Note: I know, I know, last chap was evil. What're ya gonna do? XP Atleast ya get a little relief now. Everyone breathe. Hehe.

EIGHT

"COLONEL!" Sam's horrified scream seemed to echoe in the sudden moment of deadened silence.

Daniel was stark still, his eyes wide. Knowing that both beasts were dead, he jogged from the narrow path along the cliffside and moved to peer down where Jack had fallen. Teal'c was already climbing his way down. Daniel noticed Sam hurrying beside him, her look of despair and anxiety mirroring his own. "God..Jack," he whispered aloud, brows knit together in deepened concern for his friend.

Sam had to force back tears as she stared down upon the Colonel's unmoving form laying lifeless at the slightly-rocky bottom of the cliff. Luckily the height wasn't too great, but he'd been rammed by that strange animal and it didn't look good. "Teal'c?" Her voice cracked as she called down to the Jaffa once he'd reached Jack's side.

"He is alive," Teal'c looked up, answering the questioning looks on Daniel and Sam's faces. He carefully examined the man further. "But he is injured. We will need to return to the Stargate."

"Teal'c, don't move him. I'll be right down!" Sam called out, quickly scanning for an easy way to get down without falling. She managed, sliding just a little bit, but she'd found a relatively safe way down the steep cliff.

Seeing that Sam was making her way down, Daniel soon followed, anxious to know how his friend was.

As soon as Sam knelt beside Jack's prone form, she felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. Blood was slowly pooling behind his head, and his right knee was pierced by a sharp and jagged pointed stick, presumably from the fall. She grimaced, then went about carefully removing his vest and unzipping his jacket. "That animal struck him pretty hard, I've got to check for any broken bones or internal injuries." She looked up at Teal'c. "I need you to support his head for me,"

The Jaffa nodded and carefully lifted the Colonel's head, gingerly cradling it in his lap. He felt the warm stickyness of blood on his fingers and frowned faintly. Removing his jacket, Teal'c balled it up and placed it beneath O'Neill's head.

After she had undid Jack's vest and jacket, Sam gently pushed up his shirt to view his upper torso. Her brows knit together at the sight of dark bruising that had already formed on his chest. She lightly ran her fingers along the bruise, applying light pressure to test for any weakness or deformities in the bone structure. Grimacing, Sam locked eyes with Teal'c, her expression grim and deeply concerned. "I think the blow from that beast fractured his sternum, and he's definetly got a concussion."

Daniel hissed in sympathy as he looked at his friend's chest, then back down to his bloodied leg. He gestured toward the sharp, broken stick that had tore through muscle and tendons at the back of his knee. "Think we should uh...get that out?"

Teal'c began tearing strips of cloth from his shirt. "I shall remove the object and bandage the wound to stop the bleeding," he announced, seeing the distressed look on both Sam and Daniel's faces at the thought of pulling the jagged stick from Jack's knee. Nodding toward his teammates, the Jaffa prepared to go about doing what was necessary to help the Colonel.

-

For a long while Jack remained mostly unconscious, drifting back to the surface occasionally but not long enough to speak or focus properly. Teal'c and Daniel had managed to get him back up the cliff by taking a long way around, and then they'd all rested while Sam kept constant watch over the Colonel. The wound to his knee was rather grotesque, but they'd managed to staunch the bleeding after awhile and made sure it was tightly wrapped with bandages from the medical pack Dr. Fraiser had given Sam. The bloody gash to the back of Jack's head gave the team cause for concern, but it didn't bleed for long and had also been bandaged.

Sam gave Jack an injection of antibiotics to help fight off any infection he may develop because of his injuries, and had also administered some pain medication. Once he woke and was fully comprehensive of his surroundings, she was sure he'd be tired because of his head injury, and would have to wake him up every fifteen minutes or so to make sure he was in no danger of falling into a coma.

Teal'c soon approached and knelt down beside Jack and Sam. "Is O'Neill faring any better Major Carter?"

She sighed softly. "A little, but I have to wait until he's more stable before we can move him." Her gaze flickered to the unconscious Colonel. His breathing sounded heavy and labored, giving her more reason to worry about his chest.

Nodding sharply, Teal'c stood. "Daniel Jackson and I will keep watch for more of the creatures."

"Thanks Teal'c," Sam smiled faintly as the large Jaffa walked off to check the perimeter. She adjusted the blanket around the Colonel, trying to keep him comfortable as possible. Lightly stroking the side of Jack's face, Sam settled down beside him to wait until he woke.

-

A flash of dark brown caught Sam's attention after she'd been sitting by the Colonel, hugging her knees and staring off into space for over an hour. Her gaze immediately focused on those penetrating brown orbs of Jack's, and she felt a slight clenching in her throat, robbing her of her voice. For a few brief seconds Sam thought this was just a bout of momentary consciousness, and the Colonel would soon be stolen away by the blackness edging into his vision once more. It wasn't the case however, and his dark brown eyes remained open and focused, seeing clearly for the first time since he'd been injured.

