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Title: Eine kleinen Nachtmusik Author: Crash Email: the.yllek@gmail.com Status: Complete Category: Angst; H/C Pairings: None Spoilers: None Season: Season 3ish? Sequel/Series Info: None Rating: PG Content Warnings: If you are squeamish skip the bronchoscopy scene. File Size (kb): 178 (word says it is.) Archive: Jackfic, Incoming Wormhole, Heliopolis Summary: Colonel O'Neill becomes deadly ill during a routine mission. Will the cause and a cure be discovered in time? Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Author's Note: Thanx to Tadooh, even though you started this you hung on to the end. Euphrosyne for all your help and answer questions. This is 4.5 months in the making it survived the move from home to school and all the disastrous events in between. It has survived the perils of 4th Floor and the four fics that I have completed since I started this in July.
by crash
"What's for dinner sir? Does it taste like chicken?" Carter asked closing the container holding the test tubes. "Somalia Stew. Guaranteed not to taste like chicken," Jack announced proudly, stretching his arms above his head in an effort to loosen the tension in his back "Is it not DanielJackson who believes that all MREs taste like chicken?" Teal'c asked taking his seat. "Yes, but he's in Egyptologist heaven with SG-4," Sam explained, collecting her dish and grabbing a seat. "So Carter, what are we looking for tomorrow?" Colonel Jack O'Neill asked Major Sam Carter as they ate their evening meal. "Sir, I'd like to reach the base of the mountain range tomorrow and get some more samples there." "Okay, Carter," Jack replied, swirling the contents of his canteen before taking a swig. So far it had been a milk run. No sight of native people, Jaffa, or an errant archeologist unable to contain his excitement over a rock. Just a nice peaceful, simple mission. And while Jack would never admit it, he did miss Daniel Jackson. Almost perfect except for the bugs. Fly like creatures that would appear in small groups here and there. "You know what Carter?" Jack asked out of the blue. "Canteens used to be better." "Sir?" Carter asked unsure of where her CO was going with this particular conversation. "Once upon a timeŠ" he started, eliciting a giggle from Carter a raised eyebrow from Teal'c. "Canteens used to be metal. Not this plastic stuff." Jack shook the article in question in the air. "We used to make coffee and hot chocolate in them so we could have it on the go. And it gave Tang a slight metallic zing. But this plastic 'thing'Š" Suddenly Jack slapped the back of his neck, the smacking sound echoing in the small clearing "Sir?" "Damn bugs, Carter. I hate bugs!" He answered wiping his hand on his trousers, totally abandoning the conversation.
"Morning, Jack" Daniel called cheerfully as he saw Jack enter the commissary. Daniel was seated along with the other two members of SG-1 eating their morning meal. Jack raised his hand in acknowledgment slowly making his way toward the coffeepot. He wasn't particularly hungry. "Good morning, sir." Carter greeted him as he took a seat next to Daniel, sipping his coffee carefully. "Are you well O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. He had noticed his CO's slower movements and tiredness over the last two days. "Yeah Teal'c, I'm fine. Bad night that's all." Jack brushed off his teammates concern, quickly changing the subject. "So what's the agenda for today's mission?" "Some ruins that were on the video feed from the UAV. Actually two sets of ruins. The first set is about four or five miles from the gate. The second set is about another 10 miles from the first set. It's set into the side of a cliff. Similar to the adobe houses of the Pueblo Indians in southern Colorado." "Cool," Jack responded before looking over at Carter, "and you, Major?" "Same as usual, Colonel. Soil samples to check for naquadah. I really want to see the sky at night though. SG-5 said it there was a pretty light show three days ago." "Really?" Jack's eyebrows almost shot off his forehead in excitement. "Sanders said that it reminded him of the Northern Lights." "Hmmm have to make sure I grab the good pair of field glasses then." Jack muttered, grimacing at the sudden bitter taste of his coffee. Setting his cup down on the edge of Daniel's tray, Jack turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.
