The two of them lay together on the floor of the cave, Sam's inert body tangled in Jack's as he tried to comfort and care for her simultaneously.
Overwhelming frustration washed over Jack. He had done everything he could. Exhausted every option, tried everything he knew how to do. And Carter, Sam Carter, was still going to die.
Right here.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her, breathing deeply to calm himself.
She's not dead yet, he thought, she's still breathing.
He swallowed hard, feeling the slick warmth of blood seeping through his fingers. So much blood over the last few days. Staining his hands.
He couldn't do anything, couldn't stop the life from literally draining from his Carter.
Since when was she his Carter?
It was no one's fault but his own. His mistake. His fault. He couldn't fix her. He swallowed hard, clenching his jaw tightly.
Despite everything he did to stop it, a single, silent tear ran down his face.
Aw, hell.
He blinked quickly, shifting his grip on Carter's wound, trying to apply more pressure.
Against his will, another tear slipped out, landing with the smallest drop on the cave floor below.
Screw it.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, her burning skin pressed to his cool cheek. The awfulness of the whole situation slammed into him at once, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. He let out a yell, long and loud.
Of pain.
Frustration.
Guilt.
Desperation.
All he could do was hold Carter close and pray that death would bring her relief.
He let his pain pour from his lungs in an agonized release.
o-O-o-O-o
Dr. Janet Fraiser plodded along behind SG-8's Captain Oliver. She was exhausted. Two days of walking, two days of searching the canyon, two days of coming up empty.
Three days of complete radio silence, save for small bursts of a garbled voice.
Five days that half of SG-1 had been MIA. Four days since the search had been launched. Too long.
She knew from Daniel and Teal'c that Colonel O'Neill was injured. Able to walk with minimal assistance. The broken radio message that Teal'c received had mentioned something about Sam being injured, if the transmission wasn't futzed by interference or the geomagnetic storm spiking off the charts.
But knowing SG-1- heaven help them- she wouldn't be surprised to see them both beaten and bloody by now.
She sighed, pushing her hair back out of her face. Ahead of her, Daniel slowed his step, waiting for her to catch up. He held a large flashlight in one hand, and a power bar in the other.
"How are you doing, Janet?"
She sighed again.
"A hell of a lot better than they are," She said grimly. Daniel nodded. No further words were necessary.
Not a moment later, a sudden, bone chilling wail echoed down the canyon.
Teal'c turned towards the noise, brows furrowing in alarm.
"I believe that was Colonel O'Neill," He said.
"It came from that way, " Daniel said, breaking into a dead run, not even looking back to see if Janet was behind him.
o-O-o-O-o
Jack had been listening to Carter's raspy breathing for several minutes. He was gently rubbing the back of her neck, hoping that she might be able to feel his touch.
He let his mind drift to their mission gone wrong in Antarctica. Their roles had been reversed, with himself near death, and Carter taking care of him. They had made it out then. However, this time he was sure there would be no rescue.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he realized it had been too long since Carter had taken a breath. He frantically switched on the light again and rolled her onto her back.
He felt for her pulse, listened for any sign of life. He felt her neck for several agonizing seconds, but found nothing.
"Carter!" He yelled, his voice echoing along the canyon. His chest tightened. Her head rolled limply towards him, her eyes open but empty.
"No! No! No!" He yelled.
He knew that it was too late.
He had done everything he could, and he should let her die in peace.
"No!" He screamed again. He refused to give up on her. Colonel O'Neill did not leave a team member behind.
He positioned her body, hauled his aching bones to his knees, and started CPR.
His broken leg protested loudly as he pounded on her chest. He refused to give up. He felt her ribs crunch under his hands, but he did not stop. He would not quit until he himself died from exhaustion. Then at least they would die together.
Daniel ran towards the echoing shouts from up ahead. This was further than they had searched before, he was sure of that. He heard more yelling from directly below him.
"Jack!" He shouted.
Jack was so lost in his task that he almost didn't hear the shout from above. A faint glimmer of hope sparked in him.
"I'm down here!" He cried back.
Five minutes later, SG-8 had rigged up their repelling equipment to several nearby trees. With practiced efficiency, three members of the team along with Teal'c repelled off the end of the canyon.
