"Damn it, Jack!"
"Scared ya, huh?"
"No."
"Did."
"Did not."
"Did."
"I'd heard you two were like this. I'm glad I had a chance to see it for myself." Jack and Daniel both looked over at the doctor, who had quietly entered during their petty debate. The doctor stepped towards Sam's bed and lifted her arm by the wrist to check her pulse. Sam started when the doctor touched her.
"Awake I see." The doctor placed her stethoscope in Sam's hand.
"Morning, Doc. Do I get to go home today?" The doctor glanced back at General O'Neill. Jack lowered his head, so his chin was closer to his chest, and looked over at her through narrow eyes. The doctor tapped the back of Sam's hand twice.
"Ok." Disappointment rang in Jack's ears. "Do I get a shower?" The doctor didn't even need to glance back at Jack or Daniel before answering. She tapped Sam's hand once.
"Now?" The doctor tapped twice and pulled the curtain. She touched the bandages over Sam's eyes. Sam's hand came up and enveloped her wrist in a vice grip.
"Are the guys here?" The doctor used her free hand to tap the hand holding her wrist twice.
"Thanks." Sam let go. The doctor slowly removed the bandages from around her eyes. She repressed the shudder building in her as she examined the scar tissue across Sam's corneas. Sam gasped in pain as the doctor was forced to tear some of the scar tissue that had bound her eyelids to her eyes. Jack moved closer to the curtain but back away when the doctor warned him off. She recovered Sam's eyes and injected some pain medication into her iv.
"It's bad, isn't it?" The doctor nodded and exhaled. She gripped Sam's hand once. Sam just nodded her understanding and laid her head against the pillow. The doctor pulled back the curtain and locked eyes with Jack.
"The scar tissue is forming, just as I predicted. I gave her some pain medication so I expect she'll fall asleep soon. The Tok'ra should be here soon. Let her rest until then." Jack grimaced but nodded. Jack glanced over at Sam who was lying passively against her pillow, as if she was in deep thought. He stepped closer, lifted her hand, and placed it on his eyebrow. He had quickly deduced this was a quick way to let her know who he was, just as Daniel's glasses and Teal'c's gold tattoo signaled their identities.
----
General Landry immediately approved Malek to enter the SGC. Malek was escorted directly to the infirmary and introduced to the doctor. Without hesitation he moved to the side of Sam's bed. Jack rose and eyed him wearily. Teal'c and Daniel entered the room and watched the silent standoff.
"I heard of your promotion. Congratulations." Malek dipped his head in respect.
"What can you do for her?" Jack's eyes roved between Sam and Malek. Malek placed a healing device on his right hand. He steadied it with his left hand and lifted it over her face. Sam woke to the warm feel of the hand devices glow and sucked in a breath. She'd been expecting something like this but she wasn't prepared for the pain of hope as it welled inside her. Malek's face tightened and twisted as sweat beaded on his forehead. He exhaled and dropped his hands to his side.
"Her injuries are beyond what I can do with a healing device."
"That's it! You can't give her something better than that after everything she's given to you!" Malek stepped back from the ferocity of Jack's voice. Daniel stepped towards Jack.
"It didn't work?" Her words were a mere whisper but they threw the room into silence. All eyes moved to the tears running silently down her face. "That's it isn't it? I'm stuck like for forever." Sam turned her head into her pillow. "Go away!" Jack reached out and touched her shoulder but she jerked away. "I said go away damn it!" Jack backed off as the doctor injected sedative into Sam's iv. Jack watched until her sobs quieted and she stilled. Malek, Daniel, Teal'c, and the doctor were whispering in the corner.
"Now what?" Jack walked up and hawked over the doctor's shoulder, staring at Malek.
"As I was telling your doctor, I believe a sarcophagus would be capable of healing Colonel Carter's injuries."
"We seem to be fresh out of sarcophagi right now. You wouldn't by any chance have one in your back pocket, would you?" Malek frowned in confusion.
"If the latest intelligence is correct the free Jaffa nation has recently conquered a planet once held by Manumit. It was reported he had a working sarcophagus on that planet."
"Then we'll give them a call."
"It would be better if I went and investigated this claim. The free Jaffa are still very wary and we do not want to do anything that would hamper our efforts to use the sarcophagus, if they possess it." Teal'c locked eyes with Jack, silently requesting that he understand and trust his request.
"Alright, if that's how you think it has to be played then we'll wait here while you feel out your buddies. Just make it quick, Teal'c. I don't want her to give up all hope of a cure." Jack's energy level had risen so high he had to restrain himself from bouncing. "How long will she be out?"
"At least four hours, sir."
"I'll be in the gym if she needs me." Jack turned his back on the whole group and stalked out of the infirmary. He knew Teal'c didn't need his help to get ready to gate out and he wanted to release some of his pent up anger before he exploded. Daniel sat back down beside Sam as Malek followed Teal'c out of the infirmary.
