Title- All I Ask of You
Author- Monica
Spoilers- Finally decided everything up to chapter seven but with a twist no Pete (a No Pete is a Good Pete ;p)
Rating- Definitely PG-13 this time
Disclaimer- Still don't own any part of Stargate SG-1 (rats!)
Author's Note- I'm so so so SO sorry I haven't updated. See I made the school soccer team so I've been playing soccer 6 days a week- ahh well you don't wanna hear my excuses. Anyways not too much is going to happen in these next two chapters because they are setting up for the fourth.. if I still have any fans out there please read and review!! (By the way I have gotten a couple of responses saying they're confused, just keep with the story it'll become clearer soon!
Chapter 2. Grown Men Don't Cry
" Unscheduled off world activation"
A siren blared as red lights flashed throughout the corridors of the SGC. Sergeant Davis' head shot up. Moments before he had dozed off in front of the computers in the Control Room. Davis checked his watch as rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 2:07. Night Shifts sucked.
Brisk footsteps ascended from the stairs. Sergeant Davis knew from the authority in the steps that it was General Hammond approaching. General Hammond appeared, fully uniformed, with a slight annoyed look on his face from being woken up in the middle of the night. Davis often wondered if the General slept in his uniform.
" Receiving IDC, Sir. It's SG1."
The General leaned in checking the computer. " They were scheduled to arrive four hours ago. Open the iris." When SG1 hadn't returned at their scheduled time General Hammond had tried to send a probe through but couldn't connect to the stargate.
Daniel Jackson was flung onto the ramp after being hurtled through the gate.
" Dr. Jackson-"
" Get a medical team down here now!" Daniel rolled out of the way clutching his stomach. That last trip through the stargate had left him physical sick.
As four doctors pushing a gurney appeared, Jack O' Neill skidded through the gate. He fell to his knees then quickly jumped to his feet as Teal'c materialized with a ghostly pale woman in his arms. It took only half of a second for Sergeant Davis to realize who it was. Suddenly sleep was the farthest thing from his mind.
Jack hardly remembered what happened next. He wasn't the kind of person who in an emergency was cool and levelheaded. Time and people became irrelevant.
More doctors came pouring into the 'gate room. Doctors and nurses were running around like maniacs until they took Carter and dashed to the infirmary. Blood, and gauze, and tubes were flying everywhere. He remembered the General yelling something towards him but he was too numb to answer. Jack and Daniel watched dumbfounded even after she was taken away.
" Debriefing," General Hammond ordered. He had no idea what to do but knew that the surviving members of SG1 needed to be distracted before they-
Teal'c acknowledged his presence but all three stood paralyzed.
" Now," General Hammond added impatiently. He only hoped his voice wasn't shaking because he sure was.
" When do we get to see Sam?" Daniel fidgeted in his chair unconsciously tapping his pencil. General Hammond had managed to get them to the briefing room before Daniel had found his voice again.
" Before you visit Major Carter we need to figure out what happened on P2X37."
Daniel quickly stopped twitching and put down his pencil. General Hammond waited for more but Daniel's mouth was clamped shut. Daniel's gaze immediately went to his hands. Couldn't General Hammond wait awhile before asking about that ?
O' Neill stared at the empty black seat. There wasn't assigned seats but they just always seemed to sit this way. Teal'c was at Jack's left, and Daniel was sitting across Jack. The shouting matches the two had were more fun when they could yell directly at each other. And Sam sat next to Daniel. The whole room felt incomplete without her in her seat.
" General Hammond, neither Daniel Jackson nor I are sure of the events that took place on P2X37. Colonel O' Neill was the one to recover the body," Teal'c finally responded.
" She isn't dead, Teal'c, so I'd appreciate it if you'd not refer to her as the body! Okay?" Daniel snapped but then quickly apologized. " So, don't we need to be checked out by a doctor? In the infirmary," Daniel pressed but General Hammond ignored him.
" So, Colonel, what the hell happened back there?" Everyone's eyes turned to Jack who was still staring at Carter's chair not paying attention. He found them all horribly annoying and he just wanted them to leave him alone. " Colonel?"
