The next time the Colonel woke up Sam sat nervously by his bed. She wasn't sure how he'd react but she knew, she'd feel awful if he still appeared frightened of her. She had so hoped that he would recognize her – or at least one of his teammates. Instead, he'd seemed to withdraw into himself, appearing at times fearful and other times completely disoriented.
It took him a moment to open his eyes and focus. He stared at the ceiling, a slight frown on his face. Slowly he turned his face towards her. For a moment he simply stared, as usual, and then a small spark appeared in his eyes. This was followed by a tiny smile.
"Sam", he whispered.
"Sir – Colonel – how are you?" She breathed deeply in relief. She reached out slowly and took his uninjured hand in hers, holding it gently. She was thrilled when he pressed her hand with his.
He continued to look at her, the smile on his face, although he didn't speak. After a few moments he drifted back into sleep. She continued to hold his hand.
"How's he doing?" Janet entered and spoke quietly. "He looks like he's resting better than he usually does."
"He recognized me", Sam answered, still looking at the Colonel.
"Really? Are you sure?" Janet frowned at Sam, hoping this wasn't just wishful thinking on the part of her friend.
"Really. He said my name and squeezed my hand."
Janet suddenly realized that Sam was still holding the Colonel's hand and smiled to herself. This is what the Colonel needed. That thought was followed swiftly by another one – Sam could end up getting hurt, especially if the Colonel didn't show some dramatic improvement. The way things looked, Janet was becoming more and more concerned that the damage was permanent.
It was a full two weeks after he'd been brought back to the hospital that Janet determined that he was well enough to be moved to Colorado. Although he hadn't spoken when conscious, other than to say Sam's name, he continued to have nightmares where he'd speak of going through the Stargate or fighting aliens. The nurses pretty much thought they were the ravings of a madman but Sg1 and Janet all worried about the amount of information that was being revealed.
As for the Colonel himself, he was improving – physically – every day. It was his mental condition that was worrying. He no longer showed the same fear he had at the beginning, at least not with Janet, Daniel or Teal'c. He seemed to respond positively to Tina and BJ – he could remember them clearly in his most recent memories – although he hadn't yet said anything.
He was frightened of the medical staff or any others that entered his room, often cowering back into his bed. They'd even seen him pull the covers over his face on occasion. Janet had had to order a sedative once when an orderly had entered the room. He was a large man and had seemed to terrify the Colonel.
The one person who seemed able to get through to him was Sam. For some reason, after that first visit, he'd not only accepted her presence, but seemed to relax when she was near. He even allowed her to touch him and appeared able to rest without dreams when she held his hand.
At first she'd been uncomfortable with being caught touching him but Janet had simply nodded and encouraged it. "He needs the connection Sam", she'd said. "It grounds him and gives him a sense of security. Keep doing it."
She had nodded, although she knew she was blushing slightly. She was glad the Colonel responded to her, but it also made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, none of her teammates made a comment about it and the staff all accepted it as totally normal.
Today she was sitting quietly, watching him sleep, and thinking about what was going to happen next. Nobody had said anything but she was pretty sure this would mean the end of the Colonel's career. Even if he improved dramatically, he'd been too traumatized to ever recover fully. She knew he would probably suffer from PTSD for the rest of his life. It made her feel incredibly sad – not only for the Colonel, but for his teammates as well. They were all losing something special if the Colonel had to retire. As far as she was concerned personally, she felt like she had lost him – and the ironic thing was she had never had him, as other than a friend and commander.
"Sam", a soft voice interrupted her thoughts. It took her a second to realize where the sound was coming from. This was only the second time she'd heard him speak, other than in his nightmares.
"Sir!" she answered, moving in closer the Colonel. "How are you?"
"'kay", he managed to get out. Clearly talking was difficult.
"Everything's fine Colonel. We're all here and we're all safe. Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
He nodded slightly and then smiled. He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep. She continued to sit with him.
"General Hammond has arranged a helicopter to bring the Colonel back to the SGC", Janet announced the next morning. They were all sharing breakfast in the cafeteria while the Colonel was going through a series of tests. They were still trying to determine if there had been any actual physical trauma to his brain or if his condition was mostly psychological. Janet had said that they'd do more tests when they returned to the SGC. "We have access to equipment they don't have available here", she'd explained.
