to Oma about Sam. He had asked Oma if Sam would be able to ascend when her corporeal life came to a close. He'd known it was a question that would only get him a puzzling answer couched in a confucious-type-riddle. But he'd asked anyway. He couldn't stop himself.

And her answer had shaken him. She'd told him, "Samantha Carter can not ascend, Daniel. She is already beyond our realm."

He still didn't know what that meant. Oma had never spoken so directly about anything…and he still didn't know what it meant.

But, he had learned that ascension was not the end of the path for many souls. He'd been surprised to learn that many of the Ascended dedicated their lives to the pursuit of the 'Next Step.' Whatever that was.

Another time when he had been invisibly watching Sam in her lab, Oma had silently joined him. He'd respectfully acknowledged Oma's presence and asked if she wanted anything from him.

"No, Daniel, I am just here to spend a little time with your and your friend Samantha. Please, do not pay any attention to me. I will not disturb your thoughts," and she had faded behind him.

After watching Sam awhile longer, he had unknowingly murmured his assessment, "She's an angel."

"Yes, Daniel, you are very astute for one so young," he heard Oma's voice and then saw her bright essence as it departed for parts unknown.

==========================

How could an angel be in such pain? What allowed such things in the universe?

"Sam," Daniel spoke to her, "Please do not leave us. I know that there are probably wonderful things out there for you…dimensions without pain, without three stubborn men to deal with on a daily basis….and I know that it's very selfish of me to ask you to stay when I left so willingly to join the Ascended."

"I know that it's selfish, but I still want you to stay. I want you to… I need you to -fight- to stay here. Please do not rip our hearts out. No one will ever be able to repair the damage."

==========================

The three men spent the time together and alone with Sam.
They talked to her.
They pleaded with her.

Doctors and nurses inspected their patient every 10-15 minutes.
They left the men of SG-1 to their silent vigil.

The hours passed and she didn't die. She showed no signs of improvement, but neither did she show signs of deteriorating. She was hanging on.

.

====o0o==== End Part 14 ====o0o====

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