Another part, because I have time - it's the weekend.
I did give you a warning, Arrant Schemata - I said it was yucky at the top of the last part!
Flatkatsi
Soldiers of Misfortune – part 11
Teal'c and Daniel were tired and hungry by the time they entered the main room of the house. As soon as they were in, Alenor and the others crowded around them asking questions.
Sam's pale face as she came down the stairs stirred Daniel into action and once more adrenalin urged him forwards. He was over to Sam in a few paces and gave her a quick hug. Her face showed her relief that he and Teal'c were okay, but her eyes held that oh so important question.
"I spoke to a doctor, Sam, and got some drugs. Let's go up."
Alenor called after them that he would prepare some food and Daniel gave him a quick thank you. He followed Sam up the stairs, still clutching the pillowcase like a long lost friend. "How is he?" he asked hesitantly.
"No better. The fever's getting worse and the wound is still seeping pus. It seems to erupt every few hours."
"The doctor said that would happen. We need to keep it open and draining, get as much as we can out."
As they approached the bed, Daniel's heart wrenched to see his friend lying there. Sam had removed Jack's upper clothing, leaving just a thin sheet covering him, and had obviously been bathing him with water. Jack was unresponsive, his paleness and stillness worrying Daniel more than he liked.
The dressing was saturated again and Sam sighed as she began to remove it.
"Get what you can out," urged Daniel.
"You want to do it?" snapped Sam as she gingerly felt around the wound.
Daniel went visibly green at the thought. "Uh sorry … I …"
Sam looked at him sadly. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I just don't think I could do that. Do you want me get Teal'c?"
She shook her head. "No, it's alright. I've been managing."
She placed cloths around, ready to soak up the putrefied liquid, grimacing as she began to apply pressure around the wound and the contents began to seep.
Daniel turned away queasily. He began to empty the contents from the pillowcase, checking each item and recalling what the Doctor had said before placing them in order on the chest of drawers beside the bed.
Sam cleaned the wound up and put another dressing in place. She disposed of the stinking soaked cloths and went to wash her hands before joining Daniel. Daniel carefully went through everything twice with her. Sam nodded her understanding.
"You think these will be okay? I mean we're not … to them we're aliens," she whispered.
"I think we're certainly close enough in origin, and there doesn't seem to be any noticeable differences. They can't make things worse than if he doesn't get help, and let's face it, the chances of finding and getting access to a lab and doing analysis are what?"
Sam nodded. "I know; believe me I know. It's just the thought that I might be killing the Colonel if I put this stuff into him."
"I don't believe it would, Sam, but if we do nothing then we are killing him. He won't survive without these drugs."
Sam took a deep breath, picked up the first bottle with a syringe and with determination, began to measure the first shot.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Sam settled down for the remainder of the night. Daniel had collapsed into a deep sleep after eating and Teal'c had performed Kel-no-reem almost immediately.
She had given the Colonel the injections with shaking hands, carefully checking each dose twice before administering them, and was now sitting beside him, constantly checking his pulse and his breathing for any signs of deterioration.
It was a long night and twice Sam had panicked when she dozed and suddenly awoke and unable to hear him breathing. She had fumbled for a pulse quickly, only to see his chest rise steadily with a slow breath. 'Morphine could do that … stop panicking – it stood to reason that a strong painkiller could do the same … might even be morphine for all she knew from the label.'
She also knew that it was getting desperate that they leave the city as soon as they could. God alone knew how long it would be before the Karmine moved in and rounded up the people …
xoxoxoxoxoxo
The next day she organized the others into getting supplies together and they studied the maps for the best route out. Teal'c volunteered to go out later that day to check the route they had chosen, reasoning that the rebels and the Karmine would be more on their guard when darkness fell.
It was late when Teal'c returned, but he was confident they would have little trouble getting out of the city. What few Karmine patrols he had encountered on the outskirts were easily avoided. They seemed to be mainly concerned with bringing more of their soldiers into the city to seek out rebels.
Sam once more took her place beside the Colonel as night fell. She had not managed to wake him at all, resorting to forcing a little water, drop by drop, into his mouth as frequently as she could. At least his fever hadn't worsened and he no longer shook with chills.
Despite the constant worries in her mind, she succumbed to a deep sleep quite quickly.
She wasn't sure what woke her and she lay with her heart thudding for a few moments in the quietness. The lantern cast a soft glow across the room and she turned to face the Colonel, jumping a little when she found him watching her.
"Hi … how are you feeling?" she whispered softly.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
He blinked a couple of times and tried to croak a response, the dryness of his mouth and throat making him grimace.
Sam got up, reaching for the cup of water, and helped him take a few sips.
He managed to swallow, the cool liquid easing his parched and burning throat. Sam's face shifted in and out of focus as he regarded her. The pain wasn't too bad, but he felt confused and tired. Fleeting thoughts and dreams invaded his tired brain and he was too exhausted to try and decipher even a little of it.
"How's the pain Sir?" she asked softly, watching him intently.
"S'okay …" he slurred, trying to fight his closing eyes, but he lost the battle.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Sam watched his eyes close and checked his pulse quickly, finding it steady enough.
Sighing, she put the water down and lay down quietly again. When she awoke once more she found herself enveloped against something warm and comforting. Enjoying it, she snuggled closer and reveled in the feeling - until she remembered where she was!
She sat up quickly, embarrassed that she had been snuggling her injured CO. She checked him again and administered the necessary doses before going to seek her companions.
They roused soon after she joined them and they sat for a few minutes discussing the route out once more, before she decided it was time to give the other men a chance to decide whether they would join SG1 in their escape.