Daniel, Janet, and Lieutenant Bowden remained on the surface, anxiously listening to the sounds of tumbling rock far below them.
They heard Jack yelling, and SG-8 yelling back. It seemed they had made it to the cave. They strained to hear what was going on, but couldn't make out anything more over the roar of the river.
o-O-o-O-o
Jack looked up to see two men and a woman land on the small ledge. They quickly assessed the situation, and unclipped from their climbing harness. Teal'c dropped down a moment later.
A man, O'Neill recognized him as Captain Oliver, rushed forward and checked Carter's pulse.
He turned to Jack. "Nothing, sir. I'll take over for you."
"No!" Jack yelled, louder than he had intended. "I'm fine," He said, despite the burning in his muscles.
Oliver quickly opened his medical bag. The woman joined him, grabbing Carter's arm roughly. She applied a tourniquet and tried to find a vein. She moved to the back of her hand, but still couldn't find a suitable site.
"She's lost too much blood," She said to her partner. He had already opened a kit, and both of them working together were able to start an IO in her tibia.
Jack felt a hand on his back.
"Let me relieve you, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
Exhausted, Jack finally sat back and let his trusted friend take over.
The three medics worked together to pump Carter full of drugs to kick her heart back into gear. One sat at her head, using a device to breathe for her. Teal'c and another medic switched out doing CPR, and another tried to take a look at Jack.
"Back off," He snapped at the medic who had tried to touch his splinted leg. He had been shoved into a corner of the cave by the sudden rush of people coming in, but now he fought his way to the front of the group, right near Carter's shoulder. He reached for her hand lying limply on the floor. He held on to her, the room spinning around him too fast to keep up.
He sat on the cold floor, her hand clasped between his, trying to control his breathing.
His head swam, and he was forced to bend over to keep from passing out. He focused on Carter's hand in between his. Her hand was smaller, but the lines criss crossed over her palms showed her tendency towards hard work. She had callouses from carrying her weapon as she walked, and he gently stroked them.
The medics were still working on her, but Jack knew that this would be the first and last time he held her hand. Somehow, he knew that this would be the end.
He closed his eyes to concentrate on the way she felt, memorizing each wrinkle and crease. He knew he'd have to let her go eventually. He would wait until the medics stopped. Then he would say goodbye.
"Pads are on, we're in vfib. Everyone clear."
"Sir, let go,"
Someone with warm, steady hands gently pried him off.
He blinked, the dizziness overwhelming his senses.
"Sir?"
The warm hands quickly moved to his shoulder, steadying him as he swayed backwards.
"Shocking."
Suddenly, the medic near Carter's head gave a triumphant shout.
"I've got a pulse!"
Jack's head shot up. Teal'c continued CPR for a few more moments until her heart was ready to take over completely. A medic stayed close by Carter's head to assist with her breathing again if need be.
She slipped an oxygen mask onto Carter's pale face, and without warning, Carter's hands flew up. She let out a low, guttural cry and swung her fist, connecting solidly with the medic hovering over her head.
She jerked back, clutching a bloody nose. Jack had to smile. Even a beaten, bloody, and more-than-half-dead Carter was still a fighting machine.
He grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from hurting anyone else, but she had already passed out.
Someone laid a bag of fluids on her chest, Jack quickly picked it up and held it above her body.
He looked at Carter's face. She was limp but breathing on her own. A medic removed his tattered t-shirt from her wound and quickly replaced it with a clean pressure dressing before the blood oozed onto the ground. Someone injected the contents of a syringe into Carter's IV.
Jack felt a gentle touch on his arm. He turned, to find Teal'c standing beside him with a climbing harness.
"SG-8 will care for Major Carter," He informed Jack, "We must get you medical attention as well." He held out the harness.
He took it from Teal'c, finally moving away from Carter. He passed the bag of fluids to the nearest medic, and allowed Teal'c to help him into the harness, wincing in pain as his leg was jared.
"Do you require pain medication, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Not yet, big guy. I need to think… clearly," He trailed off as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him.
Captain Oliver approached Jack.