Jack's head was tilted slightly to his right, watching Sam intently as though she was the one thing anchoring him to consciousness. His entire body was throbbing with pain, and as he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out was a low groan. Swallowing convulsively, Jack grimaced, his eyes glazing with agony.

"Colonel," Sam whispered softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her own eyes watered seeing the pain he was in, and she scrambled to retrieve a painkiller from the medical pack. "Can you tell me what hurts, Sir?" she prodded carefully, hoping to get some sort of response. Sam was holding the loaded syringe, hoping to get him to speak before she gave him the drug that would cloud over his perception of pain.

Swallowing slowly this time, Jack clenched his eyes shut for a moment and tried to get a handle on the pain he was feeling. "Head. Chest," he responded in a strained whisper. It was hard to get enough air to talk, since breathing seemed to just cause more pain.

Sam's brows furrowed, surprised that he hadn't mentioned his knee. She gave him the injection without subjecting him to more suffering, then softly asked, "How's your leg, Colonel?"

Jack blinked slowly. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out. Jaw clenching and unclenching a few times, his eyes blearily fixed on Sam. "Can't...feel.."

The first thing that ran through Sam's mind at his admission wasspinal injury. She chewed her lower lip, trying not to show how worried she was. "Can you try and move your legs for me Sir?"

"Yeh," he whispered faintly before grimacing.

Sam felt a wave of relief wash over her when she noticed his left leg bending up at the knee, his right leg jerking only slightly since the knee was tightly bound because of the injury. She grit her teeth when the Colonel cried out in pain at the movement.

"Agh," Jack groaned, trying to roll on his side and curl up in an attempt to block out the sudden pain that shot through his right leg, but it just caused him more discomfort.

"I'm sorry Sir," Sam apologized regretably, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. "Lie still, please, Colonel. You've got a severe concussion and a fractured sternum, Sir." She was relieved that he didn't seem to have a spinal injury, and realized that he probably couldn't feel his leg earlier because it may have been asleep. He'd been laying in the same position for over an hour, it was inevitable. Sam just felt incredibly guilty for causing more pain by making him try and move his injured leg.

"God," Jack grimaced with a hiss, gritting his teeth. "What..happened...to my..leg," he gasped out through the pain, trying to control his breathing so it lessened the discomfort on his chest.

Sam bowed her head. "When that...creature rammed you, you fell back off the cliff. You hit your head pretty hard, and there was a jagged stick that had managed to pierce the back of your knee on the landing."

Jack's eyes rolled upward. "Peachy," he groaned, breathing as shallowly as he could manage. "Like I don't..have enough...knee problems,"

Sam smiled, giggling slightly. As long as Colonel Jack O'Neill's humor was intact, she knew he'd be alright. He'd be the Colonel she always knew and loved. And yes, she would admit to herself, she had always loved him to some extent, though the feelings had progressed over the years they'd known eachother.

By the time Daniel made his way over to the pair, Jack had already drifted off again. His brows knit together and he knelt for a moment, holding out a tin cup of really bad coffee. He smiled as she took it gratefully anyhow, already knowing how awful the instant stuff was. Daniel gestured toward the Colonel. "How is he?"

"He was awake and lucid a minute ago, but with that head injury he was out like a light not long after becoming conscious." Sam told him, absently smoothing back Jack's unruly hair. "I've given him some morphine, but we're running low so I wanted to save some in case he needs it on the way to the gate. We've still got quite a ways to go."

"Yeh," Daniel sighed softly. He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged, adjusting his glasses before sneezing loudly. Sniffling, he shook his head and wiped his hands on his pants. He jerked a thumb behind himself. "Uh, Teal'c's keeping a lookout for those - uh - linos." Smiling faintly at the word, Daniel sat crosslegged on the ground.

Sam just nodded distantly. It was obvious where her focus lied, and she wasn't paying much attention to Daniel any longer. His voice just faded away as he continued talking, and her lack of listening was apparent when she spoke quietly and interrupted him. "It's not going to be easy Daniel,"

He stopped mid-sentence, brows knit together as he cocked his head to the side curiously. "Uh... What?"

"Getting Jack down the mountain," Sam sighed softly, eyes glazing. "With the rough terrain and his injuries-" She stopped when a comforting hand rested on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay Sam," Daniel assured her in a sincere and gentle voice. Normally he may have teased her about the informal slip using Jack's first name, but he knew that now was not the time. He realized she was very emotionally fragile at the moment because of her deep concern for their friend.

As she turned away with a quivering lower lip, Daniel grasped her hand. "Listen to me Sam. Jack's going to be okay, he'll get through this. He's been through much worse, and you've been witness to that on more than one occasion."

Sam smiled tightly, her forehead crinkling faintly in her attempts not to let the tears spill. She nodded slowly in agreement with Daniel's soothing words, then squeezed his hand in return. "I know," her whispered words were barely audible. "You're right, he'll be okay." She nodded again as Daniel stood.

-

Jack didn't wake again until first light. By then he was pretty coherent like he'd been the last time, but Sam had given him the minimal amount of painkillers, and he wasn't tired again right away. She needed him as alert as possible if they were to make any ground in a few hours time. Despite the early hour, Daniel was insistant that they get going. He was still wary about the creatures they'd encountered the previous day, even though he and Teal'c had took turns keeping watch over the night and hadn't seen or heard anything.

