Note: In response to a couple reviews for an explanation of why I did some of the things I did last chapter: First to Virago500; by Pete being "bulkier" than Jack, I meant chub, pudge, etc, not muscle. See? Silver; The reason Sam didn't switch with Jack to restrain Pete was because by making a move to trade places, it could have given Shanahan the perfect chance to break free. Besides that, things happened pretty fast so they didn't have much time to plan their actions out carefully.
Alrighty, I'm done. On with the chapter!
Chapter Seven: Thick and Thin
Sam dialed the SGC immediately, speaking to Hammond quickly and informing him briefly of the situation, hanging up once she was assured he would contact the propper authorities. Then there was the gunshot. She jerked in surprise, her eyes wide with fear, heart thumping erratically in her chest. Another shot wrang out less than a moment later and she screamed. "JACK!" Sam's feet were moving before she was even aware of what she was doing. Scrambling into the dark living area, lit only by the glow of the fire that once felt so warm and inviting, Sam gasped at the form of two men lying motionless alongside eachother on the floor.
"Jack!" She cried again, tears trailing down her cheeks while she rushed over, somewhat hesitantly. Pete was face down on the floor, a spreading stain of blood on the back of his jacket. Sam first spotted the revolver on the floor near Pete, and quickly kicked it far from reach just in case he happened to regain consciousness and reach for it. She then eyed the pistol by Jack's lifeless hand and knelt down fearfully, grabbing at it and tossing it far away before her hand flew to reach for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief upon finding one, but it was weak and thready. His eyes were closed, and there was an alarming amount of blood soaking his t-shirt just below his ribcage and spreading on the floor beneath him.
Sam touched his face gently, her eyes filling with more tears. "Jack," she called out more firmly, chewing her lower lip in determination. Eyes shifting worriedly, she took in a shaky breath and pressed both hands firmly to the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. When Jack moaned in response, his head moving slightly, she let out a faint cry of relief. "That's it Jack, come on, stay with me," she commanded, paying no mind to Pete's unmoving body nearby, not even caring whether he lived or not. He'd hurt the man she loved, and Sam couldn't forgive him for that.
-
Just outside the infirmary sat a very troubled set of people, all concerned for the health of their good friend, Jack O'Neill. Daniel had been called straight away as soon as Sam was at the SGC. It took a bit of doing, and a few calls made by General Hammond, to get the Colonel taken directly to Cheyenne, while Pete Shanahan was brought to the Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital, ambulance tailed by the authorities. Teal'c was already at the base, a subtle glimmer of concern on his normally stoic face once he was told about O'Neill. He stood by the wall outside the infirmary, arms crossed as he carefully gazed between Major Carter, Daniel Jackson, and General Hammond.
Sam was slumped in a chair against the wall, bent forward with her head in her still-bloodstained hands. She was doing her best to control her emotions, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Her head rose slightly as a comforting hand was placed on her shoulder, and she sent a wan, appreciative smile toward Daniel.
It seemed like a long time had passed before Janet emerged from the infirmary. She smiled briefly, eyes resting on Sam as she spoke. "It was touch and go at first, but Dr. Warner and I managed to get the bleeding under control. The Colonel's in surgery right now to repair the internal damage from the bullet's path, but it went clean through without really hitting anything major." With a short nod to everyone, she turned swiftly on her heel. "I've got to get back in there now, but I'll inform you all as soon as the operation's complete," Janet's voice was calm and confident, betraying how she truly felt.
General Hammond hung his head slightly. He knew the doctor had asked he keep the team out of the viewing room that overlooked the operating theater, but he wanted to look in on his friend, and Second in Command of the SGC as well. George understood Janet's wishes, because he would sure as hell feel pressured and even more stressed if he were operating on a friend with more equally concerned friends watching.
Both Daniel and Teal'c stood on either side of Sam where she sat, placing a reassuring hand on each of her shoulders. They offered what little comfort they could, knowing just what both Sam and Jack went through to get to where they were now, finally together.
