Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

What the hell was that beeping? Colonel Jack O’Neill thought sluggishly. The steady, regular noise was slowly and inextricably pulling him back to consciousness. He finally snapped his brown eyes open to find the source of his displeasure; his gaze landed on a machine; a medical machine monitoring his heart-beat.

Infirmary.

He was in an infirmary. Why would he be in an infirmary? The pain that followed immediately after that thought supplied the reason and prompted a low moan.

‘Jack?’

Daniel Jackson’s surprised voice preceded the archaeologist’s face appearing in Jack’s vision.

‘You’re awake.’ Daniel said, gesturing at him. ‘Just stay there!’

Jack wondered where he would go as Daniel disappeared from his sight. He reached up and encountered an oxygen mask over his face as he absently considered the small strips of tape across a cut on the other man’s forehead. He frowned. When had been Daniel injured? Daniel’s injury worried him. Had they been injured in the same mission? His frown deepened. What had been the mission? He couldn’t remember. The thought panicked him a little even as he searched through the fog trying to remember something…anything…

Flashes suddenly bombarded him.

The ice cavern…the cold, he’d been so cold…working to recover the DHD with his team-mate Captain Samantha Carter…Sam…where was Sam?

He yanked off the mask. ‘Daniel!’ Jack’s voice croaked out. He swallowed trying to moisten his mouth and tried again. ‘Daniel!’

‘I’m here.’ Daniel reappeared and Jack grabbed his arm, ignoring the pain that shot across his chest as a result.

‘Sam?’ He asked urgently.

‘We got her out too, Jack.’ Daniel assured him hurriedly as Jack’s eyes searched his frantically. ‘She’s down the hall. Teal’c’s with her.’ He said, referring to the Jaffa who was the fourth member of SG1.

Jack subsided back onto the bed and accepted the drink Daniel offered him, sucking up the water through the straw. His mind wandered over the fact that he didn’t recognise the infirmary. It was definitely a military infirmary but it wasn’t the SGC. ‘Where are we?’ He asked once his thirst was quenched.

‘McMurdo.’ Daniel replied. He saw the questions gathering in Jack’s eyes even as his ears picked up on the sound of footsteps heading towards them; he hoped it was the doctor he had called out for after Jack had woken up. ‘I’ll tell you everything later, I promise.’

Jack was about to protest when Daniel stepped back and a man in a white coat replaced him.

‘Glad to see you’re finally back with us, Colonel. I’m Doctor Higgins.’ The tall, dark-haired doctor flashed a penlight in both Jack’s eyes making him wince. ‘How’s the pain?’

‘Fine.’ Jack muttered.

Higgins looked at him sceptically.

‘OK,’ Jack conceded, ‘there might be a little pain.’

‘I’ll have the nurse administer some more morphine.’ Higgins said as he made a notation on a clipboard.

‘What’s the damage?’ Jack asked tiredly.

‘You sustained some internal bleeding which we managed to deal with quite easily once we got you into theatre. You have two cracked ribs on your right side which are taped and your leg has been broken.’ Higgins reeled off. ‘You were suffering from hypothermia when you arrived but luckily you seemed to have avoided frostbite.’

Jack noted that the doctor seemed relatively disappointed about the lack of frostbite. ‘So when can I get out of here?’

‘As soon as we’re satisfied you’re stable you’ll be transferred back to Cheyenne Mountain.’ Higgins said, examining the readout of the machine.

‘And that would be?’ Jack pressed.

‘I think you’re going to be with us for a few days yet.’ Higgins commented as he replaced the clipboard at the end of the bed.

‘What about Captain Carter?’

Higgins looked confused. ‘Captain Carter?’

‘The other officer with me.’ Jack said sharply.

‘I believe my colleague Doctor Wright has been dealing with your colleague.’ Higgins said. ‘I’m not conversant with the details of her condition. You should try to rest as much as possible.’ He continued. ‘I’ll check in on you later.’

‘Can’t wait.’ Jack muttered as the doctor left him.

‘Yeah,’ Daniel said, dragging a chair up to sit next to Jack where he could see him comfortably, ‘his bedside manner could do with a little warming up.’

‘Have you seen Sam?’ Jack asked anxiously, figuring even if the doctor didn’t know, Daniel was bound to have inquired. ‘Is she OK?’

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. He couldn’t recall Jack being so worried about any of them before but then the experience of being trapped alone together had to have forged a particular kind of bond between Jack and Sam. ‘She had hypothermia and some really severe bruising from a couple of falls but she was talking when they brought her in.’ About Jack, he remembered, she hadn’t stopped telling the medic about his injuries.

‘That’s good, right?’ Jack asked, the worry lessening slightly. If she’d been conscious that had to be good.

‘I think so.’ Daniel said cautiously.

Jack could feel the slow pull back into sleep; he fought it fiercely. ‘McMurdo?’

‘This may seem a little hard to believe,’ Daniel began leaning forward earnestly, ‘but you’ve been on Earth all the time.’

‘No.’ Jack denied. ‘We were on some ice planet.’

‘Antarctica.’ Daniel said simply.

‘Antarctica?’ Jack repeated. ‘Really?’

‘Really. Think about.’ Daniel said gesturing at him. ‘If you landed on any remote part of Earth it might feel like a different planet. A desert, a jungle…Antarctica.’

‘But there was a gate.’ Jack said sure he’d found the flaw in Daniel’s logic.

‘It’s another one.’ Daniel explained.

‘Another one?’ Jack asked sceptically. ‘How?’

‘We don’t know really.’ Daniel said. ‘We know the Goa’uld didn’t build the Stargates and that Ra brought the one we discovered in Giza…I guess he wasn’t aware there was already one here.’

‘In Antarctica.’ Jack said in disbelief.

Daniel nodded. ‘Teal’c and I arrived back at the SGC and we think the wormhole then jumped to the nearest Stargate it could find…the second gate here.’

‘Carter worked that bit out. About you going back to the SGC and the whole wormhole jumping thing.’ Jack said proudly. He could remember how animated her face was as she had described her theories on what had happened.

‘Yeah,’ Daniel said gently seeing how Jack’s expression had softened at the mention of their SG1 team-mate, ‘I thought she might.’

‘I guess you guys worked it out too.’ Jack murmured sleepily.

‘After a while. We searched a lot of the planets trying to find you,’ Daniel said, ‘before I realised we’d missed out one planet we shouldn’t have.’

‘Earth.’ Jack said.

‘That’s why your attempt to dial home didn’t work.’

‘There was something wrong with the DHD. Carter couldn’t fix it.’ Jack frowned, remembering the frustration on her face after she had worked for hours on it.

‘No.’ Daniel contradicted him softly. ‘Sam fixed the DHD but when she tried dialling Earth it was like she was trying to dial her own telephone number so…’

‘She got a busy signal.’ Jack concluded. Damn. They’d been so close to home all that time.

‘But it was enough to light up our gate and make things shake a little.’ Daniel said. ‘It gave me the idea that there might be another gate on Earth.’

‘Good work.’ Jack said sincerely. It sounded like everyone – that Daniel – had worked flat out to find them. His eyes suddenly focused on Daniel. The archaeologist was deathly pale with purple shadows under both eyes and a vivid bruise under the thin strips of tape on his head.

‘You look like crap.’ Jack commented.

Daniel shrugged. He didn’t think he’d slept properly since he’d woken up from his concussion and heard the news from Teal’c that Jack and Sam were missing. He’d dozed a little waiting for Jack to come round from surgery but he hadn’t actually slept as the faint pounding in his head reminded him constantly.

‘Headache?’ Jack asked delicately seeing Daniel’s hand creep to his forehead.

‘A little one.’

‘You want some morphine?’ Jack asked, indicating the IV. ‘I have some.’

‘You might need that.’ Daniel said with a wry smile. ‘You should rest.’

Jack nodded. He couldn’t deny the tiredness seeping back into his bones. He settled back on the pillows and closed his eyes. ‘And Sam’s fine?’ He asked again.

‘Sam’s fine, Jack.’ Daniel confirmed. He watched Jack slide back into sleep before he went to tell Teal’c the good news.

o-O-o

Teal’c watched the small huddled figure of Samantha Carter in the infirmary bed with the careful diligence of a Jaffa warrior monitoring an approaching enemy. Teal’c had not found himself as torn as Daniel Jackson on who to stay with when the Colonel was brought out of surgery; he knew O’Neill would expect him to stand guard over their female team-mate and so he did, allowing Daniel to sit with Jack. Teal’c took his duty seriously and vigilantly monitored her every move.

Sam was facing him, curled up on her side under what seemed like a mountain of blankets, and she was sleeping. He could tell it was not a restful sleep even with the sedative he had seen the doctor administer earlier; her brow was creased, her delicate face often contorting into a frown and she would murmur occasionally; sometimes technical terms that Teal’c knew related to a DHD and the Stargate; sometimes the name of the SG1 leader. It had not gone unnoticed by Teal’c that every time she had awoken her first question was always about Colonel O’Neill’s status.

He was pleased that he would be able to give her good news the next time she regained consciousness; Daniel had stopped by to inform him that O’Neill had woken for a brief period and had exhibited the same concern for the Captain as she was exhibiting for him. The trauma of their experience had obviously created a deep bond between the two and Teal’c wondered at what that would mean for their relationship bound as it was by the regulations of the military organisation they both served.