Despite the fact that his breathing was restricted from the chest injury, and his head and leg throbbed terribly, Jack insisted that he'd be able to make the journey without Teal'c jury-rigging a stretcher for him. However, the Jaffa was adamant on helping the Colonel walk, so he'd given Jack a thick branch that was forked at the end to use as a crutch.

Sam remained beside Jack, one arm wound around his middle while his left arm was draped around her shoulders to offer even more support than the crutch alone could give. She was surprised at how steadily he moved considering the head wound and the damage to his knee, but however painful it was, she knew he wouldn't complain as much as he deserved to.

Jack had begun staggering greatly, his good leg dragging slightly with every step. His breathing had turned into heavy wheezing, and it was becoming a major struggle to stay conscious with the small amount of oxygen he was barely managing to take in.

"Sir?" Sam questioned him worriedly, slowing her steps.

Daniel and Teal'c both stopped at their respective positions in front and behind them. "Let's rest for awhile," Daniel piped up, seeing the distress in Sam's eyes, the straining visible in Jack's body.

"No," Jack barked weakly. "We should...keep.." His eyes fluttered rapidly, and before he was able to finish speaking, he lurched forward, losing what little control he had over his limbs.

"Colonel!" Sam held him tighter as Teal'c rushed over to help. "Whoa, whoa," she shifted her feet to a better position so the Colonel's weight didn't drag her down as well. "Easy Teal'c, set him down slowly," she instructed the Jaffa, though he was already taking great care in moving their leader.

Daniel took out one of the thermal blankets from his pack, then folded it up haphazardly before carefully setting it under Jack's head.

Sam checked his pulse, then sighed softly, glancing from Daniel to Teal'c before her eyes settled on Jack. "As long as he's out I may as well take the opportunity to change the bandages," She rose her head, then began unclipping her pack. "Teal'c, could you give me a hand?"

He nodded slightly. "Of course Major Carter. How can I be of assistance?"

Chewing her bottom lip, Sam stared contemplatively at Jack's chest for a moment before responding. "First of all, Daniel, I need you to find something relatively flat and hard, about a foot long. I need a splint to wrap his chest and support his breastbone."

The archaeologist nodded, then quickly scampered off into the trees to search for what Sam needed.

Sam's eyes flicked back to Teal'c, who was awaiting orders. "When Daniel gets back I'm going to have you sit the Colonel upright while I bind his chest, but right now I have to rebandage his knee and administer more antibiotics. At the moment all I need you to do is watch him and tell me if he starts to wake up. Can you do that?"

Teal'c nodded affirmatively. "I can, Major Carter."

"Okay," Sam took a deep breath, then rumaged through the medical pack to get out what she needed.

Daniel had returned by the time Sam and Teal'c finished rebandaging Jack's leg, head, and arm. He held out a thick chunk of tree bark that was a little over a foot in length, and atleast four inches wide. "Is this okay?" He asked unsurely as she took it from him.

She nodded with a tight, hasty smile. "It'll do. Thanks Daniel," Sam rose her chin to look Teal'c straight in the face with a slight nod. "Ready?"

"I am," Moving his hands beneath Jack's shoulders, Teal'c carefully manuevered the Colonel into a sitting position, remaining knelt at his back to keep the unconscious man upright.

Pulling Jack's shirt back down, Sam carefully placed the make-shift splint flat against his sternum before cautiously binding his chest with a roll of Ace wrap, making sure it wasn't too tight. She needed to keep the splint in place, but had to be careful about further restricting the Colonel's breathing.

-

Within fifteen minutes Sam was drawn into Jack's dark, captivating eyes. She smiled, offering him comfort and understanding as she placed a hand gently to his shoulder. Thankfully, she'd finished with the bandaging before Jack had become conscious, making the process much easier and less painful for him.

Jack's eyes lost their focus quickly and he soon adapted a glazed, confused look. His brows knit together slightly, eyes hooded. "Wha..t...hap...nd?" His voice was quiet and breathy, words slightly broken.

"You collapsed... Sir," Sam absently brushed a hand along his forehead. She hadn't been truly aware of the closeness she was exhibiting around her commanding officer recently, and the act of gentle, innocent touching had become quite natural.

"Oh," he mouthed silently, blinking in slow succession.

As Jack made a move to get up, Sam pressed a firm hand on his shoulder, her eyes locking him in place. "Just rest a little longer Colonel, Teal'c and Daniel are doing a quick check in the nearby area anyways."

Jack simply nodded and laid back with a slight groan, stilling at the sight of her pleading gaze. He then smirked slightly, one eye open. "Ah, looking for my...friends..are they?"

Sam smiled slightly. By the sound of his voice, Jack had gotten a handle on his breathing and seemed to be talking easier now. She nodded. "Yes, Sir, just in case. We haven't seen much wildlife on our way down the trail all day,"

"That's...good," Jack mumbled weakly, his head lolling back against the rolled up blanket.

-

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