The book ‘The Horse Whisperer’ was written by Nicholas Evans.  The song ‘Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye’ is performed by Vince Gill, no infringement intended.

AUTHORS NOTES: This is in answer to Sam’s challenge to have Sam shot not in the line of duty.  A huge thanks to my two beta gal's, Kes and Jenn!  And to Sue, who checked this fic for medical correctness and told me how to change it without having to rewrite the whole thing.  Thank you!

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Jack sighed as he hung up the phone.  He turned and looked at his fiancé, who was sitting beside him, watching a movie.  He pulled her closer to his side and she snuggled up to him.

“What did the General want?” Sam asked, eyes still on the television screen.

“I have to go into the base tomorrow.  Hammond thinks that since I’m his 2IC, I should get involved in the, and I quote, ‘administrative duties that a General must perform’.  In other words he wants help with his paperwork.”

“That’s okay.  Janet, Cassie and I are going to go to Denver for the day.”

“Oh really?  So while I’m enduring hours of boredom, you’re going to be spending money?”

“Got it in one, Flyboy,” Sam replied cheekily, moving to kiss him deeply.

“Mmm, lets go to bed,” Jack suggested as their kisses got more passionate.

“Lets,” Sam replied between kisses.  Without pulling away from him, she managed to turn the TV and VCR off and they stumbled up to their bedroom.

*****

Jack was pulled from his sleep the next morning by the constant chime of the doorbell.  He groaned and looked at the clock, jumping up with a start when he saw the time.  “Sam, wake up,” he said, shaking his fiancé gently.

“Hmm?” She mumbled, not opening her eyes.

“We slept in, angel.  It’s after eight.  I think Janet’s here.”  As if on cue, the doorbell chimed again.

“Shit!” Sam cursed, jumping up and grabbing her robe.  Jack hurried into the shower as she rushed down the stairs.  Janet had resorted to banging on the door by the time she reached it.  “Can’t you two keep your hands off each other for a second?” she asked as the door opened.

“I’m sorry.  We slept in,” Sam explained as she let both Janet and Cassie in.

She led them into the kitchen and got the coffee started.  “Have you guys had breakfast?” She asked, popping some bread into the toaster for Jack.

“Yeah, we have.  I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee though,” Janet replied.

“Can I have some juice, Aunty Sam?” Cassie asked.

“Sure you can, Cass.”

Sam poured herself and Janet some coffee, got Cassie a glass of juice and made Jack’s breakfast for him.

“Where’s, Jack?” Janet asked.

“In the shower.  He got called into work today.”

“I bet he’s not a happy camper,” Cassie quipped, making the two older women laugh.

“I think you may be right,” Sam agreed.

“Morning, ladies,” Jack said as he hurried in a few minutes later, still buttoning his shirt.  “Hey, baby, I don’t s’pose you made me some... toast,” he finished as Sam held the plate out to him.  “You’re the best,” he told her.  He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he picked up his toast and hurried to the door.

“Jack O’Neill, don’t you dare walk out that door,” Sam commanded and he stopped dead in his tracks.  Turning back to her, he had the grace to look sheepish.  “Sorry,” he told her, moving back to her side.  He pulled her to her feet and gave her an earth-shattering kiss.  “Bye, angel,” he whispered when they finally pulled apart.  “Drive safely.”

“Have a nice day,” she returned, giving him a blinding smile and watching him walk out of the kitchen.

“Are you guys still doing that?” Janet asked as they heard the front door close.

Sam shrugged.  “If there’s one thing I learned from my mom’s death, it’s that you always say goodbye to the ones you love, just in case you don’t see them again.”

“Hey, I’m not knocking it.  Besides, it’s a sure fire way to ensure you getplenty of kisses!”

Both women laughed.

“Can we go now?” Cassie asked, eager to try and find her dress for the wedding.

Sam rose from the table.  “Sure, sweetie.  Just let me have a quick shower and we’ll be off.”

*****

They drove to Denver in Janet’s car.  As soon as they got there, they headed for the malls, looking for all the items that they needed for the wedding.  Although there was still six months until the big day, Sam didn’t want to leave everything to the last minute, just in case something came up with work.

“Look!  That place sells wedding stuff,” Cassie exclaimed, pointing to a bridal boutique.  She took both women’s hands and dragged them towards the store.  They walked in and Cassie immediately raced off to look for her bridesmaid dress.

Janet shook her head with a smile.  “She’s so excited about being a bridesmaid.”

“Well, there was no way that she was missing out on being a part of her first wedding,” Sam replied.

They looked up as the shop assistant approached them.  “May I help you?”

“We’re looking for bridesmaid dresses for my friend and her daughter,” Sam explained.