-
The late hours of the night passed slowly, and early morning was gradually creeping in. By the time a weary Dr. Fraiser came out of the operating room to apprise SG-1, as well as General Hammond, of Colonel O'Neill's condition, it was 0300 hrs. She heaved an exhausted sigh, a surprisingly steady gaze flickering between the uneasy and exhausted faces of Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond. It surprised her how concerned Teal'c appeared, much more-so that his usual subtle expressions.
Reaching for an unoccupied plastic chair against the wall, Janet set it in front of Sam before explaining to everyone. "The surgery went very well," she began in a gentle, reassuring voice. "Dr. Warner and I were able to repair the damage, but Colonel O'Neill had already lost quite a lot of blood and we had to perform a transfusion. He's stable now, but I've got him hooked up to a unit of blood to help continue replenish what he's lost. The Colonel's still unconscious from the anesthetic, but I expect him to wake in an hour or so."
"Can we see him?" Sam asked immediately, her fingers twisting nervously in her shirt.
"Sure," Janet smiled gently at her with a comforting nod. "I've got him in an ICU room. Come on, I'll take you." She waved Sam to her feet, sharing a comforting look with the General and the rest of the team.
Sam glanced at the others as if for approval.
Daniel crossed his arms, smiling gently at her with a slight jerk of his chin. "Go on Sam, we'll be there in a few minutes."
Wiping at the tears that had trailed down her pale cheeks, Sam smiled gratefully and followed Janet through the SGC's underground hospital to the ICU room where Jack was. Her heart thumped in her chest as she prepared herself for the state she figured him to be in, but all she could do was will herself not to start bawling.
-
For some time Sam sat vigilant at Jack's bedside, just holding his hand in reassurance that she was there for him, although he had yet to wake. Both Daniel and Teal'c had taken turns staying with her to watch over Jack after their first visit with General Hammond there as well. Teal'c now stood by Sam while Daniel got some sleep, the Jaffa's strong presense bringing a comfort to her, nerves already frayed from the night's recent events.
"He was protecting me," Sam croaked suddenly, hoarsely. Her whispered words broke the silence that had developed in the ICU room. She didn't move though, only stared blankly at Jack's still form.
Teal'c brought a hand to her shoulder, still silent, but there as a comfort none-the-less.
"Jack, he-" Closing her eyes, Sam choked back a sob. "He was holding Pete down while I went for the phone. Neither of us even considered he had another gun.." Her eyes opened slowly and she blinked, squeezing Jack's hand in her own.
"I do not believe Colonel O'Neill would put you at fault, Major Carter," Teal'c said quietly, his voice laced subtly with reassurance.
Sam hung her head for a moment before smiling tightly and craning her neck to peer at the Jaffa. "You don't have to stay Teal'c, I just want to sit with him alone for a little while,"
Teal'c bowed slightly with a nod of understanding. Giving Major Carter's shoulder a light squeeze, he turned and left the room.
Moving her chair closer beside the bed, Sam cradled Jack's hand carefully in her own while her other hand strayed to gently caress his face. She adjusted the oxygen tube under his nose that Janet switched instead of the full mask, knowing that the Colonel would just pull it down to talk when he woke.
Despite her struggle to remain awake, Sam had faded off to a light doze, still holding onto Jack's hand. Her head dropped down to her arms, jerking up suddenly when a strained cough sounded in the previously quiet room. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Sam quickly focused on Jack's face, becoming disheartened to discover he wasn't awake. God, I think I'm losing it, she mentally cursed, dragging one hand away from Jack's to rub at her forehead, glancing briefly around the room to make sure it wasn't someone else who she had heard. When Sam peered toward the viewing window overlooking the ICU, she noticed no one was up there either. Sighing, she closed her eyes and hung her head wearily.
"Ssuh...Sam.."
The weak, breathy voice had Sam raising her head once more, convinced, this time, that she wasn't hearing things. Her eyes were trained on Jack's pale face, his features lined with pain, lips moving faintly, though his eyes were still closed. "Jack," she choked out through blurring tears, squeezing his hand desperately. "God, Jack, I'm sorry..."