Jack crept back into the infirmary three hours after Malek's failed attempt to heal Sam. He had beaten a poor airman silly and run three miles on the treadmill before showering and getting a bite to eat. He felt less tightly strung and was ready to help Sam deal with the repercussions of the Tok'ra's inability to heal her. Just the thought of her reaction made his blood begin to boil again. She didn't deserve to be lying there and she certainly didn't need hope to be snatched away from her.
Daniel glanced up as Jack entered. He was glad Jack looked calmer. Daniel sipped his coffee as Jack took up residence in a chair on the opposite side of Sam's bed.
"She's been asleep the whole time you were gone."
"Good." Jack nodded once and traced a finger along the edge of her arm.
"She's going to be upset when she wakes."
"I know."
"So what are we going to do?" Both men had been pondering this question since they watched her slip into sleep, thanks to the sedative, and neither had found an answer.
"I don't know." Daniel accepted Jack's answer with a nod and didn't offer any suggestions. Both men waited impatiently as the clock ticked. It had been five hours since Malek left the infirmary and four since Teal'c had gated to the free Jaffa base. Jack reached up and brushed a stray hair off Sam's brow. She turned her head away from his touch, the first physical indication she was awake.
"I wonder how long she's been playing possum?" Daniel questioned. Jack just shrugged and stood up. He leaned over Sam and lightly touched her cheek with the back of his right fingers. She rolled her head away.
"Leave me alone." Jack tapped her check twice. Sam raised her hand and slapped his arm away.
"Get the hell away from me." Her words were quiet but fierce and full of venom. Jack tapped her cheek twice again.
"It's hard for a deaf and blind person to communicate with another deaf person. I said leave me alone. Next time you bother me I swear I'll bite you." Sam bared her teeth and swung both arms out, hitting both Jack and Daniel. Daniel watched the pain flash across Jack's face.
"We have to find a way to talk to her Daniel, and I mean really talk, not just answer yes and no questions." Jack's pain filled eyes locked with Daniels. "Can you do that Daniel? Can you find a way for me to talk to her?"
"I'll try, Jack. I swear I'll try." Daniel backed away as he watched Jack try to reach out for Sam again. She lunged for his hand with her mouth but she missed. Daniel thought he saw Jack wipe a tear off his cheek as the infirmary door latched, blocking his view.
Jack placed a container of yogurt in Sam's hand but she refused to hold it. The first plastic cup of blueberry yogurt fell to the floor, making a dark blue smudge on the tile. Jack spooned out a small bite from the second container and placed it against her lips. She turned her head. He lifted a bottle of water to her lips and it dribbled down her chin. She didn't even lift her hand to wipe off the moisture as it dripped onto the sheet. She was withdrawing from the world and Jack couldn't do anything to stop her. He growled at her stubborn streak but quelled his desire to shake some sense into her.
Daniel returned five hours later. Sam was lying in bed with her back to Jack. Daniel couldn't tell if she was awake but he knew things hadn't improved since he left because Jack was pacing with his fists balled and jammed into his pockets.
"Jack?"
"She's stubborn as Hell."
"And this surprised you?" Jack stopped pacing and glared at Daniel.
"No. Did you work out a way to communicate with her?"
"I'm working on it. We got word from Teal'c a few minutes ago. The Jaffa didn't find a sarcophagus on Manumit's last planet but they are planning several more raids over the next few weeks. Teal'c's going to stay with them. He'll let us know if they find anything."
"Weeks!"
"I know, Jack. I'm sorry. Teal'c will do the best he can, you know that." Jack pounded his fist onto an empty gurney.
"I know. So what's she supposed to do in the mean time?" The doctor stepped up from behind Daniel.
"I'll contact the academy hospital and get Colonel Carter into the rehabilitation hospital."
"Rehab?"
"She'll need to learn how to get around and communicate in her current condition. The sooner she moves to a rehabilitation center the better."
"She's not going to live in rehab."
"Sir?"
"She'll live in her own home and go to rehab each day for classes, treatment, whatever you call it."
"Sir! She can't live alone, especially not at first."
"Nobody said she would. I'll take care of her. Daniel'll help, won't ya'." Jack looked over at Daniel who quickly nodded his ascent. "She's not going to some damn rehab hospital. She deserves better."
"It's an excellent facility and it won't be permanent."
"No."
"But the staff will help her learn everything she needs to adapt. They'll teach her how to get ready in the morning and at night. She needs to be there around the clock to learn all these skills."
"Then I'll hire somebody to come out and teach her in her own home. I will not let her live at rehab. Have you ever lived there, doc?"
"No, sir." The doctor shook her head slowly.
"Well I have and she won't. Got it?"
"I'll think about it, sir."
"There's no reason for you to think about it too long, doc. My answer's final. When can I take her home?" Jack lowered his voice, using his best intimidate the airmen face.
"Tomorrow afternoon, if she's eating and has slept."
"I'll make sure it happens."
Jack let Sam sulk for exactly thirty-three minutes before he jumped into action. He went to the cafeteria and got a cup of yogurt, a bowl of jello, a banana, and a diet Coke. Sam was in the same position when he returned as she had been when he left. He placed the tray on the rolling table and moved it far enough away so it was out of danger if thrashing ensued.
