"Jack's POV "
Sam and I rushed towards her as she slid to the floor. "Wake up Jessie," I said. Nothing. I pushed her hair out of her eyes and then put my hand on her cheek. "Come on sweetheart…please wake up."
God she's so small.
Sam felt for a pulse. "She's got a pulse, but it's very weak."
I quickly made my decision and grabbed her up in my arms. She whimpered a little when I shuffled her. We rushed her out of the M.A.L.P. room towards the infirmary.
(Jack? Sam?)
(We're here) I thought to her, trying to calm her down.
(I'm scared. It hurts so bad.)
I hugged her closer. Her breathing was getting weaker. "Hang on baby. We're almost there."
We met General Hammond coming out of his office with Teal'c and Daniel. "Colonel O'Neill. Just what in hell is going on here?" he asked.
"General, this is our ghost," I said, not stopping.
"It's a child!"
"Yes sir…an extremely hurt child."
We kept running until we made it to the infirmary. Dr. Fraiser. "What's going on?" She looked at the floor. "Colonel, you're bleeding."
I looked down and saw that blood was dripping onto the floor. "It's not me." I said feeling sick as to what we would find on her body. I laid her down on an infirmary bed.
As soon as her back touched the bed, she screamed in pain and arched her back, trying to get away from the hard mattress. I rolled her onto her right side and she sobbed with relief and pain. She was starting to hyperventilate. I put my hand on her head and stroked her hair. That seemed to calm her down slightly.
"Shh sweetheart. It's gonna be alright now."
Dr. Fraiser was behind her when we rolled her over. "Oh God!" she exclaimed.
"What?" I demanded.
"Everybody out!" yelled the doctor.
"Doc, I'm not leaving her," I said firmly.
"Me neither," said Sam.
"Fine…everybody else out!"
(Jessie) I thought, reaching out to her with my mind. That was cool…talking to someone in my head…well…never mind.
(Sam! Jack! Help me! What's happening?) She cried in my head. I could actually feel her fear!
(Dr. Fraiser is going to take care of you now) I thought to her trying to keep both of us calm.
(Please don't leave me) She begged. I had to fight to keep the tears from falling.
From the look of distress on Sam's face, she was getting the conversation too. I nodded at her and she nodded back. We'd both made our decisions.
(We're here…me and Sam…and we're not going anywhere)
(I'm scared)
(I know you are baby. You're going to be fine. I promise) I thought to her.
God, please let me be right.
"Colonel, Sam…" said Dr. Fraiser in a strange voice.
Keeping my hand on her head, I walked around the infirmary bed until I was behind her. "Shit!" What I saw turned my stomach. I could see slashes in her shirt and blood on the skin that was visible.
Dr. Fraiser started cutting the shirt gently from her back. When it was gone, we all gagged and I said, "Oh my God!"
Deep cuts and gashes covered most of her small back. She'd been badly beaten. Most were bleeding freely, probably from when she fell on the floor.
"Hold her still Colonel…I've got to clean these cuts."
She jerked in pain as the antiseptic touched her skin. She wasn't quite unconscious, but she wasn't quite conscious either.
I walked back around her and immediately felt sick. I could see the pain in her small body, multiplied by the cuts and bruises I saw. "Shit Doc. It looks like someone took a baseball bat to her!" I said angrily.
Fraiser finished cleaning the cuts on her back and then did her chest and stomach. "Colonel I think you might want to turn your head."
"Why?"
"I have to cut her pants off too."
"Oh." I turned away from her, trusting Sam to keep her hand on her…she seemed to need physical touch. It seemed to comfort her.
Somebody gasped. "What?" asked I turning around.
"Nothing…her leg is definitely broken. I need to get some x-rays." She called for a technician.
The broken bone was sticking through her skin. I gagged. She jerked and cried out in pain as the doc cleaned the broken area on her left leg. "Mama!" she cried out.
That broke my heart. She'd said she was an orphan, yet here she was calling for her mother. "Doc, can't you give her something…ya know…for the pain?" I asked choking back a sob, reaching for her hand again.
"I have no idea if she's allergic to anything. I might give her something that could kill her. I need a blood type," Dr. Fraiser said calmly, as she drew blood from her arm, filling the vial in her hand. She handed it to a technician. She turned to me. "Does she have a name?"
I squeezed her hand gently. "Jessie," I said, trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. "No last name."
"Age, if you know?"
"She said she was ten," said Sam shakily.
Janet whistled. "She looks more like seven or eight."
The technician came over and handed a chart to Dr. Fraiser. She glanced down at it. "She's lost a lot of blood. From this, she's B-. That's both of yours," She turned to me and Sam. "Colonel, I know you don't like needles, but…." She started.
