Kay walked into the VIP
room and set her overnight bag on the king-sized bed. Once again she
blessed the fact that she'd developed the habit of keeping a small
suitcase with a fresh change of clothes in the car during her years
working at the prison.
Turning, she nodded and
smiled at her guide, Sergeant Harriman. "Thanks a bunch, Sergeant. This
is more than adequate. Did you tell Josh where to find me?"
Walter stood in the
doorway and nodded. "Yes, ma'am. He said he'd join you shortly.
Something about fixing a noisy fan?"
Kay chuckled. "I was
wondering how long it'd be until he got to that. He's been complaining
about it ever since he stayed in the Infirmary as a patient. In fact he
was talking about it over breakfast this morning. Seems that Siler has
kept him so busy he hasn't had a chance to get to it until today."
Seeing him turn to leave,
she took a hesitant step toward the door. "Walter?"
He stopped his exit and turned. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I just wanted to let you
know how much I appreciate this. I knew I was too tired to risk driving
down the mountain after dark, but what with the meetings this afternoon
and catching up on reading all those files, it was dark before I knew
it. Then when Josh saw me in the Commissary, he flat out told me I
needed to stay the night."
Walter smiled. "It's no
problem. This happens all the time, and you did get quite a workout
today, didn't you?"
Kay sighed. "Yeah, I guess I did."
"It's us that should be
thanking you, Kay. You were there and didn't lose your cool. You
probably saved their lives."
The counselor blushed and
looked at the floor, twisting her hands together. "I was just doing my
job, the same way all of you do. It was no big deal."
"Well, it was to me, and
to a lot of others here too. I'm just glad you joined us, Kay. Really, I
am."
Kay stammered. "Um, okay,
thanks I guess. I'm glad I'm here too."
Walter checked his watch.
"I have to go now, ma'am. If there's anything you need, just let us
know. Someone is on duty 24/7 here."
"I will, and thanks again."
The door closed and Kay
took a good look around the room. It was sparsely furnished with the
basics, a bed, dresser, two bedside tables, a desk, and TV made up the
furniture. Part of one wall made up a walk in closet and a half open
door led to the bathroom. Opening up her bag, she took out her cosmetics
case and stepped into the bathroom to put it in on the vanity.
When she looked into the
mirror there, she saw a haggard face with dark circles under her dark
blue eyes staring back at her. She tried splashing cold water on her
face, but the eyes still looked tired, as tired as she felt. As a matter
of fact, after today's debacle, she'd felt like she'd been run over by a
herd of elephants that had turned around and decided on a return
engagement.
That thought decided her,
so she quickly stripped and turned on the shower, making sure the water
was hot. Then she padded naked into the room, laid out her pajamas, and
headed back to the bathroom.
Once in the shower, she
stood there, allowing the jet of hot water to beat the tension out of
the muscles of her face and shoulders. Then she turned and let her tense
back have its turn with the relaxing hot sprays of water.
By the time she was
finished, she could barely keep her eyes open, so she dried herself off
and wrapped a towel turban-style around her wet hair. Soon, she was
lying under the covers flipping through the channels on the TV with her
remote.
When she saw that the Sci
Fi Channel had a repeat of "Wormhole X-Treme", she snorted and flipped
to another station. Somehow, the series just didn't measure up to the
real thing.
She must have dozed off
watching the Discovery Channel, because the next thing she knew, the
familiar scent of Josh's aftershave reached her nostrils. She smiled
dreamily and reached for him.
"Hi." She felt him snuggle up to her in bed.
"Hi, Snookie." He shifted
onto his back and she scooted over to lay her head on his shoulder.
"I meant to stay up for
you, sorry." She rubbed his bare chest and smiled without opening her
eyes. It felt so good just to lay there with him and listen to the sound
of his breathing in the darkness.
"It's okay, I got delayed. But I did fix that fan."
Her fingers traced the
smile on his lips and she giggled. "I knew you would."
"That sound was driving
me crazy and just knowing that it was still there, rattling away, was
bugging me. I had to do something, didn't I?"
"Of course you did, dear. And there was absolutely nothing obsessive
compulsive about it, was there?"
"Of course not."
His hand played with
strands of her wiry hair. "By the way, I heard you had quite a day."
Kay stiffened beside him.
