Author's Notes: some language
Around the time Jacob was on his third day of uncomfortable, intimately probing tests at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Selmak was on her second day and the final few hours of her quarantine in Isolation Room One at the SGC. The quarantine was to make sure that she didn't carry any types of alien contagion. It was also for her protection because they didn't want her exposed to any of Earth's contagion before she was properly vaccinated.
Selmak had spent those past two days learning what it was really like to be a human child. She had quickly learned that it was not so easy! The acting part of being a child was easy plus she had to looks to go with her performance. But it was the physical part of her new form that she was having trouble with.
First of all, she was less than one half the size of most of the adults and was really getting tired of having looking up at them all time. Plus, she was the perfect height for the adults to pat her on top of her head. Of course, if she hadn't been so cute and adorable they wouldn't have given her so much affection. So, Selmak could tolerate the head patting and cheek pinching since she loved being doted on. However, she didn't like the fact that, because of her size, her smaller legs were less efficient than the adults and took some effort on her part to just keep up with their pace!
Then there was the bathing and the scrubbing! How humiliating it had been that first time when the nurse striped Selmak of her clothes then dumped her into a tub of boiling water! Ok, so she wasn't dumped and the water wasn't boiling. However, she did feel like the nurse had been trying to drown her when she poured the water over Selmak's head to rinse the shampoo from her hair. Bad enough some of water had gone up her nose and the soap stung her eyes but she had panicked too which had only added to her humiliation. Selmak had never panicked before in her entire life! Her eyes were burning and it had been an uncomfortable way to discover that the human body wasn't meant to breathe water, unlike a symbiote that could survive in any liquid as long as it was oxygen rich. Plus, as a symbiote, she didn't have to bathe and she could regulate her host's body chemicals so that they didn't stink!
In addition to the bathing was the brushing of ones teeth and hair! Selmak hadn't fully realized how high maintenance a human being could be without the benefit of a symbiote! Still, she learned that brushing her teeth was actually kind of fun because Sam had bought her some children's bubble gum flavored toothpaste that was pink colored and foamed up in her mouth. And she liked the way her mouth felt after every brushing…bubble gum fresh!
As far as brushing her hair, well she already liked brushing her hair and wouldn't let the nurses or Sam do it for her. The only exception was when Selmak wanted her hair braided. Her little hands and arms weren't coordinated enough nor could they reach. So Sam was more than happy to oblige to do the braids when Selmak asked nicely. Hair brushing and styling was something Selmak had always greatly enjoyed doing for all her hosts. Well, all of her hosts except Jacob. Not only was he Selmak's only male host but…let's face it, the man had more hair on his chest than the top of his head.
Next were two body functions that she really missed controlling from her life as a symbiote. Body temperature and body fluids. One thing about the human body was that it was the perfect temperature for a symbiote. So, regulating a host's body was simple for a symbiote to do. If the weather was too cold, Selmak could increase her host's blood circulation to keep from getting cold or freezing to death, as long as exposure was limited. Or, if the weather was too hot, she could convince her host's body that the temperature wasn't so hot so that the heat didn't effect them so much.
However, in her human form she found that she had no internal temperature regulator and couldn't control when she was too hot or too cold. Finding that happy medium was difficult at times until she remembered that the room temperature could be regulated to her liking by adjusting the thermostat. However, she still couldn't get comfortable because she couldn't reach the thermostat!
Also a simple task for a symbiote was regulating when a host had to go pee. She could literally make her host go whenever she felt like it and how many times she wished! However, in her new form, Selmak had no control over when she had to go. She actually thought she was given an extra small bladder because she kept going to the bathroom every ten minutes! Well, it seemed like every ten minutes or at least it was ten minutes after she finished a glass of water or juice and she was always drinking something.
Finally, one last function, one that was very important for humans. Sleep. A symbiote could go for days without sleeping if necessary and remain fresh and focused unlike a human whose focus and attention deteriorates with little or no sleep. And humans required much more sleep than a symbiote. When Selmak slept, it was never for very long and never so deep that she couldn't sense what was going on around her. But that first time she had fallen asleep in her human form, Selmak was caught unawares. She had been sitting in a chair talking to Sam as they colored in a book together when suddenly the next thing Selmak knew she was wearing different cloths and neatly tucked under the covers of a bed she wasn't even near. AND she was shocked to find out she slept for nine, almost ten hours!
Symbiote or human, one good thing about falling asleep was waking up fresh for a new day. And today was a good day to be human. Selmak was finally going to get her taste of real food, not that bland liquid and cracker diet Dr. Brightman had her on. Because Selmak was vague on the details of what she had been eating, Brightman thought it best to gradually introduce little Hannah to Earth's food. Brightman didn't want to risk an allergic reaction.
Today, Brightman gave Sam the go ahead to bring a nice lunch for Hannah. Selmak waited patiently as Sam placed their plates on the table and observed that Sam was going to join her for this ritual. From Jacob's memories, Selmak recognized the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the bananas, the glasses of milk, and the red Jell-O for dessert. However, she had to remain in character and sat quietly listening to Sam explain to her what each item was, noticing that Sam conveniently forgot to mention the Jell-O and only referred to it as dessert.
"Trust me, Hannah, you are going to love this lunch," Sam smiled brightly. "It was one of my favorites when I was your age because my mother used to make it for us both and together we used to have picnics in the backyard or the living room, if it was raining."
Selmak watched Sam take a bite of her sandwich. The very action made Selmak's stomach growl and her mouth salivate. Two sensations she was quite accustomed to now. That first time her stomach gurgled had been a little startling and if she didn't have Jacob's memories she would have freaked out.
This time, she sat calmly. She was curious too because Jacob's memories could only tell her so much about how human food tasted and experiencing taste through the host just wasn't the same as actually tasting food for oneself. And Selmak was anxious to taste things for herself. So she reached for what she wanted to try first.
"No, Hannah," Sam smiled sweetly while pulling the Jell-O out of Selmak's reach. "Sorry, honey, that's dessert. You have to eat everything else first."
Selmak's mouth slightly opened. She couldn't believe Sam could be so cruel! Didn't that woman know whom she was dealing with? However, since the answer was no, Selmak shut her mouth, bit her tongue and played the curious and innocent approach to get what she wanted.
"What is it?" she asked, a valid question since she actually did come from a planet that never had such food.
"It's called Jell-O."
"How does it taste?"
"It's sweet," Sam smiled.
"Can I try a bite? I've never had…Jell-O before. Is it like chocolate? Daddy said chocolate is sweet and can melt in your mouth! He promised he would bring me some one day...but…he…"
A tear rolled down her cheek. A trick she was so good at. And in the beginning, pretending to cry about Jacob was so easy. Now, Selmak discovered that it was becoming increasing difficult to not cry when thinking of Jacob. She really did miss him and was getting worried that there has been no word about him turning up on Earth.
"Just this one time, you can have your dessert first," Sam smiled, handing Selmak the small bowl of Jell-O and a spoon.
"Thank you," Selmak sniffled, taking hold of the spoon.
"I still expect you to eat everything on your plate."
"Ok!" Selmak chirped.
First she sniffed the Jell-O. Along with taste, smell was a wonderfully new sense for her. From Jacob's memories, Selmak discovered the Jell-O had a hint of cherry smell to it. When Selmak put a bite in her mouth she could taste the cherry flavor. But she wasn't expecting the texture to be so cool and soft. Jell-O looked so firm even though it wiggled. Yet in her mouth it quickly changed into a liquid.
Liquid or not, she really liked it and quickly found out, because of its unique composition, she could put a lot of Jell-O in her mouth. At which point, Sam started laughing and told her to slow down. Selmak only smiled and politely asked if she could have Sam's Jell-O too.
After slowly eating and savoring each bite of her second bowl of Jell-O, Selmak started to eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich only to discover that the sandwich was more work to eat! She decided it had been best to carefully chew each bite one at a time after almost choking on her first bite! The jelly was surprisingly sweet while the peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth. No wonder they served milk with this lunch! Milk must have been chemically balanced so it could wash the peanut butter down!