The Jaffa had read the regulations but failed to see how something as nebulous as feelings could be governed in such a way. As an experienced commander, he could understand the reasoning and agreed with the aspiration but for him the argument was flawed; a team like SG1 required an intimacy in which emotions such as fondness, respect and even love were fostered. Indeed, Teal’c had concluded that the bonds of affection and friendship between them all were amongst the reasons why they functioned so well as a team.

Teal’c had long been aware that for O’Neill and the Captain their bond was edged with an attraction for each other. He had concluded early in the team’s formation that they would make good mates and he had not changed his opinion although upon learning of the regulations he had determined that both officers had too much honour to break the rules despite their underlying attraction. He had a feeling that honour was about to be tested. There was no doubt in his mind that the traumatic hours of being alone together fighting for survival had strengthened and deepened their bond. He could guess at the effect it would have on their relationship given their attraction.

Sam stirred and his dark eyes flickered over her as her blue eyes opened lethargically.

‘Captain Carter.’

Teal’c’s gentle voice drew Sam’s attention and she forced a smile at the unusual openly worried expression on the Jaffa’s face.

‘Teal’c.’ Her throat seemed scratchy and raw. Why had she woken up? She couldn’t remember. There was a nagging sensation in her mind as though there was something important she should remember. She took a deep breath and gratefully drunk some of the water Teal’c handed to her. She leaned weakly back against the pillows. ‘The Colonel?’

Teal’c replaced the glass on the bedside table and sat back down before answering her. ‘Daniel Jackson has informed me that Colonel O’Neill regained consciousness for a short time earlier.’

‘Good. That’s good.’ Sam murmured sleepily.

Teal’c frowned. Her condition worried him. Her face was too pale; the harsh scrape on her cheek standing out in stark comparison. There were beads of sweat dotting her forehead and upper lip. Her drugged blue eyes seemed large and unfocused as they looked back at him.

A sound by the doorway had Teal’c rising from his feet ready to protect her from unnecessary interruption. He barely adjusted his stance at the sight of a harried looking General Hammond. The older man was dressed in fatigues. His round face was reddened as though he had come in from the cold and the wind, and there were shadows under his eyes that spoke of sleepless nights.

‘General.’ Sam acknowledged his presence and struggled to sit up.

‘As you were, Captain.’ Hammond made his way over to the bed and pulled up a chair.

‘Have you heard about the Colonel, sir?’ Sam asked, hoping for more news.

‘I have.’ Hammond assured her. ‘He’s doing very well. I’m on my way there next.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I’ve spoken with Jake.’

Sam’s brow creased in unhappiness at the mention of her father.

‘He was informed automatically when you went MIA.’ Hammond said quietly. ‘I called him the minute we knew you were located.’ He paused. ‘I’ve talked him out of coming for the time being.’ He had managed to assure his old friend Jacob Carter that Sam was fine and a couple of strategic comments around Sam not wanting to pull her father away from his duties nor having any favouritism shown by the fact her father could talk his way into a visit to McMurdo where other soldiers’ families could not had been enough to sway Jacob from his original plan to be on the next transport out.

‘Thank you.’ Sam said gratefully. She didn’t think she could handle her father or the questions he was bound to ask about why she had ended up in Antarctica when she was supposed to be safely in Cheyenne Mountain analysing deep space radar telemetry.

Antarctica.

She still couldn’t believe the explanation Teal’c and Daniel had given her when they had arrived at McMurdo. Another Stargate on Earth. Why hadn’t she thought of that? How had she missed the possibility? She should have realised when the wormhole wouldn’t engage after she had fixed the DHD or at the very least she should have tried alternative addresses…

‘Sam.’

The General’s gentle use of her name pulled her out of her inner musings.

‘Sorry, sir.’ Sam said.

‘Do you feel up to telling me what happened?’ Hammond asked.

‘Perhaps now is not a good time, General Hammond.’ Teal’c protested quietly.

‘It’s OK, Teal’c.’ Sam reassured him.

He subsided unhappily.

Hammond’s pale blue eyes swept over her and he frowned. He glanced over at Teal’c who looked back at him with the same worry in his dark eyes. ‘Maybe Teal’c has a point, Captain. I’ll let you get some rest.’

‘It’s fine, sir.’ Sam insisted. ‘I would prefer to get this over with.’

Hammond nodded reluctantly.

She rubbed her nose and wondered where to begin. ‘The Colonel and I were providing cover fire for Daniel and Teal’c on P4A771. As soon as they went through the wormhole, the Colonel ordered me to follow; he was right behind me.’ She swallowed hard. ‘I don’t remember being reintegrated; I think we hit the ground pretty hard.’

‘Both Teal’c and Doctor Jackson were expelled very violently from the wormhole in the SGC.’ Hammond commented encouragingly.

‘I think I was unconscious for a few minutes before I came to.’ Sam continued. ‘I immediately tried to contact Daniel and Teal’c by radio but received no reply. I realised the Colonel required medical attention so I evaluated his injuries and made him as comfortable as I could before I made a search of the immediate area for Daniel and Teal’c.’

She stopped again to catch her breath and deal with the memory of how alone she had felt during the search; how helpless when she couldn’t find her team-mates. ‘I was unable to locate either of them so I took an inventory of our supplies and started to search for the DHD. I was in the middle of the search when the Colonel regained consciousness.’

She had never been so relieved about anything, Sam considered thoughtfully. Even her relief at the Colonel’s miraculous healing in the sarcophagus after he had been turned into a Jaffa by Hathor had paled into comparison to that she had felt on hearing the Colonel’s voice in the cavern.

‘Captain?’ Hammond prompted her again.

‘Sorry, sir.’ Sam replied.

‘Don’t worry.’ Hammond had to remind himself not to reach out for her hand. ‘Just take your time, Captain.’

‘With the Colonel conscious I was able to splint his leg and we began the search for the DHD again. We managed to find it and began digging it out.’ Her fingers plucked at the sheets on her bed unconsciously. ‘It was then I became aware that the Colonel had broken a rib, maybe more.’ She should have checked him more thoroughly, Sam chastised herself. Her throat felt dry and she asked for some water which she drank gratefully before she continued.

‘Once the DHD was mostly uncovered we were able to try dialling out.’ Sam frowned. ‘There was some kind of disconnection between the DHD and the gate due to the way the DHD had drifted with the glacier. The Colonel ordered us to rest. I slept for a few hours.’ She stopped again trying to keep the order of events straight in her own mind. ‘The Colonel was unconscious when I awoke. I assessed that he probably had an internal injury and made him comfortable before I continued digging to get to the control panel. He regained consciousness and I continued to work on fixing the DHD. I thought I got it to work but the wormhole wouldn’t engage. I never thought about trying a different address to Earth.’

‘There was no way you could have known you were on Earth, Captain.’ Hammond said comfortingly. ‘And it was your attempt to dial home that gave Doctor Jackson the idea of a second gate.’

‘The Colonel was in bad shape.’ Sam continued as though the General hadn’t spoken her eyes fixed to some vague point on the ceiling. ‘He ordered me to take the supplies and climb out. I hoped that when I reached the surface I would be able to find help. We maintained radio contact for a while…’ Her throat closed up as she remembered his last radio call to her. It was an honour serving with you. ‘When I reached the surface I realised walking any distance would be futile; I would collapse before I reached any civilisation given the weather conditions. I believed the best course of action was to return to the Colonel.’

She fell silent as she contemplated the last few minutes of consciousness; she had cuddled back up to the Colonel for body warmth and he had called her Sara, the name of his wife. He must still be very much in love with her, Sam thought tiredly as she remembered his story of how the thought of Sara had helped him get out of Iraq complete with skull fractures after a mission had gone badly wrong. For some reason, the thought sent a shockwave of resentment at the other woman through her and she stirred uncomfortably at her churning emotions.

‘The Colonel was great even though he was injured, sir. He just encouraged me all the time and wouldn’t let me think we wouldn’t get home.’ The sudden press of tears caught her off-guard and it took a moment for her to recover. ‘I can’t believe he’s OK.’ She admitted. ‘His injuries…’

‘Well, according to the doctors, Colonel O’Neill’s doing just fine.’ Hammond smiled at Sam reassuringly. ‘Thanks to you.’

‘I didn’t save us.’ Sam said, perplexed at his assertion.

‘Your actions kept the Colonel’s condition stable and enabled us to find you, Captain.’ Hammond said forcefully. ‘You did a good job.’ He could only imagine the stress of her ordeal and from her own account she’d had to face much of it alone.

‘No.’ Sam refused the praise and shook her head fitfully. ‘I didn’t save us.’

Hammond frowned and exchanged another anxious look with Teal’c across the bed. The General rose from the chair and, in a move practised by parents the world over, tested her temperature by placing his hand over her forehead. His pale blue eyes widened sharply and shot to Teal’c. ‘She’s burning up. Get a doctor.’

Teal’c didn’t waste time; he strode from the room.

Sam pushed weakly at the covers. ‘I don’t feel well.’ She complained.

‘I know, Sam.’ Hammond said quietly; that she had admitted it was sign enough for him that she was seriously unwell. ‘We’re going to fix that.’

