Chapter 3

Immediately after the briefing, SG1 returned to the infirmary to check on the patient. Janet found them surrounding Chandani's bed. She pulled them to one side to give an update on her condition.

"She was hit just inside her hip bone, on the right side. She's sustained some serious damage to her reproductive organs – her right ovary and uterus. We had to remove that ovary and may eventually have to remove her uterus." Janet paused to rub her eyes.

"She also received damage to the femoral artery that runs through the pelvic area to her leg. She lost a lot of blood and has received two units of blood so far, and will need more. We removed her appendix and a portion of her small intestine that was severely damaged. She's in critical condition at this point and it could go either way for her." Janet looked each of them in the eye.

"If she survives the next 48 hours, she should be out of immediate danger, assuming infection doesn't set it. It's not looking good, folks. I'll be keeping her heavily sedated for the next couple of days, so I doubt she'll even wake up, but you can set a rotation watch after that if you'd like." Janet knew her friends well enough to know one of them would want to be here when she woke up.

"Janet, let me see if I can get a hold of my dad. He, or one of the other Tok'ra, might be able to help her," Sam offered.

Janet nodded her acceptance, patted Sam on the arm in sympathy, and returned to her office. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c turned to leave. Daniel pulled a chair up to her bed. "I'm staying. She shouldn't be left alone."

Jack placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, "You can't stay here for two days. Go get some sleep. She's not going anywhere."

"I can't leave her alone. I'll be fine." Daniel slid the chair closer to Chandani and laid his hand over hers.

"Come on, sir. You know you can't change his mind." Sam gave a little tug to Jack's sleeve and the three team mates left.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Unscheduled gate activation! Unscheduled gate activation!" Walter's voice could be heard clearly over the sound of the klaxons.

General Hammond left his office to stand behind Sgt. Harriman in the control room. "An idea who it is, Sergeant?"

"I'm getting a code…it's the Tok'ra, sir."

"Get Major Carter in here. It might be her father." Hammond instructed the sergeant.

Sam came jogging into the gate room just as her father stepped off the ramp onto the cement floor.

"Hi, Dad." Sam leaned over to receive a hug and kiss from her father.

"Hello, Sam. What's up?" Jacob slipped his arm down from his daughter's shoulder to her waist as they began walking out of the gate room.

"We brought back a young woman with us who was critically injured by a staff blast. I was hoping maybe you could help. Janet can fill you in on the details." Sam led her father to the infirmary.

As they entered the room, Jacob slipped off to the side to get the details from Janet, while Sam continued on toward Chandani's bed.

Daniel was still there, after twenty-four hours. Sam knew he'd only left her bedside to make quick trips to the head or to walk out the kinks from sitting so long. Chandani's hand was covered by Daniel's as both slept – Daniel slumped over, leaning on the bed.

"Daniel," Sam shook his shoulder gently and whispered in his ear. "Wake up. My dad's here to help."

Daniel straightened slowly, stretching out his stiff muscles. Blinking repeatedly, he brought his glasses down from the top of his head. Daniel turned to see Jacob and Janet walking toward the bed. He moved his chair away to allow Jacob better access to Chandani.

Jacob spread his legs to steady his stance and began moving the glowing healing device slowly over Chandani's lower abdomen.

Several minutes passed and sweat beads appeared on Jacob's forehead. He finally dropped his hand to his side, visibly weakened. "I've done all I can. She should live, but I'm not sure about her ability to have children." Turning to Sam he said, "I can stay for a while. Want a visit from your old man?"

"Always glad to have you, Dad." Sam flashed a genuine grin, reflecting her pleasure in spending time with her father.

Janet scanned the monitors quickly. "Her vital signs have improved quite a bit. Blood pressure's back up to almost normal. Pulse is steady. Your father helped her a lot." Janet faced Sam. "I was concerned she might not make it, now we just have to watch out for infection, but I think she'll recover nicely." Janet turned to Daniel.

"Daniel, you need to go get a shower, something to eat, and sleep in a bed for at least six hours. She's too drugged to wake up for another day anyway." Janet shook her finger in Daniel's face as he opened his mouth to protest. "Don't come back for at least eight hours. I'll make it an order if I have to."

"I'm not military! You can't 'order' me, Janet," using her first name for emphasis. "I can't leave her alone." Daniel's face was pale with exhaustion and lack of food.

