The song ‘How Do I Live’ is sung by Trisha Yearwood, no infringement
intended.
AUTHORS NOTES: A huge thanks to my two beta’s Kes and Jenn.
~~o0o~~
Jack and Sam walked side by side towards the elevators that lead to the surface. “Now you’ve got your new snow tires on, haven’t you?” Jack asked. It was snowing quite heavily outside and he was a little worried about her driving down the mountain alone.
“Jack!” Sam said, exasperated. He could be so overprotective sometimes. “You know very well that I got new tires a few days ago. You were there when I picked the car up, remember? Now stop fussing.”
“I’m sorry, I just wish you’d wait for me. It’s supposed to be pretty bad out there.”
She put her arms around his neck, deciding she needed to change tactics with him. “I’ll be fine. I’m gonna go home and light the fire, maybe slip into something a little more comfortable. Then when you come home...” She let the kiss finish the sentence for her.
“You don’t play fair,” he breathed when they pulled apart.
“I’ll see you at home,” she told him, giving him one last kiss before getting into the elevator.
Jack watched as the doors closed, Sam’s image disappearing behind them. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he shouldn’t have let her go. Pushing the dark thoughts from his mind, he turned and headed back to the mountain of paper work that was waiting in his office.
****
Sam hummed along to the radio as she drove down the mountain, carefully negotiating the slippery road. As the song finished, the announcer came over the air to give the weather report. “A blizzard warning has been issued for the Colorado Springs area. People are advised to batten down the hatches and stay off the roads as strong winds and large snow falls are predicted tonight and early into tomorrow morning.”
“Great, now you tell me,” Sam muttered, already noticing that visibility
had been seriously reduced. She considered her options.
She could turn around and head back to the base, or she could continue
on home. She estimated that she must be close to halfway home and decided
to just keep going.
She squinted, trying to see the road through the wind driven snow. She almost didn’t see the deer as it ran out in front of her. Instinctively, she hit the breaks and swerved which caused the car to skid on the ice. Once it started to skid, Sam was helpless to do anything but sit there and wait for the impact. It happened moments later, when her car went down a small bank and hit a tree. The air bag activated, saving her head from impacting with the steering wheel at the sudden stop. She shakily leaned back in her seat, trying to get her breathing and rapid heartbeat to slow down.
Only then did she realise how lucky she was. She could just make out the huge tree that she had run into. It’s thick trunk had crushed the front, right hand side of the car so that the dash was pushed towards the passenger seat. She had no doubts that she would be in serious trouble if that had been the driver’s side.
When she had calmed herself down a bit, she started to move her limbs, making sure that she wasn’t injured. After determining that she was still in one piece, Sam opened the door and took a look at where she was. Visibility was almost zero, making it impossible to spot any landmarks. Without being a mechanic, she could still tell that the car wouldn’t be going anywhere in a hurry. Besides the obvious damage, billows of steam rose from beneath the twisted hood. Shivering, she decided that the only thing she could do was get back in the car and hope that someone drove past soon and actually saw her.
As she pulled the door closed against the howling wind, Sam remembered that she had her cell phone in her bag. She thought for a moment, before dialling the base number. As she started to dial, she saw the bar that indicated the phone’s service and realised that she wouldn’t be able to reach anyone. “Shit!” She swore, throwing the phone onto the seat next to her. Reaching into the back of the car, she grabbed the picnic blanket she kept in there, throwing it over herself before sitting back in the seat and staring out the window at the white that surrounded her.
*****
Jack had almost made it to the elevators before he was stopped. Thanking every deity that it was only Daniel and not an airman stopping him from leaving, Jack turned and greeted his friend. “Hi, Danny.”
“Hey, Jack. Where are you off to?” Daniel asked.
“I’m goin’ home. Why?”
“Haven’t you heard? They’ve sealed the mountain. Apparently there’s a blizzard out and the snow bank’s already really high at the entrance. Besides, the roads are supposed to be treacherous. You’d probably kill yourself trying to drive.”
Jack’s face paled slightly. “How long ago did this blizzard hit?”
Daniel shrugged. “I don’t know, probably forty minutes ago. Why?”
