-- Chapter 3 --

Colonel O'Neill and I stepped through the event horizon and onto PK4-808 with the members of SG-3. From the stargate, we could see the ruins of the abandoned village. The entrance to the chamber that'd had Daniel and SG-8 so intrigued could be seen nestled in the side of the mountain next to the remains of a village.

The Colonel tried the radio but received no response. It didn't make any sense. Even from within the chamber, they should be able to receive and transmit radio signals. I scanned the sky and surrounding territory but saw no evidence that anyone aside from Daniel's team had been there.

"Okay, let's go." Colonel O'Neill led us at a brisk pace toward the nearby chamber. It seemed we both knew that was where Daniel and his team would have been last.

A minute later, we were staring at a large stone slab that was covering what looked like it should be an entrance. A number of boot prints on the ground indicated that Daniel and SG-8 had gone inside but had not come out. That explained the lack of contact. The radio signal couldn't get through the rock.

"Daniel, you in there?" shouted Colonel O'Neill near one edge of the stone slab.

I strained to hear any response from inside. Finally, a voice carried faintly through the door.

"Colonel O'Neill, it's Lieutenant McCallum," said the voice. "There's been a cave in. The door closed, and we're trapped. We have casualties, sir."

Casualties. I tried not to wonder why Daniel hadn't responded when the Colonel had specifically called his name. I glanced to the Marines of SG-3, who had been examining the stone door. Their team leader, Major Lawrence, shook his head at Colonel O'Neill. "There's no way we can move this, sir."

I ran my fingers lightly over the set of buttons just to the right of the door. "Does this panel open the door?" I shouted through the rock.

This time it was Doctor Bedard's voice we heard. "Yes. The door was locked when we arrived."

I examined the panel. Nine raised, round buttons with symbols engraved on them were arranged in rows of three. "What's the key sequence?"

"Um, I'm just..." Bedard's voice trailed off into silence.

The Colonel rolled his eyes. "Where's Daniel?"

"He–he can't talk right now."

I felt my entire body tense with fear.

Colonel O'Neill leaned closer to me. "He's probably got his mouth full of a mocha protein bar and can't talk, Carter." He gave me what I knew he meant to be a reassuring smile, but he failed to hide the fear in his eyes. "You know how he loves those things. No big deal."

I managed a weak smile.

"Okay, I got it," came Bedard's voice through the stone again. "Press the top right, middle left, and–and then the centre button."

I pressed the buttons in sequence and waited.

"Nothing's happening," the Colonel muttered before repeating the comment louder for Bedard to hear.

There was a pause before the woman responded. "Hang on a minute."

More terrifying seconds ticked by. I could tell Colonel O'Neill was as afraid for Daniel's welfare as I was. But from the concerned looks the marines were giving me, I had a feeling he was doing a better job at hiding it.

"Okay, Doctor Jackson says you need to press the middle one twice."

The Colonel looked at me with a smile. "There," he said as he leaned over and pressed the centre button a second time. The door slowly started to slide open. "See? 'Doctor Jackson says'. If Daniel's still talking, how bad can it be?"

I ducked through the entrance before it was fully opened, brushing past Bedard. Dust and some small rocks tumbled from the ceiling, but nothing too serious.

"Oh, Daniel!" called the Colonel, entering the room right behind me. "What have I told you about locking yourself in..." His voice trailed off as he looked around.

A faint acrid odour hung in the air and floating dust sparkled in the beams of our flashlights. I scanned the room. Bedard and McCallum were awake and alert; Jankowicz was leaning against a far wall with his eyes closed. I didn't see Colonel Haswell but was too worried about Daniel to think too much about it at the moment. He was lying on the ground.

Lieutenant McCallum was wearing a sling and crouching near Daniel's side. "He's unconscious again," he said quietly.

"Check them," the Colonel ordered Major Lawrence, nodding to the rest of the injured.

We dropped to our knees next to our fallen friend as the commander of SG-3 ordered his team to check on the others in the vault.

