Their downtime was postponed again.
They pulled up in the parking lot of the SGC to find David waiting for them outside, his arms pulling his jacket around himself to ward off the chill.
"Andrew." The colour drained from Caitlin's face and she grabbed Sam's arm for support as the three of them slowly approached the youngest member of their team. "It's Andrew, isn't it? Something's wrong, something's happened..."
"It's not Andrew, Caitlin." David's smile was weak, his expression strained as his gaze flickered to Sam's curious face. "It's Annie, Sam. She took a turn for the worse. They think there was some bleeding in the brain... There's nothing more they can do for her. I'm sorry." He hung his head, unable to meet her gaze.
Unable to see the pain she couldn't hide.
Sam nodded, feeling numb. She saw relief flood Caitlin's face only to be replaced by shock as it sunk in.
Annie was dying.
"Thank you for being the one to tell me, David." She turned slightly to Caitlin. "Why don't you go and get some rest, get something to eat with David and catch him up on what happened. Then you can brief the Board and after that, go and spend some time with Andrew."
"You want me to brief the Directors?" Caitlin's eyebrows rose, the shock giving way to surprise.
"I'm officially off the clock. Retired again. Permanently. Until Andrew's back on his feet, you are the senior member of this team." Sam tempered the words with a small smile but couldn't hold it for long so quickly walked away. She knew Jack was behind her, heard him murmur something to Caitlin and David before catching up with her. They were silent as they made their way passed the security stations and it was only when they were in the relatively private space of the elevators that she gave in and let him tug her into his arms. "I can't lose her, Jack. Not now. I buried my father six months ago, I can't bury the woman who's been a Mom to me, too."
"It might not be as bad as David thinks." He tucked her head under his chin, clasped his hands together at the small of her back. "I'll talk to Doctor Brightman, okay? There might be something we can do. Maybe we can get in touch with Thor or the Tok'ra..."
"Not the Tok'ra." She pulled back slightly, looked up at him through dark eyes. "I'm not losing anyone else to them, either."
"Okay." He leaned down, let his lips brush against her forehead before reluctantly drawing back as the elevator slowed. "Go see her. I'll follow once I've spoken to Doctor Brightman."
"Thank you." She gave him a grateful smile and took a deep breath as the doors parted. She squared her shoulders, straightened her back and tilted her head up as she forced herself to walk to Annie's private room, preparing herself to have to say goodbye.
There was nothing they could do.
The head injury Annie had gained in the explosion was more serious than anyone had realised and by the time it had made itself known, it was too late for medical intervention to save her.
Sam sat beside the bed, her hands wrapped around Annie's.
It was familiar territory for her, old territory. One she hadn't wanted to revisit so soon.
Her father's death still weighed heavily on her mind, as did the guilt that she hadn't done enough. That there'd been something she could've done to save him. That maybe if she'd realised sooner that he was ill and keeping something from her, she could have persuaded him to let his symbiote go in time to accept another.
Six months ago, before she and Jack had officially become a couple, before he'd retired, she had whispered to her father on his death bed that she wouldn't be alone, that she'd be okay because there were people in her life to take care of her.
Jack was one. Jacob Carter hadn't known about the relationship for long before his death but when she'd confessed, he had strangely approved. It was only after he revealed he was dying that Sam realised why.
Teal'c and Daniel were the others, a warrior and a scientist. Friends who'd become family, to both her and her father.
Annie Bartley was the fourth. Jacob hadn't known about Sam's ties to the MIU but he had known Annie. He'd met her at Sam's graduation from the Academy, at the very graduation in which Sam and Elizabeth Masters had been inducted into the MIU. He'd met her on several occasions after that and had come to realise that the woman had become a second mother to his daughter.
He'd died believing she would be there for Sam after his death.
The thought that she'd only outlive him by six months hadn't crossed anyone's mind.
"Annie." Sam's voice faltered and she tightened her hold on the older woman's hand. "You can't do this to me, Annie. You can't leave me, not now. It's not fair." She rolled her eyes, hating the childish whine in her voice but knowing it was either that or give in to the flood of tears threatening to escape. "You said you'd be there for me whenever I needed you. How are you going to do that if you die on me?"
No response.
Not even the flutter of an eyelid.
