CHAPTER NINE
IF I SHOULD DIE TONIGHT
“We need a medical team down here pronto for the little mommy-to-be.” Jack yelled as he pointed to Daniel. He and Teal’C half carried and half walked Daniel down the ramp. General Hammond had a very surprised look on his face when he saw Daniel for the first time in several days. When he saw all the blood on Daniel’s clothing he quickly came to his senses and ordered a medical team staat.
* * * * * * * *
“Well Daniel, I have to tell you this is a surprise. I never in all my wildest imagination ever thought I would find you in this condition.” Dr. Fraiser shook her head as she wrote in Daniel’s chart, and adjusted the transfusion IV tubing, as he lay in a hospital bed.
“It’s too early for my baby, is there anything you can do to stop the labor?” Doctor Fraiser held Daniel’s hand and gave him her best smile, ”I’ll do everything that I can and then some, but for now try to relax. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Doctor Fraiser ordered medication to be given to Daniel and a close watch on him. If she is needed she will be out talking to General Hammond and the rest of the team.
Daniel, weak and exhausted from the extreme loss of blood he did his best to stay focused on Sam’s face. He licked his dry lips and reached for her face. His voice was barely audible as he said, “If I should die tonight, will you still love me tomorrow? Please Sam, it’s important that I know, you will always love me. Please tell me honestly, --will you still love me tomorrow, if I should die tonight?”
“I will always love you. Even to the end of time, my love, so don’t you ever doubt my love for you! Do you hear me?”
“Good, then tell Dr. Fraiser to do everything she can to save our baby. Don’t worry about me; just do what she has to, to save our baby.”
“Daniel, no, Oh God no, what are you saying? You’re not going to die, I won’t let you.”
“It’s alright, Sam, just take care of our children----.” Then he collapsed.
“NO!” She screamed. “ You can’t leave me and our son just like that you bastard! No please you can’t leave us, God no!” The EKG monitor blared. Dr. Fraiser and several nurses and technicians raced into the room.
“Get her out of here. Julie, I need a tracheal tube. Gerald, take over on the CPR. Barbara, let’s get that kid out of him now. Julie, get the paddles ready, as soon as the baby’s out, zap him, I want to get Daniel’s heart going on it’s own fast if we are to save him. Carol, get six more units of blood down here staat. Barbara, if you’re going to get that baby out now is the time. Let’s go!”
* * * * * * * *
An orderly half carried Sam out the waiting room where Jack helped her to a chair and held her while she sobbed. He rocked her and did his best to comfort her as she kept repeating, “That bastard can’t leave me and our baby. Doesn’t he know how much we need him?”
“He knows Sam, he knows,” Jack did his best to comfort here as he gently rocked her back and forth while her body was being racked with wave after wave of great heaving sobs. He tried to remind her that Daniel does love her and their baby and would never willingly leave them. General Hammond and Teal’C could only watch and fight back their own tears and feelings of frustration.
* * * * * * * *
“Janet, we won’t have much cutting to do, his pouch is almost completely ripped open. But there’s several bleeders here, if I could just get them clamped off, we can stop the worst of the bleeding.“
“Good, I’ll get the baby---everyone ready---clear”GO JULIE”
“It’s at 300,” zzzzap, “no good- go to 400-do it again-clear- dammit-again-500 jewels-clear. Got him-his heartbeat is weak but I’ll take it. OKAY folks let finish him and get them both out to ICU. How’s the baby doing?”
“He’s hanging in there too, just like daddy or is it mommy?” Dr. Barbara Wilkens was nervous. She didn’t like how tiny the newest member of Dr. Jackson’s family was. Babies that small usually don’t survive and right now all the odds were piling up against him.
* * * * * * * *
Sheer terror crossed Sam’s face as she tore from Jack’s comforting arms and ran to meet Dr. Fraiser as she came down the hall to speak with them. Jack, Teal’C and General Hammond quickly followed, the uncertainty showing on their faces.
Dr. Fraiser quickly explained to them what was happening. “Sam, you and Daniel have a son, three pounds and four ounces. Now his lungs are still a little immature. That means it will require him to be on a ventilator for a while. He’ll be kept in an incubator until he’s stronger, but so far both he and Daniel are hanging in there. Your newest son, Sam, I can tell you that he has the prettiest set of blue eyes I’ve ever seen, next to Daniel’s.