When she was finished with the sandwich, Selmak found that peanut butter and jelly was just as pleasing as the Jell-O. And since Sam said to eat everything, Selmak started to take a bite of her banana.
"Whoa! Hold on there!" Sam said, quickly taking the banana out of Selmak's hand. "I guess you've never eaten a banana before. You have to open it…like this. See…you eat the inside."
"But you said to eat everything on my plate," Selmak said, playing oh so innocent when she knew exactly how to eat a banana.
"You don't have to eat the peel," Sam said, removing the entire peel and only handing Selmak the inside part. "I guess I had better chose my words more carefully."
Sam continued talking while Selmak ate her banana. She really liked the fruit and ate it as quickly as her little mouth could chew. One thing she quickly learned was that being this size meant she couldn't take the big bites that Jacob always took. Not that Jacob ever over stuffed his mouth but he did put more in his mouth than any of Selmak's female hosts ever did.
Once the banana was down and the rest of her milk was gone, Selmak opened her mouth to ask Sam a question. Only a loud sound vibrated her throat then emanated out of her mouth.
A burp!
Gross! How unlady like!
Selmak quickly covered her mouth with her hands and her face turned red from embarrassment.
"Excuse me," she sheepishly said.
Again, Sam was laughing hysterically at Selmak. And again, Selmak didn't say or do anything funny. She found it baffling when she would say something serious and they would laugh at her! Each time it happened, Selmak was forced to not say any of her usually witty comments to put them in their place because that was not the character she was playing. Still, she was finding it more difficult to keep her mouth shut and it was only her second day on Earth!
"I have to go now, Hannah," Sam smiled, after finally regaining her composure. "I have some work to do but I'll be back later to take you home."
"How long will you be gone this time?" Selmak sadly asked. "Am I going to be alone for long? I don't like being alone…"
Selmak paused, letting her eyes glisten for an added effect.
"What if…what if you don't come back…like daddy?"
"I'll only be gone for a few hours, I promise," Sam said wrapping her arms around Selmak.. "And don't worry, you're not going to be alone for long. Daniel and Teal'c are going to stop by and visit very soon. You'll like them."
"Are they Daddy's friends too?"
"That's right."
"Wow…Daddy knew a lot of people…didn't he!"
"Yes, he did," Sam smiled, kissing Selmak on top of her head. "Be a good girl for them and I'll see you soon."
"Ok, Sam," Selmak grinned.
"No…we can't tell Carter!" Jack snapped, sitting behind his desk. "She's too attached to Hannah. But I'm telling you, something about that kid just isn't right!"
"Jack, I have to agree with Sam!" Daniel insisted as Jack grabbed what looked like a child's coloring book. "What would the Tok'ra have to gain by sending a spy here? And Brightman found no evidence of Goa'uld devices in Hannah! She's no spy, she's just a child!"
"A child that doesn't even play with dolls?" Jack countered, flipping through the pages of the book.
"Not all cultures grew up with Barbie, GI Joe, or Hot Wheels! Maybe she's never had a doll and doesn't know how to play with one…did you ever think of that?"
"What about this?" Jack asked, showing Daniel and Teal'c a particular page. "Tell me what four year old can keep from coloring outside the lines!"
"So, she's more coordinated than other four year olds," Daniel replied. "That doesn't mean anything. Besides, she colored the grass pink and the character all in purple. Two colors a little girl would use."
"Ok…bad example," Jack said, dropping the book on his desk. "What about the toys…she doesn't play with any of them!"
"In Jaffa society, children do not have such things…" Teal'c added.
"No, they're given a staff weapon and a zat!" Jack interrupted, making Daniel wince but Teal'c remained unaffected. "And don't tell me they don't in Tok'ra society either because they don't have children! Look…all I'm saying is Hannah is acting…strange. She is way smarter than she's leading us to believe!"
