"Daniel Jackson, I believe that the atmosphere of this planet is not entirely stable," Teal'c commented.

"Just a few more minutes," Daniel muttered, looking back over the carving on the wall.

"Daniel you heard the man, the atmosphere's not stable or something," Colonel O'Neill repeated, looking around him. "Carter, we're headed back."

"Yes sir," a voice came out of the trees.

Jack wandered over to the Stargate and slowly dialled home, hoping that one of the two scientists who were part of SG-1 would notice that he wasn't going to give in this time. Teal'c stood next to Jack and looked around. Samantha Carter was still somewhere out of sight and Daniel was still marvelling over the carvings on the rocks nearby.

"Chevron Seven engaged," Jack said, mimicking the voice that always announced this at the SGC, Stargate Command. "Gate will open in five, four."

Jack was cut off as the gate opened. Daniel looked up at him and smiled.

"Jack, you really gotta get your timing right," Daniel replied.

Jack smiled. "Carter get out of those trees and over here right now."

"Yes sir," Carter said, suddenly there was a screamed from her direction.

"Carter?" Jack called.

"Sam?" Daniel said, looking up.

"Major Carter?" Teal'c asked. "Jack should I."

"No I'll get it," Jack said.

Whatever Jack had told Teal'c, he still followed him into the trees, his weapon ready to fire. Sam was lying on the ground, some sort of snake had bitten into her arm and was just disappearing into the bushes. Teal'c fired at it, but it was gone. Jack knelt down next to Sam.

"Carter, wake up," he commanded. "That's an order.Carter? Sam? Teal'c tell Daniel to hold the gate open."

"Yes Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said, disappearing back towards the Stargate.

"Sam, come on," Jack said, panic suddenly rising inside him.

He lifted her up and stumbled back to the Stargate. He walked up to the gate and jumped through just before it disengaged. He found Daniel and Teal'c on the other side, already talking to the General. Jack noticed one of the guards running off, hopefully to find Dr Frasier.

"Sir, she was bitten by some sort of snake or something," Jack said.

Four officers came out, carrying a stretcher and Jack lay her down in it. Her blonde hair was lying messily around her face and her eyes seemed glassy and dead.

"Sam don't die on me," he whispered. "I'll save you, no matter what."



A few hours later Daniel came wandering down the hall towards the infirmary. Sam had been under constant surveillance since her snakebite, no one had been allowed inside. He rounded the corner looking through some books about snakes and almost ran straight into Jack.

"Jack? Why are you still here?" Daniel asked. "It's late."

"I know," Jack replied, not moving his eyes at all.

Daniel looked in the direction that Jack was staring and realised why he was still sitting there, at one o'clock in the morning. Daniel threw his books on the ground and sat down next to him.

"She'll be fine Jack," Daniel assured him.

"Yes," Jack said.

Janet Frasier stepped out from Sam's room and smiled at the two officers. "Colonel you've been here for hours, why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

"I want to see Sam," Jack demanded.

"You can see her in the morning," Janet said.

"Dr Frasier.please?" Jack asked.

Daniel was rather taken aback. He'd never actually seen Jack ask politely for something without demanding it for hours first. He always knew what he wanted and Jack always got what he wanted. He wasn't used to people denying him access to anything. This was a side of Jack that Daniel had never noticed before.

"Just quickly," Janet replied.

Jack almost smiled, but then the slight grin disappeared. Jack walked into the room and stood in the doorway for a minute. Daniel decided that maybe it was better not to say anything to him. He turned around and walked away. He'd talk to Jack in the morning.



"Sam, Sam can you hear me?" Jack asked her for about the fourth time.

Sam tried to open her mouth to reply, but it didn't move. So many things she wanted to ask him. Why she was stuck like this was one. Why he was calling her Sam all of a sudden was another. Why Dr Frasier had been examining her for hours would've been a third.

"Sam wake up, please," Jack begged.