He was relieved when the doctor, a young woman who reminded suspiciously of Doctor Frasier and who he seemed to recall was called Doctor Wright, charged in with a couple of nurses. He stepped back out of the way and absently noted Teal’c joining him as they watched the doctor check Sam over and start snapping out a series of orders in a way that reassured Hammond Sam was getting the treatment she needed. He was pleased when the doctor came over to speak with him.

‘How is she?’ Hammond asked anxiously.

‘She’s developed a secondary infection.’ Doctor Wright folded her arms across her chest and met the General’s unhappy face head on although she couldn’t help her eyes from drifting to the large dark-skinned man beside him. ‘Her immune system is pretty shot right now. We’ve started her on antibiotics and we’re monitoring her condition.’ She smiled reassuringly. ‘We’re doing all we can.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ The General wandered back to Sam noting the oxygen mask they had attached and that they must have given her something to make her sleep. He sat down heavily.

Teal’c resumed his position on the opposite side of the bed.

Hammond looked over at him. ‘If you want to get some rest, Teal’c, I’ll sit with her for a while.’

‘I am fine, General Hammond.’ Teal’c said firmly. His dark gaze rested on his team-mate. Her story had only increased his admiration for her. What she had left unspoken – the hours of working tirelessly on her own to save herself and Colonel O’Neill, the fear of never getting home, the disappointment that must have swamped her after her arduous climb to the surface – his mind had supplied. He was amazed at her strength; he did not know many others who would have faced the challenges she had and performed as well as she had done. He renewed his determination to watch over her.

o-O-o

Daniel wasn’t looking forward to Jack waking up again. The injured Colonel had stirred another couple of times in the twenty-fours since he had regained consciousness after his surgery. Each time, his first question was always about Sam. If the situation wasn’t as serious as it was, Daniel might have been amused, but it was serious and Daniel was worried.

He had initially simply confirmed Sam was fine and down the hall like he had done during their earlier conversation. It hadn’t exactly been a lie; he hadn’t known anything different. But the last time Jack had asked, Daniel had just learned of Sam’s deterioration. He had hesitated, torn between telling Jack the truth and leaving him in blissful ignorance so he could heal without worrying about her. Jack’s immediate agitation at Daniel’s lack of response had driven any indecision out of his mind; Daniel had lied through his teeth. When Jack woke again…Daniel had no idea what he was going to say to him.

He swallowed the coffee the nurse had brought him. How the hell was he going to tell Jack that Sam wasn’t fine? That she was running a dangerously high temperature and was having trouble breathing? That they thought she’d developed pneumonia. Daniel swiped a hand under his glasses and brushed at the moisture that had seeped unwilling out of his eyes.

He was so tired. His body hummed with exhaustion. He envied Teal’c’s Jaffa physiology that allowed him to go for hours without sleep. He had convinced a reluctant Teal’c to swap with him for a couple of hours and Daniel had spent the whole time with Sam watching the laboured fall and rise of her chest and feeling helpless. He should have realised the possibility of a second gate sooner, he berated himself harshly. If they hadn’t spent so much time fruitlessly searching other planets, they could have found them quicker; Sam might have been OK. He shoved a hand through his brown hair and took another gulp of coffee.

A slight movement in the bed alerted him that he had run out of time on determining how to tell Jack; the older man was awake again. Daniel hastily put his coffee down and moved to get Jack a drink hoping to forestall the usual question for just a moment longer.

Jack sucked up the water thirstily. He was feeling a lot sharper than before, he realised. The fog in his head had mostly dissipated and he could remember events with greater clarity than before. As he continued to drink, his brown eyes ran over Daniel. The archaeologist had passed crap and looked as though he was heading for a collapse. There was unnatural pallor to him; his blue eyes seemed puffy and red-rimmed and he avoided looking at him directly like something had happened…

Sam.

The thought struck him like a blow to the gut. He remembered how Daniel had hesitated when Jack had asked after her the last time he had stirred. Jack stopped drinking and stared at Daniel with trepidation. His throat closed up on the question.

‘So you’re awake again.’ Higgins strode into the room with a natural arrogance most doctors seemed to have ingrained.

Maybe they taught it at medical school, Jack thought derisively. He suffered through the doctor’s examination with barely concealed impatience.

‘You’re doing very well.’ Higgins said, noting the latest information on the medical chart.

‘Great.’ Jack muttered.

‘Much better than your colleague.’ Higgins said offhandedly.

Jack froze; he barely noticed Daniel’s frantic, darting look of horror at the doctor.

‘She’s developed a severe case of pneumonia.’ Higgins didn’t look up from his notes and didn’t register the dangerous quality that entered Jack’s demeanour.

‘How bad?’ Jack asked as his brown eyes flickered to Daniel accusingly who ducked his head and refused to look at him.

‘Quite bad. It’s probably a result of her over-exertion during her exposure. If she hadn’t tried to be the hero and attempted that climb out, her body wouldn’t have been so exhausted.’ Higgins commented.

Jack felt the breath leave his body unaware his face showed his shock; he’d ordered her to make the climb…

‘She’s had some trouble breathing and is on a respirator.’ Higgins continued. ‘Her temperature is spiking quite high and obviously we’re a little concerned about her heart.’

‘Her heart?’ Daniel rose from his chair.

Jack’s fleeting glance registered the surprise and worry on the younger man’s face. Obviously the heart thing was news to him too.

‘Hmmm.’ Higgins said without looking at Daniel as he continued to make notes. ‘Any rapid change in temperature to the core of the human body puts an increased strain on organs such as the heart.’

‘But she’s going to be OK?’ Daniel pressed.

‘We can’t possibly say at this point.’ Higgins said looking up to find both men staring at him fiercely. He replaced the clipboard and took a cautious step back.

‘I want to be transferred to where she is.’ Jack said impatiently.

Higgins looked at him aghast. ‘You’re in post-operative care, Colonel.’

‘I feel fine.’ Jack said, ignoring the pain that radiated across his chest and the dull ache in his leg from the break.

‘I’m sorry, Colonel, but even if I was prepared to move you so soon after surgery, I couldn’t allow you to be exposed to the risk of infection that Captain Carter’s condition presents.’

‘I’ll take the risk.’ Jack insisted.

‘I’m not prepared to allow it.’ Higgins said firmly, his back ramrod straight and his grey eyes meeting Jack’s stubbornly.

Jack suddenly lashed out sending the few objects on the bedside table next to him flying. They clattered to the floor by Daniel who jumped back in shock.

‘I said transfer me, dammit!’ Jack yelled.

Higgins took a stumbling step back before he stopped and straightened again. ‘Colonel, any further outbursts and I’ll have you restrained and sedated for your own good. Do you understand me?’ Before Jack could retort, the doctor had whirled around and left.

‘Dammit!’ Jack thumped the bed.

Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘Jack.’

Jack looked up at him angrily, brown eyes meeting blue and Daniel sighed. ‘I’ll go talk to him.’ He patted the other man’s shoulder gently before hurrying out after Higgins.

The doctor was already a fair distance along the corridor and Daniel had to yell to catch his attention.

Higgins stopped and turned round. ‘Yes?’

‘Isn’t there anyway for Jack to be placed in the same room as Sam?’ Daniel asked, coming to a stop in front of him. ‘I mean both of them have been asking about the other and I think their anxiety can’t be helping. Surely it would be better for their recovery if they were allowed to see one another?’ He gestured passionately at Higgins who sighed.

‘I’m sorry but my concern is for the Colonel and I don’t believe putting him in the same room as a severely ill patient is the best thing for him right now.’ Higgins put his hands in the pockets of his white coat. ‘He’s doing remarkably well given everything but his body has been through a tremendous ordeal and he needs time to heal.’

‘I just think Jack would heal better if he could see Sam was doing better.’ Daniel insisted.

‘And if she doesn’t do better?’ Higgins asked bluntly.

Daniel blanched and staggered back a little.

‘I’m sorry,’ Higgins said a little more gently, ‘but my decision stands.’ He walked away.

Daniel stared after him for a moment before whirling around and hitting the wall. He thrust his hands through his hair. He had to tell Jack. He made his way back into the room.

Jack knew the answer as soon as he saw Daniel’s face. ‘He didn’t go for it, did he?’

‘No.’ Daniel admitted.

‘Get Teal’c.’ Jack ordered, starting to unhook himself from the various machines he was tied up to.

‘Jack…’ Daniel began doubtfully.

‘Get Teal’c and find me some clothes, Daniel.’ Jack said roughly.

‘Maybe the doctor had a point, Jack.’ Daniel said quietly.

Jack stopped and glared at the younger man.

‘You were only in surgery less than forty-eight hours ago.’ Daniel said. ‘You have to be in a lot of pain and I think…’

‘Daniel.’ Jack’s voice whipped across the room and his hard brown stare pinned the archaeologist’s blue eyes. ‘I am going to see Carter if I have to crawl there on my hands and knees. Now are you going to help me or not?’

Daniel sighed and threw up his hands. ‘Fine. I’ll get Teal’c.’

‘And clothes, Daniel. Don’t forget the clothes.’ Jack watched him leave the room before he collapsed back on the pillows; the examination and the arguments had taken their toll on his meagre stores of physical strength.

He slapped both hands over his face. God. It wasn’t bad enough that he’d been totally useless the whole time they’d been trapped but he’d ordered her to make that stupid, senseless climb. If her condition was his fault…he couldn’t bear to think about it. Sam would get better. She would. Even if he had to order her to do it. She had to.

o-O-o

Jack sat in the wheelchair and stared at the prone figure in the bed next to him. Sam looked peaceful. Her face was mostly covered by the mask and apparatus that kept her breathing; her skin a stark white against the equally white linen on which she rested. Her startling blue eyes were closed and hidden from view. Her blonde hair was mussed around her face like a halo. What had Daniel told him that Tollan guy had called her? An angel. He’d been right. She looked angelic. He wished fervently that she would wake up and dispel the image.

He conjured up the image of her telling him her theories on what had happened to the wormhole. He hadn’t really been listening but the sound of her voice had been soothing; infused with the animated excitement she always had when she figured something out. He could listen to that all day even if he didn’t understand a word of it. Right then he would have paid good money just to hear her utter one word.

His chest ached; he was attached to his IV drip and the painkiller was dulling the worst of it but the pain more than just physical and his hand rubbed against it without conscious thought. It had been a struggle getting into the sweats Daniel and Teal’c had found for him – they’d had to figure out a way to get the pants over the cast. Daniel had found scissors and it had all gotten very ugly. It had been less of a struggle getting from the bed to the chair; Teal’c had simply picked him up.

It had been at that point that Higgins had walked back in. A furious argument had ensued and it had only ended when Teal’c glowered at the doctor and told him to leave them. Luckily, Doctor Wright seemed more inclined to view Jack’s presence in Sam’s room as a good thing and it had been her who had ensured his IV had been replaced and his medication administered.

Jack could inwardly admit getting out of his bed hadn’t been one of his better plans; he was deathly tired, his body hurt in places he didn’t want to think about and he was pretty certain he’d jarred his ribs again. But he had ended up where he had wanted to be – in viewing distance, hell, in touching distance of Carter. Not that there was any touching going on even though his hand itched to reach out and take hers.

Senior officer, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time since he had been wheeled into position. He was her CO. He wasn’t supposed to want to hold her hand. Or beg her to wake up. He kept trying to tell himself it was a reaction to the situation; their dependence on each other for survival, for human comfort, during their ordeal. He could remember her constant drive to fix the DHD, the determination on her face as she talked to him and the feel of her snuggled up against him under the blankets. He shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair.

‘You OK?’ Daniel asked worriedly seeing Jack’s movement.

‘Fine.’ Jack said dismissively. He took his eyes off Sam for a moment to glance over at Daniel. The archaeologist was sat in a chair pushed right up to the edge of the bed on the other side. He was clinging to one of Sam’s hand and Jack felt a wave of irrational jealousy that Daniel got to touch her and he couldn’t. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

‘Perhaps you should return to your bed, O’Neill.’ Teal’c’s voice rumbled beside him. He had gone along with the Colonel’s wishes but Jack knew the Jaffa didn’t believe that the action of getting out of bed had been wise.

‘I’m fine.’ Jack said crossly. His eyes returned to Sam. As much as he loved Teal’c and Daniel; as much as he appreciated everything they had done both before and after finding them and as much as he knew they needed to be with Sam too, he wished they were somewhere else. Their presence meant that he didn’t have the same freedom that he would have to touch Sam if they were alone.

He frowned.

What the hell was he thinking? Daniel and Teal’c were hardly likely to report him for simply holding Sam’s hand. He started to reach forward…

Hammond entered the room.

Jack snatched his hand back and tried to look innocent.

The General surveyed SG1 with a dispassionate eye. They all looked terrible. He focused on Daniel who looked as though he could fall asleep on his feet.

‘Doctor Jackson, the McMurdo team have organised temporary quarters for you down the hall. The nurse will show you the way.’ Hammond said.

‘Thank you, General,’ Daniel said blinking at him, ‘but I’d rather stay with Sam.’

‘I know you would, son,’ Hammond replied sympathetically, ‘but it wasn’t a suggestion; it was an order.’

‘Oh.’ Daniel looked to Jack for support.

Jack took one look at the General and sighed. He jerked his head at the door. ‘Go and get some rest, Daniel. I’ll stay with her.’

‘But…’ Daniel protested weakly.

‘You won’t do Captain Carter much good if you collapse and if we have to waste energy looking after you too.’ Hammond said firmly. ‘I’ll make sure you’re notified if there’s any change.’

Daniel rose to his feet unsteadily.

Hammond turned to Teal’c. ‘Perhaps you can see Doctor Jackson to his quarters, Teal’c.’

Teal’c bowed his head in agreement.

‘And perhaps you should also remain there and take a rest period yourself, Teal’c.’

‘I do not require…’ Teal’c began.

‘Yes, you do.’ Hammond stated authoratively.

Teal’c seemed to consider his options for a long moment. ‘I will rest.’

‘Thank you, Teal’c.’ Hammond waited until Teal’c and Daniel had left the room – the Jaffa visibly supporting the weaving archaeologist – before he drew up a chair next to Jack and sat down. ‘How’re you doing, Jack?’

‘I’ve been better.’ Jack replied succinctly.

Hammond gave a huff of agreement. ‘Doctor Higgins…’

‘I couldn’t give a rat’s…’

‘Colonel.’ Hammond said warningly.

‘Sorry.’ Jack reined himself back in. ‘You were saying, sir?’

‘I was saying Doctor Higgins reported you for gross insubordination.’ Hammond waited a moment. ‘And I told him I couldn’t give a rat’s ass.’

Jack’s lips lifted briefly in a semblance of a smile.

‘Your bed is being transferred here.’ Hammond said. ‘I expect when it’s ready, you will stay in it.’

The order was implicit in the General’s tone and Jack nodded. Hammond had obviously gone to bat for him and his team. ‘I could use a bed.’ He said diplomatically.

Hammond acknowledged Jack’s capitulation with a nod. He indicated the Air Force officer in front of them. ‘How is she?’

‘No change.’ Jack felt his throat close up on the words.

Hammond sighed deeply. ‘I’m wondering whether I should call her father. He wanted to come out earlier and I convinced him not to but that was before she…’ his voice dropped away.

‘I’d leave it another twenty-four hours.’ Jack advised. He knew the General had a personal relationship with the Carter family; seeing Sam so ill had to hard on Hammond. ‘Carter’s a tough cookie. She’ll come through this.’

‘That’s good advice, Jack.’

Jack looked away from him, back towards Sam. ‘Maybe I just don’t want my ass kicked by two Major Generals.’

‘I wasn’t aware I was kicking your…uh…ass.’ Hammond pointed out.

‘I deserve a little ass-kicking.’ Jack said. ‘It’s my fault.’

‘This is not your fault, Jack.’ Hammond said forcefully.

‘Isn’t it?’ Jack gestured at the bed. ‘Higgins told me the infection was likely brought on by her overexerting herself by climbing to the top of the fissure. I ordered her to do that.’

Hammond frowned. ‘Well, it seems to me Higgins is talking a lot of bull. Sam might have gotten just as sick if she’d remained constantly in the chamber with you. We’ll never know.’

‘No.’ Jack repeated. ‘We’ll never know.’

Hammond let it drop. He knew there was nothing he could say that would stop Jack from blaming himself.

‘Sam was…she was outstanding the whole time, General.’ Jack said softly. He shook his head. ‘I was out of it most of the time but she never stopped working to get us home.’

‘She’s a good officer.’ Hammond replied proudly.

‘Yes.’ Jack’s brown eyes were fixed to Sam’s face. ‘She is.’

Hammond looked over at him. He frowned in confusion at the mix of emotions playing across the Colonel’s face. SG1 were a close-knit team but he feared the relationship between the Colonel and the Captain was already coming close to skirting the boundaries allowed by the military regulations. He shook away the thought and refused to dwell on it. There was no evidence the relationship between the two had become inappropriate. They sat together for a while simply watching Sam before Hammond sighed heavily.

‘Sir?’ Jack asked questioningly.

‘I hate this.’ Hammond admitted.

Jack raised a questioning eyebrow.

‘The waiting.’ Hammond explained. ‘It reminds me of when my wife was sick.’

‘Was sick, sir?’ Jack asked delicately.

‘She died four years ago.’ Hammond said. ‘Cancer.’ The pain of losing her was evident in his voice.

Jack winced and wished he hadn’t asked the question. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, sir.’

‘There’s no need to be sorry, Colonel. We had a good life together.’ Hammond found himself confiding. ‘A beautiful daughter. Two lovely grand-kids.’

‘Grand-kids?’ Jack was surprised into looking at Hammond. The General was a grandfather?

‘Two grand-daughters, Kayla and Tessa.’ Hammond said. ‘I have photos.’ He patted the top pocket of his uniform. ‘Don’t make me show you.’

Jack smiled, his attention returning to Sam.

‘You know off-duty you can call me George.’ Hammond said impulsively.

‘I don’t think I can.’ Jack answered. He caught Hammond’s perplexed look. ‘I’ll try calling you George but I’m fairly sure General will come out instead. Besides, if I get mixed up and call you George in the gate room, what would that do for base discipline?’

Hammond laughed. He was about to reply when a bed was pushed through the door by two orderlies.

