The next thirty-six hours were the longest, most painful of Janet’s life. Abandoning Teal’c and Bhuiku to do what they could for the surviving Adjoans, keeping Dixon with her as an extra right hand, she divided her time between Daniel, Jack and Sam. To make life easier she corralled them in the same ICU tent. Daniel she kept sedated and on antibiotics, giving his long over-stressed body the rest it so desperately needed. Jack and Sam stayed on their existing regimen, drifting closer, inexorably, towards the brink.
She wasn’t a particularly religious woman… but when she wasn’t being a doctor she said her prayers, hard.
Ten minutes before the thirty-seven hour mark, the Adjo gate opened. It was General Hammond.
“Doct
or Fraiser, stand by to receive urgent medical supplies.”
Janet a tidal wave of adrenaline. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“And Janet
?” Hammond’s voice was alive with excitement.
“Not only will you find there’s enough vaccine to treat everyone in Georgetown,
but it’s guaranteed to get the job done.”
She stared into the MALP camera. “Sir? I don’t understand.”
He laughed, sounding younger and more carefree than she’d heard in weeks.
“It’s amazing what you can do with a little help from your friends.”
It took a moment for his meaning to sink in. “General? You didn’t — did you go to Jacob Carter?”
“Yes, Doctor, I did.”
“I thought the President — ”
“The President is yet to be apprised of the situation,”
said Hammond. He sounded remarkably jaunty, given he’d disregarded a direct order from his Commander in Chief.
“There’ll be hell to pay when I tell him tonight, but frankly I don’t give a damn.”
“Why should there be trouble, sir? Surely Washington can’t object to the Tok’ra saving so many lives?” A nasty thought occurred. “Unless… sir, what did you have to give them to secure their help?”
“A piece of the mining action on Adjo.”
Oh boy. He was right. Washington would pitch a fit. “General, it was worth it. And if they don’t believe you, I’ll tell them myself.”
Hammond’s laughter was wry.
“It may yet come down to that, Doctor. Okay. Keep your eyes peeled… we’re sending you the vaccine now.”
A few moments later the Adjoan wormhole rippled, and a trolley trundled through laden with sealed medical containers. Heart thudding erratically, Janet went to it. Touched them. Pressed fingers to her trembling lips. Then she returned to the MALP camera.
“General, shipment received. Please pass my thanks along to Jacob.”
“Will do. The Tok’ra scientists who’ve assisted Doctor
Warner and his team assure me that you and the Adjoans will be completely free of viral contamination within twelve hours of receiving the vaccine. Once blood tests confirm it, you and SG-1 can come home. Of course you’ll be subjected to rigorous decontami
nation protocols…”
Not to mention the debriefing session of a lifetime… and for herself severely rapped knuckles. Maybe even an official censure.
But I don’t care. I don’t. That’s just words. This is life.
“Thank you, General,” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it seems I’ve got some vaccinating to do.”
Hammond laughed.
“Certainly, Doctor. You’re dismissed.”
She found Teal’c, Dixon and Bhuiku in one of the mess tents, each forcing down an MRE.
“Doctor Fraiser?” said Teal’c, slowly standing. “What is the matter? You are weeping…”
Only then did she realize her cheeks were wet. “It’s the vaccine,” she said, her voice choked.
Dixon’s fist hit the trestle table. “No way.
No way
. They said it would
work
, they said — ”
“No! No!” she said quickly. “You don’t understand. General Hammond reached out to the Tok’ra. To Jacob. There’s enough vaccine for everyone in Georgetown… and it’s guaranteed to work.”
Bhuiku stared at them, his expression bewildered. “What do you say? What do you mean?”
She had to sit down. Her legs had gone all rubbery. “I mean, Bhuiku, that we’ve found a way to cure your people.”
“Hey,” said Dixon. “I thought cure was a four-letter word.”
She laughed. God, how long had it been since she’d laughed?
“Right now, Dave, I’m prepared to make an exception.”
“So… what happens now?” he said.
“Now?” She pushed to her feet. “Now, my friends, we get to do some good.”
