0500
"The autopsy on Major Wolfe confirmed findings from a few other blood samples we'd taken. There's an organism in their blood," Doctor Lam explained, hitting a button to bring a magnified image up on screen. She hadn't bothered to touch up her makeup, and the circles beneath her eyes from working all night were beginning to show. "It's something I've never seen before."
"Imagine that."
If General O'Neill's comment stung, she didn't let it show. Still, Daniel offered, "This isn't exactly the first time we've heard that around here."
"So I've read. The concentration is highest in SG-16 and seems to be proportional to the amount of time spent on the planet. But even Airman Stolz is testing positive, though he was only there for a few hours. The good news is that random blood samples we've drawn from the medical staff and around the base have all come back negative."
"It's not contagious," Cam ventured.
"Exactly."
"What's the bad news?" the archaeologist asked softly.
Her answer was apologetic and straight to Jack. "It's multiplying. The level in Colonel Carter's blood rose drastically between draws. And their platelet levels seem to be inversely proportional. If I had to guess, I'd say the organism feeds on them."
"English, please." But unlike every other time he'd ever said it, it wasn't snapped out with irritation. The general was quiet. Concerned.
"When trauma occurs, platelets join together to cause clotting. And after that, they secrete a chemical to help the blood vessel walls repair themselves. The lower the levels, the higher the incidence of bleeding and the harder to stop it if it occurs. And if they get low enough, spontaneous hemorrhaging can occur."
"SG-16 bled to death without cause," Teal'c surmised.
She shook her head. "No, I doubt they ever reached that point. Major Wolfe's blood tests showed hemolytic anemia, as well – destruction of red blood cells. Without the proper amount of oxygen flowing to their organs, they would have been fatigued, short of breath, dizzy – and once they fell and injured themselves, then yes, they bled to death."
"And that's happening to Sam?" Daniel's glasses were surely spotless, but he kept scrubbing at them in concern.
"No, not yet. Their RBCs are dropping, but not nearly as fast as the platelets. Which is good news, because the lifespan of a platelet is generally only about a week, but red blood cells take much longer. So if we can stop the organism, the patients should recover in reasonably good time." Turning her full attention to General Landry, she said, "We need to send a team back to P4X-124. I'm already doing blood cultures, but any information we can get about what does and doesn't feed it, where it's coming from... Anything could be helpful."
Jack's question came from nowhere. "How long was SG-13 on that planet?"
Walter dug quickly through his files. "Five days. SG-16, over a week. Colonel Carter, Sergeant Siler, Airman Boyle, and SG-3 were there approximately two days. Captain Menard, Major Rathbone, and Sergeant James were there nearly four days, and Airman Stolz's total time was approximately six hours."
"Colonel Dixon's team may still be alive." As usual, Teal'c was right on his friend's heels. "I believe a team should be deployed immediately."
"Agreed. Gear up. We're headed out in thirty with SG-5." He couldn't save SG-16, but Jack would be damned if another team would die out there of a disease they didn't even know they had. "Daniel, you and SG-8 are headed back to 124 to dig up whatever you can. Hopefully somebody wrote something down or you can talk to the locals. Report back how many are sick." Clearly finished with the briefing, he pushed back from the table and got to his feet, followed by his two former teammates.
Doctor Lam was already standing, which left two men at the table. Colonel Mitchell stared uncomfortably at his CO, who took a deep breath and pressed his hands flat on the table. "General," Landry said evenly, "could I speak to you in my office for a moment?"
Oh. Right. The SGC wasn't actually his anymore, and Jack had just neatly steamrolled the man supposedly in charge. He tried to feel bad about it and failed. This was what his second star was for, dammit. "Of course."
"Walter," the base commander called to the man shrinking into the far corner, "notify SG-5 and SG-8 of their orders. Add SG-12. Departure at 1000 – everybody needs a few hours of sleep."
"Yes, sir. Sirs."
Landry waited until Jack was well inside the office and both doors were closed before he said, "Respectfully, General, you're skirting the line here."
"What line would-"
"The one where you agreed that Colonel Carter was out of your line of authority."
Jack scoffed. "Carter doesn't have a damn thing to do with this."
"Really? You're telling me that if she wasn't lying in the infirmary right now, you'd still be running this operation?" When he didn't answer immediately, Landry pressed, "No. You'd be spending your time with the woman you love. Like you should be."
"I don't know if you've noticed, but that's kind of hard right now," he shot back bitterly. "Since she's sick, and all."
"I'm well aware of that." One hip perched on the desk, he took a deep breath and leaped. "And we both know things are apt to get much worse before they get better. If they get better. You're not leaving this base, Jack."
"I have to." His voice was thick, leaden. Like his stomach. "I have to do something."
"Yes, you do. Here. Jack, we have no idea how long it will take to retrieve SG-13 and no idea how fast this condition will progress. I understand SG-1 wanting to be part of the solution; I do. But four men are dead. Don't you think their families would give anything for another day with them? You have that. Don't throw it away."
To that moment, it had only been intimated – the knot in his gut and chill in his spine. To that moment, no one had actually said it – that she was dying.
And suddenly the fraternization policy he'd cursed for eight years made perfect sense. Because she'd been ill before, in danger, on the verge of death, and it had been upsetting. But now, now that he'd touched her, held her, told her how he felt and heard it in exchange, now it was world-shattering. He was nauseous, dumbstruck, his chest crushed beneath the weight of it all. He knew beyond a doubt that he couldn't just sit by her bedside and watch her die.
And he also knew he didn't have a choice.
"I'll keep you updated," Hank promised. "I'll let the Pentagon know you're staying for the near future and working limited amounts from this base. The distraction will help."
Knowing he would have to buck up but not yet trusting his voice to speak, he nodded and headed for the door.
~/~
To his inestimable relief, the rest of SG-1 had beaten him back to the infirmary. Carter was clearly tired – they all were – but she smiled at Daniel as he took her hand and said something Jack probably wouldn't have understood, anyway.
He envied them the ability to touch her so easily. He envied them having not seen the marks of their own hands in her skin. Knowing that it wasn't his fault didn't make it easier, nor did the knowledge that someday soon, the most minor trauma could kill her.
Compartmentalizing all of that, he stepped up between Cam and Daniel and smiled at her.
She grinned back, cheeky. "Washington's not letting you deploy, are they? No more swashbuckling for you."
"Exactly," he lied. "Damn desk jockeys."
"Mmm. Well, the rest of you need to sleep, at least."
"Indeed." Teal'c settled into the chair on her left, across from Jack's usual spot. Daniel and Cam snagged chairs from other places and dragged them over, as well.
With a chuckle, she chided, "That is not what I meant. Go get some real rest. I'm fine."
Three heads shook in unison.
And they were far from the only ones. The last member of SG-11 was snoring beside his ill teammates. Three guys from maintenance were passed out in a corner. And one of the civilian scientists slept with her head beside Airman Stolz' hand. A nurse caught her glance and shrugged.
"We love you, Sam." Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and flipped off the bedside lamp. "Goodnight."