Jack sighed. He had to admit the bed was looking good to him.

‘I think this is my signal to leave.’ Hammond rose from his chair. ‘Get some rest, Colonel.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jack replied absently as the General left the room. The two orderlies turned to Jack and he sighed. ‘Could you give me a minute here?’

The orderlies looked at each other and the senior man gave a shrug. ‘Press the call button. We’ll be waiting at the nurse’s station, sir.’

‘Thanks.’ Jack said. He inched forward and picked up Sam’s limp hand. ‘I’m not good at this stuff, Sam, so I’m just going to say this once.’ He stopped; what did he want to say? Did he have the words to say it? He took a deep breath. ‘You never gave up back there and…I don’t want you giving up now.’ He struggled against what he wanted to say with what he was allowed to say. ‘I need you to get better here, Sam.’ His callused thumb rubbed over her knuckles. ‘That’s an order, Carter.’ He added gently.

She stirred and he watched as her blue eyes opened to snag his and hold them. His breath caught in his throat. Her fingers rubbed infinitesimally against his as her eyes closed again slowly.

Jack let out a shaky breath. He gave her hand a final squeeze and reached for the call button.

o-O-o

The laughter coming from the recovery room could be heard at the other end of the corridor as Hammond turned the corner with the SGC CMO Janet Fraiser. His thin eyebrows rose slightly and he stopped listening to the doctor’s report on the reason why he needed to sign a requisition form for some piece of medical equipment that apparently was urgently needed.

‘Sir?’ Janet asked a little impatiently realising that she had lost his attention.

Hammond turned to the petite brunette and smiled apologetically. ‘Is there usually this much noise?’ He wondered out loud as they came to a halt a safe distance away from the babble.

‘Only since Colonel O’Neill and Captain Carter arrived back yesterday, sir.’ Janet said wryly. The infirmary had been overrun with well-wishers when the two officers had finally been transferred back to the SGC more than a week after their rescue in Antarctica. She had come back from her own leave of absence early to oversee their arrival. It was good to have them back, Janet mused, even if a small part of her didn’t appreciate the chaos that it had brought to her infirmary.

‘How are they doing?’ Hammond asked.

‘Colonel O’Neill is making excellent progress, sir.’ Janet said. ‘His ribs and broken leg are mending well.’

‘Excellent.’ Hammond said. ‘And Captain Carter?’

‘She’s clear of the infection, sir, but it will take a while for her to recover her strength.’ Janet said crisply. ‘Both of them seem to be in good spirits though which is assisting their recovery.’

‘Yes, I can hear that.’ Hammond murmured. ‘You’ve placed them together in the same recovery room?’

Janet nodded. ‘I spoke with Doctor Wright, General, and I concur with her that their recovery is being assisted by being in close proximity to each other.’

‘I see.’

Janet picked up on the concern in his voice and smiled. ‘It’s a normal reaction to this kind of trauma, sir. For a significant amount of time they were reliant on only each other and that has created an unnatural dependence which both of them are still experiencing. I expect over time, as they get stronger and recover, they’ll lose that dependence.’

Hammond nodded. ‘Thank you, Doctor.’ He gestured back up the corridor. ‘Don’t forget to send me that requisition order.’

‘No, sir.’ Janet watched Hammond stride away before she walked on to the recovery room. She schooled her features before entering.

All of SG1 were attendance; Teal’c was stood by Sam’s side examining the picture Janet’s soon-to-be-adopted daughter, Cassie, had drawn of him, Daniel was standing looking at the same picture over the Jaffa’s shoulder. Janet had seen the picture. Cassie had drawn it as a thank you to Teal’c for saving her on the planet Hanka.

‘It’s definitely you, Teal’c.’ Daniel said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

‘I am honoured.’ Teal’c bowed to the small thin girl perched on Sam’s bed.

Janet scanned the other occupants of the room as Cassie grabbed the picture and ran round to Colonel O’Neill’s bed at his demand to be shown the artwork. The Colonel’s colour was good but she could tell his pain medication was wearing off at the way he grimaced as Cassie climbed on his bed. Sam was beaming at the sight of Jack with Cassie but Janet could see she was tired; not that the Captain would ever admit it.

The doctor cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest. The chatter in the room ceased immediately. She smiled at Cassie. ‘I think it’s time the Colonel and the Captain have a rest.’

‘But…’ Cassie protested loudly.

Jack thought about protesting himself but a quick glance over at Sam had him reconsidering.

‘No buts, young lady.’ Janet said sternly although her brown eyes twinkled. ‘Come on, I’ll get your paints set up in my office.’

‘Well, if you want Teal’c and I could look after her.’ Daniel offered hesitantly. He gestured at Cassie. ‘How about a game of Jackals and Hounds?’

‘Can I?’ Cassie said pleadingly to Janet. ‘Please?’

‘Are you sure you…?’ Janet began.

‘Absolutely sure.’ Daniel hurried to reassure her. He poked Teal’c’s ribs. ‘Aren’t we?’

Teal’c shot Daniel a dirty look for the poke but inclined his head toward Janet. ‘We would be pleased to offer our assistance, Doctor Fraiser.’

Janet shrugged. ‘Well, OK, then.’

Jack gave Cassie a quick squeeze. ‘Go on, kiddo. We’ll catch up later.’

Cassie rolled her eyes but turned and gave Jack a hug before she slid off the bed. She didn’t notice the wince and the way the Colonel rubbed his chest as she headed over to Sam although Janet did.

The Captain leaned down to cuddle the young girl. ‘We’ll see you later.’ Sam promised.

Cassie nodded and skipped over to take Daniel’s hand.

Janet ushered the guests out of the recovery room and smiled at her patients. ‘Get some rest.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Jack muttered as the door closed on the doctor.

Sam giggled.

Jack looked over at her and wagged his finger. ‘What did I say about giggling?’

Sam smiled at him and he smiled back. She had to force herself to break the eye contact and looked around desperately for something to distract her. Her hand landed on the homemade get well card Cassie had made for her. She picked it up and reread it before she placed it on a crowded bedside table already overflowing with cards, balloons and flowers.

She recognised on one level that her relationship with the Colonel was in an odd place; their shared experience had bonded them in a way nobody else including Daniel and Teal’c could understand. She knew that the separation anxiety they felt when out of sight of the other was part of that and she knew it would disappear in time. But she couldn’t deny she was enjoying the new level of closeness between them.

It had always seemed to her that there had been a distance between her and the Colonel that didn’t exist between him and the other members of their team. At first she had put it down to it being a guy thing but she had ultimately recognised that it was due to the nature of their working relationship, their military ranks; Jack was her CO. While he was more laid back about protocol than most of the other senior officers she had worked with, he had consciously or unconsciously invoked a professional distance between them for the most part especially after they had both suffered from the Neanderthal virus. She had accepted it gratefully in many respects; there were enough challenges for a female officer as it was without unnecessary gossip arising. But if she was honest it had also grated on her that she was the only one in the team with whom he maintained that kind of professional distance and she had enjoyed the few times that distance had slipped away, like the time he had hugged her after they had realised Daniel was still alive. But, since Antarctica, there was no distance…it was completely gone.

And she liked it.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She began to nervously rearrange the cards on her bedside table unaware that Jack was watching her with amusement. The problem was she liked the lack of distance too much, she mused. She sighed, her hand poised over one card. She had never denied that she found Jack attractive; God what wasn’t to like? He was tall, cute, had gorgeous brown eyes and a great physique that men half his age would kill for. And she liked him as a person. She continued to straighten her cards. He was smart, a lot smarter than he let on, and he had a great personality; sure he could be brusque, dismissive even intolerant but on the flip side he could also be funny, charming and quite frankly, adorable. Her hand stilled. She had just used the word adorable in relation to her CO. Oh boy. This was so not good. Maybe she wasn’t really falling for him, she thought desperately; maybe it was just a crush.

She’d get over it, she determined, she had to get over it, he was her CO. She bit her lip and continued with her card ordering. If she didn’t get over it then she would lose her place on SG1 and she couldn’t contemplate that; she loved being part of the team and their mission was important; too important for her feelings to get in the way of achieving the mission objective.

‘Are you ordering by recipient or by the pictures on the front?’ Jack asked half-seriously.

‘Alphabetically by the pictures on the front.’ Sam responded absently, her thoughts still racing. She suddenly realised what she had said and blushed furiously turning to look at his amused face with chagrin. ‘Sorry, I was thinking.’

‘So I gathered.’ Jack said, gesturing at her cards. ‘What about?’

Sam knew there was nothing on Earth that was going to get her to admit the truth. ‘Just…stuff.’

‘Stuff, huh?’ Jack nodded sagely. ‘Well, stuff is important.’ It was only the glint in his eyes that gave away he was teasing her.

Sam rolled her eyes at him and sank back onto her pillows. ‘I was thinking about Antarctica.’ She settled on telling him a half-truth.

Jack had been wondering when she would raise their time alone together. The first few days she had been completely out of it and while she’d been staying awake for longer and longer periods over the last couple of days, he had kept their conversations light for the most part. He altered his position so he could look at her fully and noticed she did the same mirroring him. ‘So what about Antarctica?’

‘Everything, I guess.’ Sam said vaguely, regretting her choice of topic as a cover. She wasn’t sure she was ready to discuss what had happened.

‘You know you did great, Sam.’ Jack said softly.

‘I couldn’t save us.’ The words came rushing out before she could stop them and she silently berated herself for the admission even as she avoided looking at him.

‘Sam, look at me.’

There was enough of an order in the tone for her to automatically comply.

Jack held her questioning blue eyes with his. ‘You had absolutely no way of knowing that there was another Stargate on Earth. Daniel only worked it out because your attempt to dial home alerted him to the possibility.’

‘I just…’ Sam gestured weakly at him, ‘feel like I should have known; that I should have worked it out myself.’

‘Why?’ Jack asked seriously. ‘There’s never been any evidence of another Stargate on Earth or of multiple gates on other planets we’ve visited. It impressed the hell out of me that you could even work out the whole wormhole jumping thing.’

Sam’s lips lifted briefly but she didn’t look convinced.

Jack sighed. ‘At least you tried something to save us. All I could do was lie on the ground and watch you.’ He blinked a little at his own confession. The remembered frustration, mixed with his own ever-present guilt at how he had left her to do all the work, gave the words a rawness that made him uncomfortable.

Sam frowned at him. ‘You were injured.’

‘Your point?’ Jack asked wryly.

‘You kept me focused.’ Sam said softly. ‘You may have noticed I have this tendency to think too much.’

‘Nope. Never noticed.’ Jack quipped, his eyes flickering momentarily back to her cards.

She smiled at him seeing the direction of his gaze.

Jack hastily cleared his throat. ‘I tell you what. Why don’t we both agree we did the best we could?’

‘OK.’ Sam agreed. If it made him feel better about what had happened she was happy to acquiesce.

‘Good.’ Jack was pleased. Hopefully, he mused, Sam could move on and find some peace about what had happened. He looked about for another subject and his gaze drifted back to the cards. ‘Guess the big one’s from your Dad.’

Sam nodded.

‘A General, huh? Was your decision to join up a family thing?’ Jack asked curious.

‘A little.’ Sam admitted, tucking her arm under her pillow to get more comfortable as she shifted onto her side to look at him. ‘But mostly because I wanted to be an astronaut.’ She paused. ‘What about you?’ She asked impulsively, taking advantage of his openness.

Jack adjusted his own position to follow her example. ‘Family thing.’ He admitted. ‘Fourth generation.’

‘Wow.’

He shrugged as much as he could in the prone position. ‘Your Dad going to come visit you?’

Sam shook her head. ‘He doesn’t have clearance for the SGC.’

‘So your Dad thinks you’re…’

‘Analysing deep space radar telemetry.’ Sam supplied.

‘Ah!’ Jack frowned. He had a feeling from her expression that their cover story hadn’t impressed her Dad much. ‘Sometimes it sucks doesn’t it?’

Sam looked at him quizzically.

‘Not being able to tell the world you travel to other planets every day and fight alien bad guys.’ Jack expanded.

She smiled at the cartoon hero image he had conjured up with his description. ‘Yeah, sometimes it sucks.’

‘So why alphabetically by the picture and not by size?’ Jack asked changing the subject to something lighter.

It took her a moment to realise he was asking about her organisation strategy for the cards. ‘I only have three different pictures,’ she said a little self-consciously, ‘so they kind of gave me the categories and…’ she stopped as he started grinning. Her eyes darted briefly to his bedside table which was as equally crowded with cards as her own and careened to a stop. Her gaze narrowed suspiciously. ‘You order them by size.’ She said accusingly.

‘I do not.’ Jack denied heatedly.

‘You do too.’ Sam retorted.

‘At least I’m not organising them alphabetically.’ Jack grumbled a little embarrassed he’d been discovered. ‘How did you…?’

‘The large one is at the back. They go in descending size to the front and you placed Cassie’s in the correct position rather than randomly.’ Sam reeled off.

‘I’ll have to watch that in the future.’ Jack muttered.

Sam’s eyes drifted over the stack of cards and settled on one in the middle with a picture of a cartoon dog on the front. ‘Who sent you the dog card?’ She asked idly.

Jack glanced at it. ‘Sara.’

His wife, Sam thought with a bite of jealousy. It was evident to her that her CO was holding a torch for the woman even though as far as she knew they had been separated for a long time. She pushed the feeling away. She had no right to feel jealous, she reminded herself. Whatever had happened between herself and Jack in Antarctica, he was still her CO and off-limits. She felt the dull throb of disappointment and determinedly decided to move past it. She cleared her throat. ‘It was nice of your wife to send a get-well card.’

‘Ex-wife, Carter.’ Jack replied, looking back at Sam.

Sam found her mouth opening to say something and she hastily snapped it shut. Unfortunately Jack noticed and frowned at her.

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ Sam said.

‘Just spit it out, Carter.’ Jack encouraged firmly.

‘Well, it’s just…’ Sam began a little hesitantly and her fingers rubbed anxiously at her bed sheet, ‘when I came back from the climb you called me Sara.’

Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘I did?’

She nodded.

Jack frowned as he stared at the floor. He couldn’t remember her returning from the climb and the last thing he did remember was telling Sam it had been an honour serving with her. ‘I was obviously delusional.’ He muttered.

Sam visibly flinched despite her efforts not to feel hurt by the comment. Of course Jack would conclude he was delusional, she thought unhappily; it was evident that she couldn’t compare to Sara, and Jack was probably wondering how on Earth he could have mixed the two of them up…she hoped fervently that she would get over her crush as fast as she had fallen into it.

Jack missed her reaction, his gaze and his thoughts elsewhere. His own mind churned uneasily over the news that he had called her Sara. ‘I wasn’t even thinking about Sara.’ His eyes widened as he realised he said the words out loud. They flickered back to Sam nervously.

‘You weren’t?’ Sam blurted out the question before she could stop herself.

Jack stared at her.

‘I mean I just thought you’d probably done what you did in Iraq.’ Sam explained hurriedly. She registered his confusion. ‘Thought about your wife to get you through it.’

‘Ah.’ Jack could understand why she’d jumped to that conclusion as their discussion when she had splinted his leg came back to him. ‘No.’ He said slowly. ‘I didn’t think about Sara at all.’ His brown eyes remained steady on Sam’s blue gaze.

Sam felt a warm glow flood over her body. Stop it, Sam, she cautioned herself. Just because he hadn’t been thinking about his wife didn’t mean he had been thinking about her.

‘I’m sorry.’ Jack said softly.

She frowned at him. ‘What for?’

‘Well, I’m given to understand most women don’t like being called the wrong name.’ Jack said, lightening his tone and hoping she would accept his apology.

Sam smiled at him. ‘There were extenuating circumstances. I think I can forgive you.’

He relaxed a little. ‘So is there anything else that happened after you came back that I should know about?’

She shook her head quickly. ‘No.’

‘No?’ Jack pressed seeing her eyes suddenly become guarded.

‘I just…’ Sam shrugged self-consciously. ‘I told you it was an honour serving with you too.’

The room was suddenly silent as blue eyes locked onto chocolate brown and held.

A clatter of a trolley in the corridor had them snapping their attention to the closed door.

Jack sighed and turned back to Sam. He noticed the faint white lines of tiredness creasing her face and gestured at her. ‘You should rest.’

Sam smiled but nodded at the implicit order. She was tired. ‘Yes, sir.’ She snuggled down into the covers and closed her eyes.

Jack watched her as she drifted into sleep.

Sir.

It was the first time she had called him ‘sir’ since the ice cave. He grimaced at the reminder of their ranks and positions. At that moment he fervently wished he wasn’t her CO.

He couldn’t believe he had called her Sara. His divorce proceedings had been in progress for a while and he had accepted that his marriage was over. He loved Sara – a part of him always would – but it hadn’t been the thought of Sara that had got him through his experience in the ice cave; it had been Sam. He didn’t know what that meant; if it meant anything. He had a sudden thought that it probably explained why he had called Sam ‘Sara’. Sara had always been what had got him through in the past and as Sam had gotten him through this time…maybe that was why his brain had associated Sam with Sara when he’d been delusional with hypothermia.

He shifted restlessly to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling. Sara was no longer the woman who occupied his thoughts. That woman was lying in the next bed and completely out of bounds to him. As her CO he wasn’t meant to find Sam attractive or develop feelings of a personal nature for her beyond the nebulous team friendship stuff the regulations did allow. But Antarctica had ripped away some of his own self-deception about their relationship; he already cared about Sam, Jack realised, a little bit more than he should.

He wasn’t an adolescent boy either. He knew what he was feeling was more than lust or the healthy attraction of a man to a beautiful woman. Sam was so much more than a gorgeous blue-eyed blonde with legs that went on forever. She was a competent soldier, a brilliant scientific genius, a quirky woman with a wicked sense of humour, a kind heart and a protective, loyal streak a mile wide. Every time he discovered a new facet to her, it seemed to erode his ability to view her completely professionally that little bit more. He wasn’t in love, he assured himself defiantly, but he wasn’t able to fool himself completely. He knew if he took one more small step in the direction he was heading, he would be so far over the line the regulations allowed he would never be able to re-establish the distance their positions required and if he couldn’t, they wouldn’t be able to stay on the same team.

