Title: Dark Serendipity Author: Magicsunbeam Email: magicsunbeam@ntlworld.com Category: action/drama/angst/H&C..You name it. Pairing: (gulp) Jack & Sam/ Scott & Loren Rating: G Season/sequel: 4. Small spoiler for Divide and Conquer. Summary: When returning from a funeral, Jack and Sam run into trouble. Big trouble. Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; all the powers that be, not me; This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended. The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent. Authors Notes: 90.000.000 thanx to Hoodat, for beta'ing this for me. You're awesome, Cap'n. Some things in life hold no rhyme or reason. Some things come down to cruel fate. For those times in life, the lucky ones have only to reach out a hand to find, they are surrounded by friendship. For Annie. ~
Dark Serendipity by Magicsunbeam
*** Okay, I'm not sure if this is such a good idea anymore. *** "No need to be nervous Jack, it'll be okay. You'll see." *** No really, I'm *really* not sure this is such a good idea anymore. *** "Would you quit it already? It's not like it's a date. It's a funeral for cryin' out loud. Just chill out, you're only showing a friend some support. Nothing's going to happen." *** *I* know nothing's going to happen, but what will other people think? 'Oh yeh, there goes O'Neill. Drops his first downtime in 3 weeks, to travel half way across the state with his 2IC, for the funeral of someone he doesn't even know? *** " Stop being so damned dramatic, it's only a three hour drive. And since when do you care about what "they" think?" ------------------- "Colonel? Sir, are you okay?" His attention snapping back to the present, Jack jumped as if someone had twanged an elastic band off his ass. "Whoa! Carter. Made me jump there." He grinned, embarrassed. Carter tried to keep a straight face. "Are you okay, Sir?" she repeated. " Ah yeahsureyabetcha. You ready to go?" "I'm all yours," she confirmed. Jack tried desperately not to flinch, as he took her overnight bag and waved her toward the car. "After you, Major." Sam looked at him in amused puzzlement. 'Okay Sam, heads up. Something's going on here, ' she told herself. Jack took his time putting the bag in the trunk. *** "I'm all yours?" *** " She meant she was ready to go, nothing more." ***Aw crap. *** "Okay Jack, enough. They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. So just shut the hell up." ---------------------------
When for the umpteenth time, Jack reached for the dial; Sam slapped his hand away. "Enough, Sir. Please. You're driving me nuts!" she scolded. "Just relax and enjoy the scenery." "Aaw, for cryin' out loud Carter. They're *trees*! This is boring." "Then let me drive. You can try and sleep." "Noooo, that would be infinitely worse. The only thing worse than a long journey, is a long journey in a passenger seat." Carter smiled softly. Looking at her hands, she hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sir. I really appreciate you're wasting down time for me." Jack glanced across at her, saw the discomfort she was now feeling and inwardly cursed himself. "No Carter, I'm sorry. I know this is a hard time for you, with Jacob not being able to come and all. I wanted to come. Honest Injuns." Sam grinned, "Honest Injuns?" Relieved by the shift in tension, Jack rolled his eyes comically. "That was a little something Nan used to come out with. Before the world became politically correct." "Ah," Sam nodded her understanding. "Old folks come up with the best sayings. Aunt Jessie used some real beauties too." Sam fell silent again and when Jack glanced across, he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Tell me about Aunt Jessie," he invited. Carter grinned, "Are you sure you want to know?" He returned Sam's grin. "If it's going to take my mind off the fact we have another 30,000 miles of *trees* ahead of us then, oh yeah. I want to know." The grin suddenly disappeared and in all seriousness, he repeated: "I *want* to know, Carter." "Okay," Sam replied, settling herself into her seat. "But remember, you asked." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Three hours, not quite 30,000 miles of trees and a lot of reminiscing later, Jack pulled the car up onto an ordinary looking driveway, on the outskirts of Gypsum. He looked across at Sam, when she made no attempt to get out of the car. He waited patiently until she turned and looked at him, sadness swamping her blue eyes. "You going to be okay?" he asked, with a gentleness that surprised Sam. "Yeah, its just there are a lot of memories here." "I know how you feel," he replied, meaning it. "I've been here, done this, didn't want the T-shirt." Before Sam could answer, movement from the porch made them both look up. A small, elderly looking woman stood, squinting into the fading light. She smiled when she realised who it was on her driveway. "Aww, heck," Sam muttered under her breath. "What's that, Carter?" Jack asked, puzzled by her obvious despair. Sighing heavily, she replied, "Nothing, Sir." She then got out of the car and climbed the steps, into the woman's open arms. Jack stayed where he was, not wanting to intrude. After a few moments, Sam turned and gestured for him to join them. "Sir, I'd like you to meet dad's cousins wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my CO, Colonel Jack O'Neill." "Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." Jack smiled, taking the woman's hand. "Now Colonel, let me tell you. It's not every day a woman of my age gets to meet a handsome young man. The pleasure is mine, believe me and please, call me Tiddy. Hardly anyone does." She laughed, delighted at her own joke. Jack's face cracked into a huge grin. "Tiddy?" "Oh just a name my late husband gave me when I was younger. I only drag it out on special occasions these days." Jack laughed. "Why Tiddy, are you flirting with me?" The woman merely winked in his direction and turned for the door. 'Oh boy' Jack thought, 'this is going to be fun. ' *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Tiddy stuck close to Jack for the rest of the evening, even though she knew he had her sussed from the word go. What amused him more than anything was the fact she also knew her actions were making Sam squirm with embarrassment. She took further pleasure in making her young cousin blush, by revealing pet names and secrets Sam had when she was younger. It was only when Sam excused herself and went out onto the back porch that the woman eventually took pity on her and ceased her teasing. Jack gave Sam some time on her own, before following her out. He found her curled up on large wicker chair. A large silver moon hung over the mountains, bathing them in a ghostly light, picking out the evergreens on a snowy incline. Saying nothing to disturb the quiet mood, he sat himself down on a chair beside her and took in the breathtaking view. Eventually, he let out a dramatic sigh. "More trees." Sam snorted, letting out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. "Yes, I know, Sir. It's a damn nuisance, but they tend to grow around wooded areas." Jack grinned in the darkness. Sarcasm. Carter was really starting to hold her own. "You know she's doing that deliberately, don't you?" he asked, referring to the old woman's taunting. "Oooooh yeah," Sam smiled. "I know. It just gets a little stale after 25 years." Jack pulled a face. "Ouch." "Mmm, you should have seen her in action whenever I brought a boyfriend up, to meet her and Jessie. Between them, they were a teenage girls worst nightmare." Sam chuckled. "Have you heard of the phrase, "You can't take her anywhere?" Well Sir, let me tell you, I can't leave her either!" A voice from behind them, made them both jump. "Ahh, but Sammy, you wouldn't want to leave me." Sam laughed, as the older woman wrapped her in a warm embrace and grinned at "No Tiddy," she agreed. "I wouldn't." "Alright, I'm going up to bed now. Don't you two be staying up too late either." The smile disappeared from the old woman's face, as she added. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day." Jack waited until he was sure Tiddy had gone, before he turned to Sam. "Will she be okay here, on her own?" "Oh, don't let the elderly lady look fool you, Sir. She's tough and she's not alone. There are more of dad's family in these parts. They'll make sure she's okay. You'll get to meet them tomorrow." "Ah. I feel I should be warned here, Carter. Are there anymore like her?" Sam giggled. "No, Sir. There's only one Tiddy Carter." Jack grinned. "Aw now you see, *that's* a shame." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The funeral was like any other funeral, sombre and thought provoking. The Pastor made a very nice speech, telling everyone what a kind, loving and above all - *funny* lady Jessie was. Sam got up and told a couple of anecdotes about her Aunt, and by the time the service was over, Jack regretted having not met Jessie. He couldn't help but think that meeting Tiddy had been like meeting one half of Hope & Crosby. Sam's original arrangement with Tiddy had been for her and Jack to stay another day. However, watching him after the service and seeing how uncomfortable he was in the company of strangers, Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She managed to break away from the crowd long enough to get Jack alone. "Sir, I've been thinking. Tiddy has a lot of family around her now. What say we go home today?" "Are you sure? You did tell her you'd stay." "I know Sir, but she's going to be okay. She doesn't need anyone to hold her hand." "You're sure, Carter?" "Mm." Sam nodded. Thirty minutes later, they were in the car and heading home. ~ 15.00 hours found the pair half way home. Sam was pleased to get the funeral behind her. She was almost as pleased to note that Jack was decidedly more relaxed about the return journey. Day dreaming, Sam had noticed that traffic on the road was sparse. The lack of cars made the place seem more natural. She grinned and thought. 'Just trees, trees and more trees.' "Sooo Carter, just when were you going to tell me about Cousin Maurice's 'secret'?" Quickly regaining her composure, Sam took out a Kleenex, and began to mop up the coffee she had just spurted all over the dashboard. "I'm sorry Sir, really I am." She giggled. "I should have noticed he had an 'eye' on you." "Okay, Carter. That is *sooo* not funny. In fact, almost as not funny as finding the guys glass eye in my drink!" "Okay really. I'm sorry, I should have warned about Maurice's - sense of humour. But you know, his pulling a joke like that means he likes you." "Oooh, he *likes* me. Well then, Carter that makes all the diffe." When it came, it was a complete surprise to Jack. One minute he was driving along, ribbing his 2IC about her family's questionable sanity. The next thing he knew, a million tiny shards of windshield was coming at him. His immediate reflex was to pull the wheel away from whatever had hit them. He wasn't aware of being thrown back in his seat with a force that physically ripped his breath away. He *was* sickeningly aware of the car skidding away from him, of it lifting bodily off the road, of the world outside flipping upside down. Of Carter's panicked cry. Then there was nothing. Except thick, silent, blackness. ~~ Try as she might, Sam couldn't recall the party. It must have been a humdinger, to have earned herself a hangover *this* bad. Her head felt as if were trying to levitate off her shoulders and she swore she could hear birds When she opened her eyes she immediately regretted it, as the sun made her head ache even more. Groaning, she closed them again and tried to sit up in her bed. Her eyes flew open, as a pain shot through her left wrist and up her arm. She was even more surprised to find she *wasn't* in her bed, but was lying in a ditch by the roadside. After a moment, it came back to her. Something had come through the windshield. Jack had tried to hang on, as the car careered out of control. She remembered it clearly now. They had ended up flipping over into roll. She reasoned she must have been thrown clear virtually first time. "Holy Hannah! Colonel!" She breathed, as she scrambled to her feet. Ignoring the broken wrist and numerous other aches as best she could, she looked round her. It didn't take long to spot the tyre marks in the road, the bits of broken light casing, the snapped saplings and the broken down bushes, some 40 yards up the road. However, there was no sign of the car itself. Calling out his name, Sam ran the distance to the spot where she thought the car had left the road. To her horror, she found that the verge dropped away to a fairly steep embankment. She could see the car ~ or what was left of it ~ through the trees. From where she stood, there was no sign of her CO. She called his name a few times, but the only reply was her own voice, echoing back. Taking a moment to size up the situation, Sam then cradled her damaged wrist and as carefully as she could, began to make her way down the embankment.