"Jack, Hannah just found out her father's dead," Daniel explained. "She's on a strange world with people she's only just met two days ago! She's been confined to a room for those days. The only visitors she's had are doctors, nurses, and Sam. Of course she's acting strange! Just give her time to adjust! As far as being smart? Well, her father is Jacob Carter, who also happens to be Sam's father, who just happens to quite intelligent herself!"
Jack still seemed unconvinced. Sometimes Daniel wondered if Jack even listened to him because no matter what he said, Jack always did what Jack wanted to do. There were times Daniel was tired of being the voice of reason. During such times he knew he could always rely on Sam to back him up. Only he was on his own in this instance.
"If it will make you feel any better, when both Teal'c and I are visiting Hannah, we'll keep an eye out for anything…strange," Daniel smiled. "Between Teal'c and myself I'm sure we'll be able to find out if Hannah is hiding something or not."
"Daniel is correct," Teal'c solemnly said. "We will be able to determine if she is telling the truth or not."
"Fine," Jack growled. "I'll see you guys later, I have a briefing to attend."
Daniel just shook his head as Jack stormed out of his office into the briefing room.
"It troubles me to see him so upset over this child," Teal'c said as he and Daniel headed out into the hall.
"He'll get over it…he better!" Daniel retorted. "I don't want to see Sam get hurt."
"O'Neill would never intentionally hurt Colonel Carter."
"I know, Teal'c but sometimes Jack doesn't realize that he's hurting someone's feelings," Daniel sighed, as they entered the elevator. "He just pisses me off sometimes! With all we've seen out there in the universe he can still be so narrow-minded! And knowing Jack the way we do, one would have thought that he would have accepted Hannah and the we would have been the skeptics!"
Teal'c remained stoned faced, graciously allowing Daniel to rant. He really needed to vent too. Something he never had to before he met Jack O'Neill!
"Let's go see Hannah," Daniel smiled, feeling much better now. "She looks so adorable!"
"Indeed, she is a very lovely child."
Daniel blinked in surprise at Teal'c and he just raised an eyebrow back at Daniel.
"Sorry…you continue to surprise me, that's all," Daniel said.
"Drey'auc had often wished for a daughter," Teal'c admitted.
Daniel smiled. The idea of Teal'c wanting a daughter never crossed Daniel's mind. Teal'c always came across as the warrior who was always so proud of his son. But thinking about it, Teal'c only let people see what he had wished and Daniel knew his friend well enough to realize that Teal'c would have been proud regardless, whether he had a girl or boy.
"I'll meet you there," Daniel smiled, as they exited the elevator. "I just have to get something from my lab…a toy I bought for Hannah."
"Indeed, I have something for her as well," Teal'c nodded.
Again, Daniel was surprised as they headed their separate ways. And he was a little curious about what Teal'c had for Hannah. But before meeting up with Teal'c, Daniel quickly grabbed the toy then stopped by Sam's lab. Daniel wasn't worried about her. She was a tough woman who could take care of herself but there were times when she just couldn't keep up the act. Plus, Daniel was worried about Jack too. He didn't seem as thrilled about Hannah as everyone else and Daniel was sure Sam was bound to notice.
"How was your lunch date?" Daniel asked from the doorway.
"Great!" Sam cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "Hannah had her first taste of Jell-O today and loved it! The PB & J sandwich was a hit. She's a little afraid of being alone. I think there's some separation anxiety because Dad left and never came back. But over all, she's a great little kid! I love her!"
Daniel smiled as Sam went on and on about her little sister. It was so wonderful to see Sam smiling again. Daniel had attempted and failed several times to make her smile ever since her father died before he decided it was best to let Sam mourn on her own. That's what she seemed to want.
"Lego's?" Sam asked, noticing the box in his hand.
"Yeah…I had them when I was her age. I didn't know which set to get her so I just bought the largest box they had. Beside, I thought they could be educational and fun for Hannah."
Sam laughed softly. Then her smile slowly faded.
"Daniel, is the General acting kind of strange?" Sam suddenly asked. "I get this feeling that he's hiding something from me."
"I think Jack's just jealous," Daniel answered honestly.