"I'll stay," Sam offered. "I'll get Teal'c to take turns. They'll be someone with her until you return. Now go!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel dragged himself away from Chandani's bed, trying to decide which he needed most: sleep, food, or shower. Deciding on sleep, he pointed his feet to his quarters, hoping they knew the way without his brain engaging.

He opened his door and the only thing he could see was his bed; calling him. Loudly. He shuffled over, set his alarm for six hours and tumbled, face-down, into bed.

Six hours later, Daniel was awakened by the most irritating sound in the world – the buzzing of an alarm clock. He lifted his arm up and smacked the noise off. Rolling over onto his back – he apparently hadn't moved in six hours – he threw his arm over his eyes and moaned.

"Chandani!" Daniel bolted up as he remembered why he'd set the alarm. He got up, gathered some clean clothes and headed for the showers. As he sat on the wooden bench in the locker room removing his shoes, he began to wonder why he was so preoccupied with that woman. She is beautiful, but beauty alone has never been enough for me to maintain an attraction to a woman. Daniel smiled to himself and was reminded of Sha're. She had been beautiful, but he knew that it was her strength, her passion, and her innocence that had captured his heart. Wandering toward the shower stalls, Daniel adjusted the temperature of the water and tried to relax, knowing full well how difficult it would be while Chandani was lying in an infirmary bed, and he was powerless to help. She is so confident – you could see it in the way she walked towards us in the temple. And she'll do whatever it takes to help her people. Daniel was worried for the millionth time that day – how was he supposed to tell Chandani that her chance of carrying a child was almost zero?

Twenty minutes later, Daniel was showered, dressed and heading for the commissary to fill the final third part of Janet's order – food. He hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours, and he was looking forward to commissary food! I must be starving if the thought of commissary food makes me salivate!

Choosing a salad, some kind of slightly grey meat, soggy, overcooked veggies, a slice of lemon cake, and coffee, Daniel headed to a table occupied only by Teal'c.

"Please, sit down, DanielJackson," Teal'c welcomed his friend as he pointed to the empty chair across from him.

"Have you heard anything about Chandani lately, Teal'c? Janet won't let me back into the infirmary for…" Daniel looked down at his watch, "…another 48 minutes."

"Her condition remains unchanged, DanielJackson." Teal'c dark, unfathomable eyes met Daniel's clear blue ones.

"I wonder if that's good or bad? Oh, well, I'll ask Janet when I can go back in…" Daniel glanced at his wrist, "…47 minutes. You know, I've been thinking about what she told us back on P5N-327, about the Three Stars? I wonder if the mythology of ancient India could give us a hint about where the stars might be." Daniel looked at his fork, filled with an indescribable chunk of grey mass. Scrunching his nose in disgust, he dropped his fork back onto his plate. "I think I'll stop by my lab and see if I can find a reference book to look at while I sit with our priestess."

Teal'c simply inclined his head slightly. Daniel pushed his tray aside - grey food had killed his appetite - and leaned forward toward his large friend.

"Teal'c, you've know me for a few years now. Knowing me, why do you think I've become so preoccupied with Chandani? I mean, well…, I've been attracted to other beautiful women, but not like this. It's almost," Daniel lowered his head and played with his uneaten food, his voice almost unheard by his friend, "like when I first met Sha're." Daniel looked back at Teal'c. "I've become more than preoccupied. It's more like I'm obsessed."

Teal'c learned foreword closing the space between the two men. "You are a person of great passion, DanielJackson. When you work, there is nothing else. When you have a righteous cause, there is nothing else. When you offer your friendship, nothing stops you from doing everything within your ability to insure the happiness and well-being of your friends." Teal'c learned forward just a little more. "When you love, you give yourself completely. You do everything within your power to bring about the protection and happiness of those you love. The priestess has given you and Major Carter a great task to perform. You are the Chosen, who will save her planet and her people. You are a man who will not allow anything else to come between you and your mission. You are a man of great integrity, DanielJackson. That is why I am honored to call you my friend." Daniel sat still for a moment, blinking silently at this great man, who himself has been a pillar of strength and courage.

"Thank you, Teal'c. That means more to me than you will ever know." Daniel offered his friend a small smile. "I'm going to make my way over to relieve Sam. See you later?"

"Indeed you shall, DanielJackson."

AN: I know this update has taken a while, but both real life (work!) and writer's block have raised their uggly heads. I've already written a first draft of the last few chapters, but the middle is giving me problems. Fortunately, my beta, Verb, is helping quite a bit - not only with an unending supply of commas, but some great suggestions for the direction of this story. As always, please R&R.