A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I had a major case of writers block! I have to say thanks to Captain Morgan for the proverbial kick in the pants to get me to finish the chapter. Any way I hope the next chapter won't take so long.

Chapter 14

Jack didn't like the sound of Rabb's voice when he called, there was something going on in the infirmary and it had to do with Carter. He rushed through the security as fast as he could, rushing through the hallways just avoiding collisions until he came upon the door to the infirmary. He stopped, took a deep breath and prayed under his breath, 'let her be okay', then he stepped through the door.

Harm was trying to stay out of the way, while trying to keep his promise to O'Neill to stay close by Sam; but there was nothing he could do for her and only hoped O'Neill would get there soon. He heard a gasp and when he looked, he saw O'Neill had entered the room looking totally shell shocked; Harm went to fill him in.

"What's going on Rabb? Why is she in restraints?" The sight of her struggling against the restraints took him back to the unpleasant memories of him being strapped to a bed being drugged out of his mind.

"They think she's having an adverse reaction to the medication; she's not coming out of it and it looks like she's stuck in some sort of nightmare. She started mumbling, then yelling and thrashing about. They were afraid she was going to hurt herself, so they put the restraints on…I thought you'd want to be here." Harm said truly concerned.

"Are you telling me Fraiser Okayed this?" Jack said feeling the pit of his stomach burning.

"The doctor's are still operating; they said someone would be here as soon as possible."

Jack couldn't stand it anymore; he rushed to Sam's side and took in her appearance. From the door, you would have thought she was conscious, but looking down on her, he could see her eyes were closed but moving rapidly under her lids. Her oxygen mask was now gone replaced by a tube delivering oxygen through her nose. She was mumbling and sounded scared. "Carter, its O'Neill, you have to wake up." he said but noticed no change. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her, "Carter, time to wake up." His voice was more forceful, but she kept fighting against the restraints. He looked to the nurse who had moved away to give him some space. Then without asking anyone, he undid the restraint around her hand and took it into his squeezing it. "Come on Carter, you're safe now." This time his voice was gentle and he was stroking her hair.

Harm felt useless, he tried to calm Sam earlier but had no effect. At least now, he could offer O'Neill his support. He went to the other side of her bed and undid the other restraint on her hand. He saw O'Neill nod to him, then look to the foot of the bed. He got the hint and moved to uncover Sam's feet and undo the restraints.

As soon as she was freed, Jack could feel her relax a bit, "That's right Carter just relax, you're safe now." He kept a hold of her hand and continued to stroke her hair.

"Okay, what's happening?" Janet asked as she rushed into the room peeling her mask off.

The nurse who had been taking care of Sam spoke up. "Major Carter was getting combative; we were unable to wake her and thought it best to use restraints so she wouldn't hurt herself. She still hasn't woken up doctor."

"Yea Doc, why can't she wake up?" Jack asked quietly, but not letting go of Sam's hand.

Janet came over to Sam's bedside and noticed that the colonel was holding her hand then she took her pen light out and looked in Sam's eyes. "She's having an adverse reaction to the medication we gave her for the surgery."

"Why would she?" Jack asked puzzled.

"Well Sir, you know with Sam's …unique condition…" Janet was choosing her words carefully since Commander Rabb was right there. "We have to use a higher dose than normal to put her under, and make sure it's high enough during the surgery, after all we don't want her waking up in the middle of an operation."

Jack could only cringe at the thought, but understood the necessity. He could see that Rabb was looking puzzled.

"Usually she comes around a lot quicker, but for some reason she's having a problem waking up."

"Ah Dr. Fraiser, when we were attacked earlier today they used some kind of tranquilliser darts on us, I don't know how many they used on Sam, but one was enough to knock me out." Harm said trying to help.

"Well that should be out of her system by now, but who knows maybe there are some residual effects, interacting with our medications." Janet could see that Sam was deep in REM sleep and still thrashing a bit. "It's not good for her to moving around right now."

"Yea, well this is nothing doctor; it was worse when she was in the restraints." Harm informed her. "O'Neill somehow managed to get her to calm down."

Janet looked at Jack, she'd had her suspicions about these two; she saw what Sam had gone through when he was missing; but she never knew how he felt about her, until now. But suspicions were one thing proof was another. "Well I'm glad you were able to calm her down Colonel, I'm afraid we're going to have to keep her calm until she wakes up; which she should be doing soon. I hope."

