AU: When an exploration mission goes way off the left field, Jack and Sam are left to patch up their lives. Will that door stay open?
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters are the property of MGM/Amazon. No copyright infringement intended. I am once again taking my favourite two Gaters for a walk in an Alternate Universe. Takes place after 5.05 Red Sky with some canon episodes skipped (overlooked) and others referenced.
Rating: Gonna start this one as M from the get-go.
TRIGGER WARNING: Nothing specific.
Chapter 10: Awakening
"I can't believe he just left." I groused as I focused on the dig reports from Shaka's planet. Our mission with SG-13 had been timed perfectly. We had still been there when some slave traders came through the Gate. Shaka had been trying to befriend one of them when Teal'c and I emerged from the surrounding trees. Let's just say, Teal'c's aim was far better than theirs. Their escape was short lived when we followed them through and managed to liberate several Unas.
"Hammond did tell him to leave the base Daniel Jackson." Teal'c replied.
"I know, but he didn't say a word. No good-bye, see you later, enjoy your rocks. He always says something."
"He did not leave us on good terms, Daniel Jackson. Do you not recall your confrontation?"
"Yeah, I remember. Do you think I was too hard on him?"
"O'Neill is blaming himself for many things where Major Carter is concerned." Teal'c replied in his stoic way. Jack was due back tomorrow after disappearing for four days. No one had known where he went. Minnesota was too far, and he hadn't been at home. Since Sam's brain had not shown any swelling on her follow up MRI, Janet had stopped the sedatives, though she was still on antibiotics. She had been extremely lucky that the shrapnel hadn't lodged any deeper. As far as brains go, Janet said it had only been surface damage so to speak, and that she had been responding well to light and pain stimuli. It was just a matter of time.
"Yeah. I was just so mad. I mean how could he do that. I thought he loved her." I whispered. We had to be careful about that topic on base.
"I do not believe anything has changed in that regard." Teal'c responded. I was about to respond when the General walked in.
"Doctor Jackson, Teal'c. Major Carter has awoken." He announced.
"Oh, great, is she asking for us." The General took his time, levelling his gaze on both of us. "General?" I repeated.
"Are either of you aware of any impropriety between Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?" He asked.
"No Sir. None." I answered. Neither of them had confessed anything, and I had never witnessed anything, so I technically wasn't lying, despite having a very good idea that the answer was yes after my confrontation. Not that I'd say anything even if I knew for certain.
"Teal'c?" The General pressed.
"No, General Hammond." He responded clearly.
"Why do you think they've done something?" I asked. Jack hadn't been here for days, scarpering within an hour of being dismissed from the debriefing.
"Perhaps you had better accompany me." He replied. I looked at Teal'c, then followed the General to the elevators and down to 21. We entered the Janet's office and closed the door.
"Doctor Jackson, Teal'c." Janet greeted us, her face stern, though I could tell something was on her mind, like she wanted to say something, but was holding back. I would ask her tonight and hope she didn't pull the doctor patient privilege thing.
"Take a seat. Doctor, if you would please press play." The General said without so much as telling us what to expect. I turned my eyes to the flickering screen to see Sam lying awake, her blue eyes staring seemingly at nothing. She was silent for several minutes. I was certain I hadn't seen her blink. I wasn't prepared. Her face contorted as if she were in immense pain, though she still didn't blink.
"No... no... Jack!" She screamed. Her hands reaching out and curling into fists as if she were clinging to something. "Jack!" She yelled again - this time with a broken sob - her arms jerking backwards as if she were shaking someone. "No... no...no..." She cried, her voice getting softer with each word. She stayed silent for a little while until in a half garbled voice, she muttered the beginnings of another sentence - "I...lo..." - as her arms dropped and her eyes fluttered closed. The video was grainy, but I could still see a sheen that meant there were tears on her cheeks. I felt the sting behind my own eyes. So this was part of that 'until it wasn't' that Jack mentioned. I knew they had feelings for each other, but this… Sam never called him Jack. Not even when he insisted. Not even when we were all three sheets to the wind in his living room - his head lying on her lap with her fingers combing his hair as some old school action or sci-fi flick played on the TV - would she call him anything other than 'Sir'. Then there was the garbled sentence. I knew what she was going to say. I heard the same thing from Sha're as she lay dying, the Goa'uld within her already gone. Blinking rapidly to stop the sting before it became more than that, I refocused on the General.