“Okay, if you’ll come this way.”  The assistant lead them over to where Cassie was, asking them what they were looking for.

They spent the next hour in the store, finding nothing that the three of them could agree on.

“Well, that was a waste of time,” Janet declared as they walked out of the mall.

“At least we have some idea of what we’re looking for now.  We can always get them made if we get stuck,” Sam replied.

“Where are we going now?” Cassie asked, clearly disappointed that she didn’t find her dress.

“Well, how about lunch?” Sam suggested.  “There’s a really nice cafe two blocks from here.  We could have something to eat before we resume our hunt.”

Both Janet and Cassie agreed and they headed off in the direction of the cafe.

They walked along the street, laughing and joking, when suddenly shots rang out as they passed a bank.  People started screaming and running for cover.

“Aunty Sam!” Cassie cried, seeing Sam slump against a lamp post.  She was clutching at her stomach, blood seeping from a gun shot wound.

Janet rushed over to her and laid her down, putting pressure on the wound and ordering someone to get the Paramedics.  Sam was breathing shallowly and could feel unconsciousness creeping up on her.  The pain was immense, but she wasn’t going to give in to it.  “Janet,” she gasped.

“Shh, Sam.  Just stay still.  Help’s on the way,” she soothed, thankful that an elderly woman was comforting Cassie.

“Tell Jack I love him,” Sam whispered.

Janet shook her head, tears threatening to fall.  “Don’t you dare talk like that!  You’re going to tell him yourself.  You hear me?!”

Sam tried a small smile before her eyes shut and she lost consciousness.

The Paramedics turned up quickly and Sam was transported to the nearest hospital.  Janet had been forced to drive her own car to the hospital.   When she arrived, no one was able to tell her anything about her friend’s condition.  Professional courtesy was the only thing stopping her from barging into the trauma room and demanding answers.

She was just about to call Jack when the ER doctor came to talk to her.   “I just wanted to let you know that your friend is being taken up to surgery.  It’s on the sixth floor.”

“Thank you,” Janet replied.  “Can you tell me how she is?”

He shook his head.  “All I can tell you is the bullet is still lodged in Miss Carter’s abdomen, and she has severe internal bleeding.  Other than that, I just don’t know.  We almost lost her once, but with some fluids and dopamine we got her going again.”

Janet swallowed hard.  “Thanks.”

*****

Back in Colorado Springs, Jack and Daniel were waiting for the three to return from their shopping spree.  “I wonder what time the girls will be back?” Jack pondered, handing Daniel a beer.

“What time did they say they’d be back?”

“About now.  Mind you, they were going to look at wedding stuff, so they could be there all night.”

Daniel chuckled.  “How’s the plans going?”

“Pretty good... I think.”

“You think?”

Jack shrugged.  “It’s a bit hard to keep track of it all.  I know Sam wants me to be more involved but honestly, I just want her to have what she wants.  I want her to have the wedding she dreamed of... which is huge!”

Daniel chuckled and took a sip of his beer.  “And I can see you’re really upset about it.”

Jack grinned.  “Sam’s having a ball organizing things, who am I to complain?”

The phone started ringing and he moved to answer it.  “Hello?”

“Jack!  It’s Janet.”

“Hey, Janet.  Let me guess, you got side tracked and you’re gonna be late,” he said with a laugh.

“Jack, just shut up and listen.  You’ve got to get up here... Sam’s been shot.”

Jack paled, sitting down before he fell down.  “What?!  Is she...?”

“She’s been taken into surgery.  I won’t lie to you, it’s serious.”

“Oh god.  I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He hung up the phone and just sat there in stunned silence for a few seconds.

“Jack?  What’s wrong?” Daniel asked, concerned.

“Sam’s been shot,” he replied shakily.

“What?!”

“I’ve gotta get up there, Daniel.”  He grabbed the phone and called the General.

Half an hour later Jack, Daniel, Teal’c and Hammond were getting in a helicopter at Peterson Airforce base, headed for Denver.

*****

The General had arranged for them to land on top of the hospital, which had an emergency helipad on it’s roof, and they were soon ushered to the sixth floor.  “Janet!” Jack almost yelled as he spotted her.

“How’d you get here so quick?”

“Stole a chopper.  How’s Sam?”

Janet sighed and led them over to the waiting room.  “She’s still in surgery.  She was shot in the stomach.”

Daniel gasped.  “How could this happen?”

“We were just walking down the street... and this bank was being held up.  There were shots and...”  She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and Daniel wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed.  He navigated her to a chair and they all sat on the uncomfortable chairs, waiting.