“Unfortunately I need to tell you that Daniel has slipped into a coma. We believe it may be some time before we will know when he’s out of danger. At this point we don’t know if he’ll wake up. Right now we’re just taking it minute by minute, and quite frankly he’s surprised us by making it this long.”
“I want to see Daniel and my baby!” Sam surprised everyone by this sudden outburst.
“Okay Sam, you can see them tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest you can see them for a few minutes.” Dr. Fraiser was worried about Sam’s state of mind at that moment. She felt Sam might be at her emotional breaking point.
“No, I want to see them NOW!” She demanded. She wondered if everyone had gone deaf or if they just didn’t understand her need to see for herself, her husband and son were still very much alive.
“OKAY Sam, come with me. Their right down here.” She spoke to Sam very calmly and quietly, like one would a very distraught child. Not wanting to upset her any more than she already was.
Sam was only half listening to what was being said. The day had been such an emotional roller coaster, that she just couldn’t take anymore.
“Sam, did you hear what I said?” Dr. Fraiser was examining Sams’ eyes for any hint that she comprehended what was being said.
“Yeah, uhm, I’d like to see my son, and uhm, you said I could see Daniel too, right?’
“Yes, I did, but, are you sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow after you had some rest?”
“No, don’t you see that I need to see them tonight. I have to know they are all right. I can’t leave until I know for sure that they are going to be okay. You said I could see them.” It was all Dr. Fraiser could do to support most all of Sam’s weight. Jack rushed to Sam’s side to help support her as she stood next to the doctor.
“Alright Sam we’ll go look in on Daniel and your new baby.” Dr. Fraiser hoped her calm voice would help reassure Sam. They walked down the hallway to the Intensive Care Unit and to side of the littlest Jackson. She stood at the side of the incubator watching her son fighting for every breath.
“He’s so-tiny.” Her voice was barely audible above the sounds of the machines.
“Yes he is, but he’s strong and we think he will make it. You just have to believe it yourself.”
“Can I see Daniel now, please.” It was partly a whimper and partly a sob that came from her throat.
“Sure, he’s in the next room over here” Dr. Fraiser was watching for any sign of her giving up the emotional fight she was struggling to maintain at that moment. She wasn’t sure how she was managing to hold on.
Sam felt like she was being enveloped by a giant fog bank. It seemed to affect all of her senses, for she had great difficulty in feeling anything. Here she was looking down at this incredibly small infant, her baby, her baby that in all likelihood would soon die. Yet she could feel nothing. Her husband lies in a bed, but a few yards away; he in all likelihood would also very soon die; yet she again could feel nothing. She didn’t understand how this could be. She loved them both so much. She knew it would rip her heart out should anything happened to them. Then she felt her feet slowly moving towards the doorway to the other room where her husband lay.
She looked at her husband’s face. His face still looked so peaceful, no pain was evident. He looked pale, like he needed to get more sun. But he still looked like the sweet, handsome man she married, just a few short months ago.
“I want to stay.” Was all that Sam could manage to say.
“I’m afraid it won’t be possible. We’ll call you, if anything happens. Besides you need your rest.“ Dr. Fraiser was about to say something else when General Hammond cut her off.
“Dr. Fraiser, you and I know you run this hospital, and you also know that I run this military instillation, but out of common decency and as a friend, please, can you move the both of them into one room and let her stay with them. Please, I am not asking as a commander now, but as a friend.”
Dr. Fraiser put her hands in her pockets and looked first at the floor then at General Hammond. She waited a few seconds, then she answered, “As a friend, no, --but as a doctor, yes.”
They moved the newest member of the Jackson family in his father’s room and had another bed brought in for Sam.
They all knew her reasoning, but none wanted to voice it. They all left Sam sitting in a chair in between her two men. She was still sitting there when Dr. Fraiser came back half an hour later.
“Why don’t you lay down for a while Sam? You’ll be the first one to know if anything goes wrong.”
“Just for a little while, right?”
“Just for a little while.” Dr. Fraiser repeated and gave a little smile as she help Sam into bed.
When she returned to check on Sam and her two patients, exhaustion had finally over taken Sam. She adjusted the blanket to cover Sam’s shoulders, brushed her hair out of her eyes as she slept. After checking on her two patients, she quietly left them to sleep.
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