“Sam left about an hour ago. She was on her way home.”
Jack walked into the nearest room and, grabbing a phone, rang their house. There was no answer. “Shit,” he growled, slamming the receiver down. “No answer.”
“Jack, that doesn’t mean anything. Maybe the phone lines are down, or she went out somewhere. If the storm’s bad, it would have taken her a lot longer to drive home,” Daniel suggested, trying to calm Jack down. The guy had a tendency to come up with the worst case scenario for everything.
“You’re right,” Jack said, picking up the phone again.
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m gonna try her cell phone.” He dialled the number and waited while the phone rang.
Sam was almost asleep when her cell phone started ringing. She grabbed it, shaking with the cold as she answered. “Hello?”
“Sam!” Jack yelled, relieved to hear her voice.
Sam couldn’t hear anything except static. “Hello? Is somebody there?” She pushed the door open, struggling against the snow that had already built up around the car. The wind and falling snow immediately hit her, stinging her cold face.
“Sam?! Can you hear me?!” Jack yelled back.
“Hello?” She asked again, stepping back slightly in an attempt to get better reception. She lost her footing in the deep snow and went tumbling down the bank, crying out as her head connected with a tree trunk. Her vision swam as she tried to reach out for her phone, but as she moved she saw the dots form in front of her eyes and then passed out.
“Sam!” Jack yelled when he heard her cry out.
Daniel saw Jack’s face pale. “Jack? What’s wrong?”
“Oh God, something’s happened, Daniel. I don’t know what, but something’s wrong.”
“Jack, calm down and tell me what you heard.”
Jack took a deep breath. “She answered the phone but she couldn’t hear me. It sounded like she was outside and then she cried out. Now all I can hear is the wind.”
He suddenly started running out the door.
“Jack, where...” He trailed off, running to catch up with his friend. “Jack, where are you going?” He asked him again, only catching him when they reached the elevator.
“I’ve got to talk to the General, get him to send out a search party or something.”
“Jack, there’s a blizzard out there. Even if they could get the snow moved away enough to allow us to get out, how would we find her?”
“I’ve got to do something, Daniel. I can’t just sit here, not knowing what happened to her.”
Daniel nodded and they both stood impatiently while the elevator descended further into the mountain. The doors were hardly open when they rushed out and quickly made there way to the General’s office.
“What’s the problem?” General Hammond asked the two puffing men that stood before him.
“Sir, I think Major Carter’s in trouble.” Jack explained the situation to his commanding officer, watching the older man’s face pale slightly.
Hammond sat silent for a minute before rising from his chair. “Come with me.”
The three men hurried into the control room, where Sergeant Siler was working. “Sergeant, we need your help,” Hammond told the man.
“Yes, Sir,” Siler replied, jumping to his feet.
“Can you detect a cellular phone signal from in here?”
“Ah, depending on where it is, I can tap into...”
“A yes or no will do, Siler,” Jack told him impatiently.
“Well, yes. Depending on where it is.”
“Sergeant, we have reason to believe that Major Carter could have been injured somewhere between here and Colorado Springs. She was on her cellular phone to Colonel O’Neill at the time and, as far as we’re aware, the phone is still switched on.”
Siler rushed over to one of the computers and began typing furiously. “Did you hang up, Sir?”
Jack thought for a moment. “No, I just dropped the handpiece on the table.”
Siler nodded. “Good.” He continued typing. “Okay, I’ve tapped into the closest satellite... yes! I’ve found the signal. Now I just have to triangulate where it’s transmitting from and... shit!”
Jack and Hammond looked at each other. Neither had heard the normally mild mannered Sergeant swear before.
“Sorry, Sir. I’d say the snow shorted the phone out. It’s amazing it was working at all with the intensity of this blizzard.”
They all stood silently for a few minutes, nobody really knowing what to say. “What about the LoJack?” Jack said suddenly.
Everyone’s eyes turned to look at him. “What?” Daniel asked.
“It’s a tracking device Sam had installed in her car in case it was stolen. Couldn’t we use that to find her?”
“I could call the local police, see if they can get a reading from their tower. I just don’t know if they’ll get a signal in this weather.”