They were all glad to be going home. Spending their days in a downtown LA hospital was exhausting and boring at the same time. It would have been different if the Colonel had been able to communicate. As it was, they mostly just sat by his bed and watched him as he stared into space – or if Sam was present he stared at her.
It had been Sam who had spent the most time at his bedside. The others had tried to see if they could collect any more information on Samuels and how he'd pulled off the kidnapping. With the help of Walter and General Hammond, they were also trying to track down the man Abel.
They were all going to be very sad to see the last of both Tina and BJ. Tina was back to work and had been assigned to Jack's floor. She'd also been given all her back pay – and a promotion – after everything had come to light.
The Administrator, Carl Withers, had quickly identified that something was wrong in Jack's files. He knew, by looking at them, that his doctor had been grossly negligent in releasing him too early. He was also able to see that the treatment he had been getting wasn't adequate for his condition. He'd called up Woodward, and the nursing supervisor, but had been given the run around. He decided to do a little more investigating and had called in some of the other staff, including Tina Alvarez. What he heard both shocked and angered him.
"You will start back to work immediately", the Administrator said, "and you will be returned all docked pay. Nurse Alvarez, you have the hospital's apology for this. In light of your courage and your attempt to do the right thing, you will also receive a promotion, effective immediately."
"Uh – thank you Sir", she stumbled over her words, too shocked to take it all in.
Withers relaxed slightly and smiled. "I really do hope you'll accept my apology Nurse. As soon as I saw what happened I had them call you back in. This sort of thing is not allowed in my hospital!"
"Thank you", she said again, "but aren't you worried about our budget? Everyone seems to think that homeless people cost us too much money."
He sighed – it was true that he constantly had to figure out how to pay for things and sometimes he had to make decisions which were painful. What he'd never do, however, is risk anyone's life over a few dollars. They could fire him for that if they wanted – but he refused to budge on his principals.
"Oh budget", he said as if it was a minor detail, "we'll figure it out – we always do."
Tina had returned to her locker, a bemused expression on her face. She was still unsure as to what had happened. At first she thought it was because they had found out who the Colonel was, but after talking to Mr. Withers she wasn't so sure. She kind of thought he was a man of compassion and principle. She wondered briefly what had happened to Woodward and Theresa.
As for Dr. Woodward well, he was recovering after being hit by a severe case of Dr. Janet Frasier! The good doctor had asked to see Jack's charts, wanting to learn about his condition when first admitted to the Downtown hospital. It had taken her even less time than it had Withers to figure out how the Colonel had been treated.
Rarely had this busy, metropolitan hospital witnessed the fury that was now striding down the hallway!
Janet slammed into the doctors' lounge, the door banging loudly against the wall. She glanced around the room at the shocked looking faces until she found the one she was looking for. She then marched forward, fists clenched and swinging at her sides. Her face red, her breathing erratic, she launched – verbally – into Dr. Woodward.
"You bloody ASS! What the hell were you doing?" she shouted.
"What? Who are -"
"You be QUIET you moron. You just about killed a good man – a national hero. Who the hell taught you medicine? I'm going to talk to the head of this hospital and make sure that you are disciplined, severely for this. You are a man without principle and without decency. May you rot in HELL!" With that she turned around and stomped out.
The other doctors simply looked at Woodward, who sheepishly left the lounge.
In the end, Woodward was severely reprimanded, had to publicly apologise to Tina and was forced to take a course on ethics and patient care. Withers then suspended him for 4 weeks without pay.
Nurse Cain was given a severe dressing down by the Administrator and also had to apologize to Tina. The reprimand was noted in her file, but her years of excellent service saved her from any more disciplinary action. She was a decent woman and eventually made her way to Tina and apologized honestly and directly.
Tina returned home that night, feeling better than she had in a long time.
BJ continued to live on the street, even though both Daniel and Teal'c had tried to convince him to stay in a hotel. They offered to pay for it but BJ refused to be beholden to anybody.
"I've lived here for years – I'll be just fine."
"But BJ – you don't have to keep living on the street. We'll help you find a place."
