Sam felt the wind get knocked out of her as she looked down at the gaping hole through the right side of her vest. She felt herself falling backwards as the chaotic scene in front of her played out in slow motion, the deafening sounds of war becoming muffled. Tunnel vision honed in on Teal'c firing his staff weapon at the Jaffa who had just shot her, as she felt strong hands wrapping around her body, supporting her as she fell backwards into Jack's lap. Weird, she thought, there was no pain. She felt the sensation of someone moving her. Cold enveloped her quickly, then darkness...then nothing.

One second the team was fighting off the large number of Jaffa, while racing towards the Stargate, like so many times before. The next, Jack saw the movement from his right just a little too late. And just as he turned, bracing himself for the expected impact from the Jaffa who got the jump on him; Sam stepped in front of him. It was as if time stood still. He watched her body fold from the impact, "Carter!" Jack's voice was strangled and smothered by the onslaught of staff weapons and gunfire.

He dropped the P90, and the tactical sling kept it from hitting the ground, as his arms instinctively reached out for her, embracing her from behind. The force of the impact that was meant for him, sent her backwards into his arms, the momentum sending them both to the ground.

What felt like minutes were really seconds. Jack saw the devastating wound and for the first time he could remember, all of his training went out the window and he froze. "Please, no" he whispered frantically while putting his hands over the wound on Sam's right side, the thick blood leaking through his fingers.

"Jack!" Daniel ran towards them. He had already opened the wormhole to Earth, while Teal'c continued to fight from one of the concrete columns that framed the Stargate on either side. When Daniel got to them, he saw the clear signs of shock on Jack's face and then noticed Sam's gaping wound, "Oh God Sam." As he bent down next to her, his mind raced as he watched the blood flow freely through Jack's fingers. Near miss weapons fire pulled him out of his sudden anguish, and he grabbed Jack's shoulder, "Jack, we have to go!"

When Daniel's hand landed on Jack's shoulder, it was as if someone had just pressed play. Jack's head snapped up and he yelled, "Grab her!" Daniel immediately pulled Sam up by the handle in the back her tac vest and off of Jack's lap, freeing him so he could get to his feet. Jack looked at Sam's closed eyes and could tell she had stopped breathing. He put one arm behind her back and bent down to put his other arm under her legs. In one swift motion, he picked her up and cradled her lifeless body to his chest. "Cover fire...move!"

Daniel ran beside Jack, covering them with his body while firing his handgun, and joining Teal'c against the onslaught of Jaffa until Jack and Sam were through the wormhole. Daniel and Teal'c followed quickly behind, with weapon fire chasing them through to the other side. As Daniel and Teal'c landed hard on the ramp, blasts came through the blue water mirage, barely missing them and impacted the back wall of the embarkation room. They could hear General Hammond's voice boom over the loudspeaker ordering the iris closed, the blast doors down, and a medical team to respond.

Jack was already on his way to the infirmary with Sam, hugging her to his chest and running with every ounce of strength he could muster. Janet and her team met him halfway with a gurney. Her eyes widened when she saw Sam's limp body and Jack's stricken face. They quickly put Sam on the gurney, while Janet felt for a pulse. When no pulse was found, she jumped on top, unzipped Sam's tac vest, and started compressions while ordering her crew to the OR.

Jack followed the medical team, his emotions reeling with every feeling, from shock and fear... to love and regret. His heart wrenched. Flashes of the only time he felt like this before flew through his mind, when his little boy was being wheeled into the emergency room years ago. And just like then, the feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed him. He didn't feel the hands of the nurses on his shoulders, attempting to hold him back from the surgery room. His legs kept churning forward through the double doors until he stopped at the foot of the table Sam was being transferred to. All he could hear was the sound of his own heavy breathing as he watched nurses cut away Sam's clothing. Another doctor took over compressions for Janet while she donned her surgical gear.

Janet glanced up and noticed Jack's glassy eyes and open mouth while she encircled the straps of the surgical shield around her ears. "Colonel, you have to leave, this is a sterile room." When Jack didn't respond, and the signs of shock became evident to her, she yelled, "Somebody get him out of here!"