Jack shifted slightly, the movement causing him obvious pain. This time he forced his eyes open, determined to let Sam know that he didn't blame her for anything. He squeezed her hand back to get her attention, watery blue eyes shifting to his glossy, deep brown orbs. "No.." Shaking his head just faintly, Jack let his eyes alone say everything he couldn't at that moment, and he knew Sam understood. It wasn't your fault.
She smiled heartfully, her emotions bursting as more tears streaked down her already tear-stained face. Standing and gently leaning down to kiss his forehead, Sam left with a promise that she'd be right back.
-
Dr. Janet Fraiser was in her office curled up on the small, uncomfortable sofa in the room to catch what little sleep she could after the nerve-wracking surgery she'd performed a few hours earlier. She'd been grateful for the break, and would have enjoyed being at home with her adopted daughter Cassandra, but knew she had to be ready and available in case her patient needed her.
Twisting on the uncomfortable cushions, the doctor was soon startled awake by an excited Sam calling out to her. Blinking away the fog of sleep, Janet sat up quickly, focusing on her friend as she rushed into the office. "Sam, what's wrong?" she questioned groggily, not yet taking in what the blonde woman kept repeating to her.
"Janet, he's awake! Jack's awake!" Sam cried out once more, grasping the doctor by the arm and helping her to her feet.
Realization dawned on the doctor's face and she immediately snapped into action, grabbing her stethoscope off her desk and hurrying with Sam out the door.
-
Jack had already started losing consciousness again when Sam pulled Janet quickly into the room. His eyes were mere slits, bleary brown orbs trying to focus on the two women to show he was atleast making the effort to be attentive.
"Colonel," Janet studied him carefully. "How are you feeling?" She was concerned that Jack may have injured the ribs that were still healing, and his collarbone had been pretty tender. There hadn't been much time for tests before he'd been rushed off to surgery, but now that he seemed fairly lucid and somewhat alert, the doctor in her wanted to check him thoroughly.
"Tired," Jack responded breathily after a moment.
"That's understandable," Smiling tightly, Janet folded down his blanket that covered the bandage from surgery.
Sam held onto Jack's hand while Dr. Fraiser examined him, poking and prodding while he grimaced with pain and discomfort. Her thumb moved in soothing circles over his hand reassuringly. Watching Janet for a moment, Sam rose an eyebrow in curiosity when the doctor stepped away from the bed and began looking for medical instruments on a nearby cart.
"I'm just going to take a blood sample Colonel, then I want you to rest," Janet smiled briefly as she prepared a tube, quickly swabbing Jack's arm with a cottonball where she was going to insert the needle. She'd planned on doing a few more tests, but after the brief examination of his wound she realized how exhausted he truly was still, and that it was only around 0500.
Jack blinked blearily as Janet drew his blood, eyes struggling to focus.
Staring at Jack with concern, Sam felt overwhelmed with worry at how frail and weak he appeared to be. Her brows were drawn together while she kept a hold on his hand. As Janet took the vial of blood and labled it for testing, Sam sunk into the chair beside Jack's bed, pressing her free hand to his forehead while she watched him lose consciousness. "Janet, he's out again," she said softly as the doctor took the blood sample away.
"Alright," Janet smiled briefly, depositing the vial of blood in a testing tray before returning to stand beside Sam. She noticed her friend's hands were still smeared with dry blood that also stained her shirt. "Why don't you go clean up and get some sleep," she placed a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder. "I'll have a nurse stand by to keep an eye on him. You look like you could use a few hours rest,"
Sighing softly, Sam hung her head, giving in. She knew that if she didn't get some sleep that Janet would probably threaten to sedate her, so she rose to her feet reluctantly. Releasing Jack's hand, she leaned down to place a tender kiss on his forehead before making her way out of the room after Janet promised she'd send for her immediately if anything happened.
