Sam puffed out a fatigued sigh as she pushed the safety goggles from her face and rubbed her tired eyes. She'd spent the last hour peering through a backlit magnifying glass, willing her hands not to shake as she carefully siphoned the toxin from within the relic. Using the MRI scanner had worked out well, confirming the metal prongs were the only point of exposure and providing a clear picture of the small reservoir that housed the toxin.
The whole process had gone quite smoothly thanks to the syringe and impossibly slender tubing Janet provided her with; the syrup-like poison and the first and second rinse solutions now safely contained in their respective jars. Perched beside the jars was the partially excavated artifact, its golden, fang-like protrusions glinting under the lights of her lab.
It all just looks so simple…a simple piece of art…completely harmless… she mused, absently rubbing the light bandages that covered the open blisters across her palms. Her thoughts turned bitter as she slid her gaze over to the clear fluid trapped within the confines of the three glass containers. Yeah… about as harmless as a loaded gun in the hands of a… Stop it. Don't go there, Sam.
She propped her elbows against the bench and buried her face in her hands. You're overtired, frustrated, and worried. Thinking like that isn't going to help you any, and it certainly won't get the Colonel back on his feet faster. The important thing is the artifact is now safe for Daniel to finish…Daniel…
Sam directed her attention toward the far side of the room where Daniel stood with his back to her, awkwardly hunched over a low table. He had come to her lab for the supplies as much as her company, but neither had spoken a word since delving into their separate tasks over an hour ago.
She stood and crossed the room. "Hey, Daniel. What are you doing?"
"Shh. Wait…wait just a…" he uttered, his thought left incomplete as his focus returned to his work. With tweezers in one hand and a bone folder in the other, he began to gently manipulate the delicate scroll he had soaking in a shallow pan of archival solution.
Peering curiously over his shoulder, she watched silently as he scrupulously pushed, poked, and blew on the brittle, ancient paper. Slowly – painfully -- the scroll began to open, gradually revealing an intricate design drawn in fading black ink. Working with increased urgency, Daniel held his breath as he placed small weights along the outer edge of the yellowing paper to help retrain it to lay flat. With the last weight finally in place, he took a step back, waiting to see if the arrangement would hold. It did.
"Oh, thank god…" he muttered, his rigid posture abruptly relaxing as he collapsed onto a nearby stool. With a clearly relieved sigh, Daniel used a wrinkled shirtsleeve to wipe the light sheen of sweat from his forehead.
"Daniel?"
The young man looked up at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. "Huh?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah…just great. Why?"
"Because you look like you've just run a marathon," she replied, fixing the lopsided glasses on his nose. "Yet you haven't left that spot for over an hour."
"Opening a document that's been rolled up for thousands of years has got to be one of the most stressful parts of archeology," he said before adding with a smirk. "But it's also one of the most exciting."
"So what did you find?"
"Don't know." He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Let's see." Adjusting the aim of the table lamp as they approached, Daniel felt his heart thudding wildly against his chest in anticipation of the information the ancient scroll possibly hold. Hunched shoulder to shoulder in front of the low workbench, both scientists eagerly swept their eyes over the faded document.
What had probably once been an impressive piece of artistic expression was now reduced to a collection of faded black lines and odd symbols arranged on a tattered scrap of paper.
"Hey, this design's on the relic too," Sam said, recognizing the outline of a rearing spider perched triumphantly atop a prone human form.
"Yeah, it is." He gestured toward the writing scrawled at the bottom of the page. "Some of this writing looks familiar too – almost like a really old form of Greek, but some of the symbols are a little off."
"Can you read it?"
Daniel ran a hand through his short hair. "Umm…well, I think this first part says 'death of…' no, wait…maybe it's 'killer of the…' something. I'm not sure what that last symbol means."
"Death? Killer? It all sounds pretty grim to me," she muttered with a frown. "What about the second part? Recognize anything there?"
"Just the two middle words: 'of ' and 'our.' I'm not sure of the rest. I might have something I can cross reference it with back in my lab though."
"What about Teal'c? Maybe he's seen something like this before."
"It's worth a shot, I guess," he said, a mix of disappointment and frustration on his face. "But by the looks of things, I doubt there's anything here that's going to help Jack."
"At this point, Daniel, I think anything that offers insight as to what's going on will be a huge help," Sam told him, hoping her words sounded more convincing to him then they did to her. "We'll get through this."
The young man nodded, although his face remained clouded with doubt. "Thanks, Sam."
She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before returning to the bench where the jars of toxin sat patiently waiting. "Listen, I need to head over to the Infirmary to drop this stuff off with Janet. You want me to send Teal'c up?"
"Sure. I'll get the next scroll soaking and then check out some of the references I…" his words trailed off as the relic perched on the side of the table caught his eye. He took a hesitant step toward it. "Is it safe?"
"Yup. She's all yours now," she said, glad to see a hint of enthusiasm return to his eyes as he carefully lifted the object into his hands. "Just watch your fingers, the prongs are still pretty sharp." Depositing the jars and all the equipment she'd used into a small crate, Sam slipped on her dark blue over shirt before turning to leave. "I'll send Teal'c up right away, okay? Daniel?"
When no response came from her friend, she turned back to find him already working on the relic, totally lost in his own world of old rocks, small picks, and stiff brushes. Smiling, she shook her head as she stepped out into the narrow hallway.
He brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "a one track mind…"
SG1SG1SG1
Listening to the soft thud of her boots as she wandered along the nearly empty halls of the SGC, Sam began to feel her energy reserves slowly dropping off. Checking her watch, she discovered it was only 2025 – still early by her standards – but the fact she'd been awake for the majority of the last 48 hours was finally beginning to take its toll. This had been proven when she'd tried to open the elevator doors several times before realizing that she was putting her ID card into the reader backwards.
She knew she was doing herself no favors by denying her body the rest it so badly needed, but she also knew her conscience would give her no peace until the Colonel was either back on his feet or, at the very least, on a definite road to recovery.
In the small crate she held cradled against her side, the sealed glass jars of toxin clinked together softly as she rounded the final corner that led to the Colonel's private room. Still under the assumption that he would be asleep for some time yet, she was surprised to hear the hauntingly familiar sounds of him struggling to breathe drifting down the hall. Almost afraid of what she would find, Sam braced herself for the worst and peered cautiously through the open doorway.
Propped up in bed between several large pillows, a very pale and visibly weakened Jack fought desperately to draw in enough air to fill his lungs. At his side, Janet was doing all she could to keep her patient calm while throwing increasingly worried glances at the shrieking monitors behind her.
"Easy, Colonel. You're going to be all right," she soothed, rechecking the placement of his clouded oxygen mask as his breathing became even more ragged and strained. "Teal'c, give me a hand. I want to try sitting him up some more."
Using the utmost care, the large man slipped a muscled arm beneath his leader's shoulders and gently sat him up, Jack groaning softly in protest.
When the change in position didn't help, Janet turned to the assisting nurses. "Let's go ahead with that dose of epi, and put a respirator on stand by. We may have to step in if the meds don't jumpstart things." As the nurses complied with their orders, she picked up a cloth and started blotting away the perspiration that was trailing down his face. "You're okay, sir. You're doing fine. Just relax."
"Epinephrine is in, doctor."
Acknowledging the nurse with a nod, she continued to wipe down her patient's face, watching for even the slightest hint of improvement. "Come on, sir," she urged. "Fight."
Teal'c carefully adjusted his grip to better support his tiring friend. "His strength is failing."
"I know it is," she uttered, glancing up to see something – sadness maybe – briefly flicker through the Jaffa's dark eyes. "All right. It looks like I'm going to have to…"
She hadn't even finished her thought when Jack's chest gave a sudden heave and he began to cough deeply as the drugs finally kicked in. Afraid he would hyperventilate, she started rubbing his back and speaking rapidly to hold his attention. "Easy, sir, take it easy. You're okay now – just relax. You need to slow down your breathing, sir. Take slow, deep breaths. Come on now. Slow down."
