"Hello?"
"Is this the residence of Samantha Carter?" a female voice asked on the other end.
"Speaking," Sam said, rather confused why someone was calling her house number. The only people who had this number were her boss, Catherine Langford (the other scientist she was working with) and her father. No, wait, she had given this number to Jack right after she got to D.C. two years ago just in case he really wanted to keep in touch.
The woman on the other end breathed a sigh of relief, "This is Sarah O'Neill, Jack's wife."
Sam's concern grew immediately, "Is he alright? What happened?"
"Our son, Charlie, shot himself with Jack's hand gun. He died yesterday. Jack's not taking it very well," Sam could hear tears in the woman's voice, "I think he's going to shoot himself."
Sam's military mind took over, "Sarah, stay calm. Give Jack the telephone. Don't let him hold it, just hold it up to his ear, I need to speak with him."
Sarah drew in a shaky breath, hoping beyond hope that this woman she'd only met once could save her husband. Their marriage may have been in shambles, but Sarah needed Jack to live, "Okay…Here he is."
Sam didn't think she just started talking, "Jack, I know you can hear me. You don't have to say anything, just listen. I know this must be a really hard time for you right now, I was a wreck myself after my mom died. You probably have the gun he used in your hands right now. You're probably thinking that it may be better if you just shoot and end your life right now. You're son is dead, and it's your fault, right? Wrong, Jack. You did not give Charlie that gun and tell him to shoot. You did not pull that trigger…"
"I might as well have," Jack whispered. "It's my gun."
"I refuse to accept that, Jack O'Neill! You have too much to live for – too much good that you can still do!"
"Like what!" Jack shouted into the phone. "My son is dead, Sam. No parent should ever have to live through this! No parent should ever have to go through what I'm going through right now!"
"Then live, Jack. You're not the only one who's suffering right now because of Charlie. Sarah lost her son, too. Don't shut her out, Jack! You're being a selfish bastard, you know that, Jack? If you end your life now, who will spread awareness about why Charlie died? If you die, who'll remember him? Jack, you're an American hero. You've been to war and survived, been captured and come home alive. Do you really want to die the death of a coward?"
The phone clicked off. Sam heard a beeping sound of the disconnected line. Tears filled her eyes as she wondered if her words had reached the man, many miles away. She prayed to God that they did. Next to Jack O'Neill, his wife, was hoping the same thing.
"Carter."
"Hi, Sam. This is, Sarah. I was kinda hoping we could talk." Sam turned off the monitor of the computer she had been working on and walked over to her couch to sit down.
"What's wrong?"
"I didn't really know who else to call. Two airmen came yesterday and informed Jack that he's been recalled to active duty. He left today. The look in his eyes told me that he doesn't expect to come back," tears welled in Sarah's eyes, but she desperately tried to stop the onslaught of loneliness.
"It's going to be all right, Sarah. You'll get through this."
"I don't think I can, Sam. Jack is my world. I moved half way across the country to marry him and raise Charlie. I have no friends – Charlie and Jack were my world. And now Charlie's dead and Jack's gone. I don't know what to do anymore."
"Sarah, you're a strong woman. You're going to be fine. Now, I got transferred back to Colorado Springs, I've finished my assignment here. My plane gets in tomorrow morning, are you still living in the same house?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be over as soon as I get in, okay? Can you wait that long for me?"
"I don't know."
"I'll be there as soon as I can – just hold on, Sarah. Hold on."
After informing her superiors, Sam was able to catch a flight out that very night to the Springs. She arrived in the airport around 2200 hours, before renting a car and driving over to Sarah and Jack's house.
She got there and found the house just like she remembered – tidy front yard full of flowers and shrubs, muddy boots in the doorway. Sam knocked on the door, and when Sarah didn't answer she tried the handle. It was unlocked.
"Sarah?" Sam called into the chillingly quiet house. Slowly she got out her gun, making her way through the first floor of the house, then proceeding to the second. "Sarah?" Sam kicked open a door that was barely shut. Inside she found Charlie's room, and Sarah on the bed, curled up like a baby and crying her eyes out.
"Sarah?" Sam ran to the woman she hardly knew but thought of as a friend. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here. Shh, it's okay."
"My baby's dead," Sarah cried into Sam's shoulder. "My baby's dead! And my husband is as good as dead."
"Shh, it's okay. Just let it all out. I'm here now, you don't need to be strong."
The two women sat like that for hours, Sarah crying her eyes out as Sam held her in her arms. It was almost four in the morning when Sarah finally feel asleep, exhausted from her emotional trauma.
The next morning Sarah awoke to the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and something she hadn't smelt in weeks – breakfast. Trudging sleepily downstairs, she found Sam on the phone in the kitchen as she flipped some bacon in the frying pan.
"I don't care what mission he's on, General! You used that man's suicidal behavior against him and his wife…Tell me one thing – is he alive?…What do you mean, you don't know? General West, it is your job to know!" Sarah listened a little bit longer, wanting to hear the outcome of the conversation. "When should he be getting back, sir?…I see. No, that's quite alright; I can manage…No, sir, I won't be in for a few weeks…I didn't think it'd be a problem, sir, considering I didn't take any personal time while I was at the Pentagon…I see…Good bye, sir, I'll see you then." Sam hung up the phone and swore fluently in Mandarin, French and Russian.
"Sarah, stop hiding in the doorway and come have a cup of coffee," Sam said without removing her eyes from the frying pan. "Sleep well?"
The disheveled woman nodded, "As well as can be expected. What were you talking to General West about?"
"I was inquiring as to where Jack is." She looked Sarah in the eye as she dished out breakfast onto two plates. "They wouldn't tell me a thing. All they said was I'd find out when I get there."
"Where's 'there', Sam?"
"Cheyenne Mountain."
A/N: See where I'm going with this? I hope you all review - I miss hearing all of your guys' feedback. Even if it's criticism - I want to hear it.
Happy Hanukkah everyone!