"Yea well doctor, after what Carter's been through, the last thing she needs is to be put in restraints." Jack was obviously bitter at finding Sam tied down.

"You may be right Sir, but my nurses did the best they could do given the circumstances.

"Ah doctor, I hate to change the subject; but how is Mac doing?" Actually, Harm wasn't sorry to change the subject.

"Dr. Warner was just closing when I came here; as for the surgery, I'm afraid its not good news. The spinal chord was severed. We fused the bones together, but I'm afraid there's nothing else we could do." Janet said with sympathy.

"So she's…she's never going to walk again?" Rabb was totally shocked by this news; his legs were feeling wobbly as he thought about Mac being stuck in a wheel chair.

"I'm afraid not Sir." Janet said shaking her head, she hated when it turned out that there was nothing she could do. It made her feel useless as a doctor.

"So who's going to tell her?" Harm asked his voice now just above a whisper.

"Well Sir, either I or Dr. Warner can break the news to her, but sometimes having someone close to the person tell them is better. It doesn't seem so impersonal." Janet said looking at Rabb compassionately.

Harm was finding this whole situation overwhelming and reached out to steady himself against the foot of Sam's bed. "I…I don't know if I can do this." He said shaking his head.

Sam was hearing voices, they seemed far away but she could just make them out. She recognized one voice, that of Janet. "severed spinal chord"…"never going to walk again." 'No this can't be; she didn't remember receiving such an injury.'

Jack felt Carter start to stir again, "No, can't be…" she mumbled, as Jack once again gave her hand a squeeze. "Carter, its okay, time to wake up."

"Never…walk again." She mumbled, and started to move violently. Jack once again tried to hold her down putting his hands on her shoulders.

Janet leaned over the bed to look at her friend. "Sam, it's Janet, you're okay, now try to wake up." Janet saw Sam still struggling to come to the surface, given other circumstances she would try to slap her face to bring her around; but seeing that her face was all bruised and swollen Janet couldn't bring herself do it.

"Carter! Wake up! That's an order!" He took his hands off her shoulders and hoped the order would bring her around. What he didn't expect was for her to suddenly sit up straight and cry out in pain. This caused him to jump back and lose his footing slightly, not noticing that something fell out of his pocket landing on the floor under the bed

"Sam are you okay?" Janet was concerned by her sudden movement.

"Dumb question, Janet." Sam said through clenched teeth, trying to breath through the pain.

Jack looked at Janet shrugging his shoulders and raising his eyebrows. "What ever works hey Doc?" Then looked back at Sam, "Good to see you awake Carter."

"Ah, thank you Sir?" Sam was totally puzzled by what the colonel said.

Janet was right beside Sam, "Hey Sam, let me help you lie back down."

"Here let me give you a hand Doc." Jack and Janet both put a supporting hand behind Sam's back and a hand on her shoulder and eased her back down. Jack couldn't help but feel a tingle as his hand came into contact with the bare area of Sam's back.

Janet noticed the pained look on Sam's face. "Sam I know this is going to sound stupid, but how are you feeling?"

"Still really groggy, I could swear I heard you talking about being paralysed." As Sam said this, she was moving her legs to make sure she wasn't paralysed.

"Ah no Sam, you don't have to worry about that." Janet said trying to relieve Sam's concern.

"Oh, I'm, ah sorry Sam; I didn't realize you could hear me." Harm said looking at her with the most heartbreaking expression, she's seen.

"Oh no, its Mac isn't it?" She asked not taking her eyes off his face. From his expression, she knew she was right.

"I'm afraid so Sam.? Janet told her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Sam was looking up at Janet with hope.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

"How did it happen, she was fine when I told her go and leave me behind." Sam's apprehension was growing.

Jack decided it might be better if he gave her the news; "Look Carter, when we found you two, the fire was spreading and part of the ceiling fell in…when we dug you two out Mackenzie was laying on top of you…and her back took the brunt of the collapse."

"Then it's my fault isn't it?" Sam's voice and the look in her eyes were full of remorse.