"Yeah, you could say that," she said noncommittally.
"From what I heard, you
really impressed everyone with how you handled the situation."
Kay opened her eyes to
peer up at her husband's face. "Really?"
His hand continued to stroke her hair. "Umm, hmm."
"Oh." She relaxed and closed her eyes again.
"Have I mentioned how proud I am of you lately?"
"I think so. Why?"
His lips bent to hers. "Well, Ms. Kay Dow, I still am proud of you."
When his mouth found hers, she returned his kiss
with passion, and the world went away for a while.
***
Samantha Carter floated,
merely existing, but that was enough for now. Her sense of touch
reassured her that Jack was nearby. Her fingers tightened about his as
she sighed in her sleep. It felt good to rest secure in the knowledge
that her rest would not be dominated by fear-ridden dreams that robbed
her of what her body so desperately craved.
When she felt long
fingers tighten around hers in a comforting and protective squeeze, she
sighed in contentment. For once, all was well and she steeled her mind
from exploring any farther than that. No, for once, thinking and
analyzing was not necessary, it was far better to relax and enjoy the
moment. True, it felt. . . different to be so accepting of her current
state of nirvana, but she'd earned it, right? Jack said so, and he'd
never lied to her yet.
Her internal bliss was
interrupted when loud voices intruded on her consciousness. She frowned,
reluctant to leave her peaceful state, but the voices only became louder
as they encroached on her slumber.
Careful to maintain her
comforting contact with Jack's hand, she groaned and struggled to open
heavy eyelids. The sound of voices resolved into words that were spoken
in anger.
When she recognized the
voices, her eyes snapped open in surprise. "Pete?"
Squinting her eyes
against the bright overhead lights, she could make out the figures
standing at the foot of her bed with their backs to her and Jack. Her
voice sounded rusty and weak with disuse, like an old Victrola that had
wound down.
She licked dry lips and cleared her throat. "Pete?"
This time her call
produced results in the form of two heads that whipped around to look at
her with dismay.
She watched with disquiet
as Pete, her fiancee, shouldered his way past Teal'c. "What the hell is
going on here?" he demanded.
Sam shook her head
wearily, still too dazed to answer. The admonishment in Teal'c's tone
said it all. "Colonel Carter requires rest. My place is to make certain
that she is not disturbed."
Pete swung back toward
the Jaffa, the frustration on his features transforming his face into
that of a dangerous man. "Listen, you alien freak, Sam is MY fiancee and
I can see her when I damned well please."
Teal'c's face looked
bland and all the more dangerous for its seeming artless expression,
"The physician left orders that Colonel Carter was to be left
undisturbed. I was asked to ensure it." He nodded toward the woman in
the bed. "As I shall continue to do so."
Pete Shannahan sputtered,
then his eyes lit upon the clasped hands of Jack and Sam. His face grew
flushed as his anger found a less dangerous target. "And what is the
meaning of this shit, Sam?"
Sam's face flushed as she
dropped Jack's hand like it had scalded her. Her eyes flickered down,
avoiding Pete's angry gaze. "Listen to me, Sam." One beefy hand touched
her cheek, forcing her to meet his angry brown eyes. "I come home from
work and find you still gone. So I headed up here to check on you." His
face softened as his voice took on a pleading note. "I was worried about
you, honey. What was I supposed to do? Wait for you to eventually show
up?"
The cop straightened his
stance and put both hands on his hips as his face suffused with anger
once again. "Then, once I get here, I'm told by this ALIEN that I can't
see MY fiance and she's playing pattycake with another man." His voice
grew cool as he bent to talk directly to Samantha. "Is this how you get
your promotions?" His face was deadly with fury. "By sleeping with your
boss?"
Sam sucked in a breath of
hurt anger, her eyes wide with shock. "Pete?"
Beside her, she could
hear Jack whisper, low and deadly. "Get out."
Pete swung to the man in
the bed. "Why? So you can play around with my girlfriend?" His tirade
ended with a surprised squawk as his feet left the floor.
Burdened as he was with a
struggling Pete Shannahan, the Jaffa still moved with a dignified grace.
"You will leave now." He intoned as he continued toward the door. "Pray
to your God that my eyes do not see you again."
Pete wriggled in a grip
of iron. "Put me down, you overgrown ape."
