He coughed violently, and let out a groan as the impact of the spasm was felt throughout his battered and bleeding body.
"Carter," he rasped.
His weak voice carried around the cavern, bouncing off the stone walls. His 2IC was by his side in an instant.
"Yes, sir?"
Her face hovered over him, concern etched in its features, he cleared his throat.
"It's been an honor…" he began.
He needed to get it said, he needed her to know, he needed to get the words out before it was too late. But she wouldn't have it. She put her hand over his mouth, and from the sheer surprise at her decisiveness, he stopped talking.
"I know, sir, and likewise." She lifted her hand off his lips. "But we're not having that conversation right now, because you're not dying."
She inhaled briefly, and he could see that she was struggling to keep it together, how the tears were dangerously close to spilling over.
"You're not dying, because I won't let you. So shut up, sir." she finished.
If he didn't know how much it would hurt, he would have laughed out loud. Sam locked his gaze for a short moment, and then left his side to continue trying to make their escape.
He was stuck in a dirty cave, on a planet light years and galaxies away from home, bleeding to death on hard stone floor, and the only other person with him in the room was Samantha Carter. And she had decided that he wasn't going to die.
So he shut up.