A/N: Ok this is the final chapter. Thank you to all who have been with me from the beginning! Get ready for a REALLY long chapter!
"Damn," she thought, "we have less time than I thought."
The Orb
Chapter 13
Jack spent the night in the infirmary with Sam. He had crept in after Janet and her nurses took a break and sat in his usual chair holding her hand. Jack had a smile on his face all the while he was sneaking in. 'Never know when you need to use the old Black Ops techniques.' He had stayed up most of the night talking to Sam and caressing her hand. At some point he had dozed off and now he awoke to a hand on his shoulder.
Jacob had see Jack sleeping in the chair holding hands with his daughter and smiled. He knew that they had feelings toward each other and even though Jack wouldn't have been his first choice for Sam, he was a good man.
"Jack." It was Jacob. "Go get something to eat. We'll be leaving in to hours and I want some time with her. Thank you for staying with her last night. I had to return to the Tok'ra base for some supplies for our mission."
Jack stretched and then stood up and nodded to Jacob. "No problem." He knew that he needed to keep his strength up for Sam, so he did as he was told. He turned to look at Sam again as he approached the door and whispered, "No problem at all."
The team was now assembled in the gate room with the Tok'ra and their supplies. General Hammond wished them luck and ordered the technician to dial the gate. The sent the MALP and also the FRED (Field Remote Expeditionary Device) with additional supplies. They didn't know what to expect once they arrived at the temple.
The gate opened with a whoosh and the mobile units followed by the Tok'ra were already moving through it. Jack took one last look up to the control room towards his CO.
"Find the cure," Hammond told Jack as he watched the others move through the gate. Daniel and Teal'c made no move until Jack did. As they walked through together, Hammond thought he heard Jack say, "Come on kids, we're off to see the wizard."
As they passed through the wormhole and stepped out, the four were greeted with the same barren landscape they had experienced upon their first mission there.
"Teal'c, you take point." Jack ordered.
Teal'c replied with a precise nod and took his position in the lead.
The Tok'ra Aldwin and Jacob followed and Jack and Daniel took up the rear. Daniel controlled the remote control for the FRED and they left the MALP at the gate.
"Crap, all those damn trees are still here." Jack mumbled under his breath, just loud enough that only Daniel could hear. With that remark, Jack started to walk to join the rest of the party. Daniel suppressed a laugh and moved to follow him.
Aldwin inquired, "In which direction are ruins where you first encountered the orb?"
"It was about 8 clicks to the northwest." Jack replied, "We should be able to get there within a couple hours." Jack really hoped that magically the device would be right there waiting for them and that they would grab it and head home before Sam could get any worse.
Teal'c had already been setting a lightning pace, but no one complained.
Sam's life was hanging on this mission.
Janet was checking Sam's vitals for about the fiftieth time in the last half hour. There were two nurses assigned to monitor the Major's status, but Janet wanted to be there for Sam, no matter what. Janet knew that SG1 and the Tok'ra were probably on the planet now and prayed that they would find the answer to save her friend. Her patient's decline was a steady descent now and her kidneys had failed. She was now on dialysis and her other major systems were getting close to shutdown. The nanites seemed to be completing their final programming. At this time there were probably millions in Major Carter's body and they were keeping her close to death.
'We really need to buy a sarcophagus,' Janet thought, 'what's a little addictive side affect when a life hangs in the balance? It's not like we'd be using it repeatedly on the same person. Well, ok, maybe in SG1-s case it would be used repeatedly. It would be worth it in the end for all the times that they have and would continue to save the Earth from certain disaster.'
Janet's thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of the heart monitor by Sam's head. She moved closer to read the machine. Sam's heart rate was getting slower and her blood oxygenation percentage was declining. She turned to one of the nurses and told her to get the crash cart. 'Just in case.' she told herself. She fitted an oxygen mask over Sam's face and turned on the oxygen.
Teal'c had stopped in on the path and held up his staff weapon. The party stopped behind him. They could see the temple a short distance away.
"O'Neill, we have arrived at our destination."
"Ok, everyone let's go inside and find that orb-removing thingy." Jack said solemnly. "Daniel you're with me and Teal'c you go with our friends here."