It seemed like an eternity, before Sam reached him. She found Jack slumped against his seat, unconscious. Making a check, she realised with horror, that there was a hole in his shoulder. He'd been shot. Unbuttoning his shirt she took a closer look, and was relieved to find that the round had gone clean through. 'Thank you God, for small mercies. ' She muttered to herself. Casting trained hands over the rest of her CO, she found that the damage ~ on the outside, at least ~ wasn't too bad. They seemed to be cuts, bruises and scrapes mostly. Sam could only pray that there was no damage on the inside. Sam searched the car for a first aid kit, and being mindful of her wrist, she set about patching up Jacks shoulder. She had almost finished when a low moan made her look up. She placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Colonel. Sir. Can you hear me?" she asked anxiously. "Sir, if you can hear me, I need you to stay still. You've been shot and we've been in a road accident." Jack's eyes flickered and eventually opened. Sam wasn't sure if he was aware of her or not, but she carried on anyway. "Sir. I'm going to go back up to the road to see if I can get a signal on my cell phone. I'm going to get help. Okay? Just hang on, Sir." ~~ Jack could feel his consciousness drifting in and out like an early morning fog. Every time the fog receded, he thought he could hear Carter's voice. It seemed so far away, yet he recognised the urgency in it. After a long moment, he managed to prise his eyes open to half-mast. It was then he saw Carter's face. She looked pale and shocked. She was talking to him, saying something about hanging on, staying still. He didn't care for that look and wanted to ask her what had happened, but the words wouldn't come. *** Okay, Jack. ' He reasoned. 'Just chill out for a minute. Let Carter handle this. Okay?*** "Okay," he mumbled to himself. Then the fog rolled in again ~ Sam quickly searched the car for her purse and wasn't too shocked to find it missing. "Damn," she muttered to herself. "It's probably lying somewhere up the road." She then remembered they were in Jack's car. He was bound to have a cell around. She came round to the passenger side and looked in the glove compartment. Finding nothing there, she quickly searched her unconscious CO. Then the car. Then the surrounding area. Nothing. Slowly. Oh so slowly, an awful thought began to niggle her. She had automatically thought Jack had been hit by a stray bullet from a hunter's gun. A hunter somewhere deeper in the forest. What if Jack had been shot *deliberately* and the sniper had robbed them and then left them for dead? She searched Jack and could find no wallet or watch. She then realised her own watch and jewellery were missing too. Then suddenly, it hit her. "Oh God." Sam uttered aloud. "I have no way of getting help." ~~ Watching her still unconscious CO, Sam tried to decide the best option. She knew she stood no chance of moving him until he regained consciousness at least. Her own injured wrist, and the fact her head felt like a lead balloon, saw to that. She thought about going up to the road to wait for a passing car, but knew the likelihood of one passing after sun down was remote. Sam considered leaving him to try to find help, but then she remembered that before the 'crash', they hadn't seen a single house or barn for at least ten miles, nor a car for at least an hour. Sam knew there was little hope of finding help before the morning. If she left Jack alone is such a vulnerable condition, he could easily die from exposure. As the shadows grew longer, she found herself shivering. Most likely it was partly shock, but the air was growing cooler as the sun began its last descent. Aware of how low it was in the sky, Sam reckoned she'd probably lain unconscious for around three hours. She turned her thoughts to staying warm. The summer in Colorado had been a hot one. The grasses were now parched and it would only take one spark to start a forest fire. However, it was now nearing all and Sam knew the nights in the mountains would be cold. She remembered seeing a blanket up on the roadside, that had been in the back of the car. Checking on Jack for the umpteenth time, she started out for the road once more, in search of the woollen treasure. Once topside, in a moment of clarity, Sam scoured the roadside looking for large rocks and pieces of wood. With them, she laid out an SOS sign on the road. Even if it wasn't spotted from the air, Sam reckoned the idea of having a log rammed through a radiator might be enough to stop a passing motorist. Feeling a little easier knowing the sign was there, Sam grabbed the blanket and began her descent again. Reaching the car, her heart leapt into her mouth when she found Jack on the ground beside the driver's door. He had obviously regained some degree of consciousness and had dragged himself free. "Colonel!" She cried, all but breaking her neck, tripping over stumps and roots in an attempt to get to him. Jack was lying face down on the mossy embankment. Sam arranged his legs and then carefully and gently rolled him onto his back. A low moan escaped through dry lips. "For crying out loud, Sir. What were you trying to do?" Sam asked, exasperated. She carefully lifted Jack's head and placed it in her lap. She then took the thick blanket and covered him. Sam grinned when, after a few minutes Jack's eyelids fluttered and a pair of hazy brown eyes gazed up at her. "Ccarter?" His voice was barely more than a whisper. "I'm here, Sir." She assured him. "I'm right here." "Why 'm I on the ground?" "We ran into some trouble, Sir. You were hurt." "Sort of trouble?" "Someone took a pot shot at us from the trees. You were hit in the shoulder and lost control of the car." Sam explained. "Sir, they took our cell phones, our cash and cards. All the valuables they could get their hands on and "Oh." Jack's eyelids began to droop. Just as Sam thought he had drifted off again, Jack opened his bleary eyes again. "Carter. Think we should be getting out of here?" "Yes Sir, we should, but we cant go anywhere for now. Not till you can stand at least. So we're kinda stuck for while." "I can stand." Jack offered, making a feeble attempt to get up. Sam put a hand on his chest and easily held him down. "Not yet, Sir. You should try to rest for now. Maybe you'll feel a little stronger come morning." "K." He mumbled, once more allowing his eyes to drift shut. "K." Sam agreed, smiling tiredly and running her fingers through his hair. Sitting there, holding onto her injured CO and friend, Sam looked around the wilderness and remembered. The last time she felt so alone, it also had been with an injured Jack. Only then, they had been surrounded by huge walls of body numbing ice. At least this time they weren't going to freeze to death. "Might get eaten by a bear, but we wouldn't freeze to death." Sam muttered aloud, as she carefully lowered Jack's head to the ground. She then shuffled round till she was stretched out beside him. She laid her head on his good shoulder, snaked an arm across his body and huddled in. "Do you feel a certain amount of Déjà vu, Sir?" Sam muttered, as she watched as the last over sun disappear over the trees tops.
##### Sam came awake with a start as something warm and wet swiped across her face. Her head pounding, she searched the growing darkness for the source. After a moment, her eyes settled on a large, grinning golden retriever. Sam sat blinking, not believing her own eyes, until a voice carried through on the evening air. "Rod! Roddy, come on now!" Sam scrambled to her feet. "Hello!" She called. "Can you hear me? I need help here!" For a while there was nothing but silence. Sam called again. "HELLO! Please, I need help here!" This time a voice came back. "It's okay, I'm coming. Just hang on, I'm coming." Sam almost burst into tears with relief. A second or two later, three men stepped out of the gloom. When he saw the mangled car, the youngest of the men gasped. "Oh, my God." The eldest man got a flashlight from his pack and swung the beam at Jack's unconscious form, then back to Sam. "How bad are you hurt, Ma'am?" he asked. "I'm okay," she told him. "But my friend isn't. Please can you help him?" The older man crouched down. As his flashlight crossed Jack's face, the man hesitated for a second before taking in the bumps, cuts and scratched he had accumulated. "Christ, Jack. What the hell did you do *this* time?" He muttered. Sam was taken aback. "You know him?" she asked, shocked. "Oh yeah, Jack O'Neill and me go back some way," he replied, checking Jack's pulse. His eyes fell on the blood soaked shoulder. Carefully he peeled the dressing back, sucking air through his teeth as he assessed the wound. "How'd he come to be shot, Ma'am?" he asked. Still surprised, Sam had not expected the man to recognise the wound for what it was. "Someone took a shot at us as we drove along. They hit Colonel O'Neill; he lost control of the car." "When was this? Do you know how long you folks have been out here?" "Sometime this afternoon," Sam confirmed. The man pulled a first aid kid from his pack. Quickly and with skill, he replaced the contaminated dressing. The using the flashlight, he tested Jack's pupil responses. "Okay, we need to get him out of here." He said, turning to the younger man. "Too long a hike to manhandle him, Mike. We're going to need a stretcher." One of the young men nodded and taking his friend with him; disappeared into the gloom. "A hike?" Sam almost laughed. "You guys are on foot?" "I'm afraid so. The good news is I have a cabin in these parts. Electricity. Hot water. Food and a more importantly, a phone. The bad news is, it's about a mile from here." "Okay," Sam replied tiredly, closing her eyes. "I can do a mile. What's a mile between friends?" She felt hands on her arms. Opening her eyes, the man was standing right in front of her. Even in the fast fading light, she could see the concern in his eyes. She didn't resist as he helped her sit down on a thick root. He carefully took up her injured arm and examined it. "What's your name?" he asked. "Sam." She answered automatically before realising. If he and Jack went back a long way, then this man was in all probability, a Colonel. At *least*. "Sorry, Sir. I mean Carter. Major Samantha Carter. US Air Force." The man laughed. "At ease Major. My name is Piper. Colonel Scott Piper." He then added. "'Retired.' The tall guy is my son Mike, the other guy is my cousins boy, Will." "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night, Colonel?" Sam asked, as he carefully splinted her wrist. "May be almost dark, Major. But it's only just after 20.00. Me and the boys have been out on a hunting/fishing trip. You and Jack are lucky. If we didn't have Roddy with us, we'd have missed you for sure." "Colonel O'Neill always liked dogs." "Is Jack your CO?" "Yes, Sir." Sam grimaced, as Piper finished wrapping her wrist. "You can drop the Sir, Sam. My name is Scott, okay?" "Okay, Sir." He smiled. "Okay. That should hold it till Doc gets a look at it." "Doc?" Sam repeated. "Yeah. You're a lucky lady Sam Carter. My wife is a Doctor." ~~ Almost an hour later, the group walked along a narrow road. Sam could see lights through the trees and silently thanked God. As they approached the house, the outside lights came on. The door opened and a tall, dark haired woman came out onto the porch. "Dear God, Scotty. What's