During the next two weeks, Sam had secured one of the small folding tables and a stackable chair where she handled the base paperwork in Jack's isolation room. She put SG-1 on stand down and pushed their missions off on SG-3. Any objection she got from higher up, she pointed out that she was currently acting base commander and wasn't going to endanger the base by trying to do both jobs at once.

She'd also taken to carrying on a one-sided conversation with Jack while he lay there. Sometimes she helped the nurses reposition him so he didn't get bed sores.

"So I requisitioned those new vests you wanted. Hammond said there's a good chance we'll get a few of them at least. I'll have to hash out who gets them after you wake up I suppose."

Sam sipped her coffee while she signed a couple more forms. "I gave Chloe a raise for putting up with Felger. He's set her on fire twice now. He asked how you were doing. I told him the same as usual, just quieter."

The nurse came in and changed out one of the bags on Jack's IV. Sam habitually stopped her running dialog when anyone came in. Not because she felt silly but she figured people might start looking at her oddly. More oddly than usual.

After the nurse left Sam continued talking as though nothing had happened. "General Hammond called yesterday. He's a little concerned about your condition but I assured him that you have been shot in the head before and survived not to mention landing on it after jumping out of an aircraft and that I'm sure you will be fine eventually." She looked at him for a long moment and got up to stand next to him. She curled her fingers into his. "You better get better. I don't have any idea what I'll do if you're not." She admitted to him.

Sam swiped away a tear absently. "Dr. Lam says the swelling is down some and hopefully next week she can bring you out of the coma and then we'll see, ok?" Sam squeezed his hand and bit her lip before swiping another tear from her face. She'd give anything for those warm brown eyes to open and just look at her again even if she could never have him.

After the accident Sam had texted Pete that something came up and she'd be out of communication for a few weeks. She knew she wouldn't leave base until they woke him up any more than Daniel or Teal'c would and didn't want the distraction of her boyfriend pestering her about when she'd be able to leave. After that she had turned off her cell phone.

Besides how did she explain the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that her commander had been injured because of her failure to protect him. Oh and by the way, yes I'm dating you, but it's only because there's nothing I can do about my feelings about my CO so I'm hoping if I date you long enough that eventually I'll stop being in love with a man I can't ever have and doesn't want to be with me anyway.

But none of that mattered right now. She needed him to wake up because she needed him in her life even if all he could be was her best friend. Sam sighed and went back to her chair and started working on the paperwork piled on it again. Walter periodically came in and took some of it and replaced it with more. Mission summaries, requisition forms, scheduling conflicts. It was cutting into her R&D but if she was honest, her heart wasn't in figuring out the tech she had right now anyway. It hadn't been since he'd stopped coming by her lab just to visit. That had started after she began dating Pete and Sam realized it was because he still had feelings for her too. Feelings he refused to act on.

"I let dad know you were injured. I'm not sure if he has time to come check on you but I'll let you know if we get word back that he will. I know you enjoy his company for some odd reason." She told him chuckling. It mystified her why her father and her commander got along so well when her dad struggled to get along with most people. Arguably, as did Jack.

Sam tapped a couple commands into her laptop. "So SG-15 came back with some new data to analyze. Looks like it might be a good site for a backup secured base in case Alpha site is compromised again. Didn't seem to have much to speak for it in mining opportunities but it looked like it might have been farmed at one time. There's evidence of some silos and a couple barns. According to Pierce, there were horses too if you can believe that. It's really a pretty good location for a base. Nothing the Goa'uld want or need and perfect for us. I'll have SG-14 go back and take a drone with them to survey a bit further out, make sure there aren't people living further away. I wish we had a spare puddle jumper."

"How's he doing?" Daniel asked her, popping his head in followed by a tray of food he held up hopefully. Sam hadn't had much of an appetite but she needed to eat something.

"Still the same. Hopefully Dr. Lam is right about being able to wake him up next week. There's only so many decisions I can make without his input."

Daniel had caught Sam talking at Jack on his way in but it wasn't the first time and it was probably good for him really. During his visits he'd read out loud. So far they had polished off a Sports Illustrated Jack had just bought before the ill-fated trip and a novel Daniel had found in Jack's desk drawer. "I'm sure he's fine with whatever decisions you make Sam. He wouldn't have made you base commander if he wasn't."

Sam frowned. "I wish I shared your confidence." She admitted.

"Well, why don't you take a break, eat something?"

Sam gave him a grateful look. "Did you bring Teal'c a tray too?"

"I can't carry that much food. I told him to go eat and I'd stay here with you until he gets back."

"Thanks Daniel." Daniel had been taking the night shift so Sam would rest. Not that she slept well. Ironically she'd been assigned Jack's old quarters and everything still smelled vaguely of him, which was why before his injury, she'd rarely slept there. Now she couldn't sleep anywhere else but by his side if it wasn't in her quarters. She knew it was guilt mixed with lingering feelings for him but that didn't change how she felt.

Sam picked at the meal Daniel had brought her. It honestly reminded her of all the times Jack had brought her something to eat when he was a colonel and stayed on base just because she was working late. In retrospect, she knew this thing with Pete was hurting him terribly but he'd told her to move on. Had made it clear their relationship would stay professional even if she almost died. She'd thought for a long time that he was waiting for her to decide to make a first move but when she had, he'd rejected her.

Sam bit her lip and stuffed those feelings deep down in her soul where they didn't hurt so much. Didn't crush her heart to dust when she looked at him.

"He's going to be ok Sam. We have to believe that." Daniel told her, misreading her broken heart as worry about Jack.

Sam shook her head but didn't correct him. What did it matter? Even if he was all right, he didn't want to be with her even though it was breaking his heart to see her with someone else. Her love life was once again a trail of wreckage except now instead of dead bodies it was littered with crushed chances and broken shards of their hearts.