Stronger hands then before grabbed Jack from behind, just underneath his armpits, wrapping around his chest. Before he knew it, Jack had been backed out of the room in a forceful but gentle manner. "O'Neil, we must leave them to assist Major Carter." When they had reached the set of chairs opposite the double doors, Teal'c maneuvered himself in front of Jack, took him by the shoulders, and eased him into one of the seats.

Out of breath, Daniel ran up to the tiny windows of the double doors, glancing through to the blood and the mess inside. He couldn't even see Sam through the medical team working on her. So much blood. His hands were braced on either side of the windows at eye level. Daniel bowed his head and closed his eyes, while his arms supported him against the doorway. Jack and Teal'c heard him take a deep breath, which came out more like a huff and a sob rolled into one. They heard him repeating something over and over, at a whisper level, which sounded an awful lot like a prayer. A few hot tears slipped out and he quickly pulled his glasses up and wiped them away with his one of his sleeves before turning quickly to Teal'c and Jack.

"What happened Jack?" Daniel's voice was raw with emotion as he quickly readjusted his glasses. When Jack didn't answer, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed as anger set in. He needed someone to blame, someone to steer him away from the pain he was feeling. "Goddamn it Jack, say something!" Daniel saw a slight flinch in Jack's eyes but he still wouldn't look at him. He felt his fury boil over as he balled his fists, and closed the distance between them quickly with a few long strides. Jack didn't move.

Teal'c reacted quickly, stepping in front of Daniel, and halting his progress with a firm hand to his chest. "Daniel Jackson," he said, before pausing and stating slowly, "this will not help Major Carter." Daniel held his gaze for a moment, seeing his rage reflecting in his friend's eyes. Defeated, his head dropped and he expelled the frustrated breath he'd been holding; the anger leaving as quickly as it came.

Daniel shook his head, "I don't understand." His voice was low as he struggled to make sense of what happened, "When I looked back, Sam was hunkered down by that pillar and Jack was moving into the clearing to pull fire so I could get to the DHD and dial out. Why would she move from that cover? It doesn't make sense," he ended on a broken whisper.

For the first time since they came through the gate, Jack's hoarse voice could be heard behind Teal'c, "She did it for me." Teal'c moved out of the way and turned, all three of them now facing each other. Jack's eyes remained focused on the ground in front of him. Daniel took in Jack's appearance from top to bottom, just now noticing his pale complexion and that he was absolutely covered in Sam's blood. His tac vest, BDUs and hands were stained a dark red, and his face was streaked with it. Daniel looked at his face and saw the devastation. "Jack," he started as he sat in the chair next to him, angling his body Jack's way. Before he could continue, Jack raised his head, his expression blank and voice monotone, "That blast was meant for me." His glassy eyes met Daniel's, "She's gone, and it's all my fault."

A moment later, steps were heard and General Hammond approached the three quickly, "Colonel, what the hell happened back there? What's the update on Major Carter?"

Jack's eyes turned back to the floor in front of him while Daniel took a breath and stood up to face him, "They're working on her now General." Daniel glanced back at Jack, stepped to the General and then steered him away from Jack and Teal'c. Once they were a good distance away, Daniel said in a hushed tone, "General, if you could just give us a moment. Sam was hit by a staff blast to her midsection and it doesn't look good." He glanced back at Jack and General Hammond followed his gaze. "Jesus." The General paused, cleared his shaky voice and straightened his shoulders. "Ok, we'll wait on an update on Major Carter first before debriefing. I'm going to try and get ahold of Jacob." He started to walk away before turning back to face Daniel, with Jack visible in the background. "Take care of him Doctor Jackson, you three are all he has."

Daniel nodded as General Hammond turned and walked away. When Daniel spun around, he saw that Teal'c had posted himself between the chairs and the hallway as a sentry; standing stoically in his typical parade rest fashion. Daniel walked back to his seat while Jack remained slumped in the chair, his blood-stained face staring ahead blankly. While they waited, Daniel managed to get Jack's gear off of him, and even cleaned his hands without so much as a glance. Jack was in his own mind now. It wasn't the first time Daniel had seen him this way, and it terrified him.

