Chapter 7:
Janet Frasier stood by the bed looking over her friend's chart and sighed heavily. To say that Sam was barely clinging to life was an understatement. She was still not sure how or why she was alive. For all intended purposes, Sam should be dead. But somehow…
"Doc," the familiar voice of Colonel O'Neill interrupted her thoughts.
"Colonel," she replied as if it were an everyday occurrence for him to be the infirmary at two o'clock in the morning. Although Daniel and Teal'c had not left Sam's side for more than a few hours since her return over 48 hours ago, the Colonel had kept his distance coming to the infirmary when he would be alone. He would stand at the foot of Sam's bed for a few minutes just looking at her, studying her. Eventually he would make his way to the chair and remain by her bed for a few unguarded hours and quietly slip out.
"How's she doing?" he asked softly as if he were afraid he was going to wake her up.
Janet did not answer immediately. "Doc?"
She closed the chart and sighed again. "She's alive."
"But…" He supplied knowing there was a but somewhere.
"She should be dead."
"But she's not."
"No, she's not."
"You're hoping Jacob gets here soon?"
"I'm hoping Jacob gets here soon. I think a Goa'uld healing device or a sarcophagus is her only chance." With the prophetic words she turned and left leaving him alone.
O'Neill stood at the foot of Carter's bed for a few minutes longer. He saw the harsh reality of what she had been through, the bandages that wrapped her wounds, the bruises that covered her body, the machines keeping her alive, and Frasier's words resonating in his head. 'She should be dead…a Goa'uld healing device or sarcophagus is her only chance.'
"Dammit."
O'Neill knocked on General Hammond's door.
"Enter."
"General." O'Neill entered the office and stood casually by the General's desk. He did not have it in him for military protocol today.
"Colonel, what can I do for you?" He asked but knew deep down why he was here.
"Has there been any word from the Tok'ra today?" He asked but already knew the answer.
General Hammond's frown gave him his confirmation. Nothing.
"How's Major Carter?"
"Do you want the real version or the Carter's strong and she's going to pull through version?" O'Neill replied acerbically.
"Jack," Hammond said sympathetically.
"Don't," he interrupted. "I don't want to hear the good solider story, sir. Not today." The frustration in his voice was growing. "She developed a high fever overnight. Janet said she's septic, whatever that means, and may not live through the day. Her body is too weak to keep fighting."
He knew. Doctor Frasier had already updated him on the Major's condition. "I'm sorry, son, I know Major Carter means a lot to you."
'More than you know,' he thought. He replied with his standard, "she's a very valuable member of my team, sir." Hammond stayed silent giving O'Neill a knowing look.
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The welcomed words punctuated the uncomfortable silence.
"Finally," O'Neill muttered under his breath turning to follow the General to the control room.
As soon as Hammond stepped into the control room and before he could ask the question, Chief Master Sergeant Harriman answered, "it's the Tok'ra's IDC, sir."
"Open the iris."
Jacob Carter exited the wormhole. He wore the robes of a Goa'uld and looked tried, concern marked his features. "George. Jack." He greeted the two men.
"Jacob." Hammond replied.
"What took you so damn long?" O'Neill barked skipping the pleasantries.
Jacob shot O'Neill a stern look. "I arrived as soon as I could after the High Council contacted me. George, what's going on?"
"They didn't tell you?" Hammond asked.
"Tell me what? Where's Sam?" Jacob asked with growing unease.
"Spineless cowards," Jack spat at Jacob's lack of knowledge.
"Colonel!" Hammond countered.
"This is even more reason not to trust the Tok'ra. They knew what happened and kept him in the dark for six months and barely get him here in time before..." O'Neill cut his words short.
"Colonel! Enough!"
"General Hammond, if I may," the voice of Selmak interrupted. "For the last eight months Jacob and I have been attempting to infiltrate Anubis' inner circle posing as a minor Goa'uld. We have not been in contact with anyone including the Tok'ra High Council for fear of security leaks. We were contacted two days ago, at great risk I might add, and told only to return to Earth immediately."
"Convenient," O'Neill mumbled under his breath.
"George," Jacob spoke again. "Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on or are we going to trade insults all day?"
"I'll explain on the way, there may not be much time."
They arrived in the infirmary and were met by Doctor Frasier, Daniel, and Teal'c. Jacob skipped the greetings and headed for his daughter's bed, his face a mixture of anger, fear, and concern.
"General Carter?" Janet approached him hesitantly.
"Doctor Frasier," Selmak answered. "What can you tell me of Samantha's condition?"
