He strode down the corridor, his footsteps urgent; his mind racing over the news he had just received. Seeing the expression on his face, people gave him wide berth as he passed by.
/ "General O'Neil?" /
/ The airman knocked on his door, then entered at the General's command. /
/ "What is it?" /
/ "Sir, SG-1 has come back early. One of the team is seriously injured." /
/ "Who?" /
/ "Doctor Carter." /
NO!
/ "How bad is she?" /
/ "Bad, Sir. Doctor Carter was bitten by some sort of venomous animal." /
Oh God, no, not Sam!
Jack burst through the doors of the infirmary to be greeted by chaos. All of it was centered on the gurney containing a woman with long blonde hair. Her skin was covered in a sheen of perspiration and was pale. Blood stained her hair around her ears. It also flowed from her mouth and nose. Suddenly, she began to cough violently. One of the nurses rolled her onto her side as she began vomiting black blood. Dr Frasier and her team moved around her, hooking her up to life support monitors and IV lines.
His blood had frozen. It was bad, very very bad. He looked beyond the gurney to see Catherine Langford standing off to one side. Her expression mirrored what he felt. Horror, disbelief, anguish.
/ "General O'Neil, I would like to introduce you to Doctor Samantha Carter. She is one of the foremost astrophysicists in her field and she will be joining the Stargate project." /
/ He glanced at the woman standing next to Catherine. Long blonde hair framing a face whose expression conveyed openness, curiosity and a razor keen mind, blue eyes that a man could become lost in, a very womanly body. A very desirable woman. Unfortunately she was a scientist joining the already swelling ranks of the geeks flitting about the Stargate headquarters. /
/ "Doctor" His voice conveyed all his animosity he felt towards the species as a whole. /
/ "General, it's a pleasure to meet you and to be working on this project." Her voice was warm, rich. If she was offended by his tone of voice, she gave no hint of it. /
"We managed to get her stabilized, barely. The venom is spreading through out her body. Nothing we have administered to her has even slowed down its movement. The anti-venom shot that she received when she was bitten appears to have no effect on the poison. One thing on our side is that it is slow moving. However, the venom is very deadly. As it moves through her body it is shutting down vital systems. Right now I am trying to come up with a new antidote."
Dr Frasier looked up Jack. "Sir, it would be helpful if I could get my hands on the actual animal that bit her."
Jack pulled his eyes away from Sam's still form. "SG-1 will be sent back through the gate to try and catch one of the creatures. Doctor, how long does she have?"
Janet sighed. "I don't know. She is strong. A day maybe more. I can't really say."
He nodded, his voice freezing in his throat. A day. He turned away from her and walked unsteadily to Sam's bedside. Frasier looked after him in sympathy. Everyone in base knew about the attraction between the two of them. A betting pool had even been set up to determine exactly when they would get together. Catherine moved to stand by Jack's side, one hand on his back in comfort.
/ "Once you get to know me you will like me." Sam said as she left Jack's office after their first meeting. /
/ "I adore you already," he replied sarcastically. /
She was so still, still and pale. He gently stroked her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face.
Fight Sam. You have to be strong and fight it. I can't lose you, not yet, not when there is still so much unfinished between us.
"She's a fighter Jack." Catherine said from his side. She moved up on the other side of the bed. "I remember the arguments the two of you would get into. About everything and anything. The two of you are so stubborn." Her voice broke. She clasped one of Sam's hands in her own.
You can't die Sam. I'm just finding out how much you mean to me.
/ "May I remind you, Doctor, that this is a military operation and you are only a civilian." /
/ "You mean a scientist, Sir." /
/ "That too." /
/ "Then teach me to defend myself and my team. Show me how to use a weapon." /
/ He looked at her in amazement and growing admiration and respect. Maybe there was hope for her after all. "Alright, I will put you in SG-1. But..." he held up one hand, forestalling her thanks, "... the first time you screw up or place the team in danger you are off. Understand?" /
/ "Yessir!" She saluted him on her way out the door. /
The lights had been dimmed in the infirmary. Jack barely noticed them. He sat beside Sam's bedside, watching her, her every breath, her every heartbeat. Monitors and machines hummed and beeped around them, valiantly trying to do their job of keeping her alive. Catherine also kept vigil from the other side of the bed. She had aged years in the past hours. A year for every hour that Sam weakened.
Jack had her hand entwined in his. His eyes never left her face. I thought losing Charlie was bad. But this was so much worse. Worse because I am losing a very close friend. No, be honest with yourself. I may be losing someone who would have become more than a friend; a potential lover, a life-long companion.
/ He sat on the roof of his house, gazing up at the stars through his telescope. /
/ "Jack?" /
/ Carter. What did she want? /
/ "What is it doctor?" /
/ Sam stepped onto the roof, looking around. Her eyes finally came to settle on him. Compassion shimmered from them. "Catherine told me what today is. That this is the anniversary of your son's death." /
/ "Why the hell would she tell you that?" /
/ Sam shrugged. "I think she was trying to explain why you were in such a miserable mood all day." She moved closer to Jack. "I'm here in case you wanted to talk or just have someone around." /
/ Jack turned back to the telescope. "Why would you presume that I would want you here?" The words came out harshly. He flinched inwardly. /
/ She fell silent. After a few minutes of quiet, he looked up, expecting her to be gone. To his relief, she was still there. He looked up at the sky. "Charlie and I would spend hours up here stargazing." He continued to gaze up at the brilliant night sky, sensing Sam moving closer to him. "It's still very hard to talk about." He turned to look down at Sam, who was now standing beside him. The moonlight turned her hair a pale silver, casting shadows across her face. He didn't question why he was so pleased that he hadn't scared her away. Over the past months their working relationship had become less strained. He had come to admire her professionalism, her straight-forwardness and her tenacity. Their working relationship had turned into a deep friendship. /
/ He stepped aside and allowed Sam to use the telescope. /
"General"
Jack looked up to see Janet Frasier beside him. She was holding a syringe filled needle.
"Is that the antidote?" He nodded at the needle.
"I hope so. I have not had time to test it." She moved to inject the needle into Sam's IV line.
Something in her posture worried him. "This will work, won't it?"
Janet turned to look at him, and his heart sank. Her expression was grim. "I am ninety-nine percent sure that this antidote will work." She glanced at Sam then back at Jack.
"But it may not be in time. The venom has spread almost completely through her body. It's a race against time now. Has the poison spread to far in her body for the serum to combat it? I just don't know. All we can do now is wait."
"Sir". The airman's voice was hesitant.
Jack glanced at him.
"The President is on the phone, demanding to speak to you."
"Thank you, airman. I will be in my office shortly."
He took one last look at Sam then left the infirmary.
/ "Widen your stance. It will give you a better balance." /
/ He inserted his foot between hers and widen her stance. They were in the shooting range; Jack teaching Sam the basics of weapons training. /
/ His hands came up to adjust her arms where they held a gun in strong, steady grip. His cheek brushed her hair as he leaned over her shoulder to see the position of her hands. The blonde hair was silky and soft against his skin. A shaft of desire speared through him. He ignored it. Sam shifted in his loose grasp, accidently brushing up against his body as she tried out the new stance. Another surge of desire hit him, a desire that seemed to be growing as the weeks passed. /
/ Dammit, this was Sam, one of his closest friends next to Catherine. /
/ Yes, but she could also become someone a lot more important to you, his subconscious taunted him. And it was so true. He was coming to feel much more than friendship for this woman. An emotion that he was certain that she also felt towards him. He could see it in the glances she darted at him when she thought he wasn't looking. Her sharp, swiftly suppressed gasp just now when he had changed her gun stance conveyed the same level of awareness he felt. /
Jack replaced the phone in its cradle. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"I can't lose her, Catherine" he said, as Catherine slipped into his office.
"I know, Jack". She said soothingly, placing an age-worn hand on his shoulders. The look in her eyes almost brought him to tears. She took a deep breath.
"You better come back to the infirmary."
"Sam?"
She just shook her head, unable to speak.
/ She turned in his arms, sliding the safety on the gun. Her blue eyes were warm, filled with desire. Unable to stop himself, he gently stroked her cheek. Her skin was so soft and warm under his fingers. She closed her eyes, leaning into the caress. Seeing her response, he slowly lowered his head, his lips lightly brushing over hers. /
Janet glanced up as Jack and Catherine approached. Her expression conveyed everything.
No hope. Time had run out.
Sam was dying.
Jack felt a wave of bleak despair overwhelm him. Sam was dying. He was going to lose her forever, just before they even had a chance to really get started.
He saw the years ahead of him. Bleak, lonely years. Years without Sam. Her spirit, her strength, her life; gone forever.
He sat down beside the bed. The monitors had been turned off. No need of them to save a life that could not be saved.
She barely breathed. So pale, almost lifeless. Her hand was cold in his. Catherine and Janet had taken up positions around the bed. All of them determined to be at her side to the last.
He leaned forward, brushing her temple with his lips.
"I love you, Sam."
"I don't regret anything that has happened between us. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize how I felt about you."
"Life will not be the same without you."
Silent tears slid down his cheeks as he sat holding her hand, waiting for death to come and claim her.
*
Janet jerked awake. She glanced at her watch. A long period of time had passed since she had declared that nothing more could be done for Sam. Both Jack and Catherine were still asleep; Jack's hand still entwined with Sam's. She stifled the tears that threaten to well up again.
Suddenly she gasped. Sam. That was what had awakened her. Sam's breathing had grown stronger. She was still alive. A hint of color suffused her face. Her skin, where Janet grasped her wrist, was warmer. Her pulse was stronger. Reaching out, she flipped on the life monitors. A steady beeping started, a heartbeat that was weak but growing stronger.
Jack came awake instantly when the beeping of the monitors started. He looked at Janet, then down at Sam. Sam's eyelids fluttered. She moved slightly.
"Doctor?" He tried suppress the sudden hope in his heart.
Janet grinned at him. "She's going to live. Somehow, she held in long enough for the antidote to work. She's alive, General."
"Sam?"
He cupped her face. Her head moved slightly. Her eyes fluttered then opened. Hazy blue eyes blinked, trying to focus.
"Jack?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I'm here. I'm right here, love."
She nodded once, before closing her eyes again. Jack watched as she slipped into a healing sleep.
"I love you, Sam" He ran his fingers over her knuckles.
Her eyes fluttered open again.
"Love you too"
/ Once you get to know me you will like me. /
/ I adore you already. /
END
Story Notes: This story is one of my views of how Sam and Jack might have gotten together in the alternate reality of TBFTGOG. All comments and feedback will be greatly appreciated. Flames will be completely ignored. Anything between / / refers to past thoughts and actions.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]