Chapter 3

"What are you doing?"

Sam jumped guiltily away from the computer, quickly closing pages she had opened. Janet watched her, a slight frown on her face.

"I…I was just…looking," Sam stammered.

"Those pages are supposed to be confidential," Janet pointed out, "And I've already forwarded all Daniel's records to the hospital, so I don't see why you would need them.

"I just…I wanted to do something," Sam tried to explain, putting a touch of anguish in her voice. Janet's expression finally softened.

"You can help just by being here," she said, "Go, sit with Jack and Teal'c." Sam turned quickly, noticing for the first time that Jack was out of the bathroom. He looked much better now that he wasn't covered in blood. He now had on a blue shirt with a smiley face and the words 'Sunshine Squad'. Teal'c had also apparently replaced his torn shirt, or perhaps he simply wanted to show solidarity, because he was wearing an identical t-shirt in pink. Jack stood up as they approached and Sam smiled at him, but he was looking at Janet.

"Have you heard anything, what's going on?" he asked quickly. He looked like he was expecting to hear the worst.

"Well, Daniel is still in surgery," Janet explained, "I think it may be a while yet."

"So he's still…I thought…he stopped breathing Janet," Jack said, still looking lost.

"Colonel," Sam said, taking his hand, "Jack. I'm sure you did all you could." Even at a moment like this, she felt warmth in his presence, and she hoped he could feel comfort in hers. Instead he jerked his hand away.

"It wasn't enough," he growled, "I should have got there sooner. He had his door chained shut; I should have thought to use a card sooner. I should have broken down that door when he didn't answer me."

"O'Neill," said Teal'c, placing his hand on his shoulder, "I do not believe you could have done any differently. If you had not shown up when you did, Daniel Jackson would be dead."

"He's right, Jack," Janet said, "You did all you could. It's up to the doctors now, and Daniel." Jack nodded, his expression bleak. Finally Teal'c, at Janet's suggestion, went in search of coffee and Janet went back to her post waiting on news of Daniel. Jack watched her walk away and finally sat back down. Sam sat down next to him, patting his knee. After a moment of silence and knee padding, Jack finally acknowledged her presence.

"I know our jobs are dangerous," he said, "If we were…at work, well, I know what we face and I could handle it. But for some stupid accident, here on…in Colorado, a stupid broken ladder…I wasn't expecting it." Even now, Sam noted, he managed to maintain the secrecy their job demanded.

"Sir, Jack," Sam answered, "Accidents happen. You couldn't have done anything. I'm sorry about Daniel too; he was my best friend…"

"He's not dead yet!" Jack barked sharply, jerking away from her touch and she felt her face flush red.

"I didn't mean that!" she exclaimed, reaching to grab his shoulder, "You're right. Daniel's strong."

"I'm sorry, Carter," Jack said softly, "I know you wouldn't mean that. I'm just…"

"Scared?" Sam suggested gently.

"Terrified," he corrected. Sam swallowed and nodded, unable to find any words in the face of the devastation she read there. They sat in silence and Sam resumed her patting, thinking that perhaps she got more out of it than he did. Soon Teal'c returned with the coffee and the three of them resumed their far too familiar positions for waiting to hear news on their missing teammate.

It was several hours before Janet finally got the news she was waiting for. Sam had finally fallen asleep leaning against Jack. Teal'c appeared to be meditating. Jack appeared to be exhausted but he refused to succumb to sleep. When he saw Janet approaching he jerked upright from his tired slouch, jolting Sam awake. Teal'c opened his eyes.

"Well, the good news is Daniel is still alive and, for the moment, he's stable," she said. None of them looked particularly reassured by this. Sam kept blinking her eyes, trying to wake up.

"And the bad news?" Jack asked, waiting tiredly.

"Let me first say that Daniel was very lucky," Janet said, "Neither of the legs went through any major organs." Jack stared at her in shock.

"How is that even possible?" he asked, "One was in his chest!"

"Believe me; it's possible," Janet answered, "They did, however, nick one of his kidneys and a lung, which can potentially cause complications. Added to that, his back was sliced to ribbons by the glass of the table. He also hit his head pretty hard, cracking it and giving himself a nasty concussion. And he lost a lot of blood."

"But he'll be all right?" Jack asked, and Janet sighed.

"The next twenty-four hours will be the most telling," Janet answered, wishing she could give something more definite, "If he makes it that long, with no new complications, then his chances are good." Jack stared hard at her, trying to figure out if there was anything she wasn't telling them.

"Can we see him?" Jack asked at last.

"Not yet," she answered, "I'd suggest you go get a few hours of sleep. When you wake up, we should know something more, but knowing you, you won't do it." Sam yawned in response and turned to see what Jack would do. Jack stared at Janet, still trying to read her mind to see if she had said all she knew.

"More coffee," he proclaimed at last and he stood and headed for the nearest machine. Sam yawned again and glanced at the time.

"Have we been here all night?" she asked in surprise, noting for the first time that the activity around them seemed to have increased.

"Indeed," Teal'c remarked, "I will go and procure us some breakfast."

"Good idea," Janet said, knowing that left on his own, Jack would probably live on nothing but coffee until Daniel was on the mend. Left alone, Sam studied Janet in much the same way Jack had.

"So, you really think Daniel will be all right?" she asked. Janet sighed, then smiled. Sometimes faith was more important than facts.

"Yes, Sam, I really do," she answered. Then she turned away again, pulling out her cell phone to call Hammond and update him on the situation. She missed when Sam's answering smile changed to a troubled frown.