this?" she asked. "Long story, honey. I think you better sit down first." ~~ "I just can't believe it!" Dr Loren Piper said for the fourth time in five minutes. "I mean, for goodness sake! I know there are some evil people in this world, but to *shoot* folks off the road? And what are the chances of it being Jack O'Neill? I just can't believe it!" She was sitting on the edge of the bed, next to Jack. Wiping away the last of the blood from his shoulder, she dropped the washcloth onto the tray. "Thanks, honey." She smiled at Mike, as he moved in and took the tray away, then turned back to apply the fresh dressing. Sam stood at the foot of the bed, fidgeting. "Dr Piper, please don't think me ungrateful, but are you sure there's no way of getting him to a hospital tonight?" Loren looked at Sam with sympathy. "Call me Loren, Sam." She said. "I'm sorry. The telephone lines up here are pretty hit and miss at the best of times. We can't get Jack to a hospital ourselves, because we don't have a car up here. Scott always gets someone to drop us off with enough supplies to last us the stay. My brother won't be back to pick us up for another week or so." Sam closed her eyes for moment, nodding. When she opened them again, she found Loren smiling softly. "If it helps any, I can't find any evidence of internal injuries. You said yourself Jack came to for a while. His pupils are equal and responsive. I think his biggest problem would be infection from the hole in his shoulder, and I happen to have enough anti-biotic to keep him going for a few days. All said and done, it looks like Jack still has the luck of the Irish running with him." Scott appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Lines are still down." Loren felt sorry for the young lady stood before her, who was trying so hard to smile. "Lets just let him sleep, huh? I'm sure he'll be much better when he wakesup." She suggested. Standing up, she gently took Sam's shoulder and guided her from the room. "Now, lets take a look at that wrist."
Loren finished wrapping Sam's arm. "Not bad, for an amateur." She winked at Sam. "I heard that," Scott called from the kitchen. "You know Sam, I've been thinking. You must have someone who's going to miss you and Jack when you don't get home tonight?" "I doubt it. We were supposed to be away for a couple of days. We didn't tell anyone we were coming back early." "Well that's out then," Loren sighed, climbing to her feet, grinning. "Okay. Jack's settled. Your wrist is okay for now. How about something to eat?" "I am pretty hungry," Sam confessed. "Okay. Let's go see what the Chef has on offer tonight. He's not bad in the kitchen either. For an amateur." "I heard that too." ~~ Both Mike and his cousin seemed nice boys. Their banter at the table was light and easy going, and had everyone giggling. Sam reckoned on them being around 15 years old. Loren had been right. Scott wasn't such a bad cook, but for all she was hungry; Sam found she didn't have the energy to eat more than a couple of mouths full. If she was truthful, her head was pounding more than ever now. She vaguely recognised the fatigue that was washing over her. So did Scott. "You okay, Sam?" he asked, noticing the paleness of her complexion. She looked up from her plate. She seemed confused. Her eyes were hooded. "Whu..?" She was all she could manage, before slumping forward. "Whoa!" Scott cried, moving in and catching Sam before her head slammed into the table. Loren was already on her feet. "Would you bring her through to living room?" she asked, as Scott scooped Sam into his arms. He carried her out to the living room and laid her gently on the couch in front of the fire. Loren checked Sam out. "Pulse is normal, she's breathing okay," she told Scott. "Pupil responses are equal, but sluggish. There's a bump on the side of her head. Looks like our Major has been hiding a concussion." "If she's anything like her CO, I can believe that," Scott replied. "Will she be okay?" Reaching up and pulling the afghan off the back of the couch, Loren draped it over Sam's unconscious form. "Given a good nights rest, I think so," she confirmed. "Good." He smiled. "I think I'm going to like Major Carter."
