Chapter 13

Jack O'Neill was brought back to the SGC on a stretcher much to his utter disgust. He was the General; he ordered them to put him down and let him walk. It was a direct order and no one listened. They had heard so much complaining that they had tuned him out and proceeded according to the orders of the medic in charge. If they had let the man on his feet he would have been on his face or his ass in short order, neither suitable to the commander of the base or as the ambassador to the world known as Stord. He gritted his teeth and allowed the inevitable. He had no choice; they had strapped him to the stretcher and injected him with morphine. His last recollection of Stord was the leafy canopy against the blue sky as the corpsmen, grunting with the weigh of their cargo, suggested the general lay off the doughnuts.

Some of the medicinal oils were sent along with the returning soldiers but the base doctor encased it in a biohazard container and sent it straight away to Area 51 instead of treating the general's knee which was still painfully swollen. This said knee was slated for total joint replacement and with that all hopes of Jack O'Neill ever stepping off world again would be forever doomed.

When Sam heard that, she knew the only way Jack O'Neill would ever go off world again was if the base was under attack and being evacuated to the Alpha site. And she knew, too, that if this were the case he would order her and all other personnel off world to safety but remain himself. She felt the prick of tears – those damned frat regs. The reasons for them valid but they could not change what your heart felt, no matter how you ignore those feeling, no matter how you tried to repress them, no matter how you tried to subvert them.

Sam next mission returned her to the planet designated PX1-934 to introduce the people of Stord to the geological team who would further the plans of mining the planets mineral wealth. Before her departure back to earth the healer and her apprentice asked about their former patient and offered more of the healing oils. Sam took the small flask gratefully and promised to give it to the General.

Returning earthside and after disarming Sam proceeded to the infirmary to see the general. She was met outside his room but the efficient but humorless doctor.

"What do we have here?"

"It's for General O'Neill. May I see him?"

"Colonel, you are well aware that all biologicals must be considered biohazard until prove otherwise."

With that she snatched it from Colonel Carter with her gloved hand.

"The general has been mildly sedated and is resting. We are planning on operating within the next 24 to 36 hours. I do not wish him to be disturbed nor do I believe does he wish visitors."

The haughty doctor turned on her heels and proceeded into her office leaving Sam standing there with the viscous oil thickly covering her left hand. She was about to wipe her hand on the leg of her field uniform when she turned and went in search of the General's room. He was in a private room lying there with only an IV attached which Sam found somewhat comforting. It was used as a port for pain meds and the lack of the usual array of machines meant he was relatively healthy. He did not stir as she approached the bed and called to him. Her voice barely above a whisper was registered in the depths of Jack's conscious but he could not focus. In this same gentle voice she told him what she had and what she was doing. She lifted the sheet from his leg and winced to see the inflamed joint. Tenderly Sam touched his knee with her hands covered in the healing oils. As her fingertips came in contact with his skin he flinched and sucked in his breath. The groan of pain that followed almost caused her to stop but she had seen this work before and she wanted it, no, needed it to work now. As gently as she could she massaged all of the oil on her hand into his skin. His groans of pain lessened and the harsh red of inflammation faded to the glow of healthy tissue. Although not completely healed Jack's leg looked remarkably better by the time Sam pulled down the sheet.