" What? Um, oh. Are we done here?" Before waiting for an answer Jack stood up and started to leave.
" Colonel-" But Jack O' Neill was already out the door. Daniel gave him a pleading stare that told him in seconds he would just walk out too. General Hammond's face softened slightly. " You are all obviously in a great deal of shock. We'll debrief at 0800. You are dismissed."
" Thank you, General!" Daniel declared jumping to his feet. Teal'c nodded a 'thanks' and followed after Daniel.
The infirmary was busting with action, despite the obscure hour. Nurses, who's uniforms had once been opaque and crisp were now covered in dirt, blood, and hospital fluids that had accidentally been spilled on them during their dash to the infirmary.
The woman who was once Samantha Carter now had tubes jetting out from everywhere, connecting her to numerous machines. Sam used to find comfort in the rhythmic beeping of the machines, they annoyed O' Neill.
Even after racing down from the briefing room they were not permitted to enter. A tall, lanky red head stopped them.
" No unnecessary personnel. Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all.
" But we are necessary," Daniel urged. The officer simply shook his head.
" Listen, officer, I outrank you," Colonel O' Neill argued as if he was explaining to a child why he could stay up later than them.
" My orders were no one comes in until General Hammond says otherwise. You make take the issue up with him if you like, but until then you may not pass, sir."
Colonel O' Neill clenched his teeth, biting back his next comment. " Jack," Daniel gently tried. Jack gave him a ' I know, I know' kind of look before stalking away.
" SG1 to the infirmary"
Daniel looked up from his book. After a quick shower SG1 had been ordered to their quarters until ' further notice'. General Hammond knew from previous experiences that when a member of SG1 was injured the rest became, well reckless. That was no doubt why he had tried to distract them with the debriefing.
Daniel all but sprinted down to the infirmary knocking over three airmen. General Hammond, Teal'c and Colonel O' Neill were already assembled with a male doctor.
" Maybe we should talk in private?"
She's dying, Daniel thought, all the injuries and technical stuff. That's what he is saying. Suddenly the realization hit him. Oh God, she's dying! He had known it before. He knew it when he first saw her lying in Jack's arms. He knew that from Jack's expression that he had known it too. But they had both refused to believe it.
Now Daniel, Jack and Teal'c sat next to each other facing the doctor. Even General Hammond's, who was sitting at his usual spot at the top of the table, expression was grimmer with every word.
" She's brain dead. She lost too much blood and her brain was cut off from oxygen for too long." His voice was getting quieter and quieter. " We can keep her on life support until…" His voice died out all together. Breaking this news was never easy but he couldn't bring himself to say it this time. Like many of the male personnel at the SGC he had a kind of crush on Major Carter.
General Hammond cleared his throat to say something but then stopped, loss of words. " What about the Tok'ra?" Everyone's eyes fell to Teal'c. Nobody had been able to say something until now. Even Jack hadn't cracked a lame joke. It would have been pointless; Carter was the only one who laughed at them anyways.
" We thought about that too. But Major Carter is dead. Only the machine is keeping her with us at all so it is very unlikely that a symbiote could do any good. Also seeing as she can't make the decision the Tok'ra won't take her as a willing host. Of course since her father-"
He was cut off by a short intake of breath, as everyone tensed. For the moment they hadn't yet thought about Jacob. It would kill him. " I should go try to contact Jacob." The General said excusing himself.
" When her father gets here we'll get his permission to take the next step." Everyone knew what he meant by next step. " If you would all like to see her…" His only answer was dead panned stares. He had heard about how SG1 were as close as a family but now he could feel it. The hatred was so thick he could practically taste it in the air.
" The nurses have cleaned her off. There will still be a tube down her throat and IVs to keep her hydrated-"
" We know," Jack said harshly. He knew what to expect when he saw her; they all did.
The doctor looked like he'd been punched in the face. He quickly collected his folders and scrambled to his feet. He gave them an apologetic smile before practically fleeing from the room. SG1 sat quietly unable to move. Reality was finally sinking in. Samantha Carter was dead.