"No Sam, it's not your fault. Mack was just being Mac; you wouldn't expect her to leave anyone behind? Would you in those circumstances?" Harm was still feeling his despair, but didn't want Sam feeling guilty for Mac's heroics.

"No, you don't understand; I started the fire, it is my fault." The guilt in Sam's voice was heart breaking.

"Look Carter, Mackenzie told me to look for Kennedy, which means she saw him; knowing these people do you really think they were going to let her just go knowing he was behind this?" Jack was trying his best to be convincing.

"No." Sam answered quietly.

"So if you didn't try something, it was most likely they were going to kill her."

"Yea we kinda figured that part out." Sam tried to put her hand over her eyes and winced when she tried to lift her arm.

Janet noticed Sam's reaction, "Sam what's wrong with your arm?"

"It's just a little painful to move right now, but I'll be fine." Sam was trying to convince Janet as much as herself that it really was okay.

"Ah Doc, Mackenzie told us that Carter was…hanging from a hook for long periods of time from the looks of her arms I guessing it was by her wrists. Is that correct Carter?" Jack tried to sound detached, but his emotions were in turmoil when he thought about it.

"Ah…yes Sir." Sam didn't like everyone knowing what she went through, she hoped she could keep most of it to herself; it was something she didn't want to talk about.

At hearing this confession, Janet started to feel Sam's shoulders and tried moving her arms in different positions in order to assess the damage. Janet could tell Sam was trying to hold back from showing her pain, but she wasn't fooling her. "Okay Sam I'm done for now, I'm going to want to have some X-rays taken, but I'm afraid there may be some tendon or ligament damage."

"Great and how long will it take for that to heal?" Sam didn't want to be laid up any longer than was necessary.

"Given your current situation I think that should be last on your mind. Sam you have some serious internal injuries, and the trauma to your abdomen and ribs is going to have you laid up in bed for quite some time." Janet knew that the last place SG1 ever wanted to was in the infirmary, yet alone for an extended period of time.

"Janet I can't just lie around here and do nothing."

"Yes you can Major, even if I have to make it an order; although I usually don't order people to stay in bed." Jack said with a half mocking voice and a raised eyebrow.

All of a sudden, the room started filling with more people coming in wheeling a gurney. Harm felt his heart jump start, as he saw Mac go by him. He waited anxiously for them to get her settled before he would go over to her.

He saw Dr. Warner writing in the chart and giving orders to the nurses. Then he felt weak as the doctor came his way. "I take it Dr. Fraiser filled you in on the Colonel's condition?" Warner could tell by the look on the man's face that he knew the prognosis.

"Yea doctor, I know all about it." Harm could feel his heart racing and a lump forming in his throat.

"Ah she should be waking up soon, and it might be best if she had a friendly face to wake up to."

"Yea, doctor no problem. Ah how long should I take before telling her the news?"

Warner saw the turmoil the man was in and put his hand on his shoulder, "Well I would make sure she's fully awake, or else you may have to do it all over again."

Janet thought that Rabb might like to be alone, and decided to clear the infirmary. "Okay everyone, I'm sorry to have to do this but Sam needs to rest right now. Colonel I'm afraid you're going to have to leave for a while, and anyone not needed in here should find somewhere else to be. Of Course you can stay Commander."

"Thank you doctor." Harm said a little relieved that he wasn't being kicked out.

"Okay Doc, I'll leave, but I will be back later. Carter you get some rest and stop thinking, that's an order." Jack said placing his hand on her forearm and squeezing it lightly before he headed for the door.

Sam watched the colonel leave not sure what to make of the squeeze he gave her. She saw Harm make his way to Mac's bedside, and the guilt started all over again.

Harm slowly made his way to Mac's bedside, and noticed Dr. Fraiser pulling the curtain between the beds. Well at least now, he a little bit of privacy and the way Sam looked she's probably be asleep soon. "Well Mac here we are together, I just thought it would be different when I'd picture seeing you in bed." Harm shook his head; he couldn't bear to think of her like this. "It's all my fault Mac; I should never have brought you in as back-up." Harm couldn't stop the tear that had formed from falling down his cheek; he wiped it away and held on tightly to the bed rail, as he looked down on Mac. 'God Mac, how am I supposed to break this news to you?' He thought to himself. Harm felt the sudden urge to pace, he normally wasn't the type to pace, but these weren't normal times. He had to think of a way to tell Mac, and maybe pacing would help him think. As he made his way up and down the aisle at the end of the beds something shiny under Sam's bed caught his eye.

