A Hidden Threat

Chapter 21

Hours later....

They had wheeled Carters bed into a different area as they worked on Amiri. She didn't need to see what they were doing to her. She struggled to get up and be by her, but the nurses insisted that she stay in bed. She continued to insist further so much so that they had to give her a light sedative just to keep her in bed. When she finally woke she thought she had just had a horrible nightmare. Her eyes slowly opened to see that she was in the infirmary. As she started to come out of the sedative she saw a tall figure, sitting by her. It took her awhile to focus, to then realize it was, the one and only, it was her Colonel. She shook her realizing she called him her Colonel. Although she didn't say it aloud, she knew she couldn't even think that way.

"Hey...sleepy head.." O'Neill said. He gave her that all familiar smile that always seem to calm her down.

"Sir..." she barely got it out.... She tried to maneuver herself in bed, and he immediately got up to assist her.

"hey...why don't you stay put huh.....you need to take it easy...".....He stated as he pushed her gently back down to the pillow.

"It wasn't a dream was it" is all she was able to get out. Her eyes giving it all away, the fear the pain the anguish the uncertainty. And he knew that Carter was at a breaking point.

"I'm sorry Carter, no it wasn't" He said.

"I don't know if I can handle this" Carter stated, with a tremble in her voice. She was fighting back the emotions that were bottled up inside.

"Goauld, Tokra, Symbiotes, .....''"she paused, "but this" she said as she looked at him.

"Hey...Hey....you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for" O'Neill said as he parted away a small trendel of hair from her forehead. They both just stared at each other. No words were spoken. None needed to be. For they both knew what they were feeling at that moment.

Although they knew the close contact could be comprising, they didn't care. At that moment it was him and her, Sam and Jack.

As he pushed away the hair from her forehead, his hand rested near hers. She placed her hand above his, and slowly caressed it with her thumb. It threw him a back, a little, but he didn't show it. He just gave her that all familiar smile, grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "You're not alone in this Carter...not for one minute" he said trying to reassure her. "Sir...what ...what if I decide to not go through with this....What if I tell Janet to remove it...without it harming anyone?" Carters mind was going a mile a minute. When was it not. "Carter ...you're thinking to hard..."O'Neill said as he sat beside her. "You know that that can't happen. If that ...whatever has the power to destroy a race, don't you think it has the power to protect itself?" O'Neill couldn't believe he was saying something that actually could make sense. He tilted his head, as if to show he was proud of himself for thinking of that on his own.

He knew Carter was desperate. And desperation sometimes clouds the mind. "I'm scared" she whispered to him. He looked at her. He could see the fear in her eyes. All he wanted to do was hold her close. He wanted to shield her from any hurt or pain she may endure. But he knew he couldn't do that, All he can do was be there for her, as a friend, and as a lover, secret lover in heart and mind only.

Time seemed to elapse and their worlds became one. That was until Frasier walked in on them. She too was in that room during the whole zatarc thing. She knew the two of them cared a lot more for each other than they should.

"Hey..."she broke the silence. O'Neill immediately pulled away from Carter. Carter jumped at the sound of Janet's voice. Frasier just smiled back. Somehow Carter and O'Neill knew that Fraiser wasn't going to sell them out. Although technically they hadn't done anything.

"How is she?" Carter asked. Trying to change the mood of the room.

Frasier slowly walked up to Sam. Amiri's condition was worsening. And Frasier just didn't know how to tell Sam. But she did know that she couldn't lie to her friend, for Carter would of seen right through her.

"Sam...it's not good....she's weak...and their isn't much more we can do for her. She's slipped into a coma" She said as her eyes began to fill up with tears. "I'm sorry"...

Sam could see the anguish in her eyes. She knew how dedicated Janet was. And the fact that she couldn't help Amiri, was killing her.

Silence fell in the room. No one knew what to say.

"can I see her?" Carter asked and broke the silence.

"Sam..you really need to rest" Frasier stated. But she also knew that if she didn't let Sam see her, she would not rest till she did. Before Carter interjected, Janet continued...

"O.k. fine..but I want you in a wheel chair" Frasier stated.

"Janet..I'm fine..." Carter hated to be babied. Before she could say another word, O'Neill interjected.

"I'll take her" He said. But behind that statement was a boyish grin of satisfaction of being to wheel Carter around. Carter was about to interject, but she knew that if she was going to see Amiri, fighting this was not going to get her any further.

"Fine" she said. But she was annoyed. And she made sure they knew she was. She was all familiar with O'Neill's look though. She knew he was enjoying this way to much. As the nurse went to get the chair, Carter began to move herself off of the bed. He placed her feet on the floor, but didn't realize how weak she really was. She could barely stand. That boyish attitude was gone as soon as it came. He immediately ran to her side. His want to protect was so evident.

"Hey you ok?" He immediately asked.

"Yea...yea....um...just didn't realize my legs weren't working" Carter said, trying to make light of the situation. They both smiled. They knew that humor was something that was going to help them through this. He got her in the chair and grabbed one of the blankets from the bed. He placed it on her legs. She gave him that all familiar smile, that said "Thank you" but no words were spoken.

As he began to wheel her towards Amiri's room, He worried. Carter was weak in every sense of the word. Physically, emotionally, mentally. He wasn't sure she could handle this. But he knew that she had to go see her. Even if it was just to say goodbye. She wouldn't be doing it alone, he was right there by her side. She wouldn't be doing any of this alone. For some reason the walk to Amiri seemed a lot longer than it usual took. O'Neill's mind was going a mile a minute. Carter was going to need him. She couldn't gate travel anymore until they figured out what this was? Would she actually give birth to a being? Once they government found about this, would she end up in confinement, or be shipped off to a different facility for monitoring? O'Neill didn't know what kind of situation she was going to end up in. All he knew was that he was going to be there every step of the way. But how would he do that? He was still the Commanding Officer of SG1? SG1 still was an active team. But SG1 would not be the same without Carter. Screw it, he wouldn't be the same without Carter there, and her techno-babble that he had grown to love. From this moment on, life was about to change. O'Neill had a decision to make. And he knew he had to make it fast. Resigning was the only option. It wasn't such a bad thing. As he thought about it more, he started to actual smile. Suddenly Carter woke him from his daydream "Sir". He had stopped in his tracks.

"Sir" she again said, this time turning around and looking at him. He had that all familiar grin on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" She said.

"Oh nothing" O'Neill tried to quickly come out of his daydream. They looked at each other for a brief moment, and he continued his way to Amiri's room. Carter slowly turned around and wondered where his mind was. Her mind was running away as well. She didn't know what to think of first. Her mind was in a whirlwind. Will Amiri die? Will she ever wake from her coma, and allow Carter to tell her that she loved her? And what about "The Mistressa"? Was it a baby? Was it just a being? Would this now jeopardize her place on the team? How would the government play in all this? Carter did not have the answers to any of these questions. But right now she had to push those thoughts away. And focus on one thing. Amiri. She had to gain the strength to face the enivitable. That Amiri may never wake from this coma, and that she might just die.