Siler picked up the phone and got through to the local police. After a short conversation he replaced the phone and shook his head. “Sorry, Sir,” Siler replied. “We can use it once the blizzard passes but until then there really is nothing that they can do.”
“There’s got to be *something* we an do!” Jack shouted. “God, she’s out there in the freezing cold, probably hurt!”
“Jack...” The General sighed. He didn’t know what he could say to the man that wouldn’t sound trite. He looked up as Janet and Teal’c rushed into the room.
“We just heard,” Janet managed to get out, trying to catch her breath. “What’s being done?”
“Nothing!” Jack growled, slumping down in the nearest chair.
The General sighed. “You have to understand, Jack. I can’t risk more lives out there when we have no idea where to look.”
Jack just nodded his head in reluctant agreement. Hammond watched as the grief stricken man was surrounded by his friends. The General knew that Sam’s chances of survival were slim and Jack would need all of his friends if he was going to get through this.
*****
Albert Hossack trudged through the deep snow, cursing the local radio station for once again getting the weather forecast completely wrong. He’d been caught out hunting when the blizzard began and was for once grateful that his mother insisted he carry an emergency pack with him. “Well, Sonny, looks like you’re getting back to your ancestral roots,” he said to his dog, a huge Siberian Husky that was playing in the snow drifts. Suddenly, the dog stopped, sniffing the air. “Come on,” Albert called. “We don’t have time for you to be off chasing rabbits. We stay out here much longer we’ll be popsicles!”
Sonny ignored his owner, giving a sharp bark before bounding off up the slope. “Sonny! Get back here!” Albert called, losing sight of the animal almost immediately. He followed in the direction that the dog had taken and finally found him yapping at an almost covered object in the snow. It wasn’t until Albert knelt down next to it, that he realised it was a body. “Oh, shit!” He swore, taking off a glove to feel for a pulse. After a tense second, he felt a soft thud under his fingers and he let out the breath he’d been holding. He could see a gash on her head from where she’d obviously hit a tree. Her lips were blue and she was barely breathing. “Good boy!” He quickly rewarded the dog before picking the woman up. “Come on Sonny. We’ve gotta hurry.”
“Mom! Mom, come quick!” Albert called as he rushed into the house.
“What is it, Albert?” The elderly woman asked as she walked into the living room. She gasped as she caught sight of the woman in his arms.
“I found her in the snow. She’s hurt, bad.”
“Put her on the couch, carefully. Try not to move her head around.” She bustled around, assessing Sam for a few minutes before rushing into her bedroom. She came back out with dry clothes and blankets. “Go and get me the first aid kit from the kitchen and boil some water while I get her changed.”
When Albert hurried back out a few minutes later, his mother was just wrapping Sam up in the thick blankets. “Here you go, Mom,” he said, handing her the first aid kit.
His mother accepted it and efficiently cleaned and dressed the wound on Sam’s forehead. “I can’t see anything wrong with her other than the head wound and the fact that she’s freezing cold. If we can warm her up, then she should be okay until the morning, then hopefully we can get her into the hospital.” She smiled at her son. “You did well, Albert. If you hadn’t found her when you did then she would probably be dead by now.”
“Sonny’s the one who found her,” he replied, patting the dog who was laying in front of the roaring fire.
*****
It was several hours later, when Sam moaned as she came to, immediately feeling the warmth of a fire.
“I’m glad to see you awake,” Albert’s mother told her. “I was starting to get really worried.”
Sam lifted her head and peered around. “Where am I?” She asked, lying back down as her head started spinning.
“About halfway between Cheyenne Mountain and Colorado Springs. My son and I live here. I’m Betty and my son’s name is Albert. He’s gone out to get some more fire wood from the barn.”
At that moment they heard the door open and a large man hurried in, carrying a bundle of fire wood. “The storm hasn’t cleared up yet, mom.” He saw Sam. “Ah, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts,” Sam told them.
“I’m not surprised. You really shouldn’t go around head butting trees.”
Sam chuckled weakly. The comment sounded like something Jack would say. “What time is it?”
“A little after ten,” Betty told her.
“I’ve gotta get home. My boyfriend will be worried sick.”
“I don’t think it’ll be safe to go out until morning, Miss,” Albert told her.
Sam sighed and snuggled further under the thick blanket that was covering her. “Then you’d better call me Sam.”
*****
Teal’c walked into Jack’s office, immediately seeing the heartbroken look on his friend’s face. At first, Teal’c had seen Jack’s love for Sam as a weakness, something that no warrior should ever feel for a fellow soldier, especially when at war, but it hadn’t taken him long to realise that the love that they shared, that they all shared, was what would keep them strong and help them to eventually overturn the Goa’uld. “O’Neill. Is there anything that I can do for you? Perhaps I could retrieve some sustenance for you?”
“I’m not really hungry, Teal’c, but thanks for the offer.”
Teal’c nodded and seated himself in the chair opposite Jack. He wanted
to stay with his friend, therefore not allowing him to be
alone with his thoughts. That was always a dangerous way to be, especially
for the man in front of him. “Would you prefer to partake in some sparring
in the gymnasium?” He offered.
“I’m fine, Teal’c. You don’t have to stay here and look after me.”
“I do not believe you are, O’Neill. I do not wish you to stay in such melancholy by yourself. Please allow me to be of some assistance?”
“Unless you can go out there and find Sam, then there’s nothing you can do.”
Teal’c looked at the man for a few moments, before making a decision. “Will you accompany me to Daniel Jackson’s office, O’Neill?”
“Teal’c...”
“Please. There is something I wish to show you.”
With a sigh, Jack rose from his chair and followed Teal’c to Daniel’s lab.
“Hey, Danny,” Jack greeted glumly as they walked in.
“Hi, Jack. How are you doing?”
“Oh, just peachy,” he replied sarcastically. He turned to Teal’c. “You wanna tell me why we’re here?”
“Daniel Jackson. Would you please play the footage taken from the previous day’s mission?”
“Why?” Daniel asked as he reached for his camcorder.
Teal’c said nothing while he waited for Daniel to start the tape. A picture came on the screen and after a few seconds, Sam’s face appeared. She laughed at Daniel, telling him to stop taping her. “This is a woman with a strength and determination I have never seen before, not even whilst I was First Prime to Apophis. If there is anyone who can survive the outside elements, then it is she.”
They continued watching as Jack told a joke, making her laugh. “Besides, O’Neill. She has your love to get her through this.” He turned to his friend who was staring at the screen, a small smile on his face.
“Thank you, Teal’c. I guess I really needed to hear that.”
Daniel patted his friend’s back. “She’ll be okay, Jack. You wait and see. She’s gonna laugh about how worried we all were about her when we see her next.”
“I hope so, Daniel. I really hope so.”
*****
Jack wandered the halls, his path eventually taking him to the infirmary. He was surprised to see the light on in Janet’s office and headed for the door. He spotted her sitting at her desk, looking into space, obviously lost in thought. “Hey, Doc. Why aren’t you in bed?” He asked as he walked into the room.
She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Probably the same reason as you,” she replied. She took in the sad eyes and the slumped shoulders and indicated the chair opposite her. “Have a seat, Colonel.”
He shook his head. “Only if you call me Jack. You’re Sam’s best friend, I think that gives you the right to forget about ranks when we’re not in a military situation.”
She nodded. “I’d like to think I’m your friend too, Jack.”
He smiled. “You are, Janet,” he assured her as he sat.
They said nothing for a few minutes, just enjoying the companionship
that the other provided. Then Jack asked the question that
Janet knew was coming, but dreaded all the same. “I want you to be
honest with me, Janet. Do you think that she could survive out there?”
She sighed. “It depends. We’re making a lot of assumptions here. We don’t know what happened. She could have made it somewhere and is nice and cosy, waiting for the snow to clear. If the car’s still working, then she has protection from the wind as well as the car’s heating. She knows what to do in a blizzard situation.”
“What if the car’s not working? Or she’s unconscious somewhere outside?” He knew the answer to that one, but he didn’t want to believe it.