They split up and explored the ruins a room at a time. Daniel and Jack started in the room that Daniel had found the orb and tablets. There were two massive stone pillars that had fallen and some of the roof had caved in since their last visit. They picked over stones and rocks and were just about ready to move onto the next room when Jack's radio crackled to life.
It was Teal'c. "O'Neill, I believe we have located the device. We are attempting to break it free from the rubble. Aldwin is proceeding to your location and will guide you to us."
A moment later Aldwin entered the room and motioned to follow him. With a hurried pace, they jogged down the narrow passage to the other room. Daniel's hopes rose as they got nearer and he hoped that the device was intact and operational. Even though it was rumored never have been tested on a human, he had high hoped that the technology would still work on Sam. It had to.
They rushed into the chamber and saw Teal'c and Jacob Carter both examining a cylindrical pod, just large enough to fit a human. It was leaning back against a wall surrounded by rocks and it appeared to have been struck by falling debris. There were raised symbols on the outside on what appeared to be a control panel. They could see that the pod was empty through the translucent door.
"Daniel Jackson, there was a tablet lying near the machine. It has the same symbols as are notated on the device." Teal'c said as he saw his friend enter the large room. The chamber looked like it had been an ancient laboratory. Many broken machines lay scattered among the stones and rocks.
Jacob motioned for Jack to come closer, "Other than this one pillar that had collapsed, we found the room was in good condition. The pod had been sitting on a pedestal and the pillar had knocked it from its perch. We were trying to determine if it had caused irreparable damage but it looks as if just the outer shell was damaged."
"Let's get them both back to the SGC pronto and make the determinations there. I want to make sure we are back as quickly as possible." Jack said. "We'll need the FRED to get this back to the gate."
As they discussed the best course of action, the ground suddenly trembled. Debris sifted down from the roof along with some small stones.
Jacob yelled over the rumbling, "We need to at least get it out of this chamber before these rocks do any damage."
Jack turned towards Daniel and shouted, "Daniel why don't you go back to the entrance prepare FRED. We'll figure out how to move the machine out to somewhere a little safer. Daniel nodded his head and headed out of the chamber at a jog.
Jack turned back and watched as Aldwin and Teal'c moved over to assist Jacob in moving the pod, which was heavier than it looked. It took all three if them just to lay it down horizontally on the ground.
"What's this thing made of? Lead?" Jack asked sarcastically.
"I'm sure Samantha would go into a dissertation onwhich periodic elements it was created with." Jacob countered.
They both looked down at the ground with just the thought of her. They had to have found the right device.
"Alright, Teal'c, what can we use to get this out of the temple?" Jack asked. "Got any Jaffa tricks of the trade that we can use?"
General Hammond stood in front of the large reinforced glass window which overlooked the gate. It was now 1130 hours and he hadn't heard anything from the Colonel's team since they had departed earlier that morning. They were due to check in with the SGC in a little less than thirty minutes. Hopefully they would report that they had indeed found something that would help Major Carter.
Down in the infirmary, chaos was running rampant. Alarms were beeping, nurses were rushing to get medications and Dr. Frasier along with her team were doing everything they could to keep Major Carter's condition from crashing. They were winning this skirmish, but barely. Sam was hooked up to just about every machine they had available. Janet's patience was wearing thin. She wasn't going to stand by and let this happen to her best friend. 'Where the hell is he Colonel?' she thought, 'He damn well better hurry.'
They hauled the pod out of the chamber just in time, as the ceiling let go just after they passed the threshold. Daniel was calling to them over the radio. "Where are you guys? Things don't look good out here."
Jack answered, "We'll be there in a jiffy, this thing ain't exactly 'light as a feather'."
Finally, they exited the temple and Daniel had the FRED in position. All they had to do was lift the pod…
"For crying out loud, how are we going to lift this up on there?" Jack yelled, frustration evident in his tone.
"Maybe we won't have to", said Jacob, "do you have some strong rope or a chain?"
"Yeah, what do you have in mind?" Jack asked.