"This was around 0300 this morning, she has not awoken since." Janet said emotionlessly. I was stunned, it was just after 1600, and no one had told us until now, and then only to grill us about their personal relationship.
"But... you said she had awoken, General." I queried, glancing from Hammond to Janet and back to Hammond.
"Waking from this kind of thing takes time. Medically speaking, she did wake up before going back to sleep. This could happen several more times before she maintains wakefulness." Janet informed us. I looked from her to the General, my eyes finally falling on the frozen picture of my sleeping friend. She looked so peaceful. The sound of the General talking had me focusing back on him.
"Doctor Jackson. I'm going to ask again. Has Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter ever acted inappropriately or in any manner that may compromise the integrity of SG-1 or the SGC?"
I hardened my face and glared at him as I stood, I saw Teal'c follow suit. "No." I responded. I maintained my stance since I had never witnessed them be anything other than professional and I had no intention of sharing my knowledge of Jack's non-confession from a few days ago. I suspected Teal'c felt the same way.
"Teal'c, has Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter ever acted inappropriately or in any manner that may compromise the integrity of SG-1 or the SGC?" The General asked.
"They have not." He responded. I grinned internally.
The General sighed. "I see."
Teal'c stared back at him. "General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter have always acted in the best interests of SG-1 and the SGC. They have never acted on the mutual feelings they share."
"This footage suggest otherwise Teal'c. If they have compromised themselves, I have to act."
Teal'c stood even taller, if that was possible. "I do not see how preventing the happiness of two devoted warriors' compromises anything. On Chu'lak, a kalach bond such as this is rare. It should not be our place to deny them that which will make them stronger."
"Teal'c, personal relationships in the same chain of command are against Air Force regulations."
"General, O'Neill and I are brothers, as is Daniel Jackson. We would do anything for him just as he would do anything for us. Does this not compromise us? Similarly, Major Carter is a sister. As 2IC of SG-1, are we not also in breach of regulations?"
I was surprised to hear so many words from Teal'c, but based on the General's facial response, he appeared to have nailed it. Teal'c was right, we were all in breach of regulations, and yet the powers that be seemed to remain purely focused on the relationship between Jack and Sam. So much for impartiality.
"General, she hasn't said anything to suggest a relationship, and there is no evidence of any misconduct." I said finally, ignoring the small jolt and wide-eyed cringe I saw from Janet at my words. Luckily, she was standing behind the General. Oh, we would definitely be talking tonight. "Can we see Sam?" I asked. Janet looked at the General.
"I don't see why not. She's showing improvement despite still being asleep. Just not for long."
"Thanks." I responded and nodded to Teal'c. As we left the office, I looked at Teal'c. He shook his head slightly. The message was clear, we'll discuss it later. We rounded the corner and quickly located Sam's room. It was the same one she had been in after the computer entity invaded her.
"Hey Sam. It's Daniel. Teal'c is here as well." I said to her sleeping form. Janet had her bed elevated which meant we could see her more easily. "We heard you're feeling better. We've missed you this week. Jack went to… actually we don't know where he's gone, but he'll be back tomo…"
"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c interrupted me with a hand on my shoulder. I looked at Sam to find her eyes were open and her head tilted. Her lack of expression reminded me of the entity all over again.
"Hey Sam." I moved closer. "Sam?" She blinked and moved her eyes. "Hey, how are you?" She blinked again. Seeing her face devoid of emotion was as unsettling this time as it had been last time since Sam almost always showed some kind emotion. I reached up to brush an errant lock of hair from her face without dislodging the bulky bandage. I had a sudden fearful thought that she had no memory of us. "Sam, do you know who I am?" I asked her. She opened her mouth and touched her tongue to her lips, which I had only just seen were dry. "Water. Of course." I reached for a paper cup and the jug. I slipped my hand behind her head to help her drink. She managed two sips without spilling it. That was a good sign. Still, she showed no sign of recognising either of us. The click of Janet's shoes had me turning towards the door.
"Doctor Jackson, Teal'c." She said, then looked over to see Sam awake. Moving towards us, she walked up to the side of the bed. "Hi, Sam. How are you feeling?" She asked while checking her vitals and making some notes on the medical file in her arms. Sam did not respond, merely staring at Janet before drowsing again and closing her eyes. "Did she say or do anything?" Janet asked us.