The arguments went on, but the big man continued to refuse. What he did do was faithfully come and visit Jack every day. At first the hospital staff had objected but Nurse Alvarez – and then, to everyone's surprise, Theresa, their supervisor – both gave permission for BJ to visit.
As they were preparing to return to Colorado, Daniel tried one last time. "Please BJ, can't you let us help you. It would make Jack happy", he argued.
BJ shook his head – "nah, you don't need an old homeless man to worry about. You just look after the General here – make sure he gets better."
Both men were standing in Jack's room, talking quietly as the Colonel slept. They were surprised, then, when Jack spoke up – hesitatingly it was true – but it was definitely him.
"Let 'em help you, for God's sake man", he said, panting slightly. "Dan'l drive me crazy if you don't."
"Hey General, you awake?" BJ walked over to the bed, a big grin on his face.
"Yeah – couldn't sleep with all the racket", he answered shortly.
Daniel too had walked over, surprise written on his face. Had Jack just mentioned his name? It's the first time he'd heard his friend being coherent, although Sam had mentioned that he recognized her. She hadn't indicated he'd done more than say her name though.
"Jack?" he asked, praying that it hadn't been an aberration.
"Dan'l", Jack replied.
"You know me?" Daniel threw back.
Jack frowned, looking almost angry. "Course", he replied shortly. "You're that – archaeologist."
"Yeah" Daniel looked cautiously at the Colonel wondering if Jack knew they were friends or simply remembered him as the archaeologist from that first mission to Abydos.
"And – my –pesky friend."
Daniel grinned – he couldn't help it. Actually, he wanted to cheer – Jack was on his way back. "Yeah Jack, that's right, I'm your friend."
Jack returned the smile but then shifted his eyes to BJ. "Let Dan'l help you", he said again. "You're m'friend too."
Both Daniel and BJ blinked rapidly, neither man wanting to show their emotion but overwhelmed to hear Jack coming back.
"You just worry about yourself General. I can look after myself!"
Jack looked like he wanted to argue but he was so tired his eyes began to droop. He was asleep in a couple of seconds but his two friends continued to watch over him.
Jack still didn't say much but he was beginning to respond, more and more, to his friends. He still wouldn't communicate with any of the staff but at least he was progressing. It had finally been decided that he'd be shipped home – or at least to the SGC – the next day.
"He's in hospital in Los Angeles", the man in the suit said.
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I sent one of my men in to see. Dr. Jackson, Major Carter and the Jaffa Teal'c are all there with him as is Dr. Frasier."
"What kind of shape is he in? Has he said anything?"
"No. Fred spoke with some of the nurses. Turns out he's still out of it. They suspect brain damage."
Samuels laughed. "O'Neill – brain damaged? I wonder how they could tell. He's always been an idiot."
"Really? I heard he was a brilliant commander."
"Brilliant? No, I'm afraid that's Carter and Jackson who are the brains. He was pretty much the grunt – but still a pain in the ass. But we can't be too careful. If he does improve he might be able to point to us. We can't afford that."
"But I thought you wanted him for his Ancient knowledge?"
"I'm beginning to doubt there was anything there. If there was, I expect it's been lost with the damage. No, I think we'd better cut our losses and get rid of him."
"You're sure?"
"Are you questioning me?" Samuels asked quietly. The other man could feel the sweat begin to form on his forehead.
"No Sir, of course not. I just want to make sure that my orders are clear."
"I think you know very well what your orders are. I want to know that Jack O'Neill is never going to bother us again."
Sam was just about to head back to her hotel for the night. Jack had done well today – he'd actually eaten something solid for dinner. She'd had to coax him but eventually he'd cooperated. She'd even gotten a smile out of him when she'd magically produced a piece of chocolate cake. He'd only managed a few bites but the expression of pleasure on his face had cheered her immensely.
He was beginning to fall asleep, his eyes getting heavier by the minute. He continued to watch her closely, almost as if she was his lifeline. Every once in a while he'd reach out as if afraid she was going to leave. After a couple of times she responded by taking his hand his hand. That seemed to settle him and allow him to drift off.
She didn't hear the door open or the man move up silently behind her. The only thing that saved her was Jack. Somehow, he seemed to sense something and his eyes suddenly popped open. He peered over her shoulder - it was the look of fear on his face that alerted her and she moved quickly.