"We can't thank you enough for what you've done for us," she told Alenor and the others, "but once we get out of the city you don't have to continue with us. You are free to do what you please, but if you decide to you want to stay with us then please do so. I can't promise you anything, but maybe if we do get back we can help you find somewhere - it might not be your own home, but at least you'll be free men."
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Daniel watched Sam proudly. This was something they'd discussed with Teal'c and they only felt it fair that the men decide for themselves.
The men, Cairen, Ream and Jourin looked to each other, and then the three gave Alenor a silent nod.
Alenor answered for them all. "Thank you, Sam. We had already decided that, if you would permit us, we would accompany you all the way and regardless of what you could offer us, we wanted to continue to help. Prayers have been said that we would reach home, but if not, we would be proud to be considered your friends and would die trying."
Complete silence reigned in the room as SG1, even Teal'c, were touched by the little speech Alenor gave.
"Let's hope dying isn't necessary," said Sam. She realized with a start that her words bore an echo of her commanding officer.
Daniel gave her a quick smile, obviously realizing it too.
"Then all that remains is for us to depart," said Teal'c.
They readied everything, Sam carefully packing the drugs, keeping them in her own homemade pack. She then got the Colonel prepared the best she could, with Daniel and Teal'c's help.
They began their journey, Teal'c walking way ahead, with Jourin behind him further still, ready to be able to give them a signal should they need to hide. The stretcher would be awkward to maneuver out of sight quickly if the need arose. Cairen and Ream carried the stretcher, with Alenor watching their sixes.
It was exhausting ducking and diving through the alleyways and narrows backstreets. They changed places to carry the stretcher frequently, though keeping Teal'c on point all the time. Sam used each opportunity to force a little water into the Colonel and check him, faithfully administering the drugs when it was time. It took some hours to finally get the city behind them and they moved on, determined to put as much distance as they could between them and it before nightfall.
As the daylight began to fade, Teal'c sought out a place for them to camp and they all stumbled gratefully to the spot he had chosen.
They didn't want to risk a fire, not knowing exactly how far the Karmine would patrol from the city, so it was a cold and long night, despite the blankets they carried.
Early next morning, after a quick look at the maps, they continued. They had also taken the trouble to concoct a simple story should the locals question them, each of them picking a small village from the map some distance south as their origin, the explanation being that they were going north to join up with the rebels to help fight.
They made their next camp at a deserted village and had their first hot meal in what seemed like forever.
Jack stirred a little, but wasn't very aware of his surroundings. He gave Sam a glimmer of a smile, his eyes unfocussed, before slipping back into a deep sleep.
The days ground into each other as they trudged on relentlessly, their journey slow and laborious. Teal'c was far enough ahead to give them warning of anyone coming on the back roads and they had to make several detours to avoid what looked like Karmine vehicles.
Jack remained pretty much out of it, so much so that even Daniel was beginning to get a little alarmed at the strength of the drugs. Finally Sam decided to reduce the painkiller, gradually easing back on it. His fever was decreasing steadily and the wound was continuing to drain, the fluids getting a little clearer each time it was palpated.
The next village they came across had signs of life and they decided to risk the contact to see if they could beg a little food and a place to stay.
The villagers welcomed them and let them stay in an empty house. All they asked was that they respected the property in the hope that the former owners would return. Food, although not plentiful, was shared with them. The countryside people had fared better than the city folk, as they were more used to fending for themselves. A jar of broth was even given to them for the injured man. They'd assumed he'd been injured by the Karmine solders - at least that much wasn't very far from the truth.
The roaring fire and the hot food, nourishing and filling, lulled them into a good sleep. There were enough of them to take turns on watch so that each one could get a good night's rest.
Sam checked Jack once more and gave him his medication before lying down on the bed beside him, as was now her routine.
It was late when she felt him stirring. Sitting up in the dim light she turned up the oil lamp and, seeing him blinking quickly against the light, trying to focus, she turned it down just a little to ease his sensitivity.
"Sir, how do you feel?"
His eyes looked heavy, showing his confusion as he regarded her solemnly.
Sam stretched again, picked the cup up she kept close by filled with water, and eased his head up to help him take a few sips. He still hadn't spoken when she raised him further up with the help of more pillows and his silence was beginning to un-nerve her.
She put the water down and sat waiting, somehow reluctant to speak again.
As she felt his hand touch hers, she took hold and gently massaged the long fingers.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Jack lay still. The room was spinning around and his head felt so heavy it was painful. He didn't have a clue where he was … what was happening … nothing was making sense and nothing seemed recent, only hazy distant memories … or were they dreams?
His body was sore … that much he knew. The hand he could feel in his was comforting, the touch gentle yet firm, but he couldn't quite place to whom it belonged.
Several minutes passed and as the room gradually ceased it meanderings, his eyes beginning to focus better and his gaze lit upon her face.
"Sam," he whispered hoarsely, the memories came flooding forward dizzily and he closed his eyes.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
His confusion alarmed her and she had been seriously considering going to wake Daniel when he finally spoke. She couldn't answer for the lump in her throat that had mysteriously appeared. All she could do was squeeze his hand comfortingly.
Eventually she found her voice. "Are you in pain, Sir?" She was surprised it sounded so steady.
He opened his eyes, looking at her, his expression unfathomable, before he gave her a croaked "No."
Sam helped him to drink more water. He'd had little fluid for a long while and she needed him to drink what he could. Eventually he could drink no more and baulked at the cup at his lips.
Sam removed it and sat quietly.
"Whe … where …we?" he asked, slurring.
Sam began to slowly tell him the outline of what had happened the last few days, but before she finished he was once more out for the count.
She settled back down somewhat worriedly, determined to lessen the medication yet again the next day.
xoxoxoxoxoxo