"I don't know, usually he's here before all of us," Daniel said as he checked the fastenings on his vest pockets. "Is there a problem SG-1?" General Hammond spoke into the microphone in the control room over looking the gate room. "Just waiting on the Colonel, Sir," Sam answered, turning around to look up into the control room. It was unlike the Colonel to be running late. He was always the first person ready to go and impatiently waiting on the rest of his team. "Sorry I'm late, sir." Jack announced as he entered the Gate room his step less bouncy then usual. "That's alright, Colonel." Hammond responded with a worried look on his face. Jack was never late for anything. Unless it was meeting with the Russian liaison. "Everything alright, sir?" Carter asked as the inner ring of the gate began to spin. "Fine as frog's hair Major" Jack quipped not as convincing as he would have liked. Truth be told his arms and legs ached. Not enough to complain about but enough to make him uncomfortable. His ten minute lay-over in the bathroom on the way to the gate room didn't help matters. "If you say so," Sam muttered looking both Daniel and Teal'c in the eye; all three silently agreeing to keep an eye on the Colonel.
"Well, THAT hasn't happened in a while," Jack muttered, wiping his mouth with a tissue and sitting back on six. "All you alright O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, offering a hand to help him up. "DanielJackson had a rough landing." "Thanks big guy," Jack grunted, accepting the proffered hand and quickly rising to his feet. "Go check on the flying spacemonkey." Jack fished the canteen off his belt, taking a quick swig and spitting it out, trying to rid the nasty taste from his mouth. Teal'c merely nodded taking in the paleness of his commander before moving over to where Sam was helping Daniel to his feet. "Are you recovered DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked once he reached their position. "Yeah, Teal'c. I'm fine. I just lost my balance. How's Jack?" Daniel replied hoisting his pack back. "I believe that Colonel O'Neill is not faring well." "He'll be okay Teal'c. Maybe it was something at breakfast that upset his stomach." Sam answered taking a quick glance in Jack's direction. "Come on campers!" Jack called cheerfully, despite how he was actually feeling. "Time's a wasting. Which way Kemosabe?" "Um I think southwest of the gate," Daniel answered, searching for his notebook in his vest pockets. "You think?" Jack answered incredulously earning a chuckle from Sam. "Daniel, I'm not walking ten miles in the wrong direction." "I'm looking, Jack," Daniel groused, flipping pages in his notebook. "Five miles to the southeast, sir," Carter supplied, getting a dirty look from Daniel and a grateful look from Jack. "Teal'c, look scary take point. Try to get all the cobwebs out of the way this time," Jack ordered in his usual sardonic tone of voice. "Still have that aversion to bugs, eh Jack?" Daniel jibed as he strolled past to follow Teal'c.
"Jack," Daniel called over his shoulder as he passed Teal'c. "I'll be over there." He pointed to the far side of the site where there was a tall brick wall of sorts. "Daniel, not yet. We'll break for lunch then Carter can play in the dirt; you can play with your rocks; and Teal'c and I'll set up camp," Jack explained, slightly breathlessly. "But Jack, I'm fine," Daniel whined. "Ack! No but Jacks. You will sit. You will eat. You will drink some water from that canteen on your belt," Jack explained slowly. He wasn't up to arguing with their resident archeologist. All he really wanted to do was sit down and take a nice long nap. His legs were killing him. Not to mention his shoulders and neck. "Sounds good, Sir," Sam said, setting her pack on the ground and taking a swig from her canteen. "O'Neill I will survey the perimeter." Teal'c gestured with his staff weapon to the surrounding woods. "Sounds good, Teal'c." Jack answered, sinking to the ground and leaning back against a trunk of a large tree. Surreptitiously, Jack took a small bottle of Ibuprofen from one of his vest pockets- shaking out four. Quickly, he popped them into his mouth, chasing them down with a long drink from his canteen. Daniel couldn't wait to take a look at the ruins it didn't even take ten minutes to get his spot set up and eat lunch before looking expectantly at Jack. Jack heaved a sigh nodded his head waving a hand in the direction of the ruins. Daniel took off in a flash almost running directly into Teal'c in the process. "Teal'c anything of interest?" Jack asked as he nibbled on a chewy granola bar from his stash. He figured if Daniel was allowed to bring 5th Avenue and Snickers bars that he was allowed his chewy granola bars. "Everything is secure O'Neill. I found another stream about one kilometer to the west of our current position," Teal'c explained, kneeling to take his pack off and begin with setting up camp. Jack felt a familiar twinge in his stomach. "Okay. I'll take the canteens and fill them up. When I get back, Teal'c, you'll stay here with Daniel and I'll go with Carter to play in the dirt." He inwardly cringed as he heard his bones creak as he rose to his feet. Gathering the canteens and the bladder canteen that they carried Jack head off in the direction that Teal'c had said the stream was. Half way there he ducked into a cluster of bushes and lost the meager contents of his stomach.