Sam sighed, giving up. Annie couldn't hear her. Annie was probably already gone.
She heard the door open and close and assumed it was a nurse until a hand appeared on her shoulder and startled her. It wasn't a familiar hand so she looked up and found the President of the United States staring back.
He didn't look like the President. He looked like an ordinary person.
Just a normal grieving man.
There was a box in the hand that wasn't resting on her shoulder. Even as her eyes focused on it, Sam realised what was in it.
"I'm told you're the only member of personnel who can use it," Hayes said gruffly. He held it out to her and she noticed his hand wasn't steady. "I spoke to Doctor Brightman about it. She said the chances of it helping were small..."
"I know. I asked her about it, too."
The President nodded gravely. "So you know she advised against it. Not because she thought it would hurt Annie but..."
"But because she doesn't think I've got the energy needed to make it work." Sam took the box offered to her. Opened it and stared down at the Goa'uld device nestled inside. "Because she thinks I'd end up as one of her patients if I tried."
"I know the risks but I'm still going to make the request." He took his hand from her shoulder and moved slowly, tiredly, to sit in the second chair. "I tried imagining what it would be like living without her again. I couldn't. When my wife died, I resigned myself to living alone. I was managing it. Then I saw Annie again and couldn't imagine being without her. I still can't." He met her gaze, his expression bleak. "I wouldn't be asking, knowing that there's a personal risk to you involved, if I wasn't desperate. My advisors are waiting for me to leave. They think I'm in here saying goodbye to Annie but I'm not ready to say goodbye, Colonel."
Sam gave him a soft smile. "I'm not ready for that, either." She took a deep breath and her gaze dropped back to the device. She carefully laid the box on her lap, slowly took the device from it and slid it over her hand. "Doctor Brightman's not going to like this. Neither is Jack."
"I'll take full responsibility, Colonel. You have my word." Hope shone in his eyes and she saw him move to sit on the edge of his seat as she stood.
She took a few more deep breaths to compose herself and held out her hands, pleased to see they weren't trembling too badly. "Here goes nothing."
Her eyes closed in concentration and she waited.
And waited.
She heard the President's disappointed sigh and was about to open her eyes, lower her hands, when the familiar sensation washed over her.
The feeling of being drained.
She felt rather than heard a low pitched humming as the device started to work, could see the golden glow being emitted from her hands even through closed eyelids.
She focused, imagined the wounds being healed. Imagined Annie waking up.
She heard something, a sigh or a moan, and wasn't sure if it came from her or the woman lying on the bed.
Then it started to go dark and the only thing she could think was 'I hope it worked' before she knew no more.
"You shouldn't have made her do it."
"I didn't force her."
"You didn't exactly try to stop her, did you?"
"If I had, you wouldn't be here, Annie."
"If you had, she wouldn't be there, Henry."
If it hadn't been for the smile she couldn't quite suppress at hearing that tone of voice being used on someone who wasn't her, Sam would've been able to play possum for a little longer. As it was, the moment the smile started to appear, the pressure on her hand increased and she sensed someone lean over her.
"Carter?"
Jack.
"Hey." With a surprising amount of effort, Sam managed to pry her eyes open and found herself staring up at him, trying to reassure him with a small smile. "Did it work?"
"It worked." He tried to look stern but failed, rolling his eyes as the voices started arguing again.
"I told you she'd be okay."
"Yes, and you're world renowned for your psychic abilities. You didn't know she'd be okay and you shouldn't have let her do it."
"Annie." Turning her head took a little more effort than she would have liked but Sam was rewarded by the sight of Annie sitting beside her bed. In a wheelchair but she was there. Alive. "Nice set of wheels."
Annie tried to scowl but couldn't maintain it. "They wouldn't let me out of bed unless I agreed to use it. I feel old."
"You are old, woman." The President rolled his eyes but grinned good-naturedly at the glare he got, giving her shoulder a squeeze from where he stood behind her. "Get used to it."
"You better take that back, Henry Hayes, or I'll refuse to get on the plane to Washington with you."
Sam smiled again at the interaction, letting her attention drift back to Jack. "Have they been like this for long?"
"For eight hours. Since Doctor Brightman got tired of her demanding to see you. You've been out of it for over a day, Sam." The disapproving look returned to his face as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "We're going to talk about that. Not now. But we are going to talk about it."
