A Life Unlived, by Amaranth Traces

-- Chapter 7 --

“Sam? Come on, Sam. Look at me.”

“Mmm…Daniel.” Sam’s fingers trailed lazily over his lips.

“Sam, are you okay? Come on, Sam. Open your eyes. Look at me.”

Sam complied and found herself gazing into her husband’s deep blue eyes. His expression showed deep concern. She smiled weakly at him and he looked relieved.

She was on the floor in Daniel’s arms. Sam blinked at him and mumbled, “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. You passed out. Are you okay?”

“Where’s Jonathan?”

“Excuse me?” asked a voice nearby.

Sam turned her head to find the source of the voice. Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c were crouching next to her and Daniel, both looking very worried. She gawked at them. “You—you’re alive!”

Teal’c’s eyebrows practically skyrocketed off his forehead and the Colonel’s eyes widened. “Oh good! ‘Cause I was really worried about me for a minute there. For crying out loud, Carter, you’re getting as bad as Daniel – touching things you don’t understand!”

Sam turned to gaze up at Daniel again. His face was creased with worry for her.

“Daniel...” Her voice was barely a whisper. She desperately searched his face for answers to questions she was afraid to ask. His brow furrowed in confusion.

Sam squeezed her eyes closed before she looked around again. She realised that they were in a mostly dark room. It was the lab on P23-8X5 that they had been in more than five years ago. With another look up at Daniel’s concerned face, she forced herself to sit up. Dropping her head into her hands, she tried to control the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.

“Okay kids, let’s get home and have Carter checked out.”

Daniel helped Sam to her feet, and without thinking she leaned into his familiar arms. Realising what she was doing, she jumped back. Teal’c caught her as she stumbled, and she clung to the Jaffa.

“Are you alright, Sam?” Daniel asked her.

“I’m fine,” Sam choked out, avoiding Daniel’s troubled gaze. “I’m fine,” she repeated quietly, speaking almost to herself.

Teal’c looked down at the woman in his arms and frowned. He turned his eyes to the archaeologist and raised an eyebrow.

Daniel sighed. Then, tearing his eyes away from Sam, he walked up to the DHD and began dialling Earth.

Sam blinked back the hot tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. She watched as Daniel dialled the ‘gate. He’s not my husband here. Did any of it actually happen? Was it a dream? Oh God, Jonathan. Sam sobbed into Teal’c chest as she realised her son wasn’t here – that he could never be here. A profound feeling of loss seemed to swallow her whole. She didn’t resist as Teal’c helped her back through the Stargate and to the infirmary.

“What happened?” asked Dr. Janet Frasier.

Sam sat on the edge of one of the beds in the infirmary. She blinked as Janet shone a penlight in her eyes. She forced herself to focus on what was going on around her.

“I, um...” Sam struggled to recall the last thing that had happened to her in the life that she had left behind more than five years ago.

“She lost consciousness,” Daniel answered for her.

“Yeah. After she touched something she wasn’t supposed to,” corrected the Colonel. “Why does it seem like I’m the only one who knows that’s never a good idea?’

“What was it?” Janet asked, ignoring him.

“Well, we were just trying to figure that out when...” Daniel’s voice trailed off.

“Okay, gentlemen. You need to leave so I can finish up with Sam.” The doctor ushered the Teal’c and Colonel O’Neill out of the infirmary, disregarding their objections. “That means you too, Daniel.”

“You think she’s alright?” Sam heard him ask Janet. He had a lost look on his face.

“I need you to leave so that I can figure that out.” The doctor gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Go on. Go get something to eat with Teal’c and the Colonel. She’ll be out of here before you know it.”

Daniel nodded and, with one last look over his shoulder at Sam, finally left.

Dr. Frasier soon gave Sam a clean bill of health, though she naturally expressed some reservations about Sam’s state of mind. After again insisting that she was fine, Sam escaped the infirmary as quickly as possible. She was relieved to discover that the rest of her team wasn’t waiting outside the infirmary.

Sam managed to walk all the way to her office in what she hoped was a dignified manner. She locked the door and sank to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees. There, she cried for the loss of her son, her husband, and her life.

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