I walked towards the chair and rolled up my sleeve. "Do it," I noticed Sam did the same.
The technician pulled the curtains around both of us to take our blood. "Janet, what's going on out there?" asked Sam.
"We're x-raying her now. Be patient you two."
About five or ten minutes later, "I'm finished with the x-rays."
"Doc did you give her anything for the pain?" I asked, rolling down my sleeve.
"Yes. I gave her a shot of Demerol, Colonel. You might wanna know…she's lost consciousness."
We walked out from behind the curtain. I took Jessie's small hand in mine and Sam put her hand on Jessie's head, stroking her hair gently.
"Janet she's got a fever."
I reached over and felt.
Damn she's burning up
I watched as Fraiser put a temperature tape on her forehead. After a few moments, she said "It's too high. 105°. We've got to bring this fever down before anything else."
"Is she going to be alright?" asked Sam letting another tear escape. I really wanted to reach up and wipe it away, but I knew I couldn't.
"I don't know," said Fraiser. "I've never seen a child this small with injuries this severe." She took a deep breath, composing herself and turned to us. "You two need to report to General Hammond."
"I can't leave her doc," I said wondering why I felt connected to her.
"You don't have a choice right now, Colonel. General Hammond wants a full report on this kid now."
I leaned over and kissed Jessie on the forehead.
I know this girl from somewhere…but, where? I just wish I could remember.
"I'll be right back sweetheart," I whispered to her, kissing her forehead again.
God she's burning up!
----------------------------------------
(2 hours later)
I was getting ready to run down to the infirmary to check on Jessie when Fraiser walked in looking exhausted.
"Well, Dr. Fraiser?" asked General Hammond. "How is our ghost?"
"Doc how's Jessie?" I asked, not really caring that I talked over General Hammond.
Fraiser sat down next to Daniel. "She's slipping into a coma." She put her head in her hands. She'd been crying.
"Janet? What's wrong?" Sam asked.
Fraiser shook her head. "I have never seen a case of child abuse like this."
"What type on injuries does she have Dr. Fraiser?" asked General Hammond.
"Where should I begin? She's severely dehydrated and malnourished. She has numerous bruises and lacerations on probably 95 of her body. Her left arm is broken. The last two fingers on her left hand have been broken. Her left leg is broken…left kneecap has been severely wrenched out of place. She's gonna need surgery to repair the torn ligaments. She has three broken ribs and a punctured lung." She paused, taking a deep breath. "We almost lost her. She stopped breathing and flatlined."
"No!" I cried out, unsure of why…then Sam did the same thing. Everyone looked at us strangely. I shrugged it off.
"But we were able to resuscitate her." She shook her head. "Here…" she said opening the folder in front of her. "We took pictures documenting all of her injuries for the proper authorities." She spread the photos in front of her.
I had to force myself to breathe. There was pictures of Jessie's chest with the cuts and numerous bruises; her back with all the cuts; her legs with bruises and cuts.
Son of a bitch. If I find the bastard that did this, I'll send him through the gate to the Goa'uld.
"Janet, she has abilities…powers…I've never seen. I don't think that we should turn her over to children's services just yet," said Daniel. "Something might happen that could adversely affect the SGC."
"Or worse." said Sam.
"What could be worse?" he asked.
"Something that would hurt her even more than she's already been hurt."
I agreed with Sam. That child had been through enough and, if I had anything to say about it, she would never be hurt again. Then I saw something in one of the pictures that looked oddly familiar.
"Uh…doc what's this?" I said pointing to her right shoulder in the picture in front of me.
"I thought you'd recognize that."
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked.
"It looks like the symbol for Earth's point of origin," said Sam with wide eyes.
"How'd that get there?" asked a shocked Daniel.
"It looks like a birthmark," replied Fraiser. She gathered up all the pictures and closed the folder. She leaned back and closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down her face.
"That's not all, is it?" Sam asked, quietly.
"That's not even the worst of it." She looked up at everyone and took a deep breath before continuing.
"What could be worse doc?" I asked, fear creeping inside. I didn't really want to know the answer.
"That poor child…" she paused and took a deep breath, letting the tears slide. "That ten year old child has been raped. Not once, but repeatedly."
Sam gagged, "Oh my God!"
I cursed loudly. "Son of a bitch!"
"Here. I think you all need to read this." She opened a backpack and took out a small, worn notebook. Handing it to General Hammond first, she burst into tears. Daniel put his arms around her and held her as she cried. "I swear to God, if anyone ever did anything like this to Cassie, I would show them the meaning of cruel and unusual punishment."