The vaccine wasn’t designed to be given as shot. The patient’s upper arm or hip were nicked in a small, straight cut with a miniature spade-shaped knife dipped in the vaccine. Considerably more ambidextrous now than she’d been before her broken wrist, Janet demonstrated the technique to Teal’c and Dixon, using her own hip first, then demonstrated it again as she vaccinated Jack and Sam. Then she watched as Teal’c vaccinated Bhuiku, and Dixon vaccinated the proud young village girl Nebti. Satisfied as to their competence, she portioned out the vaccines… and the healing of Adjo began.
Hammond hadn’t been exaggerating. Whatever the Tok’ra did to enhance the original vaccine, it kicked in like a turbo-charger five hours after it was administered.
Seated at Jack’s side, dozing, she jerked awake as she heard
him stir. As she watched, heart thudding, he groaned and opened
his eyes. “Hey. Janet.” His voice was weak, a thready whisper. “What’s going on?”
She took his hand and leaned forward, smiling. “Hey yourself, Colonel. Guess what? We’re going home.”
Hammond, of course, was at the base of the gate ramp to mark SG-1’s return a day later. A team of vaccinated medical personnel had gone through to Adjo with stretchers for Jack, Sam and Daniel. Hammond’s expression, when he saw them carried down the ramp, wasn’t entirely under his control.
Janet, with Dixon and Teal’c beside her, followed them down the ramp then halted in front of Hammond.
“Sir,” she said, and offered him a shaky left-handed salute.
Hammond’s eyebrows lifted. “
Now
you remember to follow military protocol?”
“Sir — General Hammond — ” Her voice sounded tight, like her throat was strangling it. “About the other villages on Adjo. The plague — ”
“It’s in hand, Doctor,” said Hammond. “The Tok’ra will continue their humanitarian efforts.”
Oh thank God. Thank God. She had to wait again before replying. “That’s excellent news, sir.”
“It is indeed.” He turned to Teal’c, and Dixon. “Welcome home, Teal’c. Colonel. I don’t know what to say.”
Dixon grinned. “Well, sir, due respect, you could say I’m dismissed to go find a telephone. I’d kind of like to call my wife.”
“I’ll bet you would,” said Hammond. “Colonel, you’re dismissed.” As Dixon withdrew, with alacrity, Hammond again looked at Teal’c, his expression sober. “Anything I say to you will sound… sadly inadequate. Nevertheless, I’d like to try. A little later, when things have settled down.”
Teal’c bowed. “Of course, General. At your convenience.”
He shook his head. “No, Teal’c. At yours. Now why don’t you head on to the infirmary? Doctor Fraiser and I will be along in a moment.”
“General,” said Teal’c, and left them alone.
“Well, Janet,” said Hammond. His tone was cool, his eyes warm. “In light of recent events, anything I say to you on the matter of orders, the following of, must surely smack of pots and black kettles.”
She cleared her throat. “Yes, sir. Sir — ”
He smiled. “Not now. You and I
will
be having a conversation, of course. But right now I expect you’d like to see how SG-1’s getting on. And then you’ll need to get that wrist taken care of.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, feeling her face heat.
“Lead the way, then,” he said. And added softly, as she turned,
“By the way, Janet. Good work. Well done.”
“You too, sir,” she replied, not looking back. “You too. And thank you.”
The evening of their return to Earth, O’Neill sat in the infirmary with his team, minus Dixon. Not because he was still feeling hostile towards the man, but because this was a moment just for them, alone. Besides, the guy was glued to a phone catching up with his regular command. Or else he was lying, and still talking to his wife.
“So,” he said, lounging in a chair at Daniel’s bedside. “That was interesting, wouldn’t you say?”
Sitting opposite, with Daniel between them, Carter pulled a face. “I can think of a few other ways of putting it.”
She was looking herself again, thanks to the Tok’ra. No longer translucent. A long way from death. So was he, for that matter. Blisters cleared up, scabs scrubbed off. All his aches and pains a memory. Whatever was in that Tok’ra vaccine, it was pretty cool.
Damn. And now we owe them.
Except he wasn’t sorry, not really. Not with Carter sitting there grinning at him, brimful of life.
“All that matters,” said Daniel, sleepily, “is that we saved the Adjoans.”
He was still looking peaky. Exhausted. In pain, despite the morphine. A pity the Tok’ra couldn’t vaccinate him for the post-op blues.
“Hey,” O’Neill said, and nudged the bed with his knee. “When are you going to show me your scar?”
Daniel frowned. “I’m not.”
“Spoilsport.” He looked sideways. “So. Teal’c. You’re awfully quiet.”
Standing against the wall, Teal’c shrugged. “I have nothing to say, O’Neill.”
Maybe not. But I do
. He cleared his throat. “Okay. Here’s the thing. I was wrong. You were right. And I apologize.”
“Yeah,” said Carter, her amusement swiftly fading. “Me too, Teal’c. I’m sorry… and thank you.”
Teal’c had come damn close to killing himself, to save them. Before she’d gone up to the base hospital to have her wrist set, at last, Janet had told them just how close a call it had been.
And what can I say about that? I don’t have the words.
But he could say this… “Seriously, Teal’c. I let you down. I made fun of your beliefs. I was a jackass. If anyone nearly got us killed, it was me.”
“Ah, no, sir,” said Carter, with a troubled glance at Teal’c. “I didn’t support him either. I’m just as much to blame here.”
“Don’t be greedy,” said Daniel, his eyelids at half-mast. “I’m the fairytale expert, remember? I’m sorry too, I should’ve — ”
“Be silent,” said Teal’c. His eyes were gleaming. “Your apologies are appreciated but unneccessary. We are in the business of risk, are we not?”
O’Neill exchanged another look with Carter. “Well, sure, but — ”
“Apportioning blame now is pointless,” said Teal’c, serene. “And despite the unpleasantness of the mission, a good outcome has been achieved. As you say here on Earth, let us count our blessings.”
He looked at Carter, restored to health. Looked at Daniel, minus his appendix but on the mend. Looked at his hands, no longer covered in blood-filled pustules. Took a deep breath, and felt his healed lungs fill with air. Looked at Teal’c, and smiled at him gently.
“Yeah. Okay. I guess I can do that.”
A nurse came and threw them out then, because Daniel needed
his rest. The three of them walked to the elevator together. After so long on Adjo — God, it felt like a lifetime — there was something surreal about the grey concrete walls.
“You going home, sir?” said Carter.
He nodded. “Oh, yes. You?”
“Yeah…” she said slowly. “Only first I thought I might — ”
“What?” he prompted.
Her cheeks were pink. “You’ll think I’m an idiot.”
“Oh, I already think that,” he said, so innocent.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” she said dryly. “I was going to say, I thought I might go up top for a while.”
He stared. “Up top? Of the
mountain
?”
“Yes, sir. As top as we can get, anyway.”
“Well… okay. Why?”
She shrugged. “Why not?”
He raised an eyebrow at Teal’c. “Good question.”
“Indeed.”
So they all went up top, all three of them. Sat on the wild grass and looked at the endless midnight blue sky, silent and brilliant and stitched with familiar constellations. Breathed in the cool air, the Earth air, the sweet air of home.
They counted three shooting stars… and called it a night.
The Adjo mission debrief was held at 1500 on the day after SG-1’s return. It went pretty much as Dixon expected: long, loud, and full of vigorous debate. The only player not present was Jackson, still stuck in the infirmary recovering from his ruptured appendix. He did tender a statement, however, which was read into evidence by O’Neill, with snarky asides.
When at last it appeared that all the arguments had been exhausted, Hammond summed up the official response from on high.
“Although several questionable decisions were taken, by more than one person now present at this table,” he said, “the President has decided that, on balance, the positive outcomes from this mission have outweighed the negatives. Therefore no action will be taken against you, Doctor Fraiser, for disobeying direct orders and exposing yourself to viral contamination while on Adjo. There will be a note made on your permanent military record, but the matter will end there.”