Jack wrapped his fingers around her wrist and lifted her hand. She pulled slightly but he didn't let go. Using his index finger he wrote E...A...T on her hand before she snatched her hand back with a burst of speed and strength. Jack gritted his teeth and grabbed her wrist again. This time the skin on the outside of his hand turned white due to the pressure he was exerting on her wrist. She pulled away but lost the fight. Jack resumed his spelling...G...O...H...O...M...E. Sam stopped pulling as he finished tracing letters on the back of her hand.
"Are you telling me if I eat I can go home?" Jack released the death grip he had on her wrist. He placed her hand softly on the gurney and tapped the back of it once.
"So what did you bring me?" Sam twisted her body and pushed herself into a sitting position. As Jack reached for the rolling table he saw her rub the wrist he had been holding. He pushed his guilt away as he pulled the table closer.
Sam devoured the jello and yogurt. She had a few bites of the banana and drank all of the soda.
"It wasn't the most nutritious meal ever but it was easy for a total cripple to eat. Nice choice, sir." Jack wanted to yell at her and tell her to get over herself but the only people who'd hear him wouldn't understand his rage. Jack cleaned up the table and handed Sam a napkin.
"Is this a hint? Did I make a mess? Not surprising since I can't see anything!" Jack growled and looked up as Daniel entered the infirmary.
"Have you devised a way for us to communicate yet?" Daniel glanced down at Sam then back at Jack.
"I'm working on something."
"Really?" Jack's sarcastic tone captured Daniel's attention.
"I have to wait on some equipment but as soon as it gets here I'll have something I think we can use."
"How soon?"
"Tomorrow. The day after at the latest."
"Good, there are several things I need to tell her."
"Go easy on her Jack. It'll take her time to adjust."
"She has to choose to make that adjustment and right now she's enjoying wallowing too much."
"That's not our Sam. She'll break out of this quickly, just be patient." The doctor walked up beside Daniel and smiled.
"I see you got her to eat."
"Yeah, when can she go home?" Jack's eye bored into the doctor.
"In the morning." The doctor made a few notes and walked away from the men.
"I'll sit with her for a while. You get some rest."
"I'm fine. You keep working on a way to communicate."
"Like I said, there's nothing more I can do until I get some equipment. Go on, do something to relax." Jack glanced at Sam and relented. He stopped in the control room to see if Teal'c had radioed in again before going to the gym for a long run on the treadmill. After running and lifting weights for longer then his knees would like Jack took an even longer shower, steaming up all the mirrors in the locker room.
Jack relieved Daniel in the early morning hours, after taking a nap and eating a large piece of cake. He felt refreshed and in a better frame of mind to help Sam transition home.
The doctor arrived after Sam finished a breakfast that consisted of an apple, an energy bar, and orange juice. Sam was losing weight and Jack knew she needed to get moving again before her muscle mass started to decline. The doctor pulled the curtain closed and touched Sam's arm. She let Sam touch her stethoscope as a means of identification.
"Morning, Doc. What's on todays agenda?" The doctor began unwrapping Sam's eyes. She checked the scar tissue and moved her lids. Sam's eyelids were beginning to stick to the scar tissue covering her corneas and the doctor needed Sam to begin moving her lids more to keep them functional.
Instead of rewrapping Sam's eyes the doctor placed a large pair of glasses in her hands. Sam couldn't see that the glasses were completely black.
"What are these for? You don't expect me to wear these do you?" The doctor tapped Sam's shoulder once.
"No way, I want the wrap back." The doctor tapped Sam's shoulder twice and picked up her hand. She spent several minutes tracing letters on the back of Sam's hand.
"Move my lids? You can't expect me to go around and let people see me like this." The doctor went back to writing on Sam's hand.
"I don't care how dark these glasses are! You can't do this!" The doctor sighed, wishing she had a more effective means of communicating the importance of keeping ability to blink. She patted Sam's hand and began slowly writing once again.
"Fine. It's not like you're giving me a choice. I'll make sure I open and close my eyes often." Sam placed the glasses on her face and crossed her arms. Just as the doctor reached up to open the curtain she heard Sam whisper.
"Are they really dark? Are you sure you can't see my eyes?" The doctor turned around. She held back a tear as she tapped Sam's shoulder once. Jack tiptoed forward as the doctor emerged.
"That didn't sound good."
"She's not happy with the removal of the bandages. I need her to move her eyelids often so they won't stick to the scar tissue. Believe me when I say she won't like it if I have to peel them apart again." Jack shuddered at the image that description brought to the forefront of his mind.
"You can take her home. Don't push too hard today. Let her find her footing. I'll make sure a rehabilitation therapist comes by this afternoon. He or she will help you figure out how to push a little while being supportive, without letting her become dependent."
"That sounds easy." Jack grumbled as he watched Sam shift to lie on her side.
An hour later Jack was wheeling Sam out to his truck. Daniel was walking beside them carrying a box of supplies, including Sam's meds and Jack's gameboy. Daniel had gone to Jacks and packed him some clothes and toiletries so Jack had the basics he needed to stay with Sam for a while. Jack took Sam home while Daniel went to the grocery story.