He truly believed that was why Jack has been so paranoid about little Hannah. The girl has been taking up all of Sam's free time. And Daniel knew how Jack felt about Sam and how she felt about him. The two of them have been dancing around the issue for so long that Daniel was wondering when they would finally admit that they loved each other. It was unfortunate that it took Jacob's death for them to finally do something.
After Jacob' s funeral, no one could miss not seeing how Jack had stepped in between Sam and her brother, Mark. The two siblings looked like they were going to start throwing punches at each other. And no one missed how Jack comforted Sam when she cried after her brother stormed off.
"I have been spending all my free time with Hannah," Sam frowned.
"Well, he's just going to have to adjust," Daniel smiled. "Hannah's an important part of your life now."
"Yes, she is," she smiled brightly again.
"Don't worry about Jack, he'll get over it," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll come to adore Hannah as much as you do."
"Thanks Daniel. I hope he does."
Lunch with Sam had been a very pleasant experience. Plus, Sam had brought Selmak clothes and some more crayons. Selmak even had accepted her gifts with a cheerful smile on her face, especially when most of the clothes were different shades of purple. For that she gave Sam a big hug.
Up until that time, all morning it had been the doctor or the nurses with their oh so deceptively sweet smiling faces and their damn needles! Really, how much blood did they need to take? And how many shots did she really need? And if it wasn't them, Selmak could see Jack in the observation room watching her every move.
Selmak couldn't get a break! Nor would she get a break for the rest of the day. Today was actually the first day she was allowed visitors other than Dr. Brightman and her staff. While Selmak was looking forward to seeing who would visit her, she was worried about having to put on her act for so long. As a symbiote she could sustain the pretense for as long as necessary. As a human child, Selmak found that she tired easily from keeping her act up for extended periods.
After Sam left, Selmak didn't get much of a chance to rest because Daniel and Teal'c came by to visit.
Make that Daniel and TEAL'C!
Selmak gasped, taking a few steps backwards! She had forgotten Teal'c was a big guy. However, from her new perspective…being that it was barely three feet from the floor and that she only weighed about forty pounds or less…Teal'c was HUGE!
"Are you friends with my Daddy?" she timidly asked, truly feeling very small and insignificant in his presence.
"Yes, I am. My name is Teal'c," he smiled, kneeling down to her level. "You need not be frightened of me. I would never harm you or allow you to be harmed. Your father was good friend, an honorable man and a true warrior. I owe it to him to protect you and would do so if the situation occurred."
"Is…is that for me?" she hesitantly asked while pointing at the little white teddy bear with a purple ribbon on its head that Teal'c had in his hand.
"I understand it is customary to give children gifts on very special days," he said, holding the bear for her to take.
"Today is a special day?" she innocently asked.
"Indeed, it is," Teal'c smiled.
Selmak slowly took the bear from Teal'c's hand, staying in character by keeping a cautious eye on him. The action made both Teal'c and Daniel smile at her. Oh…they were hooked!
"It's soft!" she giggled, hugging it close to her cheek. "Thank you Teal'c!"
"You are welcome."
Oh yeah, Teal'c was the big tough warrior…on the outside and only when he had to be. On the inside, Teal'c was really just a BIG…teddy bear! With her, he smiled and showed his softer side. For a man of his status, meaning the ex-First Prime of Aphophis and a tough Jaffa warrior, Selmak was surprised to learn that he was very good with children. He was kind and gently, attentive and patient. And he didn't hesitate to lift her up high when she asked what it was like to see from way up there.
Truth was that Selmak was getting a neck ache and actually missed seeing things from an adult's perspective! Plus, it was more fun being carried around and not having to expend so much energy. And the guys seemed happy to be holding her.
"You know, I think I can see some of Jacob in you," Daniel said when he was holding her.
WHAT? Great, it was bad enough she had Jacob's DNA floating in her veins but to say she bore any resemblance to him was too much! It was something only a geek would point out! What the hell was she thinking, Daniel was a geek!
"Yep, you definitely have his big ears!" he smiled, playfully tugging on one of her ears.