Sam was pretending to sleep; it was the least she could do for Harm, to let him think he had some privacy to be with Mac. She could hear him pacing and figured he must be feeling as guilty as she did. Should she let him have the time to himself or offer an ear to let him vent; even if it meant she took the brunt of his anger, 'which I deserve'. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing; she could swear she heard him right next to her bed, 'well time to bite the bullet.' Sam opened her eyes and was surprised to see the top of Harm's head next to her bed.

Harm was trying to reach the object, it was odd looking but it also looked like it was made of gold; it must be important. In order to the object, he had to get down on his knees next to Sam's bed. As he reached the object, he started to rise up, lifting his head first to a puzzled looking Sam.

"Ah hey Sam, did I wake you?" He said giving her a guilty little grin.

"What are you doing down there?" Sam said trying to lift her head higher off the pillow to get a better look at what Harm was doing.

"I ah… saw something odd under your bed and I was trying to reach it." He said looking more sheepish now.

"Well if it has a tube and looks like it's attached to something, I'd rather you leave it where it is."

Now Harm felt a little embarrassed and turned a little red; "Ah no, nothing like that, I found this." He said finally getting to his feet and handing the object over to Sam.

Sam had to grin at the colour Harm had turned, but then her expression turned to surprise as he handed her the healing device.

The first thing Jack did when he left the infirmary was to call the security office to find out if Daniel and Teal'c had returned with the one's responsible for Carter and Mackenzie's current conditions. He was relieved to find out that everyone except for Kennedy was accounted for and resting their heels in some nice little cells on the base. He was going to head right down there, when the security officer informed him that General Hammond wanted to see him. The ride up on the elevator seemed to take forever. When Jack entered the briefing room he noticed that Daniel and Teal'c were already there waiting for Hammond to join them.

"Jack! How's Sam doing?" Daniel asked as soon as he noticed Jack enter the room.

"I'd like to know as well Colonel." Hammond said as he entered the room and sat at the head of the table.

Jack took his regular seat at the table, as did the other members of SG1; he couldn't help but look at the vacant seat next to him. "Well Sir, Carter made it through surgery fine, but it looks like she's going to be laid up a while. Colonel Mackenzie on the other hand…well the news isn't good. It looks like she'll never walk again."

Hammond was quite shocked he wasn't expecting that news; in fact, he wasn't even sure why Colonel Mackenzie had been brought in, in the first place. "I'm sorry to hear that Colonel, why was Mackenzie there at all?"

"Well Sir, you put Rabb in charge and he didn't trust anyone from the base so he called Mackenzie in as back-up."

"What? Why would you bring someone else in to protect Sam and not call me and Teal'c?" Daniel was quite hurt that Jack had left him out.

"Daniel, I had nothing to do with calling in back-up; Rabb did it while Carter and I were asleep." Jack didn't like having to justify his actions or inactions. "Anyway, what's going on with the prisoners?"

"I'm glad you asked Colonel, it seems our holding cells are now quite full; but I'm not sure how long we can hold them or if we even have jurisdiction over the civilians. One thing we need for sure is a positive ID either from Major Carter or Colonel Mackenzie."

"Ah neither of whom is able to get out of bed at the moment." Jack said shaking his head.

"Teal'c didn't that Stan guy pick out the accomplices?"

"Yes, indeed he did O'Neill." Teal'c said bowing his head.

"Ah Jack I'm afraid he might say he was intimidated into picking people out, that's why we need a positive ID." Daniel said looking at Teal'c.

"Are you telling me he found Teal'c here to be intimidating? That's just not possible." Jack said grinning at Teal'c. "He's just like a big teddy bear."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow in a puzzled look.

"I take it Stan is the one with the injuries?" Hammond said, not really wanting to know how the man got his injuries.

"Ah yes General that would be him." Daniel said looking down

"Well he was complaining so much I had him sent down to the infirmary to be checked out."

"What!" O'Neill yelled jumping out of his chair. "He's the one that beat the crap out of Carter! I have to get down there Sir." Jack just noticed Hammond nod his consent before he was out the door followed by Teal'c and Daniel.