"What happened?" barked Colonel O'Neill while I checked Daniel's pulse.

The rhythm under my fingers was weak and thready, but it was there. He was alive. I nodded at the Colonel, and he released a relieved breath. Two of the marines began helping a semi-conscious Jankowicz out of the vault.

"There was a cave in," said McCallum. "We were locked in."

Bedard sniffed and wiped at her nose. "It–it was my fault."

My hand cupped Daniel's cheek. He was very pale, and his skin was clammy. "Daniel?" My fingers moved through his hair, and I winced when I discovered a large lump, caked with dried blood, on the back of his head.

Colonel O'Neill looked up at McCallum and nodded to the door. "You're injured. Get yourself to the infirmary." The Lieutenant nodded tightly and left. Doctor Bedard moved as if to follow him, but apparently decided against it when she caught sight of the Colonel's face.

On the ground near Daniel's head lay a notebook. It was open to a sketch of the control panel outside. The Colonel picked up a broken vial of smelling salts from next to the notebook. He gave Bedard a questioning look.

"He was only conscious for a few seconds. I didn't— I wasn't sure about the door." Tears welled in her eyes. "We need to get him back right away, but I–I don't know how we're going to get him out."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Colonel O'Neill touched the ground near his knee and examined his fingers. "Is this blood?" He pulled back the jacket that was covering Daniel and threw it aside. "Son of a..."

I gasped when I saw the large metal rod that entered Daniel's abdomen and exited his back. God, no. This couldn't be happening.

"Get back to the gate," the Colonel ordered Major Lawrence. "Get Fraiser on the radio."

With a quick nod, the Major sprinted out of the vault. Colonel O'Neill looked sharply at Bedard. "How'd this happen?"

"I was— I was trapped. He saved me, but there was another cave in. And–and—" The young woman swiped at the tears that were tracing lines through the dust on her cheeks. "Is he going to be okay?"

I glanced at the ground where Daniel lay. The soil was dark with his blood. The Colonel hadn't answered Bedard's question, so I looked at him. He was staring at me, fear darkening his features.

I wanted to assure him that Daniel would be okay. I wanted to believe it myself. But I couldn't. This was bad. I turned back to look at Daniel's pale face when the radio on my shoulder crackled to life.

"Colonel O'Neill," came General Hammond's voice. "I can have a med team ready to gate to your location in ten minutes."

The Colonel shook his head. "Daniel's badly injured, sir. I don't think he has ten minutes."

"Colonel? This is Doctor Fraiser. What's his condition?"

He nodded at me, and I squeezed the talk button on my radio. "He's been impaled with some kind of metal rod straight through the right side of his upper abdomen. He's unconscious, there's a lump on the back of his head, and he's lost a lot of blood." My mind raced for the vital information that Janet needed to be able to assess Daniel's condition. "His pulse is very weak, skin pale and clammy, breathing shallow and laboured."

There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity before Janet answered. "Can you get him to the gate?"

Colonel O'Neill grunted in frustration. "The pole's about four feet long, Doc. I don't think we can move him that far without causing more damage."

"Can you cut it into to a more manageable length?"

I examined the metal and shook my head at the Colonel. "We don't have anything to cut this, sir."

"Also not an option," he said into the radio.

"You'll have to remove it," said Janet. "Use a single quick and smooth motion to pull it out."

Colonel O'Neill looked at me. "Switch sides with me. I'll pull it out while you hold him steady."

I nodded and moved to kneel behind Daniel as the Colonel moved to his front.

"Now, it's very important to immediately apply a constant and firm pressure on both sides of the wound," said Janet. "You'll need something to use for dressings."

I stood up and quickly shrugged off my vest and then my jacket. The Colonel followed suit, and I balled up the jackets separately to create two makeshift bandages.

"I might be able to put together some kind of stretcher with some stuff in here," said the last marine.