He took a moment to consider the idea. Would it be so bad? Maybe he could retire again…he frowned. He had returned to duty for a reason; the fight against the Goa’uld. A fight that was in no small part a consequence of his own actions; if he hadn’t killed Ra, Apophis might never have strayed into Ra’s territory, might never have known about Earth. Jack sighed. He believed he had done the right thing in killing Ra but there was no doubt that his action had precipitated the current conflict and he felt a responsibility to clean it up.

He could request to be replaced and for him to lead another team but he wasn’t quite certain there was another SG team commander that he would trust to lead his team. His team. There was the rub. Jack considered SG1 his team. They all meant a great deal to him, not just Sam but also Daniel and Teal’c. He didn’t know if he left and something happened to them whether he would be able to live with knowing if he’d stayed he might have prevented the hypothetical disaster. All of which meant he couldn’t see himself leaving SG1 so if he couldn’t control his feelings for Sam, it was Sam who would have to leave the team.

Over his dead body.

The thought shot through Jack like an arrow. Sam was an exceptional officer. He had been telling the truth when he had told her it had been an honour to serve with her. She had a great future ahead of her and he had no right to get in the way of it. It would be spectacularly unfair if he blighted her career because he cared about her too much…he edged away from the thought. No, if he cared about her at all, which he did, Jack admitted to himself, he would make damn sure her career was protected from any idiocy on his part.

Besides, there was no doubt in his mind that SG1 were the best team in the SGC. It wasn’t a question of immodesty; it was fact. Their mix of skills and experience worked in some bizarre, crazy way and he really did believe that they were part of the solution to the Goa’uld. If either he or Sam left the team, it would weaken their chances of defeating their enemy somehow and that was just unacceptable to him.

All of which meant, Jack realised with more than a little regret that he was going to have to get their relationship back to some semblance of the status quo before their little side trip to Antarctica. His eyes slid back to Sam. They’d been close since their shared trauma, probably in part because of it, and easing back from that was going to be painful for them both. He figured she already knew that. That ‘sir’ she had hit him with just before she had gone to sleep…she was already beginning the process, he realised.

His chest tightened in disappointment. Why wouldn’t she? He asked himself furiously. While she might feel closer to him because of what had happened, there was no reason for him to believe her feelings for him were anything other than an appropriate fondness and respect for her team-leader. She had never hinted that she might feel anything more for him than that, and he wasn’t counting the whole locker-room kiss thing when she had been under the influence of an alien virus, because well, she had been under the influence of an alien virus. She was a young, beautiful, vibrant woman with intelligence and grace; why would she even look at someone like him? In some ways her lack of interest in him was a good thing, he mused ignoring the twinge of disappointment he felt. It was a good way to keep his own feelings in check; she didn’t feel the same way so nothing would ever happen and he would never place her in the position of knowing how he felt and complicating life for them both.

He sighed and closed his eyes settling into a more comfortable position to sleep. But maybe with that in mind, if nothing was ever going to happen between them, maybe he didn’t need quite as much distance between them as had existed before, he mused. He led Daniel and Teal’c without a professional distance and there was no reason to suppose he wouldn’t be able to lead Sam. So long as they maintained a certain formality in front of other military personnel, he didn’t see the problem. His mind fixed at last on a way forward, he finally let himself sleep.

o-O-o

Daniel’s eyes darted from the engravings on the stone wall in front of him and back to his notebook. He pushed his glasses up his nose and scribbled down the next set of words. From what he had been able to translate, the wall told of an ancient battle between Ra and Apophis. He had a feeling it was going to be fascinating when he had the time to sit down and transcribe it properly. He sighed contentedly drawing an inquiring glance from Teal’c who was stood beside him watching the immediate area for any sign of trouble. Daniel grinned at the Jaffa which prompted a raised eyebrow and an understanding nod. Both of them were happy to be back out in the field as SG1 after two months of downtime. Daniel looked behind him briefly at the camp where Jack and Sam were busy packing everything up from their overnight stay.

The archaeologist shook his head fondly at them before he returned his attention to the wall. It had been a strange couple of months of downtime, Daniel mused as he continued to note down the various symbols and words in front of him. He had managed to get caught up on all his translations and artefact examinations; had even found time to spend on the computer model of the information device they had found when recovering Ernest Littlefield. Teal’c had more often than not accompanied other SG teams off-world but whenever the Jaffa had returned from a mission, SG1 had all congregated together to hear about his adventures.

A couple of weeks before, Teal’c had been on the initial reconnaissance of the planet they were currently exploring; no signs of inhabited life, a nice temperate climate and ancient ruins that required translation. Hammond had held off assigning the mission to another SG team and had presented it to SG1 when Jack had returned to full active duty the week before. It was a relatively safe first mission back and nobody on SG1 was complaining.

Daniel let his eyes stray back to his team-mates momentarily as though to check they were both OK. Despite her initial set-back with the pneumonia, it had been Sam who had recovered and returned to active duty first. After completing a full gate diagnostic with Sergeant Siler to confirm there were no long term effects of the power surge that had caused the wormhole to jump to Antarctica, she had immediately immersed herself in her lab. Jack, who had been declared fit for light duties, or as he had put them paperwork duties, had taken it upon himself to ensure she didn’t overwork. More often than not, he inveigled Daniel out of his office at the same time as pulling Sam from her lab and the three of them, four if Teal’c was around, would find themselves in the mess eating a snack or watching the sunset from the top of the mountain. Daniel had to admit that the moments had helped keep them a cohesive team in the absence of their usual missions although he had a feeling that outcome hadn’t been Jack’s primary motivation. Daniel had rapidly come to the conclusion that Jack’s primary motivation had everything to do with his continuing separation anxiety for a certain blonde Air Force officer.

His pen paused for a moment against the page before he resumed transcribing. There had been a subtle shift in the relationship between his two friends. Daniel had expected there would be some impact from their experience in Antarctica, after all the experience had been too intense, too dramatic for it to have no effect at all. He hadn’t been surprised that the separation anxiety had lasted nor that they seemed closer. It seemed to Daniel that Jack had decided to abandon his previous stance of maintaining a completely military relationship with Sam and had started to treat her exactly the same as he treated Daniel and Teal’c; the only difference being that he was careful to display the appropriate formality normally required in front of other military officers. Sam maintained more of a semblance of their previous formality but there was a definite light-heartedness about some of her exchanges with Jack that the Captain had never displayed before with her CO.

Daniel thought the change was for the better; he knew the regulations were in place for a reason but SG1 wasn’t a typical team and he figured Jack treating Sam the same as himself and Teal’c was much fairer to the Captain. He was pleased though with the older man’s consideration of Sam’s career in ensuring the formality was in place when it was needed and he appreciated Sam’s caution in being unwilling to fully relinquish it even in the relative privacy of an off-world mission with only her team in attendance. If the shift in the boundary of their professional relationship had been the only change in their relationship, Daniel would have been content instead he was faintly uneasy because it wasn’t the only change he had noticed between Sam and Jack; it seemed Antarctica had magnified the attraction that had always existed between the two of them.

Strangely, Daniel mused, it had only hit him the night before. They had all been sat around the campfire talking; Sam and Jack had been sitting next to each other but that wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was suddenly realising in the middle of the conversation, that Jack would occasionally look at Sam with a wistful expression when he thought he wasn’t being watched and that Sam was sneaking glances at Jack when she thought nobody was looking. There had been one moment when their gazes had collided and they had both smiled apologetically but they hadn’t looked away. Daniel had been about to tease them both about it when Teal’c had suddenly made a comment about the forest that had diverted their attention and the moment had passed. In hindsight, Daniel realised the Jaffa had done it deliberately.

He looked over at Teal’c and wondered whether he should broach the subject. It had actually been Teal’c who had alerted him to the possibility of the pair being attracted to each other before. Teal’c’s ‘sit-back-and-observe’ approach worked well for him and he often picked up on things that others missed. Daniel had to admit he was incredibly curious about what the Jaffa had observed about Sam and Jack…

‘You finished, Daniel, or are you just staring into space for no reason?’

Jack’s voice behind him startled him and he almost dropped his pen. He fidgeted with his glasses and gestured at the wall. ‘I have one more section.’

Jack sighed. He glanced around the small clearing and his eyes landed on Sam who had lined up their gear already to go.

‘Perhaps Captain Carter and I should go on ahead to the Stargate.’ Teal’c suggested.

The Colonel looked over at the Jaffa. He was probably bored, Jack thought amused. He couldn’t blame him; he was bored and he hadn’t been stood for the last hour watching Daniel scribble into his notebook. He nodded and gestured towards the path. ‘Sure. You and Carter go on ahead.’

Teal’c inclined his head, hefted his staff weapon and set off towards Sam. A moment later both of them walked to the path and disappeared.

Jack glanced around for somewhere to rest and saw a large boulder next to Daniel. He made himself comfortable as he scanned the tree line for any sign of trouble.

‘How’s the leg?’ Daniel asked as he peered at a faded word and wrinkled his nose as he tried to make the symbols out.

‘OK.’ Jack said automatically.

Daniel shot him a look.

‘It’s fine.’ Jack said defensively.

The archaeologist gave him another look of disbelief and dropped the subject. According to most medical experts and from his own research, Jack had pushed his recovery a little.