"On my world I would be
well within my rights to dismember you." Pete's bluster died away,
leaving him hanging limp within Teal'c's meaty hands. As he exited the
room, Sam could hear the Jaffa continue his lecture. "Not withstanding
the fact that you have poured insult upon my name, you have also
maligned the good name of those I serve." He shook his prisoner and the
dangling shoes clacked together in a mockery of a Prussian salute. "Few
still live who have done this in the past."
Sam let out a sigh, and
then slumped deeper into her bed. Curling up into a ball, she faced the
opposite wall away from Jack and stifled a sob.
The staccato beep from
her bedside heart monitor gave her away. She bit her lip and wiped
awkwardly at her face with the back of her free hand.
"Carter?"
The sound of feet hitting
the floor made her flinch away. It was followed in close order by a
muffled groan and the shuffle of feet on the floor. "Dammit, why do they
have to keep the floors so damned cold in here?" he cursed under his
breath. "It feels like a meat locker in here."
She knew he was leaning
on the bedrails when she heard them creak with his weight. Sam pulled
the sheet into her fist and hunched her shoulders as she tried her best
to shut him and the rest of the world out.
To her reeling mind, she
was saved from further talk by the entrance of several people. Dr.
Brightman and Nurse Wells both came into the room. And they didn't sound
happy.
"General O'Neill, what are you doing out of bed?"
Jack tried to bluff his
way out of trouble. "Evidently YOUR job, Doctor. Colonel Carter was
upset about her recent visitor and I was worried about her." Sam heard
the creaking sound of Jack trying not to lean noticeably against his
bed. "I thought it was your job to keep away pain-in-the-ass types who
might bother her. Instead I wake up to hear Mr. Pete Shannahan yelling
at her."
By now Dr. Brightman was
at Sam's side as she swiped at her tear-stained face with the back of
one and huddled on the bed. "Let me take a look, Colonel." The Doctor
tugged gently at the sheets wrapped around Sam's shoulders.
In the background, Sam
could hear Jack being herded back into bed by the nurse. "For crying out
loud, I can get into bed myself," he muttered darkly. "I'm not that bad
off."
"I'm sure you can, sir. I
just want to make sure you stay there this time," the nurse responded in
a no-nonsense manner.
Sam relaxed her fist and
allowed the sheet to be pulled from her fingers.
The Doctor shot a look of
apology to Jack. "I'm sorry, sir. He bullied his way in while I was at
the commissary. Since it was so late and visiting hours were over, I
thought I could take a break." She sighed and shrugged. "I guess I was
wrong. He won't bother her again, though, I can guarantee it."
Sam dissolved into tears
and hated herself for her weakness, but she couldn't seem to stop
crying.
"Carter?" Jack's voice sounded worried.
The Doctor shook her head
and pursed her lips. "You stay right where you are, General O'Neill or
I'll sedate you." Then she turned back to Sam. "You really need your
rest, ma'am. Would you like something to help you sleep?"
Sam nodded and sniffed.
"Damned doctors and their
fricking needles," Jack muttered.
"I heard that, sir," the Doctor warned.
The sound of feet sliding
against crisp sheets informed Sam that Jack had slid down into the
safety of his bed. "Crap."
Heads turned as General
Hammond entered the room. "Is there a problem here?"
Doctor Brightman strode
to the foot of Sam's bed to meet him. "No, sir. Not now anyway. I'm just
trying to get my two patients settled. They were disturbed by an earlier
visitor and are having some trouble calming down."
"Pete Shannahan?"
"Yes, sir. How did you know?"
George allowed a smile to
frame his reply. "I passed him in the hallway. He seemed to be in a
hurry to get out of here. Said something about that crazy alien." He
looked around the room. "Anybody have an ideas about what he was talking
about?"
Jack smirked. "He was
probably referring to Teal'c. Last time I saw him, the T man was
carrying him out of the room, and not gently either. Said something
about dismemberment?"
Hammond nodded. "That would explain it."
Sam wiped at her nose. "Was Pete hurt?"
Hammond walked around the
bed and looked closely at Sam. "Not that I could see. I'm more worried
about you," he turned to gesture to the other bed, "and Jack here."
Doctor Brightman sighed.