With the sounds of his own thundering heart and abrasive breathing resounding between his ears, Jack found it impossible to make out the doctor's words, so he instead focused on her kind touch and reassuring tone. Although there was still an occasional hitch in his chest, he was now at least able to draw an adequate amount of air into his burning lungs and fuel his oxygen-starved body.
Continuing to comfort the Colonel as he slowly recovered, Janet looked up to see Sam hovering in the doorway, her expressive blue eyes wide and brimming with tears. She offered her friend what she hoped was an empathetic smile before returning her attention to Jack who had unexpectedly gone limp in Teal'c's arms.
"Colonel?" She checked his pulse and flashed the beam of her penlight in his eyes. "He's unconscious."
Teal'c lowered him back against the pillows, a deep frown of concern on his face. Janet felt a pang of guilt as she brushed Jack's sweat matted bangs away from his forehead. Even at rest, the man was clearly exhausted. I let you go too long, sir. I'm sorry…
She turned to her staff. "Let's get him sponged down with cool water and change out this sweat soaked bedding."
Leaving the nurses to their work, she joined Sam at the room's entrance.
"W-what's going on?"
"O'Neill was unable to adequately draw breath once again," Teal'c replied solemnly as he approached.
"How bad?" she asked, although she was pretty sure she already knew what the answer would be.
Janet drew both her friends out into the hall to allow for privacy. "Pretty bad. The spasms only seemed to affect his respiratory system this time, but his oxygen levels dropped dangerously low before the drugs kicked in."
"Did you not say before that you could prevent such suffering?"
"That was never a definite, Teal'c. The medication I've been giving him is meant to relax the skeletal muscles without compromising the respiratory system. It might be preventing the full body spasms from occurring, but it's still leaving several of his systems vulnerable. And while I was able to help him through this latest bout without invasive intervention, if it happens again, I don't…" She stopped and sighed. Saying anything more on the matter would be detrimental. She nodded toward the crate in Sam's arms. "What's that?"
"Oh, it's…ah…what I extracted from the relic," she said, the sudden change in topic jarring her thoughts.
"Already?" The doctor reached out and selected the jar labeled "Toxin M4G-887." Holding it up to the light, she watched as the scant quarter cup of clear, syrupy liquid sloshed around inside. "This will definitely help us out in the lab. Thanks, Sam."
"Has Daniel Jackson experienced similar success?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, actually. He managed to open the first scroll before the relic claimed his full attention. In fact, he was wondering if you'd be willing to swing by and take a look at it. I guess he has a few questions that he hopes you can shed some light on."
"I am more than willing to try and illuminate the answers to his concerns on this matter."
The two women shared a smile. "I left him in my lab picking away at the relic. I'm sure you can convince him to take a short break in order to show you the scroll."
"Are you in further need of my assistance, Dr. Fraiser?"
"I think we're all set for a little while, Teal'c, but you've been a tremendous help," the small doctor said. "I can't thank you enough."
He inclined his head. "You are most welcome."
Sam waited until the departing Jaffa was out of earshot before trying to elicit more information from her friend. "Okay, Janet. What's really going on?"
"At this point, Sam, you know everything I do. I'm still waiting for the secondary blood work and complete toxicity reports to come back from the lab. Until then, there's nothing more I can do. And to be perfectly honest with you, I'm concerned about exhaustion right now more than anything."
"What do you mean?"
"It's taking longer and longer for the Colonel to recover from the spasms he's having. Even with the tranquilizing properties of the muscles relaxants he just can't settle down. Not to mention the fact he's metabolizing medication at an alarming rate. His fever won't break, and that's only adding more stress that his body doesn't need to be dealing with right now. I don't know how much longer it's going to be before he simply doesn't have the strength to fight through the pain and physical symptoms this toxin is causing."
Sam's eyebrows rose suspiciously. "And…?"
A nurse appeared at Janet's side before she had a chance to respond. "Excuse me, ma'am, but Colonel O'Neill is starting to come around."
"Thank you, Captain," she said and gestured for Sam to hand over the crate she was carrying. "I need this taken over to the forensics lab and given to Dr. Braddick. Tell her it's the solution recovered from the artifact found on M4G-887 and to include it in her analysis. And please be very careful on your way there. The liquid inside those jars is extremely dangerous."
"Yes, ma'am," the young officer said and quickly left the area.
Although she followed her friend into the isolation room, Sam timidly hung back in the entryway, uneasy with seeing her superior so vulnerable.
Wearing the most reassuring smile she could muster, Janet patiently waited until the attending nurse had finished remaking the bed before approaching Jack's side. Leaning over the guardrail, she watched him for a moment, taking in his pale complexion, irregular breathing, and sweat-dampened skin. She also noticed a new patch of black and blue forming along the right side of his rib cage, a colorful indication that yet another muscle had given way under the stress. "Colonel?"
His dark eyes slowly fluttered open and briefly met her gaze before shutting again against the bright lights.
"Welcome back, Colonel," she greeted warmly. "I was worried when you left me for a while. How are you feeling?"
His hushed reply was almost lost in the hissing oxygen of his mask. "Tired."
"Your body's going through a lot right now. But we're going to help you get through this, okay?"
"It's hot."
"I know," she said, wringing out the cloth that was soaking in fresh water beside his bed and draping it across his forehead. "You've got a fever, sir. It's how your body is trying to fight off the toxin you were exposed to. Do you remember me telling you about that?"
He didn't respond.
"Colonel?"
The older man grunted softly and opened his eyes. "Teal'c?"
Janet winched. "He's gone to help Daniel, but Sam's here." She motioned for her reluctant friend to come over. "It's okay. Come say hi."
She approached awkwardly, trying in earnest not to look as worried as she truly felt. A small grin appeared on Jack's face as his glassy gaze met hers.
"Hey, Carter."
His smile was contagious. "Hi, Colonel. How you doing?"
"Good…" he replied, his eyes sliding shut again.
"He just needs rest," Janet assured when she saw the concern flare through Sam's eyes. "Listen, I need to go check on a few things, do you mind staying with him till I get back?"
"Um…sure…I mean I guess…" she rambled, accepting the face cloth that was held out for her to take.
"Great. Try to keep him cool and just let him rest, okay? I'll be back in a bit."
She watched the doctor leave; listening as the sound of her clicking heels gradually disappeared down the hall. With a nerve-steadying sigh, Sam pulled up a chair and refreshed the small cloth before finally settling down. Passing the cloth across his face, she couldn't help but smile sympathetically when he nestled into its coolness.
"Just hang in there, sir. We're going to figure this out."
SG1SG1SG1
Teal'c had arrived at Sam's lab to find it looking more like an archeological library than a room for scientific study. Books of all sizes, lengths, and stages of disrepair were scattered about the small space, Daniel having clearly made himself at home. Standing quietly with the patience of a saint, he watched as his friend methodically picked away at the crusted dirt that encased the alien relict.
Glasses perched atop his head, Daniel practically had his nose pressed against the backlit magnifying glass he was looking through, his eyes wide and scarcely blinking. Using an eyedropper, he carefully dripped a small amount of a clear solvent onto the hardened matter he wished to remove. It hissed and bubbled on contact, softening the material beneath enough to be gently scraped away with a blunt metal probe.
"Would submerging the relic in the liquid not be more productive, Daniel Jackson?"
The young man jumped at his friend's deep, rumbling voice, having completely forgotten that he wasn't alone in the room. "I don't want to risk the solution inadvertently damaging the glyphs or the relic itself."
"I see."
"Just let me finish up this one section…there." Daniel straightened his stiff back with a grimace and lifted the relic up for the Jaffa to see. Although nearly half of it was now free of dirt, it was still impossible to tell what shape the object truly was. At first he had assumed the two joined spheres represented a planet and its neighboring sun or moon, but after uncovering four, three-inch long cylinders attached to the side of the smaller sphere, he wasn't so sure. "God, I wish I knew what you were…" Shaking his head, he returned the relic to the table and looked up at Teal'c. "So, you still want to see the scroll?"