"You'll go up with Teal'c first. SG-8 will come with Major Carter. It's going to take more time to stabilize her."
Jack looked over at Carter. The people bustling around her had bundled her into a litter and were beginning to secure her for the ride up.
"O'Neill."
"T?"
"We must leave," he said simply, letting his concern for his friend show in his eyes.
Jack let Teal'c strap their harnesses together, only turning back to where Carter lay as a commotion arose from the medics around her. She was having another seizure; straining at the straps across her body.
One medic cradled Carter's head with his hands, quickly inserting a green piece of rubber into her nose, while another drew up a syringe and injected it into her IO. The seizing stopped faster this time.
Teal'c snapped him out of his haze.
"You did all you could, O'Neill. SG-8 will care for her now." Jack's head swam and he felt himself start to pass out. Before Teal'c could react, he snapped himself awake. Carter might still need him. He had to stay awake. Teal'c steadied him on his feet.
"Are you well, O'Neill?"
"Peachy," He said, feeling slightly nauseous.
Jack hardly felt the ride on Teal'c's back up the cliff.
Once they reached the top, Teal'c unhooked their harnesses, and helped him to the ground.
Janet was there immediately, feeling his pulse and flashing her godforsaken penlight in his eyes.
"Colonel, are you with me?" She asked, her voice a mixture of concern and calmness.
"Yeah, doc. I'm fine. Carter's the one you need to be worried about."
"I'll be the judge of that, sir. Can you tell me what happened?"
"I busted my ankle. It's a long story doc, Carter needs you more than I do, she-" He stopped, swallowing hard as an unwarranted wave of emotion overcame him.
"She is alive, O'Neill," Teal'c said gently, squatting down next to his friend, the beam from his flashlight bouncing haphazardly around the small group of people.
Daniel stood just behind Teal'c, brows furrowed, trying not to get in the way, but also wanting to listen.
"You must believe that you did everything you could."
Dr. Fraiser smiled at Teal'c before turning back to her patient.
"Okay, Colonel? Let's focus on you right now. When was the last time you had something to drink?"
He blinked.
"A few hours ago, I think."
"More than that, I'm sure. I'm going to start an IV and-"
"No!" Jack cried, trying to get to his feet. "Carter is dying down there, please Doc, you have to help!"
Janet quickly moved forward and caught his shoulders, one hand turning his chin to look at her.
"Colonel, listen to me. Sam is not here yet, I can't do anything for her right now. You are my priority, and I'm damn well going to make sure you're cared for. Sit down and let me help you."
As she gently held his chin, she saw the telltale look behind his eyes. She'd seen it before, when they came back from the planet they all thought Daniel had died on.
"Okay, sir. You're in shock. That's understandable, but I need you to concentrate and tell me how you're feeling."
"I-I'm f-fine, Doc," He said, teeth suddenly chattering. Janet turned away from him, to Daniel and the Lieutenant.
"I need one of the large medical kits here. Daniel, see if you can find some blankets, and please set up all the remaining supplies over there."
Daniel nodded and took off to complete the tasks.
"Teal'c? Help me lay him down, please."
Before Jack knew what was happening, he found himself flat on his back, two bags of IV juice hanging over his head, his body cocooned in several thick blankets with his legs propped up on a pack.
His suddenly blurry vision managed to focus on a familiar, bespectacled face hovering over his own.
"H-hey, D-Dan'l," He slurred, surprised at how his voice sounded.
"Hi, Jack. Just relax, we'll have you out of here in no time."
"C-Carter?"
Jack felt the chilled air shift around his face and Daniel pulled away, presumably to check on Sam.
"They got her up about ten minutes ago. She's hanging in there, Jack. You did good."
Jack turned his head to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of her through the swarm of people.
He saw Janet's figure bending over Sam's midsection, while simultaneously issuing crisp orders to her team. He raked his gaze upwards, towards Sam's head.
His stomach clenched painfully.
Carter's head was turned towards him, eyes still open, that horrible look in them. She looked… dead.
He felt his breathing speed up involuntarily, the panic building in his chest. His stomach roiled with a sudden wave of hot nausea.