I'm awake, Sam tried to say, but nothing came out. Jack took her hand in his, it felt warm, so much warmer than her hand was.

"Please, Carter its an order," Jack sighed.

Yes sir, I would like to follow that order, Sam thought. She would've smiled if she could. That was something that Jack would say. She heard the door open and out of the corner of her eye she could see movement. But when she went to look at who it was she couldn't move her eyes either. Jack stood up to leave, slowly letting her hand drop to the bed.

Don't leave, Sam tried to say. Jack don't leave!

"Get some sleep Colonel," Janet suggested.

He nodded and walked out. Janet came back over and sat down next to her. She smiled and fixed up the pillows underneath Sam's head.

"He loves you, Sam," Janet said. "You're lucky you have someone like him. He's been sitting outside for hours, watching and waiting. I had to let him in. Sorry if it was a problem to you."

No problem, Sam thought.



1 SIX WEEKS LATER

"Colonel," a voice said from behind him.

Jack turned around, half expecting to see Sam standing behind him. But it was Major Thomas. He was Sam's replacement. But only until she came out of the coma. Jack looked back around to where he had been looking before.

"Jack wake up," Daniel said. "The Stargate's initiated, we can go home now."

Jack turned silently around to face Daniel. He liked Daniel; he was the first scientist he had ever gotten along with at all. But he wanted Sam to be there, not Daniel. Daniel could get really annoying sometimes. Teal'c disappeared through the Stargate and Williams stepped in after him.

"Jack I know you miss her, but you can't be like this anymore," Daniel said. "She's gone."

"She's not gone!" Jack shouted back at him. "She's still there, lying in that bed."

"They're not going to keep her there much longer Jack, she's clogging up space," Daniel said.

"Sam will never take up too much space. If they don't want her to clog up military space, then she can come and sleep for as long as she likes at my house!" Jack said.

With that he ran forwards into the Stargate, leaving Daniel to think about what Jack had just said.



Jack stood outside the hospital room, like every night, and stared into Sam's room. Janet flung open the door and walked out, her bag slung over her shoulder. She stopped in shock when she noticed Jack standing there.

"Colonel, get some rest," Janet said.

"Can I just go in and talk to her?" Jack asked.

"Colonel, I." Janet looked into his eyes.

The happiness that had always been there, the spark of mischief that had always been sitting there, ready to jump out and do something against regulations. The Jack she knew was gone, maybe not completely, but it was as bright as before.

She turned around and unlocked the door, handing him the key. "Just promise me you'll sleep at least for one hour tonight and don't come back tomorrow night."

Jack took the key from her and unlocked the door. He hadn't been inside since week two of her coma. He couldn't stand talkin to her, not having her reply. He opened the door and switched on the low light, subconsciously thinking that it was better not to wake her. He lay the keys on the table and walked slowly to the bedside.

He knelt down on the ground and took Sam's hand in his own. "Carter.if you can here me, I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you. I love you and I can't bear seeing you like this. I stand outside your window every night and watch you, waiting for a movement, some sign that you're still in there.somewhere. I know you're still there, love can't last like this, not without someone to love. You're there, I know you're there. Sam wake up, please."

He sat there for ten minutes, with no reply. Even though he knew there was only a slim chance of her ever waking up again, there was always the hope that something would happen. He sighed and stood up. Memories started flashing through his mind, smiles, laughs and happy times. The time she had put a splint on his leg lingered for a while. But the memory that stuck out most was from the time-loop, when he had resigned just so he was allowed to kiss her.

Jack felt the tears welling up behind his eyes. He tried to push them back, but he let one fall down his face and it landed on Sam's arm. He stood up and walked away from the bedside.

"Jack," came a faint voice from the bed.

"Sam?" Jack asked, spinning around. "Oh my god Sam. Are you OK?"

"Jack why haven't you come?" Sam asked.

"I thought you were dead," Jack said. "Sam."

"I know, I heard you," Sam replied. "I love you too."