Jack listened intently to the conversation that Sam and Daniel were having around bites of their dinner. He had pushed his meal around in his dish, feeling a bit of regret for his complete lack of appetite. He hadn't eaten much over the last couple of days. And what little he did eat came right back up. His mind had been so preoccupied with other things that he didn't even think to mention it during his pre-mission med check. Teal'c eyed each of his teammates carefully. DanielJackson was talking animatedly about what he had discovered so far. MajorCarter was reviewing her notes while talking with DanielJackson. Teal'c was paying special attention to his CO and friend. He hadn't taken a bite of his dinner, just pushed it around in his dish. "You okay there, Jack?" Daniel asked when he looked over and saw a far away look in Jack's eyes. "Wha?" Jack responded slightly dazed. He hadn't meant to drift off like that. "I asked if you were ready to head out to that clearing to see the sky." Daniel repeated giving Jack a wary look. "Yeah," Jack's eyes lit up as he looked at his watch. "Come on. We got five minutes until SG-5 said it started." Jack jumped up, suddenly feeling slightly better. SG-1 made it to the clearing just in time. The sky exploded in a myriad of colours. Reds, blues, greens- all mixed together against the dark night sky. It was unlike anything thing that they had ever seen. "Jack, are you humming?" Daniel leaned forward looking past Sam to Jack. "What?" "Danieljackson inquired if you were humming." Teal'c answered looking down on his teammates from his standing position behind them. "Oh yeah" Jack blushed grateful that his teammates could not see his embarrassment at getting caught humming. "Eine kleinen Nachtmusik by Mozart. It's been stuck in my head all day." "I have not heard of this man." "I'll introduce to some of his music when we return Teal'c." Jack promised turning his attention back to the sky. Sam glanced at the Colonel who was sitting to her left. She was worried about him. He hadn't quite seemed himself most of the day. He didn't even eat dinner and she had spotted him swallowing some aspirin before dinner. She looked at him now as he stared up at the night sky humming once more. Even in the faint light, she could see the slump of his shoulders proving how tired he was. He seemed to be enjoying himself, watching the light show, but his eyes lacked their usual sparkle and his eyelids drooped lower and lower. The Colonel seemed to be losing the battle with his fatigue. "Sir?" Sam yawned starting to get to her feet the others joining her. They had all sat on the hill for over a half hour watching the fireworks in the sky. "I'm gonna turn in I'll take third watch." "Sounds good, Carter. Daniel, you have first. Teal'c, you can have second and I'll take last." "And yes Daniel, I'll remember to put on the pot of coffee," Jack joked as they made their way back to camp. Jack shed his boots off and left them outside his tent before crawling inside. He removed his side arm holster and his belt next before rolling out his bedroll. Sticking his head out one last time to see if Daniel was set, Jack slipped out of his jacket and into his bedroll. He was asleep before he even knew it.