"I do."
"Good." He snapped off the light and made his way to the workbench at the back of the room. "I started soaking the second one, but it's going to take longer since it's more brittle than this…" He stopped when he noticed that Teal'c wasn't behind him and turned to see him staring curiously at the relic. "Teal'c? You okay?"
"I was unaware that this relic possessed a power source."
Daniel blinked. "A what?"
"It is glowing."
Skeptical, Daniel followed his friend's gaze to the largest of the stone spheres where a small glowing patch immediately caught his eye. "What the hell…?" Mesmerized, he bent over the relic for a closer look. "It's one of the glyphs. The light colored oval with the tapered ends. I wonder what's making it glow?" He reached out and turned on the nearby lamp, spilling bright light over the surface of the table.
The glowing stopped.
He switched the lamp off.
The glowing started.
"It appears to respond to the absence of light."
Nodding, Daniel turned the light on again and brought the magnifying glass into position over the relic. "Looks like it might be some form of crude luminescent paint…huh, I didn't see this before…"
"What is it?"
"I don't know," he muttered, retrieving a small brush from his tool kit. "Looks like some sort of pattern…" He gently ran the stiff bristles over the glyph to reveal a circle within a circle. "You know, it almost looks like an eye."
Teal'c peered over his shoulder. "I agree."
"But a glow-in-the-dark eye…?"
The Jaffa's jaw clenched. "A Goa'uld."
"Hecate." Working on a hunch, Daniel ran his brush over the other tapered oval, revealing a similar pattern. "Another eye – only this one's completely dark."
"A dead Goa'uld."
"Dead? That doesn't make…or does it?" Abandoning his brush, the young archeologist got to his feet and went to where the first scroll lay drying. Focusing the magnifying glass on the prone person beneath the triumphantly rearing spider, he noticed for the first time that the figure was unquestionably female. "Damn…"
"I do not recognize several of these symbols," Teal'c said, indicting the ones Daniel had identified earlier as Greek.
"Well, if my translations are correct, this group here says 'killer of the…' and this other set says '…of our…' You ever come across these others before?"
"It is a very old form of Goa'uld," he replied, studying the symbols carefully. "I have not seen it used in many decades. But I believe you will find they represent the words gods, ender, and time."
"Gods, ender, and time. Gods, ender, and time…" Daniel uttered, putting the phrases together in his mind. "So 'Killer of the Gods' and 'Ender of our Time?'"
"Indeed."
Daniel frowned. "What the heck does that…no…oh no…no way, that's impossible."
"What do you believe to be impossible, Daniel Jackson?"
"Assuming our translations are right, I think whoever made this scroll was trying to say that a spider killed their god. Their female god. Hecate."
"A Goa'uld would not allow themselves to be defeated so easily. How could this be possible?"
Daniel shrugged. "Um – well, all spiders found here on Earth are poisonous, some to the point of being hazardous to people. What if this spider's venom was strong enough to kill a Goa'uld?"
A shadow of doubt remained on the Jaffa's face. "What of the second half of the inscription?"
"'Ender of our Time?' I'm not sure. How about you? Any thoughts?"
"I do not."
Daniel silently mulled over the second phrase for a moment before giving a frustrated snort – an ironic thought having crossed his mind. "You know, even if we are right about all this, we're still no closer to finding a way to help Jack."
"Perhaps the answers we seek reside within the remaining scrolls."
"Yeah, maybe," he uttered, taking off his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes with the heels of his hands. "I just don't want to think about what's going to happen if they're not."
"Then do not think of such things."
Daniel looked at his friend through blurry eyes. He knew Teal'c was right and had long ago learned there was no arguing with Jaffa logic. Stuffing his glasses back on his face, he picked up his trusty bone folder and focused his attention on the roll of ancient, yellowing paper soaking in the tray before him. He had a job to do. Questions to ask. Answers to find. And, more importantly, a friend to save.
SG1SG1SG1
'Today's Hot Styles at Yesterday's Cool Prices!' Well, ain't that just the bee's knees… Sam thought indifferently as she read the title of the article she'd just flipped to. Although appreciative of the duty nurse that had offered her something to look at, she had to admit that the stack of fashion magazines she'd received wasn't exactly her idea of a good read. With a disinterested sigh, she thumbed idly through the pages of beauty accessories and potent perfume samples, looking up when a quiet groan came from Jack.
"You're okay, sir," she said softly, casting the flowery scented magazine aside and sandwiching his hand between hers. It wasn't the first time he had stirred during the hour she'd been sitting with him, and she'd found that a reassuring word and touch was usually enough to settle him down. Whatever he was dreaming about obviously frightened him, and it hurt her to no end knowing there was nothing she could do to help.
"I wish I knew how to help you, Colonel. I really do."
When he groaned again, she reached up and began to gently pass her fingers through his silvering hair, silently willing him to trust her and relax. She knew what she was doing was potentially risky, and if the wrong person saw the almost intimate contact she was having with her CO, there would be serious questions to answer later on.
Screw the risks… she thought, feeling the stress slowly leaving his body. "You have to fight this, Jack," she said quietly, closely watching his fevered face as he slept. "I know it's getting hard, but you've got to fight. We still need you out there."
Sam's hand paused mid-stroke when she heard someone approaching from down the hall, but she instantly recognized the clicking heels as Janet and picked up her comforting efforts once again. The weary looking doctor appeared several moments later.
"Hey, Sam. How's it going?"
"All right. He's been pretty restless though," she replied, unconsciously smoothing out his rumpled hair and returning to her seat. "He seems to respond to touch the most so I…"
Janet smiled knowingly as she retrieved her stethoscope from her pocket and warmed the metal disk against her hand. "How's his breathing? Any coughing?"
"A little." She sat quietly as the doctor listened to his breathing, trying to read the odd expression on her friend's face.
"Respirations are a little shallow, but his lungs are clear, so that's good," she replied and moved her hand to his forehead. "Still awfully warm though." She sighed and looked up at her friend, exhaustion and concern evident on her youthful face. "How about you? How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," she said with a noncommittal shrug. "Just worried, that's all."
"Listen, I know this isn't the best time to be asking for favors, but…" she paused to pick up the soaking face cloth; expertly folding it into fourths before passing it over Jack's flushed skin.
"What do you need?"
"I was planning on staying here at the base tonight in case the lab reports come down. I was wondering if you'd be willing to head up to my place and check in on Cassie? Maybe stay and keep her company for a while? Or the whole night?"
"Janet, I don't…"
"Please, Sam? She was home alone last night and I feel awful having to leave her again. It would mean a lot to her to have you there. And me too."
Sam frowned. Normally she would jump at the chance to spend time with the young girl, but she was reluctant to move from Jack's side -- let alone leave the base entirely – for fear that something terrible would happen during her absence. But then Cassie didn't deserve to be left alone either. "All right," she said at last. "I guess I can swing by and check on her."
Relief crossed the doctor's face. "Thank you, Sam. Cassie not being alone will be one less thing I have to worry about."
"No problem." She reluctantly stood and turned toward the door.
"Oh, wait a second," Janet uttered, hurriedly searching through her pockets for something. She finally produced a crumpled twenty-dollar bill from her lab coat and crammed it into her friend's hand. "There's not a lot to eat in the house, I had planned on doing my shopping today. Why don't you pick up a few pizzas and a movie on your way there? Have a girl's night in."
Sam forced a smile, realizing the doctor was just trying to keep her mind busy. "Sounds like fun. Thanks." Gazing back at the bed, she took a final lingering look at Jack who had remained oblivious to the conversation around him. "Feel better, sir," she said and quickly turned to leave the room before she could change her mind.