“If the car has broken down, then she still has protection from the wind. It’ll get awfully cold but people have been known to survive. If she’s...” She took a deep breath. “If she’s outside, then, with the way the weather is, she’d be lucky to make it a few hours.” A tear slipped down her face as she looked at Jack. He looked crushed. A part of her cursed herself for not sugar coating it, but another part knew that she had to prepare him for what could be a very likely outcome.
“Oh, god,” he whispered, cradling his head in his hands. “How am I gonna live without her, Janet?”
Janet walked around and crouched in front of him. “Don’t give up on her, Jack. If anyone can survive this, you know it’s Sam. Have you ever known her to give up?” She almost gasped when she saw the tears in his eyes and it was at that moment she realised he couldn’t live without her. If Sam died, so would Jack. ‘Please survive this, Sam. We all need you,’ she prayed as she tried to comfort Jack.
*****
The morning dawned crystal clear. The only evidence of the blizzard was the large snow drifts that covered the landscape. When Jack entered the control room with General Hammond, they noticed that Siler was on the phone. He looked up and smiled at his two superior officers. “The local police have got the location of the car, Sirs.” He listened to the caller, nodding as he took down the co-ordinates. He got off the phone and handed them over to Hammond.
Hammond then turned to Jack. “Okay, this is how it works. I will let you go with them *only* if you promise me that you’ll behave yourself. There’s no guarantee that she’s with the car and I don’t want you running off half cocked. If Major Carter’s not with her vehicle, Colonel Griff and SG-6 will co-ordinate the search and you will follow them. Do you understand me Colonel?”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, willing to agree to anything as long as it meant he could go and find Sam.
The entrance to the mountain had finally been cleared and the two trucks descended carefully down the mountain. When they arrived at the location, the trucks stopped and the rescue party jumped out. “Where is it?” Jack asked, suddenly fearing that the police had given them the wrong co-ordinates. He looked around at the blanket of white that covered everything and then he saw it. A glint of blue protruding from a particularly large snow drift. “Oh god. Sam!” He yelled, running down the bank as fast as he could in the deep snow.
They all started digging the car out and quickly realised that the driver’s door was open. The car was filled with snow and it soon became apparent that she wasn’t in there. A thorough search of the immediate area turned up no clues as to where she was.
They all reconvened in front of one of the trucks and Colonel Griff pulled out a large map which he spread across the hood. “Okay. This is how we’re going to do it. We’ll split up into groups of four. Each group will receive an area which you are to search thoroughly. The dogs and the thermal radar won’t be here for another two hours. I want her found by then.” He looked quickly at Sam’s team before his eyes fell on the rest of the party. “Let me remind you, this is Major Carter we’re looking for. A woman who’s saved our collective asses on several occasions. Every minute that passes, could mean her life. You do your job thoroughly and quickly so that she’ll be back saving our asses ASAP. You are to report in to General Hammond every half an hour until we meet back here in two hours.” He nodded and then handed out radios and smaller maps, telling each group where they were to search.
“You three be okay together?” He asked the three members of SG-1. “I don’t need to pull someone off another team to baby-sit do I?”
“I shall ensure that all is done according to plan, Colonel Griff,” Teal’c solemnly promised.
“Thank you, Teal’c.” He turned to Jack. “We’re gonna find her, Jack. Just don’t do something stupid and get yourself hurt before we do.”
“We better move out,” was Jack’s only reply.
The three team mates trudged along in silence while they made there way to their designated area. They heard the other searchers calling out for Sam but there were no replies. Jack stopped his friends once they’d reached the area they were to search. “Okay. You two head in that direction and I’ll head over there. We’ll meet back here in an hour and a half.”
“Jack, we’re supposed to stay together,” Daniel reminded him.
“If we stay together, we’re wasting valuable time. Time that Sam mightn’t have. You’ve got a radio, just keep in touch.”
Teal’c pulled Daniel off before he could say more. “I believe O’Neill wishes to be alone at this time, Daniel Jackson. We should honor that wish.”
Daniel nodded, looking back at his friend who was walking off in the opposite direction.
