What Fate Decrees - Part Four
Leaving the wormhole, they stepped once more into the room. The two volunteers looked shaky and a little green, but there was no time to offer advice on minimising wormhole sickness. Teal'c straight away set to work alongside them to erect a platform and steps so as to get the injured man up with the least fuss.
Sam was over the lip of the pit and down the side within seconds. She touched Daniel lightly on the arm in a mute request to be brought up to speed on the Colonel's condition. Daniel's recount served to diminish any colour that was left on her face, leaving her emotions plain for all to see.
Janet looked up at Sam. "He lost consciousness a few minutes ago. We need to act now."
"Teal'c," Daniel called over to the Jaffa, warning him of the need for haste. The Jaffa gave the men their last instructions before jumping down to standing besides Daniel.
"Are you going to move him like this?" asked Daniel.
Janet nodded. "It's his only chance. We can't take out the spear. If we tried to use a 'torch' it would cook his insides. There's no other way, it's too risky to attempt to remove it here, even though the spikes aren't inside him." She turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, I need you to support the spear, hold it steady."
Teal'c immediately stepped forward "I will do my best for O'Neill, whatever it takes Doctor Fraiser."
"I know you will Teal'c, but it won't be pleasant, especially for the Colonel. Try and find a comfortable position - what you think best," replied Janet.
Teal'c knelt down facing the Colonel's back, ready to take a hold on the spear.
Janet and her staff hurried to get the dressings they would need and renewed the blood and fluids ready to move as quickly as possible.
"Sam, you come up top here where he can see you if he comes around, Daniel too" Janet nodded at her staff to take up position around their patient, before checking the Colonel's vitals once more. She shook her head and Sam knew the doctor had confirmed that it wasn't safe to give him a full anaesthetic.
The large Jaffa gently grasped the spear firmly to hold it steady, looking as calm as he always did, whilst Janet worked to pack the wound more.
Sam turned her attention to the Colonel's face, and as Teal'c began to support the spear on the Doctor's instruction, she saw his eyes flicker open, his face a mask of agony.
"He's awake," she frantically called to Janet.
"I know, I can't give him anything more yet, he's way past the safe levels already," answered the Doctor. "Talk to him - anything. Keep him going."
Sam couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she looked down to his face, his eyes wide open and distressed.
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The pain was excruciating and no blackness welcomed him. Eyes, bright blue eyes captured his and he held onto them, grasping them with his vision like a drowning man would grasp a lifeline. 'Beautiful eyes.' he realised yet again for what must be the thousandth time 'She has such beautiful eyes.'
"Not long now Colonel, hold on, not long now. We'll get you back and get you in a nice warm infirmary," she called to him, still keeping eye contact with him.
"So blue," he murmured.
"What?" Carter looked confused, mouthing the question to someone nearby.
'Must have spoken out loud?' The buzzing in his head increased, a wave of blinding pain coursed through him, and the blackness claimed him once more.
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Janet checked the Colonel's vitals. "He's in v-fib!"
A nurse handed her a prepared syringe of epinephrine, which she injected into the heart, and the Colonel was rolled as far as was possible with the spear still there, onto his back as the immediate area was cleared.
The Doctor stripped the Colonel's remaining clothing free from his chest and was handed the paddles from the portable defibrillator.
"Give me 200," she called "Clear" and with a whine and then a thump the electricity zapped the Colonel. His body convulsed briefly and Janet listened for a beat. "No response give me 300 – Clear" and once more the Colonel's body convulsed. This time as Janet listened, she found what she needed. "Erratic pulse, poor respiration; we need to move now people."
Teal'c immediately positioned himself to support the spear again while the medical team moved with precision. The Colonel was quickly lifted and within a few minutes they were up the scaffolding and over the wall, Janet practically hanging on to Jack's arm, feeling his pulse as they moved.
Sam and Daniel weren't far behind and Sam rushed over to the DHD. She had dialled and sent the signal by the time the stretcher reached them. The two members of SG1 hung back slightly, keeping out of the way of the medical team, knowing that every second counted. As soon as the stretcher was through the wormhole, they stepped into the vortex, but by the time their feet hit the ramp in the gate room the medical staff had already gone.
Tears streamed down Sam's face and Daniel's eyes were misty, the blurring not just from the lack of glasses.
"I hope the Doc remembers that it's not just a glove to Jack," whispered Daniel.
"Was it Charlie's glove? Oh, God, do you think we can get it fixed?" moaned Sam. She sniffed and scrubbed at her eyes angrily with her sleeve, the events of the day finally catching up with her.
Teal'c regarded his friends gravely. "I will try. I will give it my best endeavour. The glove has indeed saved O'Neill's life."
Daniel just nodded at Teal'c, too emotional to respond.
Making their way down to the infirmary, they found the General already there. He was pacing anxiously but stopped as he saw them.
"Everyone else okay?" he asked "Doctor Jackson, you need to see the nurse," he pointed to the cut on Daniel's forehead.
Daniel shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Now Doctor Jackson, if you don't mind. Colonel O'Neill isn't going anywhere yet a while," he added speaking softly.
Daniel nodded and entered the infirmary where a waiting nurse led him to a curtained cubicle to tend to his head. Voices drifted around and he strained hard to listen for anything to indicate how Jack was.
"Is he ok?" he asked the nurse when he couldn't help himself any longer.
"Doctor Fraiser will speak to you when she is able, but he was alive when they took him into the OR," she replied, her expression sympathetic.
Not content, but unable to do anything, Daniel sat on the bed and allowed the nurse to tend to his injury. Fifteen minutes and a few stitches later, Daniel rejoined his friends outside the infirmary where three faces turned expectantly to him. Teal'c was holding his spare set of glasses out to him.
"Thanks Teal'c. No news?" he asked.
"No, we were hoping you …." Sam's words trailed off..
"He's still alive, that much I do know," offered Daniel.
General Hammond pushed himself up from the chair he'd been given. "I'll have to return to my office. SG1's debriefing can wait until we know more about the Colonel's condition. Major Carter, please see I'm paged as soon as there is any word." At Sam's nod, the General left and the others settled down to wait.
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