SG1SG1SG1
Janet stared down at the file on her desk through sleep-deprived eyes and fought to keep herself from nodding off. It was when the words in front of her blurred for the umpteenth time in the past five minutes that she gave up and returned the report to its appropriate folder. Cracking a yawn that threatened to dislocate her jaw, she shifted her attention to the silent black-and-white monitor at her side. Pictured on the 13 inch screen was a clear view of the Colonel, an expression of discomfort and fatigue fixed across his face.
You're putting up one hell of a fight, sir. More than I ever…
"Janet!"
A shout from down the hall startled the petite doctor from her thoughts. A moment later, an overenthusiastic Daniel came bounding through the door with the ever stoic Teal'c not far behind.
"Janet! Where's Sam?" he demanded, his eyes and boyish grin equally wide. He had something small and dark clutched tightly in his hands.
"I sent her to my place to check in on Cassie. Why? What's the rush?"
"Daniel Jackson believes he has discovered the meaning of the artifact which damaged O'Neill," Teal'c explained, also holding something.
"Really?"
"Yeah – check this out."
Her breath caught in her throat as he placed the deceptively heavy object on her desk. "Oh my god…" she uttered, tentatively leaning in for a closer look. No longer entombed within a mass of hardened ash and mud, the alien relic was truly a piece of art. With its metal prongs, two joined spheres, and now eight small cylinders – four on either side of the small sphere – there was no doubt in her mind what she was looking at. "It's a spider."
"Yup – a meticulously carved representation of an ancient species of alien arachnid," Daniel replied, resting his elbows on her desk as he sat down across from her. "Complete with five glyphs and eight precious gem eyes." He tapped the tiny, ruby colored stones embedded at the top of the smaller sphere.
"It's incredible."
"As is the tale that is recounted in the scrolls," Teal'c added, arranging the three opened scrolls – now encased in clear, protective boxes -- on the desk for her to see.
"With Teal'c's help I was able to get what I believe is a fairly accurate translation of the first three documents," Daniel began, automatically slipping into lecture mode. "Two of the scrolls turned out to be part of a personal journal that belonged to one of the moon's native inhabitants, and had details about a ceremonial feast called a Hecate Supper."
"Such events were held annually in honor of the goddess and her loyal dog, Hermes. According to the scrolls, this feast was to be Hecate's last."
Janet's eyebrows rose with interest. "They killed her?"
"Not exactly. See, according to the author, some of the fruit that was used in the rite could only be found in a specific grove deep in the forest. It had to be collected by specially appointed journeymen and brought back to the village in time for the feast. Anyway, at some point during their fruit gathering expedition, one of these journeymen unwittingly picked up a passenger and brought it back with him."
"A spider?"
Daniel nodded. "It was during the festival when Hecate was selecting the best fruit for herself that she was bitten. Her eyes flashed with rage and she condemned the entire village to a slow, insufferable death for their deceit of faith toward her."
"That definitely sounds like a Goa'uld," she muttered, staring at the unfamiliar characters neatly printed in black ink across the scrolls. "What did she do to them?"
"Nothing. Apparently she collapsed in the middle of her threat and went into some sort of violent seizure before finally dying several minutes later."
The doctor shook her head. "That's amazing."
"It also explains this – or at least part of this," Daniel said, sliding the case holding the first scroll toward her. "One of the inscriptions reads 'Killer of the Gods.'"
"Never before has there been such a cunning and effective method of destroying a Goa'uld symbiote," Teal'c added, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"What happened after that?"
"Well, understandably there was mass panic, disbelief, and confusion. Everything these people had lived and worked for, a person they believed to be all-powerful and possessing eternal life had simply dropped dead right before their eyes."
"Without an icon to guide them, they did not know how to proceed."
"That is until a child found the body of the spider – or arachni --among the remaining fruit. The author says the child presented the spider to one of the village elders, and asked if it – the killer of the gods – should become their new divine leader as it had sacrificed its own life to reveal the true nature of their former god. To make a long story short, an assembly was called and the elders agreed. The word was quickly spread and the majority of the people readily accepted the spider as their new god."
"The relic was crafted in stone to harbor the spirit of the deceased arachnionce its power had been harvested."
The doctor blinked. "Excuse me?"
"We think they're referring to the spider's venom since that's what actually killed Hecate," Daniel explained, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "The third scroll touches briefly on the removal of a clear substance from the creature's fangs. Apparently they diluted it in some sort of "holy water" before transferring it to the relic."
"Daniel, I don't know," Janet began, her expression becoming doubtful. "I mean this all makes for a good story and all, but…"
"Do you not believe these documents to be truthful, Doctor Fraiser?"
"Oh, I believe there's some truth in them, Teal'c. Just not a whole lot of it."
"What's giving you doubts?"
"You said the scrolls indicated Hecate died a short time after envenomation, correct?" she asked, continuing after the archeologist gave an affirmative nod. "Well, if the recount was true and these primitive people really did manage to transfer the spider's venom into the relic, then why didn't it kill the Colonel immediately after he was exposed?"
"O'Neill became extremely ill after injuring his hand on the artifact."
"He went into anaphylactic shock – a massive overreaction of the body's immune system. Now with what we know about Goa'uld physiology and their advanced healing capabilities, such a reaction would never occur."
"Okay, so there's still a few factors missing," Daniel pushed, unwilling to drop his point. "But think about it, Janet. How else could the poison have gotten inside a solid piece of stone?"
"I…I don't know."
To Daniel, the doctor suddenly looked beyond exhausted, and he felt a sharp pang of guilt for having been so insistent. I guess trusting the words of a 300-year-old journal is difficult when someone's life is on the line… He reached out and rested his hand on top of hers. "Look, I should have done some more research before I dumped all this on you. I'm sorry."
She smiled. "No – I'm just tired. Lack of sleep tends to narrow the mind, you know?"
He nodded and allowed the office to fall silent for a moment, his gaze drifting to the small monitor on the desk. "How's Jack doing?"
"He seems to be holding his own at the moment, but he's in desperate need of recuperative rest. I'm hoping he'll sleep soundly through the night, but…"
"Would my presence at O'Neill's side be of any consolation?"
"Sure -- if that's something you'd like to do, Teal'c. It might help ease his mind knowing there's someone's with him."
The large man tipped his head and quietly left the room.
"So, you going to be okay?" Daniel asked once they were alone.
"Me? Oh, I'll be fine. I'm just going to finish up here and then try to catch some sleep. I want to stay close by in case something changes."
"Okay." He gave her hand a light squeeze before standing to gather up his artifacts. "Listen, if you need anything, I'll be in my office. I'm hoping to find the answers to a few questions before tomorrow's briefing."
"Well be sure to get some sleep yourself. I don't need two of you to look after," she said with a ghost of a grin.
"Right. Have a good night, Janet."
"You too," she said, releasing a weary sigh once he had gone. Picking up the report she had abandoned earlier, she stole a final glance at the isolation room monitor to find that Teal'c had already settled himself at Jack's side. Satisfied that her patient was doing as well as to be expected, she turned back to the lengthy medical file and began to read.
SG1SG1SG1
It had been just after 2130 by the time Sam arrived at Fraiser's house, her side trips to the local pizza shop and video store having taken longer than she had anticipated. Cassie had been elated that she'd come to visit, and the two enjoyed a late dinner of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. Still distracted with thoughts of what was happening back at the base, Carter had remained unusually quiet; content just to listen to the young teen prattle on about her eventful day at school.
And now, with the dishes done, both sat snuggled together in the den watching the movie she had brought, Cassie's dog dozing contentedly at their feet.
I can't believe I just let myself leave… Sam thought ruefully, resting her chin on the plush throw pillow she clutched to her chest. I should have stayed with him…or at least been on hand to help the lab technicians with the toxin's chemical analysis. Daniel could have easily come to check on Cassie. Why did I let myself say yes? What if something happens and I'm not there? Would Janet really call me if something goes wrong? What if there's no time? What if he just suddenly…I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye…
Cassie looked away from the television screen when she heard a small sniff come from the direction of her friend. Even in the dim lighting, she could see Sam's eyes were brimmed with unshed tears and that she was trembling slightly behind the pillow she held. "Sam? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" She jumped, having completely forgotten about the young girl seated beside her. She looked down to meet Cassie's concerned gaze. "I'm sorry, sweetie, what?"
