Supporting Rumors - Part 25

Sam woke with a start from the light doze she'd fallen into. Jack was awake and struggling to move. He was fighting to remove his hand from hers as his other hand began clawing at the light sheet that covered him, dragging it aside.

Sam watched dumbstruck as the hand clawed at his legs repeatedly. The panic in his eyes, the tight lines of agony that were etched into his face made her heart plummet and her stomach lurched in response.

"Jack." Sam managed to find a weak voice, but he paid no heed. The keening sounds of distress that came from him became more urgent as his fingernails gouged a crimson track into the top of his thighs.

"Jack!" Sam found more voice and rose, trying to divert his hands from their bloody quest.

"Look at me, Jack!"

His breath came in panicky gasps and the monitors at the bedside were beginning to wail an alarm.

Sam grabbed at his hands, trying desperately to grip them. "Jack, I'm here. Please don't, don't . . ."

"No ... No ... No ..." He was heaving for breath and trying to raise himself from the pillows without any success.

Sam flinched as his hands flailed wildly and then closed on hers, his grip painful. The terrified look in his eyes wrenched a gasp of agony from her.

"Oh God, Jack, I'm here, look at me, I'm here. It's okay, please, Jack" Sam was almost shouting as she tried to get him to focus on her.

She was dimly aware of more people in the room, but her sole focus lay on the face of her husband.

"General O'Neill, please try and take a slow breath," urged Doctor Hill as she leaned closer.

Jack's wide panicked expression seemed to lessen slightly but he still struggled to breathe.

Doctor Hill calmly injected his IV and perched a little on the bed, clasping Jack's shoulder with one hand. "Sir, listen to me, try and slow your breathing down. Try not to breathe from your stomach, just take short breaths. Short breaths, General."

Doctor Hill's voice continued, quietly but firmly, and as the sedative began to take a slow effect, Jack seemed to stop fighting and the gasping breaths began to slow. The oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose had become white with vapor as he struggled and now, at last, clear patches began to show as his breathing steadied.

"That's it Jack, nice and easy, don't fight it, I'm here, love, I'm here." Sam allowed him to maintain the grip on her hands and slowly, as his grip began to falter, she changed it so that she grasped his instead. She maintained eye contact with him and as his eyes began to fade beneath his lids she stayed quite still until she was confident that at last he was sleeping.

Doctor Hill's soft voice came to her from beside her, but she kept her eyes fixed on Jack as she listened.

"The sedative I just administered was very light, however I can't continue to sedate him given the difficulty he has breathing. I'm going to prescribe a tranquillizer. He will still be awake and quite cognizant after a little, when his system gets use to it, but it should take the edge off the panic."

Sam couldn't help her startled glance at the doctor at the word 'panic'. Doctor Hill nodded and continued. "You have to understand that waking in this state is a huge shock for both your husband to comprehend and for his body to try to deal with."

Sam knew her hands were shaking, but merely tightened her hold on Jack and sat quietly whilst Doctor Hill examined the damage he'd wrought on his body.

The doctor tut tutted softly as she cleaned up the wounds and applied a light dressing.

The horror of seeing Jack's reaction shook Sam to the core. She drew breath shakily, dismayed that her trembling seemed to be increasing.

Doctor Hill said something, but it was merely some distant rumble to Sam's ears.

"Mrs O'Neill?" repeated the doctor. "Are you okay?" The doctor's voice was soft, and the caring tone in it almost undid her.

Sam nodded briefly.

"Take some time out, please."

"I need to be here."

"He won't be awake for a while now. I promise you a nurse will sit with him and at the first sign of him waking, you will know."

Sam hesitated. She had learned a lot from the man lying in this bed, her commanding officer for so many years, her friend, her lover . . . and now her husband. He'd taught her many things. He'd helped her to realize her full potential, given her strength and courage – even made her produce the impossible and at times, a miracle . . . Sam's eyes closed for a moment and she tried to draw on every ounce of strength she possessed. She had to focus. Now was not the time to fall apart – Jack would need her strength, until he regained his own.

She drew a deep breath, and calmness followed the oxygen through her body. "Thank you. I'll take a short break and come back." Sam leaned over and kissed her husband, brushing back the hair from his forehead.

"I won't be long," she promised.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Their friends and colleagues, Daniel and Teal'c, were right outside the door. From Daniel's expression, she gathered they'd heard a little of what had happened. She leaned heavily against the wall.

"Are you alright?" asked Daniel. He seemed to be scrutinizing her face.

Sam nodded. She cleared her throat a little before trusting herself to speak. "He, he woke and . . ." The urge to clear her throat again was there. Sam clenched her teeth and looked to the far wall, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay. "Jack couldn't move. He panicked." The words were out. Said. Done.

"Oh God," whispered Daniel.

He didn't look to be too far from tears himself and Sam steeled herself and risked a quick look at Teal'c. His dark eyes bared his sorrow and somehow this was more upsetting than Daniel's open emotion.

Sam pushed off from the wall and grabbed them each by an arm, drawing them close. They needed each other, more than ever now. Jack would need their love and strength and even if they had to ram it down his throat – he would get it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC