samandjack.net

Story Notes: 2nd in the Unseen series, but it isn't necessary to read the first part, can be a stand alone.

This hasn't been betaed, all mistakes are mine.

Feedback: Please! I hate to beg, but I could use the encouragement. Don't make me get on my knees!

E-mail: Writtenvoice38@Juno.com


The Enemy Within



What happened?

It was the only thought in Samantha Carter's mind as she awoke from the fog that she knew belonged to a head injury. She wished that the dull ringing in her ears would stop so she could concentrate. That and some nice painkillers for the massive headache she was feeling would be great.

Beeping monitors finally made their way into her consciousness, as well as the realization that she was lying on a soft bed. Sam groaned and cracked open her eyes, closing them quickly when the infirmary ceiling began to waver at the edges of her sight.

"Carter?" It was Jack's worried voice, close by too.

"Sir?" Sam winced when she heard her voice; it sounded raspy and altogether unpleasant. "What happened?"

"We were kind of hoping that you could tell us that." She cracked open her eyes briefly once again, seeing him standing at her side. One of the nurses left to go fetch whatever doctor was on call. Sam sent out a prayer that he would bring something like Tylenol with him. Her eyes closed again and Jack continued. "What do you remember?"

Sam raised her hands to press the heel of her palm against her temple. "I was in the control room. I heard a cry and turned around and then - Kowalski!" Sam shot up and leapt from the bed. "He's a goa'uld!"

"Carter!" Jack grabbed her arms to keep her from running to the panic button on the wall. "We know. You need to relax Sam, you probably have a concussion."

There was no doubt in her mind that she did as the room began to spin and extreme vertigo overtook her. Jack helped her lay back down and she groaned in misery.

"Oh God." Sam had been injured before. Being an active member of the Air Force had assured that. She had been shot and had broken bones, the whole nine yards. But she always hated concussions the most. Because for far too long a time she was left feeling like the room was spinning and that she just might be sick.

"Captain Carter?" It sounded like Doctor Warner, but she didn't dare open her eyes to look. "How are you feeling?"

As much as Sam wanted to make a smart-ass remark, all she could do was groan piteously.

She felt Jack's hand rest on her knee, his thumb moving back and forth. As simple a gesture as it was, it was still reassuring to her. "Doc, can't we get her some painkillers or something?"

"After I run a few brief tests. Captain, can you sit upright please?"

Sam desperately wanted to tell him to go to hell, but refrained from saying anything. So she shoved herself into a sitting position while Jack rearranged the pillows behind her. She knew she must have more than a mild concussion to be so out of it.

"Well, from what the nurse told me, it seems you are still suffering from the effects of the concussion. She said that you had trouble standing upright and keeping your balance?"

"It's not my fault the floor shifted," she grumbled. Jack stifled a chuckle and Sam wondered why she was being such a pain today. Her only answer was that she really hated concussions.

"So there is also vertigo? How about your memory, do you remember what happened up until you were knocked out?"

Sam sighed. She didn't really want to bring up the memory again, especially with Jack there. After all, Kowalski was his best friend. "The goa'uld grabbed me from the control room and dragged me to the elevator. When we were inside, I tried to convince him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me. So I hit the emergency stop and tried to get to the phone. He grabbed the back of my jacket and then I blacked out."

Doctor Warner nodded and made a few notations. "And the pain?"

"A bit annoying at the moment. Wouldn't be so bad if I had some treatment for it."

A small benign smile came across his face. "I'll see what I can do. As for now, initially it seems that you only have a concussion, a little worse than mild given the force that you struck the wall with and your symptoms. I'm going to want to take a MRI to make sure you didn't suffer any other damage. Until then, I recommend you stay here and rest."

The doctor nodded to them and left. Sam leaned back against the pillows and turned to look at Jack, who still stood silently by her side. "How is Kowalski?"

"Sedated," answered Daniel as he joined them. "Hey Sam. How are you doing?"

She smiled. "I'll live, I think. Look, since I'm stuck here, can you please make sure that Kowalski knows that I don't blame him? This is entirely the goa'uld's fault, it was never his."

A phone rang shrilly before a nurse answered it. "Colonel O'Neill? Major Kowalski is waking."

He nodded and looked at Sam once more. "We'll tell him. You sure you'll be okay?"

Sam chuckled. "Sure. Right about now that nap I was going to take earlier sounds good. Go check on him. And try to get the damn snake out of him."

Jack couldn't help but smile at her adoption of his terms. He patted her leg once more before leaving. Daniel gave her a quick hug before following Jack. Sam sighed and looked around, slightly lonely. Well, she did need sleep anyway.

"Now if I can just get some damn aspirin."

The End




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