Janet Fraiser's house was actually closer to Mercy General hospital than the O'Neill's – although not by much – and Janet was a speed demon when it came to getting someplace she needed to be urgently, so it was really no surprise to Jack or Sam that her car was in the emergency room parking lot when they pulled in. They parked right next to hers, and Jack had to hold Jaffer so Sam could get out of the truck.

"As much as I'd love to have you in there, you can't come," he murmured to the lab, pressing his cheek against Jaffer's jowls to distract the dog while Sam got out. It wasn't like the SGC after all; where Jaffer's status as a guard dog came into play and Jack could pretty much bully anyone into anything – including Janet sometimes. The hospital wouldn't allow him in unless there was a reason – and Jack didn't have a viable reason to take him. He'd have to wait in the truck. In the cab, because Jack had a feeling that Jaffer was able to sense his own distress, and would come charging after him the moment he turned his back.

He cracked the window to give Jaffer fresh air, then headed inside with Sam right beside him, trying not to think the worst, but unable to help himself. Pessimism was part of his nature, after all.

There was no sign of Janet when they walked up to the admitting desk – only a nurse that Jack recognized from the other day when he'd brought Ian in with Janet to get his head stitched up – had that only been two days ago? It was obvious she recognized him as well – which was no big surprise, considering the fuss Janet had made at the appalling treatment Ian had received the last time they were there – because she didn't even need him to tell her why they were there.

"Mr. Brooks was taken up to surgery about fifteen minutes ago, Colonel." She said.

"Did Doctor Fraiser arrive?" Sam asked – even though they knew she was there, since they'd seen her car. It was just a polite way of finding out if Janet had bullied her way into the back.

The nurse nodded.

"She asked me to let you know she's going to stand in on the surgery."

That was a relief to them, even though they could both see the nurse was annoyed about it – probably Janet hadn't been polite when she'd insisted on being allowed in. Of course, she would have also brought up her last visit there, and that would have probably been enough – if the fact that Ian was now privy to military secrets that prevented them from allowing him to be alone under sedation with non-military personnel.

"How is he?" Jack asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, I'm not sure. You'll have to wait until the doctors can tell you." She gestured towards the waiting room. "You can wait in there… and someone will let you know how he's doing as soon as possible."

Joy.

Sam put her arm around Jack's waist and pulled him away from the receptionist desk before he could start to argue, and Jack sighed and put his arm around her and allowed her to take him into the waiting room. God, he hated waiting rooms.

"I'm going to call Dotty," he said as Sam sat down in one of the thinly padded chairs. She wondered why they hadn't thought of that earlier. They both knew that Dotty had the ability to heal – and hopefully she wouldn't be averse to using that ability on Ian if the worst should come. Besides, Shawn and River should be told, since they were the closest friends Ian had here. Maybe anywhere.

"Do you want me to do it for you?" She asked him.

Jack shook his head.

"I'll do it, Sam."

He brushed his hand along her shoulder and headed for the pay phones in the hall. He had to get hold of Nathan, too, if he could.

A minute later he was listening to the phone ring, and it was almost immediately picked up. Which was odd for the late hour.

"Hello?"

"James?" Who else would it be? "Hi, it's Jack. I'm sorry to call so late, but I need to speak with Dotty, please…"

"She's not here, Jack," James said. "She and the boys just headed off to the hospital."

"Oh."

How had she known?

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, James… thanks a lot. I'll talk to you later."

He hung up, and held the phone for a moment, staring at the keypad. He didn't have time to wonder about Dotty – although he did feel relieved that she was enroute. Just as relieved as he felt knowing that Janet Fraiser was with Ian just then. He had other calls to make. Other people to tell. He hung up the phone, and then picked up the receiver, dropping a couple of quarters into the slot and dialing the main operations desk at Cheyenne Mountain.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"You have to hold on…"

He'd been alone only a moment before, floating in a sea of exhaustion and lethargy that was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. At least he didn't hurt anymore. He'd decided that the medics must have given him something pretty powerful, because he wasn't feeling anything just then. It'd probably make dying a little easier, at least – and he was pretty sure he was dying, because even with the lack of pain, he knew he was in trouble. He'd never felt like he felt just then – not even when he'd been attacked by the Ashrak, or when he'd crashed his uncle's car into the side of that building and had knocked himself out for almost five hours.

He didn't bother opening his eyes when he felt the Presence join him. For one thing, he knew from the last time that there wasn't going to be anyone there, and for another, he wasn't sure he could open his eyes.

"I can't…"

"Of course you can… you don't really want to die, do you?"

"No…"

"Then you need to hold on. Someone's coming to help you if you need it."

"Who?" How could someone help him?

"I can't-"

"Dotty?"

"She's on her way, yes…"

"Who are you?" He knew Dotty was the female voice in his head, but he still hadn't figured out the male.

"I can't tell you, Ian."

"You're not God, are you?"

There was a gentle chuckle, and Ian felt the amusement of the Presence as well as heard it. It made him feel like smiling, too, even though he didn't know what was so funny.

"No. I'm not God."

"Then who-"

"Ian… I can't tell you. If it were someone else, I might be tempted, knowing that they wouldn't remember it anyways, but you're an exception to that rue, and until we know more about why you remember, there's no way I'm going to-"

"I never forget anything." Ian said. "I never have."

"There's more to it than that, though, boy. There's a reason you remember, and I-"

"I'm not a boy."

"When you're as old as I am, everyone is a boy," the Presence told him, still amused and more than willing to share that amusement with him. "Just stay with me, Ian. I need you around or I won't be able to figure you out."

"Does that mean I'll have a chance to figure you out, too?"

He wasn't feeling quite so disjoined while talking to the voice, he realized, and he wondered if the Presence was doing that on purpose – taking his mind off just how bad off he was. If that was the case, it was probably working.

"Someday you might… if you live long enough…"