Authors Note: Okay, just to clarify this ahead of time. I am not a medical writer, or doctor. I do not know if the medical scene later in this chapter is factual, or feasible. That being said, I have tried to research and make it as accurate as possible. It's my first medical scene, so bear with me. Thanks to all of you for all the reviews and support.

One more chapter to go.

Daniel stared at the x-ray, now lit from behind, his mind not wanting to believe what his eyes were confirming to be true.

"That thing," he began, his voice unsteady. "That thing is inside her?"

He couldn't help the fear that crept into his mind, clutching at his heart. Sam was one of his best friends, and she was in some very serious danger. And he couldn't do anything to save her.

"I'm afraid so," Dr. Lam said, eyeing him with concern.

"Okay," Daniel said with a deep sigh. "What can we do?"

"Colonel Carter's best option here is surgery," the doctor informed him, taking a deep breath.

"However, there are some concerns because of the location of the organism. It's in a very dangerous position. It has lodged itself at the base of her brain, the liana are wrapped around her spine and appear to be contracting. There are some serious risks to consider."

Daniel only half heard the doctor.

'How the hell did this happen?'

Daniel walked slowly to Sam's side, taking her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. He knew that she had heard his conversation with the doctor, and he knew that there was nothing he could say that would alleviate the fears he knew would be coursing through her.

He didn't want to make this decision for her. By all rights he shouldn't even be the one making it. Daniel closed his eyes tightly and clung to Sam's hand, dreading to speak the words that were about to exit his mouth. He knew his decision could affect the rest of her life, and the reality of that made him feel like he was going to be sick.

"Do the surgery," he said in a small voice. "Do whatever it takes."

Sam was petrified, both literally and figuratively. She wasn't used to admitting when something scared her, even to herself. But she was terrified.

She felt a cold chill creep up her spine as she listened to the conversation between Daniel and Dr. Lam. She heard the fear in the woman's voice, felt the dread roll off of Daniel in waves.

If the surgery went wrong, there were so many things she would regret. She'd put it off for so long, telling the people most important in her life how she felt about them. She felt the panic rising fast. She'd thought there would be more time.

Daniel and Teal'c were like her brothers, two of her best friends, and she'd never told them. What if they didn't know? Sam felt the tears begin to pool in her eyes, felt her throat constricting painfully. And Jack. She'd never get to see him again, talk to him again.

Tears streamed down her face, forcing their way past her ineffectual eyelids. She cried for all the things that might be lost, all the time wasted.

Daniel watched the painful display. He saw her emotions clearly, though her expression never changed. Her face was peaceful, relaxed. But Daniel knew that inside she was anything but. His heart felt heavy, his hand reaching out to wipe the tears away.

"You're going to be fine Sam. Don't worry," he soothed, his voice more calm than he felt.

Teal'c sat in silent vigil at O'Neill's bedside. Teal'c watched his friend, his mind spinning with emotion and memories.

Jack O'Neill had opened up a whole new galaxy of possibilities to him. He'd fought side by side with him to rescue his family from the hands of Apophis. O'Neill had refused to give up on him, even when Teal'c had given up on himself. He was like a brother to Teal'c, and he would stay beside him no matter what.

Daniel walked beside the bed as they wheeled Sam through the corridor. He held her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. The bed stopped and Daniel looked up in surprise. They had arrived quicker than expected.

Daniel looked up at the nurse and asked, "Give us a minute?" The nurse nodded and walked down the hall a few steps, leaning against the wall to wait.

Daniel leaned closer to Sam. "Sam, you're going into surgery in a few minutes," he told her quietly.

"Before you do, I thought you might like to check in on Jack," he said releasing her hand.

He opened the door wide and pushed the bed through into Jack's room.

Teal'c turned his head at the sound. Seeing his friends he rose to his feet and joined Daniel at Sam's side. They moved the bed until Sam and Jack were parallel to each other. Daniel reached across Sam and lifted her hand, bringing it over to rest on Jack's.