-
"Mom?" the sleepy child's voice snapped Dr. Janet Fraiser out of her daze, and she swiveled in her office chair to find her adopted daughter, Cassandra, rubbing her eyes and standing in the doorway. "Cassie," she called softly, surpressing a yawn. "Is everything alright?" Janet's eyes trailed upward to the SF that had led the young girl to her office.
The tall SF nodded with a brief smile on his freckled face. "She insisted on seeing you Ma'am," he told her. The young man's voice was soft and friendly.
Janet nodded gratefully. "Thank you Airman, you can return to your other duties. I'll look after her now," She smiled, and the SF gave another slight nod before turning on his heel and striding down the hall. With all that had happened, Janet had nearly forgotten that she'd sent one of the SFs to retrieve her daughter when she found out she wouldn't be able to come home for the night and didn't dare ask the babysitter to stay so long.
Gesturing for the obviously tired ten-year-old to come toward her, Janet pulled Cassie into her lap and gently stroked her chair. "Hey sweetie, it's late, why aren't you sleeping?"
"Why aren't you?" the young girl asked innocently.
Janet just smiled, briefly closing her eyes. "I slept a little, but I need to be awake in case Colonel O'Neill needs me," she explained gently. "Do you want me to take you back to the guest quarters?"
Cassie just shook her head, lowering her eyes. "Mom, will Jack be okay?" The girl was concerned for the man she had come to know and look up to ever since she was brought to Earth when she was eight-years-old. Both Jack and Sam had played important roles in her rescue from the home planet that had been destroyed by the Goa'uld, and they'd each contributed alot once Janet had adopted her. They visited her often and were part of the extended family she'd come to know and love, along with Teal'c and Daniel.
Meeting Cassie's eyes after gently lifting her daughter's chin, Janet gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry Cass, we're all taking very good care of Jack." She tried not to let her own insecurities about the situation show, but it was hard when the ten-year-old was so perceptive, able to pick up on the emotions and signals from those around her, especially those she was closest to.
"Can I visit with him?" Cassie asked almost pleadingly.
Janet's chest tightened as she watched the emotions play across her daughter's face. Sighing softly, she twirled a piece of Cassie's hair and nodded briefly. "Alright, but just for a few minutes, and only if you promise to go back to bed afterwards."
Expression brightening, Cassie smiled and hopped off her mother's lap. "I promise,"
Taking Cassie's small, outstretched hand in her own, Janet led her out of the office and down the hall toward the ICU room where Jack was. On the way there she warned Cassie that it might be a little scary to see the Colonel surrounded by so many machines, tubes, and wires, but the ten-year-old wasn't afraid. Janet realized that she probably wouldn't be, especially since she'd seen her own mother and the rest of her village die.
Opening the door to the ICU slowly, Janet nudged Cassie into the room before signalling the nurse she'd left on duty that she could leave. She smiled down gently at her daughter, one hand on her shoulder as they approached Jack's bed.
Cassie walked slowly up to the bed and studied Jack with furrowed brows. "He's real white," she commented softly, her eyes never leaving the Colonel.
"I know sweetie," Janet gently squeezed her shoulder with a solemn sigh. "When Colonel O'Neill was hurt he... Well, he lost a lot of blood, and when that happens it can sometimes make you look.."
"Like a ghost?" Cassie finished, turning and craning her neck to look up at her mother. At Janet's nod, the young girl turned her attention back to Jack, watching the rise and fall of his chest while listening to the rhythmic beeping of the machines. Reaching out slowly, Cassie placed her hand over his chest as if to further reassure herself that he was indeed still alive and breathing.
"See? He's going to be alright Cass," Letting her own eyes linger over her patient, Janet patted Cassie's head affectionately. "Come on now, you promised to go back to bed. Let's let the Colonel rest okay?"
"Okay," Cassie whispered with a tired nod, turning and allowing her mother to lead her away.
-
Note: Before I confuse anyone, I just want to reiterate the fact that this is somewhat alt. reality and I changed a few things. That's why Cassie's age is different and everything. Jus' wanna remind you incase anyone things I royally screwed up, 'cuz that happens on occasion. XP Please review!