"I asked if you were okay."
"Me? I'm fine, Cass." She fished a napkin from her pocket and quickly blotted away the few tears that had escaped down her cheek.
"You're crying."
"It's a sad movie."
"It's Black Beauty, Sam. It ends happy."
"I know," she uttered, pressing the damp napkin against her lips.
Possessing the same perception as her adopted mother, Cassie reached for the remote and switched off the TV. "Please tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."
"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. And it's looking like there's nothing anybody can do."
"About what?"
Sam hesitated. What should I say? "Someone's sick."
"Is that why mom's still at work?"
"Yeah. She's waiting for some lab results to come back."
"Is it someone I know?"
She nodded and held the pillow closer.
"Is it Daniel?"
"No."
"Teal'c?"
"Uh-uh."
"Uncle Jack?"
Sam shut her eyes and swallowed against the rising lump in her throat. "Yeah."
"What's wrong with him?" Cassie demanded, the sharp rise in her voice abruptly waking the dog. "Is he going to be all right?"
"Cassie…" Sam ran a hand nervously through her hair and took a shuddering breath. What do I tell her? The truth will just upset her…but she's smart enough to know when I'm lying… "Your mom says he's been exposed to some sort of alien neurotoxin – a dangerous chemical that affects how the brain and nerves work. He's very sick right now and she wanted to be there for him."
"I-is he going to…die?"
"No, of course…" She had to stop and turn away when she saw the pleading look on Cassie's face, unable to tell her something that she didn't readily believe herself. "I don't know. He's just so sick and I don't…" Her voice broke at last and she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks.
"Sam?"
"I'm sorry, Cassie," she uttered between sobs. "I'm just so worried…"
Greatly sadden by the news and her friend's unbridled tears, the young girl began to cry too as she wrapped her arms around Sam in a comforting hug. For several minutes, the two simply held one another and cried, their hearts aching for the man they both cared deeply about.
When she was finally able to bring her emotions back under control, Sam gently pulled Cassie off her shoulder and gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
"For what?" the girl sniffed.
"The hug. The past couple of days have been rough. I needed that," she said, gently wiping the tears from Cassie's face. "Now listen to me. I know you care very much about the Colonel, and it's okay to be worried. But we both have to remember that he's in your mother's very capable hands right now, and I can't think of a better place for him to be. Can you?"
"No."
"And the Colonel's a fighter – if there's anyone who can get through something like this, it's him. Right?"
Cassie slowly nodded. "C-can I see him?"
"I don't know, sweetie. He's awfully sick right now and he needs to rest."
"But I promise I won't bother him. I just want to see him in case…in case he…" Tears began to well up in her eyes again.
"Cassie," she uttered, pulling the girl into another hug. "How about I give your mom a call in the morning and see what she says, okay?" She felt her nod against her shoulder.
"Thanks, Sam," she said, sitting up and wiping her eyes.
"Sure. Now, why don't you go get ready for bed and I'll come up in a few minutes and tuck you in?"
Cassie slid off the couch and gathered up the blanket she had been wrapped in. "Are you staying?"
"I think so. Now scoot, it's getting late. Janet will kill me if she knows how long I let you stay up."
With a wide grin, Cassie headed for her bedroom with the dog following sleepily at her heels, leaving Carter alone in the darkness of the den. With a final somber sniff, she stood and began to straighten up the sofa, unable to stop her hands from shaking as she worked. Oh god, please let him be okay….
SG1SG1SG1
Thunder roared deafeningly overhead. Jagged bolts of lightening tore through the cloud-blackened sky. The wild wind whipped and the icy rain poured. Beneath it all, in a vast field flanked by sagging willow trees, two beings squared off in a battle that was sure to rival the storm itself.
An ageless goddess – beautiful, young, and proud – stood tall atop a newly fallen log with her arms raised toward the violent sky. "You dare challenge Hecate?" she demanded, her voice strangely deep and hollow against the raging storm.
Her adversary, appearing to be nothing more than a massive piece of dark stone, made no reply.
"I command you! Reveal yourself to your goddess!"
Again the boulder remained still, bolts of lightening reflecting off its perfectly smooth surface.
"Fool! Your insolent silence brings you no protection. I AM YOUR GOD!" Hecate's eyes flashed with anger as she displayed the ribbon device she wore on her hand. "Prepare to meet your end." Splaying her fingers wide, she shot a wavering beam of golden energy from her palm crashing into the side of the rock.
At first nothing happened. It was only once the beam had started to erode away the rock's polished surface that it finally moved. Swaying slowly from side to side, the massive stone began unfolding itself from its defensive ball, its hinged joints creaking and grinding as they came to life.
Stunned by the creature's enormous size, Hecate dropped her hand and took a step back, shielding her eyes against the driving rain. Using the brief flashes of light from the storm, she watched as the giant gradually took shape and effortlessly lifted its round, bulky body from the ground on eight jointed legs. Eight gleaming red eyes penetrated the darkness while two golden, tree sized fangs shimmered in the sparse light. Although she did not know the name of the creature she faced, she could sense it was dangerous and posed a threat to her power. Such things could not be allowed to happen.
Squaring back her shoulders, she remounted her fallen log and aimed the ribbon device at her massive opponent.
Riiiiinnnnng
A piercing tone escaped the beast as it hammered its front legs into the ground, the resulting tremor nearly knocking Hecate off her feet.
"How dare you threaten me!" she roared, an energy beam shooting from her palm and slamming into the living stone.
Unfazed by the effects of the glowing weapon, the creature reared into the air, its first two sets of legs nearly scraping the storm clouds above.
Riiiiinnnnng
For the first time in her eternal life, Hecate actually felt fear. "Bow before your goddess and I shall consider sparing your life!" she cried, her voice trembling.
Riiiiinnnnng
Ignoring the vain plea, the creature flexed its substantial fangs as it began to slowly cant its body forward.
Terrified, Hecate jumped from her log and started to run. "No!"
RiiiiinnnnngA back leg came down and shook the earth, dropping the fleeing goddess to the ground.
Riiiiinnnnng"I command you…stop!"
Riiiiinnnnng RiiiiinnnnngIt was no use. With an overwhelming burst of speed, the creature slammed itself fangs first into the ground, completely crushing the vulnerable woman beneath it. The reign of Hecate was over.
Freeing its lethal fangs from the earth, the living rock reared into the air, its shrill voice ringing triumphantly into the night.
Riiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnng
SG1SG1SG1
Riiiiinnnnng
Janet shot up in bed with a startled yelp. Clutching the blankets anxiously against her body, she fervently searched her dark office for the source of the sound that had awoken her.
Is it here? The spider? Could it really be in my office? How would that be…?Riiiiinnnnng
She barely held back a frightened cry when the noise occurred again not far from where she sat trembling like a child who was afraid of the dark. Realizing this was no way for a military doctor to behave, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down and think rationally as she had been trained to do. There was simply no way a mountain-sized spider made out of solid stone could fit inside the SGC, let alone her closet sized office. So what else could be making that horrible sound?
Riiiiinnnnng
Her senses still foggy from sleep, she looked around the small room until a familiar blinking red light on her desk caught her eye.
Riiiiinnnnng
It was at that moment she felt like a complete and utter fool.
You're losing it, Janet. Only you could turn something as innocent as a ringing phone into a ridiculous doomsday monster….
Shoving the blankets off to the side, she swung her feet over the edge of the small cot and slapped on the lights. Squinting against their harsh brightness, she made her way over to the desk and picked up the phone.
"Fraiser." She was surprised to hear the voice of the night duty nurse on the other end. "No no, it's okay, Captain. You just woke me up from a rather bizarre dream, that's all. What's going on?"