Jack walked along by himself, his eyes ever alert even though his mind was wondering. “Sam!” He called, his heart breaking a little more with each passing minute. He knew, realistically, it would be a miracle if she’d survived the storm but he refused to give up on her. He was about to radio in when he heard a dog barking. Peering through the trees, he noticed a house and barn a few hundred meters away. “Oh, please God,” he prayed as he saw a man clearing snow away from the front door. He hurried to the edge of the trees before almost running across the clearing toward the house. He saw the man look up as he approached and heard him tell the dog to stop barking.
“Can I help you?” Albert asked, eyeing Jack suspiciously.
“My girlfriend was in a car accident up on the ridge last night, but we can’t find her. I was...”
“You must be Jack then,” Albert interrupted with a smile. “Sam told us a lot about you.”
“She’s here?” Jack’s heart was almost bursting through his chest at the elation he felt.
“Sure is. Lucky for her, my dog found her last night. Wasn’t sure she was gonna make it for a while, but she’s a determined one.”
Jack smiled. “That she is. Can I see her?”
“Of course you can.” He led Jack into the house, both pausing to remove their coats and boots before walking into the warm living room. There, sleeping peacefully on the sofa, was Sam. Jack could see a sterile dressing on her forehead and a graze on her cheek, but she was definitely alive.
Betty walked into the room and started at seeing a stranger. “It’s okay Mom, this is Jack,” Albert assured her.
“Sam’s Jack?” She asked.
“Yeah,” Jack replied, tearing his eyes away from Sam to look at the woman. “Thank you *so* much for looking after her. I really thought I’d lost her.”
“She was very lucky. If she’d stayed out there any longer, all of the stubborn will in the world couldn’t have saved her. I guess we can be thankful I was a nurse when I was younger too. I’m pretty sure she has mild hypothermia and a concussion. I’ve been waking her up every hour or so and so far she’s had no problems with memory and such. We were just waiting for the roads to be cleared and we were going to get her to the hospital.”
Jack smiled. “Thank you. I’ll get a helicopter to come and pick her up. Is it okay if it lands in that field I crossed?”
“Sure,” Albert told him. “I’ll go and mark it, so they know where to go.”
Jack nodded and reached into his coat for his radio. “Rescue five to base. Come in?”
“This is base,” Hammond replied. “You’re overdue to report, Jack. What’s your status?”
“I’ve found her, Sir. One of the locals found her last night and took her in. Can you send a chopper here? It’s about three miles south west of where the car was found. There’ll be an area marked for landing.”
“Will do, son. What’s the Major’s status?”
“Possible hypothermia and concussion, but pretty good under the circumstances.” As he spoke, he sat down on the edge of the sofa, running his free hand down her cheek. Sam awoke at his touch, her eyes widening when she saw him.
“We’ll be there ASAP. Base out.”
“Am I dreaming?” Sam asked, causing Jack to smile.
“No, angel. I’m really here. How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts and I’m cold.”
“It’s okay, Janet will be here soon and we’ll get you back to base.”
“I didn’t think I was going to see you again,” she said quietly.
“I know. When we found your car this morning...” A lump caught in his throat as he realised just how close he had come to losing her.
They heard a rumbling outside, both instantly recognising the sounds of the helicopter as it landed. It was only a few more minutes before Janet came bursting into the room, Daniel, Teal’c and General Hammond hot on her heels. They all looked overjoyed at seeing her alive. After a quick hug, Janet went into doctor mode, quickly checking her over and ensuring she was alright to travel. Despite Sam’s protests, she was loaded onto a stretcher and carried out to the waiting helicopter. Before being loaded in, both her and Jack thanked Betty and Albert once more for all of their help and it wasn’t long before they were back at Cheyenne Mountain.
Despite his protests, Jack was ordered out of the infirmary whilst Janet gave Sam a thorough examination. It was almost an hour later, when Janet walked out to see him.
“How is she?” He asked immediately, jumping to his feet. Daniel, Teal’c and the General were right by his side.
“Amazingly lucky,” Janet replied with a smile. “She has mild hypothermia, a concussion and minor cuts and bruises.”
“Can I see her?” Jack asked.
She smiled. “Just for a little while. The best thing for her right now is rest.”