Hours had passed when Janet slowly pushed through the double doors of the OR. Already stripped of her surgical gown and gloves, she was removing her mask when she approached them. She looked exhausted and although Daniel and Teal'c had stepped forward to meet her, Jack only looked up, waiting for the inevitable, "I'm sorry, we did everything we could..."

Janet took a deep breath before speaking, "She's alive but far from stable. The staff blast hit just below her ribs on the right side, damaged her colon, nicked her liver and small intestine. We were able to stop the bleeding, had to remove her gall bladder and some of her intestine. It's a critical injury and she lost a lot of blood. I honestly don't know how she made it through surgery." She had been looking at Daniel and Teal'c, but now glanced at Jack who had stood up the moment her first sentence was finished.

Jack took a big gulp of air as if he'd been holding his breath. His watered eyes threatened to turn to tears as he looked down for a second before approaching Janet and hugging her. He cleared his throat, and released her, attempting to pull himself together, "Thanks Janet. When can we see her?"

Janet shook her head, "She's not out of the woods yet, it's going to be touch and go for the near future, so we're keeping her isolated in the back of the infirmary." When she saw the determined looks on their faces, she was reminded that they would only sneak in if she said no. She smirked sadly, "All of you will need a complete physical, but if you take turns, someone can go in now," raising her finger at all of them to emphasize she was serious, she finished, "Not all of you at once."

Daniel looked over at Jack, "You go ahead Jack, Teal'c can hang out here for his physical, and I'll go update the General, see if we can take turns at debriefing as well." Teal'c dipped his head in agreement. Jack nodded gratefully as the gurney with Sam on it, was rolled out of the OR and into the neighboring infirmary. He followed and stood back until they had everything set up. A nurse turned to him before leaving, "I'll be right back Sir, just need to conduct a physical. If you notice any of her vitals changing, please let me know." Jack nodded back and slowly approached the bed. Pulling the nearby chair over, he sat on the left side of Sam's bed. He took in her pale appearance, the breathing tube, and low blood pressure. He had seen her bad off before, dead in fact, but for some reason this seemed more serious...more permanent. There were no computer entities taking hold of her consciousness, no sarcophagus or healing device nearby to expedite healing. He was sure General Hammond would put out a request for the Tok'ra and Thor, but it had seemed like ages since they had heard from either of them. He looked at her desperately; she had to make it out of this.

As Jack watched over Sam, all he could think about was how devastated and hopeless he felt when he saw her fall on that planet. How when he thought for sure she was gone, how much he wanted to go with her. There would be nothing left for him. How ironic, he thought, she saved his life not knowing that he wouldn't want to survive without her. The feeling of regret overtook him and he struggled again to regain his composure. How could he have not acted on these feelings between them for so long? Trusting that being close to her through work, being able to keep an eye on her and love her from afar, would be enough?

That was it, he decided. No more.

Jack reached out and took Sam's hand in both of his. Bowing his head, he resting his forehead against their clasped hands. If she makes it through this, he decided, he was going to make things right. Tell her how he really feels and give them a real chance, no matter the cost. He held onto Sam's hand even after the nurse returned, even after Janet came into the room and left. A couple of hours later, Jack awoke to Daniel's hand on his shoulder. "Ahem," Daniel cleared his throat gently, "Jack..."

Jack's head came up and he realized he was still holding Sam's hand. He slowly released it and looked at Daniel who was staring at him over his glasses. "So ummm," Daniel started while pushing his glasses back up onto his nose, "I spoke to General Hammond and handled my debriefing. Teal'c is up there now doing his." When Jack didn't say anything, Daniel continued, "Jack you need to get cleaned up and I've held off your physical as long as I can." Jack waited a moment and nodded, slowly getting up and straightening his stiffened back and knees.

"Thanks Daniel." Jack said quietly before turning back to Sam, leaning over and whispering in her ear, "Don't you dare leave me Carter, that's an order." Daniel's eyes widened a bit but he kept his mouth shut while Jack walked past him.

