My thanks again to those of you who reviewed. Bear with me because there is lots more to come...angst that is...and fluff - sappy fluff at that. Glad you're all still enjoying this.

Junior

By Lingren

Previously:-

A few minutes later they all heard the distinctive sound of rotor blades swishing through the night air. The helicopter had arrived, landing in the large clearing round the side of the cabin with practiced ease. Help had arrived.

Chapter 13

Sam rode in the helicopter with Jack, insisting that because he was a General in the military she had to escort him because of national security. Reluctantly but somewhat calmer, Jon Junior accepted his grandmother's comfort, by telling him that they would travel to the hospital where his Daddy was being taken and he could see him there. The helicopter took off once they had Jack stabilized, leaving the others to secure the house and make the long drive to the hospital.

Just as the helicopter crew helped to wheel the gurney towards the hospital doors, Jack arrested again and medics poured from the ER to help revive him. Sam stood there numbly watching them work on him, struggling to maintain her composure, helpless to do anything but watch him fight for his life.

Stabilized once more, they sped Jack's gurney through the double doors at the end of the corridor, leaving Sam to fill in his details with the desk clerk.

She stood, her hand over her mouth, silently weeping for a moment as the doors closed behind the scurrying group all clustered round her lover. She closed her eyes, recalling how his dark eyes were filled with love the last time she had seen him, and she wondered if she would ever get to see them sparkle in amusement again.

If he survived; no not 'if', she told herself, ...when, when he got over this she was going to make sure that she got to see those wonderful deep hazel eyes everyday for the rest of her life. She couldn't lose him. Not like this. He was supposed to be strong; he'd always appeared indomitable; he'd always bounced back after his mishaps, but a suspected heart attack would spell the end to his tenure as Commander of the SGC; to his career in the Air Force. He just had to survive.

OoOoOoOoO

The hospital waiting room was filling up.

By the time Melissa and John arrived with Jonathon Junior, Sam was already pacing the floor of the waiting room anxiously, worried sick and almost out of her mind. Teal'c and Daniel entered the room a few minutes later. Daniel made a bee-line for Sam and forced her to sit down while he held her to him as she cried.

Every now and then Jon Junior would let out a wail for his 'Daddy', and demanded to know, in a whiney voice, why Jack wouldn't come to him, not really understanding anything that had happened. Melissa hugged him desperately, offering him some comfort despite the fact that inside she was anxiously seeking succour for herself. John slipped his arm around them both finding his own needy reassurance in the simple embrace.

Teal'c stood sentinel over them all; his adopted family. Not on any official level could he say he was a member of the family, but they were his family none the less. With his brother warrior so near to death, his own thoughts reflected back to when they had first met. Since then, both had been very near to having their life ended for them in various ways, but were miraculously pulled back from the brink again and again, thanks to the skills of the late Dr. Fraiser and others who had stepped in when earth based medicines would not be of help; people such as Thor, the Nox and the Tok'ra. He had every confidence in O'Neill's ability to rise again from his death bed.

The waiting seemed interminable. Minutes passed by like hours; hours like days. No-one ventured near to those waiting in that room and the suspense was slowly killing them. It was more than two hours later when the door opened and a very young looking doctor poked his head round it and studied the gathered throng expectantly, then asked for General O'Neill's family.

John stepped forward, followed by Sam who had sprung up from her seat and was eager to hear his verdict.

The young medic looked confused until John clarified the mystery.

"I'm General O'Neill's father, but we're all his family," he stated.

The Doctor accepted the statement but refused to delve into their strange heritage when he took in Teal'c's appearance from behind Sam.

"Oh...yes. Well, please sit down. I'm Doctor Reece Morgan. I'm responsible for General O'Neill's health care whilst he's here," he said, waiting for them all to resume their seats before he began.

"How is he?" Sam pleaded. She just had to know if he was still alive.

"He's holding his own at the moment. At first we suspected he's suffered a heart attack, but it looks like he received a massive shock to his system which has resulted in an Arrhythmia. He's experiencing chest pains, and respiratory distress which is leaving him breathless and very weak. He's sedated at the moment and is resting comfortably. We have him on oxygen, and given time and proper treatment and the excellent physical state of his body otherwise, there is no reason why he shouldn't make a fairly good recovery."