"All is well MajorCarter. It has been an uneventful night," Teal'c advised. "O'Neill, however, has been restless in the last hour. Muttering in his sleep on occasion." "Did Daniel say anything at the end of his watch?" Sam asked, looking over at the Colonel's tent. She could hear the soft rustling sounds of her CO's restless slumber. "DanielJackson observed that O'Neill entered sleep unusually quickly, MajorCarter. He also noticed O'Neill's fatigue as he watched the aurora," Teal'c explained, looking over at the Colonel's tent as the sounds emanating from there suddenly increased. "Should we wake O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as they watched their CO struggle in his sleep. "I think he'll be okay for now Teal'c," Carter said, taking a seat next to the fire stroking it with a stick. "I'll let you know at the end of my watch." "Very well MajorCarter." Teal'c nodded again before moving to his tent to practice Kelnoreem.
After checking the time again, Carter turned her eyes toward the Colonel's tent. In the three years that she had been on SG-1, she had never needed to wake Jack; his internal clock would always wake him five to ten minutes early. Carter began to worry as time passed and there was still no sign that he was up. Carter got up and walked over to the Colonel's tent, making plenty of noise as she moved to alert him of her arrival. "Colonel, Sir it's your watch," she called from outside. "Colonel O'Neill?" She called again slightly louder but still received no answer. Sam knelt down feeling for the zipper to her CO's tent. Finding it she pulled it down slowly with one hand while grabbing her flashlight with her other. Turning her flashlight on and partially covering the light with her hand Sam stuck her head inside. Jack was curled up on his side facing away from her. His sleeping bag pulled up tight around his shoulders with his head peeking out of the top. "Sir?" Sam said, tapping his shoulder. Slowly, Jack turned to face her, rolling onto his back. His eyes slid open but his gaze remained unfocused. His face was flushed and sweat glistened on his forehead. "It's your watch Colonel," she said looking him straight in the eye hoping that he would respond in his usual sarcastic way; that it was just a bad night and there was nothing wrong. But all she got in response was a few muttered words before his eyes drifted closed again and he rolled back over. Reaching over his shoulder, Sam placed her hand on his forehead. She hadn't even touched him when she could feel the heat emanating from him. "Crap," she swore, as she ducked out of his tent. "Daniel get up!" Sam hollered walking over to his tent. "Daniel come on!" "Sam wha?" asked a bleary-eyed Daniel sticking his head out to see who was yelling and what about. "Up and at 'em. The Colonel is definitely sick were leaving as soon as the sun is up," Sam explained. "Okay, I'll start packing up." Daniel's head disappeared back into his tent "MajorCarter what has transpired?" Teal'c said, coming out of kelnoreem when he heard Carter waking Daniel. "Colonel's got a high fever and I couldn't wake him for watch. I've decided that we're heading back at first light." "Very well MajorCarter." Teal'c nodded. "I will collect O'Neill's belongings" "Thanks, Teal'c. I think we may end up having to make a stretcher. I don't think Colonel O'Neill will be able to stay conscious let alone walk." Sam let out a sigh and started packing her gear.
"Just leave him in his sleeping bag and pull him out," Sam answered pulling the rest of the Colonel's belongs out of his tent. The Colonel hadn't moved. He hadn't even so much as stirred when his team had checked on him several times as they packed up camp. He was still lying in his sleeping bag curled up on his side. He hadn't moved since Sam's earlier attempt to wake him for his watch. Carefully, Daniel and Teal'c grabbed the corners of Jack's sleeping bag and tugged. They kept pulling gently until the bag was on top of the stretcher. Jack was still curled up on his side. He didn't even react in the slightest. "Teal'c, should we roll him over?" asked Daniel, sounding more worried than before. Jack was a *very* light sleeper. He should have jumped the second that they even touched his sleeping bag. "I believe that that is a good idea," Teal'c replied, helping Daniel ease the Colonel on to his back but still not receiving any response from Jack. "How's he doing, Teal'c?" Sam asked, sitting down on the ground beside the stretcher. The Colonel's tent was packed and ready to go along with the rest of the gear. "He has not changed MajorCarter. His fever still runs high," Teal'c answered, looking down on the strip thermometer that he had taken out of his med. kit. "Well we can't leave for another half hour or so it's still too dark to attempt the trail." Sam looked toward the east, willing the sun to rise more quickly.