Jack got seen and cleared by the on-duty nurse and then sent on his way to get cleaned up. Once in the shower, flashes of the day's events ran through his mind as he washed her blood off of his face, and places where her blood had seeped through his clothing. When it settled on the moment when Sam's lifeless body was in his arms, his stomach dropped and that same feeling of hopelessness rushed back...he leaned against the shower tile while tears silently streamed down his face. It was a struggle to get himself squared away, and finally, after changing into a clean set of blue BDUs, Jack made his way to see the General.

A short time later, General Hammond heard a knock on his door, "Come in," he responded. Jack entered and the General waved him to one of the chairs in front of his desk, "Have a seat Colonel." Jack sat down and looked up at the General. This moment had played out before in his mind. He just couldn't remember which way had sounded best, now that it was time to push his chips in. Before he could decide, General Hammond broke the silence, "I heard Major Carter is still fighting. I know she's still in danger, but that's still pretty good news in our line of work."

"Yes sir," Jack responded emptily, his head tilting towards the floor in contemplation.

General Hammond waited a moment when Jack didn't continue. He could tell Jack was internally struggling with how to say something. He watched curiously for a moment. In all of his years knowing this man, one thing he had never seen was Colonel Jack O'Neil being at a loss for words. Like a flash bulb going off, it all came together. Ahhh, Of course, he thought. It's not like he hadn't seen this coming one day. He smirked a bit and then decided to help out his old friend. "Jack?"

When Jack looked up in surprise, realizing the General had used his first name, General Hammond continued. "As your friend, I'd like to talk to you for a second, off the record." He looked down at his folded hands on his desk and back up before saying, "Listen, I know you've been through a lot today, and I also know how close you and Major Carter have become." When Jack opened his mouth, General Hammond held up his hand to stop him, "and before you say anything, I have no doubt you two have remained professional throughout." At that point, Jack closed his mouth looking confused, now not sure where this was going. The General continued, "Would it be an accurate assumption that something has changed concerning the two of you, and that you would like to pursue other...well...avenues?"

Jack's eyes had widened and with his mouth slightly agape, he nodded slowly. "Yes Sir, ah…George." When the General just stared at him as if encouraging him to continue, Jack took a breath and stood up. He walked around the room, pausing at a bookcase next to the door, and picked up a small silver model airplane sitting on one of the shelves. He turned towards the General but kept his eyes on the airplane as he started fiddling with it absentmindedly, "George, I just can't do this anymore. I haven't stopped caring for her since we decided to leave everything in that stupid room years ago." On a roll, he stood there turning the plane over in his hands while everything he ever wanted to say rolled off of his tongue. "She's the best damn soldier I've ever had under my command and the smartest person I know. She has certainly saved my ass more times than I can count," he muttered. "Sam deserves a chance to lead her own team George...hell, she's made for it. And I'm not going to stand in the way and ruin her opportunity to have that chance. Listen, I don't know if things will work out between us, or if she even cares about me the way I care about her, but I have to find out." He took a breath, "and if that means retiring so that regulations are no longer an issue, then so be it, it's probably my time anyway. Either way, I have to try."

When Jack looked up, Hammond was smiling, which threw him off. "Well, good for you Jack! How does it feel to get that off your chest?" Jack smirked and exhaled a deep breath, "Pretty good." Hammond nodded, "Now about this retirement thing...how about you staying on as a civilian contractor? I honestly don't think they'll allow you to retire altogether, but between the two of us, I think we've gathered enough markers over the years to be owed a favor or two...don't you?" Jack shook his head in agreement, and swallowed as he replied humbly, "I don't know how to thank you George." The General smiled back gently, "Well, let's just work on being there for Sam right now. I'm approving some extended leave for SG-1 until further notice."

Hammond paused a moment, then stood up and straightened his jacket. He cleared his throat and the lower command voice was back, "Now Colonel, back to official business. Let's get this debriefing over with so you can get back to the infirmary." The General walked around the desk toward the door as Jack schooled his features, and nodded curtly, "Yes sir General." As Hammond passed him, Jack realized he still had the plane in his hands, and winced sheepishly before quickly depositing it back on the shelf. He hurriedly used both hands to try to angle it the way he had found it, before giving up and walking quickly after the General into the briefing room.