"What exactly are you saying? Please explain because I not sure I understand?" Daniel demanded, needing to know how Jack could possibly suffer from a massive shock when there was no evidence of any burns or marks on him. "What is an Arrhythmia?"

"In this case, General O'Neill suffered from a massive shock as I explained, which made his heart stop. However, the shock has damaged the part of the heart that controls its natural rhythm. Now, we can control it with certain drugs but we may have to implant a small device called an ICD to ensure the heart beats in a regular rhythm if the drugs fail to have the desired effect. There is a burn mark to the centre of his forehead which was possibly the point where the jolt entered his body, but we're not sure, he also has some bruising around the heart area of his chest. Have you any idea what could have caused this massive shock?"

"It was an unfortunate accident!" Teal'c's regal voice held a dangerous edge to it, that dared him to ask any further questions. The Jaffa glared down his nose at the young man who swallowed nervously and knew not to pursue the matter if he at all valued his life. Everyone looked at Teal'c, who seemed to understand the implications but was saying nothing.

"I see," the Doctor replied, knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from anyone, especially from the big guy wearing the ball cap.

There was a collective sigh at the news that Jack should recover. Sam felt light-headed with relief; she had been devastated when she found Jack and he wasn't breathing, and again when he arrested on the hospital doorstep, she'd almost had a heart attack herself from fear for him. Daniel held onto her as she wavered slightly.

"You okay Sam?"

She nodded through her tears of relief, yet disbelief; unable to put voice to her welling emotions of joy that Jack would recover. She thanked god that she had been given another chance to make things right between them, before it was too late. The memory of them by the lake earlier that morning was something she cherished and she sincerely hoped that the drugs could help him rather than needing the implant.

Her sentiments of relief were shared by everyone in the room, and none more so than by John and Melissa. Jon Junior didn't really understand what was happening but sensed it was going to be okay as people were now smiling though Sam and his Grandma were shedding tears too.

"So he'll be okay?" Daniel asked, needing to be sure.

"As far as we can tell, yes. It was touch and go there for a while. We almost lost him again, but he rallied and although he is stable once more, he's not completely out of the woods yet."

"I want my Daddy!" Jon demanded during a lull in the conversation.

Melissa soothed him and looked expectantly towards the Intern.

"He's being moved into ICU at the moment, but I think just one or two at a time would be in order for a few minutes only, and please try not to agitate or over-excite him, as I said he's still very weak."

"Thank you Doctor," John sighed, shaking the young man's hand in gratitude. "We appreciate everything you've done for him. Thank you."

"Just doing my job sir. If you'd like to come this way, then you can see him for a few moments. I'm not so sure about the boy though. Perhaps he should..."

"This is General O'Neill's son. He needs reassuring that his father is alive. He's just recently lost his mother, he needs to see him!" John stated emphatically, brooking no nonsense from the young man.

"Okay, but please don't allow the General to get upset if the boy is distressed in any way."

He led Melissa and John with young Jon down the corridor whilst Sam sat wiping away her tears.

They stopped before the door, and Melissa sat down on a near-by chair so that she was eye level with Junior.

"We're going to go say 'Hi' to Daddy now, but you have to be so quiet. Daddy's very sick and we want him to get better, don't we? So you have to be a brave boy for him," she soothed, pushing back his hair from his brow. They hadn't had time to run a comb through it, there was just enough time to throw on some clothes and make desperate dash to get to the hospital.

Junior nodded sadly. A tear escaped, and Melissa wiped it away, giving him a warm hug.

"You have to be a very brave boy, because Daddy will get upset if he sees you're crying, and that's the worst thing we can do to him now. He'll be wearing a funny mask over his mouth but he needs that in order to breath easier, and he'll have lots of tubes and wires on him that are attached to machines, but don't you worry about those because it tells the nurses and the doctors just how well Daddy is doing. So chin up little one. Smile for Daddy, yes?"

Jon nodded and sniffed back the tears, wiping them away with his sleeve. The smile he put on was wobbly at best and Melissa couldn't help but smile tearfully back. She knew then that he would do anything for his Daddy. She hugged him again and kissed his cheek before wiping at her own eyes.

"Good boy!" she said and led him by the hand into the room. At first sight of his father lying so still in the bed, he baulked with a slight whimper, looking up at his grandma in fright, but Melissa gently encouraged him onwards.

TBC