Selmak decided it was best to play along and clamped her hands over her ears.
"But I'm just a little girl! I have little ears!"
Oh well, at least Daniel was an entertaining geek even though he said frightening things about how she reminded him of Jacob…in a small way. But Daniel played with the dolls better than she did! Not that Selmak actually knew how to play with dolls. She just had to laugh because it seemed so ridiculous that a grown man would play with dolls.
She couldn't really laugh at him for too long. He did bring her an interesting looking toy and showed her how it worked. And he did comment that she was a pretty little girl who has made her big sister very happy. All were indications that her act was going well or at least that's what Selmak had hoped.
Only after Daniel and Teal'c left, there was one visitor Selmak had a feeling would drop by. The one visitor she had become most weary of. The one who had remained at a distance even though he was allowed to come into the Isolation Room.
Jack.
That Doctor must have discovered something. Because ever since he told Sam that Hannah was definitely Jacob's daughter, Jack has been carefully observant of her and everything she did. She had to be in top form whenever he was watching from the observation room. Selmak always found herself exhausted having put a show on him for so long that she would have to take a nap.
Only Jack didn't visit. An hour after Daniel and Teal'c left, Selmak felt like she was being watched and she was. She managed to confirm her feeling when Dr. Brightman came in to give her the final round of immunization shots. Selmak asked the needle wench where General Jack was because she wanted to show him her new toys. Of course the doctor had to stick Selmak right in the arm after giving her an answer.
"OW!"
"That's the last one, Hannah, I promise," Brightman smiled. "Tonight you'll be able to go home with your big sister."
"That better be the last one!" Selmak muttered to herself while rubbing her arm.
"What?"
"I said, what was in that one?"
"Something to keep you from getting very sick."
"Well, I hope that was the last one because those things hurt!" she snapped, pointing at the syringe.
"The trick is to relax, Hanna, then the needle won't hurt," the doctor said pushing some of the hair of Selmak's forehead. "Hmm…are you feeling alright? You're a little warm."
"I'm fine," Selmak yawned.
"I think you've had too much excitement for the day and I think a nap might be a good idea. I'll just take a few vital signs, then be on my way…ok?"
At least it was only the needles that hurt. Brightman's stethoscope tickled and Selmak always giggled uncontrollably. Her giggles were almost…involuntary. If this was what it was like to be ticklish, she really liked it!
After a few minutes Selmak was alone in the room but Jack was still watching her from the observation room. Despite the fact that Selmak wasn't feeling too well, probably from the latest dose of vaccination shots, she tried to put on a good show for him by pretending to play with some of the toys.
First, she colored in one of her coloring books that Jack had bought for her. She was especially careful to stay inside the lines. Then when she was bored with coloring, she grabbed the box that Daniel gave to her.
The Lego blocks appeared interesting because she could make anything her mind imagined with them. Well just about anything. By the time she placed the final block of her masterpiece, her head felt like it was going to explode. Even the light made her head hurt. Grabbing the bear Teal'c gave her, Selmak got to her feet with the intention of lying down and taking that nap. Only when she stood up the room started spinning. She lost her balance and fell down.
Something was wrong. The pressure in her head continued to build. The lights on the ceiling suddenly began to go dim until there was only darkness. It only seemed like a moment later when she opened her eyes again. Except she was confused to see Jack was holding her tightly in his arms and talking gently to her as Dr. Brightman was rushing into the room.
"She's just coming out of it!" he told Brightman.
"What happened?"
"She was playing fine then she suddenly got up, fell over and had some sort of fit," Jack answered.
Dr. Brightman flashed her penlight in Selmak's eyes and it hurt. Selmak flinched and involuntarily cried out. She was scared and clung tightly the teddy bear. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Normally she could diagnose the problem and then fix it. But as a human child, Selmak had no way of knowing what was wrong with her. Hell, she couldn't even make the pain of Brightman's injections go away!
"Shh, it's ok, Hannah," Jack said soothingly.
"My head hurts," she wept, having no choice but to tell the doctor where the pain was.