"She's septic and thus far broad spectrum antibiotics have been ineffective. Even if I can determine the exact organism causing the infection, I…" She paused in her account trying to determine how to tell her father that his daughter is going to die. "Her organs are beginning to shut down. She doesn't have much time."
"I understand, Doctor," Selmak acknowledged saving her from further explanation. "I believe we will be able to help."
"I need the healing device," Jacob interjected, taking control again. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let my little girl die."
Jacob closed his eyes and held the device. He concentrated his thoughts on healing Sam. He could feel the healing power emanating from the device as he moved it over her body. Minutes crept by, unbeknownst to him, while he worked to rid her body of the infection that was killing her. He moved to the wound on her abdomen repairing the carnage the knife had done to her internally. He grew weaker. The device began to falter. He opened his eyes too weak to continue.
"I'm sorry; I've done all I can for now," he said wearily to the anxious faces that hovered protectively nearby.
"But it worked, right? Sam's going be alright?" Daniel asked what everyone was thinking.
"She's alive. The infection is gone." Jacob said wearily. "There was a lot of internal damage from the knife wound to her abdomen which I repaired, but I was unable to heal the damage to her leg and shoulders."
"You did what you could, General, you saved Sam's life," Janet replied. "I think I can handle the rest."
Jacob nodded his head in acknowledgement of her words. "Selmak and I need to rest for a while," he said turning to leaving. "It will probably be a few hours before she wakes up."
O'Neill, who was standing away from the others, approached Jacob as he headed for the door to the infirmary. "Jacob."
"Jack." Jacob replied tersely.
"You ah, you did a good job back there." He said trying to ease the tension between the two men.
"She's my daughter, Jack. I wasn't going to stand by and watch her die," he said stating the obvious.
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened earlier," he said quietly suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. "The…the last six months have been hard on everyone."
Jacob's mood softened at the apology. "I'm sure you did everything you could to find her."
"I really wish I could say that, Jacob. We didn't…I didn't do enough," he said apologetically, regret in his voice.
"You found her, Jack, and she's going to be okay."
"I'm not so sure about that."
The seriousness of his tone worried Jacob. "What are you talking about?"
"We found a camcorder with Carter. She used it when she thought…" Jacob looked impatient waiting for O'Neill to get the words out. "She was dying, Jacob. She was practically dead when we found her."
"But she's not."
"Go watch the video. It's setup in the briefing room. You'll understand." O'Neill moved past Jacob and headed back toward Carter, leaving him to wonder what he would see.
O'Neill wanted to be here when she woke up. He didn't how inappropriate it was for a superior officer to show concern to care for a junior officer. A junior female officer. Carter. Rumors in the SGC already thought they were sleeping together. Might as well feed the fire. Daniel and Teal'c also remained by her beside, together, the three men, SG-1, waited and watched patiently for Carter to come back to them.
Minutes turned to hours. Visitors came and went; O'Neill was destroying his second box of tongue depressors; Daniel read a book while finishing his fourth cup of coffee, Teal'c stood stoically at the foot of the bed; Doctor Frasier hovered protectively nearby; Carter slept.
"Jack," Daniel said suddenly breaking the silence of the group.
"Daniel."
"Do you think Sam is going to be okay when she wakes up?"
"Jacob said he got rid of the infection and healed her abdomen."
"That's not what I meant."
"What did you mean, Daniel?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't." Jack replied although he knew exactly what Daniel was asking.
"Jack, quit trying to be so…so…"
"Cat got your tongue?"
"Why do you have to act like such as ass sometimes?" He said clearly frustrated with the direction of the conversation.
"It's what I do best," he replied with a smirk.
"Jack, just answer my question."
Before O'Neill could reply, a quiet moan broke the banter between the two men. Both looked immediately toward the bed. Carter was moving her head slightly back and forth and trying to open her eyes. 'I guess we'll find out soon enough.' He thought.
Carter moaned again more loudly and opened her eyes.
"Sam." Daniel said excitedly. "Oh, God, you had us so worried."
As if on cue, Doctor Frasier approached the bed. "Sam. Can you hear me?"
Carter looked at her and nodded her head in reply. "Good. Do you know where you are?"
She did not reply. She began searching the room as if looking for someone until she spotted Colonel O'Neill standing slightly away from the bed. She looked directly at him blinking hard as if trying to bring him into focus.
"Sir?" She asked quietly, her voice hoarse from disuse.
"Carter."
"You're real?"
Although he did not understand why she was asking him this question, he answered, "in the flesh."
"Is it over?" She asked barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, Carter, it's over," he said, seeing the relief in her eyes before they closed again and she fell back, he hoped, into a dreamless sleep.