The Colonel nodded. "See what you can find. But if it's not done by the time we're ready, I'm just going to carry him."

"Bedard, I could use your help," the marine said.

While they began poking through the rubble in the vault, I held my hand out to the Colonel. "Give me your belt."

He blinked once at me but then pulled it off.

I slid one end of his belt under Daniel's side. "This can hold pressure on the bandages while we move him."

"Good thinking." The Colonel pushed the talk button on his radio again. "Alright, anything else?"

"That's it, Colonel. I'll have a team waiting for you in the gate room."

"Okay." Colonel O'Neill wrapped his hands around the bar. He looked at me. "Ready?"

I placed my hands firmly on Daniel's hip and ribs, on either side of the metal rod. The bandages and belt were ready. And I was as ready as I was ever going to be. I gave a tight nod.

The Colonel took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. "On three. One, two..." With one quick motion, he pulled the bar out of Daniel's body.

Daniel uttered a soft moan, and his head moved slightly. Immediately, I pressed our jackets over both of the heavily bleeding wounds. I heard the sickening clang of metal against stone, and then the Colonel was pulling his belt around the makeshift bandages. Daniel didn't react to the pressure.

"Jesus," Colonel O'Neill whispered. "Is he... Did I just...?"

With the bandages firmly held against the wounds and the Colonel tightening the belt, I checked Daniel's pulse. My breath caught in my throat for a moment when I couldn't feel anything. No, please, no.

Desperately, I moved my fingers slightly. There. I found it. Still there. Just very weak. "It's okay, sir."

The Colonel released a stressed breath. "Stretcher?" he shouted.

I looked over to where Bedard and the marine were working. They'd found a couple of metal bars and tied their jackets between them, but it wasn't yet anywhere near sturdy enough to support Daniel's weight. And our jackets were already in use. "Sorry, sir," said the marine.

"Right, then."

I helped Colonel O'Neill heave Daniel's unconscious form over his shoulder.

"We still good to go?" he asked.

I checked the positioning of the bandages and belt. "We're good."

"Alright. Move out."

The Colonel moved quickly outside. I hesitated briefly. I had only counted four people when we entered this godforsaken vault. I glanced at Bedard. "Where's Haswell?"

"He, uh..." Bedard looked toward a far corner as her eyes began to well with tears again.

I followed her gaze to the bloody mess seeping out from beneath a large rock. A shiver ran down my spine, and I thanked God that hadn't been Daniel. Turning, I hurried after Colonel O'Neill with the others behind me. Someone would have to come back for Haswell's body later.

Moments later, we were through the gate and back on Earth. Janet and her staff helped move Daniel from the Colonel's shoulder onto the waiting gurney.

I found myself in the corridor outside the gate room, staring as the elevator doors closed behind Daniel and the medical personnel milling around him. A hand squeezed my shoulder, and I let Colonel O'Neill lead me to the elevator. He pushed the button and we waited for the car to arrive.

It felt like days, but I knew it was only a few hours that the Colonel and I waited in the infirmary for Daniel to come out of surgery. The surviving members of SG-8 were seen and treated by those on Janet's staff that weren't in the operating room. We were assured they'd be fine. SG-3 had been sent back to the planet with an engineering team and the equipment they'd need to retrieve Colonel Haswell.

Finally, Janet came through the doors, a serious expression on her face. Colonel O'Neill and I were instantly on our feet to meet her.

"We've completed the surgery, but his condition remains critical," she said slowly. "You did excellent work removing the rod."

I suppressed a shudder and felt Colonel O'Neill shift slightly beside me. He probably wanted to forget the experience of pulling that thing out of our friend as much as I did.

"He was very lucky. It didn't hit any major blood vessels, but it did lacerate his liver. He lost a lot of blood. We have him on antibiotics and are continuing blood transfusions."

"But he'll be okay, right?" asked the Colonel.

The doctor's eyes moved back and forth between us in deafening silence.

"Janet?" I choked.