She rubbed at her tired eyes as she listened. "How much difficulty is he having?"
The response immediately cleared her mind of all traces of sleep. Even with the little information she'd just received, it became unquestionably clear that Colonel O'Neill was headed for trouble. "Okay. Go ahead and give him 15 cc's diazepam. I'll be right down."
Hanging up the phone, she took half a second to gather her thoughts before scouring the floor for her shoes. Stepping into the low heels and shrugging on her jacket, she took a quick swallow of cold coffee and took off for the Colonel's room – her bizarre dream all but forgotten.
SG1SG1SG1
Janet hurried into the isolation room just over a minute later, nearly colliding with a very distraught Daniel.
"Janet, it's Jack. He's not doing good…"
"I know. I'm going to see what I can do. Just stay right here, okay?" she said, wishing she had more time to comfort the distressed younger man. Leaving Daniel to watch from the doorway, she turned around to find her team already working hard to bring the situation under control. Jack was flat on his back and unnaturally still, half his face hidden beneath a blue ambu-bag that two nurses were using to force air into his lungs. Amidst the organized chaos, she could hear several monotone alarms sounding loudly in the background, their distinct calls telling her that the older man was in trouble.
She caught sight of the officer in charge. "Captain Rhodes, talk to me. What's going on?"
"We got a call from Dr. Jackson about 10 minutes ago saying the Colonel was having difficultly breathing. When we arrived, he was showing signs of advanced respiratory distress and his oxygen levels began to steadily drop. We've been trying to keep him oxygenated but now his heart rate and blood pressure are starting to fall as well," the young woman replied as they walked across the room.
"Is he breathing at all?"
"Sporadically – three, maybe four times a minute. There's been no response to the diazepam and the spasms are getting so frequent we're not having much luck with the bag either."
Janet took a hurried glance at the monitors as she moved to her patient's side, immediately concerned by the dangerously low numbers that were displayed across the screen. Jack was fading fast.
"Let's get another 10 units diazepam and .3 epi into him and I want 3mg succinylcholine put on stand by. I'm going to try to intubate." She wasn't comfortable with the idea of introducing a chemical paralytic into his system – there were still too many unknowns surrounding the alien neurotoxin and that made her nervous. She feared the complications of a potentially severe reaction would prove fatal in his weakened state, but she also knew if the less aggressive drugs didn't stop the spasms soon, then she wouldn't have much of a choice.
When a tech bearing a tray with the items needed for the emergency procedure appeared at her elbow, Janet motioned for the two nurses working the ambu-bag to stop. Stepping into position, she took a moment to give Jack's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Just hang in there, sir," she said, gently tilting his head back and opening his mouth. Although the bluish tint that had settled around his lips was a concern, it was the strangled, almost nonexistent gasp that was his attempt to breathe on his own that troubled her most.
"Medication's in, Doctor."
"Thank you, Captain," she replied, taking the metallic guide tool from the tray and activating its bright light. Carefully sliding the curved blade down his throat, she was surprised when he grimaced and moved slightly beneath her hands. "I know. I know. I'm sorry, Colonel," she uttered quietly, realizing that for as sick as the man was, he was still somewhat aware of what was going on.
With the blade in position, tube insertion went quickly, and she stepped away to allow the nurses to reconnect the ambu-bag.
"Use short, rapid compressions on the bag. If you meet resistance, release pressure and immediately try again," she ordered, double-checking the tube's placement and giving the final go-ahead to start ventilating. "Captain, I need to know the instant there's a change in his O2 levels – both up and down. If he dips below 65 percent, we're going to have to go with the succinylcholine."
I just hope to hell it doesn't come down to that…she thought as she repositioned her stethoscope on Jack's fevered skin and began listening for signs of improvement. Over the stressed, thready beats of his heart, she could clearly make out the rhythmic hiss of the ambu-bag, and the distinct, hiccup-like thumps of the spasms as they forced air from his lungs.
"O2 level is 69 percent," Captain Rhodes reported.
That's the wrong way, Colonel… Janet's frown of concentration deepened as the spasms continued unchecked, seemingly unaffected by the high dose of relaxants and adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"67 percent."
Damn…
"66 percent."
"Damn it, Jack, stay with me…"
"65…"
It was then that she heard it -- a subtle, almost indiscernible change in the intensity of the spasms. With her heart in her throat, Janet listened as the hitches gradually began to slow and weaken until they finally seemed to stop. Seconds later, her ears filled with the sounds of rushing air as the ambu-bag was at last able to fully inflate Jack's lungs.
"The Colonel's O2 levels just jumped to 71 percent," the Captain announced. "73 percent…74…77…"
Okay, this is good. This is exactly what we want to see… the doctor thought as she began reassessing her patient, her mind already formulating what to do next. She knew he was far from being out of the woods, but this latest battle proved he was still willing and able to put up one hell of a fight. You may have won the battle, but do you really think you can win the war…?
"Doctor?"
The anxious tone in Captain Rhodes's voice pulled her from her cynical thoughts. "What is it, Captain?" she asked, moving past the bed to join her in front of the monitors.
"The Colonel's heart rate and blood pressure are continuing to recover, but his oxygen levels aren't rising past 83 percent."
Janet felt her reserved optimism rapidly fade. This was something new. Even as severe as the previous bouts had been, his vitals had always quickly rebounded to be within acceptable limits. But this time was different – something was wrong.
Feeling as equally frustrated as she was concerned, the small doctor returned to his side. "You're just not going to get a break, are you, sir?" she asked quietly, resting a comforting hand against his arm. Deciding to rule out the most obvious cause for his troubles first, she returned her stethoscope to her ears and began reevaluating the placement of the ET tube. As she listened to the slow, rhythmic puffs of air entering his lungs, she found herself studying the expression on her CO's face.
To the untrained eye, the slight tightening of the man's features whenever the ambu-bag was compressed would have seemed trivial or even been passed over entirely. But for Janet, this subtle change spoke volumes, providing her with an important clue as to what was going on.
"Okay…" she began, turning back to Rhodes. "Let's get him ready to move down to radiology. I'd like to get a CT scan of his chest – there's a few things I want to rule out before we do anything more."
"Yes, ma'am," the young Captain replied, and set to work on her orders.
Releasing a tense sigh, she left Jack in the capable hands of her staff and went to see how Daniel was holding up. She found him in the doorway where she had left him, his arms clasped tightly around his chest and a fist pressed against his lips. "Daniel?"
"Jack…?"
"He's still with us. Still fighting," she replied, watching him closely. "You okay?"
The archeologist nodded and gave a shaky sigh. "I-I think so. That was just hard to..." He absently plucked the glasses from his face and began to clean them against his shirttails. "…H-how's he doing?"
Janet hesitated a moment, unsure what to say or how to say it. "Not so good," she finally admitted, deciding her friend deserved the truth. "This latest attack really wore him out. His oxygen levels just aren't recovering and he seems to be experiencing pain whenever the ambu-bag is compressed. We're getting ready to take him down for a CT scan to try and find out what's going on."
"What could it be?"
"Any number of things. I won't know for sure until I get a look inside."
He frowned and began to rub his lenses even harder.
"Listen, Daniel, I'm sorry you had to see all this…"
"I should have called for help sooner. I should have known he was having more than a nightmare…"
"No, Daniel, this wasn't your fault," the doctor said firmly, grabbing his wrists to stop his compulsive cleaning. "My entire medical team could have been here and it still would have happened. The Colonel just doesn't have the strength needed to endure the effects of the toxin alone anymore."
"And if it happens again?" he asked, returning the dark rimmed glasses to his near colorless face. "Then what?"
"Why don't you let my team and I worry about that, okay?" she said with a warm smile. "The important thing to remember is that as long as he's with us, then there's still a chance we can beat this thing. All right?"
