Thanks to Sissybear for pointing out the mistake in the last chapter that Jackie & I both missed! - Flatkatsi

Supporting Rumors - Part 39

Teal'c didn't have to wait too long, just short of an hour, before Doctor Hill returned. He let her check out her sleeping patient before quietly asking if he might speak with her alone.

After taking a last look at her patient she joined Teal'c outside the room.

"Do you want to go somewhere private?" she asked.

Teal'c checked the corridor and inclined his head in a polite bow. "There is no one to disturb us here, but thank you. I have a question. Is it possible for O'Neill to have unconscious movement in his legs?"

Doctor Hill regarded him for a moment, cocking her head to one side as she took in his words. "Did you see movement?" she asked at last.

Teal'c nodded as well as giving her an affirmative vocally.

"Was he awake?"

"No. It was just before he did awaken though. It was not much, but I saw his foot move – twice."

Doctor Hill sighed. "Are you sure? It is easy to imagine movement, especially when you want to see it, on the other hand it could be just a natural fall of the limb due to his body placement."

"It was neither."

Teal'c's firm response seemed to give the doctor food for thought as she gazed back at him earnestly.

"I see. I think we should have a little chat with Mrs O'Neill. Although I have discussed this with them both to some extent, it is hard to take in a lot of information when you feel the bottom has dropped out of your world. However, given what you have seen, I think she certainly needs to be aware of it and how to handle it, in fact I think you and the General's other friends need to hear it as well. I'll take a little time and do some further tests, and perhaps you can find out when Mrs O'Neill is expected to return so that we can arrange a meeting."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sam thought her heart had stopped when she was accosted by the head nurse as she and Daniel returned to the hospital, and when an inquisitive General Hammond arrived, saying that Teal'c had called him, she swayed on her feet.

As Sam's face changed color, the nurse gave a hurried apology and was quick to reassure them that nothing was wrong, merely that Doctor Hill wanted to speak to them together.

"O'Neill is sleeping."

Teal'c's voice came from behind them, making them turn.

"I apologize for alarming you. It was not my intention." Teal'c gave Sam a short bow, his hand over his heart.

Sam let out a breath she wasn't even aware she'd been holding. "I ... it didn't cross my mind anything was wrong when I spoke to you ... sorry it was just ..."Her gaze wandered back to the nurse, who once again gave her an apologetic smile.

Teal'c led the way to the relatives' room and before anyone could enquire further what was going on, Doctor Hill arrived.

"Good, you're all here." The doctor bestowed a brief smile on them before perching, as was her usual custom on the coffee table. "I just want to go over some details regarding the General's situation. Mr. Murray here," she gave Teal'c a nod, "witnessed some slight movement from one of the General's feet whilst he was asleep …"

There was a murmur of surprise from everyone and Sam's expression of dread changed to anticipation as she sat further forward on her seat.

Doctor Hill held up her hand to quiet them, turning to concentrate her attention on Sam. "I know that I spoke to you and your husband about SCI and some of what to expect, but I think it's important that you and your friends appreciate just what the situation is." Her gaze shifted to take in the others, as if wanting to be sure of their attention. "The severity of the original injury determines whether or not any recovery may occur. Unfortunately, there is no test available at this time to measure this severity."

Daniel shifted in his seat, but she gave him no chance to speak, continuing with her explanation.

"As I explained earlier, some incomplete injuries have a chance of further recovery whereas complete injuries have none, but even with incomplete injuries there is no guarantee that any further recovery will occur. Most of the recovery that will occur starts early – within the first few weeks. Therefore, each day that goes by without any return of function means that the chance for recovery is less."

Sam found herself mentally tallying up just how long it had been since Jack was shot, wondering how each passing day affected his chance of recovery. Or should she be working out only the days since his disastrous fall on the stairs? She didn't know, all she did know for sure was that the word 'recovery' seemed to be echoing constantly in her head. She was concentrating so hard on trying to understand what the doctor had just said that Teal'c's voice startled her.

"Perhaps it will spur O'Neill on in his attempt to regain the use of his legs."

Sam felt like cheering, but her elation that someone had actually spoken her hopes out loud was cut short by Doctor Hill's next words.

"What Mr Murray here has seen can certainly be a sign of some sensation returning, but no amount of hard work will make the nerves return. If hard work was all it took, very few people would end up with permanent paralysis. I'm afraid that whether or not General O'Neill had surgery and whether or not he works hard in his therapy sessions are not what will determine how much recovery he will have. These things are done for other reasons – and in the General's case, surgery was a necessity."

She leaned forward and Sam echoed her movement, not wanting to miss a word of what the doctor was saying. A hand patted her briefly on the knee and she gave General Hammond a quick smile, before returning her full attention to the doctor.

"What you, and the General, must understand is that the purpose of rehabilitation is to improve function in self-care activities such as dressing, transfers and using the wheelchair, using whatever physical ability the patient has. Since most recovery that will occur tends to start within the first few weeks after injury and by coincidence this is usually the same time therapy is being done, there is a tendency to think the recovery is due to the therapy. It should be clearly understood that the therapy did not cause the recovery. Just because one nerve cell recovers does not mean that others will. Patients often get very excited when they see some small improvement in sensation or increase in strength, but only time will tell if anything else will come back."

"Is there any way you can tell if Jack will be able to walk again? Any test you can do?"

Sam held her breath, waiting for the doctor to answer Daniel's question, but released it when Hill shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but no physician knows how much recovery will occur in a specific individual and there is no test currently available that will enable us to give an accurate prediction. Only time will tell. The best that can be done is to make an educated guess based on what has happened in the past to others with similar neurological findings at the same time since onset of the injury."

She paused again, and when she resumed, her voice was firm, as if she was trying to impress on them the gravity of her next words.

"It is very important that General O'Neill is encouraged to undergo therapy and rehabilitation and this movement might just give him the illusion that it isn't necessary and a full recovery is just around the corner. But rehabilitation, to learn to be as functionally independent as possible and to prevent complications, offers the best opportunity to take advantage of any return of function, if and when it should happen."

Doctor Hill's sharp eyes past over each of them in turn. "I know that the General is optimistic of a full recovery and although I won't dash his hopes completely - there is no absolute answer. He will need the support and encouragement of you all to continue to work towards adapting as a paraplegic."

Sam shut her eyes at the words, the uncertainty of the situation, combined with the reality of just what the future might hold for her husband finally hitting home. She could only imagine how Jack would take the speech Doctor Hill had just given them. To be told he might, just might walk again, or might only get some sensation back, or even none at all – that there was no way to tell … She didn't know what to think or say, so she stayed silent, letting her friends' voices just wash over her.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC