Jack's heart almost stopped when the nurse stopped at the door of Sam's lab.
"General. Doctor Lam asked if you could come to the infirmary. Quickly," she requested.
Jack rose immediately and followed her, with Daniel trailing behind. They entered like a hurricane to find Doctor Lam beside Sam's bed, attentively checking her monitors.
"What is it, doc?" Jack asked, his concern evident.
Doctor Lam turned to him.
"General, your wife briefly woke up, but I think she got scared when she saw me. I believe it's important for you to stay here for the next time she wakes up and sees a familiar face," she explained.
Jack felt a surge of guilt; he had let her down again. She needed him, and his sorrow had consumed him.
"Of course. I'll stay," he said, sitting in the chair beside Sam's bed.
"It may take a while for her to wake up again," Doctor Lam warned.
Jack gently grabbed Sam's hand.
"I'll stay as long as it takes," he affirmed.
Doctor Lam nodded and left, with Daniel following suit.
Like Doctor Lam had predicted, Sam didn't wake up until after two days. However, Jack hadn't moved, and when she slowly opened her eyes, she saw his face first.
"Hey," he said gently, caressing her hair.
Sam's eyes filled with tears, and her heart monitor spiked again.
"No, no, honey. It's okay, you're safe," he said quickly as Doctor Lam approached her bed and checked her vitals. She slowly nodded and left them alone.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry," he said, desperately trying not to cry.
Sam blinked in confusion. Why was he sorry? She attempted to lift the oxygen mask to talk, but her arm felt too heavy, and she groaned in frustration. He continued to caress her hair, and Sam slowly closed her eyes again. She wanted to talk to him, but she felt so tired. So tired.
Doctor Lam removed the oxygen mask when she felt confident Sam could breathe alone. So, the next time she woke up, she no longer had that thing covering her mouth. And her husband was still sitting next to her bed. Asleep. Sam's mind wasn't so foggy this time, so she looked closely around her. She was linked to several monitors and now recognized SGC's familiar infirmary. Unfortunately, she had spent too much time of her life there.
Her eyes then rested on her sleeping husband. He was almost unrecognizable. His silver hair had gone almost entirely white since the last time she had seen him, and he looked utterly exhausted. Sam's brain quickened, bypassing the drug's effects. She was in SGC, not on the planet anymore. What had happened? Why didn't she remember anything? She tried to clear her dry throat, and that woke him up.
"Sam?" he asked, opening his eyes and almost falling off the chair. "Are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward with a concerned expression.
"Yeah," she said hoarsely.
He quickly picked up the cup of water and the straw and gave it to her. She drank slowly, savoring the relief to her dry throat.
"Do you want me to call Doctor Lam?" he asked, putting the cup down.
She shook her head.
"What happened? I don't remember..." she said.
Jack swallowed. He didn't know how to tell her or where to begin and was afraid to cause her more distress by revealing that her heart had stopped on the planet. So, he told her a half-truth.
"We received your distress call and beamed to the planet. When we got there, you were unconscious," he said slowly.
"Oh," Sam said.
"I'm sorry, honey," Jack said, holding her skinny hand, primarily bones, and skin.
Sam looked at him, confused.
"You've already said that, Jack. Why?" she asked, feeling her eyes tired again. Not now, damn. She needed to talk to him.
"For taking too long to find you. For not being able to find you, for being a stupid, useless, old bastard," he said, almost spitting the words.
Sam managed to raise an eyebrow despite the effort. It must be the drugs, or he was also taking them.
"Excuse me? Did I miss something while on that planet?" she asked, confused.
Jack clenched his jaw.
"You saved yourself. I didn't do shit, Sam," he said more clearly.
"Oh," she said again, realizing what he was trying to say.
He continued to hold her hand. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Well, then, I guess I just have to file for divorce, Jack," she said.
His face paled, and she knew he hadn't understood.
"It was a joke, Jack," she said, squeezing his hand with her strength, which was none.
He just stood there, seated, looking at her. Despite her tiredness, Sam knew she had to do one last thing before sleep claimed her again.
"Come here, Jack; I can't move yet," she asked.
He got up and sat on the bed carefully.
"Closer," she asked.
He moved his head closer to hers.
"Closer, General," she said again.
His eyes were locked on hers, and Sam could see the devastation behind them. What the hell had happened?
"Can you please kiss me?" she asked slowly.
His lips touched hers so gently that she hardly felt them. She gave a small laugh, all her strength allowed.
"You know we are married. You can do better," she said. Was he nervous?
Slowly, he put one finger under her chin and kissed her. He really kissed her. Her heart monitor started to beep like crazy, but Sam's lips didn't let go of his.
Suddenly, there was a distinct "I have to ask you to stop that, General, Colonel," Doctor Lam said in a very determined tone.
Jack let go of her lips, and Sam passed her tongue over them. Her heart monitor could be beeping, but that kiss had been worth it.
"I'm sorry, doctor," Jack said, clearing his throat.
Doctor Lam consulted the monitors and gave Sam a warning glance that she ignored. She was too tired. So, she just closed her eyes, a smile on her face.
Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The way everyone tiptoed around her, treating her like fragile glass, raised her suspicions. It wasn't just the medical staff; even her friends and colleagues seemed to conceal something. The problem was, whenever she asked, they dismissed her concerns with vague assurances that it was nothing. Sam wasn't buying it.
Her husband, Jack O'Neill, was no exception. Even he, who usually had difficulty keeping secrets, wore a poker face. Vala, the master of mischief, was no help either. Frustration and irritation grew within her as the days passed, with everyone acting like she was made of delicate eggshells.
Sam, however, was not one to be kept in the dark for long. These were her friends, her teammates. She knew when something was amiss. Now, the challenge was to figure out who would spill the beans. Daniel would have been her go-to guy in her prime – he never could keep a secret. But her physical state limited her options.
Between Cameron and Daniel, Sam opted for Cameron "Cam" Mitchell. He had a straightforward approach; she could use her Academy charm to extract the truth. The key was to keep Jack away from the infirmary. If he found out about her little investigation, all bets were off, and Cameron might face the wrath of an angry O'Neill.
As Sam plotted her course, determined to uncover the hidden truth, she knew she had to act swiftly. Her Academy days were about to come in handy once again. The game was on, and Sam was ready to play – as long as Jack remained blissfully unaware for Cam's sake and health.
Cameron strolled into the infirmary, greeting Sam with a playful smile. She looked considerably better than the first time he had seen her, brought in from the Apollo. Their easy banter resumed as he teased her about their ongoing Sodoku rivalry. Sam, adjusting her pillow, played along with a familiar smile.
As Cameron settled into the chair, ready to resume their game, Sam grabbed his hand and opened the Sodoku book.
"I need to talk to you about something personal, Cam," she said, her voice slow and low. Cameron recognized that tone. Oh boy, did he know it well. She had used it during their Academy years, and he always fell for it.
"What?" he asked, trying to focus on her words instead of getting lost in her eyes.
"It's about Jack," she began.
Cameron sighed in relief, and Sam couldn't help but suppress a smile. He was so predictable.
"What's going on with the General?" he asked, visibly more relaxed.
Sam's fingers traced patterns on his hand, and Cameron couldn't help but blush under her gaze.
"He looks tired, exhausted. I think he's not sleeping well, and I'm concerned. He's not young anymore. Not like us at the Academy when you know..." she said with a smile, leading him into her trap.
"So why is he troubled, Cam?" she sweetly inquired.
Cameron, captivated by her eyes, was oblivious to the depth of his revelation.
"Oh, you know...he feels guilty about you," he said casually.
"I'm getting better," Sam responded with a smile, and Cameron, nearly short-circuiting, struggled to keep up.
"Yeah, but you died," he blurted out, causing Sam's fingers to freeze on his hand.
"What?" she asked, her smile fading.
Cameron realized his slip, and panic set in.
"He saw you die on the planet," he admitted, finally grasping the weight of his words. "Oh shit. Oh fuck," Cameron muttered, glancing around.
Sam, visibly pale, demanded an explanation. Cameron hesitated, realizing he had been manipulated, but Sam stood firm.
"Start talking, Cameron," she ordered.
"No fucking way," Cameron retorted, standing up from the chair.
"Fine, I'll tell Jack," she threatened.
This time, Cameron stood his ground.
"You do that, Sam. And this was a shitty thing to do. You used me," he accused.
"And you all lied to me," Sam said unapologetically.
Cameron blushed with guilt before leaving the infirmary in a heavy silence. Sam, left alone, grappled with the revelation that she had died on the planet.