By Mickey
STORY STATUS: Completed 4/11/07
SPOILERS: Children Of the Gods, Abyss
WORD COUNT: 1,304
Doctor Fraiser is checking O'Neill's pulse and temperature as I enter the infirmary. Even though the machines do this for her, she prefers to do it "the old fashioned way". It is one of the many reasons O'Neill admires and trusts her so much. As do I.
"He's still sleeping Teal'c."
I stop as she speaks. She never turned around and I was quiet as I entered, as to not disturb her. How did she know I had come back?
"There's only one person who's ever been able to slip in or out of my infirmary without me knowing, and he's not going anywhere for a while."
Again, I have said nothing aloud and she has yet to turn around, so she could not have seen my reaction. I file the information away to be analyzed at another time as I take a seat beside my friend.
I have no siblings by blood, nor did I ever want any growing up. Yet, O'Neill has become as a brother to me. More so than any blood relation could have been. He has put more faith and trust in me than anyone else. Even Master Bra'tac. Even before he knew anything about me. I learned quickly that to earn O'Neill's trust and respect is a rare gift. One to be treasured.
On rare occasions I find myself wondering if the Jaffa rebellion would have occurred much sooner had O'Neill been born a Jaffa.
He had no reason to believe I would help him that first time we met. I gave no outwards indication that my devotion to my god was anything but absolute. Somehow, I believe he saw past my facade and into my heart. He saw my doubt in what I was doing. Perhaps he saw a kindred soul. A fellow solider who has seen and done too many things he is not proud of.
The Tau'ri have a saying – "The eyes are the windows to the soul." If someone had said this to me before I met this man, I would have thought him a weak-minded fool. O'Neill has changed my perspective on many things since that day.
It saddens me that Major Carter and Jonas Quinn can no longer sit with O'Neill, but I understand why it must be so. Doctor Frasier has allowed me to stay because I have been most effective in helping to calm and restrain O'Neill when he is stuck in the nightmares of his past. As he is now. His face and upper body are covered in a sheen of sweat. He is becoming entangled in his sheet as he tosses and turns. Just as suddenly as his erratic movements start, they stop.
O'Neill's eyes suddenly flutter open. I consider speaking his name or touching his shoulder to see if he will respond then think better of it. It is well known that disturbing O'Neill when he is in this state can have grave consequences. I wait to see if he will look at me first.
His eyes are on the far wall, his mind in the past, seeing what only he can see. Never have I seen him more tense. His voice and his expression are full of anger and fear as he yells in a language I do not understand. I speak to him in the same soothing tones I used with Ry'ac when, as a young boy, he was ill or frightened. O'Neill calms down and looks at me for the first time since this episode began. His eyes then focus on my tattoo. Suddenly, his eyes go wide with fear and his struggles increase again. I have never before felt such strength in any Tau'ri, not even in O'Neill.
My words no longer soothe him. Instead, they only serve to agitate him further. I lose my grip and he strikes, hitting me squarely on my nose. He fights like a man possessed with a strength and veracity his weakened condition should not allow. I stumble from the force of his blow and lose my already precarious grip on him. Blood flows freely from both nostrils. He moves like lightning, knocking me to the ground and pinning me there. He manages to land a few more punches to my face until I finally am able to grasp both wrists firmly. I flip him off of me and manage, with great difficulty, to pin him to the ground. I am both surprised and disheartened as the fight drains from my friend as quickly as it appeared. His body goes limp and he glares at me with an intense look of hatred, fear, despair, and defeat.
Doctor Frasier comes in and quickly injects a needle into his arm. O'Neill glares at me a moment longer then his eyes slide shut. I release my grip on him and assist Doctor Frasier in getting O'Neill back into his bed. As I move to the foot of his bed, Frasier situates him so he is comfortable. She speaks to him in whispered tones as she puts her hand to his forehead.
Then the doctor turns her attention to me. I believe, at times, she may be what the Tau'ri call a telepath.
She answers my question before I even have a chance to ask it.
"No Teal'c, you didn't hurt him. He ripped out his IV, so I'll have to move it to the other hand, but otherwise, he's none the worse for wear." She approaches me. "You should let me take a look at that. It looks broken."
She reaches for my nose, but I gently push her hand away. It is, indeed, broken but she need not concern herself with my injury. "I am fine. My symbiote is already repairing the damage."
She contemplates my response then nods. "You should at least wash up. It'll be several hours before he begins to stir again. I'll be back in a few minutes. I want to set up the new IV. I have no choice. I'm going to have to keep him sedated."
That said, she turns and leaves the room. I take her advice and utilize the facilities to wash the blood from my face. A few minutes later, Doctor Frasier returns with the necessary supplies. She moves with great proficiency and completes her task in mere minutes.
Then she turns to me. "Teal'c, help me move him to one of the private rooms please."
I nod and do as she requests. I am surprised she did not do this sooner. She rarely leaves O'Neill in the infirmary when he is this ill. The infirmary has been quite busy lately. The day after the colonel's return, SG-4 came back with injuries. Although they were relatively minor, they did require much attention from the doctor and her nurses. Yesterday afternoon SG-16 returned under fire. Two of their members are still in the infirmary. Doctor Frasier believes the commander of that team, Major Dancs, may not survive. Perhaps that is why she has delayed this move. It is easier to watch over her patients if they are all in the same room. Plus, two of her nurses called out sick today and that has left her short handed.
It takes only a few minutes to relocate O'Neill. Doctor Fraiser checks his IV and chart. She fusses with his sheet again and checks his temperature.
Difficult as this is for him now, and as hard as it will be to deal with what was done to him, I know O'Neill will persevere. As he has done so many times since I have known him, and before. His soul is battered, weary, and scared, but still strong. He will not stop fighting so long as he has any strength left.
He has a fighting spirit. More than that, he has a warrior's heart.
TBC