She took a deep breath. "We need a few days," she said softly. "He's strong."

I stared at her, silently pleading her to promise me that Daniel would live. She didn't comply. "The next few days will tell," was all she said.

Colonel O'Neill's arm went around my shoulders, and I leaned into him for support.

"We've moved him into an isolation room for now," said Janet. "But before you see him, you should know that he's also on a ventilator. The anaesthetic we used for the surgery was affecting his breathing. Over the next few hours, I expect we'll be able to wean him off of it."

I followed Colonel O'Neill into the isolation room where Daniel was lying. I pulled up a chair next to his bed, my eyes moving over his still form. He had tubes and wires coming out from everywhere.

The ventilator hissed, and I scowled at it. Its wheeze wasn't even remotely reassuring like the steady beep of Daniel's heart monitor. All the nightmarish hiss served to do was remind me that my friend wasn't breathing on his own.

Colonel O'Neill stood at the foot of Daniel's bed. "I better tell Teal'c what's going on."

Teal'c. I had forgotten all about Teal'c. He was still on Juna, trying to convert Cronus's Jaffa to the rebellion. Checking my watch, I realised that it hadn't even been a full day since we left on that mission to help our robot counterparts. It felt like it'd been weeks ago.

"Will you be alright here?" asked the Colonel.

"Yes, sir." I picked up Daniel's hand and nodded to my commanding officer. "I'll stay with him."

"I won't be long."

Colonel O'Neill left the isolation room, leaving me alone with Daniel and his medical equipment. The ventilator hissed hatefully at me.

I talked softly to Daniel, trying not to let my eyes linger too long on the various tubes and needles that protruded from his body. It was awful to see him like this, but he needed to know that he wasn't alone.

A short while later, the Colonel returned. "Teal'c will be here in a few hours."

I nodded silently.

"He wanted to come right away," he continued. "But I told him there was nothing he could do here."

I nodded again. Cronus's Jaffa definitely weren't going to listen to anyone from the Tau'ri. Teal'c was the only one who would be able to convince them to join the fight against the Goa'uld.

"Jacob's supposed to be coming, too."

I looked up at that, feeling a bubble of hope rise within me. Dad could heal Daniel's injuries.

Colonel O'Neill scowled at the floor. "Might be a few days."

And just like that, the bubble burst. "What? Why?"

"They responded to the message we sent before all this." He waved his hand at Daniel. "You know, the one about the ship. They're not answering now."

I sighed and returned my attention to Daniel, squeezing his hand in mine. "Dad will be here."

The Colonel sat heavily onto a chair on the other side of Daniel's bed. "Yeah," he said quietly. I refused to look at him. I didn't want to see his disbelief in my words. Dad would come. He'd fix this. He had to.

For a few minutes, the only noise in the room was the hissing, whirring, clicking, and beeping of the instruments monitoring Daniel's condition. And the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I hoped Colonel O'Neill couldn't hear that.

"Look," he said finally. "Get some sleep, Carter. I got this shift."

"I'm fine, sir."

"You need to rest just as much as anyone." Colonel O'Neill sighed. "Between what happened on Cronus's ship and this mess with Daniel... You need sleep."

I shook my head. "I'm not tired." That wasn't entirely true. I was exhausted. But I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, even if I tried. I'd just lie awake in bed, worrying about Daniel. That was something I could do right here.

"The thing with Cronus was tough enough on me. I can't even imagine what it was like for you. Go."

I didn't respond.

"I could make it an order, Major."

I glared at him defiantly. The ventilator hissed and whirred. I stroked the back of Daniel's hand with my thumb.

The Colonel met my gaze for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "For crying out loud," he muttered as he shuffled his chair up closer to Daniel's bed.

I turned back to Daniel. Except for the ventilator tube coming out of his mouth, he looked quite peaceful.

"He's going to be okay, Carter."

"I know, sir." Of course Daniel would be okay. He had to be. Because the alternative was impossible to even consider.