"He's going to be okay Sam," Daniel spoke softly.

"He's going to make it. So you have to too."

Teal'c looked down at her, his friend, in some ways the sister he'd never had. She was so still, so silent, he'd never seen her like that.

He saw the tracks that marked the path her tears had taken, his heart aching for her. He would do anything if it meant sparing her pain. But for all his strength, and all his capabilities, he couldn't do anything to help her.

Instinctually Jack's hand moved, turning over and grasping her hand in his. Both Daniel and Teal'c stared in disbelief and shock.

"That's not possible," Daniel whispered looking down at Jack's sleeping form.

He expected to see some change, something to explain the sudden movement. But everything was the same as it had been.

Jack laid there, still in a coma, perfectly still, his hand clasped tightly around Sam's.

Sam felt his hand grab hers, and if she had been able to she would have jumped in surprise. She hadn't expected that.

Daniel had been keeping her apprised of Jack's condition, so she knew that he was in a medical coma. His hand curved around hers, warm and comforting, and she felt instantly at ease.

After a few minutes the nurse came in, followed by Dr. Lam and Dr. Warner dressed in green hospital scrubs.

"We really can't delay the surgery any longer," Dr. Warner told them quietly. Daniel nodded.

"You'll be fine Sam," Daniel called as they wheeled Sam out of the room.

"You'll be fine," he repeated quietly, desperately trying to convince himself.

Dr. Warner stood, his blade poised over Colonel Carter's spine, ready to make the first incision.

He was surrounded by a team of nurses and assisted by Dr. Lam, a more than capable doctor, but he still felt an odd sense of foreboding settle over him.

He'd never been unsure about an operation; he'd always been more than confident in his abilities, able to predict the outcome of a surgical procedure to a reasonable certainty, until now.

This was a delicate surgery and so much could go wrong, it was enough to give anyone pause. Add to it that it was an alien organism growing inside her, and any doctor would be fearful of the operation.

He took a deep breath and pressed the scalpel down, slicing through skin.

Daniel sat in his office, mindlessly sifting through several artifacts that had been discovered on a recent mission.

He sighed, putting the items back on the table, unable to make his mind focus on anything.

Teal'c walked into his office, his hands clasped behind his back, a troubled expression on his face.

"Hey Teal'c," Daniel said glancing at his friend.

"What's up?" He asked picking up a pyramid shaped artifact, trying once again to immerse himself in his work.

"I believe O'Neill is in trouble," Teal'c answered.

Daniel's head shot up, the forgotten artifact hanging limply from his hand.

"What happened?"

"I need more suction," Dr. Lam called.

The surgery had been ongoing for a little over an hour. Dr. Lam was tired, sweat pooling on her forehead. She'd never been part of any procedure that had been this involved.

Dr. Warner had some experience in this area, or so she had been told, that's why she had asked him to scrub in. She wasn't too proud to admit when she needed help.

"Hang another bag of o-neg," Dr. Warner instructed.

"I need more traction, and we need more light in here." The nurses rushed to execute the doctor's directives. Light blazed around them within seconds.

"All right, I'm making the first incision. Separating the primary ganglia attaching the parasite to the spinal cord now." Dr. Warner cut into the organism.

"Give me some suction here."

"It's coming away more easily than I'd hoped. The ganglia are contracting periodically. Scissors."

Dr. Warner takes a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing. "There are thin threads extending up into the brain. I'm going to sever them."

The work was tedious and delicate. They had been working for nearly an hour just unwinding the creature when it happened.

"Her BP just spiked," a nurse called out. "BP 173 over 112."

Dr. Lam's eyes swung quickly to the monitor then back to the patient on the table.

"What the hell happened?" She muttered, her eyes quickly scanning for mistakes.

"Push one of EPI." Dr Lam looks up, catching Dr. Warner's worried eyes, before shifting her focus back to Colonel Carter, just in time to see her begin to seize.

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