The next few days seemed to crawl by. Lam lowered the level of barbiturates in Jack's blood stream in stages and everyone was encouraged that he started to become responsive. If Sam squeezed his hand, his fingers lightly twitched in response on day three. By day five, he had moved his arm on his own which had made Sam's heart flutter in her chest in wild hope, only to become pensive when he showed no further sign of awareness.

At the end of the week he was moving weakly but was still asleep. Once again they were in the briefing room discussing his condition with General Hammond over a speaker phone.

"Sir, there's no specific reason why he's not coming out of it beyond he's simply still recovering from the swelling on his brain. I'm going to recommend we wait another forty eight hours before we raise any alarms. It could just be that his system is over responding to nearly a month of barbiturates."

"If that is your assessment doctor, I'll let you be the judge. Let me know if there's any sign his condition is becoming worse or if he regains consciousness."

"Yes sir." Dr. Lam told him.

Sam shut off the speaker.

"Colonel, there's not much more that we can do other than wait and see. I recommend we continue to monitor the situation. Perhaps you and Dr. Jackson continuing to talk to him will help him come out of this."

"Unless he's asleep because he's tired of listening to us." Daniel quipped.

"That is highly unlikely Dr. Jackson." Carolyn said with an impatient sniff.

Sam however had held back a smirk. It was a joke worthy of Jack and Sam knew why Daniel had made it. They all missed his presence. "All right everyone, if that's all, let's get back to work. I need to grab some things from Walter but I'll be up in a little bit."

"I think I'm going to go sleep Sam. I don't mind staying up all night with him but it's wearing me out a little."

"That's fine Daniel. Teal'c, why don't you get a little rest too? I'll be down there soon anyway and he should be coming around soon with any luck."

"Agreed Colonel Carter. I shall go Kelno'reem until twelve hundred."

"I'll see you in two hours then Teal'c." Sam told him.

He bowed and left the briefing room. While he did not require Kelno'reem any longer, he'd not been able to sleep, feeling as guilt ridden as Samantha did about O'Neill's injuries.

"I'll be in my office if I'm needed." Carolyn told Sam.

"Thank you." Sam told her simply. Jack had chosen well. This wasn't her specialty but she was working hard to make sure Jack received the best possible care.

There hadn't been an alert and no one had called her but the infirmary was in chaos and she could hear Jack yelling his head off to let him out all the way at the front in spite of the isolation room being towards the back and around a blind corner.

Sam rushed in to find Carolyn giving a nurse instructions. "I was just about to page you. Sorry, he woke up and went berserk. I think he's having an adverse reaction to the barbiturates and the only thing that slowed him down was his broken leg. We had to restrain him and I'm having him sedated now."

Sam nodded. "Let me talk to him first before you knock him back out. He's had this reaction before."

"I know, that's why we switched which barbiturate we used but apparently he's allergic to a range of the medication and not specifically propofol." Dr. Lam huffed a sigh. "He's already hard to treat with his high tolerance for medication."

"Do your best Carolyn. I'll see if I can calm him down enough that your people can get him sedated until the thiopental wears off."

"Thank you. Hopefully this is just temporary, otherwise we have to move him to a secure medical unit."

Sam nodded and headed to the room Jack was demanding he be let the hell out of.

She walked to the end of the bed, his arms and unbroken leg were strapped down as was his neck. He was straining against his bindings and thumping his free leg aggressively. "Let me the hell up. You can't keep me here!" He yelled.

The orderlies had backed away now that he couldn't get free so Sam moved forward. His eyes were darting around, wild and terrified. He was either having a flashback and had no idea he was home and safe or he was having an extremely bad trip. Either way Sam moved to the side of his bed and put a hand over his wrist.

"Let me up!" Jack demanded.

"Sir," she said gently, "You're having an adverse reaction to the medication you were on to keep you sedated. Please relax so they can give you something for the reaction."

Jack stared at her for a long moment, trying to sort out his perceptions from what was really going on. "I know your voice." His tone which had been angry slipped towards confusion.

She moved her hand down and squeezed his fingers. "Yes, you do. Please relax sir. Everything is all right. You're safe." She told him gently.

While she'd captured his attention a nurse had quietly come up on his other side, a needle ready. Sam held eye contact with Jack, willing him to recognize where he was. Recognize her. "Do you recognize me sir?" she asked him, her fingers gently stroking his.

"Soft." He said perplexed as he tried to look down at their entwined fingers. "Know your voice." He slurred. The sedative the nurse had added to his IV starting to take effect.

"Yes sir. You know my voice." She told him.

He let out a slow sigh as he started to go under. "My..." but he was out.

Sam let out a slow heavy sigh as she righted the chair next to the bed and sat down before taking his hand again. "Oh Jack." She said so softly it was no louder than a sigh. "What have I done to you?"

His fingers twitched against hers, whether in response or having slipped back into another dream or hallucination she didn't know. She held his hand anyway. She found it ironic that he couldn't be seen doing that if the situation were reversed but because she had done the same for Daniel and even Teal'c once, no one would think twice about her sitting by his bedside, holding his hand and talking to him.