A couple of days later, Janet advised that Sam had slipped into a coma, probably because of the lack of oxygen to the brain while being resuscitated she determined. After tests were conducted, Jack and the others were relieved when Janet stated the Sam's brain activity was promising. She encouraged the others to talk with Sam frequently. "There are many studies that say reading and conversing with coma patients is extremely beneficial."

During his time with her, Jack spoke to Sam about stuff happening at work and talked about the cabin. How he was looking forward to her seeing it in person one day, hoping she would like it. He even resorted to reading MAD magazines to her, and tried to work some crossword puzzles; hoping her eagerness to give him one of the answers would pull her out of it. Lastly, and probably his most favorite thing to do with her, was to play music through some headphones he shared with her... mostly his personal stash from the singer/songwriter genre, and opera.

It was a week later when Jack got word that his retirement had gone through, with the provision that he stayed onboard as a civilian contractor of course. Jack was elated that the General was able to fast track the paperwork and couldn't help but think his CO and friend had seen this coming somehow. Hammond had mentioned to him that he had plans to retire soon, and that Jack would be the premier choice for his replacement; ultimately leaving SG-1 in Sam's capable hands. The thought of her leading the team made him proud. Sure it would be tough to not be there to back her up, but being a Stargate trip away didn't seem too shabby either. Jack refused to have a big ceremony and the General obliged, making it an intimate affair in the embarkation room with his closest acquaintances and friends from within the mountain. President Hayes made a surprise appearance and awarded Jack the esteemed Air Force Cross, before General Hammond and Daniel said some kind words. Best of all, cake was served.

After the ceremony, Jack changed as quickly as he could to get back to Sam's side. He now sat next to her as a civilian for the first time, feeling an enormous weight off of his shoulders knowing that now there was no way any charges could be brought up on either of them, no matter what. Most of all he was glad that Sam's career path would remain intact and primed for her to make General one day. Jack told Sam about the ceremony and the cake, and then he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it gently. When Teal'c came in to relieve him hours later, he was still holding her hand. He stood up and nodded to Teal'c before bending over and whispering in her ear, "I'm not going anywhere Sam."

Another week later, Janet was just finishing one of Sam's examinations when Jack came back from grabbing a quick bite to eat. Between Jack, Daniel and Teal'c, they'd been able to keep watch on Sam nearly every second, and used the times when she was being examined or bathed to run small errands. When he entered the infirmary and saw Janet leaning over Sam, he made a smacking noise and gave his best Bugs Bunny impression, "Ehhh, What's up doc?" Janet smirked, glancing sideways at him while putting her stethoscope back in her jacket pocket. She took a beat and said, "Well, as it is, she still has a long way to go and now she'll have to added issue of atrophy the longer she remains in a coma." Jack nodded as Janet summarized Sam's condition. He had been through enough lifesaving surgeries to know how hard it would be for Sam to get through the healing and intense physical therapy that lie ahead. At least he knew he would be able to be there for her.

He took his position in the chair as Janet headed out, "I'm going to update the General."

It'd been three weeks since the incident now and Daniel was sitting next to Sam, rubbing his eyes when she woke up. He had just got done telling her about some of his findings from the artifacts they'd recovered, before they were overtaken by Jaffa, on their last mission. He also told her his mixed feelings about Jack's retirement. The fact that he probably should have waited to see what she would say first before taking such a big leap. But also, that he thought the two of them belonged together, confiding that he'd felt that way for a long time. It was on the last part of the sentence that Sam's eyes opened. Daniel was putting his glasses back on when he heard a noise. He looked up to see Sam's eyes fluttering open.

Daniel stood up and leaned over her, "Sam?!" She immediately began choking on the intubation tube. Daniel started calling out for help just as Janet was walking into the infirmary. She rushed over to Sam's side, "Sam, if you can hear me, try to cough...I'm going to take the breathing tube out." Whether by instruction or necessity, Sam began coughing, struggling to breath while Janet pulled the long tube out. Once it was out, Sam was taking deep ragged breaths while her eyes fluttered and then closed. Daniel panicked, grasping her hand, "No Sam, keep your eyes open!" Janet put a hand out towards him while taking her vitals. "Daniel, it's okay. She's breathing on her own, her pulse is strong, and her stats are normalizing. We just need to give her some time to come out of this slowly."