The rough terrain was hampering their progress as Daniel and Teal'c did their best to keep the Colonel comfortable as they navigated the trail. Sam was torn between their need to get the Colonel back to the gate quickly and the need to be cautious in their handling of the make shift stretcher. So far it seemed they'd discovered a workable balance. The walk which had taken them an hour on the way in had nearly doubled in time but the Colonel was still unconscious, undisturbed by the jostling motion as they followed the path. "Hey Sam!" "Yeah Daniel," Sam answered, stopping and turning around to face Daniel. "Can you switch with me? My hands are starting to hurt without any gloves." "Sure," Carter answered, as Daniel and Teal'c reached where she had stopped. Teal'c and Daniel carefully lowered the makeshift stretcher to the ground. Sam used the opportunity to check on the Colonel. His temperature was unchanged at 103,his pulse was a little fast, and his breaths were raspy. But he was still non-responsive. "Ready to go?" Sam asked, making sure the sleeping bag was secure around her CO before standing up. "I am ready to depart," Teal'c answered, preparing to pick up the stretcher. Daniel nodded in agreement holding his P-90 at the ready. At Sam's nod Daniel took up point with an ease that only comes from experience. Cautiously, he led the way through the dense forest. Just because they hadn't run into anything so far didn't mean that they wouldn't- something he had learned from his best friend and commander. The cramps in his hands eased as the knots of worry grew in his gut. Jack's condition was terrifying the entire team. The fact that they had no idea what was causing it sure didn't help. Was it something form this planet? Was it Earth born? Daniel cursed as he momentarily lost his footing on a slick log. Damnit! He should have been paying attention to his surroundings not lost in his thoughts. "The ground's a little slick up here, watch out!" He called the warning back to his stretcher bearing companions. He had to focus- to pay attention to the trail. Sam and Teal'c were counting on him to give them a heads up for the rough spots in the trail. "Thank you for the warning DanielJackson," Teal'c acknowledged. Daniel turned to watch Sam and Teal'c negotiate the obstacle the log presented. Sam carefully stepped over, slowing her stride to allow Teal'c time to step over as well. Time seemed to slow as Daniel witnessed the next event. Sam turn her head back to glance at Teal'c making sure he made it over just as her foot slipped on the wet leaves that covered the trail. Before he could shout a warning, Sam was falling toward him, nearly pulling the stretcher out of Teal'c's grip just as he was lifting his foot to step across the fallen limb. It all happened so fast. Daniel stuck his arm out to help Sam but only managed to over balance himself. The stretcher snagged a vine and twisted awkwardly, throwing its precious cargo harshly to the forest floor. Teal'c, thrown off balance, was suddenly in a full head-over-heels tumble.
"Sam, are you okay?" she heard some one call, not able to tell who it was. She was still trying to figure out what was on her arm. It looked like blood; it was sticky like blood. But where had it come from? "Sam, are you bleeding?" The voice was closer this time. "Daniel?" she asked, finally recognizing the voice in her haze of confusion. "Yeah, Sam. Your arms covered in blood. Are you bleeding?" Sam looked around until she spotted him walking on the small ridge four feet above her. A magnificent bruise forming along his jaw line testifying to the hit he had taken. "I don't know Daniel. I don't hurt anywhere," Sam answered, awareness slowly creeping back to her. "Can you move?" Daniel asked, checking on Teal'c who was already starting to come around. He had a nasty gash on his head but Junior was already taking care of it. "Yeah. Just a second something is against my back," Sam answered, reaching back behind her to push away whatever was pressing against her lower back. Finding the same sticky mess that she had run across earlier Sam pushed it to the side with a little effort. "You see Jack, Sam?" Daniel stood looking around where he and Teal'c were standing, not spotting the Colonel anywhere. Slowly, Sam rolled over on to her back waiting for her world to right it self before slowly sitting up. It was then that she saw it. The OD green sleeping bag, dark tan arms, black t-shirt, pale face, unruly silver hair matted down by blood. Sam glanced at her arm then quickly back putting the two together "DANIEL! I FOUND THE COLONEL!" She yelled moving quickly to assess her CO's condition.