It was another hour before the surgeon came out.  All six of them were out of their seats in an instant, and the surgeon was immediately bombarded with questions.  He held his hands up and asked for silence.  “Who of you are her family?” He asked, slightly overwhelmed by the number of people there.

“I guess we all are,” Jack told him.  “I’m her fiancé, Jack O’Neill.”

“Mr. O’Neill, I’m Dr Hughes.  Perhaps we can go somewhere to talk in private.”

Jack nodded.  “Do you mind if Dr Fraiser joins us?  She’s Sam’s physician.”  Everyone was amazed at how calm Jack was being.  They thought he would have demanded answers right there and then.

The doctor nodded and they walked out of the room.

“Doctor, how is she?” Jack asked as soon as they were out in the corridor.

“Your fiancé was very lucky, Mr. O’Neill.  She suffered severe internal bleeding and the bullet was lodged in her spleen.  We had to remove it.”

“What does that mean?” Jack asked, sending Janet a panicked look.

She gave his arm a reassuring pat.  “It’s not as bad as it sounds, Jack.  People can live a normal life without a spleen.  It just means she has to try and avoid getting sick.”

Jack’s eyes got a hopeful glimmer.  “So she’s gonna be okay?”

“She’s not out of danger yet.  Besides the blood loss, your fiancé has slipped into a coma.”

Jack swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.  “A coma?” He whispered.

The doctor nodded his assent.  “When your fiancé’s heart stopped, her brain was deprived of oxygen for a short period of time.  Even though we began the resuscitation immediately, it's not uncommon in these situations for the brain to go into sort of a survival mode.  She seems to be a fit and healthy young woman and her chances of recovery are pretty good.”

“So, you think she’ll be okay?”

“Barring complications... I think she’ll be fine.”  He smiled.  “Give them a few minutes to settle her in ICU and you can see her.”

Jack shook the doctor’s hand.  “Thank you.”

They returned to their friends, who were anxiously waiting for news.  “Well?” Daniel asked, jumping to his feet.

“She’s not out of the woods yet, but the doctor thinks she’ll be okay,” Jack told them, sitting down with a sigh.

“That’s good news, son,” Hammond told him, patting his shoulder.

“Can we see her?” Daniel asked.

Janet shook her head.  “They’ll probably only let Jack in tonight.  Why don’t you guys go back home?  There’s not much you can do here.”

Daniel looked at Jack and Janet understood immediately.  “I’ll look after him, Daniel.  Can you look after Cassie for me?”

He pulled her into a hug, knowing that she had to be as upset as the rest of them.  “You know I’ll look after her.  Keep us informed.  We’ll come back up when she’s doing a bit better.”

They said their goodbyes, Cassie kicking up a fuss about leaving.  In the end General Hammond picked her up and promised to bring her back in the helicopter as soon as Sam was awake.  She reluctantly agreed.

Jack and Janet saw them off and then went back to the waiting room.  They were only there a few minutes when the nurse came and told Jack that he could see Sam.

“I’m going to go and talk to the surgeon, okay?” Janet told him, giving him a reassuring smile.  “Don’t forget to talk to her.  It’s been known to help.”

Jack nodded and walked into the room.  The first thing that hit him was that she was so pale.  If it wasn’t for the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor and the rise and fall of her chest, he would have sworn that she was dead.  The thought was enough to send a shiver up his spine.

Walking slowly over to her bed, he bent down to kiss her colourless lips.  “Hey, angel.  I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere until you wake up.”  He sighed, sitting in the chair that the nurses had placed by the side of her bed.  “Just don’t stay asleep too long.  We’ve got a wedding to organize.”

He heard a soft cough and looked up to see a young nurse standing at the door.  She looked to be in her early twenties with short, light brown hair and sparkling green eyes.  She smiled tentatively.  “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Mr. O’Neill, but I just wanted to introduce myself.  I’m Lucy and I’ve been assigned to take care of your fiancé.  If there’s anything you
need, just let me know, okay?”

Jack nodded.  “Thank you.”

*****

Jack wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there, just watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to the heart monitor’s monotonous beep.  He was almost asleep when Dr Hughes walked back in, startling him.  “Is there a
problem?”

“Just checking her vitals, Mr. O’Neill,” Dr Hughes assured him as he checked the monitors.

“Call me Jack, Doc.  It’s too late for this ‘Mr. O’Neill’ shit.”

“Sure, Jack.  You can call me Tim.”

Jack nodded his assent.  “Any change, Tim?”

“Nothing.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  She may not have improved, but she hasn’t deteriorated either.”

“Kind of a ‘no news is good news’ deal, huh?”

Tim smiled.  “Something like that.  Do you want me to get Lucy to find a bed for you?”

Jack shook his head.  “I’m fine here, thanks.”

