Supporting Rumors - Part 45

Sam's white face and unsteady gait galvanized Daniel and Teal'c into action and they quickly ushered her down to the relatives' room they had been given. For a split second Daniel wondered if the Generals were there, and gave a sigh of relief as the room revealed no one.

Sam's reserves crumbled as they hit the privacy of the room and Daniel found himself holding her as fresh tears wracked her frame. He felt close to tears himself, the churning void inside caused by Jack's sudden downturn leaving him feeling more than a little vulnerable.

"I am sorry," said Teal'c quietly.

Daniel continued to hold Sam. For a moment he failed to fathom what Teal'c was apologizing for. "Ah, um, yes ..." He took a deep breath and shook his head a little before realizing what his friend meant. "Oh ..." He shrugged helplessly. He just hoped there wouldn't be any repercussions – after all, threatening the life of any General was bad enough, but Teal'c couldn't have picked any worse, except maybe the President himself, than these three. They were all well aware, despite the Jaffa's admirable loyalty, that the most avid champion of his continued freedom whilst on Earth was a very sick man and it wouldn't take much for the goodwill that was grudgingly given to be withdrawn.

It took a while for Sam to compose herself. "Just when you think you've hit rock bottom ..." she whispered.

"A third party then enters into the equation and removes the floor to reveal yet another drop."

Sam and Daniel both looked at Teal'c with mouths slightly agape, before exchanging a look with each other and then bursting into laughter.

"Oh God, Teal'c, I should never cease to be amazed by you," said Sam.

"Heaven forbid," added Daniel. "I just can't work out though, if you have always had this evil sense of humor, or if you actually did sort of pick it up from a certain someone."

"I have learned many things in my time with the Tauri, Daniel Jackson and I have learned never to reveal my source." Teal'c's expression could be described as a smirk, for those that knew him well enough.

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The minutes ticked by slowly and it was almost an hour before Doctor Hill came to see them.

"He's resting for the moment. I'm afraid he's got pneumonia."

"How?" asked Daniel, feeling stupid even as he uttered the words. "I mean, he was fine ..." He broke off as he remembered the coughing that had been getting worse. Shit, he knew he should have ... he looked to Sam and found she had the same expression on her face as he knew he had. "The coughing, was that a sign that ..."

"Coughing?" asked Doctor Hill.

"Damn, I knew ..." cried Sam. "Oh God, he ... Jack seemed to be coughing a lot, but he told me it was because he couldn't use his ... that he couldn't take a deep enough breath ..." She broke off, her expression wretched.

Doctor Hill nodded. "If he tries to exert himself or forgets his breathing has altered, then yes, that would lead to him coughing, because he can't use his lungs to their normal capacity, that and the rib injuries. There was a danger in the fluid building up ... but I wasn't aware that General O'Neill was having any further difficulties."

Sam and Daniel looked aghast. Their expressions seemed to reveal all to the Doctor.

"It looks like I should just ignore my patient's revelations of how he feels in future, doesn't it?" Hill smiled. "Pneumonia can settle in very, very quickly, coming from nowhere to a full blown attack in very little time, especially as his system is straining to cope as it is. Some of his symptoms, the General could have, and obviously did, confuse them as part of his injuries. His temperature had only been raised by one degree since the interview with ..." Doctor Hill broke off shaking her head. "However, this morning my staff reported two degrees and I hadn't been able to get to him ... it's now 101 and I don't think that's the end of it. It's a case of whether its viral or bacterial pneumonia and I have taken sputum and blood samples. As soon as I get the results back I can then prescribe what's necessary. If it's viral, then I'm afraid he has to fight that himself, antibiotics won't help. All in all, he's a very sick man."

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Doctor Hill allowed them back into the room for a quick visit, after making them don masks, promising she would go and put those damn men straight on Jack's health herself. She wanted the hospital back to normal for everyone's sake, but most of all she wanted what was best for her patient's well being.

It wasn't long before three very subdued generals skulked back to wherever thoroughly chastised generals go. A nominal security detachment was left behind with full agreement of the doctor, mainly to help keep press and other unwanted visitors away from the wing where General O'Neill was, giving his family and friends some protection as well.

Doctor Hill rubbed her hands together as she walked back to General O'Neill's room. There were days when she loved her work ... and barking at those officious men was one of them ... however the silence and the pale faces that greeted her as she entered her patient's room were amongst the reasons for the days she loathed …

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TBC