Jack attempted to rest in his quarters when a firm knock on his door made him jump from his bed.
"What?" he asked, opening the door.
Colonel Ellis himself was at the door, an expression of anxiety on his face.
"We've got a signal from a nearby planet, General. Very weak, but it is a signal," he said.
Jack felt his knees weaken, so he firmly held onto the door frame.
"Let's go," he said.
The two men headed to the bridge, and Ellis gave the order to lead to the planet in question.
"What does the signal say?" Jack asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Ellis cleared his throat.
"Nothing, Sir. It is just a distress sign. Like ours," he said.
Jack's heart started to beat faster. If anyone could send a distress signal from a godforsaken planet, it was his wife. It had to be her.
"How long until we get there?" Jack asked, looking out into space through the big window in the bridge.
Ellis consulted his 2IC.
"Just some minutes, Sir," he said. "I already have the med team ready," he added.
Jack turned.
"I'm also coming," he said.
Ellis just nodded, having already figured that out.
"Since we cannot know for sure, I'm sending an armed team, Sir," he warned.
Jack just hummed. The rest of the trip to the planet was made in tense silence. Jack left to gear up and joined the rest of the crew to be beamed.
"Do it," he said to Ellis. And they disappeared.
Sam's body went into a meltdown after sending the distress signal. She had exhausted all her reserves to get there and put the pod to work. There was nothing left. She was depleted, both body and mind. So, she just closed her eyes and let go. She couldn't think or move a muscle. Darkness embraced her.
When the team from the Apollo beamed down near the escape pod, she didn't see or hear them. She didn't see Jack shouting her name and running towards her, kneeling on the ground and holding her. She didn't register the med team trying to revive her as Jack cried and had to be restrained by four officers so the medics could work on Sam and try to get her back. There was no pulse in her body. Her heart had stopped beating.
"Fight, goddamnit, Sam! Don't you dare to give up!" Jack shouted while trying to break free from the strong hands preventing him from reaching his wife.
The med team worked frantically, performing chest compressions and administering medical interventions, desperately attempting to resurrect Sam. Jack watched with a mixture of desperation and anxiety, his heart pounding in his chest. The scene unfolded in agonizing slow motion as the medics fought to bring life back into Sam's seemingly lifeless body.
The air was thick with tension, and Jack could hardly breathe as he observed every move the medical team made. He clenched his fists, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach. The beeping of the medical equipment was the only sound breaking the heavy silence as they continued their efforts.
The medics exchanged determined glances in a moment that felt like an eternity. Then, a sudden beep echoed through the air—a weak but steady heartbeat. Relief washed over Jack, and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. They had succeeded.
As Sam's chest rose and fell with a newfound breath, the medics quickly stabilized her. The crew members that had been holding him released Jack, and he moved closer, his eyes fixed on her unconscious form, gratitude and worry etched on his face. The medics assured him she was stable and that they needed to transport her back to the Apollo for further medical attention. Jack nodded, a mix of emotions flooding through him. He had found her, and against all odds, they had a chance.
Amid the hushed beeping of medical equipment, the scene in the Apollo's infirmary was laden with tension. Jack and Ellis stood at the doors, allowing the medical team to work on Sam. The weight of the recent ordeal pressed on Jack's shoulders as he sank into a chair, hands covering his face. His words came out laden with raw emotion, expressing the fear of losing Sam.
"She was dead, Ed," Jack admitted, the vulnerability in his voice revealing the depth of his despair.
A steady presence, Ellis sat beside him, offering words of reassurance.
"They got her back. She will pull through," Ellis stated, his hand comforting Jack's back.
Jack allowed the tears to flow freely, no longer keeping up appearances. The fear of losing Sam had been too much, even for those brief seconds.
The two men sat in companionable silence in the quiet moments that followed, waiting anxiously for news. It felt like an eternity, each passing second an agonizing stretch of uncertainty.
When Doctor Jarvis emerged, Jack braced himself for the worst. The doctor's careful choice of words hinted at the gravity of the situation. The memories of a similar moment with Charlie haunted Jack's mind.
"NO," Jack choked out, his voice carrying the weight of past grief.
Doctor Jarvis offered a different outcome. His words hung in the air, a lifeline for Jack's shattered heart.
"Your wife is fragile, but she's alive, General," the doctor announced a mix of relief and disbelief washing over Jack.
He collapsed back into the chair, the release of tension leaving him breathless.
Ellis and Doctor Jarvis exchanged a glance, acknowledging the situation's fragility.
"Did you hear me, General? Colonel Carter is alive," the doctor reiterated, ensuring Jack comprehended the reality.
The pale ghost of a man that Jack had become seemed to come to life with a faint smile from the doctor.
"She is?" Jack's voice trembled, the overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude coursing through him.
Doctor Jarvis, displaying a small smile, continued, "Yes. She had a cardiac arrest, but she is more stable now. The next hours are critical, but we have Asgard technology onboard, so I'm pretty confident."
Ellis nodded, acknowledging the doctor's assessment. As Doctor Jarvis returned to the infirmary, Ellis remained seated beside Jack. Attempting to lighten the mood, he provocatively remarked, "I told you she was strong. And stubborn."
Still processing the information, Jack muttered, "Too stubborn to die, apparently."
A shared smile broke through the tension.
"She'll make a great General," Ellis added, and Jack's smile widened.
"That's what I'm always telling her. She doesn't like it," Jack admitted, the brief respite offering a momentary escape from the overwhelming emotions that still gripped him. The tension had eased slightly, but Jack's heart continued to race, haunted by the fear of losing Sam.
As Doctor Jarvis had predicted, the next couple of hours were tense. Sam's body and heart stabilized, and Asgard's advanced technology played a crucial role in aiding her recovery. Jack couldn't help but feel gratitude towards the now-deceased Asgard, whose technology had once again proven invaluable in preserving life. The battle to save Sam was far from over, but at least she was on the path to recovery.
Jack entered the infirmary with anticipation and worry when he finally received permission to see her. Sam lay there, seemingly at peace, though the machines surrounding her testified to the struggle her body had endured. The medical team had opted to keep her sedated, considering the immense strain she had been under. Jack accepted any precaution contributing to her well-being, silently promising to abide by every medical recommendation.
Jack remained by her side for as long as permitted, offering silent companionship. His presence was a comfort and a testament to their enduring bond. Reluctantly, he would be ushered away by the vigilant nurses, who insisted he needed rest.
Sam was transferred to the SGC infirmary as the Apollo returned to Earth, a familiar but now somber setting. The news of her arrival had reached Daniel, Vala, and Cameron, who had anxiously awaited their return. Their expressions mirrored the mixture of hope and concern that Jack felt. The camaraderie among the former SG-1 team, forged through countless missions and trials, was evident in their shared worry for Sam.
Gathered in the infirmary, the team awaited updates on Sam's condition. Still wearing the weight of the recent events, Jack appreciated his friends' solidarity. Each of them had played a role in trying to find her, and now they stood together, united by their shared concern for their colleague and friend. The atmosphere in the infirmary was charged with a blend of anticipation and apprehension as they waited for Sam's journey toward recovery to unfold.
Sam's recovery proved more challenging than anticipated. The physical toll on her body during the time she spent alone on the unknown planet became painfully evident as she gradually regained consciousness. The medical team pieced together the dire state she had been in, realizing that she had teetered on the brink of imminent death before their timely intervention.
For Jack, the revelation was a gut-wrenching reality that weighed heavily on him. The fact that his wife had pushed herself to the brink of death, desperately fighting for survival without anyone coming to her aid, left him feeling like an utter failure. The burden of guilt bore down on him, and he struggled to reconcile the image of Sam's resilience with the haunting thought that he hadn't been there to protect her.
In Sam's lab, Jack grappled with his emotions in the dimly lit room. Daniel, sensing Jack's distress, sought him out. When he entered the room and turned on the lights, Jack's eyes, accustomed to the darkness, squinted against the sudden brightness.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" Daniel inquired gently.
"Thinking," Jack replied slowly, his voice heavy with the weight of his thoughts.
Daniel noticed the despair in Jack's tone and expression. Concerned, he pressed further, "Is Sam worse? I visited her earlier, and the doctors didn't say..."
Jack looked up, his downcast eyes revealing the pain he carried.
"She DIED, Daniel," he shouted, his anguish echoing in the room. "She fucking died!" He covered his face with both hands, overcome with grief.
Understanding the magnitude of Jack's torment, Daniel approached cautiously.
"I know, Jack and it must have been horrible to see that. But she's alive now, and she'll get better," he reassured.
Jack's sobs betrayed his deep-seated fears.
"She had to save herself. I didn't do shit to help her, Daniel," he admitted brokenly. "I almost lost her. Like Charlie," he cried.
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Daniel held Jack tightly, offering solace and understanding.
"But you didn't, Jack. She's alive and strong," Daniel affirmed, tears mingling with Jack's.
The two friends stood together, supporting each other through one of the most emotionally charged moments Daniel had witnessed in their longstanding friendship. He silently prayed for Sam's swift recovery, hoping that Jack could find solace in the fact that she had survived against all odds.
When Sam finally managed to open her eyes, everything appeared as a mist, a fog. She struggled to comprehend her surroundings. Was she dead? Her head felt like lead, her body weighed a ton, and moving a muscle seemed impossible. Breathing felt laborious, but the presence of an oxygen mask, which she gradually became aware of, sustained her respiration. Blinking and attempting to focus, the foggy shades around her began to take shape, and her hazy mind registered that she was in an infirmary. It seemed oddly familiar, resembling the SGC infirmary.
Her thoughts raced, contemplating if she had lost her sanity. Closing her eyes briefly, she tried to summon a familiar place. Perhaps she was still on the desolate planet, lost in delirium. Opening her eyes again, the image persisted, and a face materialized. Sam's body tensed with fear, causing the heart monitor to spike. The person in her line of sight, a concerned expression etched on their face, reassured her.
"Calm down, Colonel—nothing to worry about. You are safe. You are at SGC," the voice comforted.
Sam's eyes battled to stay open, her consciousness slipping away. Finally, the welcoming darkness prevailed.
"Shit," Doctor Lam cursed under her breath. "Nurse, find me, General O'Neill. Fast," she urgently ordered.