"Does the light hurt your eyes, honey?" Brightman asked.
Selmak nodded letting her genuine tears fall. Her need for Jacob was stronger than ever. That timer was ticking down. Only to what she still didn't know. Nor would she find out at the moment because everything went dark again.
This time when she woke up, Selmak didn't know where she was. In her disorientation she sat up and screamed for whom she wanted most.
"JACOB!"
Yes, Hannah was adorable. Maybe she was too adorable. Jack, along with everyone on the base, was unable to resist those big blue eyes when she arrived. Even General Hammond, who hadn't even met her but was looking forward to meeting the little girl next week, was taken in by a picture that Sam emailed him. And now, only Jack was the only one no longer affected by them. He wanted to be affected by them but he just couldn't bring himself to trust the Tok'ra.
That was only part of the reason why Jack was cautious about Hannah. The other reason being was that Jack was goofball who tried not to take things too seriously. One had to, to deal with the stress this job induced. At times, he was just a kid trapped inside a man's body; you could say he was too in touch with his inner child. But he was very attune to what a child should be doing. And Hannah…was not a normal little girl.
First of all, when she wasn't aware that she was being watched, she would sit perfectly still on her bed for extended periods of time. Now what four year old could sit still for longer than two seconds? Jack would be willing to bet vital parts of his anatomy that there wasn't one! She's a kid! She's supposed to be jumping on the damn bed or bouncing around the room.
Anything! Breaking things! Making a mess with the toys! Making a mess with her food! She didn't even get any food on her face. And if she did, she always cleaned it up right away. Hell, she didn't even leave any mess behind! She always put things back in their place…neatly back in their place! For crying out loud, what kid puts their toys away without being bribed? And NO ONE seemed to notice this accept Jack!
After talking with Teal'c and Daniel, Jack couldn't believe that neither of them found anything Hannah did was odd. In fact, Hannah seemed to have both Teal'c and Daniel wrapped around her little finger! Jack didn't want to believe the huge grin on Teal'c face when he described how little Hannah stood with her eyes and mouth wide open when Teal'c first looked down at her. Jack knew you had to be an Oscar winning actor to fool Teal'c. Obviously, that's what Hannah was…a little actress who played her part extremely well.
Sitting there in the observation room watching Hannah play with her Lego's, Jack debated on whether to confront Hannah or not. She could be a spy. She could just be an intelligent little girl. Or she could be Harcesis and knew better than to reveal herself. Whatever the reason, Jack needed to know before he allowed the girl to leave the base with Carter.
The last thing in the world he wanted was for Carter to be hurt. As of right now, Jack didn't see any other way. Shit, he was already hurting Carter by not telling her about his worries, might as well go all the way then. If she got pissed off, Jack would be ok with it because at least she would be safe.
"Ok, Hannah, it's time to face Uncle Jack," he whispered to himself as he got to his feet.
He paused before leaving when he noticed something was wrong with the little girl. Her normally rosy little cheeks were so pale. When she stood up, she immediately fell over.
Jack hit the intercom and shouted, "Brightman to Isolation Room One!"
By the time he reached Hannah she was on the floor having what looked like an epileptic fit. Jack didn't think, he just grabbed hold of her and started speaking softly to her. It took a few moments before her little body slowly started to relax and her eyes opened.
Regardless of the fact that Hannah was a little actress or not, Jack recognized true fear when he saw it. She even clung tightly to the teddy bear Teal'c gave her. Another indication of how scared she really was.
"She's just coming out of it!" he told Brightman who came bursting into the room.
"What happened?" Brightman asked as she began to examine Hannah.
"She was playing fine then she stood up and suddenly fell over and had some sort of fit," Jack answered and he could feel Hannah's body was trembling. The kid looked terrified! And she trembled even harder when the doc flashed the pen light in Hannah's eyes. "Shh, its ok, Hannah."
"My head hurts," she sobbed as huge tears filled her eyes.
"Does the light hurt your eyes, honey?" Brightman asked.
Hannah didn't answer. Jack felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw her little eyes roll towards the back of her head and felt her body convulsing again.