Tim nodded.  “I’ll be back in an hour.  Try to get some rest, Jack.”

*****

Tim returned to check on her every hour, but it wasn’t until his fourth visit that he noticed a problem.  “Damn,” he cursed quietly, checking her chart.  He turned to Lucy.  “I want you to increase her next dose of antibiotics.”  He scribbled something on the chart and handed it to her.  She read it quickly and hurried off.

Jack looked closely at the man.  “Tim?”

“She’s got a bit of a temperature, which means she may be developing an infection.”  He saw Jack’s panicked look.  “Don’t worry.  The antibiotics should nip it in the bud before it gets any worse.”

“Okay, if you say so.”  Jack ran a hand over her brow, noting that it was warmer than normal.

“I know it’s hard, Jack, but try not to worry.”

“That’s not hard, Doc.  That’s downright impossible.”

Tim nodded.  “Sleep, Jack.  You’re not going to help her if you’re exhausted.”

Jack watched as the younger man walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.  He was determined to stay awake, just in case she woke up.  But as he watched her breathing, his eyes grew heavy and he was soon asleep.

*****

Jack wasn’t sure why he woke up, but as he listened to the beep of the heart monitor, he immediately knew that something was wrong.  His suspicions were frightfully confirmed as Sam’s body suddenly went rigid before it started to convulse, the monitors going crazy.  “Oh, god.  Somebody!” He yelled, having absolutely no idea what to do.  He was slightly relieved when the room suddenly filled with nurses and both Tim and Janet entered.

“Jack, stay out of the way!”  Janet commanded, pulling him to the side as Tim and the nurses worked on her.  Tim injected Sam with a needle, trying to stop her convulsions.

“Her blood pressure’s dropped!” A nurse suddenly shouted.

Tim took a moment to review all of Sam’s vitals as her convulsions died down.  “Okay, she has to be bleeding out somewhere.  Let’s get her back into surgery, now!”

“I’d like to watch,” Janet stated, feeling the need to be in there, even if she couldn’t help.  At least then she could see the damage for herself.

Time nodded and they rushed out of the room.

Jack was left standing there, staring at the spot where his fiancé had been laying.  The sight of her body convulsing kept repeating itself in his mind, haunting him.  He felt a warm hand on his arm and turned to see Lucy.

“Come on, Jack.  I’ll get you some coffee.”

He shook his head.  “I don’t think I could drink it,” he said quietly.

“You’ll be able to drink one of mine.  It’s a personal brew, a bit stronger then the cardboard they pass off as caffeine in the waiting room.”

She informed one of the nurses where they were going, in case they were needed, and lead Jack to the staff lounge.  Sitting him down at the table, she poured him a cup and placed it in front of him.  Jack took a tentative sip.  “This stuff actually tastes like coffee,” he told her, taking a larger sip.  “Thanks,” he returned with a small smile.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite him.  “So, when are you and Sam getting married?” She asked lightly, trying to keep his mind occupied with positive thoughts.

“In May,” he replied.

“That’s a nice time of year.”

He nodded his agreement.  “Sam hates the winter.  She got caught in a blizzard last year...”

Lucy saw him drift off and decided to keep him talking.  “How did you two meet?”

That put a smile on his face, and he told her about their first fiery meeting.

Lucy kept him talking while they waited and it didn’t seem that long before Janet walked into the lounge.  Jack jumped to his feet.  “Janet!  Is she alright?”

“She’s hanging in there, Jack.  Tim would like to see you, so he can explain things to you.”

He turned to Lucy.  “Thank you.  I really appreciate what you just did for me.”

Lucy smiled warmly.  “You’re welcome, Jack.  You know where I am if you need me.”

He nodded and followed Janet out of the room.

They walked towards the same room Sam had been in before.  Tim  walked out when he saw them, but Jack could only stare at Sam through the window.  “Oh god.  There’s so much stuff on her,” he whispered.

Tim nodded, giving him a sympathetic glance as he explained the equipment to him.  “The tube and the respirator are there to help her breathe.  Sam’s body is very weak and this is taking a bit of pressure of it.  She’s got the IV’s, which we can use to administer drugs to keep her fever down as well as give her the fluids her body needs, plus there’s the blood transfusion that we’re giving her to replace the blood she lost.  Then there’s the heart monitor, which I’m sure you know about.”

Tim and Janet led him over to a chair and sat him down.  “Why did this happen?”  He asked quietly.

“Post-operative infection isn’t all that uncommon in trauma victims.  We give patients a broad spectrum antibiotic following surgery, and that normally fights off any bugs.  The antibiotics that we gave Sam didn’t work and she got an infection.  That’s how she got the fever.”

“And that’s why she had convulsions?”