Jack nodded. “I won’t stay too long.”
He walked quietly into the infirmary, smiling softly as he saw the woman he loved resting in the nearest bed. Her eyes flickered open when she felt the gentle kiss on her forehead. “Hey,” she said quietly.
“Hey. How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess. I’m just tired.”
“Yeah, well I’ll go and let you get some sleep.” He turned to leave but a hand stopped him.
“Sit with me for a while? I’ll sleep better knowing you’re here with me.”
He smiled, bending down to kiss her lips this time. “Then close your eyes, angel. I’ll be sitting right here.”
When Sam awoke late that afternoon, she felt a warm hand in hers. Opening her eyes, she looked to the chair next to her and saw Jack, sound asleep. He’d obviously been there all afternoon and didn’t look at all comfortable. As if he could sense the pair of eyes on him, he woke up, grinning as he saw the baby blues that were focused on him. He grimaced as he moved before the grin returned. “Hey, sleeping beauty,” he said quietly, moving forward to give her a kiss.
“Hey. I thought you were only staying for a while?”
“I was. Guess I was more tired than I thought.” He ran a hand through her hair. “You look a bit better. You’ve got more color than the sheets now.”
“I feel a bit better. I’ve still got a killer headache though.”
Jack got to his feet. “Let me get Janet then. She can give you something to take the edge off it.”
“No, Jack, it’s okay. Whatever she gives me will knock me out and I don’t want to sleep right now.”
“You sure?” He could see the pain in her eyes.
“Yeah,” she assured him. “Just stay here and talk to me for a while.”
He smiled as he resumed his seat. “Like you could make me leave.”
She picked up his hand and started playing with his long fingers. “You know, when I was sitting in the car and it was getting really cold, I kept thinking about Antarctica and how I was so sure we were going to die.”
“Sam...”
“No, let me finish. I was thinking that at least that time, as I curled up beside you, I wasn’t alone. That scared the hell out of me, Jack. The thought that I might die out there, in the middle of nowhere, all by myself.” She sniffled. “I was torn between the thought of wanting you there with me and thanking every God I knew that you were safe, that at least you’d be okay even if I wasn’t.”
Jack shook his head. “But I wouldn’t have been okay. God, Sam, I thought I’d lost you. I could hardly get through one night, thinking that you *might* be dead. How would I ever do it if I knew. I couldn’t live without you. You’re a part of me.”
She gave him a watery smile. “Lay down with me?” She asked, moving over to make room on the bed for him. She cuddled into him when he laid down beside her, breathing in the scent that was uniquely Jack. “I love you *so* much, Jack. Whatever happens in the future, remember that.”
“I love you too, angel. I always will.”
They both sighed and stayed cuddled together on the narrow bed until they both fell asleep, safe in each other’s arms. They didn’t wake up when, half an hour later, Janet came in to check on her patient. Nor did they stir when their commanding officer came in to make sure Sam was okay.
Instead of waking them, General Hammond just stood and watched his two best officers sleep. He smiled as Janet walked up beside him. “She’s going to be okay?”
“Yes, Sir. A couple of days to rest and she’ll be fine. I recommend putting her on light duties for a week or so, just to make sure there’s no residual problems with the head injury.”
He nodded. “What ever you feel is necessary, Doctor.”
He stepped over to the bed and ran a fatherly hand over Sam’s hair.
“Glad you’re okay, Sam,” he said quietly. He turned quickly, as if embarrassed by his display of affection. “Maybe now the base can return to normal,” he said to Janet and walked briskly out of the room.
Janet grinned at the General’s retreating form before looking back at the couple before her. With a smile, she turned off the light and walked back towards her office, leaving her friends sleeping peacefully.
*****
How do I get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be
Oh and I, I need you in my arms
Need you to hold
You’re my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever leave
Baby, you would take away everything good in my life
Without you there’d be no sun in my sky
There would be no love in my life
There’d be no world left for me
And I, baby I don’t know what I would do
I’d be lost if I lost you
If you ever leave
Baby, you would take away everything real in my life
And tell me know
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive
How do I, how do I
Oh how do I live
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