"Making yourself sick won't make him wake up any sooner, you know."

How could I explain how utterly helpless I felt? "Every time you, Teal'c, or Daniel is hurt or missing, there's something for me to do to help." I glanced up to see him frowning at me. "A device to be fixed or built, aliens to negotiate with, a search party to join..." I sighed, turning back to Daniel, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing I can do to help him this time. Nothing except be here."

When the Colonel didn't reply, I looked at him. "I have to be here."

He stared back at me for a while before nodding. Relieved, I gave him a weak smile, and we both returned our attention to our injured friend on the bed between us.

"He's going to be okay," Colonel O'Neill said again.

That made my smile grow a little. "I know, sir."

We sat quietly by Daniel's bedside. Janet and her staff came around several times to check his monitors and make adjustments to his IV bags and ventilator. A few hours later, Teal'c arrived, joining our vigil.

"How'd it go with Cronus's Jaffa?" asked Colonel O'Neill.

"The majority of them were anxious to join the rebellion against the false gods."

I smiled slightly, deciding not to ask what had happened to those that weren't. "That's good news."

The Colonel and Teal'c spoke softly for a while. As the time passed, Teal'c seemed to grow more agitated. Eventually, he stood. "I am afraid I cannot put off my Kel'no'reem any longer." He nodded solemnly to us and left the infirmary.

Later, Janet and two nurses came in and again checked on the monitors around Daniel's bed. Then she turned to me and the Colonel. "Can you two step out a moment, please?"

I stood, concerned. "Janet?"

"We're going to try taking him off the ventilator. It won't be long."

Feeling numb, I followed Colonel O'Neill out of the isolation room as a nurse closed the door behind me. I stared at the wall and ran a hand through my hair.

"This is a good thing, right?" asked the Colonel. "If he doesn't need the ventilator any more, then he's doing better. He'll be fine."

I just nodded, waiting tensely. Finally, the door opened to reveal Janet's smiling face.

"He's breathing well on his own," she said. "His condition is still critical, but this is a good sign. We're moving him into the main infirmary now."

With Daniel and his myriad of monitoring devices, tubes and whatnot finally settled in the main room of the infirmary, I tucked a chair up to his bed. Weaving my fingers between Daniel's, I placed my other hand on his forearm, absently stroking my thumb over his skin. His heart monitor beeped steadily.

The Colonel again sat down on the other side. After a moment, he cleared his throat. I looked up to see him staring at my hands.

"Look, Carter," he said, glancing quickly around the room. "I, uh, I know we said we weren't going to talk about this. But..." Colonel O'Neill sighed as his eyes searched mine.

I frowned at him. "Talk about what?"

"That whole..." He waved a hand vaguely in the air. "Zatarc thing."

Alarmed, I looked around the infirmary, thankfully confirming that Janet and her staff had disappeared again. I studied him, not sure why he was bringing this subject up.

"I mean, what with all of this going on." Colonel O'Neill thrust his chin in the direction of Daniel's sleeping form.

Oh. I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment. "I'm sorry, sir." I sighed. "I know that there are a number of people and groups that would jump at the chance to split up SG-1 if they knew how strongly we all felt about each other." I looked at him imploringly. "But I can't leave him. I just can't."

The Colonel and I had been lucky to get away with the discovery of the 'untruth' during the zatarc testing a few months ago. It was a little odd to have to talk about it with my commanding officer. He never seemed very willing to talk about his feelings. It probably would have been much less strange if it had been me and Teal'c or me and Daniel who had been suspected of being brainwashed assassins. We were a very tight-knit group, and we all cared for each other a lot more than we should.

The Colonel's eyes narrowed and again locked on my hands. "How we all feel about each other..." he said slowly.

"The three of you are like family to me," I said softly.

"So, when you said that—"

Colonel O'Neill's voice broke off abruptly, and I turned to him, studying his expression. He looked tired, and his normally warm brown eyes were guarded.

"Is something wrong, sir?" I asked.