Daniel nodded and managed to force a small smile, appreciating her attempt at cheering him up. But even with her reassurance, he just couldn't shake the sick feeling from his stomach knowing that he'd almost witnessed the death of one of his closest friends. And what a horrible way to go too…
"Dr. Fraiser?" Captain Rhodes said quietly as she approached. "We're about ready to transport the Colonel to radiology."
"Thank you, Captain."
"C-can I come or do you want me to wait here?" Daniel asked quietly as the nurse returned to her duties.
"Neither, actually."
"What?"
"I want you to go to your quarters and get some rest."
"But, Janet…"
"Ah!" She put a hand up to stop him. "I'm not going to argue with you. You're exhausted physically and emotionally, and you need to take some time out for yourself."
Daniel's shoulders slumped. This was not what he wanted to hear. "But Jack shouldn't be…"
Janet knew exactly what was coming next. "He's not going to be left alone, Daniel. If I can't be with him, then a member of my staff will be. He'll never be by himself. I promise." She watched as he mulled over her words for a moment, hoping he would understand her reasoning. At last he nodded, and she gave his hand a light squeeze. "You want to see him?"
"Please." With her small hand still wrapped tightly around his, Daniel slowly approached his friend's bedside, almost afraid of what he would see.
Looking even sicker than before, Jack lay in a deep state of unconsciousness, completely unaware of the solemn group of people surrounding him. Dark circles beneath his eyes stood out in stark contrast to the ghostly pallor of his skin, while fine lines of exhaustion made him appear older than he really was. A nurse stood at his head, her face serious with concentration as she slowly compressed the ambu-bag that was feeding oxygen directly into his lungs. Portable monitoring equipment had been attached in preparation for travel, and despite his persistent fever, he'd been draped with a light blanket to ward off any chills.
"My god, Jack," Daniel whispered, reaching out to take his friend's hand. "My god, you don't deserve this…" He still couldn't believe this was happening -- that the weak, vulnerable man before him could be the same one he'd come to trust, respect, and admire despite their many differences. "No…you don't deserve this at all…"
The click of the final bed wheel lock being released prompted a deep, shaky sigh from the archeologist. Preparation was over – it was time for them to go their separate ways. Without looking up, Daniel replaced Jack's hand at his side before abruptly turning away and retreating to where he'd been working at the back of the room.
"Captain, go ahead and take Colonel O'Neill over to radiology – I'll be right behind you," Janet said, concerned by his behavior. She waited until her entire team had left with the Colonel before she approached her friend who was standing with his back to her, his nose in a book. "Daniel – you okay?"
He snapped the heavy volume shut with a hollow thump. "Huh? Oh, Janet…umm…just give me a second. I'll get my stuff and leave…" he muttered, and began hastily gathering his research materials.
"No, that's not what I…" her words fading off when he suddenly stopped, braced himself against the table, and hung his head. "Daniel?"
"I've never seen anyone that sick before."
"It's hard – especially when it's someone you care about. You handled it well though. You stayed strong, and that's exactly what the Colonel needs right now – strength from his friends."
"He was so pale…so still…" He swallowed hard and set his jaw. "If I had just listened to him in the first place, left that damn rock alone, none of this would have even happened."
"Daniel, this wasn't your fault. You had no idea what was inside that rock or that it was going to break. It was an accident. They happen everyday all across the galaxy, and there isn't always someone at fault. And there doesn't have to be. Blaming yourself won't make Jack better. Hell, if it was that easy, I'd be out of a job."
Daniel snorted and shook his head. He knew she was right – just as the others had been all along – but he still couldn't help feeling responsible for his friend's condition. It was something he'd have to work through eventually, but at least for now, he saw that there were more important things at stake than finding fault and placing blame. Besides, there was still a lot of work to be done.
Straightening up from the table, he walked over to the small doctor and put his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you."
"For what?" she asked, gazing into his brilliant blue eyes.
"For putting things into perspective. I guess I forget how to do that sometimes."
"I think we all do."
A genuine smile broke out on Daniel's young face for the first time in days. "You'd better get going -- Jack needs you. I'll finish picking up here and then try to get some sleep."
"Good. And I don't want to see you back here for at least six hours."
"Six hours? But, Janet…"
"Ah! Don't make me confine you to the Infirmary." Her tone may have been light but the look in her eyes told him she wasn't kidding around. "Six hours."
Daniel sighed and tipped her a playful salute. "Yes, ma'am."
She flashed him a wide grin as she turned to leave the room. "Pleasant dreams," she said and disappeared into the hall.
SG1SG1SG1
0745 found Janet restlessly pacing the hall just outside the isolation room, nervously awaiting the arrival of her adopted daughter. Sam had called about an hour before asking if it would be all right to bring Cassie in to see the Colonel, and while she had agreed at the time, she was beginning to have second thoughts. She'd been purposely vague when Sam had asked how he was doing, not wanting to upset her friend too much before the drive in. She knew the Colonel's sudden deterioration would come as a huge upset to her, and could only imagine how Cassie would take it.
"Mom!" The familiar shout and sight of her daughter running down the hall immediately brought a smile to the doctor's face.
"Cassie! Oh, I missed you so much!" she said, grabbing the girl up in a warm hug. "Did you have a good time with Sam?"
The young teen nodded vigorously. "Ah-huh! We stayed up late and had pizza!"
"Oh really?" Janet stole a glance at her friend whose eyes had gone wide.
"A-ah, well, it w-wasn't that late…" Sam stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"We stopped at the toy store on the way here and look…" Cassie wiggled out of her mother's grasp and unzipped her jacket, revealing a large plush goldfish tucked inside. "I got him for Uncle Jack."
"I'm sure he'll love it, Cass," she said, delighted by the stuffed toy's bright colors. "I bet it even makes him feel a little better."
Cassie's proud smile abruptly faded, her mother's words reminding her of the bittersweet reason for her visit. She pulled the goldfish out of her jacket and cuddled it reassuringly against her chest.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Janet asked, seeing the sudden change in her daughter.
"Sam and I talked last night, about the alien chemical and what it's doing to Jack. She said he was really sick."
"I'm afraid Sam's right, sweetie," she said, kneeling down to her level. "Jack is very sick."
"He's going to get better though…right, mom?"
The doctor sighed and briefly shut her eyes, the imploring look on her daughter's face enough to bring her to tears. "Cassie, listen to me…" she began, trying hard to keep her voice steady. "We are doing everything in our power to help the Colonel through this, but I can't give you any promises. I'm really sorry."
Cassie quickly looked down at her feet when she felt her eyes starting to fill with tears. Although she and Sam had briefly discussed the matter the night before, hearing her mother confirm it now was like a cruel slap in the face.
"How did he do overnight?" Sam asked, stepping up behind the saddened girl and gently rubbing her shoulders.
Janet sighed and slowly stood from her crouch, not looking forward to delivering even more bad news. "That's something we need to talk about, actually..." she replied, speaking more to her friend than her daughter. "It, ah…it happened again."
I knew I should have never left…she thought, her stomach clenching into a tight knot."H-how bad?"
"Very bad -- easily the worst attack he's had so far. By the time I got down here, he was essentially in respiratory arrest and not responding well to medication. I had no choice but to step in and help. He's on a respirator now. "
"Oh my god…" Sam uttered, instinctively drawing Cassie in closer for comfort. She fought hard against the tears that were already blurring her vision, trying to remain strong in the presence of her young friend. "So…so was it caused by exhaustion or is he getting worse?"
"Both, actually. It wasn't until the drugs finally kicked in and he began to recover that we noticed his oxygen levels were remaining low, and that he was showing signs of discomfort whenever we tried to ventilate him. I ran a CT scan and found a significant amount of bruising on both his lungs, undoubtedly caused by the force and strain of the spasms he's been having. And unfortunately, there's not much I can do for him other than control pain, swelling, and the depth of his respirations."
"So what does that mean?" Cassie asked, looking worriedly from Sam to her mother. "He's not breathing?"
