NINE
Before nightfall, Jack had gotten mobile again, although he relied heavily on the support of Sam and the crutch Teal'c had put together for him. The Jaffa had even wrapped strips of fabric around the part of the stick that rested under his arm so it wouldn't be as uncomfortable. Jack's breathing was heavy, and he was incredibly weak, but he tried his damnedess not to slow the team down too much. He was fighting an exhausted, injured body the whole way, but there wasn't a chance in hell he'd be giving up anytime soon.
Daniel was striding ahead with Teal'c as it got darker. Jack had insisted the Jaffa take point before resigning himself to keeping silent the rest of the way. It took up a great amount of effort to speak, and he couldn't afford the waste of breath. Though Daniel was skeptical about not having anyone to watch their backs, Sam explained that she'd be able to keep an eye out while walking alongside the Colonel and assisting him. She could tell by Jack's eyes alone that it's what he would have said if he was able. Well, however differently phrased it would be.
Jack's barely-steady movements slowed, and he paused to hold his right hand to the center of his chest. With Sam keeping him propped up at his left, and the crutch under his right arm, he managed to remain upright as he fought to catch his breath.
"Sir?" Sam questioned him with a troubled expression. "Do you need a break?"
"No," He shook his head, eyes narrowing with determination as he stared down at the rough trail beneath their booted feet.
"Are you sure?" She persisted, reminded of how he'd claimed to be alright earlier before collapsing. This time though, Sam noticed hopefully, he seemed slightly steadier, and that was saying something.
"Yeh," Jack answered shortly, jerking his chin. He removed his hand from where it rested on his chest, able to feel the hard splint beneath his clothes. Blinking a few times, he limped on, using his crutch to propell him forward, though the movement of using the support spurred a furious pain in his chest. Gritting his teeth, Jack just kept moving, remaining silent about his pains, knowing the knowledge would just prove to further upset his teammates.
Eager to return to the gate, but worried about Jack, Daniel glanced behind him hesitantly, sharing a brief glance with Sam that let him know Jack was alright to keep going. The archaeologist turned and trudged on before his friend even realized he'd been checking up on him. Teal'c was still striding determinedly ahead, his face masked with complete concentration.
Forty-five minutes passed before the Stargate was in sight, and by then Jack was barely able to keep upright. Sam was supporting him as best as she could, but he was practically unconscious now, limping along with the crutch under his right arm. Her arm was wound tightly about his waist, but she was still struggling to keep them both moving now.
Turning back to see her dilemma, Teal'c stepped up to Sam and took Jack's weight completely to free her of her burden. "I will take O'Neill through the gate," he said with a hint of warmness in his deep, baritone voice. Teal'c was cradling the Colonel in his massive arms now, the make-shift crutch forgotten.
Sam was momentarily still, her tired brain processing the loss of extra weight she'd been supporting the entire journey down the mountain. Finding her legs again, she jogged lazily after Teal'c and the Colonel, seeing Daniel race ahead urgently, eager to punch in the coordinates for Earth into the DHD. Sam knew he was concerned about getting Jack into Janet's care as soon as humanly possible as well.
"Agh," Jack groaned barely audibly as the jarring from Teal'c's movements caused pain to lance throughout his knee, head, and chest.
"I am sorry O'Neill," Teal'c apologized sincerely as he continued toward the gate. "We are almost there," He assured the barely-conscious Colonel.
The loud kawoosh of the opening wormhole was heard once the chevrons were all locked into place, and Daniel was soon standing by the event horizon, waving an arm to urge Sam, Teal'c, and Jack through after he'd punched in the code on the GDO. He was intent on making sure everyone got through before following into the shimmering blue himself.
-
Adjusting their stumbling steps down the ramp on the other side of the gate, the team had successfully returned to the SGC. Jack was now completely unconscious in Teal'c's arms, and Sam was hearing muffled voices from the control room and through the speakers, her mind focused on only one thing; Jack. She blearily recalled General Hammond making his way into the gateroom after ordering Walter to call for Dr. Fraiser and her medical team. Her bright blue eyes wandered over to Daniel, and she found her legs moving robotically as he guided her down the ramp, noticing her distressed state.
Sam barely remembered being brought to the infirmary for her post-mission check-up. She sat there for what seemed like a long time afterwards before Daniel and Teal'c joined her when they were through getting looked at. The two men kept watch over Sam to make sure she was alright while most of the technicians helped Janet take care of the Colonel.
Daniel grew concerned as Sam passed out, leaning against his shoulder while sitting on the medical bed. He shared a glance with Teal'c before helping her lay on her side and covering her up with a blanket. "Is she okay?" He questioned the Jaffa unsurely.
Teal'c just gave a slight nod. "I believe Major Carter is emotionally, as well as physically, exhausted," he told the anxious archaeologist quietly.
With a nod, Daniel sunk into a nearby chair while Teal'c remained rigid and vigilant at the foot of the bed. They'd only been in there for a little over half an hour when Janet approached the three weary teammates, Sam still unconscious. Daniel rose his head slowly to see the doctor's tight, hesitant smile.
"Janet?" He questioned worriedly. "How's Jack doing?"
She sighed very softly, eyes wandering for a brief moment. Teal'c was watching her as intently as Daniel, expecting an answer. "We've done X-rays, ultra-sound, along with several scans, and he's just been taken into surgery for his knee." Noticing the questioning looks, Janet continued with her explanation of the Colonel's condition. "So far we've confirmed a broken sternum, but it's not that bad. Colonel O'Neill's suffered a major concussion, but I'm confident there's no permanent damage." She smiled gently. "You all did well taking care of him, and I'm pleased to say that he's no longer suffering the effects of the alien virus, so I assume you managed to get ahold of the plant that would cure him."