"D-Daniel?" He choked out, needing to know. The archeologist's face appeared over his own.
"S-She's d-dead?" He panted.
Daniel looked back over at the group.
"No Jack, she's still alive. They're working on her, and- Jack? Are you okay?"
Jack responded by turning away from Daniel and getting sick.
"Oh! Okay, easy," He soothed, taking Jack's head in his hands.
"Janet!" He called over his shoulder, watching as Jack continued to heave bile into the dirt.
Dr. Fraiser turned, stripped off her bloody gloves, and hurried over.
"You're okay, sir. It's the shock."
She checked the monitor, noting with concern that his heart rate was too fast for her comfort.
"Try to slow your breathing, Colonel. Are you still feeling nauseous?" She said, already uncapping a syringe prefilled with Compazine.
He managed to shoot the doc an are you freaking kidding me look before dry heaving into the damp cloth Daniel pressed to his chin.
"It's in, sir. You'll feel it in a minute or so. Daniel? Do you see this number?"
She pointed to a figure on the monitor screen. Daniel nodded.
"If it gets below 91, put the oxygen mask on him, set it to 10 liters, okay?"
"Got it," Daniel said, as he situated Jack's head back onto the makeshift pillow.
Jack blinked up at Daniel, about to say something, but the world faded to black before he could.
Three bags of blood, two bags of IV fluids, antibiotics, ice packs, antipyretics, and the maximum dose of vasopressors later, Janet finally felt comfortable moving Sam.
Jack had been in and out of consciousness during that time, while Daniel talked to him in low, soothing tones.
The first group of medics carefully lifted Carter's litter and started walking, immediately followed by Jack's.
Daniel followed next to Sam, carrying the bags of IV fluids and blood, while also managing the travel monitor.
About halfway to the gate, Jack began to stir. Janet was about to inject a sedative, just so he'd sleep the rest of the way, but he had opened his eyes and looked right at her, begging her to listen.
"Colonel?"
"Doc, Carter's had a fever for three days," he said clearly, "she had two seizures before you got here, and I think her stomach is cut."
"Thank you, sir. That's important information." He nodded, trying to catch his breath.
"S-She stopped b-breathing, doc. I g-gave her mouth to m-mouth. T-There was b-blood," He said, eyes drooping shut.
"Just rest, Colonel. Don't worry," She soothed, reaching into a nearby medical bag for an oxygen mask. She quickly hooked it up the portable tank strapped to the litter. By the time she'd gotten the mask on the Colonel's face, he was asleep again.
She'd check both their files when she got back, but if memory served, they were both clean. She adjusted the heat packs around the Colonel's chilled body, before issuing the order to move out.
As the bedraggled group approached the Stargate, Bowden ran ahead to dial Earth, and Oliver got onto the radio.
"This is Captain Oliver. SG-8 and SG-1 returning. We've got two injured, requesting a medical team to the Gateroom."
The reply came back right away.
"Acknowledged, Captain."
SG-8 stepped through first with Carter.
Daniel held back a moment, free from his previous burden of medical supplies, and turned back towards the ravine.
In the faint light of dawn, he could just barely make out the shadowed profile of the cave.
Daniel turned away, and stepped through the gate.
What greeted him on the other side was the kind of chaos only a medical emergency can bring to the Gateroom. Dr. Fraiser and her team had already whisked Carter to the infirmary, a trail of plastic packaging the only indication they were ever there.
Daniel watched as they rolled Jack out of the Gateroom, just seconds behind Sam.
Swallowing hard, Daniel hurried towards the showers and a post mission check. It was a waiting game now.
A/N: I'm not against killing off main characters, but I really like having Carter around. And what would Jack do without his Major?
A/N 2: The biggest jumpscare I've ever had was during an internship in the ICU. We had just got done resuscitating this patient when they literally started throwing punches and trying to yank the breathing tube out not a minute after we got a normal rhythm back. I figured Carter'd do the same if given the chance.
Ever wonder why I write whump? That internship has quite a bit to do with it. It's my coping mechanism, people.
Psamathe, how am I doing so far? Any regrets on letting me post my remix? :D
One more chapter and we're done!