‘So it sounds like you’re enjoying your new apartment.’ Jack said idly. Daniel had mentioned his new neighbours during their discussion at breakfast.

‘Hmmm.’ Daniel tried to tune him out as he completed his work. He had finally moved out of Jack’s a couple of weeks earlier. He was more than thankful that Jack had given him a place to stay when he had lost his old home after being believed dead but it was nice to have his personal space again.

‘Are you planning on inviting us over at some point?’ Jack asked, disturbing Daniel’s concentration again.

Daniel blew out a breath in frustration. ‘Do you want me to finish this or not?’

They glared at each other for a moment.

Jack lifted his hand from his weapon and waved at the ruins. ‘Carry on.’ He said magnanimously.

Silence reigned for a few minutes until Daniel glanced over and saw Jack gazing off at the path worriedly.

‘You know,’ Daniel began hesitantly, ‘I’ve spent most of my time this mission just checking that you and Sam are still with us.’

Jack’s head snapped back round to him. He shifted on the rock.

‘I guess it’s going to be sometime before you stop worrying about Sam.’ Daniel offered. ‘The whole separation anxiety thing.’

Jack shrugged uneasy with the conversation.

‘You both seem different.’ Daniel said as he crouched for the last few lines on the lower part of the ruin.

Jack looked at the archaeologist alarmed.

‘Closer.’ Daniel continued unaware of his friend’s reaction.

‘You don’t go through something like we went through without it bringing you closer together, Daniel.’ Jack said calmly, relaxing a little.

‘I know it’s just I’m used to the two of you maintaining a certain…’ Daniel struggled to find a word.

‘Distance?’ Jack offered.

‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘Distance.’

Jack gave a rueful smile. ‘We’re military, Daniel. There’s always going to be some distance between Carter and me; there has to be, but it seems a little pointless when it’s just us. I mean, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m her CO. It’s not like anything can happen between us just because there’s less…distance.’ He stopped with the sudden thought that he was babbling and that Daniel had turned to look at him oddly. ‘What?’

Daniel shook his head and turned back to his work. If he didn’t know any better he would say Jack was more than attracted to Sam; he sounded like he was a little sweet on her…his hand stilled abruptly and he literally rocked back on his feet. Suddenly the looks between the two of them made a horrible kind of sense. It seemed their Antarctica experience hadn’t just magnified their attraction, it had deepened it.

‘You done?’ Jack asked, breaking into Daniel’s thoughts.

‘Uh?’ Daniel blinked at him.

Jack’s eyebrows rose slightly. ‘Are you done?’

Daniel looked back at the wall. ‘Almost.’ He started to write again knowing without looking that Jack was shaking his head in exasperation. He wondered if Jack even realised how he felt about Sam or if he had a clue Sam might feel the same way about him. Maybe the older man had convinced himself anything he or they did feel was just a lingering after effect of their experience. From the sound of it Jack had managed to convince himself having a lack of distance was some kind of conscious decision to be fair to Sam given the other team dynamics rather than any unconscious desire to retain their closeness.

Daniel almost opened his mouth to say something before he reconsidered. He suddenly realised why Teal’c had intervened at the campfire before he could tease the couple. If either he or Teal’c raised the matter it would bring it out into the open and while that would have major ramifications for the couple personally it would also have ramifications for the team given Jack and Sam’s military positions.

The archaeologist shifted uneasily as he admitted quietly to himself that he selfishly liked the status quo. But if his friends did have feelings for each other, didn’t they deserve to be happy? To be together? Possibly, he answered his own question silently, but it was their choice and both of them for whatever reason had decided to ignore what was between them, consciously or unconsciously and continue as before. Maybe he should simply respect their decision. He sighed and finished the last line with a flourish.

‘I’m done.’

‘Great.’ Jack pushed off the boulder and waited impatiently as Daniel packed his notebook away. He did a final check of the clearing before they set off to the Stargate.

The closer they got to the others, the more Daniel felt the urge to say something, anything to Jack about the change in the Colonel’s relationship with Sam.

‘Jack.’

‘Daniel.’

‘About you and Sam…’

Jack looked over at him cautiously. ‘What about us?’

‘I just…’ Daniel’s blue eyes flickered to Jack and he couldn’t say it. He sighed. ‘I’m glad the two of you are back.’

‘Well, we’re glad to be back.’ Jack said easily.

Daniel nodded as they cleared the forest and made their way across the short expanse of grass to the DHD where Teal’c and Sam were waiting.

‘Dial it up, Carter.’ Jack said with a wide smile as he came to a halt next to the Captain.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam smiled back. She seemed to be smiling at him a lot, she realised as she reached for the DHD. She was going to have to watch that.

They all watched as the wormhole engaged with a satisfying blue whoosh before it shifted into the usual rippling blue puddle.

Jack confirmed the IDC signal was sent and gestured for Teal’c and Daniel to move off as he stayed behind to help Sam with her sample cases. He looked up to find them both still waiting on the steps.

‘What’s up?’ Jack asked impatiently.

Daniel looked back at Jack and Sam. ‘It’s just…the last time we did this…’ he sighed, ‘we were separated.’

‘Teal’c?’ Jack couldn’t believe the Jaffa had any concerns.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t confirming he was nervous about their trip back but he wasn’t denying it either. As much as he was unwilling to admit it, he found the possibility of the team being separated again unsettling.

‘Has it occurred to you that if we hadn’t been separated we would all be frozen popsicles right now?’ Jack asked exasperated.

Daniel crossed his arms and glared at him; Teal’c’s eyebrow crept a little higher.

‘And I don’t suppose it’ll do any good if Carter explains why we all won’t get separated this time?’ Jack said. He frowned suddenly and his gaze flickered to Sam. ‘Uh…we all won’t get separated this time, right?’

Her warm smile was reassuring. ‘Right, sir. Not unless an unknown assailant suddenly comes out of nowhere and hits the gate with a high energy blast causing the wormhole to jump mid-transit.’

He scowled for effect. ‘You couldn’t have just said no?’

The smile on her face broadened and her blue eyes twinkled back at him irrepressively.

Jack sighed again. He gestured at the wormhole. ‘OK. Carter and I will go first…’

‘No.’ Daniel said firmly, interrupting him.

‘No?’ Jack repeated the word coloured with his startled outrage.

‘If Teal’c and I go last then we’ll get stuck together on wherever the wormhole jumps to, and…uh,’ Daniel waved at the Jaffa, ‘no offence, Teal’c, but I’d rather be stuck with Sam; she can fix the DHD.’

‘No offence taken.’ Teal’c murmured. ‘I too would prefer to be stuck with Captain Carter.’

Daniel shot him a look wondering if he’d just been insulted; Teal’c looked impassively back at him.

‘Look, if anybody’s getting stuck with Carter, it’s me.’ Jack said oblivious to the by-play between the two other men.

He suddenly found himself the focus of three pairs of eyes and realised what he’d said and how possessive he’d sounded. Great job, Jack, he berated himself silently.

‘Shovel, Jack?’ Daniel couldn’t help the teasing comment.

Jack glared at him. ‘I mean,’ he began hurriedly, ‘that I would obviously prefer to have Carter and her skills with me too if I got stuck on a planet.’ He risked a glance at Sam.

She beamed at him and Jack couldn’t help but smile back even as he noted she looked like she was enjoying his discomfort a little too much.

‘OK,’ Jack said mischievously, ‘so we all want to be with Carter. Maybe we should let Carter decide who she wants to get stuck with.’

Sam had actually been feeling pretty good up till that point. Every single one of her team-mates wanted to be stuck with her. It gave her a happy glow. The Colonel’s words started alarm bells ringing in her head.

‘Well, Carter?’ Jack grinned back at her as her smile fell away. ‘Who’s it going to be?’

Sam’s eyes lingered for a moment on her CO but there was no way she was choosing him, she thought fiercely; she might just as well come right out and tell him how she felt. She looked back round at her team-mates; at Daniel then Teal’c, both of whom she loved like brothers, and back to Jack, who she definitely cared about in a totally different way altogether. She sighed. ‘Well, sir,’ her eyes met his apologetically, ‘as much as I loved spending time with you alone in Antarctica…’

Daniel snorted and she shot him a reprimanding look.

‘…if I got stuck somewhere and needed help to get home,’ Sam continued, ‘I would prefer to be stuck with all three of you.’

Jack and Daniel beamed at her while Teal’c inclined his head in acknowledgement.

‘Excellent choice, Carter.’ Jack said.

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam smiled at him.

‘Maybe that’s the solution.’ Daniel said.

Jack looked over at him. ‘What?’

‘We all go through together.’ Daniel explained, waving back at the wormhole behind him. ‘As a team.’

Jack sighed and glanced at Sam. She smiled at him brightly and gave a shrug. They both looked back at the other two and started up the steps until they were level with their team-mates.

‘OK, so we go together.’ Jack said. ‘As a team.’

‘Together.’ Daniel said quickly nodding at Jack.

Teal’c bowed his head at Jack’s questioning glance.

Jack’s brown eyes landed on Sam. ‘Together, Carter?’

‘Together, sir.’ She agreed.

Jack nodded. ‘Together then.’ He gave the signal to move out.

All four of them stepped into the wormhole. Together.

fin.