"Who is it sergeant?" Hammond asked, coming down the spiral stair case form the briefing room. "Just now receiving IDC, sir," answered the sergeant, his eyes not leaving the screen showing the decoding. "SG-1 sir." "Open the iris get a medical team here NOW!" Hammond ordered before rushing out of the control room and into the gateroom. "Who is it?" CMO Dr. Janet Fraiser asked as she arrived in the gate room moments after the general. "We need a med team!" Daniel yelled as he stumbled through the gate followed by the rest of the bedraggled SG-1. "For cryin' out loud!" Janet muttered as she ran to meet them at the ramp. "What happened?" "The Colonel he's sick. Then on the way back we all fell. Slid on a slick log," Sam gasped out between breaths. "His head hit a rock or something." She pointed to the soiled dressing. "Okay, let's get him a gurney and down to the infirmary! You know the drill!" Janet hollered, rising up. Her team was ready, anticipating the order before she finished the sentence. They quickly shifted O'Neill to a backboard and lifted him to the gurney. "Let's get this bag off him!" Janet snapped. A nurse was already cutting away the green sleeping bag along its side. "Colonel? Can you hear me?" she asked, tapping his face gently. She lifted one eyelid and flashed a pen light into his eye, then quickly repeated the process with the other eye. "Pupils seem normal, but I'd like to do a CT scan just to be sure." Janet glanced behind her, as they approached the lift, not surprised to see the remaining members of SG1 following her. Rather then shooing them off she waved them forward needing more information about what had transpired while they were offworld. "Sam, was he unconscious before the fall?" Janet asked as she motioned for SG-1 to join them in the lift. "I couldn't get him to wake up for his watch. He looked at me once and rolled back over," Sam explained, wringing her hands together. "Colonel O'Neill appeared fatigued at breakfast yesterday but, when I inquired, he said that he had simply experienced a bad night. I should have persisted with my questions when I noticed his condition remained unchanged throughout the day." "Teal'c, the Colonel's the best faker there is, bar none! You would never have gotten him to admit to feeling poorly," Janet consoled, pausing to listen to the Colonel's chest. "Sydnea, get a mask on him. Pull his pre-mission exam results also. I want to see them, yesterday!" Janet turned to face SG1 "I need you to tell me anything you can about his condition in the last day." "I don't think that he has eaten anything. And his canteen was just about full," Daniel commented wrapping his arms around his torso, studying his shoes. "He didn't eat anything yesterday except for maybe one of those granola bars he likes." "Okay look, I want all of you to get cleaned up and checked out by Dr. Lenard. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything," Janet ordered before entering the trauma area where O'Neill had been taken. The rest of SG-1 stood there, staring through the double doors that led to the trauma area. They stayed there silently, not wanting to leave their teammate behind until Teal'c broke the silence. "Should we not do as Dr. Fraiser suggested?" "Yeah, why don't you two go and get cleaned up first? I'll go and update the General," Sam answered, reluctantly moving towards the lifts.
"Come on, Jack, open your eyes for me," Janet pleaded as she gently probed the area around the cut on his head. She was rewarded with a groan as the unconscious figure writhed suddenly. "Colonel, can you hear me?" Janet's hands stilled on his face, anxious for a reply, a sign that he was aware. Jack's eyelids drifted opened wild and unfocused. There was something on his face. Whatever that something was, it was smothering him. He couldn't get enough oxygen and his lungs were burning. He had to get it off. "Hey Colonel, it's okay," Janet soothed, grabbing his good arm as he frantically tried to take the mask off his face. Jack's eyes swept around the room looking for something or someone he recognized but it was all just a blur. He could hear people speaking but it was like he was underwater. Everything was distorted and slow and nothing made any sense. He could feel hands on him. The poking and prodding, moving him this way and that way. The all too familiar feeling of the catheter and IVs being inserted but there was nothing he could do. Everything was just a garbled montage of images and sounds. "It's just us." Janet leaned down closer to him their foreheads almost touching. "It's okay. We'll get ya fixed up and feeling better soon." A soothing voice telling him that he was going to be okay was the last thing he clearly remembered before succumbing to the darkness once more.