"Not at all," he answered, shaking his head. Abruptly, the Colonel stood up and stretched with a groan. "I'm going to get something to eat. You want anything?"

I shook my head and watched as he left. Alone again, I spoke softly to my unconscious friend.

"Daniel, I don't know if you can hear me. But you have to wake up. Come back to us. We need you." Tears burned my eyes. "I need you," I whispered.

My hand lightly stroked his cheek, but he didn't open his eyes.

"You've beaten worse things than this. You're going to be okay. All you have to do is wake up." I ran my fingers through his hair and caressed his face. "Please wake up, Daniel."

Still, his eyes remained closed. My thumb lingered over his lips, and I frowned. It was odd that such an intimate touch seemed so natural.

"Major Carter."

I jumped at Teal'c's voice and pulled my hand away from Daniel's face.

"I did not intend to alarm you," said Teal'c as he approached. He placed a tray of food on a table. "His condition has improved."

"He doesn't need the ventilator anymore," I said. "He's going to be okay."

"Of that I am certain."

I gave Teal'c a small smile and picked up Daniel's hand again. Resting my chin on our woven fingers, I looked at him. His face was still so pale. If it wasn't for the steady beeping of his heart monitor...

"He has to be," I said softly.

Teal'c nodded, moving to stand next to my chair. "Daniel Jackson has proven most resilient in the past."

"I know. I just can't help but worry."

"Nor can I."

"How are you doing?" I asked, my gaze moving from his face to his stomach and back again.

"Much of the damage Cronus inflicted on my symbiote is now healed."

"Good." I studied him for a moment, and then took a deep breath. I hadn't been a very good friend to him on Cronus's ship. "Teal'c, I'm sorry I—"

"Major Carter," he interrupted. "There is no need for you to apologise."

I turned away, staring at the sheets on Daniel's bed, tears blurring my vision. "He was dead. You were injured. And I—"

A hand on my shoulder stopped me. I looked up to see Teal'c's deep brown eyes silently expressing his trust, understanding, and concern for me. On impulse, I stood and engulfed him in a hug. I felt his arms wrap around my back.

"I'm happy you're okay," I mumbled into his chest.

He squeezed me tightly for a long moment, and I allowed myself to smile. Teal'c always gave the best hugs.

"I am pleased that you are also," he said, his grip loosening. "Many of Cronus's Jaffa were impressed by the number of injuries inflicted on their false god. I believe his wounds alone convinced many to join our cause."

Chuckling, I stepped back from our hug. "Glad I could help."

Teal'c bowed his head and moved to the foot of Daniel's bed, picking up the tray of food he had brought.

"Teal'c," Colonel O'Neill said, walking into the infirmary with a sandwich in his hand. "I thought you were meditating." He grabbed another chair and dragged it closer. Turning it around, he sat on it backwards, resting his arms on its back.

"I wished to check on the wellbeing of Daniel Jackson." Teal'c walked over to me, holding out the tray. "I suspected you would still be here, Major Carter, so I have brought this for you."

"Thanks," I said, shaking my head. "But I'm not hungry."

He frowned at me. "Have you consumed any nourishment since our mission to assist our android selves?"

I just closed my eyes, not turning away from Daniel.

"Daniel Jackson would not want you to neglect your own health."

Sighing, I looked at Teal'c. I knew he was right, but the thought of food right now made my stomach turn. He was still holding the tray out to me, so I took it. I put it down on the small table beside me, at the head of Daniel's bed, and examined the food on the plate. I poked at something beige and tentatively raised a forkful of it to my nose. It was offensive. I grimaced and put the fork down.

"Carter." The Colonel's tone held a note of warning. I didn't have to look at him to know the stern expression that would be on his face.

Picking up the fork again, I swallowed a mouthful of food without tasting it. I managed three more bites before the protestations of my stomach became impossible to ignore. A glance at the Colonel and Teal'c seemed to indicate that they were both satisfied. I quietly set the fork back on my plate.