"Somehow I knew you were going to say that." She shuffled over on the bed to make more room for him and slowly became aware that the arguing beside her had stopped, glancing over to find both Annie and the President starting at her and Jack with identical grins on their faces. "What?"
"Nothing." Annie's smile seemed to suggest otherwise but she didn't comment. "You shouldn't have done it, Sam. You took a risk you shouldn't have."
"It was my choice." With Jack's help, Sam managed to move into a sitting position and met Annie's gaze evenly. "If our situations were reversed, you would've done the same thing and you know it. You wouldn't have let me die if there was a chance you could do something about it."
Annie opened her mouth, and then closed it again.
The President just grinned. "She's got you there."
Annie looked up at him and threw him a look. "You really don't want me to go to Washington with you, do you?"
"Washington?" Sam interrupted before another argument could break out. "You going to stay at the White House, Annie?"
"What can I say, I'm moving up in the world." Annie shrugged but the smile faded slightly. "We have to leave soon, Sam. People are starting to wonder where the President is."
"But you've only been awake for, what, twenty four hours at most? Surely you can't leave..."
"There'll be a full team of medics with us all of the way." It was the President who answered, his expression matching his tone in an attempt at being reassuring. "And I have the best doctors in Washington standing by for our arrival. I'll take care of her."
"He doesn't want to leave me." Annie rolled her eyes but Sam could see she was pleased. "I told him it was stupid."
Sam managed a small smile and felt Jack squeeze her hand softly. "Well, it's understandable." She broke eye contact with Annie and glanced up at Jack. "Do you know how Andrew is?"
"He's doing better. He'll be staying here for a bit longer. I've told Caitlin she can get set up in one of the VIP quarters and stay close by till he's back on his feet."
Annie and the President were forgotten as she turned slightly to face him. "You told her. So you're still in charge of the SGC?"
"In a purely civilian capacity." Jack's gaze moved from her to the President for a moment before it settled back on her face. "We discussed it while we were waiting for you to come around. I'm going to stay here for the next year at least, in charge of the base as a civilian. Then they'll start looking for someone else."
"Civilian or not you're still my boss."
"I would be if I was going to be involved with anything to do with your career advancements. I'm not." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "General Hammond is going to oversee all details regarding promotions and recommendations for military personnel. It's all been approved, Sam. There's nothing to worry about."
She didn't look convinced but accepted it with a nod.
"I hate to do this but we've got to go, Annie." The President gave Sam an apologetic look and once again squeezed Annie's shoulder.
"I know." Annie gave him a small smile but her attention was soon focused solely on Sam. She leaned forward, clasped Sam's hands in hers when the younger woman disentangled them from Jack's. "I'll call you as soon as the plane lands in DC."
"You better." Her smile was small but what there was of it was genuine.
Annie nodded and blinked suspiciously bright eyes. Eyes that moved to look passed Sam and focus on the man beyond her. "You better take care of her, Jack. I'll know if you don't."
"I'll do my best."
As far as goodbyes go, it was short and sweet and definitely the type of goodbye Sam would choose over the one she'd expected to make.
Ten minutes after they found themselves alone, after much shuffling and shifting to make room in the narrow bed for them both, Sam let her eyes drift shut again, her head resting on his shoulder as Jack draped an arm over her waist, as much to draw her closer as to make sure he didn't fall.
Not to cuddle, though. He wasn't the cuddling type.
"So, there's nothing to worry about?"
"Nothing."
"Good." She let her eyes close, sighed as he squirmed behind her in an attempt at making space for them both. "So it's okay until the next time we're ordered to kill each other, or we're targeted by a deranged psychopath or..." She stopped in surprise at the loud thump. And looked down to where he was now lying on the floor. "Or till one of us falls out of bed."
Jack scowled and stood up, his scowl deepening at the smile she couldn't quite hide. "Not a word, Carter. Not a word." He motioned for her to sit up and slid onto the bed behind her, tugging her down so she was half on top of him, using his arms to keep her from mimicking his fall. "Go to sleep."
The smile on her face was smug but because the sigh she gave was contented, he chose not to follow it up with a reprimand, closing his eyes as her voice drifted distantly to his ears.
"Yes, Sir."
