Waiting was something they were all used to. It came with the job, after all. Waiting to hear word on the health of one of your companions, team members or friends was just as commonplace, unfortunately, and Sam, Daniel and Teal'c had all waited to hear how one or the other was doing at one point or time in their time together. But having gone through it before never made waiting any easier, and for Sam it was pure agony that she never would have been able to bear if not for the solid comfort of those around her, waiting with her.

They didn't even acknowledge that they were soaking wet, even when Sam suggested she'd be okay while they went and Changed into dry clothes, Teal'c had merely informed her that he would dry, and Daniel had replied that he was already drying and there was no sense in changing. She wasn't fooled, and was grateful for their continued company as the long hours slowly slipped passed.

Sam left the room only once, and that was to get Jacob from her lab. Cradling her son – Jack's son – she cuddled him close as she returned to her place between Daniel and Teal'c, and although he'd been woken up by her coming to get him, Jake was a quiet comfort to her as he chewed on his hand while they waited.

After three hours had passed – maybe a little more, since Sam hadn't looked at the clock when she'd first sat down – a medic came up to them. It wasn't Janet, who had been last seen following Jack's gurney into the operating room, so they knew immediately that this news would be about Ian.

"How is he?" Daniel asked before the doctor could speak.

"It could have been a lot worse…" the doctor sounded and looked tired, but there was a satisfied expression on his face that told them all Ian was probably going to be fine. "The staff blast hit him at an angle, and the vest he was wearing took a lot of the force. He's broken a couple of ribs, but they didn't hurt any organs, and he has a concussion, but we're fairly certain he'll be fine in a couple of days. All the tests and x-rays came out clean."

"That's good news."

The doctor nodded.

"He got off easy, all things considered. Like I said; it could have been much worse. We're going to put him in ICU for now – until he wakes up and assures us that he's really as well off as we think he is."

"Can we see him?" Sam asked.

"Not yet. He's out cold right now."

She didn't argue, and it was a measure of how worried she was about Jack that she didn't press to see Ian just then. He was going to be okay, and that was good enough for her – for then. Now, she needed to be close by so she could hear about Jack when Janet was finished.

"Any idea how Colonel O'Neill's doing?" Daniel asked. Sam was grateful to him, because she hadn't had the courage to ask herself.

The doctor shook his head, giving Sam a sympathetic glance as he did so.

"I haven't heard, I'm sorry."

She nodded, and the doctor excused himself to go make sure Ian was being comfortably settled. Sam sighed, and once more felt Daniel's arm around her.

"He's in good hands."

"I know."

More to take her mind off her worry – although that really wasn't going to happen – she changed the subject slightly.

"What happened?"

Since Daniel wasn't really sure how everything had started – he'd been minding his own business doing the rubbings, after all – he turned to Teal'c to let him answer. With his usual deep, gravelly voice, Teal'c gave a succinct version of the events on the planet – right up until Jack had been shot, and ending with Ian kneeling down beside him and being shot himself.

"It was fortunate the blow was only a glancing one," Teal'c said.

Daniel nodded his agreement.

"Ian wasn't even moving. He was completely focused on Jack…"

Which wasn't to say that he'd frozen – although it was sort of what it had looked like. It wouldn't have been the first time someone had froze in a firefight, after all, and they all knew Ian was young and inexperienced – no matter how intelligent he was and how well trained he'd been for just such an event. It happened.

Sam leaned back against the wall, and listened as Teal'c told her about him and Daniel picking up their injured teammates and carrying them through the gate, but her attention was immediately drawn to a door that opened at the other end of the room. Janet Fraiser, her surgical scrubs liberally smeared with blood – and Sam knew whose blood it was – was walking their way.

Sam stood up, holding Jacob close. The baby had fallen asleep once more while Teal'c had been reporting events to Sam, but he opened his eyes when he felt himself being lifted.

"How is he?" Sam asked, only vaguely aware that Teal'c and Daniel had stood as well.

Janet only hesitated for an instant, but in that instant, Sam already heard the answer as clearly as if she'd screamed it aloud.

"It's not good, Sam…" She said, softly. "His sternum is shattered, and it's a miracle that he's even alive. The splintered bones should have shredded his aorta and he should have bled to death before they got him through the gate."

"But he didn't…"

Sam was grasping at any hope she could – faint as it was.

"No. But there was evidence of heavy internal bleeding, even though I couldn't find any." She paused, and shrugged. "It's close Sam. He's lost a lot of blood and had several internal injuries. I've patched him up as well as I can… but… we'll just have to wait and see. He's come through worse."

It was the only hope she could honestly give, because even though Sam was her best friend, she'd never lie to her to keep her from the truth.

"Can I see him?"

Janet nodded.

"They're moving him to the ICU room right now…"

"Here, Sam," Daniel said, reaching out his hands. "I'll keep an eye on Jake while you go see Jack."

She nodded, wordlessly, knowing that the ICU was no place to take the infant, and handed him over to Daniel, who cuddled him carefully. Then she turned and nodded to Janet, and the doctor led her back the ways she'd come.