Minutes blended into hours, hours into days. I slept off and on, curled up in my chair next to Daniel's bed. I wondered if this was what it had been like for him after they'd rescued me from Cronus's base. Teal'c had told me then that Daniel hadn't left my bedside during that time. I was so sorry he'd had to go through this.

At least if...when Daniel woke up, he was unlikely to shoot me.

Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill cycled through visits. General Hammond sat with me and Daniel for a while before he had to leave to pick up his granddaughters. He patted my shoulder as he left, encouraging me to get some rest. I just nodded and tucked my chair closer to Daniel's bed.

Janet's staff routinely checked on his progress. They studied the monitors surrounding his bed, made notes in their charts, changed his dressings, IV and blood transfusion bags.

More than once, Janet threatened me with sedation if I didn't get some rest. But with some diplomacy and bargaining skills learned from Daniel, I managed to get her to compromise. I was to rest on the infirmary bed next to Daniel's. Not that I could sleep, even being so close to him.

A few times, when the medical staff did their rounds, I pretended that I was sleeping on my bed. But as soon as they were gone, I went back to my chair. It wasn't as if I wasn't getting any sleep at all. I was. Either curled up in my chair or with my head on Daniel's bed. I really didn't know why everyone was bothering me so much about it.

The Colonel relieved Teal'c again and brought me a sandwich. He looked about as tired as I felt and, sure enough, he dozed off in his chair after an hour or so. I tried a bite of the sandwich, but when it threatened to come back up, I tossed it into the nearby garbage.

Suddenly, the base alarms started screaming. "Unscheduled off-world activation!" said Sergeant Harriman over the loudspeakers.

Colonel O'Neill jolted awake in his chair. He looked at me, an odd mixture of hope and anger on his face. "Is that Jacob?"

I shook my head, cautiously hopeful. "I don't know, sir."

The Colonel stood and looked back and forth between Daniel and the door to the hallway, appearing conflicted. Then, with a heavy sigh, he sat back down. "If it's him, they'll bring him here."

Just a few minutes later, Teal'c arrived, accompanied by my dad.

"Hey, Sammy," he bent to give me a hug. "What happened? Your message didn't say anything about injuries."

Colonel O'Neill stood up and took several rather menacing steps toward Dad. "It did mention the big honkin' mothership we picked up though, didn't it, Jacob? Funny how you guys care more about that sort of thing than our people."

Dad turned to him with a scowl. "How the hell was I supposed to know Daniel was injured, Jack? Having a symbiote doesn't make me psychic!"

"Colonel, please." I looked at my commanding officer imploringly before placing a hand on my father's arm. "Can you help him?"

"I'd love to, but I didn't bring a healing device."

"I have one right here," said Janet, arriving with the device I'd found on Cimmeria. She must have taken it out of secure storage earlier, anticipating Dad's arrival. She'd clearly been anxious for Daniel too.

My dad bowed his head briefly, then Selmak raised it and took the device. He held it over Daniel's body, and it began to glow.

"He is badly injured," said Selmak.

"This much we know," muttered Colonel O'Neill. "But you can heal him, right?"

"The healing device does not have the same power as a sarcophagus."

"Selmak," I said softly.

"Do not worry, Major Carter. I will do what I can for now. However, it will require more than one session to fully repair the damage."

I breathed a sigh of relief and watched as the Tok'ra healed Daniel. Several long minutes passed. Finally, the glowing stopped, and Selmak lowered the healing device. He leaned on the edge of the bed, his head hanging.

I reached out to him, alarmed.

"We're okay, kiddo," came Dad's voice. "It's just that healing an injury this severe is pretty draining. I think we're going to go lie down now. I'll come back in a few hours to try some more."

"Thanks, Dad."

He gave me a tired nod and headed out of the infirmary. I turned my attention back to Daniel, again picking up his hand.

