Long story short. I had the flu that lasted like forever. I re-wrote this chapter, gave it to my beta and spent an amazing weekend in Rome myself and got home only some hours ago. That´s why you had to wait for this chapter. So sorry. Hope you still enjoy! -Lia

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"Dad?" She asked again, her voice trembling. It was hard to believe they were rescued, that they were finally safe for real.

"I´m here, kiddo." Jacob kneeled down next to her, cupping her face with his hand. "You´re safe now." He promised, his heart aching as he observed her bruised body.

"We need to get these wet clothes off of them." Janet said turning to look at Jack. "Colonel, you can let go of her hand now." She echoed Jacob´s earlier words. "I´ll take care of her, I promise."

He nodded his head a little, but his hand was still tightly holding hers. It wasn´t that he couldn´t let go, he just didn´t want to. Not ever. Not even when he trusted the people around them with his life.

Janet sighed. "Jack, please."

He let go. His hand falling on his side. "Don´t take her far." The words were almost too quiet for Janet to hear, but she turned to look at him. He had closed his eyes again, giving up to the tiredness that washed over him with full force.

"I won´t." She promised as quietly, and he nodded his head. He had heard her promise, and he was thankful.

"Come on, sweetheart." Jacob helped his daughter up, and only his strong arms around her held her up as her legs buckled.

"I´ve got her." Janet said as they reached the small bed they had made for her. "Go and help the others."

He hesitated for a moment, not really wanting to leave Sam. "Jacob, go." Janet´s voice was soft, but firm and the old general sighed and left the two women alone.

Janet gently removed the wet and dirty clothes from her and wrapped a warm blanket around her shoulders. She left her side only to get some clean clothes and her bag. She examined her carefully, frowning as she saw the cuts and bruises on her friend´s body, eyeing worriedly the marks on her legs and breasts, but Sam only shook her head tiredly when she asked about them.

"Okay, Sam." She said a few minutes later. "Lie here for a moment. I have to go and see the others."

Sam only nodded, feeling a little better, warm and safe. The exhaustion soon took over and she let her eyes fall close, the pain medication kicking into her system. And just before drifting into a deep sleep, one thought filled her mind.

"Jack."

And again, Janet Fraiser almost missed what was said, the whispered word escaping her lips so quietly.

"He´s fine." She leaned to smooth her hand over her friend´s feverish forehead.

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It was that familiar voice that brought Jack O´Neill back to consciousness, and he frowned to the bright pen light that was directed in his eyes.

"Jesus." He breathed out.

He was lying on something soft and warm, Janet´s soft, familiar, comforting hands running over his naked upper body, wiping away the dried blood the best she could, cleaning his skin.

"Where does it hurt?"

The question sounded really stupid in his mind. He hurt everywhere. He could not point out a place where he did not hurt. He was aching all over his
body.

"I got it." She chuckled and he wondered that if he had said the words out loud. Probably.

Something was dropped on his eyes and he blinked rapidly, squinted and lifted his hands to rub the leaking eyes, only to be stopped by Janet´s "Don´t touch them."

He blinked again, several times, before he started to see better. "Thanks." He said softly before the bright light hit his eyes again. "Son of a bitch." He shut his eyes and pulled his head back. "Are you trying to blind me for good?"

She chuckled again and wiped the tears away from his face with a clean cloth. "Stop whining, colonel. And open your eyes so I can take a look."

"I don´t think so." He muttered but opened his eyes slowly.

She helped him dressed in warm and clean clothes before wrapping a heavy blanket around him. His scratches and cuts were bandaged and antibiotics already working, attacking the bacteria in his system.

"Carter okay?" He asked, fighting against the sleep that would soon take over.

"She´s fine." Janet promised, smoothing her hand over his rough face. "You can talk to her when you wake up."

He wanted to ask more about her, to make sure she really was fine. He would prefer to see her himself. But slowly, no matter how much he fought against it, the pain medication helped him to fall asleep, allowing his body and mind the time and rest they needed to recover.

-----

Daniel was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, a blanket wrapped around his body. His breathing was shallow, the pain in his chest a reminder of the broken ribs. The touch of her soft hand against his forehead made him open his eyes and he smiled tiredly.

"You have a fever." She told him.

He nodded, the shivers running through his body confirming her words.

She cleaned his cuts, wiped the blood away and cleaned him a little before wrapping his chest, worried about the broken ribs. He sat in silence, patiently waiting for her to finish, wincing only a little when her hand touched the cuts and bruises.

"I was so worried." Her words were barely a whisper.

"I´m glad you are here now." He replied with a soft voice, capturing her hand with his own and bringing it carefully on his swollen lips.

She fought against the tears that burned in the back of her eyes. "I´m sorry that we couldn´t get here any sooner."

"It´s not your fault."

She leaned her forehead against his, her eyes falling closed for a brief moment, and she felt him relax. Careful of his sore lips, she touched the corner of his mouth with her own before pulling away and returning to be his doctor and not fiancé.

She finished with him, helped him get dressed and drink some water before he too was tucked under the covers. She was kneeling next to him, stroking his face carefully, holding his hand, and finally, just before he was drifting to sleep, she leaned down to kiss him again.

"I love you." She whispered before pulling back and leaving his side

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Teal´c was the last. The jaffa sat quietly, bowing his head in silent thank you to the petite doctor. He had always been the easiest one to take care of. He never complained, whined or frowned. He just waited patiently and mostly did what she told him to do.

She cleaned the scratches and cuts, wiped the dried blood away and bandaged his wounds. "This will help you sleep a little." Janet said as she stuck the needle into his muscular arm. "You all need some rest."

He nodded agreeing with her. He too was very tired after everything that had happened in the past weeks. "O´Neill, DanielJackson, MajorCarter, they´re all alright?" He asked.

"Yes. They are all sleeping now." She smiled warmly. "I´ll be here when you guys wake up." She promised him before he closed his eyes and let himself fall in the deep state of kel´no´reem.

-----

Janet left them to sleep and headed back to Jacob who was piloting the ship back home. She sunk down on the seat where she had been sitting most of her time in the past week and lifted her hands to rub her tired face.

"How are they?" The Tok´ra asked and Janet glanced up surprised. Selmak had been quiet for the past few days. She actually liked the old Tok´ra, almost as much as she liked the company of Jacob Carter.

"They are sleeping now. It should take at least a few hours before the medications starts to wear off."

The old general nodded his head. "You did good, doctor."

"Thank you, sir." She replied smiling tiredly. "If you don´t mind, I´ll take a quick nap myself before they wake up."

"Of course, go ahead. I´ll let you know if something happens."

She stood up and stopped only for a short moment to squeeze his shoulder gently before heading to back where her fiancé was sleeping. Carefully she curled next to him, and even longing to feel his arms around her, she kept her distance not wanting to hurt him. His closeness was enough. For now.

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