The blow that would have severely injured, or even killed her, ended up glancing off the side of her head. It was, however, enough to stun her. She fell to the ground, passing out for a brief moment. It was enough time for the intruder to move towards the Colonel, a silenced pistol in his hand. He lifted it and pointed it at O'Neill, who desperately tried to throw himself off the side of the bed.
The sound, when it came, was not as soft as he was expecting. Jack froze, waiting for the pain, for death – but when it didn't come he frowned. After a couple of seconds he managed to look up. He was still half on the bed but managed to pull himself up all the way. The sight before him was enough to make him shake his head and look again.
Sam was groaning and pulling herself up. The intruder – a man dressed in a white hospital jacket, was laid out on the floor with BJ standing over him – a bed pan in his hand.
"He didn't look like no doctor General", BJ said, his eyebrow twitching.
At that moment Sam seemed to come back to awareness and with a small gasp she pushed herself over and grabbed the gun which lay on the floor, just beyond the unconscious man's reach. She pushed herself to her feet but kept the gun pointed at the assassin.
"BJ, call security and then call Daniel", she said, her voice only slightly shaky. "Are you okay Sir?" she asked, glancing quickly at the Colonel.
"Uh – fine – Sam." He looked wonderingly at BJ, who still had the bed pan clutched in his hands. "Kind of – a cliché'", he managed to get out. The other man looked slowly down at the object he held, as if he'd forgotten it. He then lifted his head and grinned at Jack.
"That it is General – but it worked!"
"Yeah – thanks", the Colonel replied softly. For once he didn't look frightened. If anything, he was taking this better than any of them.
BJ finally placed the bedpan down on the empty bed next to the Colonel and went to get security. Jack looked over at Carter. "You – okay?" he asked in concern.
"I'm fine Sir – just a slight bump. If you hadn't warned me it would have been a lot worse." She lifted her hand and gently touched the bump on the side of her head. She grimaced and then walked closer to O'Neill. "I'm sorry Sir", she said, her voice full of guilt.
"What for?" he asked, puzzled.
"For not doing a better job of protecting you. If it hadn't been for BJ - !"
"Not your – fault", he answered. He leaned back into the pillow. "Who is it?" he then asked.
She looked over at the man who seemed to be groaning and beginning to move. "I don't know. It's not someone I recognize."
A few minutes later BJ arrived with two hospital security guards who immediately grabbed the intruder.
"We'll have him taken to the police station", one of the guards said.
"No!" Jack answered. He laid his head back, exhausted with all the commotion.
"I think what Colonel O'Neill is saying is this is a military matter. We'll contact General Hammond and he'll arrange for military police to pick him up."
The guards didn't like it, but they'd been told that the patient was a VIP and they were to do anything they could to help and protect him.
"We'll take him down and lock him up until they come", the older guard answered.
"Okay, but be careful. He's a highly trained killer, if I'm not mistaken. Really watch he doesn't get away. I expect he has more weapons on him." Sam watched as the intruder was patted down for concealed weapons. The guards then tied his wrists behind him, with plastic ties.
Shortly after they left BJ said he had to get back 'home'. "I don't want anyone stealin' my spot", he said. "Took me a long time to find a place I liked."
Sam thanked him again as did Jack. "Thanks BJ. I – owe you – one."
"Hey General, you just get better and then come and see me. We'll call it even."
Once everyone was gone Sam turned to the Colonel.
"I should get going so you can get some rest", she said softly. He nodded, slightly, but she could tell he wasn't happy. He'd appeared to come through the episode well, but she suspected he was still feeling frightened and vulnerable. "It is getting late though. Do you think they'd mind if I bunked out on the other bed?"
"No – t'sokay", he replied. He tried to sound casual and as if he didn't care, one way or another, but Sam could tell he was relieved.
"Okay good." After brushing her teeth Sam took off her shoes and climbed under the covers. The hospital bed wasn't the most comfortable she'd ever slept in, but the relief in Jack's eyes made it worthwhile.
"Goodnight Colonel", she said softly.
He gave her a small smile, turned on his side towards her and closed his eyes. "Night Sam."
Tomorrow they were returning home. She only hoped things would soon get better.