"Well, the FRED has a winch doesn't it? We could wrap the chain around a tree and winch it up onto it." Jacob replied. "Unless you have a better idea."
Jack smiled, "Sounds like a plan to me. Let's give it a go."
They attached the chain to the pod and then wrapped it around the strongest tree in the area. Jack attached it to the winch and when all was ready, he started the winch's motor. It groaned and strained but after a few tense moments, when the pod looked like it would roll off the side of the FRED, they had it secured and ready to move. The tremors didn't help the situation either. The ground was still shaking, but things were better now that they were outside.
"Ok guys, let's get this back pronto." Jack led the team back to the path that would lead them back to the gate. Anytime General Hammond would probably dial up and check in. They would forty-five minutes overdue, not very long under normal conditions, but someone's life was in the balance.
They made their way back to the gate, making better time than on the way to the temple. The Stargate was in sight when it sprang to life. There was no getting out of sight if it were an unfriendly visitor, so they kept moving towards it.
Jack's radio crackled and General Hammond's voice came over the air. "Colonel O'Neill, what is your status?"
"We're at the gate. Would you mind shutting it down so we can come home? We have the device. How is Major Carter?"
"You'd better hurry. We're shutting down now." The gate shutdown and immediately Daniel began to dial home. The gate reopened and Daniel entered the code into the GDO. As soon as the reply was received, they drove the FRED up the steps and through the gate to home.
"Welcome back, Colonel. We are preparing an observation room to set up the device and as soon as it is operational we will transfer Major Carter to it." General Hammond said as the FRED came to a halt at the bottom of the ramp.
A team of technicians took charge of the pod and Hammond sent Teal'c to translate the tablet. Jack and Daniel just paced the hallways until they were allowed to enter the observation room where the pod would hopefully save Major Carter.
The pod and translation were finished about the same time. General Hammond assembled everyone in the briefing room and gave Teal'c the floor to announce what he had learned.
"General Hammond, the tablet offers instructions on how the machine was devised to work. Essentially, the subject was placed inside, the machine would be activated and through a process I do not understand, the nanites would reform into the orb and exit the body using the Tollan technology. Unfortunately, there is nothing to show that this procedure was successful. It describes testing using different sets of symbols, but does not mention the exact outcome." Teal'c then sat down. "I believe I have found the series of symbols that offer the best of chances according to the tablet. Sergeant Siler will need to attach a naquadah generator to power the device."
Dr. Frasier wasn't too sure about risking Major Carter on a "test", but at this point there wasn't much else they could do. "Whatever we do, we need to do now. We are losing her minute by minute."
General Hammond spoke up "Looks as if we don't have much of a choice. Jacob, what do you say?"
Jacob said softly, "Let's give it a go."
Janet, Jacob and Teal'c were the only personnel allowed in the room with the pod and Major Carter. Jacob because Carter was his daughter, Teal'c because he translated the tablet and could read the symbols and Janet, well, because she wouldn't let anyone touch Major Carter unless she was there.
Jacob lifted his unconscious daughter from the gurney and moved to place her inside the pod. All of the tubes and wires had been disconnected from her. She was barely breathing on her own and Janet wasn't sure at times that she was breathing. Somehow the nanites were keeping her right at the brink of death.
Jacob noticed how light she was, like she was a little girl again. He gently placed her inside and immediately the pod lit up inside. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and closed the cover. He backed away from the pod and nodded to Teal'c. The Jaffa moved to the side of the pod and entered a series of symbols from the control panel. The pod hummed and Janet moved closer to see her patient inside. They had no idea how long the process would last so they stayed in the room, pacing. Of course, there was more of the same outside as well. Daniel and General Hammond were in the hallway and Aldwin was staying in the guest quarters. He didn't feel comfortable being around Jacob and his daughter during the procedure.
And then there was Jack. He sat up in the glassed in area of the observation room and watched everything. His eyes locked upon his 21C's face, as well as he could see it through the hazy cover. He was keeping watch, just like when they were offworld. He was their protector, their leader, their friend.
About a half hour later, the machine let out a hiss and the interior light went dim, then brightened again. From inside the machine, Janet could hear moans coming from Major Carter.