Tim nodded.  “Yes.  Basically her brain got too hot.”

He paused, hating to be the bearer of bad news but also knowing he had to tell this man the truth.  “I won’t lie to you, Jack.  This complicates things.  The convulsions tore some of the internal stitches, that’s why we had to operate again to repair them and stop the bleeding.  This added trauma may be more than her body can take.”

“Are you saying she could die?” Jack choked on the last word.

“There is that possibility, yes.”  He patted Jack on the arm.  “I’m sorry.”

Jack shook the hand away and jumped to his feet.  “How in the hell did this happen?!  You told me she was going to be fine!”

“I said that barring complications, she’d be fine.  We didn’t know that she’d have a resistance to the antibiotics we put her on.  I’m sorry.”

“Sorry’s not gonna help her, is it?!”

“Jack...” Janet started, placing a hand on his arm to calm him.  He shook the hand off and stalked back into Sam’s room.

Janet turned to Tim.  “I’m sorry...”

He cut her off with a wave of his hand.  “There’s no need for apologies.  It’s my own fault anyway.  I should never have told him that she’d be okay.  It’s one of the first rules of dealing with relatives, isn’t it?”

“You had no way of knowing she’d get an infection,” Janet told him, trying to make the man feel better.

“I would have known the antibiotics wouldn’t have worked if I’d only talked to you first.  Which brings an obvious question, how in the hell did her body chemistry change?  Have you examined it?”

Janet thought for a moment.  Obviously she couldn’t tell the man the truth, but she didn’t want to lie too much to the man who was looking after her best friend.  “Sam was exposed to a top secret biological weapon a few years ago.  We almost lost her and it was responsible for changing her body chemistry.  It’s never really posed a problem, but Sam rarely gets sick.  I’m not allowed to tell you anything else due to the nature of the weapon and I’d appreciate your discretion on the matter.  I also ask
that all blood and tissue samples be destroyed after you’ve finished with them.”

Tim nodded his agreement.  “Sure.  If you don’t mind, I’d like to consult you before I administer any new form of medication to her.”

“That would be fine.”

Tim smiled and left to tend to his other patients.  Janet turned and looked through the glass window of her friend’s room.  She was feeling just as guilty.  She should have insisted on being consulted, but the shock of what happened had clouded her thinking.  She was scared to death.  Sam was the closest friend she’d ever had.  She couldn’t imagine not having her around.

*****

Jack stroked Sam’s hair, trying to ignore all of the tubes and machines.  “You  listen to me, Samantha.  You are *not* gonna to die on me.  Do you here me?  You’ve never given up on anything in your life.  Don’t you dare start now.”  He bent down to kiss her forehead, her skin hot under his lips.  “Come on, baby.  You’ve got to pull through.  Don’t let our last kiss be goodbye forever.”

Janet gave him a few minutes before moving quietly into the room.  “How are you doing, Jack?” She asked quietly.

He looked at her, his eyes suspiciously bright.  “I can’t lose her, Janet.  She’s gotta wake up.”

“I’m sorry, Jack.  I don’t know what to say to you.  I don’t want you to give up hope, but I have to prepare you in case she doesn’t make it.”

He shook his head, not wanting to listen.  “She’s still alive.  Surely that’s gotta count for something?”

“Yes, she’s still alive, but that doesn’t mean that she’ll wake up.  This could be as good as it gets.  At the moment she has a good brain function, and while that function continues I wouldn’t dream of asking you to turn the respirator off.  But even as you pray for the best, you have to be prepared for the worst.  Jack, if her brain function diminishes, then the best thing for everyone will be to turn the respirator off.”

“To kill her?” He asked, incredulous.

“Her brain would be dead.”  She gave his hand a squeeze.  “I’m sorry, I don’t want to upset you, and I don’t want you to give up hope.  I just want you to understand what’s going on, so you can be prepared.”

He nodded.  “Can you leave us alone for a while please?” He asked hoarsely.

Janet nodded, realising he didn’t want to cry in front of her.  “I’ll be back a little bit later.”

“Thanks, Janet.”

She walked quietly out of the room.  Before walking away, she turned to see Jack slump forward on the edge of the bed, his shoulders shaking as he cried.  She wiped a tear away and turned to see Lucy at the nurse’s station.  “Lucy, I’m just going to call my daughter.  Can you go in and see Jack in a few minutes?  Just make sure he doesn’t need anything?”

“Sure, Dr Fraiser.”

With a final look through the window, she headed off to phone Cassie.

*****

Lucy gave Jack five minutes before she pushed the door open and walked in.  “Hi, Jack,” she greeted quietly.

