"Major Carter? Can you hear me?" Teal'c called over his shoulder, growing more concerned at her continued silence. An hour ago she had awoken briefly, but after a small amount of conversation she had grown delirious, slurring her words and mumbling about crystals and explosions, before she passed out again. Her labored breathing continued steadily until a few minutes ago when she became so quiet he could not be sure she still breathed at all. The death glider transmitted very little noise into the small cockpit, so he listened keenly for the smallest sounds, hoping to hear the movement of breath or the rustle of fabric.
"Samantha Carter!" he called out more loudly, hoping to jostle her to consciousness. He heard no response so he massaged the control interface to get even more speed from the death glider as the pale blue moon finally loomed larger in his field of view. He was unable to help her until he landed the craft, and even then he knew it was imperative she get immediate medical treatment. The onboard navigation plotted the final approach to the area of the Stargate and he pushed the craft forward into the descent.
They skimmed over a large flat sea as he maintained a cruising altitude until the ship signaled their approach to the gate. The immediate area was barren and rocky, surrounded by a ridge in the distance that looked distinctly like a weather-worn impact crater. Small scrubby plants dotted the landscape and moved stiffly in a breeze that kicked up swirls of gray dust. The Stargate and DHD appeared to have been undisturbed for some time.
As the wheels of the glider touched down, Teal'c was already unbuckled and pushing against the canopy seal so he could turn around and finally look at Major Carter. He dropped his shoulders in relief when he lifted her chin and saw she was in fact still breathing. Heat still radiated from her flushed skin, but she seemed peaceful as he activated the mechanism that lowered the cockpit to the ground. He unlatched her restraints and lifted her from the seat, cradling her close as he darted to the DHD. He punched in the gate coordinates to Earth and activated the GDO code that called for medical assistance. He waited, staring stoically as the vortex formed. His GDO signaled confirmation and he leapt forward with long strides until he reached the metal ramp inside the familiar gate room at Stargate Command.
Teal'c ignored the armed airmen positioned around the room and instead looked up to the control room window and bellowed, "Major Carter needs immediate care! There is no one else coming through the gate!"
"Close the iris! Defense teams stand down! Medical teams move in!" He heard General Hammond's voice boom over the speakers in the gate room as personnel carried out his orders. Teal'c moved several steps forward to meet the arriving medics at the bottom of the steel ramp and lowered the major onto the gurney. He found Doctor Frasier at his side, looking at him expectantly.
"Colonel O'Neill pulled Major Carter from the ocean and she was not breathing," he explained, recalling the important details O'Neill said to convey for her treatment. "He resuscitated her but they were exposed to freezing water for several hours. She developed a fever over ten hours ago and has had difficulty breathing for some time." The doctor did not interrupt, but blinked kindly when he finished and barked out several orders to her staff before returning her attention to the Jaffa, quickly examining his healing lacerations. She spoke a few words to one of her medics and patted Teal'c's arm before hurrying off to take care of Sam. Relieved, he sat down heavily, grateful to relinquish responsibility for a moment.
General Hammond entered the room and strode over to him, so he stood quickly and gave a small bow. "Teal'c? Where is the rest of your team?"
"General Hammond," he spoke urgently, "I have come this way by death glider because the Stargate on P3M-755 was inaccessible and Major Carter had fallen ill. It has been more than twelve hours that Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have been stranded there, and Daniel Jackson requires medical care as well. I request permission to leave immediately to return to the planet and retrieve him."
"Now hold on, Teal'c," the general held up his hand to interrupt the request. "Before I make any decision to send more resources I need to understand what has happened," he looked the big man over, noting his bloodied clothing and missing boots, "and you need to be cleared medically."
"General Hammond, I assure you I am well," he relaxed his tone and paused to convey a sense of reasoned thought. The general listened expectantly, so he continued. "I received an injury many hours ago, but my symbiote has already healed me. Time is of the essence as it is yet a long journey back to that planet via the death glider I left on the system's moon."
Hammond squinted at the Jaffa as he considered the sincerity of his plea, "Alright, alright, let's go to the briefing room and I will have some food brought up. You must need to eat, Teal'c."
He nodded again in thanks and turned to follow the general, quickly explaining in a low voice what had transpired.