Seconds later, Jack rounded the curtain just as Daniel was telling Janet he was going to go get him. When Jack spotted the tube had been taken out and saw Janet checking Sam's pulse, his stomach dropped, thinking the worst. "Janet, what's going on, what happened?" Daniel cut in quickly, "Jack, I was just coming to get you," he said excitedly, "Sam woke up...she's breathing on her own!" He slapped Jack on the back while Jack stood there, looking stunned and confused, "I don't get it, why aren't her eyes open?" Janet looked relieved, "Unfortunately, it's not like the movies Colonel, coming out of a coma is usually a very gradual process. Normally it's difficult for someone to stay awake very long once they've emerged." Janet looked back at Sam and put her hand on her forearm, taking a second to allow herself a release from the weeks of built up stress and worry for her dear friend. "Thank God," she whispered. Her mouth quivered slightly and she closed her eyes. Daniel moved around the bed toward her and she felt his arm slide around her shoulders, "It's ok Janet," he said softly. She kept her eyes shut and turned into his tight embrace; her soft crying muffled by his chest.

Jack stepped out of the infirmary quietly, and entered the dark and empty operating room next door. He put his back against the nearest wall, and slid down, allowing himself to feel everything he had been bottling up. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed quietly with relief. He had wanted to believe that she'd be okay, but that inner pessimism had been nagging at him constantly. That part of him that kept reminding him that he didn't deserve to be happy again after his son, had been eating away at him every day. But she had made it back to them...to him. He stood up and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe off his face. Now it's time to be that rock for Sam, he thought. He looked up at the ceiling of the room, she has to make a full recovery, she just has to. As he cleared his throat and shook his arms out, attempting to compose himself, the negative thoughts flooded his mind. What if she doesn't want me? What if all the stuff we left 'in the room,' is old news to her now? What if she's moved on, and this future together I have been thinking about has been all one way? He shook his head as if trying to physically push away the negative thoughts invading his mind. All that was important now was her health and recovery. He took some deep breaths and focused in on the future, I'm going to be there for her no matter what the circumstances are or how she feels about me. He turned toward the door, paused before pushing through, and muttered to himself, "Come on Jack, pull yourself together."

When Jack returned to Sam's bedside, Daniel was standing next to Janet talking about Sam's upcoming rehabilitation. "Oh, Hey Jack," Daniel started, "we were just talking about Sam's therapy. Janet was just saying that when she gets some cognitive tests completed on Sam, we'll have a better idea about her recovery timeline."

Janet chimed in, "My hope is that the only therapy she will need will be physical, but we really won't know until she's able to stay awake for more than a hour at a time." Jack nodded slowly, and smirked, trying to stay positive, "Well doc, she's a genius so I'm sure she'll ace any test you put in front of her." He made his best attempt to sound confident, but he knew that due to the lack of oxygen for such an extended time, Sam had the odds stacked up against her.

A couple of hours later, Jack sat alone bedside, watching Sam intently. Daniel walked in with a mug of coffee. "Any movement?" he asked while taking a sip. Jack was leaned back in the chair, "No," he replied, his disappointment obvious.

There was some silence before Daniel cleared his throat a bit, in a way that made Jack look at him. He'd heard him clear his throat like that probably a hundred times over the years. Translation? He has something to say but doesn't know how. "Spit it out Daniel," Jack said with a sigh.

Daniel pulled another chair from the wall over and sat down. He looked down at his mug and then back at Jack reluctantly. Jack drew out his name with his typical look of irritation, "Daniel?"

Daniel took a breath, glanced in Sam's direction and then back before huffing out, "Listen Jack, I just think that all of this might be too much for Sam to handle when she wakes up completely."

Jack's sat up a bit, his eyebrows beginning to furrow as he crossed his arms over his chest, "All of this?"

Daniel's head bent down a bit and he peered back at Jack over his glasses, his left hand gesturing toward Jack, "Yeah, I mean you and your recent changes, your job, your clothes, you calling her Sam, your open affection in front of anyone and everyone."

Jack's eyes narrowed, obviously annoyed, "Yeah, so?"