"I think she's coming around." Janet moved to lift the cover to the pod and was shocked that it would not release. "Why won't this budge?" She asked, and looked towards Teal'c. The moans were increasing and Sam was trying to move around. Her movements were jerky and her face was scrunched up in pain.
"Jacob, can you get this open?" Janet cried out. She was increasingly concerned about Sam's condition. She could hurt herself inside in her weakened state.
"Dr. Frasier, I do not believe we should attempt to open the device until it ceases its cycle. It may harm Major Carter more if we try to remove her now." Teal'c stated calmly.
Sam's eyes were now open and she could see her friends and her father outside this thing she was in. The pain was intense. She felt like she was being turned inside out. She could hear the buzzing like a swarm of a million angry bees. She wanted it to stop, she wanted out of there NOW. She banged her palms on the cover, hoping to free herself from this confinement, but to no avail.
Her screaming shook Jack to the core. He had to look away, unable to stand hearing her in such agony. He wished the machine would finish so he could hold her and comfort her, even though he knew that was impossible here under these conditions, with certain personnel around.
The machines humming escalated to whining along with Sam's screams. Janet could see the nanites under the skin in her arms and neck; they were heading to where they had entered, her head.
Janet could not imagine how all those nanites would get out, but just wanted them to do so before they killed her friend.
Sam's agonizing wail reached its peak and at that moment, there appeared a bulge on the side of her head. It looked as if she had gotten whacked with a baseball bat and the swelling was rising fast. And then before anyone could react, the air seemed to ripple, like when you see heat rising off hot asphalt, there in front of Sam appeared the orb. Solid and floating inside the pod. The orb was glowing and pulsing like Jack had seen right in Carter's lab. Sam slumped inside the pod with a final groan escaping her lips.
Jack was out of the glassed area and ran down to get into the room with Sam.
Inside, the pod's sounds lowered in pitch as if it was shutting down. The orb also was acting different. The pulses were growing farther apart and it was not glowing as bright. It looked as if the device had in fact cancelled the orb's programming. The orb fell to the bottom of the pod with a metallic clang and the cover finally released, hissing as it opened.
Janet was the first one to check on Major Carter. She felt for a pulse. "I have a faint pulse. Let's get her out of this thing and back to the infirmary." The door opened and Jack rushed in.
"Colonel, you can't be in here right now. I've got to get her back to the infirmary. She's very weak and I don't know what added damage has been done." Behind Jack came two medics with a gurney. Jacob lifted Sam and Janet led them running back to her domain.
Two hours later, General Hammond, Jacob and SG1 were allowed in to see Sam. Janet felt reasonable sure that the pod had not worsened her condition and if anything actually reversed some of the damage the nanites caused. However, she was still weak and needed medical attention. She had given them the facts in the hallway before she allowed them access.
"Major Carter is still very weak but her condition is improving. It will take some time before she awakens and is strong enough to communicate. Please only stay a few minutes. Jacob you can stay longer."
Daniel and Teal'c moved to Sam's bedside. Daniel touched her hand and whispered words of encouragement. That she was needed and that he missed their talks. Teal'c spoke of her being a warrior and that she should continue to battle her way back to the team. They were replaced by General Hammond who quietly told her that she needed to get better because she was irreplaceable at the SGC and that the team would not be the same until she was back on her feet.
Jack was one of the last to go in. He knew that with Jacob there, he wasn't going to be able to take up his watch at her bedside. He approached her bed and took her hand, looking to make sure no one was watching. As he bent down to sit in the familiar plastic chair, his lips brushed the back of her hand.
"Sam, you really had me worried this time. I keep telling you not to play with those ancient doohickeys." Jack watched her face for any reaction. He only saw her in a peaceful sleep.
He leaned back in the chair, still holding her hand. Now he didn't care who walked in right now.
Sam was going to be alright. Maybe this time he'd tell her what she meant to him when she awoke. "Sweet dreams, Samantha."
Well, here it is my first fic done. I hope this last chapter wasn't too long and I hope it was worth the wait. Please let me know what you thought! Thanks everyone!
