Chapter 2, this is set just after the Zatarc incident of season 4. Enjoy :)

"Sshhh, it's okay."

He hears her voice as he slowly opens his eyes, he feels something cold brushing across his forehead. He can barely see anything, it's dark with only a small candle in the corner of the room of the room for light. Everything is hazy. He is lying on his back in a bed that he does not recognise and there's Carter, leaning over him, pressing some sort of cloth against his forehead.

"…happened?" he croaks.

"You've had a reaction to an insect bite," she speaks softly, trying to hide the relief in her voice. He had been unconscious for hours. As soon as the insect had bit the blood had drained from his face, it had taken minutes before he'd dropped to the ground, his body convulsing.

"Hot…" he mumbles, he feels her shift on the bed and then she helps him to lift his head before pouring some water into his mouth.

"You have a fever." His skin is clammy and sticky, she's spent the last few hours sitting with him, mopping his brow. She had wished, several times, that she could have asked Teal'c to carry him to the gate, but as luck would have it they'd been informed hours after gating to this planet that the SGC was on lockdown after SG6 brought an unknown virus through the gate. Hammond had informed Jack and the rest of SG1 that the virus was potentially life threatening and warned them to stay where they were at all costs.

The village elders had offered a cure, something they claimed works one hundred percent of the time but it didn't stop the fear from seeping into her veins. She couldn't lose him. She had spoken with Janet through the malp, the doctor had advised her to keep her CO as cool as possible and so she did. Daniel and Teal'c helped her to strip him to his boxer shorts, something he has yet to notice.

Daniel and Teal'c are in the next room, they have come in to check on his several times but she was insistent that she should stay with him. Just a few months ago they'd confessed their feelings in front of Janet, Teal'c and Anise and although they'd been pretty good at pretending that it hadn't happened and carrying on with normal life this is a moment in which she can't pretend.

"Carter," he rasps, blindly reaching for her hand. Everything feels foggy.

"I'm here, Sir." In moments he is asleep again.

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Sam dips the cloth in the cold water and dabs it against his skin, his neck, shoulders and chest. He groans something incoherent and jerks in his sleep. She pushes away from him, just a few inches, giving him space to move.

He's been crying out in his sleep all night, things that she couldn't make out, names of men she didn't know, fallen comrades. She knows that a high fever can bring on hallucinations and she can't help but wonder what he is seeing. She's sure that she's heard Daniel's name somewhere, maybe Teal'c as well.

She has never seen him so vulnerable.

"No…"

"Sir, it's okay. You're okay," she whispers, scooting forward pressing the cloth against his forehead. She allows her fingers to gently trail his cheek bone as she whispers words of comfort.

"Charlie."

She freezes as he breathes out the name she had never heard him speak before. Her fingers continue to stroke his cheek as she swallows the lump in her throat.

"Charlie…Please…." He cries out, stretching his hand out before him, reaching for something that isn't there. "Charlie," his voice breaks and he lets out an anguished cry.

"It's okay," Sam whispers, reaching for his hand and holding it, wishing that she could take this pain away from him. "You're okay."

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A few hours later it's her name that he's crying out as she tries to calm him. When he slowly wakes, his eyes are wide with confusion.

"Carter," he brings his hand to her cheek. "Couldn't leave you…" he speaks so quietly as his fingers trail her cheek bone, he's weak but he's desperate to know that she's there.

"I know. I'm right here," she covers his hand with her own. "I'm here."

It takes another few hours for his fever to break, she watches as he sleeps soundly, no more demons to fight.

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When he finally wakes he has no recollection of what has happened and the first thing he does is reference his state of undress. He tries to crack a joke before staring at her.

"Get some sleep," he tells her, he doesn't need to ask if she's been with him all night, he knows that she has. She nods, lowers her head to the pillow and closes her eyes.

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When Daniel enters the room a little while later finds them fast asleep on opposite sides of the bed, he decides to let them sleep, they have hours before they're meant to contact General Hammond to see if it's safe to gate back to earth. He takes one last look at his teammates before quietly making his way back to Teal'c.

I would love to know what you think. Thank you to those of you who have read or reviewed. X