He turned to look at her and she caught sight of his tired, bloodshot eyes.  “Hey, Lucy.”  His voice held so much sorrow and Lucy’s heart wrenched. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help getting emotionally involved sometimes.  “Jack, I know it’s hard, but sitting here thinking the worst isn’t going to help her.”

“Then what is?”

She pulled up the chair beside him.  “I’ve read articles on brain stimulation for coma patients.  Playing them their favourite music or reading books to them has been known to not only keep the patient’s brain working, but it may also help to bring them out of the coma.”

Jack got a small twinkle in his eye.  “Really?  Do you think we should try it?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t see why we shouldn’t.  If you go and have a shower and something to eat now, I may be willing to get some things for you.”

“You know, some people might call that bribery.”

She shrugged.  “Call it what you will.”  She saw him look back at Sam and knew he was reluctant to leave her.  “I’ll stay with her.  I think it’s about time Sam and I had a woman to woman talk.”

Jack smiled.  “Thank you.  I won’t be long.”  He rose from the chair and leaned over the bed.  “I’m just going to clean up a bit, angel.  I’ll be back soon.”  He kissed her on the forehead and forced himself to walk out of
the room.

“You’re one lucky woman,” Lucy said as she watched him through the window.  “I hope I find someone who’ll love me as much as he loves you.”

*****

When Janet walked into Sam’s room an hour later, she found Jack having a very animated, and one sided, conversation with Sam about baseball.  She couldn’t believe it was the same man she had left crying a few hours earlier.  She briefly wondered what had brought on the change.  She’d just talked to the doctor that had relieved Tim, and he had told her that there was no change in Sam’s condition.  “Hey, Jack.  Do you want to take a break?  I can sit with her if you want to go and have a shower or something?”

Jack shook his head.  “I had one an hour or so ago.  Lucy sat with her for me.”

Janet nodded her approval.  “Maybe we should take this nurse home with us?  She must be good if she can get you to look after yourself.”

Jack chuckled.  “Actually, she bribed me.  She promised to get some stuff for me if I showered and ate something.”

As if on cue, Lucy walked into the room a bag in one hand and a tape recorder in the other.  “Are you sure you wanted country music?”  She asked, screwing her nose up.

Jack nodded.  “Yeah, she loves it.”

Lucy shrugged and pulled a pile of tapes out of the bag.  “I ah, borrowed these off my mom.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.  “Borrowed?”

She shrugged.  “She’s in Europe, she won’t even know.”

Jack chuckled and accepted the pile.

“What else do you have in there?” Janet asked, curious.

“I found some books, too.”  She pulled out a few books and put them on the side of Sam’s bed.  “I wasn’t sure what she liked, so I got a few different ones.”

“Thanks.  You’re the best.”  He turned to Sam, stroking her forehead.  It was still warm but her fever had definitely gone down.  “What would you like first, angel?  Some music or a book?”

“I’ll leave you to it, Jack.  I’m back on duty at seven, so I’ll come and see you then.” Lucy told him, heading for the door.

“Thanks, Lucy,” he returned.

As Lucy closed the door to Sam’s room, Jack looked at Janet and caught her questioning gaze.  “You know how you told me to talk to her?”  At her nod, he continued.  “Well Lucy was telling me that playing music and reading can stimulate a coma patient’s brain and can help them come out of it.”  He shrugged.  “I thought we could try it.”

She smiled, glad to see that Jack was being more positive now.

She watched him as he looked through the pile of books, picking one out and sitting back in his chair.  “How about ‘The Horse Whisperer’, baby?  I know you wanted to read that one.”  He opened the book to the first page and started reading.  “There was death at its beginning as there would be death again at its end.”  He paused, shaking his head.  “Maybe we should have picked another one, huh?”  He continued on with the story anyway.  “Though whether it was some fleeting shadow of this...”

Janet turned and walked quietly out of the room, leaving him to read in peace.  She ran into Lucy as she walked out.  “You did a good thing in there,” she told the young woman.

Lucy shrugged.  “I read it somewhere.  Do you think it will help?”

It was Janet’s turn to shrug.  “I’m not sure if it’ll help Sam, but it’s certainly helped Jack.”

*****

Jack didn’t stop reading for the rest of the day, and by the time Lucy came back on duty, he’d almost finished the novel.  “Hey, Jack,” she said as she walked into the room, still pinning her name tag on.

“Hi, Lucy.  Is it that time already?”

“Sure is.”  She looked at the book he was holding.  “I see you’ve been busy.  Has there been any change?”

He shrugged.  “Janet said the antibiotics seem to be fighting the infection, but she still hasn’t woken up.”