"No, sweetie, he is breathing," Janet insisted, kneeling back down and taking her hand. "Just not as much as he should be. Jack's really tired right now and his lungs are very sore. We're just giving him the extra help he needs to keep going." She saw a tear slide down the girl's young face and she gently wiped it away. "We're not letting him go without a fight, Cass."
Cassie sniffed and scrubbed a hand across her face. "Can I see him now?"
Her mother nodded and stood, still holding onto her small hand. With a reassuring smile, she began leading her daughter down the hall toward the Colonel's room with Sam following close behind. Once they reached the doorway, she dismissed the attending nurse with a nod and turned Cassie toward the bed at the center of the room.
To say that Cassie's first glimpse of her adopted uncle was painful would be an understatement. Gazing up through the bed's guardrail at his unnaturally still form, it was hard to accept that this pale, sickly man was the same one she'd come to love and look up to over the past year and a half. But one look at the tired, flushed face told her exactly who it was.
"Oh god…" Sam breathed as she stepped over to the bed. "Oh, Colonel. I'm so sorry…" It was heartbreaking to see him like this; so sick, so vulnerable. She could only hope that he was out of pain, and unaware of the true gravity of his situation.
Cassie watched as her friend reached out and gently passed her trembling fingers through his silvering hair. Still in too much shock to fully react herself, she simply stared at Jack's sleeping face, her eyes locked on the tube that passed through his almost translucent lips. This wasn't the first time she'd been exposed to someone who was critically sick; she'd seen it countless times before while watching TV with her mother. But she never thought she would witness any of her close friends in this situation – especially not her Uncle Jack.
Janet gave her daughter's arm a reassuring squeeze when she couldn't decipherer the odd look on her face. "Cassie?"
"The tube," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Does it hurt?"
"Nope, not at all," the doctor replied, glad to see she was relaxing enough to ask questions. "He probably doesn't even know it's there."
"Will he wake up?"
"I doubt it, sweetie. He's got a lot of medication in him right now to help him rest comfortably. I'll bet he knows you're here though."
"C-can I touch him?"
"Mm-hmm."
Reaching timidly through the guardrail, Cassie gently wrapped her small hand around Jack's limp fingers; mindful of the white bandages covering his palm. "He's so hot…"
"He has a very high fever. It's how his body is trying to protect itself."
"And it's not working?"
"No, I'm afraid it's not," Janet replied softly, saddened by the disappointment on her daughter's face. "But we're working hard to find something that will, okay?"
Cassie nodded and swallowed forcefully against the lump that was forming in her throat. She was fighting hard to keep her emotions under control, wanting to be strong for her ailing uncle during his time of need. But as she stood lightly passing her thumb across the back of his hot, lifeless hand, she found herself quickly losing the battle.
Hoping to borrow some strength from a friend, the young girl looked up to find Sam with her head bowed down and her eyes tightly shut. She was holding onto Jack's broad shoulder with one trembling hand, while rubbing at the trails of fresh moisture on her face with the other. The painful sight was more than Cassie could take, and she made no attempt to stop the tears once they began.
"Please don't die, Uncle Jack," she said quietly, carefully lifting his hand through the guardrail and gently hugging it to her cheek. "You can't die. You promised you'd teach me how to ski this winter, remember? And how to skate backwards, and build a really cool snow fort…"
She paused when her voice began to waiver, her mother coming to her side and lightly rubbing her back. "Sam told me about the stuff that's making you sick…you have to fight it, Jack. Please fight it. I want you to take me fishing again. I know I said it was yucky and smelly, but I really want to try it again. And I promise I'll be quiet this time, so maybe you'll catch something. Please, Jack. Don't give up. Please." She clutched his hand tighter as she began to cry in earnest, her entire body shaking with each sob.
"I know, baby, I know. It's okay. Just let it out," Janet soothed, drawing her into a tight hug. She held her hurting daughter close for along time, trying unsuccessfully to keep her own tears at bay. She knew she was letting her personal feelings get in the way of her professional ones, but seeing Cassie so upset made it near impossible for her to remain neutral. Since day one, the Colonel had played a pivotal role in her acclimation to life on Earth, and having him around had meant an awful lot to the young girl. And to me too…
Nearly fifteen minutes passed before Cassie was able to lift her head from her mother's shoulder, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Without letting go of Jack's hand, she reached into her jacket and withdrew the stuffed toy she'd had tucked under her arm. "I g-got you something, Uncle Jack," she said with a sniff. "He's a goldfish. S-Sam and I named him Tangerine because he's orange, b-but you can call him what you want. I thought he could keep you company and maybe…maybe help you feel better."
She carefully nested the fish against his black-and-blue side before guiding his arm through the guardrail and onto the mattress. "I hope you like him."
Still holding his hand, Cassie shut her eyes and bowed her head, mimicking what she had seen her friend do earlier. She remained like this for several minutes, content just to revel in her uncle's natural presence and offer him what comfort she could. When she looked up again, she found Sam at her side in place of her mother, who had stepped away to answer the phone.
"You okay?"
Cassie nodded and wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks.
"You're being awfully brave about this, Cass," Sam said, her voice still unsteady from crying. "It's very hard to see someone you care about when they're this sick. I'm proud of you."
"That makes two of us," Janet said, returning from her phone call. "And I dare say the Colonel would be too." She watched as a ghost of a smile appeared on Cassie's face for the first time since they'd entered the room.
Sam nodded in agreement. "Most definitely."
The doctor lovingly rumpled her daughter's hair. "Listen, kiddo, that call I just got was from Dr. Braddick. The Colonel's detailed lab work is finally in and she needs me to meet her as soon as possible."
Cassie perked up. "So you might be able to make Jack better now?"
"We're going to try."
"Can I stay with him?"
Janet cringed at her daughter's request. Normally she wouldn't mind letting her stay as there was always a nurse nearby, but until she was confident the Colonel's symptoms were under control, the short, supervised visits would have to do. "Oh, Cass, I don't think so. Not right now. We really need to let Jack rest so he can conserve what strength he has left. Do you understand?"
Although not the definitive answer she was hoping for, Cassie nodded just the same.
"That's my girl," Janet muttered as she kissed the top of her head. "Is there anything you want to say to Jack before we go?"
Cassie thought for a minute and then nodded again. "But I need Sam's help."
"You bet. What can I do?"
Janet watched curiously as her daughter whispered something into Sam's ear, a wide grin spreading across her lips.
"Ooh, I think I can do that," she replied, lifting the young girl into her arms and stepping over to the head of the bed. "Boy, you're getting big..."
Keeping one arm wrapped securely around Sam's neck, Cassie carefully leaned forward until she was almost face to face with her sick uncle. She watched his sleeping features closely as she reached out and lightly touched his thinning face, his tight, almost pained expression never changing. He looks even worse up close…
With a heavyhearted sigh, she stretched out and placed a gentle kiss on Jack's fevered brow. "I love you, Uncle Jack," she uttered quietly, taking a last, long look at his face before letting Sam set her down.
Janet quickly caught a tear as it began to slide down her cheek. "That was very nice, sweetie," she said, deeply touched by her daughter's actions.
"Yeah, it was," Sam agreed, fighting back tears of her own. "Very special."
Cassie shrugged shyly and cuddled against her mother. "Mom, I don't want to leave him."
"I know, Cass," Janet replied, smoothing out the tangles in her long hair. "But we need to do what's best for Jack right now, and that means allowing him to rest, okay?"
Sam saw the disappointment in her friend's face and knelt down to her level. "Hey, I know. Why don't you and I head to the Commissary and see what we can find for breakfast while your mom goes to her meeting? You must be getting awfully hungry by now."
"A little…" Cassie looked over at Jack and then to her mother who gave her an encouraging smile. With a hesitant nod, she reached up and took Sam's proffered hand.
"Atta girl," Sam said as she began to gently steer her toward the exit.
Sandwiched between her mother and friend, Cassie reluctantly allowed herself to be led from the room, praying that this would not be the last time she'd get to see Jack alive.