"Get her on her side!" Brightman ordered him then shouted to the nurse, "Let's get a line in her and get me Valium, now!"
Hannah's seizure stopped before the nurses prepared the IV line. Only she didn't open her eyes this time. Jack refused to let her go and watched anxiously as Brightman check Hannah's vitals.
"Let's get her to the infirmary…"
"Oh my God! Hannah! General…what's going on?" Sam asked after she came running into the room.
"Everything's going to be fine," Jack started to say, even as Daniel and Teal'c came running into the room right behind Sam.
"Going to be?" Sam questioned, taking Hannah into her arms.
"I want to run some tests to see what caused the seizures," Brightman explained.
"Seizures?" Sam gasped.
Jack didn't hesitate, nor did he care about all the personnel around when he put his arm around Carter. She fought to not let her tears fall.
"She's going to be fine, Sam," he whispered reassuringly. "Let's get her to the infirmary so the doc can do her job."
Sam nodded and Jack was about to follow…
"Jack," Daniel called.
"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute," he said to Sam, as he gently rubbed Hannah's forehead.
Turning back, he saw Daniel and Teal'c's worried faces looking down at something on the floor. But he waited until Carter and the others were gone before going to them.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
When they didn't answer, he looked down to see what was so interesting.
Jack's jaw slightly dropped!
Hannah had labored diligently on Daniel's gift of Lego's just before she collapsed. Jack had been so preoccupied with his internal debate that he didn't notice what she had been creating.
"Maybe you're right about Hannah, Jack," Daniel said. "That is not something a four year old can do. I don't even think I could make…that! At least…not in the short time it took her."
Jack was still stunned and was trying to digest the masterpiece of Lego's Hannah had built that he failed to comment on how Daniel agreed with Jack's assessment of Hannah. Then the gravity of the situation set in and Jack went into action.
"Cover it up and take it to my office!" Jack ordered. "Do it now!"
Jack was at the door when he stopped and turned back to them.
"Don't tell Carter anything! And don't tell anyone about that!"
"Dr. Brightman gave her a mild sedative," Sam told Jack when he joined her beside Hannah's bed. "She should sleep for a few hours."
"Do they know what caused her seizures?" Jack asked.
"No, Dr. Brightman didn't find out anything from the initial tests. Everything appears normal. She wants to run a few more tests to determine..."
Sam couldn't finish her sentence. Nor could she stop her tears. Seeing Hannah in the infirmary felt like losing her dad all over again. Sam wasn't sure if she was going to be able to manage this time around if something happened to Hannah.
"Hey, come here," Jack said pulling her into his arms. "Hannah's a tough kid. She's a Carter. And the one thing I know about Carters is you can't keep them down and they're damn near impossible to kill!"
Sam sniffled, wiping her tears. But she couldn't bring herself to smile at him.
"Sam, your father survived a few days in Hell! I know Hannah can survive this."
Ok, that was funny so Sam laughed.
"Doc's got the best people working on it. They'll take good care of her."
"Thank you, Sir."
"We're alone…you can drop the 'Sir,'" he teased.
Sam merely smiled at him.
"Listen, why don't I leave you two alone. When you're ready, you know where to find me," he said kissing her ear. "See you later?"
Sam nodded and watched him until he disappeared out the door.
"JACOB!"
Sam damn near jumped through the ceiling when Hannah screamed.
"Hannah, it's alright," Sam cooed wrapping her arms around her sister.
"Where is he? I have to find him!" she wept and trembled. "He needs me!"
Sam was a little confused by Hannah's words but Sam was more concerned with the terrified look in the little girl's eyes. So she just held onto Hannah as tightly as she could until the little girl fell back asleep. Even then Sam was reluctant to set her down again. After a short while, Sam just climbed onto the bed with Hannah and fell asleep holding her baby sister.
Sometime during the night, Sam woke up briefly to find Jack was there, taking her boots off and covering her with a blanket. He ordered her to go back to sleep with a smile on his face. He even tucked in the white teddy bear under Hannah's arms before he left.