"I was just about to give the Colonel a sedative, sir. It should give
her some restful sleep and will keep her from having anymore
nightmares." She looked sternly at O'Neill. "As for General O'Neill, I
was considering giving him one too, since that may be the only way I can
keep him in his bed."
Jack contrived to look
innocent, but General Hammond didn't seem to buy it from the frown on
his face.
"Jack?"
Jack's eyebrows rose. "Sir?"
"You up to your old tricks again?"
"Would I do that, sir?"
George sighed. "Now you see why my hair turned gray."
"What hair?" Jack winced
as a flush of embarrassment crept up his cheeks. "Umm . . . sir."
Hammond grinned. "God,
I've missed this place." He looked around and then beckoned to Dr.
Brightman. "I've ordered that Mr. Shannahan not be allowed access to the
SGC for now."
Sam sucked in a breath
and hiccupped. "It's okay, sir. He was worried about me, that's all. He
didn't mean that other stuff."
Hammond remained firm.
"Nonetheless, you aren't to be disturbed right now, we need you out of
that bed ASAP and that won't happen if you can't get your rest." He
tapped the frame of the bed. "We can discuss this further when you're
back on your feet, Samantha."
Sam nodded but remained
curled on her side as she watched Dr. Brightman inject her IV port with
medication. "I won't have any bad dreams?" she asked fretfully.
"No, none whatsoever," the Doctor reassured her.
Sam managed a smile and sighed.
"Good."
***
Jack shifted restlessly
in his bed, clearly as he weighed the pros and cons of going to Sam's
aid. 'Crap, if I could, I'd rip Shannahan's head off and shit down
his throat for what he did to Sam. But if I go to her, she'll see it as
pity, besides the fact that I'd risk large needles stuck in my butt if I
get out of bed. At least the Doc gave her something to knock her out.
Too bad I didn't opt for the same. I'll never get back to sleep
now.'
Jack shook his head as
thoughts continued to skitter through his brain. Then his lips curved
into a self-satisfied smirk.
'I'll have to make a
point to congratulate T on the number he did on that jerk; something
that I've been aching to do for ages . . . but didn't so I wouldn't hurt
Sam.'
He turned in bed to gaze
at the woman in the bed beside him. From outward appearances, she looked
peaceful now, lying on her back instead of being curled up in the fetal
position.
'If there was only a way
to know for sure that she's okay, that she's really gonna be all right.
Wait a minute, maybe there is, but, can I really do it?'
O'Neill shrugged. 'The
only way I'll know is if I try. No harm in that, is there? Nope, there
sure isn't.' He took a deep breath. 'Well, here goes.'
Settling back into the
mattress, he closed his eyes, a slight smile on his lips. His brows
knitted together with concentration as he reached out to touch her . . .
with his mind, to locate that mysterious link.
Warmth spread through his
body and he urged this feeling of wellness to expand beyond his own, to
reach out toward the figure lying in the next bed. He smiled as he felt
the link snap into place, as if it'd never been severed. As he searched,
he noted the unresolved anger and hurt that churned within the depths of
her mind, like a riptide beneath the calm surface of the sea.
Seeking contact, he
opened up a two-way communication within the link. 'Sam?'
'Jack?' Surprise
colored her words. 'What are you doing here? I thought the link was
broken.'
Jack mentally
shrugged. 'Yeah, so did I, but I guess it's not. Go figure.'
'So tired, Jack.'
'I know, I can help . . . if you let me, that is.'
'How?'
'Do you trust me?'
'Of course, I do.'
Jack smiled
encouragement. 'Good, now just relax and I promise you won't feel a
thing.'
'Promise?'
'Yeah sure ya betcha.'
Jack concentrated on
expanding the flow of healing energy to encompass both himself and the
woman on the bed beside him.
'Holy Hannah!'
'You okay?'
'I feel great!'
'Good, you know that I
haven't taken away the memories, Sam, just made things go away for a bit
so you can get back on your feet and face the music. You'll still have
to go see Kay.'
'Yeah, I know, but if
I go, will you too? You need to you know.'
'Touche. Sure, I'll go
too. I have the feeling she wouldn't stand for us skipping out on her
anyway.'
Jack felt the bubble of Sam's giggle.
'Now let's get some
sleep so we can blow this Popsicle stand.'
Both patients sighed in
unison as smiles wreathed their peaceful faces.
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