Daniel nodded distantly. "Yeh... We did."
Teal'c watched the small doctor studiously as she quickly looked Sam over, checking her pulse and such before speaking to him and Daniel.
"Why don't you two get cleaned up and have something to eat, then get to sleep. I'm going to hook Major Carter up to an IV with some fluids and nutrients and let her rest here." Janet smiled gently down at the sleeping woman.
"Is she alright?" Daniel appeared anxious again.
"Oh, yes, don't worry Daniel," Janet placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's just a bit dehydrated and needs the rest."
The archaeologist just nodded before he turned and began leaving the infirmary with Teal'c. Suddenly stopping at the door, Daniel turned and called out to Janet. "If Jack-" He began, but she was already prepared to answer him.
Janet smiled knowingly. "I'll let you know when you can go in and see him," she assured the man comfortingly. She nodded toward the retreating archaeologist. "Oh, and General Hammond wanted me to tell you that the debriefing can wait until 0900 hours tomorrow,"
"Thanks," Daniel nodded appreciatively before disappearing down the hall.
-
Sam took a moment to remember where she was before slowly opening her eyes and taking in the infirmary atmosphere around her. She blinked rapidly, rolling onto her right side and noticing a sudden pain in her left arm. Examining the limb blearily, Sam realized she had an IV line going into her arm on the underside of her left elbow. With a slight groan, she shifted on her side again and blinked several times when she spotted the occupant of the bed beside her. It was Colonel O'Neill.
Her eyes roamed over his prone form slowly, and Sam noticed that he appeared to be breathing a little easier, and his right leg was slightly elevated and wrapped heavily with thick bandaging. There was a clean bandage wrapped around Jack's head, with tubes and monitor leads along the unwrapped portion of his chest.
"Sam?"
Janet's warm voice alerted her, and she rose her head slightly without facing away from Jack. "Oh, hey Janet," Sam mumbled softly as the doctor stepped between the two beds and into her patient's view.
"How are you feeling?" The doctor was smiling at her, a twinge of concern in her gentle eyes.
"Fine," Sam answered dismissively, her eyes still locked onto the Colonel. She squinted slightly, brows knit together. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be alright. I'm sure he won't be happy that he needed yet another knee surgery, but the damage wasn't too bad, especially considering how mangled it looked." Janet noticed the slight crack in Sam's voice, but she said nothing of it. She knew the Major cared deeply for the Colonel, more than regulations would allow, but it didn't bother her. In fact, Janet felt that both of them would benefit from being together openly, not having to worry about ending their careers. Unfortunately, that wasn't how things worked if you were in the military. "You did a good job with the field dressings and splint," the doctor praised Sam warmly, hoping to offer the obviously troubled woman some comfort.
Sam just hummed quietly with a slight nod, pulling the blankets tighter around herself.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Janet laid a hand on Sam's shoulder and gazed down at her kindly with an encouraging smile. "How 'bout you get yourself showered and dressed while I stop by the commissary and get you something to eat?"
It wasn't a suggestion, and Sam knew that. Heaving a sigh, she sat up slowly with a faint nod and held out her left arm so Janet could remove the IV. Her mind was focusing steadily on her current tasks; shower, dress in BDUs, return to infirmary to watch over Jack. From that point on she was working on auto-pilot to do what needed to be done.
-
While sitting on the bed besides Jack's and eating the food Janet had brought down, Sam chatted quietly with the doctor, explaining what had caused such physical damage to the Colonel. She was silently wondering why Arcana or the other villagers failed to mention the danger of those strange beasts they encountered. Making a mental note to voice her questions to Daniel at a later point, Sam laid on her side to rest a little while, suddenly feeling exhausted once more.
Janet reminded her that it wouldn't be morning for several more hours and that she should get a good night's sleep. The doctor didn't even bother asking Sam to leave the infirmary and head to her on-base quarters, knowing very well that the Major would rest easier being close to the Colonel.
"I'm going to hit the hay myself, so I'll be in my quarters. Just call me through the intercom if you need anything Sam," Janet announced quietly with a gentle smile before briefly checking over Jack's vitals and leaving the infirmary. She nodded toward a nurse and told the young woman to leave them be, and that she only had to remain outside just in case she was needed.
"Thanks Janet," Sam murmured softly with a faint smile. She kicked off her boots and pulled up a blanket, taking off her green jacket so that she only wore the black t-shirt, then snuggled up on her side and let her head sink comfortably into the pillow.
-
Jack woke very briefly around 0100 hrs, Sam being the first to notice. She'd been tossing and turning for fifteen minutes before hearing the slight, shifting movements coming from the infirmary bed beside hers. While rolling to her right side, her eyes opened slowly and focused against the dim lighting of the room. "Colonel?" She whispered softly, not getting a response. Sam's brows furrowed as he released a barely audible groan before jerking his chin slightly. "Jack," she tried again in a soothing, encouraging tone, using the more informal name.
He tilted his head slightly in Sam's direction, being noticeably more responsive this time. Jack's eyes opened a crack and he murmured something incoherent before his head lolled to one side and he drifted away again.
Sitting up slowly, Sam slid carefully off the bed and traveled the few steps toward the Colonel. She gazed down at his relaxed features, smiling gently and admiring him with affection. A brief look of incertitude crossed her face and she tenderly stroked one hand along the side of Jack's face. A smile graced Sam's lips while the unconscious Colonel leaned into her touch, releasing a soft hum.
Satisfied that he'd been awake atleast once, Sam ambled back to the other bed and crawled tiredly under the blankets. She didn't think it was necessary to notify Janet since nothing was wrong, so instead she decided to let the doctor get some much-deserved sleep and remember to let her know in the morning.
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