"Ah, she opened her mouth and touched her lip with her tongue, so I gave her some water, but that was it." Taking in a deep breath to stop my emotions, I spoke up. "She doesn't recognise us Janet."
"Amnesia is one of the symptoms if this type of injury. Unfortunately, it is a matter of time before we will know to what extent. You need to prepare yourselves for a rough ride." She said with her doctor face on, though her eyes spoke volumes more. I needed to make sure Jack was aware of what was going on.
"How rough are we talking?"
"Once she is awake fully, we will test her gross motor functions, locomotion skills, basic reflexes, cognitive function and memory. Depending on how this injury has affected her will depend of the severity of any episodes. The rough ride I am referring to is the possible emotional dysregulation, particularly if her gross motor skills, talking and walking is affected. You will need to be patient with her and provide support through her recovery."
"Well, I guess having the next two weeks without any missions will help with that, assuming she wakes up properly.
"Has General Hammond has called O'Neill, Doctor Fraiser?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes Teal'c, but he didn't answer either of his phones or his pager. The General considered calling a favour from a buddy of his stationed with the National Guard in Duluth if she woke up fully."
"I don't think he went to Minnesota, Janet. It's too far for such a short trip. He prefers to drive, something about not flying in a plane unless he's the pilot." I replied. Janet merely nodded and excused herself to complete her rounds for the evening. I looked at my watch, it was approaching 1700. He was probably home by now or on his way from wherever he squirrelled himself away. As much as I didn't agree with what Jack may or may not have done, I decided he should know what he was potentially walking into.
I made my way topside. Once I was at my car, I flipped open my phone. Jack had a mobile, but he was terrible at charging it, or answering it when he was on forced leave. I found his number and pressed the call button. It rang, and rang, and rang.
"O'Neill."
"Hey Jack. It's me."
"Hi me." He replied. I rolled my eyes.
"So, Sam has had a couple of waking moments."
"Yeah, I got Hammond's message. How is she?"
"She's..." I stalled not knowing how to tell him she had no recollection of us.
"Daniel?"
"She didn't recognise us Jack. It's like that machine has her all over again. Well, when she has her eyes open anyway." I waited to hear his reaction.
"Oh." He sounded dejected. "No recollection at all?"
"No. Look Jack, Janet says the next few weeks could be hard."
"Yeah, I know Danny. Been there, done that before."
"Yeah. Listen there's something else, ah… she had a waking dream early this morning. She said some things." I wasn't quite sure how to get this out.
"What things?" He asked.
"She was calling out to you by your first name, and saying no, a lot. Then just before she feel asleep... I think it was supposed to be... what I told you Sha're said me." I said, remembering that our line was not secure. Hearing him suck in a breath, I continued, "Jack, the General grilled Teal'c and I before showing us the footage, and then again afterwards."
"And what did you tell him Daniel?" He asked, a hint of anger in his voice.
"I told him the truth, that I've never witnessed anything unprofessional. Jack, what happened?"
"That doesn't really matter anymore does it." He replied.
"Jack, of course it matters. It will matter when she remembers. C'mon, I know you care about her. Talk to me." I replied. I could hear him breathing. We were silent for a few minutes.
"My name was the last thing she said before she fell Daniel. Not Colonel, not Sir. She called out to me, even after I pushed her away." He replied in a broken sounding voice. "What have I done? " It was a rhetorical question, so I stayed silent. "She's all I have Danny, if she doesn't wake up..." He paused and took a heavy breath. I didn't push him to continue. He had already said more than he would normally ever say.
"I'm sorry Jack. How far out are you?"
"I'm up the mountain at Pikes Peak, back in a few hours. I'll see ya tomorrow."
"OK, I'll see you then Jack."
"See ya, Danny."
I hung up and looked at the phone. Eventually, I turned the car over and pulled out of the base carpark on my way to Sam's to check her mail and water her plants. I had this sinking feeling that something big was coming, I just didn't know what it was. Sam might not recognise us now, but I hoped she would, mostly for Jack's sake. Checking my watch, I noted that Janet would home in another couple of hours. Scrolling to her number, I dropped her two worded text message that simply asked 'my place?'. It didn't take long to receive an affirmative back from her. I smiled. After over a week apart, I needed to see her tonight.