##### Jack stirred, leaning into the cool, damp cloth as Loren wiped the light sheen from his face. "Carter?" he breathed. Eyes half open, he tried to focus on the face above him. "It's okay, Jack honey," she said softly. "You just rest, it's okay" Jack mumbled something about watching sixes, then drifted away again. "How's he doing?" Loren looked up to find her husband filling the doorframe. "Not so good, Hun." She admitted. "His shoulders infected and he's running a fever now. I've given him an extra boost of broad scope anti biotic,hopefully that's going to help. All I can do for now is try to bring the fever down. How's Sam?" "Sleeping like a baby," he said. "Good. By the looks of things, she had a long day. First the funeral, then this. She must be exhausted." She smiled, eyes sparkling. "You do know she loves him?" "I said .. " "I know what you said, but what makes you say it?" Laughing openly now, Loren turned to face her husband. "Oh please, Scotty. You can't tell me you don't see it! The girl is in love. I could see it the moment she walked in the door." "And this is called what? A woman's intuition?" "No, it's called using my eyes. I could see it the moment you brought Jack home." Scott grinned. "You must be getting old Doc, you're seeing things." "Is that so, Colonel? Well you just wipe that silly grin off your face and mark my words. We'll see who's losing it." "Okay. Loser buys lunch." "Deal, but you'd better be prepared to pay for four, 'cause I reckon Jack and Sam would probably like to join us." Scott pulled Loren up off the bed and steered her to the door. "Enough. Go get some sleep, mad woman I'll take the watch for a while. I'll come get you if I need to." Giving her a light slap on the backside as she went, he added. "Now go on, get." "God, I love it when you go all military on me." Loren giggled, as she wandered off along the hallway, leaving Scott grinning and shaking his head.
##### Jack felt the fog receding again. This time, as his senses returned, he felt pain. Pain and heat. Who turned up the heating? Struggling with gravity, as he fought to open his eyelids. When his eyes finally focused, he found himself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. ' Unfamiliar it might be, but at least it's a ceiling. This has to be a good sign, ' he told himself. "Hey Jack." A distant, but familiar voice spoke to him. "Are you with me, buddy?" Jack blinked, as a familiar face came into view. It was several seconds before he believed his eyes. "Scotty?" Jack lifted a shaky hand toward his friends face. "Scotty, is that really you?" he asked, confused. Catching his friends hand, Scott grinned. "Sure is, Bud." "Thought I was dreaming." "Nope, no dreams. It's really me. How do you feel?" "Like suddenly, I'm not in Kansas anymore," Jack quipped, his eyelids already beginning to droop. "Doesn't matter where you are for now, Jack. Just that you're safe and you're going to be ok." Jacks eyes snapped open. "Carter? Where is she?" "Sam's okay. She's sleeping. She has a concussion, but she'll be fine. Don't you be worrying, Loren has it all covered." Jack turned his feverish gaze on his friend. "Sam?" he mumbled. "You're on first name terms with my 2IC?" Scott laughed aloud. "What can I tell you? The good looks are still drawing them in." "In your dreams, Piper," Jack snorted, a chuckle turning into a fit of coughing. Bantering immediately gone, Scott picked up a cup of water from the dresser and helped his friend take a drink. "Take it easy, Jack. Loren will have my hide." Jack leaned back into the pillow and closed his eyes. Breath caught, he opened them again after a minute or so. "It's too hot in here." "You're running a fever," Scott told him, picking up the cloth from the bowl of water and placing it across his friend's warm forehead. "You have an infection in your shoulder. Try and rest now. You'll feel better by morning. Jack let his eyes close and smiled. "K," he mumbled, allowing himself to drift away. "If Doc says so."
#####
|