Sucking in a deep breath, Daniel continued on. Janet had just finished talking with SG-1 and General Hammond in the hallway. Janet had explained that the injuries Jack received in the fall weren't serious, but something was making him ill and they didn't know what yet. Sam and Teal'c had left with General Hammond to debrief and Daniel came to stay with their friend. Wordlessly, Sydnea handed Daniel the cloth that she had been using to wipe Jack's face. His temperature was still high and they were doing everything to bring it down short of an old fashioned ice bath. Daniel took over for Sydnea, gently patting his friend's face with the cool water from the dish.
Janet was beyond tired; she was completely and utterly exhausted. She was supposed to be at home right now. Sleeping in her nice warm, soft bed. Not catching a couple of hours of sleep on an old beat up sofa in her office. Groaning, Janet shifted around pulling the throw off the back of the couch trying to get comfortable. It had been a tough two days and the wait wasn't over yet. The good news was that the CT scan came back negative. The chest x-ray showed what looked like the beginning of pneumonia and she started antibiotics for that. But, the preliminary cultures wouldn't be back for another twelve hours at the latest. God, she hated waiting! The Colonel was stable at the moment but no clue as to how long it would last. Finally Janet's eyes fell shut and she lapsed into an uneasy sleep.
"No, sorry. Janet said that you have to leave that on." Gently he reached over and pulled Jack's hand away from the oxygen mask. Jack let his eyes wonder around the room taking in his surroundings. He knew where he was but he couldn't figure out why or how he got there. It didn't help any that his thoughts were sloshing around in his head; to slippery to grasp for long. Jack turned to look at Daniel hoping he could fill in the gaps. "You got sick on P4C-762. Sam couldn't wake you when it was your watch." Daniel supplied, recognizing the familiar question in his friend's eyes. Jack nodded slightly, fighting to keep his eyes from closing. "It's okay, Jack. Go back to sleep. We'll be here." Daniel gave Jack's hand a squeeze as his friend drifted off to sleep once again.
The Colonel was as white as the sheets he on which he lay. It was the first time since they had returned that his temperature had dropped. Scrubbing a hand over her face, Sam said a small prayer before leaning forward and grasping her CO's hand. His skin was hot from the fever that still raged. Sam was worried. The Colonel was so still. He was never still, even when Janet bound him to the infirmary. The room was all but silent. The only sound was the soft beeping of the cardiac monitor and Jack's harsh breaths. She had spoken to Janet after Daniel left escorted by Teal'c. Janet said that if his oxygen levels dropped any lower she was going to have to intubate him. Sam couldn't help but feel guilty. One 'what if' after another ran through her mind. What if she had had said something during their pre-mission exams? What if she had mentioned to the General that Jack hadn't look well? What if she had insisted SG-1 comeback earlier? What if she hadn't slipped and fallen while they were carrying him back. Sam was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the nurse come by on rounds.
"What was it before and what is it now?" The charge nurse, Capt. Annie Fodor, looked up from the paper she was filling out. "It's up from 101 to 102." "What about the rest of his vitals?" Fodor asked "Fine haven't changed much," MacPhee returned. "Leave it for now. Keep an eye on him. Fraiser said not to let his temp get any higher then 103 " Fodor said returning her attention back to her reports.
Janet couldn't help but feel guilty for not doing the team's pre-mission exams. If she had known that the Colonel hadn't been feeling well, they wouldn't be where they were now. "Dr. Fraiser, it's Colonel O'Neill. His temperature just spiked again!" Sydnea exclaimed, popping her head in the door. "Dammit, Jack!" Janet swore, bringing her hands down hard on her desk before quickly making her way to the ICU.
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