Daniel sighed and pushed up he glasses, "I'm just saying when Sam got shot, you...changed," when he saw Jack's jaw clench, he added quickly, "even for the better maybe."

"Changed...maybe?" Jack's elbows hit his knees as he leaned forward with his hands clasped tightly, his annoyance turning to anger.

"Ok, so maybe you haven't changed so much," Daniel muttered sarcastically under his breath before he continued. "Jack, all I'm saying, for Sam's sake, is that this may be all too much...too soon. We don't even know what we're looking at yet. She may have brain damage or memory loss, and we don't want to add confusion to the mix right out of the gate."

Jack scoffed angrily, leaning back and crossing his arms again. "I can't undo my retirement Daniel. Do you want me to lie? Because I can't…I won't do that to her."

Daniel paused and took a sip of coffee, "No, of course not. Not lie exactly…just…hold off a bit on your feelings for her and your retirement." He glanced up nervously, "We thought it might be best if you wore your uniform again, and you know, called her Carter, just until she gets her footing."

Jack stood up quickly, shoved his hands in his pockets, and paced, "We huh?"

Daniel cringed and looked down, "Yeah, I kinda drew the short straw."

Jack's eyes scrunched together, "You know Daniel, you might want to move to flipping coins, because you suck at that straw thing."

Daniel glanced down sheepishly at his coffee, thinking it best not to answer.

Jack stopped pacing and looked at Sam's peaceful face. Frustrated, he sighed and combed a hand roughly through his hair, thinking the last thing he wanted to do was get in the way of her recovery. Shit, maybe they were right. "Fine," he huffed, "I'm going to go change." He glared at Daniel as he turned to leave, and pointed at him, "But if this backfires Daniel, I'm blaming you."

It had been an hour after Jack returned from changing back into his old uniform, when Sam opened her eyes again. Jack had gotten fed up with the crossword and had moved on to the funny papers. He was chuckling and telling her about the Calvin and Hobbs illustration, when he heard a moan. Glancing up quickly, he saw Sam staring back at him. "Carter?" He tossed the paper to the side table and put his hand on her forearm, before remembering the talk with Daniel and pulling it back slowly.

She looked groggy and moaned, "Colonel?" The word came out slow and a bit slurred.

When Jack could see the confusion on her face at her inability to speak clearly, he tried to put her at ease, "Hey Carter, just relax...you had a close call and have been unconscious for weeks. It's going to take you some time to get used to talking and moving again." Sam moved her hands a bit but realized quickly that she couldn't lift her arms or legs off the bed. Jack got up, "I'm going to grab Janet."

Janet immediately returned with Jack, and pulled up a chair on the other side of Sam. "Hey sweetie, welcome back." She held her hand and began talking. Janet only grazed over the details of the shooting and kept the results of her surgery in simple terms. Her goal was to satisfy Sam's curiosity and quell her concerns until she could get a CT scan and MRI conducted. If Sam did have some permanent damage, larger words would only confuse her and make her more anxious. However, based on her facial expressions, Janet noticed right away that Sam seemed to be following what she was saying.

"So, we're going to take you for those tests right now, ok Sam?"

Sam gave a tiny nod and looked back at Jack, "I'll be right here when you get back Carter," he said reassuringly. Sam gave a small smile in return before Janet wheeled her bed out of the room.

By the time Janet returned with Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were waiting with Jack in the infirmary. Sam immediately perked up when she saw them and Daniel leaned over to give Sam a long hug. Teal'c smiled and bowed stoically. Sam opened her mouth, "Hey...guys," she got out with some difficulty.

Daniel could tell she was getting upset that something so simple as talking was giving her such a hard time. "Hey Sam, you just need a little therapy to get you used to talking again." When she looked down and didn't respond, her eyes filling with tears, Daniel took her hand in his, "Just let me do the talking for now and you'll be caught up in no time," he finished with an encouraging smile.

"Great," Jack teased with an exaggerated eye roll, "just what we need, even more talking from Chatty Cathy over here." Sam busted out one of her unmistakable snorts that lightened the room immediately, making everyone smile .

Yep, things were beginning to look up.