“But she hasn’t deteriorated,” Lucy said as she looked at the chart.  She wanted Jack to concentrate on the positive aspects, instead of dwelling on the negative.  “In fact, her vitals look stronger.”  She smiled.  “I better check on the other patients.  I’ll come back when I’ve finished.  Dr. Hughes just came on duty, so he should be in soon.”

“See you soon, Lucy,” he called as she walked out.  He turned back to Sam.  “She sure is nicer then that dragon lady that replaced her earlier, hey angel?”

Shaking his head when he received no reply, he took his fiancé’s hand and went back to reading the book.  He’d never admit it, but he was enjoying the story.  He very rarely got the opportunity to read, and he normally read thrillers, but it was a beautiful story.  A man and a woman in love, despite the fact that it was wrong, was a tale he could relate to.  Although the circumstances were different, the woman in the book was married to another man, he still couldn’t help but compare the story to how things were with Sam before they’d finally crossed that line.  How much he’d cherished every look, every touch, because that was all they could give each other.

Suddenly Jack stopped reading.  He was sure he’d just felt Sam’s fingers move around his.  He felt the movement again and, looking at her face, he saw her eyes moving behind their closed lids.  He stood up, leaning over her.  “Come on, angel.  Open your eyes.  Let me see those baby blues that I love so much.”  He reached out and pushed the buzzer, but his eyes stayed fixed on her face.  Her lids finally fluttered before opening.  Jack saw the panic cross her face as she tried to breathe.  “It’s okay, baby, just relax.  There’s a tube to help you breathe.  Don’t try and fight it.”

She looked towards him and Jack saw her relax immediately.

At that moment, both Janet and Tim rushed in.  “Jack?  What’s wrong?” The smile on his face was all the answer they needed.  Tim quickly checked Sam’s vitals, before adjusting the respirator.

“Aren’t you going to take the tube out?” Jack asked, wanting to talk to his fiancé.

“Not right now,” Tim replied.  “We need to wean her off the respirator first.  We can’t just turn it off and pull the tube out.”

“How long?” He asked, smiling at Sam as she looked up at him.

“That depends on Sam.  Hopefully we can wean her off it within a few hours.”

“It’ll be gone soon enough, Jack.” Janet told him, knowing how impatient he could be.  “It just has to be done slowly, so they know that Sam’s ready.”

Jack nodded.  “Okay.  Maybe we can finish this book while we wait?  What do you say, angel?”

Sam nodded her agreement, which surprised Jack.  “Did you here me reading it to you?”  Sam nodded again.

He looked at Janet who simply smiled and followed Tim out of the room, giving them some privacy.

*****

It was a few hours later that Tim walked back into Sam’s room with Lucy behind him.  He looked over her chart before smiling at the couple before him.  “Okay, Sam.  We’re gonna take the tube out.  When I say, I want you to breathe out and I’ll pull it out.  Nod if you understand me.”  He watched as she nodded.  “Good girl.  Okay, take a deep breath in and breathe out.”  As Sam exhaled, Tim pulled the tube out.  As soon as it came out, she started coughing and gagging.  Jack tried to stay out of the
way while Lucy and Tim tended to her, but all he wanted to do was hear her voice.  Hear her tell him she was okay.

When he heard the whispered “Jack,” he couldn’t stay away any longer and Lucy moved aside to allow him to get next to the bed.  “I’m here, Sam.  I’m right here,” he told her as he reached for her hand.

She reached a weak hand up to touch his face.  “Love you,” she whispered.

He didn’t even try to stop the tears as he leant down to kiss her softly.  “I love you too, baby.”  Pulling back, he smiled at her, pleased to see her lips twitch in return.  He smoothed the hair off her forehead, happy to feel that it was no longer hot.  “Close your eyes, angel.  You just rest and get better, I’ll be right here with you.”

Sam nodded and closed her eyes, drifting into a deep, healing sleep.

*****

Both Sam and Jack were sound asleep when Janet ushered Cassie, Daniel, Teal’c and General Hammond in a few hours later.  “She’s going to be very sore and tired for a while, but she’ll be okay,” she assured them.

“She still looks sick,” Cassie observed quietly.

“Well, sweetie, she still is sick.  But now that she’s woken up, and the infection has been tackled, she’s going to start getting better.”

Jack opened an eye when he heard Janet’s voice, opening the other one when he saw the group standing near the door.  “Hi, guys,” he greeted quietly, not getting up, despite the fact that his commanding officer was in the room.  He knew Hammond wouldn’t mind.  He looked at Sam, smiling at how peaceful she looked as she slept, and decided to take everyone outside so they wouldn’t wake her.

“How are you doing, Jack?” Hammond asked.

“I’m okay, sir.  I’ll be even better when I get a bit of shut-eye.”

