Loss Part 6

See Disclaimer in Part I

*****

As the body bags carrying General Vidrine and Major Parsons were carried into the same tent the pilots had been taken, Jessica hugged Sam and rested her forehead on Sam's shoulder. "I don't think I can take much more of this." Sam knew how she felt. Her own nerves were at breaking point as well. Sam opened her mouth to reply, but found that no words were forthcoming. Finally she managed to say in a shaking voice, "I know. Let's go get something to drink, okay? Jessica nodded listlessly.

Leaning weakly on each other, they made their way toward the mess tent when Jessica's knees buckled. Sam tried to keep her upright, but realized Jessica had fainted. "Teal'c! Help me." Teal'c scooped Jessica up in his arms and carried her immediately to the medical tent, Sam and Daniel in his wake.

Dr. Porter checked her out and determined that she was not in labor, as they had feared. "She's been under a great deal of emotional strain, as you can imagine. She needs to be kept quiet and rest for a while. I want her to stay here until I can make a determination that she's fit enough to leave the bed."

"Doctor, is the baby all right?" Daniel asked.

"As far as I can tell, the baby is fine, but on the other hand, all this stress his mother is going through can't be doing him any good, either."

They all sat by Jessica's bed until she awoke a little while later. She looked pale and drawn and responded to them listlessly, refusing food and drink. "I'm just so tired," she said in a weak voice.

Sam squeezed her hand. "I know. This is a terrible strain. You rest and let us keep an eye on things, okay? I promise to let you know if I hear anything."

"Thank you, Sam. You've been a good friend through all this. You all have." Her gaze encompassed Daniel and Teal'c as well.

A sudden shrill ringing interrupted whatever the others might have said. "That's my cell phone. It's probably my mother." Jessica said. "It's in my coat pocket. Can you get it for me?" Sam handed it to her and Jessica flipped the phone open and answered it. "Hello?"

As Sam watched Jessica dropped the phone in shock, but grabbed it back up quickly. Her eyes filled with tears as she breathed, "Paul? Oh my God, is that really you? Where are you? Oh God, honey, where are you? She was crying uncontrollably.

*************

Davis stood at the entrance to the cave, cell phone pressed to his ear. He had finally gotten a signal! He was smiling, but rubbed a hand across his face to wipe a tear away. "Jess, hey, yeah it's me. No, no, I'm fine, just a little worse for the wear, bumps and bruises, you know. I'm in a cave right near the crash site. Yeah, I know, we missed the rescue crew. I just got the cell phone to work. How's our baby doing? I love you. Please don't cry." He sniffled and wiped away another tear.

"Listen, General O'Neill is with me and he, well, he isn't doing very well. He really needs to get to the hospital. He's in pretty bad shape. Yeah, he can talk, but I can't get him to the entrance to the cave without hurting him more, and I'm afraid the signal will get dropped if I go inside." He heard Jess talking to someone else nearby.

"Paul? Listen, can you try? Sam Carter's here and she really needs to talk to the General."

"I'll give it a try, but if we lose the signal I'll call right back or you call me, okay?"

He crawled back into the cave. Jack had heard the commotion and watched his approach looking more alert than he had lately. "Davis, what's going on?"

"Got a signal for the cell. I've been talking to my beautiful wife, now Colonel Carter wants to talk to you. I told them the signal might not hold in here, but we'll give it a try." He handed Jack the phone.

"Carter? Is that you?"

"Jack, Oh my God, Jack…" She was crying.

"Listen Sam, there's not much time…"

"I love you, Jack."

Jack put a tight rein on his emotions. "Sam, I want you to get the rescue crews up here and pick Davis up. He'll be waiting by the crash site."

"But what about you? Where are you so we can come get you?"

Jack shook his head. "Not going to happen. Listen to me. My will and all my other personal papers are in the safe in my office at home. My lawyer's name and number are on them. Contact him and he'll handle everything. If they manage to get me down from here come spring, I want to be buried next to Charlie, you got that?"

"Jack, no."

"Then put Daniel on the phone and I'll have him handle it, if you're not willing," he growled.

"Jack, we're coming to get you."

"Negative. It's too risky and I won't make it anyway. Just make sure Davis gets home in time to see his kid born, okay?"

"Jack…"

"One last thing. I believe I told you it was an honor to serve with you before, and that still stands. Tell Teal'c and Daniel, too. You three are my family."

"No, Jack…"

"Shut up for just one more minute, okay? The last thing I want to say to you, Samantha Jean Carter, is that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life, aside from Charlie. You and he are the greatest things that ever happened to me. I don't want you mourning me, you got that? I know I screwed it all up, but underneath it all I still love you with everything I have in me, and I won't have you wasting your life being sad for me."

"Jack…" Sam sobbed his name.

"Be happy, Sam. That's an order." He quickly shoved the phone back at Davis, and wiped his eyes. "Go, Davis. They'll meet you at the crash site." He turned away and tried not to hear any more of the conversation.

*****