Janet checked the instruments monitoring Daniel's vital signs. "He's doing much better. He'll be fine now," she said. "In fact, he'll probably be waking up soon."

I smiled warmly at her as relief flooded through me. Janet brushed a reassuring hand across my back as she left Daniel's side again.

"Why don't you go get some rest too, Carter."

I shook my head at Colonel O'Neill. "Really, I'm fine, sir. I'd like to be here when he wakes up."

He sighed but sat down. Teal'c pulled up a chair and sat next to me. I studied Daniel's sleeping features, then squeezed his hand in mine.

His fingers returned the squeeze.

I gasped. "Daniel?"

"What's wrong, Carter?"

"He squeezed my hand, sir. Daniel, wake up."

His eyelids fluttered open, and I nearly cried with relief.

"Hey, Doc! He's awake," the Colonel called to Janet, standing up to get out of her way.

Daniel squinted at me, his mouth silently forming my name.

"It's okay," I said, pouring a glass of water from the jug on the table beside me. I helped him take a drink. "You're going to be okay."

He swallowed the water and coughed a bit. "Thank you," he said softly, his voice scratchy. He looked around at the people surrounding his bed.

"How are you feeling, Daniel?" asked Janet as she shone her penlight into his eyes.

Daniel groaned and pressed his hands to his abdomen. "I've been better. Didn't we already do the appendix thing?"

Janet smiled, finished her fussing, and handed Daniel a new pair of glasses. He put them on and peered at us, clearly awaiting an explanation.

The Colonel frowned down at Daniel. "Carter and I found you and your team stuck in that vault you promised me was safe."

"Is everyone okay?"

Colonel O'Neill sighed. "Colonel Haswell was dead when we got there. Jankowicz, McCallum, and Bedard will all be fine. You, on the other hand, turned yourself into a Daniel-kabob."

Daniel winced. "I think I remember that." He looked around at the faces surrounding his bed. "Do I want to know how long ago that was?"

"About five days, now."

Daniel's eyebrows rose, and he touched his abdomen again. "How am I...?"

"Jacob showed up a little while ago. Turns out all we have to do to get the Tok'ra to help us is get a bigger ship than they have."

"What?"

I sighed. "Colonel, can we just be happy that Daniel's okay for a minute?"

Daniel's fingers found my hand again. "Sam, you look so tired. Are you okay?"

I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted by Teal'c.

"Major Carter has not left your bedside since your return."

Daniel smiled up at me, and I returned the sentiment. "Go get some rest," he said.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I'll stay here until Dad can come back for another round with the healing device."

"I know you, and you're not fine. I'm okay, really. I'm not going anywhere." His deep blue eyes pleaded with me to listen to him. "Go get some sleep, and I'll be here when you get back."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He gave me a smile that made his eyes sparkle. I felt the corners of my lips tug up automatically in response.

"Okay," I whispered. Slowly, I unfolded myself from my chair and stood up.

"Oh, him you listen to?"

I just rolled my eyes at the Colonel. Daniel was safe now. He would be alright. Now, I could rest.

After one more reassuring squeeze to Daniel's hand, I made my way through the crowd of people surrounding his bed.

"I've been trying to get her to eat and sleep the entire time you've been in here," the Colonel explained to Daniel as I headed for the hallway. "I swear, she's getting as stubborn as you are."

I hesitated at the door, placing my hand on the frame as the world wobbled around me. There was a hissing in my ears that was getting louder by the second. I thought I heard Teal'c's voice but couldn't make out what he was saying through the noise. I blinked hard and put a hand to my forehead, trying to clear it.

"Sam?" Daniel's voice sounded like it was coming from very far away. I could barely hear him through the hissing.

The room began to blur. I clutched at the doorway, but my body suddenly seemed too heavy for my legs. My knees wobbled as everything started to fade into darkness.

"Carter!" shouted Colonel O'Neill's voice. "Damn it!"

The hissing intensified to a dull roar that blocked out all other sounds.

Then, everything went silent.

To be continued...
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