“Maybe there’s something I can do about that,” Janet told them with a smile.  “Now that Sam’s stable, we can organize to transfer her back to the mountain.  She’ll be in the infirmary for a few weeks, but I think it’ll be easier for everyone if we get her back home.”

Jack nodded.  “As nice as everyone is here, it’ll be good to go back home.  I think Sam’ll be happier there too.”

Janet nodded.  “I agree.  I’ll go and get things squared away with Tim.  General?  Could you organize a helicopter for us?”

Hammond nodded.  “Certainly, Doctor.”

Both Hammond and Janet walked off and Jack turned to look through the window at Sam.  He smiled when he saw her start to stir.  “Come on, guys.  She’ll be glad to see you all.”  He ushered them into the room and walked over to the bed.  “Look who’s awake,” he quipped.

Sam smiled at him before noticing the others in the room.  “Hi, guys.  When did you all get here?”

Daniel smiled, moving around to the other side of the bed so he could take her hand.  “We got here about ten minutes ago.  I’m so glad you’re doing better, Sam.  You gave us all a scare.”

“I too am pleased that you are recovering, Major Carter.”

Sam was about to reply when she heard a sob coming from near the door.  “Oh, Cass,” Sam whispered, seeing the young girl in tears.

Jack walked over to her and put his arms around her.  “It’s okay, Cassie.  Aunty Sam’s gonna be fine.”  He looked at Sam, alarmed when the teenager sobbed harder.  Sam motioned for him to bring her over to the bed.

Picking her up, Jack carried her over and sat her carefully on the edge.  “Look, Cass.  She’s okay,” he told her gently.

Sam reached for her and Cassie carefully curled up beside her, crying harder.  “I thought you were going to leave me too,” she sobbed.

Sam hugged her as closely as she could with her injuries.  “Oh, honey, I’m not going anywhere.  Do you think that Uncle Jack’s gonna let me get away before the wedding?”

The joke made the little girl giggle, just as she’d planned.  Sam smiled as she wiped away Cassie’s tears.  “That’s better.”

They all looked up as the door opened, seeing Lucy walk in.  “A little birdie told me you guys were leaving us.”

Jack smiled.  “I was going to come and find you.  I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for us.  I get the feeling it goes above and beyond the job description for an ICU nurse.”
\
Lucy smiled, blushing slightly at the compliment.  “I only kept your hopes up, Jack.  You and Sam did the rest.”

“Still, I would have gone nuts if it wasn’t for your help.”

She shrugged.  “Perhaps we’re even then.  It appears that your Doctor Fraiser feels if I can keep you in line, I may be an asset to her medical team.”

Jack grinned.  “Really?  You’re coming to Cheyenne Mountain?”

“Sure am.  She told your General, and I quote, ‘if she can handle the Colonel, then she can handle anything’.”

Sam giggled at that, groaning as the movement caused the pain to flare in her stomach.  “Don’t make me laugh!” She admonished.

Lucy smiled.  “Sorry.  Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you.  I have no idea what you guys do in the mountain, but Doctor Fraiser promised me it would be an adventure.”

Sam, Jack and Daniel grinned at each other.  “That’s one way of putting it,” Daniel agreed.

*****

Jack was not impressed that he wasn’t allowed to travel in the same helicopter as Sam, but General Hammond had at least organized another one to take them back, so he wouldn’t be away from her for very long.

They all went up to the helipad on the roof of the hospital to see Sam and Janet off.  Just as they were about to load Sam into the chopper, she asked them to stop.  She looked at Jack and he understood immediately, moving to kiss her goodbye.  It was tradition that they would not stop doing as long as they lived.  “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she replied with a smile.  “See you at the Base.”

He nodded.  “Ya sure ya betcha,” he quipped with a grin.  He watched as she was loaded into the helicopter and then they all stood back as it took off.

Jack turned to the General.  “When will the second chopper be here?” He asked impatiently.  He didn’t want to be separated from Sam a second longer then necessary.  Not while the images of her so ill were fresh in his mind.  He needed to reassure himself that she was okay, and the only way he could do that was to see her and talk to her.

Hammond gave the anxious man a fatherly smile.  “It’ll be here in a few minutes, son.  You won’t be away from her for long.”  He looked up as he heard the whine that told him their transport was on it’s way.  As he looked heaven-ward, he thanked God for keeping one angel amongst the living.  Where she was needed most.

*****

Kiss me like you’ll never see my face again
As soft and tender as you can
Hold me like we’ll never make sweet love again
Please make me feel like a man

So let’s send up a prayer
For this love that we share
‘Cause it could change in the blink of an eye
You just never know
How tomorrow will go
So let’s make sure we kiss goodbye
Let’s make sure we kiss goodbye

*****